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We're here, "America's Next Top Model" fans. The newest cycle and probably the one we've most been looking forward to – all-stars. After a terrifying open where Tyra is apparently being haunted by the past contestants, we meet our girls:
Shannon Stewart (Cycle 1),
Camille McDonald (Cycle 2), Brittany Brower (Cycle 4), Lisa D'Amato
(Cycle 5), Bre Scullark (Cycle 5), Bianca Golden (Cycle 9), Dominique… Continue reading 'America's Next Top Model' all-stars premiere: Nicki Minaj and larger-than-life personas

subset: commoncrawl


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Movement Bike -- creating the $10 bike!
Submitted by Kris Thompson on
Learn More at www.movement-bikes.com
Another inspiring Boulder organization working on creating the equivalent to the $100 laptop. Marius Klee, a personal friend of mine, is heading up Movement Bike to help create the $10 bike. Why is this important? Learn more from Marius himself.
[303Cycling] Is your organization doing the same thing as the $100 laptop?
[Marius] The idea is very similar to the $100 laptop, "One Laptop Per Child", by Nicholas Negroponte, but for transportation. Bicycles serves as fundamental way of mobility in developing countries, as well as Europe or the US, but the main entry barrier is the price. Our long term goal is to scale our project in such a way that we can significantly reduce the cost of the bicycle and empower more people that way.
[303Cycling] How did you get started in this?
[Marius] Every summer throughout college I traveled with NGOs to developing countries (China, Nepal, India, Africa) to volunteer. Studying economics, I researched what tools can be very beneficial and improve the economy. Transportation and mobility are fundamental in our lives, whether it's the transportation of goods, or saving time, or simply being more efficient. I'm motivated by the good that we can bring to people by giving them quality products at low prices. Bicycles have such widespread effects from increased income to lower teen pregnancies (due to the improved economic situation within a family, parents can allow their kids to go to school, which reduces teens getting married early, reduces HIV spread, and creates a more educated population). It is a very powerful tool.
[303Cycling] How far along are you?
[Marius] Our pilot project is this fall. Our bicycles are currently being made in Hong Kong, and will be shipped to Africa. This is a milestone itself, and we hope to prove our model after that and scale the project. We also partnered with several bicycle initiatives which is unique in the nonprofit world, as so many organizations focus on their own survival/success. We have started some great dialog between organizations to work together more.
[303Cycling] How can Boulder/Denver cyclist help out?
[Marius] I think Boulder/Denver cyclist can help by simply spreading the word. We will operate in Kisumu, Kenya, which is a sister city with Boulder. I also know that Denver is a sister city with Nairobi Kenya, which is an avenue that we haven't quite explored. The Boulder-Kisumu connection has been a great alliance already.
I attached a high resolution picture of our bike.
News Item:
1 Comment
Great Idea!
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on
What a fantastic concept, amazing the power of a bike.
Points: 14


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The Promoting Excellence in All Care Homes (PEACH) study focused on the care home workforce, who play a pivotal role in promoting the quality of care provided to older people and are therefore a major influence on residents' quality of life. This large work-force, of probably over a half a million people, carry out work that is often seen as unattractive, at rates of pay that are seen as under-valuing the contribution made, without a clear career structure, in a sector that is marked by constant change.
The sector itself often attracts unfavourable publicity in relation to reports of abuse and neglect, although estimating the extent of such problems is challenging.
The research aims were to:
- Identify positive and negative factors in relation to abuse, neglect and the provision of dignified care.
- Explore the views and experiences of the care home workforce about best practice, training, job satisfaction and wellbeing.
- Determine organisational, personal, and practice contexts in which abuse, neglect and lack of respect may occur between staff and residents.
- Develop and evaluate an evidence informed training package.
- Make recommendations for policy development, training and regulation in care homes.
Research Team
Win Tadd – Principal Investigator
Dr Win Tadd spent many years as a nurse and senior lecturer in the UK and Australia. She was awarded an International Fellowship by the Hastings Centre, New York in 1989, a UKCC Scholarship in 1997 and is currently a Reader in Cesagen, School of Social Sciences, at Cardiff University. She chaired the Welsh Government's National Coordinating Group on Dignity in Care from 2007 – 2011 and is a member of the Advisory Board of Stroke Cymru.
Her research focuses on the ethical aspects of ageing and care of older people. She coordinated the EU project Dignity and Older Europeans, the largest comparative study undertaken in this area. Her other European work explored the information needs of older disabled people (Infopark), Virtues and Chronic Illness and The value of ethical codes in nursing.
Bob Woods – Co-applicant
Professor Bob Woods studied Experimental Psychology at the University of Cambridge, before qualifying as a clinical psychologist at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1975. He then worked for several years in the NHS in Newcastle, as a clinical psychologist with older people. There he established groups for carers with Age Concern, as well as developing therapeutic approaches for people with dementia. In 1980, he moved to London, combining extensive clinical work with older people at the Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospitals with an academic appointment at the Institute of Psychiatry, London. He worked with the Alzheimer's Society to develop information for family carers, and undertook a number of research projects on family care-giving, as well as developing new services. In 1992, he moved to University College London, where he continued to be heavily involved in training clinical psychologists in work with older people, as well as in service developments in the NHS and in research on caregiving. He has published widely, from research papers on dementia care and on depression in older people to books for family carers and training packages. He was appointed to the first Chair in Clinical Psychology with Older People in the U.K., at Bangor University in 1996, and continues to work clinically in an NHS Memory Clinic. He is Co-Director of the Dementia Services Development Centre Wales, Director of the Centre for Social Policy Research & Development and a member of the Medical & Scientific Advisory Panels of the Alzheimer's Society and Alzheimer's Disease International. Recent research has focused on caring relationships and the evaluation of interventions designed to assist carers.
Tony Bayer – Co-applicant
Professor Tony Bayer is Head of the Section of Geriatric Medicine in Cardiff University and Director of the Memory Team, a long established clinical service for people presenting with dementia and their carers. He has published widely in the field of geriatric medicine, with current research interests centring on epidemiology, assessment and management of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disease, frailty and ethical issues and older people. He is Editor-in-Chief of Reviews in Clinical Gerontology, a member of the Global Aging Research Network (GARN), the European Collaborative Geriatric Research Network (Geronto-Web) and the Scientific Advisory Panel of Alzheimer Europe.
Diane Seddon – Co-Applicant
Dr Diane Seddon's research interests include: carers and caregiving; assessment and care management; dementia; the health and social care interface; and, nursing and residential care home provision. She has been involved in the development of a successful research programme relating to carers, which has attracted research grants from a wide range of funding bodies, including the Department of Health, Welsh Government and the Big Lottery Fund. Diane has advised on national policy development, including as a Specialist Advisor on domiciliary care to the Welsh Affairs Select Committee, House of Commons. She has also led reviews of national policy implementation, including the evaluation of the National Carers Strategies in England for the Department of Health and in Wales for the Welsh Assembly Government, as well as the Pan-Wales evaluation of the Unified Assessment Process. Current research looks at support for adult survivors of child abuse.
Gill Windle – Co-Applicant
Gill Windle is a Research Fellow based in the Dementia Services Development Centre, Institute of Medical and Social Care Research at Bangor University. She studied psychology at Bangor University and obtained her PhD in 2006. Her research interests are in health promotion, mental health and resilience in later life; the interplay between the individual and their physical, social and environmental contexts and the effects on well-being. She has been considerably involved in policy development in Wales, co-authoring a number of literature reviews to inform the development of the Strategy for Older People in Wales (Welsh Assembly Government 2003) and the Healthy Ageing Action Plan (Welsh Assembly Government, 2005). She was seconded to the Older People's Strategy Unit at the Welsh Assembly Government during the 2006/07 interim review period and was a member of the Strategy Advisory Group.
Martin O'Neill – Research Associate
Dr Martin O'Neill entered academia following a mid-career change of direction having previously worked in the Health Service. He has worked at the Universities Swansea, Glamorgan and Cardiff and has conducted research in Wales, England, Poland and France. His main areas of research interest are: health inequalities and wellbeing; institutional elderly care; social and economic regeneration particularly in the South Wales valleys; participatory action research; ethnography and visual methods.
Dr. O'Neill has a strong commitment to working with the disadvantaged communities of South Wales to help them tackle some the social and economic problems that they face and is actively involved with the Welsh Government's Communities First Initiative. In recent years he has become increasingly interested and involved in using film, video, ICT and digital media as a method of engaging hard to reach groups in participatory research and dissemination.
Charlotte Hall – Research Associate
Charlotte Hall's research interests include: organisational culture; public services; entrepreneurship and innovation. Charlotte conducted ethnographic data collection, data analysis and workshop facilitation for the Promoting Excellence in All Care Homes project.
Simon Read – Research Associate
Simon Read is a Research Associate at Cesagen in Cardiff University, contributing to studies regarding ageing and the ageing society. His work on the Promoting Excellence in All Care Homes project has been primarily focussed on data analysis, workshop facilitation and the piloting of the training package.
A mixed method approach to the study was adopted, including:
- Desk research: to identify existing training materials.
- A postal survey of care workers and managers.
- Ethnographic observation in eight homes from across England, including a mix of urban and rural locations, with and without nursing, independent homes and members of small and large chains, ranging in size from 35 to 106 residents, some specialising in dementia and some not. At least 60 hours of observation was undertaken in each home, over a three to four week period, covering the whole 24 hour period.
- Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 33 staff working in the eight care homes; exploring their views of training and care delivery beliefs about dignified care and work experiences.
- A job satisfaction and well being survey comprising of validated questionnaires was completed by 73 staff working in the eight homes. The measures used assessed burnout, job satisfaction, a sense of mastery and attitudes to ageing and dementia.
- Focus groups were held with 29 care home managers and trainers and (separately) with 15 members of the Relatives & Residents Association. In total,eight groups were held in two waves, before and after the development of the initial version of the training materials, which were then adapted in the light of the feedback obtained.
- A training package was developed, piloted and evaluated in eight training sessions in seven of the care homes, and structured feedback obtained from 77 participating staff.
- Stakeholder workshops with around 85 participants were held at the end of the project where emerging findings were discussed, the training package reviewed and draft recommendations considered.
Summary Findings
The Postal Survey
The postal survey results, albeit based on a small sample and therefore not to be taken as definitive, showed that a wide range of available training was taken up in the care home sector. The majority of managers stated that staff in their homes had training on dealing with abuse, but over half reported that staff did not have training on dealing with challenging behaviour in their home. The majority of care workers completing the survey, wanted further dementia training including communicating with people with dementia, managing aggression and performing activities.
Well being and job satisfaction survey
The validated questionnaires completed by 73 staff members, confirmed the relationship between attitudes, aspects of burnout and job satisfaction. Although the majority of staff had low levels of burnout, 29 per cent had a high level of emotional exhaustion and one in five members of care staff reported high levels of depersonalisation, where care recipients begin to be seen as objects rather than people. Significantly, 41 per cent reported a low sense of personal accomplishment, which is associated with a low sense of mastery and negative attitudes to ageing and dementia. Low self-efficacy is clearly prevalent in care workers, and could be an important target for training.
Qualitative findings
The Organisation
At the macro level, those participating in the research with roles in home management or administration presented the social care sector as being characterised by constant change, e.g. in relation to the inspection framework, training requirements and the paperwork and attendant bureaucracy and by inconsistency, with a lack of standardisation noted in relation to fee structures, staff numbers, inspection, staff training and qualifications and in the interface with the NHS. Thus at the macro organisational level, there is a sense of not being able to keep up with the pace of change and of a potential lack of clarity or even unfairness.
At the micro level, considering the home as an organisation in its own right, the home may be viewed as a physical and emotional space, which may meet residents' needs for example for privacy, personalisation, choice and control or for support with physical or cognitive needs, to a greater or lesser extent. Some of the homes clearly attempted to create an atmosphere of 'homeliness' and assisted residents to feel that they are 'at home', and to avoid the more institutional atmosphere still evident in some homes. The physical layout of the home served either as a barrier or facilitator to exchanges and interactions between residents and was an important contributory factor in determining the home atmosphere.
The Work
The difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff were evident from this study. These added to the pressure on existing staff, who often worked long hours, and on junior staff who received less supervision than would be desirable. Staff were often recruited from overseas, which in some instances raised issues regarding effective communication in a second language. Staff also reported experiencing racism, and there were clearly tensions between different cultural groups in some homes, which had an impact on teamwork. There were also, tensions in teams between different staff groups, most notably between nursing staff and care staff, and also between older and younger staff. The importance of effective leadership and supervision in fostering good teamwork was clear.
Whatever the staff resource – and staff shortages were repeatedly raised as a major issue – each day there was a job to be done, or rather a whole series of tasks, largely around fundamental care relating to eating and drinking, elimination, washing and dressing and administration of medication. Staff were hampered in achieving these tasks by a lack of information and related resources (e.g. Zimmer frames, adapted cutlery), as well as by shortage of staff. In the homes observed, there were also efforts made to support residents in managing pain and to offer opportunities for social interaction and activities. However, the hours of observation made clear that each home had its own rhythm, its own routines, and that this would often have priority over the rhythm of the individual residents. It was clearly difficult to achieve a move from task-centred care to person- or relationship-centred care.
The People
In each care home, three major groups of actors play key roles, which interact and influence the experience of life in the home. Residents' attitudes and behaviour have a major impact on other residents and the staff. Positive attitudes to staff were observed as were examples of residents showing empathy and understanding to each other. On the other hand, residents were at times challenging to staff, and occasionally aggressive to staff and to other residents. This often occurred in the context of dementia.
Staff also showed empathy and understanding, and there were many examples of staff empowering residents by offering choices, and providing support so that the resident could retain as much independence as possible. Less often, there were clear examples of staff disempowering residents, most notably through patronising communication, often described as 'elderspeak' and through giving priority to routines rather than to individual needs and preferences. No instances of staff being aggressive to residents were observed, although these were reported as having been witnessed by staff when working in other homes. Relatives also had an important, largely positive, role in the homes.
The Training Package
Based on the emerging findings from the study, an evidence-based training package was developed and a preliminary evaluation undertaken. Dissatisfaction with both the content and delivery of much existing training was identified by all parties and topics that were thought to be inadequately covered by current training included dignity, respectful communication, responding appropriately to the needs of people with dementia, and end of life care issues. It was clear that any new package to be developed must demonstrably contribute to excellent care, whilst being low cost and being capable of being delivered 'in house' in a variety of ways. The package needed to reflect the day to day realities of life and work in the care home, whilst at the same time comply with and promote the new CQC Essential Standards and Skills for Care Common Induction Standards (2011). Accordingly a vignette based set of materials was developed, engaging staff in considering situations relevant to the identified target topics, where there were not necessarily clear cut answers or solutions. The vignettes were all based on situations that had been observed during the ethnographic research. This approach promotes reflective practice, in contrast to a 'tick box', or checklist approach to learning. By using the vignettes in the context of a group discussion, the opportunity for developing team working, group cohesion and a shared, person-centred culture arises, with the opportunity for learning from each other's experience in a peer group context.
In addition to the vignettes, the package includes material and exercises on attitudes to ageing and a broad conception of dignity. The package has been piloted in seven care homes, and evaluative feedback on the content and the delivery mode has been obtained. This has largely been positive. The materials are capable of development to form the focus for regular group reflective practice supervision sessions in a home, rather than as a one-off training session.
Project Outputs
PEACH Report Executive Summary
PEACH Full Report
PEACH Training Package
PEACH Appendices
This study is independent research commissioned and funded by the Department of Health Policy Research Programme and Comic Relief under the PANICOA initiative. The research team wish to gratefully acknowledge this support. The views expressed here are the responsibility of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS or the Department of Health.


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ITS Services Status
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Awaiting DNS updates from Networking. Will sound all clear once these changes are verified and completed.
Shortlinks subdomain links.utexas.edu will have it's DNS records updated to function with the subdomain's new IP-based VHost on Webcentral. The service is expected to function during this change.
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Chairman & Founder
The von Clausewitz Award Winners
The Charles S. Roberts Awards Hall of Fame is named after legendary military writer Karl von Clausewitz, whose great unfinished masterpiece, On War, still serves as the definitive tome when referencing military strategy. Like him, the winners of this award have made their important contribution and left their mark on military strategy games and simulations. For their great contributions, they have earned their place in the Pantheon of our hobby greats.
Award HALL OF FAME
Note: Chairman and founder, Rodger B. MacGowan, and Executive Directors Alan Emrich, Forrest Atterberry, John Kranz, and Allan J. Rothberg, are not eligible for this award.


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Edith DiCarmine, 78 has lived in Mahopac for over 45 years and in the same home for 42. She raised 18 foster children and adopted 4 of them 2 brothers and 2 sisters. She was unable to have children of her own but her life was dedicated to being a foster mom, nurturing, caring and loving children that so desperately needed her. It was not easy and she has gone through many challenges and heart breaks in her life, the most devastating the murder of her son Christopher, but she has persevered and has come out stronger in the process.
So when Edith one evening getting ready for bed felt a lump in her breast she thought "oh that's not good." She immediately saw a doctor to confirm her finding then a surgeon. She was diagnosed with an advanced stage breast cancer in 2010. For the past three year, Edith has been battling the cancer which has reoccurred 4 different times. She received three operations to remove the malignant mass and lymph nodes. She has undergone several rounds of chemotherapy and was scheduled to begin another round of chemotherapy in late October early November.
On October 29th Hurricane Sandy devastated the East Coast of the United States with 90 miles an hour gale force winds, flooding, and heavy rain. Edith's area was hit hard, the road leading to her home and her drive way became a fast rising and flowing river, washing away cars, pavement, and trees and leaving behind deep muddy craters, uneven earth, and big rocks varying in size.
"In the 45 years I have lived in this area I had never seen anything like it. It looked like the surface of the moon with deep holes all over my driveway and front lawn," remembered Edith. "I was stranded I could not get out."
The time came for Edith to start her chemotherapy. Her car was at the mechanic because it was damaged. Several volunteers from her church came to take her to her appointments but could not get up the road or the drive way because of the severe damages sustained so she did not go to her chemo appointments. Her church friends came to bring her food and spend time with her but the visit was cut short when they got stuck in one of the craters for hours a tow-truck had to be called to get them out.
Edith was finally able to get her car back from the mechanic but had to park on the makeshift street. Finding herself with no groceries, feeling sick and very weak after chemo and with no help she decided to go to the supermarket on her own. When she arrived home exhausted she parked her car and preceded to, carefully climb up the driveway looking out for the holes. It had snowed and rained and the path was very icy and slippery. She finally got about halfway to her door when she fell spilling her groceries all over the driveway. She tried 2 more times to get up but kept falling. She crawled on her hands and knees until she couldn't anymore. She began to yell as hard as she could for someone to help her but no one came.
Meanwhile in her next door neighbor's house Molly their dog was becoming very restless, barking and running from the door to her master. Her owner could not understand why she was so agitated. The dog bit into his pant leg and pushed and nudged him towards the door to go outside. It was then that her neighbor heard Edith's faint but desperate call for help. When he finally got to her about half hour later her hands, legs and face were blue from the cold and she was developing frostbite. He helped her up and carried her into her home. He then picked up her groceries and brought them inside. "Molly wagged her tail as Edith thanked her and her master for the helped they had given her.
A few days after this incident Edith was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, the chemo this time around was doing more harm than good. She spent weeks in the hospital. The chemo was suspended. "The chemotherapy affected me terribly. I lost my bottom teeth, part of my eyesight, hearing and my hair, remembers Edith. "The doctors took away the chemo and waited for my body to recuperate before I began radiation therapy."
In early April Edith called the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA representatives came out and inspected the damage and they referred her to Catholic Charities. A few days later Edith met Christine McCormack, Catholic Charities' Disaster Case Manager, Catholic Charities Community Services, Archdiocese of NY.
Ms. McCormack provided her gift cards for food and immediately began a recovery plan that includes the reconstruction her driveway. Ms. McCormack researched and identified pavement and construction companies to get estimates. She has received estimates for the work on Edith's driveway which will include much needed drains in front of the garage to avoid future flooding. A decision on which company to use has not been made yet however Ms. McCormack has outreached to several Catholic Charities partners to assist with underwriting the cost of the driveway repair including the United Way of Westchester and Putnam County, which has committed $6,000 to $8000 to go toward the repairs with Catholic Charities contributing the remaining amount. Edith also received $600 from FEMA which will also be used.
"Ms. DiCarmine has gone through a very difficult time. She is very frail because of the breast cancer and the chemo treatment but don't let that fool you. She is a very independent person with great faith. My main concern was to make sure she was safe, getting to the hospital for treatment and beginning the search for a company that would do the work and the resources to pay for it," recalls Ms. McCormack. "With our Catholic Charities partners and resources I am confident that Edith will have her driveway completed in a couple of months before the winter starts."
"Christine has been an inspiration to me. She is such a caring person. She is a super, super, super star, in my life. I wish I had met her many years ago. I have learned a lot about myself with Christine about staying positive and not giving up," recalls Edith.
In the middle of August Edith received great news, a clean bill of health. Her cancer is in remission."You were a very, very sick lady. We almost lost you a few times," Edith recalls the doctor telling her. "But after several serious operations, three rounds of chemotherapy that almost killed me, radiation therapy, and Hurricane Sandy, I have survived. I am still here!"
"I am not a Catholic, I was raised Baptist and I am a born again Christian. I have been a member of the Red Hills Baptist Church for over four decades. My church family has been very, very strong in their prayers and faith that I would get better," says Edith. "At first I was a little apprehensive that Catholic Charities would not assist me because I was not Catholic but that is so far from the truth. They help anyone and everyone in need because we are all God's children. I don't know what I would have done without Christine, Catholic Charities and my church family. I would have been lost," said a grateful and emotional Edith.


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Swimming Showtimes and Tickets
Read Movie Reviews about Swimming Write a Movie Review for Swimming
Release Date: 2002-04-05 (Limited)
Genre: Drama,
Rating: NR
Duration: 1hr 38min
A coming of age tale set at the height of the summer tourist season in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Frankie, has lived within the boundaries of other people's perceptions all her life. Her friends like vivacious party girl Nicola are always around but take her for granted. And local guys like Brad think she's just plain ugly compared with the typical beach bunnies that flit in and out of their coastal resort town. Life begins to change for Frankie when Brad's new girlfriend Josie comes to town. Josie appreciates all the good qualities about Frankie her longtime friends have learned to overlook, and for the first time Frankie finds herself really talking to someone about her dream of leaving town and starting a new life.
Cast and Crew
- Starring
Lauren Ambrose, Joelle Carter, Jennifer Dundas Lowe, Joshua Harto, Josh Pais, James Villemaire, Jamie Harrold
- Directed by Robert J Siegel, Robert J. Siegel
- Produced by Robert J Siegel, Linda Moran, Robert J. Siegel
- Written by Robert J Siegel, Lisa Bazadona, Grace Woodard, Robert J. Siegel
Search For Theaters
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text:
Two years ago I promised Giles Duley an exhibition of his photographs in Parliament.
Last month I finally made good on that promise, and helped him keep his promise to some of the landmine victims he had photographed in Afghanistan, many of whom had urged him to show his photos to our politicians.
To launch the event we had a reception in the terrace pavillion. i was delighted that Channel 4 and MAG agreed to support the event.
Giles' programme is still available on 4OD – Walking Wounded


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Being a member of AAII most likely means that you do your own investing in some form. Due to their relative low costs and ease of use, online discount brokerages are one of the most popular methods of buying and selling investment holdings. Since most discount brokerages have similar pricing models, each makes an effort to distinguish its service from competitors by offering more powerful research and analytical tools for the do-it-yourselfer.
We set our focus on the top five most widely used online discount brokerage services, as rated by our members. Although we only review the top five, the survey results from our members indicate that these five brokerages combine to account for about 72% of total use.
This comparison briefly discusses what you can expect from online brokers in general and then examines the specific differences in the five services we are highlighting this year.
To determine which brokerage services to include in our comparison, we consulted AAII's Online Discount Brokerage Survey. Members fill out a questionnaire rating the broker they use on several factors, including reliability, trade price, and execution speed. For this comparison, we chose the five most popular brokers from the 2010 survey. Table 1 lists the five brokers along with their AAII member ratings.
To participate in our survey, go to AAII.com and select Investor Surveys from the Home tab. This is an ongoing and open survey, and we welcome feedback to help in our data collection.
The comparison grid on pages 24 and 25 summarizes the similarities and differences of the five brokers based on the services, tools and data that they provide on their websites.
The trading platforms for the five brokerages are all relatively similar. Usually, there are two types: one trading platform for regular investors and a separate one for active investors. The Web-based platform can be used by all investors and typically handles stocks, options, bonds, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Simply enter the action, quantity and ticker, and the order will be executed. In addition to placing market orders, all the Web-based platforms allow you to place limit orders (setting the minimum sell price or maximum buy price for a security), and they all allow you to specify order fulfillment options such as good-until-cancelled or one-day-only.
Active trading platforms are usually launched from the website and may be restricted to investors with large accounts or those who place trades frequently. Most active platforms show real-time price quotes and volume data. In addition, most will offer more advanced investing tools, such as the ability to backtest or chart technical indicators. The active trading platforms also offer direct market access, allowing investors to interact directly with the order books of an exchange. Normally, investors have to go through broker-dealers, but direct access theoretically cuts out the middle man, allowing orders to be executed quicker and with more investor control over the trade price.
These online brokers now all offer fundamental data on stocks, mutual funds and ETFs. Most of this information comes directly from a trusted source such as Reuters or Morningstar and is very comprehensive.
Price and volume data is offered in real time in some cases. At a minimum, the websites can be manually refreshed to see updated figures. Company news is also provided, as well as simple charts for the needs of each stock. All brokerages now offer some technical indicator overlays, and the number of indicators available should be sufficient for the needs of most investors. Commonly used profitability, valuation, financial strength and management effectiveness ratios are all provided by each brokerage service. In addition, most brokerages will offer some sort of insider trading activity data.
|Online Discount Brokerage Firm
|Charles Schwab
|E* Trade
|Fidelity Investments
|TD Ameritrade
|Web Address
|Traditional Trading Tools
|Additional Order Types
|short sell, stop, stop-limit, trailing stop,
|short sell, stop, stop-limit,
|short sell, stop, stop-limit, trailing stop,
|short sell, stop, stop-limit, trailing stop,
|short sell, stop, stop-limit,
|day, good-till-canceled
|trailing stop, day
|day, good-till-canceled
|day, good-till-canceled, good-until-date
|day, good-till-canceled
|Order Routing (Automatic, User-Defined)
|automatic; user defined
|Alerts (Price, Volume, News)
|Yes (price)
|yes (price & news)
|Automatic Trade Triggers
|Yes (via StreetSmart Pro)
|Active Trading Tools
|Active Trading Platform (Cost)
|StreetSmart Pro 4.22 (free for active traders)
|Power E*Trade Pro 5.0 (free)
|Active Trader Pro (free for active traders)
|ScottradeELITE (free for accounts of $25,000+)
|Command Center 2.0 Windows/Mac (free)
|Securities Traded
|stocks, ETFs, options
|stocks, ETFs, options
|stocks, mutual funds, ETFs, options
|stocks, ETFs, options
|stocks, ETFs, options
|Order Routing (Automatic, User-Defined)
|automatic; user-defined
|automatic, user-defined
|automatic, user-defined
|automatic; user-defined
|Alerts (Price, Volume, News)
|Yes (price, volume)
|Yes (price, volume)
|Yes (price)
|Yes (price, news)
|Yes (price, volume)
|Demonstration of Use
|Stock Tools and Data
|real-time (manual refresh)
|real-time (manual refresh)
|real-time (manual refresh)
|real-time (manual refresh;
|real-time (manual refresh)
|streaming via Scottrader)
|Yes (5 years; 5 quarters)
|Yes (5 years; 5 quarters)
|Yes (5 years; 5 quarters)
|Yes (5 years; 4 quarters)
|Yes (5 years; 4 quarters)
|SEC Filings
|EPS Estimates
|Yes (Reuters)
|Yes (Reuters)
|Yes (StarMine SmartEstimate)
|Yes (Reuters)
|Yes (Reuters)
|Research Reports and Ratings
|Yes (Schwab; various brokers)
|Yes (various brokers)
|Yes (AGR Ratings; various brokers)
|Yes (S&P, Reuters,
|Yes (various brokers)
|Second Opinion Weekly)
|Yes (Dow Jones, Canada NewsWire,
|Yes (Dow Jones; MarketWatch)
|Yes (CNN Money, MarketWatch,
|Yes (BusinessWire, Dow Jones,
|Yes (MarketWatch, Marketwire,
|PR Newswire)
|PR Newswire,)
|PR Newswire)
|Industry Data
|Techinical Indicators
|Screening (Number of Companies/Fields)
|Yes (7,200+/75+)
|Yes (8,900+/40+)
|Yes (9,000+/100+)
|Yes (9,000+/30+)
|Yes (11,000+/45+)
|Historical Prices
|Yes (1998+; daily)
|Yes (daily; 1 year)
|Yes (1989+; daily)
|Mutual Fund Tools and Data
|Data Provider
|Yes (Morningstar)
|Yes (Morningstar)
|Yes (Morningstar)
|Yes (Lipper)
|Yes (Morningstar)
|Risk Statistics
|Yes (beta, alpha, std dev, Sharpe, mean)
|Yes (beta, alpha, R-sq, std dev, Sharpe, correlation)
|Yes (beta, R-dq, std dev)
|Yes (beta, alpha, R-sq, std dev, Sharpe, mean)
|Calendar Performance
|YTD; 5 years; 1 quarter; 1 month
|YTD; 10 years; 11 quarters; 1 month
|YTD; 1 quarter; 1 month
|YTD; 1 month; 1 quarter
|YTD; 4 years; 1 quarter; 1 month
|Annualized Performance
|1-, 3-, 5-, 10-yr, inception
|1-, 3-, 5-, 10-yr
|1-, 3-, 5-, 10-year
|1-, 3-, 5-, 10-yr, inception
|1-, 3-, 5-, 10-yr; inception
|Compare to Index/Category
|Yes (category only)
|Fund Holdings
|Technical Indicators
|Screening (Number of Funds/Fields)
|Yes (20,000+/25+)
|Yes -12
|Yes (20,000+/22)
|Yes (20,000+/35+)
|ETF Tools and Data
|Yes (Schwab report card; Morningstar)
|Yes (Morningstar)
|Yes (Lipper)
|Yes (Morningstar)
|Risk Statistics
|Yes (beta, alpha, R-sq, std dev, Sharpe correlation)
|Yes (beta, R-sq, std dev, Sharpe)
|Yes (beta, alpha, R-sq, std dev, Sharpe, mean)
|Calendar Performance
|1 quarter
|10 years (when available); 1 quarter
|1 quarter
|YTD; 1 month; 1 quarter
|4 years; 1 quarter
|Annualized Performance
|1-, 3-, 5-year; inception
|1-, 3-, 5-yr; inception
|1-, 3-, 5-yr; inception
|1-, 3-, 5-, 10-yr; inception
|1-, 3-, 5-, 10-yr; inception
|Technical Indicators
|Screening (Number of ETFs/Fields)
|Yes (900+/50+)
|Yes (1200+/40+)
|Yes (900+/20+)
|Yes (900+/18)
|Yes (900+/40+)
|Portfolio Tracking Tools
|real-time (manual refresh)
|real-time (manual refresh);
|real-time (manual refresh)
|real-time (manual refresh)
|real-time (manual refresh)
|streaming via MarketCaster
|Portfolio Analysis Tools
|Yes (asset type, sector)
|Yes (asset type, sector, style)
|Yes (asset type)
|Yes (asset type)
|Other Tools
|Mobile Trading
|Roth IRA Conversion Calculator
|Retirement Tools
Consensus earnings estimates have become very common. Financial statements are provided but usually summarized on several pages. Both annual and quarterly financial statements are presented by all the brokerage firms. Most brokerages will also link you directly to company filings such as 10-K and 8-K.
Usage by
|Rating (Top Score = 4)
|Charles Schwab
|Fidelity Investments
|TD Ameritrade
The mutual fund data provided by the brokers typically comes from Morningstar or Lipper and includes most of the data provided by these sources, such as ratings, common risk factors, and management fees.
The presentation of ETF data is comparable to that of mutual fund data, but with fewer data points. Performance numbers typically cover shorter periods, since ETFs in general are newer investment products.
Screeners for stocks, mutual funds and ETFs have also become a ubiquitous feature at broker sites. Although each broker's screener will differ, they all provide a large universe of stocks and a satisfactory number of data points. The comparison grid on pages 24 and 25 provides further details on the screeners available through each brokerage service.
Investors commonly want to see their portfolio holdings all together, but most brokerages only allow for portfolio tracking of assets that are held at their brokerage firm. Certain brokers will allow you to enter outside holdings into a financial planning scenario but not into a comprehensive portfolio tracker.
Scottrade is the discount brokerage used most by our survey members. Its website has a very simple design. There are five main sections to the site: Home, Trade, My Account, Quotes & Research and Knowledge Center. The Home page lists only your holdings and account value, open orders, completed orders, positions and watchlist. A quick quote lookup bar is available on the left-hand side of the page along with the value of major indexes.
In order to execute a trade, the Trade section is where you enter the action, shares, symbol, order type and duration. Scottrade can handle stocks, options, mutual funds, bonds and CDs, but it does not handle futures. Scottrade also allows you to place advanced orders such as conditional orders that execute if an event occurs. Pre-market trading from 7:00 a.m. until 9:28 a.m. EST and after-hours trading until 8:00 p.m. EST are also available.
All relevant account information, including balances and positions, is provided in the My Account section. Watchlists can also be created in this area. A gain/loss and tax center shows the unrealized and realized gains and losses for your positions and presents the incomplete positions for which cost bases are needed. The default tax strategy on the account is first in, first out (FIFO), unless otherwise set by the user. Tax statements, IRS tax forms, a tax guide area and the cost basis FAQ are also linked in this section. The account history page provides transactions, confirmations, account statements and tax statements, all of which can be sorted according to time frame. You are also able to check your order status, review deposits and withdrawals, and verify your alerts in the My Account section.
Scottrade's Quotes & Research section offers some unique features. The market overview page lists how the most widely followed market indexes have done over the past quarter and year. Additionally, the strongest performing investments and best- and worst-performing industries are also presented in the overview page. The market pulse area provides a heatmap and performance chart of the major equity, fixed-income, and commodities indexes and ETFs. A page on analyst views offers the recent S&P Star Ranking and Briefing.com rating changes, and a quick search of a company will bring up the recent changes. Although this information is highly useful, it seems that only the most recent weeks' rating changes are presented. The market calendar area lists major company events such as initial public offerings (IPOs) and earnings and dividend announcements, and the world markets area provides fundamental data and top-performing investments for the international markets. Aside from these areas, Scottrade also provides a detailed quote for each company if you type the ticker symbol in the quote search box. However, nothing truly stands out in the detailed quote, as the data is fairly universal.
The Knowledge Center provides users with educational articles, guides, and how-tos. The information presented is relatively basic and is meant to familiarize new investors with account types, investment products and retirement planning concepts. There is also a media center that provides video explanations of investment topics and an online community where investors can discuss their opinions with other Scottrade users.
At the Charles Schwab website, the main areas are accessed through tabs that run across the top of the page. The Accounts area provides all relevant information for the current holdings in your account, including balances, positions, performance and history. Additionally, the portfolio analysis page shows a breakdown of your current portfolio and provides some tips. Your current asset allocation is compared to your target risk profile, and suggestions are made as to what you can do to bring your current asset allocation more in line with your target. Your target allocation can be changed by answering a quick questionnaire on your investing traits. Furthermore, you can see a break-down of your portfolio's diversification and equity concentration. The quality section provides ratings for each of the holdings in the portfolio. Yellow exclamation points are displayed in potential problems areas. Otherwise, a green "ok" is displayed. Portfolio reports can be printed from the same area.
Transfers & payments is a separate section in the Accounts area. This section allows users to transfer and wire funds, request checks, pay bills and add external accounts. You can view your messages and check corporate actions such as tender offers and merger elections in the message center.
Using Charles Schwab's Web-based platform to trade stocks is very simple: Enter the symbol, action, quantity, order type and timing, and the brokerage firm will execute your order. A noticeably missing feature is price and volume information. Most investors have a good idea as to the price of the stock they are buying, but volume is equally important for investors in small- and micro-cap stocks. The price is given on the review order page, but volume is still missing. As far as we can tell, you have to go to the quotes section to retrieve volume data.
Charles Schwab can handle stocks, options, mutual funds, ETFs, bonds and CDs. It also offers an IPO section that lists conditional offers to purchase and a calendar of initial public offerings. Those who want to trade futures are referred to a site with which Charles Schwab is affiliated.
The site offers a comprehensive research section. A general market overview and news items are listed on the main research page. Stock data includes news, charts for a broad time range, and ratings. Financial ratios are available in the fundamentals section, along with a range for the sector and a graphical comparison, which is a very useful feature. Quarterly and annual statements are provided for the last five periods, along with the trend of each line item. The peers section allows you to graph the performance of a stock versus an index or another stock over the past year. Research reports from Charles Schwab and Credit Suisse are also available.
The ETF and mutual fund data offered is very basic. Performance figures, a general overview of the holdings, the prospectus and a mutual fund/ETF report card are included for mutual funds and ETFs. The site also provides information on minimum investments for mutual funds. A separate section for bonds and CDs presents general information such as the U.S. Treasury yield curve and key rates.
Although all of the brokerages in this comparison provide a similar amount of raw data on stocks and mutual funds, Charles Schwab provides an abundance of analysis and commentary. Furthermore, screeners are available for stocks, mutual funds, ETFs and even fixed-income funds. Charles Schwab covers a universe of 7,200 domestic and ADR stocks and offers eight predefined stock screens. The mutual fund screener comes with 10 predefined screens and covers a universe of over 20,000 funds, and the ETF screener has 16 predefined screens and a universe of over 900 ETFs. The fixed-income mutual fund screener allows users to screen on taxable and tax-free funds.
Several trading tools are also available at the site. StreetSmart.com launches right from your Web browser and allows you to see real-time quotes for stocks in your watchlist and set up alerts or conditional orders. StreetSmart Pro is available free for active investors (48 or more commissionable trades in the past year). The active platform allows for fundamental and technical stock screening in real time, and the Strategy Tester allows you to test technical trading strategies.
In addition, guidance on retirement, saving for college, estate planning, life events and taxes is offered at the site.
Fidelity is the third most frequently used discount brokerage among our survey respondents.
After you log in, the summary main page lists the total value of your portfolio along with data on the major indexes. Portfolio positions, research, analysis and statements are all conveniently accessed through separate tabs. The portfolio research page is very useful, as it lists the latest news and research for your current holdings. The analysis section shows your asset allocation, equity style profile, and industry and sector weightings. Fidelity also offers BillPay, which, as the name suggests, enables you to pay bills directly from your Fidelity brokerage account.
Fidelity's News & Insights section provides the most comprehensive news area of the brokerages that are reviewed in this article. News is divided into U.S. markets, U.S. economy & jobs, technology, international, company news, IPOs, mergers & acquisitions, and investment ideas. A separate section of news videos is also offered. Furthermore, the news sources are top financial websites such as MarketWatch, CNN Money and Reuters. The insights section provides analysis on recent market trends and areas where you might find growth. An area called Fidelity viewpoints provides all the various Fidelity publications and articles.
The Research section offered at Fidelity allows users to run a quick search for investments such as stocks, mutual funds and ETFs. Once again, the data is similar to that provided by the other top discount brokers. Fidelity does allow you to make a hypothetical trade to see how your asset allocation would look if the trade were executed. Additionally, options information is linked on the main quote page.
The Research section also houses a comprehensive page called markets and sectors. Market news and analysis for equities, interest rates, foreign exchanges, energy, metals and agriculture includes links to research reports. Analysis and price change information are displayed for various sectors and industries as well. Fidelity recommends percentage weightings for each sector based on sector analysis by Standard & Poor's and Ned Davis Research.
Fidelity's backtesting feature is very useful. You can backtest a strategy using a single symbol or multiple symbols. For instance, if you want to trade a particular stock based on its 50-day EMA crossover, Fidelity shows you how you would have performed using the strategy. It includes the effect of dividends, cash interest and commissions paid to simulate a real-world situation.
The Guidance & Retirement section is also strong. Investment guidance and retirement planning are the main focus, but life stage and life event planning are also offered. This section is particularly useful because of its step-by-step recommendations on how to best plan for crucial times, such as starting out, building wealth, getting ready for retirement and managing wealth in retirement. Additionally, in-depth articles on changing jobs, getting married, having a child, and caring for an elderly parent are intuitive and constructive. While not all investors will need the advice, it is beneficial to have the articles at your disposal.
The Fidelity Income Strategy Evaluator is a useful retirement planning tool. The program asks you to input a general idea of your income and expenses in retirement, information about accounts held elsewhere that will be included as retirement assets, and your current pretax income. The tool then provides an estimation of your monthly income based on your holdings. A suggested target income mix is provided that takes into consideration your needs and preferences. Furthermore, an idea of how your portfolio will perform in both bull and bear markets will be displayed. This tool gives users a rough idea of how best to allocate their holdings in order to generate sufficient retirement income.
TD Ameritrade has gone through some changes in the past few years, acquiring companies such as Thinkorswim, an online active trading platform. Thinkorswim is now fully integrated into TD Ameritrade and serves as its active trading tool.
Once you have logged in, TD Ameritrade will display a summary of your account. The information located here is conventional, including cash and margin balance, account value and messages. The main page also displays your watchlist, status of your orders and major index values.
From the Home page, clicking on the Accounts tab takes you to in-depth information on your account. Along with the usual account balance and order status review pages, a portfolio planner analysis feature allows you to compare your current asset allocation to your target portfolio allocation. You can modify your targets by clicking on "security allocation." Furthermore, several predefined asset allocations are provided—including capital preservation, stable, balanced, growth and aggressive—and you can choose one that is appropriate without having to define the targets yourself. A cash management section offers debit card and checking writing features.
Placing orders using the Web-based platform is straightforward. Entering the symbol of the stock will bring up the price, volume, bid and ask. The data does not update in real-time, but there is an icon to refresh the numbers. TD Ameritrade also offers conditional orders that allow you to combine multiple orders. For example, you can set a condition where execution of the first order will prompt cancellation of the second order, or where execution of the first order prompts execution of the second order.
TD Ameritrade is able to handle stock, ETF, options, bond, mutual fund, and even futures and forex (foreign exchange) trades. However, you must apply and meet certain account requirements in order to place futures and forex orders. "Trade triggers" can be set up that trigger an order execution if an asset meets a certain price, volume, or percent change criterion.
Research data provided by TD Ameritrade is among the most comprehensive of the brokerages in this comparison. The Research & Ideas section of the site includes separate areas for each of the major asset classes, as well as IPOs, alerts and ideas. The markets page offers a calendar detailing major company events and market reports by Standard & Poor's, Thomson, Argus and others. Stock and ETF data is provided by Reuters and the mutual fund data is provided by Morningstar. The IPO center provides information on upcoming initial public offerings, but in order to receive this data, you must call in and apply to purchase these shares. The ideas page lists important news and analysis from well-recognized research firms and investment banks such as Argus, Credit Suisse and Zacks. Several tools are also available on this page. The Minyanville Buzz & Banter is an online forum that allows you to gain insight from third-party industry leaders. The PredictWallStreet tool presents continually updated data on the possible movement of security index values. Investors can answer general questions such as what their prediction is regarding the market movement for the day and the aggregate results will be displayed. (Just keep in mind when viewing this data that open surveys such as these are usually answered by non-professionals and may oftentimes act as contrarian indicators.) Workshops are also offered and seem to be popular, as several were full as this article was being written.
TD Ameritrade provides mobile apps for an impressive line-up of operating systems, including the iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, and Android. They also offer a separate mode for mobile browsers, which allows users to log on to the website from any number of phones with Internet access.
A couple of useful tools that TD Ameritrade offers are the Pattern Matcher and StrategyDesk. The Pattern Matcher is a recognition tool that is designed to help you find securities that match well-known technical charting patterns, or securities that are highly correlated to the pattern of a particular symbol. The StrategyDesk is a trading and analysis platform that combines backtesting, charting and real-time screening. It allows you to develop and test investment strategies and, when you are ready, set alerts and execute the strategies.
Educational tools such as workshops and webcasts are available. TD Ameritrade also offers online courses to help investors learn about various topics such as put and call options.
The data on the main summary page of E*Trade closely resembles what you would find at the other brokerage sites: your accounts along with the net account values are provided. This page also links to an "online advisor" that offers a recommended asset allocation and investing solutions based on the investor profile that you provide. The online advisor helps you choose between stocks, ETFs and mutual funds, or may even recommend that you work with an investment professional.
E*Trade also offers Bill Pay, which automatically pays recurring bills using the cash balance in your portfolio.
Entering orders is very straightforward and E*Trade provides you with the relevant data you need right on the order page: The volume, price, bid and ask are all displayed as soon as a ticker symbol is typed in. E*Trade is able to handle stocks, options, bonds and mutual funds; in order to trade futures, you must open a separate futures accounts with E*Trade. There is no mention of foreign exchange trading. However, E*Trade does allow users to trade in foreign markets—namely Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and the United Kingdom—providing further diversification avenues and a possible hedge against the U.S dollar. A section with current and upcoming offerings for IPOs is included.
The active trading platform, E*Trade Pro, is available to all investors for free, even those who do not actively trade. This platform provides direct-access trading for stocks and options and real-time streaming market data. Furthermore, a technical screener and a sector and industry tracker are both offered. The Strategy Scanner lets users develop and backtest technical trading strategies.
Separate research sections are presented for the U.S. and global markets. You can see intraday trends for major indexes, a feature unique to E*Trade. The world news is satisfactory but not as robust as the U.S. market news. Charts can be displayed for each investment symbol. Numerous technical indicators—such as momentum bars, exponential moving average, Bollinger bands and relative strength index (RSI)—as well as company events—such as splits, dividends and earnings reports—can be overlaid on each chart. The day's range and volume data are displayed for each investment holding.
For individual securities, the research area also includes financial statement data and ratios, as well as research reports from Reuters, Standard & Poor's and Credit Suisse. Industry data, for comparison purposes, historical data, and insider trading information are also offered. Mutual fund data, provided by Morningstar, is comprehensive, but it does not differ from that found at the other major online brokerages. Data offered on ETFs includes 10 years of performance numbers (when available) and Morningstar risk and performance ratings. An ETF screener has been added since our last review and allows screening across a universe of over 1,200 ETFs.
E*Trade has recently implemented a community area that is still currently in beta. The discussion board allows users to share their investing theories and post their ideas. Even though this feature is in beta, a good number of users are taking advantage of it: Popular topics generally have over 40 discussion board posts, and most responses are constructive and thought-provoking.
Tom from PA posted over 5 years ago:
Where did Vanguard fall in your member survey? I have a few accounts there, IRA mutual funds and two brokerage accounts. I rate them very high in all of your categories.
John from WA posted over 5 years ago:
Good, smooth back office operation is as or more important to me than trading performance, and I recommend that future surveys include user experience with customer service in the evaluation criteria.
I have no accounts at Fidelity, but I have multiple accounts at the other four firms, so I can compare my experiences with them directly.
All four firms do on-line trades with good speed, accuracy and reliability. Trading and analysis platforms are different but comparable. However for back office operations, Schwab and TD Ameritrade stand head and shoulders above E*Trade and Scottrade.
Schwab and TD Ameritrade seem to have experienced back-office people who know how to get things done right. E*Trade recently took much more time and hassle in delivering checks from accounts there than did the other firms. E*Trade also once failed to generate an on-line alert that lost about $20K when an rights issue was both credited to the account and expired during month between statements. I have also had repeated difficulty with Scottrade, with their distributed small branches, following written instructions to transfer stocks and funds between accounts at the same branch without reminders and corrections. And if you have a problem during the evening or weekend and get an account lockout, as is easy to do with their password criteria and security questions, you have to wait until the next work day to call your individual branch when personnel are present; they have no 24-hour internet response person or group.
It would be nice to know which firms can do back office functions right every time as well as they trade stocks.
Shawn from KY posted over 5 years ago:
I'm an avid user of Ameritrade and its Think or Swim platform.
One of it's most useful features is the ability to see current bid asked prices at most exchanges at the same time as you place your order. Once your order is entered provided it is better than the current market you will see it within mere seconds.
It is a huge asset in achieving favorable executions.
For those interested in formulating their own strategies, here's a link to my published books -- most of which may be read online instantly through Google.
Sonia from FL posted over 5 years ago:
Fidelity's "analysis" is wonderful for mutual funds but deplorable for accounts of any type that hold individual securities of company stocks: Any stock that trades on a U.S. exchange is listed as "DOMESTIC", even if it is a Chinese, Australian, Canadian company...except if it's an ADR. Furthermore, no "pink sheet" listings are labeled as, e.g., Canadian, even though the name and CA SEDOL is part of the listing.
As a result the Portfolio Analysis is useless...and so is the Retirement Income Planner, because the portfolio performance, beta and risk, is dependent upon the "Analysis"
Examples of securities that I hold - listed as domestic by Fido, include ERF, PUDA, SVM,
WINNR, AT, CCJ, and ECA. Examples of Cdn securities held as "pink Sheets" & relegated to the "Unknown" column of the "analysis" include AETUF, PBNMF, COSWF, etc.
Analysis can't handle EEQ, NMM, AMJ, and TOO.
So if your portfolio only has Mutual funds (where the breakdown is finely - tuned, even for non-Fidelity funds), +/- US Corporations or ADR's, then the analysis seems to be O.K.
Felix from CA posted over 5 years ago:
I've had accounts with Etrade, Scottrade, Fidelity, and TD Ameritrade (and with the latter, since it was Datek). I have to agree with another comment that Ameritrade's customer service (back office handling) is superb. The one time that I had a problem maybe 5yrs ago with was a nuisance (but didn't cost me anything but time), they responded by giving me something like 50 free trades for a month. Scottrade's web site is too "simple" for me, painful to get detailed quotes while looking at positions as I recall; execution was not good. I made same orders on fidelity and ameritrade while scottrade's never executed. I've since closed it and moved assets to ameritrade (thankfully no transfer out charge by scottrade).
Fidelity was pretty good, but I still most comfortable with Ameri. One day I'll try Schwab. I have an account with Vanguard. Not too nice to use compared with the rest, but the costs are commission is low enough to make it worthwhile ($2 per trade).
R from CA posted over 5 years ago:
I have experience with Ameritrade, Vanguard, Wells Fargo, and MBTrading. I just pulled my 7 figure account at Vanguard because their of their clearing bank snafus and poor customer service.
I have 4 separate accounts at Wells Fargo: good for slow trading accounts because of the 100 free trades per year.
Ameritrade has good customer service and is willing to negotiate commissions and/or free trades. Their market triggers give flexibility, but awkward to setup.
MBTrading is hard to beat for active traders. $5 commissions, great trading tools, and an incredible array of order types. My favorite is the trailing stop for a *buy* order as well as a sell. Haven't seen it elsewhere.
Joseph from VA posted over 5 years ago:
what about tradeking?
Dave from AZ posted over 5 years ago:
You should've included Interactive Brokers for this subject - arguably the hands down best priced broker out there if "discount" was the topic of conversation.
Joe from IL posted over 5 years ago:
The brokerages firms that we included were the top five brokerage firms by use according to our members. There are numerous brokerages firms out there that may be cheaper, or that certain members may feel provided better execution or research. With that said, the five brokers that we listed account for close to 80% of the usage by our members.
Although this does not cover all the discount brokerages, the vast majority of what our members are using are being covered.
As always, we appreciate your comments.
Jim from NY posted over 5 years ago:
I think that the survey overlooked one important factor to consider. Once upon a time, Schwab, Fidelity & Vangurad protected the interests of small investors. They had managers with 15 years or more of experience to make recommendations. Today, no one is speaking out for the small investor and the three that I deal with are all silent on the shananigans at the larger firms on Wall Street, including major conflicts of interest and misinformation.
Allan from FL posted over 4 years ago:
I was looking for comparisions on option trading including commissions, otherwise article excellent
Allan from FL posted over 4 years ago:
I was looking for comparisions on option trading including commissions, otherwise article excellent
James from CO posted over 4 years ago:
Since TDAmericatrade totally integrated with Think or Swim CD's have been a bit of a struggle. TOS is really nice however for options and stock trades. Also it even has range bars now. In general TDA has very nice set of tools at reasonable prices. I suspect they will eventually fix their bond problems.
Bob from OH posted over 4 years ago:
Looking to start doing some my own trading. What trade site would be best beginner-friendly site to use
Mark from KS posted over 4 years ago:
I'd like to see Just2Trade compared as well.
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I recently bought an air compressor for airbrushing and other uses. I'm not familiar with air compressors so I was wondering if it was normal for the air tank to have sand/gravel inside it? When I tip it over from side to side, I can hear something like sand/gravel moving around inside. The manual doesn't say anything about it.
No, there should be nothing loose inside there by design. If it is a used compressor, then I'd expect it is some rust that has broken loose. If it is new, then it is probably a piece of scale from when the tank was welded, or some other junk that got left in the tank. If it was a cheap compressor, then you got what you paid for.


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An American Muslim University
Hussein Rashid interviewed Scott Korb about his new book, Light without Fire. We've got the audio.
Daily Links: "I'll Tell You When You're Right" Edition
NRA v. Planned Parenthood; the sex we deserve, Persecution Complexes; atheist giving; corporate personhood, corporate conscience; Pareidolia; faith healing!
What Are You?
David F. Evans reviews Emily Raboteau's latest book, "Searching for Zion: The Quest for Home in the African Diaspora."
"The Bible's" Fill of Meaningful Omission
"The Bible" squashed the central achievement of biblical storytelling: meaningful omissions and lacunae, "story" as the seed of excited, growing interpretations.
Pet Cemetery
As earlier memorials to bears and whales suggest, capitalism doesn't diminish our need for ritual—it heightens it.
Homegrown Settlers
As President Obama makes his first visit to Israel today, Kiera Feldman examines Americans in the settlements... and their kitsch.
Oh SNAP! Picking a Pope with Sex Abuse Solutions in Mind
By Abby Ohlheiser With the conclave starting tomorrow, SNAP warns that a new pope can't magically fix the Catholic Church's ongoing sex abuse crisis.
Life in the Shrine
The fearful narratives surrounding West African shrines and the 'wives of the deity' obscure the reality of these long-standing institutions, writes Julie Jenkins. With photographs by Dana Romanoff.
On Not Enjoying Zero Dark Thirty… For the Right Reasons.
By Angela ZitoThis is The War. The War is far, far away, on a screen. It is terrible and distant. And most of us have never been made uncomfortable by it for a nanosecond.
Will SCOTUS Tie the Knot?
Becky Garrison: What will a United States Supreme Court decision do for public opinion regarding same-sex marriage?
Mediating Our Dead
By Rachel Wagner We have become incapable of sitting with tragedy and loss, and instantly seek to make order of it through media.
The Art of Living in Modern India
Jake Halpern goes to India: It seems like a romantic and clichéd notion, but I was very earnestly itching to get the hell out of dodge and get a bit more spiritual.


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Nicole Miller Escapes Death at Le Cirque
A quick-thinking waiter saved the designer's life, but don't tell the Maccioni family.
At last night's premiere of the upcoming HBO documentary, Le Cirque: A Table in Heaven, designer Nicole Miller recalled a near-death experience at the restaurant. "Some editor from Avenue or somebody invited me out to lunch. I've never had any allergies," said Miller. "My eyes started tearing, I can't breathe, I can't talk. I'm choking, I can't even drink any water. And then the waiter came along and picked up the flowers and I was fine. It was the weirdest thing that ever happened to me." Miller, who has traveled with the Maccioni family, never told them about the incident. "I don't think I ever mentioned I almost choked to death on their flowers," she said. She returns to the restaurant frequently in hopes that Mauro will serve her favorite dish: "toast with lard and white truffle. I've never seen it on the menu."


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Today's update will be quick even though I missed yesterday. The Free Press has coverage of the last couple games. Good news for Sunday night is that Adam Foote is out. One last note for today... Steve Duchesne is at fault for the Wild winning last night, he screwed up and left Osgood hung out to dry. Just my thought. Photos from Thursday will be posted tomorrow, along with (hopefully) some more video.
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RADNOR, Pa. (Aug. 1, 2013) – This summer, Cabrini College received notches high on lists for return on investment and for its financial state.
Cabrini ranks among the top Pennsylvania colleges and universities that have a high return on a student's investment.
In a July report from Affordable Colleges Online, Cabrini College ranked #44 out of 402 Pennsylvania colleges and universities analyzed.
Cabrini earned its ranking because of its low net costs (tuition and fees*) and graduates' high lifetime earnings.
Also, Forbes listed Cabrini in the top 40 percent of private colleges and universities across the nation for being financially fit.
Schools were graded on nine variables to determine balance sheet and operational strength. The College is financially strong with considerable reserves and a modest endowment.
About Cabrini College Students do extraordinary things at Cabrini College, a residential Catholic college welcoming learners of all faiths, cultures, and backgrounds.
Since its founding in 1957 by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the College has provided a transformational "education of the heart," focusing on academic excellence, leadership development, and a commitment to social justice.
Cabrini offers more than 30 majors, pre-professional programs, concentrations and minors. The College also has graduate and professional studies programs at its main campus in Radnor, Pa., and at 14 off-site locations. The College's serene 112-acre campus is located 30 minutes from Philadelphia.
*The College reduced its tuition and fees by 12.5 percent for the 2012–13 academic year, announced a tuition freeze for the 2013–14 academic year, and pledged to keep tuition and fees below $30,000 through May 2015.
© 2012


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While Minnesotan Governor Mark Dayton thumbs down the invitation to celebrate Tibetan new year with the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, the newly elected Mayor of Minneapolis, Betsy Hodges has accepted the invitation to accompany the Tibetan spiritual leader on Tibetan new year celebration which falls on March 2.
For the first time in his entire exile life, the Tibetan spiritual leader will be celebrating the Tibetan new year with Tibetan-Americans in Minnesota.
According to the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota, the governor has rejected the invitation citing health issues. However, the Minneapolis mayor is not just going to attend the Tibetan new year but she is going to read "the Tibet Day proclamation in honour of the Dalai Lama and Tibet" on Tibetan new year according to Kalsang Phuntsok, one of the spokesmen of the Tibetan organisation.
"U.S. Congressman Keith Ellison, and Congresswoman Betty McCollum are also confirmed to attend the Tibetan new year celebration," said Kalsang Phuntsok.
A day before the Tibetan new year celebration, the Tibetan spiritual leader is scheduled to attend the 26th annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum organized by the Nobel Peace Prize Forum and Augsburg college in St Paul, the capital city of Minnesota.
The Dalai Lama will also address, and take questions from a group of Chinese and Tibetan students in the state.
"As of now, 270 Chinese students are confirmed to attend the meeting with the Dalai Lama," said Ngawang Chime, one of the core-organisers of the meeting with the Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama had publicly stated that he and his people are willing to be under China if Beijing accepts his demand for a genuine autonomy.
Since adopting the policy of fighting for autonomy in late 1980s, the Dalai Lama believes building bridge with the Chinese public is the key to end the tragedy of people inside Tibet.
Chinese officials in Beijing often brand him a "wolf in sheep's clothing" and his policy of "middle way approach" for a genuine autonomy as "independence in disguise".
Saying that the Tibetan spiritual leader is trying to split Tibet from mainland China, Beijing urges world leaders not to meet with the Dalai Lama. However, despite China's criticism, President Barrack Obama last Friday welcomed the Tibetan spiritual leader to the White House, and the two spent almost an hour discussing human rights issues in Tibet.


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2 killed overnight in I-95 crash
FHP: Pontiac crashes into back of semi truck
Published: Saturday, December 8, 2012 at 12:13 p.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, December 8, 2012 at 12:13 p.m.
Two people were killed early Saturday in a crash on Interstate 95 near Ormond Beach, state troopers said.
One of the victims, the driver, has been identified as 20-year-old George Jarosv of North Carolina. The other victim, a 40-year-old woman also from North Carolina, has not been identified because Florida Highway Patrol has not yet notified relatives, according to the FHP report.
Troopers said the crash happened about 1:15 a.m. in the northbound lanes near the 270 mile marker north of State Road 40. The 2006 Pontiac, a semi-truck driver told the FHP, was "driving in an aggressive manner" as it approached him from behind.
The truck driver said he pulled over to the right shoulder to get out of the way, but as he slowed to a stop, the front of the Pontiac hit the back of his trailer.
Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene.
All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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93. Addictive Creative Freedom
I can't say that there was a catalyst in my life that borne me this entrepreneurial spirit. Even when I was a child I have always had "it", never really knowing where "it" came from. At a young age, I was the kid who sold lemonade, stickers, and stationary on the sidewalks. In late high school it was custom pearl hair ties; then
graduating to setting up my own cake and cookie shop from home, with a professional oven by my second year of college; at the same time selling stuffed animals, and corporate embroidered hand towels for HSBC's golf tournaments. By the time I left the Philippines to go to the Culinary Institute of America, I KNEW it was time to fan the flames of being an entrepreneur once again.
I have had 9-5 jobs, some with amazing financial opportunities; but in the end, I never found them engaging enough in terms of being able to utilize my full creative potential; and eventually, I got bored. Again, my entrepreneurial spirit would take over like a beast about to break out of the closet.
It's is like a 3 part high; an addictive passion for creative marketing, being my own boss and seeing the rewarding results, that kept me coming back for more. It really didn't matter whether I was selling cookies, towels, stuffed animals or real estate services; the creative options always kept my juices flowing. I thoroughly enjoy the freedom and creativity of being able to market my product without anyone saying, "no"; having the freedom to experiment, and not be confined to a box. It's also that thrill of seeing something bear fruit based on my creative passion.
Thanks to Jennifer Chiongbian of Rutenberg Realty NYC


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Points Leader Harvick Happy To Be Coming To Bristol
What a difference a new season has made for Kevin Harvick.
At the end of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup campaign, Harvick found himself sitting in 19th place in the point standings. It had been an uncharacteristically rough year, but things did start turning around for Richard Childress Racing and Harvick before the season ended.
In the off-season, the general consensus was that Harvick and his RCR teammates - Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer - again would find consistency and victory lane this year. Heading into the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway March 21, they are certainly headed in that direction.
While none of the three have won yet, all have run extremely well. Burton is sixth in the standings, Bowyer, fifth and Harvick leads the standings and Matt Kenseth by 26 points.
With BMS looming, the odds definitely look good for the Childress drivers. Childress has nine wins at the World's Fastest Half-Mile as a car owner and all of his current drivers have Bristol wins. Both Harvick and Burton have Cup victories and each of the three have won in the Nationwide Series.
Just two years ago, they made history at BMS, finishing 1-2-3 in the Food City 500 as Burton won, followed by Harvick and Bowyer. No other team had ever swept the top three positions at the concrete oval.
Obviously, Harvick is feeling good as he gears up for one of his favorite tracks.
"It feels really good to be in the position we are right now heading into Bristol," he said. "We've come a long way from where we were last year and I have to thank (crew chief) Gil (Martin) and all these guys on the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet. I always look forward to Bristol because you never know what the outcome is going to be, which makes it exciting for the fans."
"Bristol is one of my favorite places to go. I grew up on a half-mile, high-banked racetrack and enjoy the beating and banging. I have been very fortunate to have a lot of success there and hopefully that continues this time around. RCR has always run really well there, and we go there with high expectations because of that. I always go into a race at Bristol feeling like I can win."
Harvicknd the rest of the Sprint Cup field will begin their quest for the Food City crown Friday, March 19 as qualifying is set for 3:40 p.m.
Race Weekend Notes: This is the 99th race at Bristol Motor Speedway since the track opened in 1961... David Pearson returns to race at Bristol in the Scotts EZ Seed Showdown Saturday afternoon for the first time since finishing seventh in the 1979 Volunteer 500... Chevrolet leads all manufacturers at BMS with 41 wins... Jack Roush leads all active car owners at Bristol with 10 wins...Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon have five wins each at BMS to lead active drivers... Four-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson has never won a race at Bristol... No driver has ever won a Cup race starting from the 16th of 17th position on the .533-mile oval... Mark Martin's nine poles tops all current drivers...Ryan Newman holds the Cup qualifying record with a lap of 128.709 mph (14.908 sec.) set March 21, 2003.... Charlie Glotzbach, also competing in the Scotts EZ Seed Showdown, owns the race record of 101.074 mph (2:38.12) set July 11, 1971.
Tickets are still available for Food City 500 weekend. A package, consisting of Ford Fan Friday qualifying (March 19), the Scotts Turf Builder 300 and the Scotts EZ Seed Showdown (March 20) and the March 21 Food City 500, starts at only $99.
For fans who can only attend the Food City 500, single day tickets may be purchased, starting at $93. Tickets for Saturday's doubleheader start at just $45 while fans can watch Ford Fan Friday qualifying for only $5, then attend Food City Race Night at BMS for free.
A season ticket package featuring nine events during the March and August NASCAR weekends starts at only $199. The package includes NASCAR's two most popular Sprint Cup races, along with a pair of Nationwide events, a Camping World Truck Series race, the Scotts EZ Seed Showdown, a Whelen Modified event, qualifying and Food City Race Night.
For more information concerning tickets, please call us toll-free at 1.866.415.4158 or BUY ONLINE.


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Why Innovative Strength & Conditioning Classes?
Innovative Bootcamp is a comprehensive, fat-loss and muscle toning program that was designed for people who are serious about getting fit in record time. We start off slowly and progressively increase the challenge of the workouts. The Innovative Bootcamp environment is positive and motivating for both the mind aand the body!
When you become a team member with Innovative Bootcamp, you'll make a dramatic improvement in your physical and mental well-being. You'll begin to acquire a completely new body that will no doubt make you proud! You'll also meet great new people who share your same passion for developing a healthier body and mind.
What can Innovative do for you?
No matter what your age is, or what your personal fitness goals are, your very own Sacramento Personal Trainer will give you:
- A motivating, Fat Burning workout
- Full body diagnostic
- Nutritional Counseling
- Peer motivation and accountability


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Behind double-doubles from both Janielle Dodds and Kendall Shead, the SMU women's basketball team won its eighth consecutive game with a 68-59 win over Fresno State on the Bulldogs' home court in Fresno, Calif. The win moves the Ponies' record to 12-1 on the year while remaining perfect in Western Athletic Conference play at 3-0. The win also marks the first SMU win on Fresno State's home court since 2000.
SMU took its first lead of the night when Dodds' lay-up gave the Ponies a 26-25 advantage. The Mustangs closed the first half with a slim 33-32 lead. In the second stanza, SMU rolled early opening up a 16 point lead with 8:48 to play. Fresno State closed the gap to four points with 2:51 left, but the Mustangs sprinted home on a 9-2 run to secure the WAC road win.
Dodds and Shead each recorded double-doubles on the night. Dodds scored 22 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, while Shead recorded 15 points and 10 assists. Shead's 10 assists were the most dish-outs in a game since Shead had 10 assists on Nov. 28, 2003 against UTA. Senior Shonte Roberts came off the bench to pour in 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
The Mustangs travel to Reno, Nev. Saturday to face Nevada. Saturday's tip is slated for 9:00 PM central time.


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Sal Mosca: Sweet Lorraine
Sweet Lorraine
Sal Mosca (piano)
Sal Mosca in Antwerp (Zinnia 115)
Sal Mosca (piano).
Recorded: November 12, 1992
Rating: 88/100 (learn more)
A student of Lennie Tristano and a highly regarded teacher in his own right, Sal Mosca performs here shortly after his 65th birthday. This track from a live 1992 performance highlights Mosca's ability to reinvigorate jazz standards. Mosca's treatment of this 1928 Mitchell Paris composition features his stride playing, with interpolations of harmonic exploration. The improvisation never ventures too far from the melody, with frequent quotes that often evolve into highly inventive contrapuntal episodes. With quick unison passages and a strong sense of swing, Mosca demonstrates that his ability to execute at the piano continues to shine, undeterred by advancing age.
Reviewer: Mark Lomanno
Tags: solo piano · sweet lorraine
Comments are closed.


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Difficulty of Destiny
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24 responses
Megan Green gave props (27 Mar 2009):
Wonderful portrait.
Jan Hoffman gave props (27 Mar 2009):
Klaus Girk (Deleted) gave props (27 Mar 2009):
What an expression. Well captured.
Judy Wanamaker (Deleted) gave props (27 Mar 2009):
Superb character portrait. Great work.
Shannon Tunks gave props (27 Mar 2009):
Excellent portrait! So full of character!
Ikhlef A. said (27 Mar 2009):
Love the angle. Excellent portrait. Simple yet rich.
Kiwi ana (Deleted) gave props (28 Mar 2009):
Fantastic detail, a lovely portrait.
Assma Farsy gave props (28 Mar 2009):
just perfect !! i luv it masallah
Patricia Shanahan gave props (28 Mar 2009):
AWESOME ! Love the title & texture of this shot !
Loree McComb gave props (30 Mar 2009):
Oh the stories this man can tell....great capture
_AGJ_ gave props (31 Mar 2009):
i have no word for your photo but i love it very much!
Melissa Hearle gave props (2 Apr 2009):
Priceless expression!
Chuck Abbe gave props (4 Apr 2009):
What a fabulous character study, black and white is perfect.
Chuck Abbe said (4 Apr 2009):
Makes me wish I knew him. He could tell me so many things and teach me so much. What a wonderful portrait.
Leo Cavallini said (11 Apr 2009):
pretty pics here, buddy! keep on going... thanks for adding me
lindsay Oram said (13 Apr 2009):
This is great. Thankyou for adding me to your contacts
Amina Boudehane gave props (17 Apr 2009):
very lovely portrait, simply and true, we feel the wisdom emerging from this photo, I like the little smile :)
Scott Sturgeon gave props (7 May 2009):
Such a compelling photo! I love the composition and tones, and his face has such character.
Allen Freeman gave props (10 May 2009):
Fantastic portrait shot, and black and white image.
abel gave props (21 May 2009):
Great image sir.
M Daniel gave props (4 Jul 2009):
No words!!!
Tarek Daouk said (25 Aug 2009):
I love this portrait !
Ahmed Shamsi gave props (27 Nov 2009):
Amazing shot!
metina timaro gave props (18 Dec 2009):
precious face!!!great image.
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TC TO KARL AUGUST VARNHAGEN VON ENSE; 31 December 1837; DOI: 10.1215/lt-18371231-TC-KAVE-01; CL 9:382-385.
5 Cheyne Row, Chelsea, London: December 31, 1837.
My dear Sir,—Will you accept, after too long delay, my hearty thanks for your kind and estimable gift,1 which, a good many weeks ago, on returning hither out of Scotland, I found awaiting me here? The name Varnhagen von Ense was long since honourably known to me; in the book 'Rahel's Gallery,'2 as in a clear mirror, I had got a glimpse of the man himself and the world he lived in; and now, behold! the mirror-image, grown a reality, has come towards me, holding out a friendly right hand in the name3 of the ever dear to both of us! Right heartily I grasp that kind hand, and say again and again, 'Be welcome, with thanks.'
If it were suitable or possible to explain amid what complexity of difficulties, engagements, sicknesses, I struggle to toil along here, my slowness in answering would not seem inexcusable to you. I wished to read the book first. A book unread is still but the offer of a gift; I needed first to take it into me, and then tell you with proper emphasis that it had in very truth become mine. Not till these late days was the leisure and the mood for such an enjoyment granted me. The two volumes of 'Denkwürdigkeiten' remained like a little kindly inn, where, after long solitary wandering in bad weather, I should find repose and friends. Once more I say to you, and now with proper significance, Many thanks.
Insight, liveliness, originality, the hardy adroit spirit of a man who has seen and suffered and done, in all things acquitting himself like a man, shines out on me, in graceful coherence, light, sharp, decisive, from all parts of this as of your other books. It is a great, and to me a most rare, pleasure in these times to find that I agree wholly on all important matters with a writer; that in many highest cases his words are precisely such as I should wish to hear spoken. But, indeed, your view of Goethe being also mine, we set out as it were from a great centre of unity, and travel lovingly together towards all manner of regions. For the rest, nothing pleases me more than your descriptions of facts and transactions, a class of objects which grows continually in significance with me, as much else yearly and daily dwindles away, in treating which a man best of all shows what manner of man he is. I read with special interest your Doctor Bollmann,4 a name not altogether new to me; I could read volume after volume of such autobiography as that you give us—such Halle universities,5 such Battles of Wagram,6 such Fichtes,7 Wolffs,8 Chamissos,9 and the high, tranquil-mournful, almost magical spirit of your Rahel shining over them with a light as of stars! You must not cease; you must continue. That we might see, eyes were given us; and a tongue, to tell accurately what we had got to see. It is the Alpha and Omega of all intellect that man has. No poetry, hardly even that of a Goethe, is equal to the true image of reality—had one eyes to see that. I often say to myself, the highest kind of writing, poetry or what else we may call it, that of the Bible for instance, has nothing to do with fiction at all, but with beliefs, with facts. Go on, and prosper.
If you see Herr Criminal director Hitzig,10 pray remember me very kindly to him. Your friend Chamisso is also one I love. Dr. Mundt11 will mourn with me that the brave Rosen,12 his friend and mine who brought him hither, has been so suddenly summoned for ever away. He is one whom many regret. Do you know Friedrich Rückert? If you stand in any correspondence with him, I will bid you tell him that I got acquainted altogether unexpectedly with his 'Hariri' last summer, and rejoiced over it for weeks as over a found jewel.13
No such book had I seen for years; it set me searching, tho' with little effect, thro' Sylvestre de Sacy14 and others; it remains a distinct acquisition for me that I shall never part with.
His Chinese Song-book I have been enjoying in these very weeks.15 He is a man whose heartiest friends must lie wide-scattered in such an era as ours, and ought to speak out as they have opportunity.16
Perhaps you sometimes write to Weimar; if so, pray offer our peculiar regards, my wife's and mine, to Madame von Goethe. I sent Dr. Eckermann a packet and letter, six months ago,17 to which there is yet no answer. His 'Gespräche' and your remarks on them were right welcome.
I have been writing a Book on the French Revolution, which will perhaps get to Berlin by and by. German Literature diffuses itself here and in America, rapidly, lustily, without further effort of mine. Its consequences, as I calculate, will be great and beneficial, on the new generation now rising into activity. Deutschland will reclaim her great Colony; we shall become more Deutsch, that is to say more English, at same time.
The Deutsche Stamm [German race] is now clearly in the ascendant; seems as if it were destined to take the main part of the earthly globe, and rule it for a time! Tapferkeit [Valor], their characteristic according to Goethe, deserves to do it.
With true esteem, with thanks and affectionate wishes, I subscribe myself in hopes of meeting again some time, my dear Sir,
Heartily yours /