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Peer-Driven CAD Management Solutions4 Jun, 2014 By: Robert Green
How to succeed as the default CAD manager.
During the past few years I've noticed that there are more and more CAD managers who toil away at making things work even though they don't have a formal title or any real authority to manage the CAD office; they're what I call peer-to-peer CAD managers. As I've studied this issue, I've come to realize that many companies are moving away from rigid authority structures toward a more loosely managed, peer-driven structure. Because of this trend, I've been researching ways to manage CAD tools within these environments.
In this edition of "CAD Manager," I'll pass along some strategies I've helped my clients implement, in hopes that you can use them as well. Here goes.
Competency and Leadership
In the old world of corporate management, the mantra was "authority rules," and everyone understood that power structure. Under today's looser management systems, employees tend to respect competency instead, and gravitate toward anyone who has the know-how to get the job done. In my experience, users look up to the alpha software user as the person with the most CAD competency, but it takes more than just software knowledge to function as a CAD manager.
A traditional manager can make employees conform to his or her desires with simple authority, but in a peer-driven management structure, people must want to follow you. How do successful CAD leaders inspire this kind of loyalty from the users in the trenches? I'd like to note a few traits that demonstrate competency and leadership. If you perform in these ways on a daily basis, you'll soon become the next peer-to-peer manager in your workplace.
- Become the go-to resource. It is widely understood that the person who is the best at finding solutions to CAD problems is the person others look to for help — this is where software competency comes in. Users also need to feel comfortable asking you for help, which is why the next point is important.
- Be pleasant to work with and easy to talk to. Nobody wants to work with someone who's grouchy, difficult, or sullen, regardless of how competent they are.
- Make your case by teaching. Think of it this way — if you want people to follow your standards and best practices, they need to understand why they should do so. By teaching, I don't mean formal training sessions, but rather casual, frequent dispensing of tips and productivity-boosting advice. When users get their jobs done faster, they'll have proof of the value of standards and best practices.
- Don't gripe or complain. Even though all of us have wanted to scream about the frustrations of CAD management at some point, the best managers never let anyone hear them gripe. It is fine to calmly state why things aren't working, but do your best to stay positive and offer solutions rather than complain. Griping makes you much less pleasant to work with (see the second point above) and therefore diminishes the chance that you'll be able to teach and influence users.
- Talk to project managers. Open the lines of communication early, and keep them that way! The best way to avoid griping is to tell project managers how things could be going better. Project managers do have authority, and they can help you change things if they understand why they should listen to you. Do everything you can to make your project managers your biggest fans, and talk with them often.
It's all fairly straightforward, if you think about it: Know what you're doing and explain your actions to those around you in a pleasant way, and people will come to view you as a credible leader and teacher.
Turn Problems into Teachable Moments
We all know that CAD problems are going to surface. We also know that (due in large part to our demonstrated competency) we're going to be involved in fixing those problems. As this process plays out, it is important for us to put on our manager/teacher hat and make sure that the organization learns from the problem so as not to repeat it. So instead of saying, "I can't believe these idiots have messed up again!" try, "How can we keep this from happening?" as you dive into fixing the problems.
Here is how I manage the problem-solving process:
- Ask "Why?" as often as possible. Why did this happen? Why didn't we catch this? Why are our processes allowing this to slip through the cracks? You get the idea. You may need to ask a combination of users, project managers, IT staffers, and customers these questions to find the complete answer.
- Pay attention to departmental boundaries. Are the problems we're having due to different departments using software tools in dissimilar ways? Do our departments talk with each other? Asking these types of questions can help you understand whether your problems are simply due to communication and standards issues.
- Teach somebody as you fix the problem. Once you know why the problem happened, you can fix it — but as you do so, make sure you teach others what you're doing. Then they'll be equipped to help you detect and fix similar problems that arise in the future.
- Briefly write up what you find. It doesn't have to be formal, but take the time to jot down what happened and how you fixed it. Then send it to the users, departments, and project managers involved so they know what happened and learn how integral you were to getting things fixed (which goes back to demonstrating competency).
As you fix problems with your peers, you'll be demonstrating a clear leadership persona by trying to make the company run better. Senior management will be delighted that an employee is bettering the operating environment for all involved. Wouldn't it be great if everybody had this sense of ownership?
Bypass Politics with Optimization
In the January 22, 2014 edition of Cadalyst's CAD Manager's Newsletter, I introduced a CAD superhero I like to call the Optimizer. Every CAD manager should strive to be like the Optimizer, continually looking for ways to make processes better, faster, and easier for all involved. It stands to reason that pushing for optimization is a good business practice, but it also brings practical political advantages for CAD managers.
There will always be users and project managers who want to do things their own way. Unfortunately, that can sometimes cause problems for other users and departments. When this situation arises, the peer-to-peer CAD manager is in a hopeless position, caught between disagreeing parties with no authority to fix the problem. What's my solution? Don't pick a side — preach optimization instead. Here's an example:
"I don't know whether Julie's layering scheme is better than Jeff's, and I don't have a preference. I do know that using two different schemes is causing problems as we try to generate project PDF documentation. In the interest of optimizing our processes I'd like for us all to agree, right now, on which layering scheme we should use and stick to that decision."
Have this conversation in the presence of the project manager — who is in desperate need of properly generated PDF documentation — and he or she will assume the challenge of determining which layer standard is most appropriate.
Notice the key points of this strategy:
- I demonstrated competency. I know what the issue is, and why it's a problem.
- I was neutral. This allows me to remain on good terms with both Julie and Jeff when this is all over.
- I was reasonable. The only things I asked for were consistency and optimization.
- I pushed for a prompt decision. By resolving the issue now, I won't have to suffer the consequences of this problem again.
In my experience, when you take this approach both Julie and Jeff will respect you, the project manager will thank you, and you'll actually get the problem resolved.
Your Role Can Evolve
You've probably noticed that many of the peer management strategies I've outlined are interrelated. For example, when users and departments view you as competent, they ask you to help solve their problems, and when you solve those problems you'll be perceived as even more competent. Keep at it and your reputation will surely grow. This cumulative buildup of credibility among users, project managers, and company departments may evenually reach other branch offices — or even the corporate level.
As you gain more stature and credibility, you may find yourself becoming more and more central to the CAD management in your company. As a result, your senior management team may come to value you more as a CAD manager than as an architect or engineer or whichever type of CAD user you are. I know this is true, because it is exactly what happened to me!
When you reach this point, you may be able to make the career leap into a more traditional CAD manager's role if you choose to pursue it. If you do want to move in that direction, keep that career goal in mind during every user interaction or problem-solving session you participate in to help motivate yourself to communicate, teach, and optimize as much as possible.
Summing Up
I hope you've found these ideas for building credibility and leadership credentials useful for operating in a peer-driven CAD management environment. I think you'll find that if you focus on these concepts you'll spend more time being successful and less time fighting problems that you don't have the authority to fix in the first place.
I'd also like to point out that CAD managers who do have full authority can still benefit from using these peer-driven strategies to create an environment where users want to follow their well-defined technical leadership. Until next time.
About the Author: Robert Green
AutoCAD Tips!
Autodesk Technical Evangelist Lynn Allen guides you through a different AutoCAD feature in every edition of her popular "Circles and Lines" tutorial series. For even more AutoCAD how-to, check out Lynn's quick tips in the Cadalyst Video Gallery. Subscribe to Cadalyst's free Tips & Tools Weekly e-newsletter and we'll notify you every time a new video tip is published. All exclusively from Cadalyst!


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The Nebraska Legislature considers a bill that would give a third party the right to use deadly force to protect a fetus. In other words, the right to kill an abortion provider.
The "Rubber Stamp Attack:" Speaking Truth to Power Against the Latest Sweeping Abortion Restrictions in Kansas
This week, the Kansas House Federal and State Affairs Committee heard the largest, most expansive abortion restriction bill in the nation. HB 2598 is a 68-page piece of legislation, that manages to cobble together many of the most extreme restrictions from abortion legislation currently under litigation in three other states. And yet when I stood up to oppose it, far-right legislators claimed I "went too far."
Ester Abeja wants to show her face as a victim of gang rape, of abduction, of torture and daily violence, to be the image of a woman who has been forced to kill her own child and her own people.
Working with Dr. Tiller: His Staff Recalls a Tradition of Compassionate Care at Women's Health Care Services of Wichita
Dr. Tiller's murder and the closing of his clinic brought renewed national attention to the problems facing women who need abortions late in pregnancy. While he was viciously attacked by anti-choicers, one of whom eventually killed him, he was beloved by his staff and his patients for compassionate care in extraordinary circumstances.
Photos of activists converging in Germantown, MD to support Dr. Leroy Carhart and oppose Operation Rescue.
About 220 people "Walked for Choice" on Sunday July 31 in the beastly Maryland sun in support of Dr. Leroy Carhart. Spirits were high…
Of course, you are all like George. You care for women regardless of the personal risks, the political climate, the increasing number of restrictions and regulations and pure harassment that you and your patients endure.
George Tiller used to say "There is no Q. U. I. T. in G. E. O. R. G. E." The word "quit" was not in his vocabulary, and it should not be in ours.
As a member of the clergy, I provide many hours of pastoral care to women and families in the congregations and communities where I minister. The clergy experience confirms that these women come to their decisions with a sense of responsibility for themselves, their families, their other children, and their goals in life.
The FACE Act exists simply to keep anti-choice extremists from using violence or other terrorist tactics against abortion clinics and patients. Anyone "pro-life" should oppose terrorism, so why are anti-choicers fighting FACE instead?

subset: commoncrawl


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Hi, thanks for reading this post, I need your help. my team is horrible in an online match, so i decided to come here. here's my team, Latios (tradeable), Golurk, Darmanitan (Tradeable), electivire, Gigalith (tradeable), and carracosta (tradeable).
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text: Clinton Pal Burkle May Bid on Sacramento Kings Print article Send a Tip by Tony Lee 23 Jan 2013 post a comment Billionaire Ron Burkle, a close friend of former President Bill Clinton's, is in serious talks on a bid to buy the Sacramento Kings franchise. Burkle is a part owner of Pittsburgh Penguins NHL franchise and, according to USA Today, may join forces with 24-Hour Fitness Founder Mark Mastrov to keep the Kings in Sacramento. A Seattle-based group has reached an agreement with the owners of the Kings to buy the franchise and move it to Seattle, where it would become the Sonics. NBA Commissioner David Stern has given Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson six weeks to find bidders who could make a counteroffer to keep the Kings in Sacramento. Johnson has told Seattle do not "celebrate too early." "We've been here before," Johnson said. "Our backs have been against the wall. They told us it wasn't going to happen. But each and every step along the way, as long as there is time on the clock, our community always finds a way to stand up for itself." Burkle, who made his fortune in the supermarket business, reportedly has a private plane he and Clinton have often used that has been referred to as "Air F--k One."


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FIVE IRON FRENZY @ OGDEN THEATRE | 8/17/13 There were several moments during Five Iron's set that nodded to the hometown crowd, and all of them were dependably absurd thanks to frontman Reese Roper. "The Broncos are losing forty to seven," Roper informed us. "I've never been more proud to be from th ... More >>
Five Iron Frenzy is a Colorado band with a lengthy and storied history. Initially formed as a side project of Exhumator, an idustrial thrash band, Five Iron became a full time endeavor when its founders, frontman Reese Roper, bassist Keith Hoerig, and guitarists Micah Ortega and Scott Kerr, and drum ... More >>
Yellow Second puts faith in the redemptive power of pop.
Striking while the Iron is still hot, Reese Roper returns with a new band.
Yellow Second and Mary Beth Abella unleash two fine samples of local sounds.


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LEE COUNTY, Fla - Dunbar High School Academy for Technology Excellence has been selected for a Magnet School of Excellence Award by Magnet Schools of America. This is the top category of awards given by Magnet Schools of America, and is based on a commitment to high academic standards, curriculum innovation, successful diversity efforts, and the consistent delivery of high quality education to students..
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Dunbar High School will be honored Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at the 29th National Magnet Schools of America Conference hosted by the Indianapolis Public Schools in Indiana. At the presentation, top Magnet Schools of Excellence will be presented with cash awards.
The Academy for Technology Excellence (ATE) program and the new Academy for Digital Excellence (ADE) program offer 9th-12th grade students' hands-on experiences taught by IT certified instructors. All ATE & ADE students have the opportunity to acquire over 18 recognized industry standard computer certifications opportunities in areas associated with information technology (IT) and/or digital design. Honors weighted credit and dual enrollment credit are also offered for the ATE courses, paving the way toward post secondary education. Additionally, the programs meet the requirements for the Florida Gold Seal Scholarship.
To date, the Academy for Technology Excellence and the new Academy for Digital Excellence program combined have achieved over 2,225 International IT Computer certification tests passed. The ATE program has been declared by Microsoft as the 1st Microsoft certified high school in the world and has been a feature school for Adobe.


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Story: Nov 18, 2014
New film studies prof helps students appreciate film as art ...
CIA Exhibition: Nov 07, 2014
Fall 2014 Exhibitions
Story: Nov 15, 2014
Students capture two of the top prizes in museum's surreal d...
Events: Nov 21, 2014
Lunch On Fridays: Michael Polk + Amber Esner
Social: about 20 hours ago via Facebook
Join us tomorrow, Nov. 21, 6-9pm, at Art Spot for some great art and a chance to support Cleveland Institute of Art students! Works of art by CIA faculty, stude...
Story: Nov 04, 2014
New CIA building taking shape; set for December completion
CIA Exhibition: Nov 21, 2014 @ The Wine Spot in Cleveland Heights, OH
100 Show and Sale 2014
Story: Nov 03, 2014
New Uptown Residence Hall featured in CIA video
Events: Dec 05, 2014
Student Holiday Craft Sale
Story: Aug 18, 2014
CIA again named to "Best in the Midwest" list
Academics . Jewelry + Metals . Faculty . Kathy Buszkiewicz
Kathy Buszkiewicz
Title Professor
Department Jewelry + Metals
Phone 216.421.7470
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Kathy Buszkiewicz has exhibited throughout the world, and her work is represented in many collections. She traveled to Indonesia in 1991 and that same year curated Ethnographic Jewelry: Ritual, Power, Prestige, an exhibition of more than 250 works of art. She has received three Individual Artist Fellowships from the Ohio Arts Council and the Viktor Schreckengost Teaching Award from the CIA.
Degree MFA, Indiana University; BS, Ball State University
While at CIA, you'll learn from the masters through our rigorous, world-class curriculum and connect with working professionals to begin your career.


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About Waikanae Beach TOP 10
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Contact Details
New Zealand
Gisborne 4010
New Zealand


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Phoenix, AZ — The results from Switzerland were announced today and once again, for the fifth year in a row, 34-year-old Paul Horner from Phoenix, Arizona has the world's biggest penis.
"It was a no-brainer who would win," Judge Laura Friedmann told reporters. "I've been fortunate enough to sleep with Mr. Horner multiple times in the past. I'm still sore and have a hard time walking."
34.125 inches was the length of Horner's gigantic penis at this year's Penis Festival in Switzerland. Horner told CNN before the competition that he knew he would win because there is no male on this planet even close to his enormous size. "It's not hard to understand why I won. I have the biggest penis in the world," Horner said. "To all the haters out there I have three words for you; don't be jelly."
Horner is expected to win again at next year's penis competition being held in Paris Hilton.
Update 10/14/13: Today the search engine Google agreed that Paul Horner does in fact have the biggest penis in the world. Here is a link to a screenshot of this enormous feat. We here at the National Report could not be any prouder of our author and family man of nine children. Way to go Paul. Keep up the "big" work!
Update 10/20/14: Yahoo News agrees that Paul Horner has the biggest penis in the world
Update 11/11/14: Paul Horner still has the biggest penis in the world. Don't hate.


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What's Driving Retirement Plan Access?
By Peter Brady
October 17, 2014
Most workers who are likely to have the ability to save and who are focused primarily on saving for retirement have access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan—and nearly all of these workers choose to participate.
A new research paper from ICI, Who Gets Retirement Plans and Why, 2013, shows that seven in 10 workers most likely to be saving for retirement—workers aged 30 and older with at least moderate levels of earnings, and all but the lowest-earning workers aged 45 and older—work for an employer that sponsors a retirement plan. If workers whose spouse has access to a plan at work are counted, a full three-quarters have access. And 93 percent of workers with access to a plan, either through their own employer or their spouse's, participate.
Older, Higher Earners More Likely to Work for Employers that Offer Retirement Plans
The new research paper finds that the characteristics of a firm's workforce heavily influence whether it sponsors a retirement plan. Firms are more likely to offer a plan if their workers are focused on saving for retirement and thus value compensation packages that include retirement benefits.
As the figure below shows, younger households are more likely to save primarily for reasons other than retirement, such as a home purchase, family needs, or education. The tendency of younger workers to focus less on saving for retirement is consistent with economic models of life-cycle consumption predicting that most workers delay saving for retirement until later in their careers. Similarly, lower-income households also focus less on saving for retirement, reflecting the fact that Social Security benefits replace a higher share of pre-retirement earnings for workers with lower lifetime earnings.
Older and higher-income households, by contrast, are more likely to save primarily for retirement, as many already have reached their other savings goals. Workers in these households thus are more likely to seek out compensation that includes a portion as retirement benefits rather than only cash.
The Most Important Reason for a Family's Savings Changes over Time
Percentage of households by age of household head, ages 21 to 64, 2013
Source: Investment Company Institute tabulations of the 2013 Survey of Consumer Finances; see Brady and Bogdan, "Supplemental Tables: Who Gets Retirement Plans and Why," ICI Research Perspective 20, no. 6 (October 2014)
Consistent with these savings preferences, the younger, lower earners—who are less focused on saving for retirement than the older, higher earners—also are less likely to work for an employer that offers a retirement plan. In 2013, for example, just 43 percent of workers aged 21 to 29 worked for employers that sponsored retirement plans, well below the 60 percent of workers aged 55 to 64 who did. In addition, 26 percent of workers in the lowest quintile of annual earnings ($15,000 or less) worked for employers that sponsored retirement plans, barely a third of the 75 percent of workers in the highest quintile ($65,000 or more) who did.
A More Accurate Representation of Access
Policy discussions surrounding retirement have long focused on the fact that about half of American workers at any one time have access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan. But a snapshot of retirement plan coverage misses the big picture. The overall percentage of the workforce with access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan today understates the share of workers who will reach retirement having accrued employer-provided retirement benefits. Young workers do not remain young throughout their careers, nor do all low-income and part-time workers remain low-income and part-time. Many workers who do not have access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan today will have access to one before they retire—either through their own employers or their spouses'.
By the time they reach retirement, the vast majority of American households will have accumulated retirement assets, accrued retirement benefits, or both. And still more can be done to increase access to employer-sponsored retirement plans. Careful analysis of the data, however, suggests caution when proposing reforms to a system that already provides retirement benefits to most workers who are focused on saving for retirement.
Peter Brady is a senior economist at ICI.
TOPICS: Investor ResearchPolicy ResearchSavingsRetirement PolicyRetirement ResearchGovernment Affairs
The IMF Makes All of OFR's Mistakes—And More
By Sean Collins and Chris Plantier
October 10, 2014
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) just released its latest Global Financial Stability Report. In the immortal words of Yogi Berra, it is déjà vu all over again.
The IMF report bears more than a passing resemblance to Asset Management and Financial Stability, published by the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Financial Research (OFR) in September 2013. The OFR report was met with widespread criticism for its misinformed discussion of hypothetical "vulnerabilities" posed by mutual funds and other asset managers.
TOPICS: Mutual FundTreasuryFinancial StabilityICI GlobalEuropeFund RegulationInternational
Bloomberg Ignores the Evidence on Bond ETFs
By Mike McNamee
September 26, 2014
In response to "Pimco ETF Probe Spotlighting $270 Billion Market Vexing FSB," we posted the following comment on Bloomberg News' website:
TOPICS: TradingFederal ReserveBondsFinancial MarketsFinancial StabilityExchange-Traded FundsBond FundInterest RateFund RegulationInternational
Why Regulated Funds Are a Relatively Stable Source of Foreign Investment for Emerging Economies
By Chris Plantier
September 26, 2014
The press and policymakers focus a great deal of attention on flows to U.S. and European regulated mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), in part because these funds are perhaps the most easily observed and readily measured players in capital markets.
TOPICS: Mutual FundFinancial MarketsFinancial StabilityICI GlobalEuropeFund RegulationInternational
A Look Inside ETFs and ETF Trading
By Rochelle Antoniewicz and Jane Heinrichs
September 23, 2014
Investors in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are trading shares with each other far more than they are turning to authorized participants to create or redeem shares.
TOPICS: Mutual FundTradingFinancial MarketsFinancial StabilityExchange-Traded Funds
Securities Lending by Mutual Funds, ETFs, and Closed-End Funds: Are the Risks Systemic?
By Bob Grohowski
September 18, 2014
The Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), the U.S. Treasury's Office of Financial Research (OFR), and the Financial Stability Board (FSB) are charged with identifying systemic risks.
TOPICS: Mutual FundFederal ReserveTreasuryFinancial MarketsFinancial StabilityFund RegulationGovernment Affairs
Securities Lending by Mutual Funds, ETFs, and Closed-End Funds: Regulators' Concerns
By Bob Grohowski
September 17, 2014
This post is the third in a series that focuses on securities lending by U.S. regulated funds—mutual funds, exchange traded funds (ETFs), and closed-end funds that are registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
TOPICS: Mutual FundFederal ReserveTreasuryFinancial MarketsFinancial StabilityFund RegulationGovernment Affairs
Statement of the Investment Company Institute at Senate Finance Committee Hearing on "Retirement Savings 2.0: Updating Savings Policy for the Modern Economy"
By Brian Reid
September 16, 2014
This statement was given on behalf of ICI by Brian Reid, chief economist, at the Senate Finance Committee's hearing on "Retirement Savings 2.0: Updating Savings Policy for the Modern Economy." For more information, see ICI's full written testimony.
TOPICS: Investor ResearchMutual FundTaxesSavingsRetirement Policy401(k)Retirement ResearchGovernment Affairs
Securities Lending by Mutual Funds, ETFs, and Closed-End Funds: The Market
By Bob Grohowski and Sean Collins
September 16, 2014
As the potential risks of securities lending are discussed and debated by the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), the U.S. Treasury's Office of Financial Research (OFR), and the Financial Stability Board (FSB), it is important to try to understand both the overall size of the securities lending market and the share of it attributable to different participants.
TOPICS: Mutual FundFederal ReserveTreasuryFinancial MarketsFinancial StabilityFund RegulationGovernment Affairs
Securities Lending by Mutual Funds, ETFs, and Closed-End Funds: The Basics
By Bob Grohowski
September 15, 2014
The Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) recently announced that it has directed its staff to "undertake a more focused analysis of industry-wide products and activities to assess potential risks associated with the asset management industry."
TOPICS: Mutual FundFederal ReserveTreasuryFinancial MarketsFinancial StabilityFund RegulationGovernment Affairs
Happy Birthday ERISA! Congratulations on 40 Years
By Sarah Holden and Elena Barone Chism
September 2, 2014
Today marks the 40th birthday of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Signed into law on September 2, 1974, ERISA introduced bold steps to safeguard Americans' employer-sponsored pensions and created the individual retirement account (IRA). Assets earmarked for retirement totaled $0.4 trillion at year-end 1974 (see the figure below). At this modest start, private-sector defined benefit (DB) plans accounted for 35 percent of the total; federal, state, and local plans for 34 percent; private-sector defined contribution (DC) plans for 17 percent; annuities for 13 percent; and there was a mere glimmer of IRA assets by year-end. Currently, total U.S. retirement assets are $23.0 trillion, and their composition has shifted considerably over the past 40 years.
TOPICS: Investor ResearchPolicy ResearchTaxesFixed IncomeSavingsRetirement Policy401(k)TreasuryRetirement ResearchGovernment AffairsInvestment Education
"Preemptive Runs" and Money Market Fund Gates and Fees: Theory Meets Practice
By Sean Collins and Chris Plantier
August 20, 2014
A recent post on the blog of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York discusses the possibility that new rules by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) allowing money market funds to temporarily impose fees or gates during times of market instability could increase the risk of preemptive runs on such funds during times of stress, rather than helping to limit destabilizing withdrawals, as the SEC intended.
TOPICS: Fund GovernanceFederal ReserveTreasuryFinancial StabilityEuropeMoney Market FundsFund RegulationInternationalGovernment Affairs
Sizing Up Mutual Fund and ETF Investment in Emerging Markets
By Chris Plantier
August 18, 2014
In coming decades, emerging market (EM) economies will need substantial new capital to accompany and sustain their rapid growth.
TOPICS: Mutual FundFixed IncomeBondsFinancial MarketsFinancial StabilityICI GlobalEuropeExchange-Traded FundsBond FundEquity InvestingFund RegulationInternational
Living Wills and an Orderly Resolution Mechanism? A Poor Fit for Mutual Funds and Their Managers
By Frances Stadler and Rachel Graham
August 12, 2014
During the global financial crisis, the distress or disorderly failure of some large, complex, highly leveraged financial institutions (banks, insurance companies, and investment banks) required direct intervention by governments—including a number of bailouts—to stem the damage and prevent it from spreading. One focus of postcrisis reform efforts has been to ensure that regulators are better equipped to "resolve" a failing institution in a way that minimizes risks to the broader financial system, as well as costs to taxpayers. The new tools provided under the Dodd-Frank Act include requirements for the largest bank holding companies and nonbank systemically important financial institutions (SIFIs) to prepare comprehensive resolution plans in advance (known as "living wills"), and creation of a new "orderly resolution" mechanism for financial institutions whose default could threaten financial stability.
TOPICS: Mutual FundFederal ReserveTreasuryFinancial MarketsFinancial StabilityFund RegulationShareholderGovernment Affairs
Unconventional Wisdom on Retirement Preparedness
By Peter Brady
August 4, 2014
How well are Americans planning and saving for retirement? This is an important question to answer—but also vexingly difficult.
TOPICS: Investor ResearchPolicy ResearchSavingsRetirement PolicyEventsRetirement ResearchGovernment Affairs
Across the Universe: Seeing the Whole Picture in the Systemic Risk Debate
By Paul Schott Stevens
July 30, 2014
Astrophysicists have discovered that they can't account for the composition and behavior of the universe without including "dark matter"—matter that can't be observed directly.
TOPICS: Mutual FundFederal ReserveTreasuryFinancial MarketsFinancial StabilityFund RegulationShareholderGovernment Affairs
The Real Lessons to Be Learned from 1994's Bond Market
By Brian Reid
July 29, 2014
A recent "Heard on the Street" column in the Wall Street Journal ("Heeding 1994's Bond-Market Lesson," July 27, 2014) is correct in saying that there's a lesson to be learned from the 1994 bond market—but it draws the wrong lesson.
TOPICS: Mutual FundTradingBondsSavingsTreasuryRetirement ResearchBond FundInterest RateFixed IncomeFederal ReserveFinancial MarketsFinancial StabilityFund Regulation
"The Age of Asset Management"—Less Risk, Not More
By Brian Reid
July 24, 2014
The following was written by ICI's chief economist, Brian Reid, and published on FT Alphaville on July 23. For more information on ICI's views and research on financial stability, please visit our Financial Stability Resource Center.
TOPICS: Mutual FundFederal ReserveTreasuryFinancial MarketsICI GlobalFinancial StabilityFund RegulationGovernment AffairsInternational
European Banks Significantly Reduced Borrowing from U.S. Money Market Funds in June
By Chris Plantier
July 18, 2014
As we discussed in March and April, European banks have generally become less willing to borrow from U.S. money market funds due to regulatory pressures, especially at the end of the quarter. Specifically, the new Basel III requirements seek to increase capital ratios of banks and explicitly limit how much banks fund their operations through short-term borrowing (which includes short-term securities banks issue that money market funds invest in). This quarter-end effect was particularly strong at the end of June as European bank regulators continued to monitor bank progress toward meeting the new Basel III requirements, which will be fully phased in over the next few years.
TOPICS: Fixed IncomeFederal ReserveBondsTreasuryFinancial MarketsEuropeMoney Market FundsFund RegulationInvestment Education
Some Facts About Roth IRAs and the Investors Who Use Them
By Todd Bernhardt
July 17, 2014
Since the individual retirement account (IRA) was created as part of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), it has become a resounding success, accounting for the largest pool of assets in the U.S. retirement market. By the end of 2013, Americans held $6.5 trillion in IRAs, with 45 percent of that total—$3.0 trillion—invested in mutual funds.
TOPICS: Mutual FundInvestor ResearchFixed IncomeSavingsRetirement ResearchEquity InvestingBond FundInvestment Education
Industry Leaders Address Evolving Industry Challenges and Opportunities
By Miriam Bridges
June 9, 2014
In conversations exploring outcome-oriented investing, the globalization of the fund industry, and the next generation of retirement plans, industry leaders offered their perspectives on serving investors in an evolving world during several insightful sessions at ICI's annual General Membership Meeting, held in Washington May 20–22.
TOPICS: Mutual FundSavings401(k)Retirement PolicyEventsShareholderGMMInternational
Adapting to the Rapidly Evolving Cybersecurity Environment
By Todd Bernhardt
June 6, 2014
Because external hackers typically try to "look like an insider" when attempting to penetrate IT systems, "every cyberattack is likely an 'internal' attack," according to Mark Clancy, managing director of technology risk management at the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC).
TOPICS: Mutual FundEventsCybersecurityOperations and TechnologyGMM
Now Off the Hill, Senator Snowe Still Brimming with Ideas, Advice
By Rob Elson
June 5, 2014
U.S. policy is ripe for reform in a number of key areas, but changes to ease the polarized political environment must come first, former U.S. senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) told the crowd during the final session of ICI's 56th annual General Membership Meeting (GMM), held May 20–22 in Washington, DC.
TOPICS: Mutual FundFederal ReserveRetirement PolicyTreasuryFinancial MarketsFinancial StabilityCybersecurityEventsFund RegulationGMMShareholderGovernment Affairs
Industry Leaders Reflect on Serving Investors in an Evolving World
By Tina Kilroy
June 4, 2014
Speaking on the Leadership Panel held Wednesday, May 21, at ICI's General Membership Meeting (GMM), fund industry leaders agreed that challenges as well as opportunities abound for their businesses in today's complex world.
TOPICS: Mutual FundRetirement Policy401(k)EventsShareholderFund GovernanceFederal ReserveFinancial MarketsFinancial StabilityFund RegulationGMMGovernment AffairsInvestment Education
Former ICI President Matt Fink Decries FSOC's "Revisionist History"
By Mike McNamee
May 30, 2014
Arguments that large stock and bond mutual funds are prone to "runs" that can destabilize markets go back many decades, and are as misguided now as they were then, argues Matt Fink, ICI president from 1991 to 2004, and author of The Rise of Mutual Funds: An Insider's View.
TOPICS: Mutual FundFederal ReserveTreasuryFinancial MarketsFinancial StabilityFund RegulationGovernment Affairs
Errors of the Times: Getting the FSOC Debate All Wrong
By Mike McNamee
May 23, 2014
New York Times columnist Floyd Norris makes a number of fundamental errors in his Friday column about the House Financial Services Committee hearing and the broader debate about the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) and its review of asset management.
TOPICS: Mutual FundFederal ReserveTreasuryFinancial MarketsICI GlobalFinancial StabilityFund RegulationInternationalGovernment Affairs
SEC Chair White Stresses Need for FSOC to Consult Sources for Necessary Expertise
By Rachel McTague
May 22, 2014
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Mary Jo White today called for the U.S. Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) to use outside expertise to the degree necessary in its process of designating systemically important financial institutions (SIFIs). She asserted that it is "enormously important for FSOC, before it makes any decision of any kind, to make sure it has the necessary expertise on any of those issues."
TOPICS: Mutual FundFund GovernanceTradingFederal ReserveTreasuryFinancial MarketsEventsFinancial StabilityMoney Market FundsFund RegulationShareholderOperations and TechnologyGMMGovernment Affairs
Headlining ICI's GMM, Blair Talks of Tough Challenges, Vast Opportunities
By Rob Elson
May 21, 2014
Challenges abound in our increasingly global world, said Tony Blair, former prime minister of the United Kingdom. Yet our future could be brighter than ever, he insisted.
Blair's stirring words came during a keynote speech at ICI's 56th General Membership Meeting (GMM). After his opening remarks, Blair sat down with ICI Chairman Bill McNabb, Chairman and CEO of The Vanguard Group, to discuss a range of issues. The session headlined the three-day meeting, which began yesterday in Washington, DC.
TOPICS: Mutual Fund401(k)Financial MarketsEventsFund RegulationGMMInternational
GMM Policy Forum: BlackRock's Larry Fink Speaks with ICI's Paul Stevens
By Todd Bernhardt
May 21, 2014
The fund industry needs to stop focusing on the moment and start focusing on outcomes when advising investors on their resources, said Laurence D. Fink, chairman and CEO of BlackRock, at ICI's Annual Policy Forum, part of the Institute's 56th General Membership Meeting (GMM).
TOPICS: Mutual FundSavingsBondsRetirement PolicyTreasury401(k)Financial MarketsEventsFund RegulationShareholderGMMInternationalInvestment Education
"Market Tantrums" and Mutual Funds: A Second Look
By Sean Collins and Chris Plantier
May 19, 2014
Over the past year, policymakers who are focused on financial stability have pursued a theory that mutual fund investors can destabilize financial markets by redeeming from funds when markets decline. According to this theory, redemptions by fund investors lead fund managers to sell securities; those sales drive asset prices down further and, in turn, spur more investor flight, redemptions, and price declines.
TOPICS: Mutual FundInvestor ResearchTradingFixed IncomeBondsTreasuryFinancial MarketsFinancial StabilityBond FundInterest RateFund Regulation
For Concerns About Risk, a Better Way Forward
By Mike McNamee
May 16, 2014
Since the financial crisis, regulators in the United States and abroad have been looking for ways to prevent a repeat. But recently it seems they've gone off course.
TOPICS: Mutual FundTreasuryFinancial MarketsICI GlobalFinancial StabilityFund RegulationInternationalGovernment Affairs
Overseas Overreach
By Mike McNamee
May 15, 2014
The Financial Stability Board (FSB)—composed of financial regulators and central bankers from around the globe—is proposing a flawed methodology that inappropriately puts regulated U.S. funds under scrutiny for possible designation as global systemically important financial institutions—or G-SIFIs.
TOPICS: Mutual FundTreasuryFinancial MarketsFinancial StabilityICI GlobalFund RegulationInternationalGovernment Affairs
How SIFI Designation Could Lead to a New Taxpayer Bailout
By Mike McNamee
May 14, 2014
We have spent the past several days discussing why efforts by international and domestic regulators to examine mutual funds as sources of systemic risk are unnecessary and inappropriate.
TOPICS: Mutual FundTreasuryFinancial MarketsFinancial StabilityFund RegulationGovernment Affairs
Who Are the FSB 14?
By Mike McNamee
May 13, 2014
In their search for ways that investment funds can pose risks to the financial system, regulators and central bankers from around the globe have proposed an arbitrary threshold: any investment fund with assets of more than $100 billion should automatically be subjected to further examination and consideration as a possible "global systemically important financial institution," or G-SIFI.
TOPICS: Mutual FundTreasuryFinancial MarketsICI GlobalFinancial StabilityFund RegulationGovernment AffairsInternational
The Market Crash That Never Came
By Mike McNamee
May 12, 2014
U.S. and international banking regulators, in their search for ways that mutual funds and their managers could threaten financial stability, have come up with a simple story: fund investors and asset managers "crowd or 'herd' into popular asset classes or securities" and thus "magnify market volatility."
TOPICS: Mutual FundFederal ReserveTreasuryFinancial MarketsFinancial StabilityICI GlobalFund RegulationGovernment AffairsInternational
Size by Itself Doesn't Matter—Leverage Does
By Mike McNamee
May 9, 2014
Second in a series of Viewpoints postings on funds and financial stability.
The threshold set by the Financial Stability Board (FSB) for examining whether a regulated fund could pose risk to the financial system should be redrawn—or better yet, withdrawn.
TOPICS: Mutual FundFederal ReserveTreasuryFinancial MarketsICI GlobalFinancial StabilityFund RegulationInternationalGovernment Affairs
SIFI Designation for Funds: Unnecessary and Harmful
By Mike McNamee
May 8, 2014
U.S. and international regulators are examining whether asset managers or the investment funds that they offer could be sources of risk to the overall financial system and should thus be designated as systemically important financial institutions (SIFIs).
TOPICS: Mutual FundFederal ReserveTreasuryFinancial MarketsFinancial StabilityICI GlobalFund RegulationInternationalGovernment Affairs
ICYMI: "The Feds Target Money Managers"
By Mike McNamee
May 7, 2014
Yesterday's editorial in the Wall Street Journal, "The Feds Target Money Managers," neatly summed up the case against treating asset managers as systemically important financial institutions (SIFIs) and subjecting them to bank-style regulation.
TOPICS: Mutual FundFederal ReserveTreasuryFinancial MarketsICI GlobalFinancial StabilityFund RegulationGovernment AffairsInternational
ICYMI: Congress Asks Questions About SIFI Designation and Asset Managers; SEC Chair White Provides Telling Answers
By Mike McNamee
April 30, 2014
DC scene setter, 2013–2014: The Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) is examining asset managers for possible "systemically important financial institution" (SIFI) designation, which would bring with it enhanced prudential regulation from the Federal Reserve. Such "bank-style" regulation is foreign to U.S. capital markets.
TOPICS: Mutual FundFederal ReserveTreasuryFinancial MarketsICI GlobalFinancial StabilityFund RegulationGovernment AffairsInternational
ICI Statement: FSOC Seeking "Pretexts" to Designate Funds
By Mike McNamee
April 24, 2014
ICI President and CEO Paul Schott Stevens today made the following statement in response to media reports that the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) has stepped up its review of major asset managers—which could lead to their designation as "systemically important financial institutions," or SIFIs—based on boilerplate metrics.
TOPICS: Mutual FundFederal ReserveTreasuryFinancial MarketsFinancial StabilityICI GlobalFund RegulationInternationalGovernment Affairs
Seasonality, U.S. Money Market Funds, and the Borrower of Last Resort
By Chris Plantier
April 16, 2014
The March money market fund holdings data indicate a large drop in the share of fund assets allocated to European counterparties and a large increase in the share of fund assets allocated to U.S. counterparties. This shift is likely temporary and reflects reduced willingness of European banks to borrow from money market funds at the end of the quarter, rather than reduced demand from money market funds. Also, the increase in lending to U.S. counterparties is almost entirely due to the large increase in money market fund lending to the Federal Reserve via its overnight reverse-repo (repurchase agreement) facility.
TOPICS: Fixed IncomeFederal ReserveBondsTreasuryFinancial MarketsEuropeMoney Market FundsFund RegulationInvestment Education
ICI Responds to the FSB Consultation on Systemic Risk and Investment Funds
April 8, 2014
In early January, the Financial Stability Board (FSB)—an international group of financial authorities—published a consultation paper on the issue of systemic risk and investment funds.
TOPICS: Mutual FundFederal ReserveTreasuryFinancial MarketsICI GlobalFinancial StabilityFund RegulationGovernment AffairsInternational
ICI Response to Bank of England Haldane Speech on Asset Management and Potential Risk
By Mike McNamee
April 4, 2014
Today, ICI President and CEO Paul Schott Stevens made the following comment in response to a speech by Andy Haldane, currently executive director of the Bank of England and slated to become its chief economist in June.
TOPICS: Mutual FundFederal ReserveTreasuryFinancial MarketsICI GlobalFinancial StabilityFund RegulationInternationalGovernment Affairs
U.S. Prime Money Market Funds and European Borrowing
By Chris Plantier
March 18, 2014
European holdings by U.S. prime money market funds have fluctuated significantly since early 2011.
TOPICS: Fixed IncomeFederal ReserveBondsTreasuryFinancial MarketsMoney Market FundsFund RegulationInvestment Education
Why Asset Management Is Not a Source of Systemic Risk
By Paul Schott Stevens
March 17, 2014
This Viewpoints post is a summary of a speech given by ICI President and CEO Paul Schott Stevens at the Mutual Funds and Investment Management Conference. The entire speech is now available.
Since September, U.S. and international regulators have released reports suggesting that asset managers or the funds that they offer may be sources of risk to the overall financial system. ICI does not agree that the asset management sector poses systemic risk. Nonetheless, these reports could be the predicate for new, bank-style prudential regulation of the asset management industry—which could significantly harm funds and the investors who use them.
TOPICS: Mutual FundFederal ReserveTreasuryFinancial MarketsFinancial StabilityICI GlobalFund RegulationGovernment AffairsInternational
ETFs Don't Move the Market—Information Does
By Shelly Antoniewicz
March 11, 2014
There they go again.
TOPICS: TradingFixed IncomeBondsFinancial MarketsInterest RateExchange-Traded FundsBond Fund
Washington: Put Your (Retirement) Money Where Your Mouth Is
By Mike McNamee
March 4, 2014
When President Obama announced a new effort to expand access to retirement savings opportunities, ICI was among the first to applaud. The Administration's "myRA" looks to provide a new option for Americans who want to put money aside for retirement, but who might not have access to a retirement plan through their workplace. These accounts would complement the wide array of investment options already available to these workers.
TOPICS: TaxesSavingsRetirement Policy401(k)Government AffairsInvestment Education
A Growing Urgency: FATCA Agreements in the Asia-Pacific Region
By Keith Lawson
February 21, 2014
Questions are swirling as the 1 July 2014 effective date for the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) draws closer.
Money Market Funds and Liquidity Ratios: Why So High and Stable?
By Chris Plantier
February 19, 2014
Second in a series of posts about ICI's new data release, a monthly compilation and summary of portfolio data from taxable money market funds. To find out more, read the first post about the new data summary or this list of answers to frequently asked questions.
The SEC's 2010 money market fund reforms require taxable funds to hold at least 30 percent of their assets in securities that are deemed to be liquid within five business days (known as weekly liquidity) and at least 10 percent of their assets in securities that are deemed to be liquid in one business day (known as daily liquidity). In practice, money market funds—especially government money market funds—hold liquidity well above these minimum standards, and these ratios change very little in any given month.
TOPICS: Fixed IncomeFederal ReserveBondsTreasuryFinancial MarketsMoney Market FundsFund RegulationInvestment Education
Creating a Globally Workable Compliance Framework for Financial Account Tax Information
By Keith Lawson
February 13, 2014
By developing a global standard for collecting customer information from financial institutions and exchanging that information between governmental taxing authorities worldwide, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has taken an important step to enhance tax compliance. This common reporting standard (CRS) for the automatic exchange of information (AEOI), which was announced by the OECD on 13 February 2014, will be presented to the G20 at their 22–23 February 2014 meeting in Sydney.
TOPICS: TaxesICI GlobalGovernment AffairsInternational
Updated FICCA Framework Makes Auditing Omnibus Accounts Easier, More Efficient
By Kathy Joaquin
January 27, 2014
Many financial intermediaries—such as broker-dealers, financial advisers, and retirement plan recordkeepers—provide services to fund shareholders and maintain customer account information on their own recordkeeping systems. Fund sponsors, in turn, want to ensure that intermediaries are meeting their obligations in servicing fund shareholders, and so, have been seeking oversight tools that allow them to do this efficiently and effectively. ICI recently took steps to improve one of the critical oversight tools available to the industry, through a major update of the Financial Intermediary Controls and Compliance Assessment (FICCA) engagement framework.
TOPICS: Mutual FundFund GovernanceFund RegulationOperations and Technology
ICI's New Data Release: Further Enhancing the Transparency of Money Market Funds
By Chris Plantier
January 21, 2014
The 2010 reforms to money market mutual funds greatly enhanced the transparency of these funds, giving regulators, analysts, and investors greater insight into important elements of funds' holdings and operations.
The reforms required funds to disclose their entire portfolio holdings to the public on their company websites five business days after the end of each month. Money market funds also are required to file a more detailed disclosure—SEC Form N-MFP—with the Securities and Exchange Commission directly. The SEC releases this more detailed data to the public 60 days after it's filed. The SEC does not, however, summarize the data, leaving the public with no non-commercial access to a broad look at holdings across the industry.
TOPICS: Fixed IncomeFederal ReserveBondsTreasuryFinancial MarketsMoney Market FundsFund RegulationInvestment Education
Column Makes the Same Mistakes as OFR
By Paul Schott Stevens
January 20, 2014
In recent months, both the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Financial Research (OFR) and international regulators such as the Financial Stability Board (FSB) have examined whether asset managers pose risks to financial stability. One report is deeply flawed; the other offers a more informed view. Unfortunately, Gretchen Morgenson's New York Times column ("Bailout Risk, Far Beyond the Banks," January 12) veers toward the flawed report.
TOPICS: Federal ReserveTreasuryFinancial MarketsICI GlobalFinancial StabilityFund RegulationInternationalGovernment Affairs
Copyright © 2014 by the Investment Company Institute


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Project Pearls brilliant documentaryOctober 14th, 2014
Thanks to social media, stories like this one can be viewed throughout the world. And thanks to social media, stories like these can become viral. Which they should.
Thanks to social media, stories like this one can be viewed throughout the world. And thanks to social media, stories like these can become viral. Which they should.
Looks to me like a group of school children could use a footbridge to help them attend school every day, even in the rainy season.
This is another project by the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation.
This video explains it:
Wikipedia says this: "Sarangani is a province of the Philippines located in the SOCCSKSARGEN region. Its capital is Alabel. With a 230 kilometres (140 mi) coastline along the Sarangani Bay and Celebes Sea, the province is at the southernmost tip of Mindanao Island, and borders South Cotabato and Davao del Sur to the north, and Davao Occidental to the east."
Here are some statistics from the Dept. of Education:
July 2014. Feeling very honored this week. The Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation (YBH) honored Josiah Go, Rick Passo, and me by naming yellow boats after us . . . boats designed to help the remarkable community of Great Santa Cruz Island, Zamboanga City, Philippines.
This particular project on Sta Cruz is a sustainable ecotourism project that aims to provide alternative livelihood to fishermen. By giving livelihood, YBH hopes they will protect their environment as well as improve their income so that their kids can continue going to school.
Here's what the foundation said (and posted on Facebook), "Our first three Yellow Boat Adventures boats for Sta. Cruz Yellow Boat. community is named in honor of 3 special people who helped YBH at very crucial points and until now are still very active HOPE PADDLERS! The board of YBHF unanimously approved to give them the honor. Our chief rainmaker Josiah Go, our chief connector Rick Passo and our Chief inspiration Judy Simpson Vorfeld! Thank you!"
To be so honored is humbling and exciting. This is a foundation whose volunteers work special kinds of magic on any given day, in order to help Filipino kids get their education and be challenged by what the future holds. I love volunteering for YBH, even though we are separated physically.
One of many blessings given us is technology, so we can not only have worthy goals, but often the means to fulfill them. Social media, particularly Facebook, has been an unsurpassed tool for communication within and outside of the Philippines. It is bringing together many people who love to give with others who love to give, and the results are not just amazing, but sometimes wildly creative. People are finding methods for helping the disadvantaged in ways that encourage education, sustainability, and self-respect.
A shot of the turnover of the boats to the community followed by a shot of much of the community and YBH Volunteers.
And another project underway that has enormous potential, The Yellow Dorm of Hope. It is under construction. Here are some links so you can see what the dorm is all about.
This is a TED video you don't want to miss!
"The written word," says Rich Becker, "is one of the most accurate and flexible means of communication ever conceived and we're living in an era where we can access more of it than ever before in human history."
This colorful writer, businessman, and educator just posted an article, "Five Popular Content Writing Tips That Are Dead Wrong." He explains the following items in full in his blog post:
1. Everything is trending toward less words so write less.
2. Adding exciting words to marketing copy will jazz it up.
3. Writing catchy copy takes almost no time at all.
4. Persuasion and believability comes from good writing alone.
5. One medium will rule them all and in the darkness bind them.
Take a few moments to hear Becker out. Writing proficiency is vital, and it is diminishing in the U.S. Not good.
Rich Becker is an accomplished businessman who has also taught writing, editing, and social media classes at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for more than ten years. Subscribing to his blog is one of the smartest moves I've made in my business.
Nick Vujicic - one in a million!
Sometimes life gets complicated. Especially if you're writing something and you choose the wrong spelling and the book isn't edited and it is published for millions of people to see.
On the other hand, it proves you are human. But there is so much help available that you can find answers to almost anything regarding writing or spelling. I recently read a good novel that used "discrete" instead of "discreet," and promised myself I'd blog about it to help others.
You are discreet when you show self-control in your behavior. You don't call attention to the situation. If you need to leave the room to visit the bathroom, you make a discreet exit. At least I hope so, because probably no one is interested in where you're going.
If you watch Downton Abbey, you'll understand what it's like to be discreet. Almost all the gossip is done discreetly, except when the screenwriter wants to create tension.
When you think "discrete," try to think "separate," "distinct." If you think of society, you think of it as a discrete "whole" or "entity" created of individual agents. You could think of a birthday cake created with discrete items: M&Ms, chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, candied fruit, etc. On the other hand, you might say the cake had lots of goodies in it.
There's also something mathematical about "discrete," but I either got low grades or flunked mathematics, so I'll just say that in math, discrete has to do with finite or countable sets of value. Or something.
I recently hired Vooveo.com to create a brief, descriptive video of my business, Editing and Writing Services. They did a fantastic job. I highly recommend them. Here are two different resolutions:
Lucia Julia Fort, 57, born October 27, 1956, in Lima Peru, to Pedro Emilio Fort and Julia Maria Aste, passed away at her home in Denton, Texas, on February 14, 2014. Lucia spent her life as an artist. She will always be remembered through her work. She is survived by her mother Julia Maria Fort; three sisters, Diana Maria Fort and husband Joseph Boudeman of Pacifica, California, Constanza Fort and husband Eduardo, Silvia Rita Fort and husband Alfredo; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. She will also be dearly missed by her beloved dog "Bella". Lucia was preceded in death by her father, Pedro Emilio Fort.
Here is an interview with Lucia which I completed years ago and posted on this website. She was my client, and we became friends, but because we were both busy, we lost touch. One of her clients (who found the article below) called me last week, saying she couldn't get hold of Lucia, and didn't know what to do. I decided to check the obituaries in her town, and was heartbroken to discover her death.
©Judy Vorfeld
Today, Peruvian artist Lucia Fort hand paints tiles that adorn the interiors and exteriors of exceptional homes and commercial buildings. Not long ago, she lived for a month on less than she makes now on the sale of one tile. The story of her transition reads like a novel, but it is only too real.
"Because of hundreds of years of Spanish rule, tiles were integrated into the art culture of Peru as they were in Mexico," says Lucia, a second generation Peruvian of Italian and French heritage. She always loved art and graphic design. As a young woman she began supporting herself by working in graphic design and advertising, while making time to teach others how to create art on tiles. This elegant artwork, however, could be no more than a serious hobby, because of Peru's economy.
In 1990 and 1991, Peruvians experienced extreme hardships: hyperinflation and terrorist attacks shattered all hope of living a normal life. During that time, while Lucia was in a restaurant, a bomb ripped apart the adjacent building, killing many people. Stunned by the realization of how short life can be, even though she was not injured, she decided that the only thing that matters is doing what you really love to do.
Almost broke, she decided to test her luck in the "country of the opportunities, America." Lucia got a visa (her sister lives in San Francisco), but she soon realized the costs for starting a business were too high for someone without capital. After several months she moved to Texas, only to learn that graphic design jobs went to people with computer experience. She had none, so she began working as a baby sitter, house cleaner, etc.
One day while browsing through a library, she picked up an interior design magazine that showcased custom tile work. The artwork, she thought, was adequate, but not extraordinary. And the cost! She'd never seen such expensive tiles. She earned $30 dollars a month in Peru, working two jobs.
Suddenly, an exciting new window opened. She knew she could paint better art on tiles anything she'd seen. Unable to make appointments by phone because of her limited English, she started painting samples and taking them to builders. "I learned that it was more difficult for them to say no when they saw you sitting in the reception area for hours," she says.
Once she had her first client, Lucia bought a small kiln and rented a shop, even though it had a large hole in the roof. Every time it rained, she simply moved everything and cleaned up the mess. Laughing to herself, she took pictures of the ceiling and the mess below, saving them for later. She wanted a reminder of her first American shop with its hole in the roof.
Full of hope, she began visiting stores and leaving free samples of her art on tiles. Sales grew. Five years later, with the Internet in full bloom, and still without a computer, Lucia sacrificed to have a Web site designed.
In August 1997 she stopped by the library to use a computer to check her e-mail. Did she have a sale? Yes! She realized that the Internet was an important communication medium, and that by using it to the fullest, she could reach buyers without having to open a store. Since she couldn't keep paying a designer to maintain her Web site, in February 1998 she bought her first computer. Five months later, Lucia Fort opened http://www.artontiles.com.
Lucia applies her formidable determination to perfecting her English and wishes it could happen faster. "Right now, I'm working seven days a week," she says. "As soon I have more time, I will enroll in an English class at the university. For now, I read a lot and listen books on tapes while I'm painting."
"Not bad for someone that rode a llama six years ago, metaphorically speaking," she laughs. "Many people know more than I do, but if I've learned one thing in life, it's this: if you try to find the perfect time or the perfect location, etc. to do something, you will never do it. Sometimes you need to jump into the pool and you have no option except to swim. Just make sure the pool has water."


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Zac! Rihanna! Shia! Lauren! These kids aren't only the most popular, they're also the most likely to get bigger in '08. By Aaron Parsley
Credit: Steve Mack/FilmMagic
Updated: Monday Nov 26, 2007 | 06:00 AM EST
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text:
November 25, 2014
PHOENIX (AP) -- Wily Peralta pitched seven effective innings, Aramis Ramirez lined a two-run double in the eighth inning and the Milwaukee Brewers broke open a close game late for a 9-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.
Peralta (7-5) shook off a shaky second inning to keep the NL Central-leading Brewers close against Arizona and Brandon McCarthy.
Milwaukee ran away with it once McCarthy left, scoring three runs in the eighth against Will Harris (0-2): two on Ramirez's third hit and another on a run-scoring single by Khris Davis.
Ryan Braun hit a two-run triple off J.J. Putz in the ninth inning and Scooter Gennett had a run-scoring single after homering earlier in the game for the Brewers, who had 12 hits.
McCarthy was solid through seven innings and had a two-run single in the second.
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Bistro de la Gare
- Address:
921 Meridian Ave
South Pasadena, CA 91030Neighborhood:
South Pasadena
- Cuisine:
FrenchPrice: $31 to $50
Bistro de la Gare
- Dining Style: Casual Dining
- Website: http://bistrodelagare.com/
- Phone: (626) 799-8828
- Hours of Operation:
Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday : 5:30 to 9pm
Friday & Saturday : 5:30 to 10pm
Tuesday : CLOSED
Wednesday-Fri: 11:30am to 2pm
Monday & Tuesday : CLOSED
Sat-Sun : 10:30am to 2:30pm
- Payment Options: AMEX,Discover,MasterCard,Visa
- Cuisine: Italian, French
- Executive Chef: Bruno Morin
- Dress Code: Business Casual
- Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
- Additional Details: Bar Dining, Beer, Cafe, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine, Wine Bar
- Catering: Call for details.
- Special Events: Call for details.
A word from Bistro de la Gare
Under new ownership since August 2013, Chef Bruno and his team at Bistro de la Gare are dedicated to offering each of their guests an authentic French culinary experience, with an Italian flare.Continued
Foodspotting photosSee all photos
Awards voted by OpenTable diners
- Diners' Choice WinnerGreat for Brunch
- Diners' Choice WinnerNeigborhood Gem
- Diners' Choice WinnerNotable Wine List
Bistro de la Gare - Best Restaurants in South Pasadena ›
Bistro de la Gare reviews from OpenTable diners
52 reviews since July 31, 2014
- Food4.2Service4
- Ambiance4Noise LevelModerate
neighborhood gem (40)fit for foodies (26)great for outdoor dining (25)special occasion (24)romantic (23)notable wine list (16)great for brunch (10)great for lunch (9)scenic view (6)good for groups (6)kid-friendly (3)late-night find (2)hot spot (2)Show More
- Lovely neighborhood restaurantLondonbadgeDined on 11/21/2014The food was really outstanding and tasted as though it was prepared by chef straight from France! I ordered the french onion soup and linguine with seafood - both were really tasty and beautifully presented. My husband had the moules and frites, which were also wonderful. The only real disappointment which we were informed about upon arrival was that they did not possess a liquor license, so were unable to enjoy any wine with our meal. The music was also a bit odd for the scene - sounded like wind chimes/meditative music? I would have preferred something more appropriate like French cafe music. But all in all, we had a lovely evening.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Food was tasty but all of us had lukewarm entrees.cleoDined on 11/15/2014Thanks for not charging corkage fee; we were disappointed that there was no wine and we had not been alerted. Noise level made conversation nearly impossible.Special Features:
- Bistro de La Gare: ExquisateOpenTable Diner Since 2014Dined on 11/8/2014We had never been before… it was elegant, authentic, and absolutely delicious; definitely worthy of a special occasion, but accessible enough for any given date night. We drove from Studio City, and it was worth the trip!Special Features:
- superbjasper23Dined on 11/1/2014This bistro was an integral part of an incredible evening. The food was outstanding and both myself and my date were extremely pleased with the experience. Gentlemen, if you're looking to impress someone then put this at the top of your list of hot stops. It doesn't hurt to learn the names of a few French foods so you can pretend to be worldly.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- CCCindy90230Dined on 10/26/2014Great food in a lovely setting but a little pricey.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Rare find and so authenticloveithereVIPDined on 10/19/2014This intimate bistro is such a rare and unique gem. Lovely ambiance,excellent service and innovative French cuisine. Delicious and ever changing specials. Bring friends..you're sure to impress themSpecial Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Good food, unfortunate servicePasadenaFoodieDined on 10/10/2014My second time here. Our group of 5 enjoyed sitting outside in a nice area of South Pasadena watching the trains pass by. The food is very well-prepared and presented, with good variety--even for vegetarians. Unfortunately our French-speaking waiter was the low point of the experience. He was arrogant, did not know the prices of the (pricey) specials, made mistakes in what we ordered & argued with us about his ordering mistakes, and was not attentive. So, our experience was soured by the poor service. I'll go back for the good food, but will request another server.Special Features:
- Thank YouOpenTable Diner Since 2006Dined on 10/2/2014Amazing the food is so unique, egg plant is wonderful. Atmosphere, service. Winner all aroundSpecial Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- 1st time at the Bistro de la GareaFrenchmominLADined on 9/19/2014We celebrated a friend's birthday with a lunch at the Bistro de la Gare. The food was delicious and the wine suggestion interesting. The service was good and we had fun. We particularly enjoyed to finish with a "café gourmand" : an expresso with a selection of four dessert samples... I recommand this French restaurant if you have not tried it yet !Special Features:
- Nice French-inspired foodJVegaDined on 9/17/2014Decent food, nice ambience and attentive service. Only hitch is that at these prices the a/c should be running, fans just don't cut it.Special Features:
- NjoyFoodNjoyFoodDined on 9/14/2014The new owner/chef is excellent. He comes out and greets his guests when possible, which is a nice touch. The menu is not too long and there are choices for everyone. We enjoy the French onion soup, the escargot, and other appetizers very much. We usually order the fish entrees because they are always delicious, occasionally the nice pastas. Good wine list. Some tables outside for nice evenings. Street parking.Special Features:
- Ordered wrongKurtcmoVIPDined on 9/13/2014I would try it again but was not cheap and the food was bad. I order what I thought was good but it was bad. The server didn't pick up that we left our plates full. Not good service.
- Great French FoodOpenTable Diner Since 2014Dined on 9/7/2014The food here is exceptional and so was the service. It's been 2 days since we dined there and I am still thinking about it. I will be back as soon as I can.Special Features:
- Wonderful Date NightTravelerDined on 9/6/2014Excellent good, fantastic service, great place to enjoy dinner with your special one. Establishment did not rush us out, mades for a relaxed enjoyable evening.Special Features:
- Bistro de la Gare2ConstantGardenersDined on 8/29/2014We had a perfect evening with friends sitting outside. Every meal or portion thereof was great. We especially enjoyed our French lessons.Special Features:
- Lovely Dining ExperienceRGTolucaLakeDined on 8/29/2014I've dined here before with my family and have always had a wondering meal and first rate service. I'm thrilled that they are now open for lunch. The lobster and shrimp salad is delicious!Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- all tastespugletVIPDined on 8/23/2014The food is always delicious and the presentation can be photographed. Plenty of parking.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Delicious French food in South PasOpenTable Diner Since 2007VIPDined on 8/22/2014Bistro De La Gare is a lovely local restaurant in South Pasadena. It has a cozy romantic atmosphere and nice outdoor patio . The menu is varied and they have a nice selection of daily specials. The prices are fair and I would defiantly recommend it.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Neighborhood GemOpenTable Diner Since 2010Dined on 8/22/2014Small intimate restaurant has new owners, a face lift and new menu. Generous wine pours. Fabulous pate thickly heaped on toast and lightly dressed peppery greens. A salmon tartar and heavy mixed citrus as a counterpoint to the richness of the salmon. Burrata and tomatoes very good. A rustic terrine of pork, veal, hazelnuts was very good. We had the isle flottante and maybe it was perfect but I prefer something sweeter for a dessert. The chef, Bruno, was very friendly, had a complimentary after dinner drink sent over, nice ending to the meal. A wonderful experience overall and only blocks from my home! What a find.Special Features:
- A Cozy Neighborhood RestaurantmochiVIPDined on 8/16/2014Dining indoors is just as good as out but with air conditioning. You get the same lovely view of the street from the large windows. It looks like the restaurant was first a house before it was converted so it gives a very welcoming and warm vibe. Chelsea, our server, spoke French, was knowledgeable and could answer all our questions. She was considerate and friendly and made our experience a pleasant one. Unfortunately the waffles were much too small a portion for me to call a meal. I do recommend the salmon and Eggs Benedict as well as the French Toast. Both the Belgian Chocolate Mousse and the Creme Brule were quite good.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- French and freshNjoyFoodDined on 8/13/2014A fine small bistro. Excellent two-page menu of starters and entrees. Fabulous escargot, onion soup, salad, fish and meat plates, good wine, nice dessert choices. Friendly owner and staff. One of our favorite dining places.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- European welcomeOpenTable Diner Since 2011Dined on 8/2/2014Beautiful refuge from noisy, trendy, mediocre restaurants. Service is attentive but not intrusive; food is very good. The European ambiance and menu are most welcome. The current owners appear to know what it takes to please their clients. Delightful addition to the area.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- new menusfirecrakerDined on 8/1/2014This restaurant has a new menu which is not as good as before and more expensive.Special Features:
- The following 65 reviews are from the Bistro de la Gare reviews archive.
- A French GemLaFemmeDined on 7/26/2014My family and I enjoyed this place immensely. We were entertaining out of town guests and Bistro de la Gare did not disappoint. Their dishes are very nicely executed, be it appetizers, main course, desserts. I find it refreshing when the chef pays a visit to your table at the end of the meal to make sure everything was up to par. Well, everything was above par and we will be going back. Officially tops most French restaurants I've dined at.Special Features:
- kittyVIPDined on 7/6/2014Nice location in South Pasadena, restaurant is cozy while we had our brunch. Food is below average, nothing to remember about.
- One of the best French spots in LAfrenchPasadDined on 7/5/2014Great french cooking ands menu items, especially since it is so hard to find a good french place in LA. Did the table flowers through open table and the resturant executed it perfectly. Great place to take your significant other for a nice quiet dine. A little disappointed they didn't have the duck but the lobster ravioli was awesome. Fantastic coffee bar too.Special Features:
- Good food with poor service.SouthPassYumDined on 6/22/2014It would have been absolutely perfect if they didn't do a 180 degree turn & abandon our table completely towards the end... This unprofessional, semi-rude kid kept coming over but didn't speak; even gave us another table's good at one point. :/Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Good food needs more staffCarlDined on 6/15/2014We returned to Bistro de le Gare after not visiting them for several years and learned that there had been a change in ownership several months earlier. We we greeted by a friendly staff and seated within 5 minutes of arrival. I was looking forward to a nice provincial veal dish but there was no veal on the menu. My wife and I had the filet Mingon. It was prepared to order and the sauce was godd. Theeat was very tender and the "French Fries" were cooked just right. We had planned on a desert but had to wait for an extended time around 20 minutes before anyone came by our table. Apparently a large party came in and our waiter was tied up with them. Overall it is a nice place with a limited menu. We will go back.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Good choice for Sunday dinnermcmaxDined on 6/15/2014Excellent food and large portions. Nice selection of wines by the glass that pair well with the food. Rose was clean/fresh, and nice Chardonnay and Viognier. Appetizers: excellent Carrot Ginger Soup and nice grilled eggplant. Main courses: Sole Meuniere (filet of sole) was nicely seared slightly crisp outside and flaky tender inside with a tasty lemon butter sauce. Moules Marinieres (steamed mussels) had a perfectly seasoned champagne sauce (not too salty and certainly not bland). Each main course was enough to feed two and I would order an appetizer or soup/salad for each person and split the main course next time. Strawberries balsamic was a tasty light dessert. Good quality and taste in every course.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Bistro de la Gare-South Pas ParisSanRafaelite2Dined on 6/13/2014It had been several years since we had been to this place. Remembering that prior visit years ago was to an uninspired restaurant. Can it be the same place?! Decor and layout was opened up, lightened. Food was inspired, great presentation and attentive service. Prices are high, but it was birthday party so we could splurge. The group liked the ambience, the coziness, the food, and the great wine. The beautiful South Pasadena location is on a tree-lined street and just around the corner from the Gold Line....you could squint and think you were in Europe. It is a nice place and next time we are going to sit outside in the lovely twilight, just the two of us. It's kind of place that makes you love living in California.Special Features:
- South Pass disappointmentAltadinerDined on 6/6/2014The place looked charming, but the food was mediocre, expensive, and the service terrible. Many people were there, so I suspect it's a popular local hangout. Driving is too much effort for this place.
- four stars instead of five starsLexiVIPDined on 6/1/2014I was disappointed that the restaurant forgot to celebrate my good friend's birthday. I made sure this was written in the notes when booking the reservation. I'm usually quite happy with the service but this time was not the same.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Pleine aire charmerNYtoLAdinerVIPDined on 5/25/2014What a great spot, on the square in South Pas, adjacent to the Mission Street train station. The neighborhood and the bistro have such an Old California charm to them, and the outdoor terrace was the perfect spot. Inside dining room and bar also done very well. The French bistro menu was very authentic, but with enough nouvelle California touches to offer more healthy options. French speaking management and staff added to the sud-France atmosphere. Standouts were the sole meuniere and the melanzanee. Nice wines, good service. Our party all agreed we definitely will return.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Toughluv EncoreToughluvVIPDined on 5/23/2014Our 5th enjoyable visit in the last 6 months...and, we'll come again! Adelne, alone, makes dining enjoyable. But, please dont run out of chocolate mousse...and, get the main courses out on time...and more vegetables with the nights special seabass! Oh, and the wine list is still pretty "weak"...though growing! And, if the kithen got it's act (a little more) together, then the servers bringing the main course could explain what we are going to be eating..instead of sliding the plates in front of us and almost sprinting away. One more thing...be prepared to lip read on the left side of the restaurant...as you walk in..maybe now that the $s are flowing, some noise baffles in the ceiling? Lastly, PLEASE some bread wth the escargot!Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- OpenTable Diner Since 2009Dined on 5/21/2014I was disappointed since I had heard such nice reviews. Perhaps Chef was having an off night. My frise salad with lardons and poached egg had way too much vinegar in the dressing. Roast lamb turned out to be rack of lamb...one order was perfectly cooked for medium rare and the other came rare, rare so that went back. the vegies were fine, the frites were rather tasteless and the wrong dessert came. Coffee was very good and service and ambiance were excellent. It is just the food was rather ordinary.
- Great food, but still some kinksNickVIPDined on 5/11/2014We hadn't been for a long time, and had been meaning to go back because the place is so quaint and cute. Saw they were under new management, so decided to go for Mother's Day. The food was really good, with a lovely French flair. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if they just weren't prepared for a busy day or what happened. We sat for over 30 minutes before we even got water. Had to ask for bread because we were all so hungry. Very long wait times in between courses. Our brunch took 2.5 hrs in all, and because we were 9 people, they added 20% gratuity after all that. The food was good, so we 'may' give them one more shot before writing it off. They were nice, but really only one apology (at the end) for the delays.
- Regula wannaberegularDined on 5/11/2014I've always thought it's a great spot for a restaurant--I've only been at the deli next door. We've always taken our mom to the Huntington Tea Room on Mothers' Day, but this year i was late in making a reservation - i wanted to stay in the neighborhood and Bistro de la Gare is listed on the 'best' so i thought i'd give it a try. I found the staff friendly, efficient, and attentive - the gentleman who we believe is the owner is very sweet handing out roses. My mom had a great time, she loved the personal touch- I'd like to be a regular from now on.Special Features:
- BKV123Dined on 5/10/2014To the Events Manager, What could have been a great experience was only mediocre because of your limitations on my group of 20. Initially, when we spoke/emailed, you stated a large group takes up much space, and you have to be guaranteed a certain number of diners; you offered our group brunch at $44.00/person, which was not acceptable. When we arrived (reservations made as 4 separate groups of 5 each) on May 10, the restaurant was quite empty as was the "group dining room." Our group was seated at 4 separate tables, giving no opportunity to socialize with all members. I hope you will consider your "group" policy, especially when the restaurant is not full for weekend brunch. Please see my rating above.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- nice night4emwDined on 5/9/2014love this place... unusually slow service tonight. Ces't la vie?Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- I shall returntjkid8VIPDined on 5/2/2014Glad to back. I like the job the did on the refurbishment. I like the airy and new colors look. Great service by our waiter Raphael.Special Features: