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ATLANTA — The disappointment and disbelief was evident in the actions of Arkansas' players as soon as Ky Madden's last-second shot missed the mark.
ATLANTA — The disappointment and disbelief was evident in the actions of Arkansas' players as soon as Ky Madden's last-second shot missed the mark.
Freshman Bobby Portis rested his hands on top of his head. Guard Mardracus Wade had to be consoled by Scotty Thurman. One by one, the Razorbacks walked off the floor realizing what the 71-69 loss to South Carolina likely meant for their NCAA Tournament hopes, which seemed so bright just a week ago.
"I'm just hopeful," Arkansas guard Kikko Haydar said in the locker room a few minutes later. "I hope the committee gives us a chance. But I don't know."
Arkansas (21-11) came to Southeastern Conference Tournament determined to prove it deserved an invitation to the 68-team field on Sunday, but left Atlanta with another early exit. The 13th-seeded Gamecocks (14-19) outmuscled the Razorbacks in the paint, outshot them at the free-throw line and advanced to a quarterfinal matchup against Tennessee with its second win in two days.
The spot was supposed to be reserved for Arkansas and an anticipated showdown between NCAA bubble teams. But the Razorbacks won't get that chance after losing their seventh straight SEC Tournament game. The drought dates back to the 2008 tournament final and now includes six straight one-and-done appearances.
"This one here, this year, I thought we were especially primed for it," said Arkansas coach Mike Anderson, who believed his team finally was tournament ready because of its depth and recent play. "I also cautioned that first game, because you don't know how your kids are going to come out and play. True to what I said, we saw (Thursday). We saw a team that came out and I thought we had the jitters early on."
Arkansas didn't lack motivation. The Razorbacks knew they needed to stick around Atlanta for a couple of days to solidify their resume with the 68-team field's announcement set for Sunday. Most NCAA Tournament experts considered Arkansas among the last four teams in the field as postseason play began this week.
A good start was particularly important after a 25-point loss at Alabama last Saturday, too. The Razorbacks held a team meeting before boarding the flight for the SEC Tournament and vowed they had regrouped and were ready to make a run.
"We planned on making a good showing," Arkansas guard Fred Gulley said.
But the first half — while not as bad as a 16-point effort at Alabama — was ugly once again. The Razorbacks built a 16-11 lead before falling into an offensive funk, making just four field goals over the final 11:59. Arkansas shot 33.3 percent.
The Hogs did get a boost when Anthlon Bell made a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cut South Carolina's lead to 35-32. Arkansas then was able to take the lead early in the second half, too, but neither team could gain much cushion in a back-and-forth game slowed by fouls (48 total) and free throws (67 attempts).
Arkansas looked like it was on track to close strong, though, when Coty Clarke made a 3-pointer and Michael Qualls followed it with a layup to give the Razorbacks a 69-66 lead with 2:20 left. But it proved to be Arkansas' final points Thursday.
South Carolina tied the game on its next possession at the free-throw line. Laimonas Chatkevicius made his first attempt, then missed the second. But South Carolina grabbed the rebound, Sindarius Thornwell was fouled and made both attempts as part of his game-high 17 points. It was South Carolina's 15th offensive rebound.
"They were just more physical on the rebounding," said Arkansas forward Coty Clarke, who recorded a team-high 13 points and 5 rebounds. "They have 40 and we have 24. I mean, you should lose. So that's been our weakness and we have been getting by with it, but it caught up to us (Thursday)."
The Gamecocks were able to slide into the lead when Wade missed a 3-pointer and Gulley fouled Brenton Williams with 53 seconds left. The 94.9 percent shooter went 1-for-2 to make it 70-69 and the score didn't change after Thornwell missed two more free-throw attempts with 20.8 seconds left.
The Razorbacks drew up a play designed to get the ball into the post to Portis. The freshman got his opportunity in the paint, but a jump hook missed the mark.
"I got a great look at my jump hook," Portis said. "But it didn't go down for me. Unfortunately, I shot it too hard and it went to the left."
South Carolina's Michael Carrera grabbed the rebound, was fouled and went 1-for-2 from the line. Arkansas called a timeout with 2.9 seconds left, then inbounded the ball to Madden. The junior crossed halfcourt and took a shot that missed the mark, helping South Carolina wrap up its fourth win in the past five games.
"Earlier in conference play we were in a lot of close games," Thornwell said. "We lost those games. So it just showed that we have matured and we have grown as a team because early in the year, we probably would have lost because we were so young."
Arkansas, meanwhile, pondered the squandered opportunity.
The Razorbacks were outrebounded 40-24 and committed 28 fouls, which helped the Gamecocks go 30-for-41 from the free-throw line. It helped South Carolina win even though the Gamecocks shot 38.3 percent (18-for-47).
"We had a lot of mental mistakes going down the stretch," said Anderson, who added his team didn't pay attention to details. "Putting guys on the free-throw line, fouling 94 feed, when all we've got to do is have confidence in our defense to get stops. We made stops. … But when you factor in they shot 40 free throws, you can overcome a lot of things, but you can't overcome that."
It will likely cost Arkansas its shot at the NCAA Tournament as well.
The Razorbacks, who have now lost in their SEC Tournament opener 10 times in the past 13 seasons, will return home and wait until the field is announced Sunday.
Arkansas tried to remain optimistic about its hopes, but knows they're not good after losing two straight games to teams below .500. It means the Razorbacks are likely primed to end their season in the National Invitation Tournament.
"Something major would have to happen with some teams," Wade said of Arkansas' chances. "Teams would have to lose. Right now I don't know, but I'm probably leaning a little towards the NIT unless something dramatic or major happened."


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subset: commoncrawl


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"National treasure" Eric Rohmer dies
Issued on: Modified:
One of the leading French directors during the New Wave of cinema in the 1960s has passed away. Libération leads with the death of Eric Rohmer, calling him a "national treasure".
Eric Rohmer was one of the greatest Nouvelle Vague (New Wave) directors, along with Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaud. The 89-year-old died yesterday and the left-leaning Libération leads with his passing.
Amongst the observations, the paper points out his productivity. He directed 25 films over a career that spanned 50 years. Rohmer had a minimalist approach and often produced high quality work with small production teams and a modest budget. He prided himself in his independence. As the paper's editorial says, "No one told him what to do."
Rohmer was also highly innovative and adapted to changing technologies. He was the first French director to have one of his films broadcast on television before it hit the cinemas. Le Rayon vert (The Green Ray) went on to win a Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival in 1986.
His most famous works included "Contes moraux" (Moral Tales), a series of five films including "Carrière de Suzanne" and "l'Amour l'après-midi". Another series of six films, "Comédies et proverbs" (Comedies and Proverbs) was built largely around the flirtations and fickle emotions of young people.
Rohmer had a loyal following of fans outside of France too, notably in the U.S.
Other stories in today's French papers:
Le Parisien
"The new 'jungle' of illegal immigrants in Calais"
France Antilles
"A firm No" (French overseas territories Guyana and Martinique reject greater autonomy in referendum)
La Croix
"Overseas territories: the fear of the unknown"
France Soir
"Our reporter was on a Paris Lyon flight: We managed to get al these forbidden items aboard the plane!"
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When legal marijuana comes to Massachusetts, you won�t find it in a psychedelic emporium down on Main Street.
In Milford, at least - if all works out - you�ll find marijuana deep in an industrial park, in a blue metal warehouse building, with a high-tech growing operation in the back and a dispensary in the front. Nearby, you�ll pass companies like SeraCare Life Sciences, a rehabilitation hospital satellite branch and the headquarters of Waters Corporation, which makes sophisticated analytical instruments used in laboratories around the world.
The location is important, because Massachusetts is poised to underline the medical in medical marijuana.
But there�s no sign of activity in the blue metal building now, and whether it will all work out is yet to be determined. Milford Medicinals � known as Bay State Relief until a few weeks ago � is one of 20 applicants to make it to the verification stage in the approval process run by the state Department of Public Health.
It�s been a messy process, with lots of grumbling from those cut out of what promises to be a lucrative business. Nearly 200 non-profits, mostly created for this purpose, started the race, with 100 making it to phase 2, which came with a $30,000 fee, a long application and extensive background checks on each firm�s principal players.
The applications were scored by an outside firm, then reviewed by a selection committee which picked the 20 operations in line for provisional permits (another eight were invited to apply for a different location). The applications and score totals have been posted online, providing ammunition for those dissatisfied by the results. But the selection committee�s detailed score sheets haven�t yet been released, making it easier for people to speculate about favoritism.
The lawsuits have already begun. One, filed by a group that had hoped to open a dispensary in Framingham, had a court hearing this week. It charges a more successful applicant � led by former Congressman Bill Delahunt � with using inorganic perlite in its cultivation plan, and another with misstating anticipated sales tax receipts. There have been complaints that experience cultivating marijuana wasn�t given enough weight, that problems people connected to applications have had in other states should have eliminated them, that statements of local support were exaggerated.
"This is a high stakes, highly competitive process," Karen van Unen, director of the DPH marijuana program told me. "People are going to be disappointed."
The DPH will soon release more information, she said, that should defuse some of the criticism. Nothing is final yet, and there�s still time to get it right, and new reports indicate there may be another round of background checks. The summer target date for opening dispensaries is now more like late summer, and it takes four months to grow a crop, so it may be the end of the year before the first customer can buy the first bud.
While most of the calls to go back and start the process all over again have come from unsuccessful applicants, there�s been grumbling as well from politicians and commentators who didn�t like the idea of legalizing medical marijuana from the beginning.
For those who stand to profit � especially if, as many expect, voters legalize recreational marijuana in a 2016 referendum, giving the successful medical marijuana applicants a head start � this dance is compelling. But it�s ultimately not what�s important.
What�s important is that hundreds of people with serious medical issues will soon be able to get the medication they need. That includes people with severe pain, like the accident victim I interviewed before the 2012 referendum. The doctors could only prescribe highly addictive opiates like OxyContin, she said, which left her drowsy and unable to function. Marijuana was a life-saver, allowing her to keep a clear head and work, she said.
With Massachusetts in the middle of a heroin epidemic tied to abuse of prescription opiates, people need alternatives to addictive painkillers. And some research indicates medical marijuana can be useful in treating addiction itself.
What�s important are the children suffering from seizure disorders who are seeing their symptoms disappear when treated with marijuana strains that have been stripped of their intoxicating properties.
Weed that heals people, but doesn�t get them high? Yes. Marijuana has 80 to 100 differerent cannabinoids that work in different combinations to produce different effects. Because federal prohibition has for decades made it nearly impossible for scientists to obtain it for research, they�ve barely begun to understand how the plant works.
Not far from the Milford dispensary is a new company that will be part of the process of transforming marijuana from a party drug to serious medicine. One of the founders of ProVerde and its chief scientific officer, Christopher Hudella, spent 14 years at Waters Corporation. ProVerde is using "UltraPerformance" convergence chromatography technology developed at Waters to analyze the potency and components of medical marijuana.
Michael Dundis, spokesman for Milford Medicinals, told me his company is looking forward to working with ProVerde, and with other companies in the state�s booming life sciences industry. There are still barriers to research on marijuana, he said. Dispensaries can do research in-house on strains and purity, but they are only allowed to sell to patients, not outsiders. But if they can figure out ways to legally partner with scientists, research hospitals, universities or pharmaceutical companies, they may be able to unlock more healing properties in this complicated plant.
Colorado, Washington and other states that have moved more quickly toward legalization have a head start, but Massachusetts is well-positioned to become a leader in this new field.
The good news is we are starting to shed the legal prohibition, cultural baggage and drug-war politics that have kept cannabis� medical properties in the shadows. It�s time people dropped the Cheech and Chong jokes and started taking medical marijuana seriously.
Rick Holmes, opinion editor for the Daily News, blogs at Holmes & Co. (http://blogs.wickedlocal.com/holmesandco). He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Holmes: The serious side of marijuana
When legal marijuana comes to Massachusetts, you won�t find it in a psychedelic emporium down on Main Street.


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Ever wondered if you can use a material test data directly in Abaqus/CAE to calibrate a material model? In this seminar we will be discussing the material calibration process of deriving Abaqus material behaviors like elasticity and plasticity from sets of material test data.
Topics discussed during the one hour seminar include:
- Create material data sets by importing data into Abaqus/CAE
- Convert calibration data between nominal and true forms
- Scale, smooth, and truncate the data
- Derive material properties such as Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, or Mullins effect from the data sets.


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SKF Group Brands
SKF customers come from a wide range of industries, and have an even wider range of needs.
To better support them, SKF has actively looked for companies with deep areas of expertise that complement our own.
These are shown below: well-known and knowledgeable companies that SKF is proud to be affiliated with. Use the links to find more about each.
GLOi, a Swedish-based alignment technology solutions company. was founded in 2010 by veterans from the field of alignment. Leveraging modern mobile and table platforms, GLOi developed and launched an integrated shaft alignment solution based on the iOS software platform used by iPads and iPhones. GLOi product development capabilities include measurement expertise, hardware and mechanical design, firmware and software development, as well as marketing and documentation. In addition to product development, the company also assembles, calibrates, tests and packs the products. GLOi was acquired by SKF on 10 September 2014. http://www.gloi.se/company.html
Hofmann Engineering North America
Hofmann Engineering North America is a high-precision machining operation based in Cambridge, Ontario, and has 16 employees. The company predominantly serves OEM customers handling large components in North America – mainly in Canada. Its offerings include large pinion and gear solutions, precision grinding, and custom engineering projects. Hofmann Engineering was acquired by SKF on 10 September 2014. http://www.hofmannengineering.com/company_hena.php
Kaydon Corporation
Kaydon Corporation is a leading designer and manufacturer of Kaydon thin section and slewing ring bearings and Cooper split roller bearings. Velocity control products include ACE industrial shock absorbers, Hahn gas springs and Fabreeka vibration isolation products. Specialty products include Kaydon filters and filtration systems, custom balls, rings and seals, as well as environmental services including Purafil air quality solutions. Kaydon become part of SKF on October 16, 2013. http://www.Kaydon.com
Spandau pumps have been a driving force in mechanical engineering for more than 80 years. Though recognized for reliability in delivering cooling agents, these pumps provide solutions for numerous other applications, including printing machines, optical devices, humidifiers and air conditioning units. Available in a range of models and materials, Spandau pumps also are utilized in laser technology and in the surface and process engineering industries, handling both cryogenic and extremely hot liquids, as well as aggressive and abrasive media. www.spandaupumpen.com
For over 90 years Alemite has been a leader in the lubrication industry specializing in tools and equipment. The company's products are used in manufacturing,construction, agriculture,automotive, pulp and paper, aircraft maintenance, marine and mining industries, providing maximum efficiency, productivity and reliability. Products include fittings, grease guns, hose reels, pump, meters and control valves, used fluid handling equipment, automatic lubrication systems, compressed air components, fluid monitoring and inventory management systems. Alemite became part of SKF Group on 28 December 2010. www.alemite.com/
For over 100 years Lincoln has been a leader in the lubrication industry. The company specializes in centralized lubrication systems that automatically direct precise amounts of grease or oil to pins, bushings and other lubrication points. Lincoln also manufactures high-pressure pumps and accessories for pumping heavy, viscous material and for large-scale lubrication applications. The company offers a full line of general lubrication products as well. Lincoln's global manufacturing and a worldwide network of service providers supports manufacturing, mining, heavy industry, construction, agriculture, transportation and other industries. Lincoln became part of SKF on 28 December 2010. www.lincolnindustrial.com/
Reelcraft is the leading global manufacturer of the widest range of hose reels, cord reels and cable reels for industrial, commercial and professional applications. Reelcraft's key focus is to produce durable, quality products that make hoses, cords and cables more productive, keep them easily accessible and make them last longer. Reelcraft became part of SKF on 28 December 2010. www.reelcraft.com/


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Prenda's Latest Bag Of Tricks: Getting Info On IP Addresses By Any Means Necessary
from the these-guys-won't-stop deptThe latest in the long and growing list of wacky moves by the Prenda Law copyright trolling team once again hints at the same thing: these guys think that they've outwitted the law and will use every loophole they can possibly think of to do one thing: get the identities of people associated with IP addresses in order to send them "settlement" letters and phone calls. From all of Prenda / John Steele's actions to date, that appears to be all they care about. Get identities and then pressure into settling in any way possible. The company has tried all sorts of tricks -- and many of them are exactly that: tricks. As you go down the list of stories associated with Steele, you see more and more cases of really questionable behavior, with courts across the country calling him or Prenda out on the behavior.
The latest "trick" is really incredibly brazen, and involves a variety of different tricks all mixed into one. As the federal courts have gotten better at recognizing "copyright trolling" and properly finding the behavior reprehensible, Steele has tried a few tricks to get cases into state courts, such as using an ancient part of Florida's state law known as a "pure bill of discovery." The latest move, however, started out in a Cook County court in Illinois, where Prenda filed cases "Guava v. Skyler" and "Arte De Oaxaca v. Stacey Mullen" in which they sought to get discovery on a bunch of IP addresses using a couple of tricks to make it easier.
First, Guava doesn't actually hold the copyrights in question, so it can't file a copyright case (also, they can't file a copyright claim in a non-federal court since copyright is mostly covered by federal law) -- which is the situation that eventually got Righthaven in so much trouble. So, they filed under the CFAA -- the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. You may recall this law as one we've written about frequently, mainly for the ways that it's been abused to go after people doing something someone didn't like on a computer, when no other laws could be made to stick.
In these cases, the plaintiff would allege that a single defendant (Skyler or Mullen) along with "co-conspirators" had "breached plaintiff's security systems." This is trick number two. Rather than name everyone they're going after in a single lawsuit and face problems of misjoinder as in copyright trolling cases, they just claim that there are co-conspirators, who they hope to learn about during discovery. In other words, the "trick" here is not actually naming the people as defendants initially (which would make it easier for them to defend themselves), but arguing that they need to go through the process of having ISPs cough up their identifying info as part of the basic "discovery" process to even figure out if they're co-conspirators.
But how are they claiming this is a CFAA issue? That's trick number three. According to Steele:
Guava owns protected computers, but the files stored in that computers contain copyrighted stuff, and the copyrights belong to a third company. Guava goes after people because of hacking, but that third company, which also happens to be our client, may say: look, this IP address infringed our copyright, so we may decide to go after the same IP for copyright infringement.In other words, this is a copyright case in disguise, and they're arguing that accessing copyrighted materials on a computer is a form of hacking.
I'm not ready to call the next part a "trick" but the judge in the Guava case certainly appears to suspect that there's a third trick, which is that the lawyer defending the defendants, Adam Urbanczyk, agrees to allow the process of discovery to move forward. The judge found this to be odd and, according to FightCopyrightTrolls, specifically asked John Steele and Urbanczyk if they "were in bed together" in allowing the discovery to move forward. That's because another lawyer entered the picture, Erin Russell, who had filed motions to quash on behalf of some of the supposed "co-conspirators," arguing that the whole thing was a sham and the "true purpose" of the whole thing was "to leverage settlements from identified subscribers, without ever naming them as defendants." In response, the judge wisely put the kibosh on the discovery process -- stopping existing subpoenas, forbidding new subpoenas and asking for more info.
Steele, in response, pulls out the next trick, arguing (in part) that Russell's motion should be ignored because the people she's representing aren't actually defendants. Remember how they're just named as "co-conspirators" rather than actual defendants? The idea is to use that to pretend that they can't even defend themselves until after their info has been revealed!
Then we move on to the next trick. After that hearing and before the ensuing hearing where the judge was to delve into more details, Steele / Prenda withdrew the subpoenas for all of the co-conspirators who were being represented by Russell. Because of this, her motion to quash the subpoenas was correctly ruled moot.
But, of course, that's not the end. So we move on to the next trick, which is that Guava / Prenda then sued all of the same people in ten different federal district courts. Yes, they basically filed identical lawsuits in ten different courts, all asking for discovery on the same exact list of 34 IP addresses. Fight Copyright Trolls lists out all of the cases (and the lawyers representing Prenda in each case):
- Alabama: Curtis Hussey (Guava LLC v. John Doe, ALSD 12-cv-00678).
- California: Brett Gibbs (Guava LLC v. Doe, CAED 12-cv-02514).
- District of Columbia: Paul Duffy (GUAVA, LLC v. JOHN DOE, DCD 12-cv-01661).
- Illinois: Paul Duffy (Guava, LLC v. Does 1-5, ILND 12-cv-08000).
- Michigan: Jonathan Tappan (Guava, LLC v. Doe, MIED 12-cv-14441).
- Georgia: Jacques Nzaire (GUAVA LLC v. DOE, GAMD 12-cv-00398).
- Arizona: Steven Goodhue (Guava LLC v. Unknown Party, AZD 12-cv-02158).
- Ohio: Rod Mastandrea (GUAVA LLC v. Doe, OHND 12-cv-02512).
- Massachusetts: Daniel Ruggiero (Guava, LLC v. Doe, MAD 12-cv-11880).
- Connecticut: Daniel Ruggiero (Guava, LLC v. Doe, CTD 12-cv-01435).
Steele, apparently, then bragged about this particular trick on both Twitter and in blog comments, in which he mocks Russell, suggesting that her clients must be angry because rather than be a mere "co-conspirator" in the original case, they're now defendants in federal cases around the country. He also bragged that some of those account holders were now "begging to settle" and angry at Russell for not letting them know that they could be sued.
Following this, three of the defendants in Massachusetts hit back hard, alerting the judge to the shenanigans that Prenda was pulling in filing identical cases all over the place, and asking the court to not only put a stop to the proceedings, but also asking for Guava to have to pay their costs and to withdraw the subpoenas it issued in all of the duplicate and related cases.
The Complaint Guava filed in this Court is based on and includes substantially identical factual and legal claims to those Guava raised in Illinois. To defend the Illinois action, Defendants retained counsel and filed motions to dismiss and to quash subpoenas issued by Guava. One day after the Illinois court stayed the subpoenas and scheduled a hearing on the motions, Guava withdrew its claims against Defendants and opened this action. Guava then duplicated this action in nine other federal courts, without notifying this Court of the prior or concurrent related cases, and set out to issue new versions of the subpoenas, seeking the same information about Defendants.In other words: Prenda is basically filing the same thing against the same people in a ton of different places, hoping one court, somewhere actually lets it go through. The filing from the defendants notes that it's proper to awards costs (including attorney's fees) when refiling a previously dismissed claim.
The filing also notes that Guava / Prenda appear to be engaged in "vexatious litigation tactics":
Guava's bad faith litigation tactics are precisely the kind of vexatious conduct that Rule 41(d) was designed to prevent.... Guava admits that it initiated its new claims against only those Does who filed motions to dismiss and quash in Guava I, precisely because they did so. "[B]ecause the Movants attempted to act and raise arguments as though they were defendants in this case, Plaintiff granted their wishes and initiated separate litigation against them in which they will now be actual defendants." ... "The scattershot litigation strategy of plaintiff's counsel -- filing identical lawsuits nationwide and forcing defendants to defend the same action in various jurisdictions -- is certainly questionable." Kerner v. Cult Awareness Network.... Sanctions under 18 U.S.C. § 1927 may be warranted by evidence of "bad faith in choosing a multiple-district litigation strategy." Id. Guava provided sufficient evidence of bad faith by filing multiple duplicative federal actions in apparent retaliation against Defendants for having defended themselves in the prior action.It goes on to highlight where in the various cases they repeatedly refer to copyright-related claims, such as "the exclusive right," and thus (similar to Righthaven), they argue that Guava is using "tactical chicanery in misstating its claims." And, of course, such claims should be pre-empted by federal copyright law, since that's what they're really suing about while trying to avoid it officially being a copyright case -- probably for the sake of not easily "connecting" it to copyright trolling cases that have received so much bad publicity (and dismissals from judges).
Many other aspects of Guava's litigation strategy can only be described as vexatious. In this action, Guava claims to be pursuing a single John Doe defendant with three different IP addresses. Before filing the Complaint in this action, Guava admitted it had "used publicly available reverse-lookup databases on the Internet to determine what ISP issued the IP addresses and the putative location of those IP addresses." ... However, freely available online geolocation tools list two of Defendants' IP addresses in different regions of metro Boston (Somerville and Brighton), while the third is in western Massachusetts (Chicopee). Those same geolocation tools identify the three Defendants' IP addresses as having been assigned by two different Internet service providers, both of which Guava subpoenaed in pursuit of an allegedly single defendant. Because they are different people, Defendants filed their motions in Guava I on different dates. Thus, Guava had no reason to believe that the three individuals it calls "Defendant" are the same person, and Guava's deceptive pleading has needlessly added to the complexity of Defendants' responses.
Guava's bad faith tactics have further complicated Defendants' defense. Guava chose to file complaints that sound in copyright without pleading copyright infringement as a cause of action.8 Though the Complaint alleges CFAA violations and various common law claims, it repeatedly references an implicit copyright claim...
That appears to be the state of things so far. It will be worth watching how the judge responds (and how some of the other courts who have the related cases deal with the same issues). However, all of this smacks of the same old story with John Steele and Prenda: lawyers who think they're so smart that they've outwitted the system through a whole series of loopholes, all intended to avoid the fate of some of the straight copyright trolling cases. Given the details, however, hopefully a court will rightfully smack them down for abusing the courts in this manner.
Filed Under: copyright, copyright troll, john steele
Companies: guava, prenda law


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ANOTHER VIEW—Commentary
People are an organization's most valuable asset. But as long as they are in the enterprise, there will be the risk of insider threats and human errors in following security practices. With everyone interconnected in the enterprise, a threat or risk to just one individual can potentially be shared by all within the enterprise and even extend to external stakeholders.
This is why information assurance is as much a people challenge as it is a technological challenge. The industry spends a great deal of energy and resources in protecting critical systems from the threat of foreign intruders, cyber criminals and other unauthorized users. Granted, that threat is real. However, the threat of wrongdoing by people authorized to access computer systems and data is also real and potentially costly, whether that threat is intentional or accidental in nature.
If an enterprise wants to maintain a culture that encourages online ethics, adherence to policies and good corporate citizenship, it needs to attract, hire and retain people who have good moral and social character.
An organization's human resources department is responsible for the orientation of new employees, who will be asked to read and acknowledge the organization's security policies. But even before this, HR teams can help facilitate a reputable IT security culture by implementing well-defined hiring practices that include criminal background checks, credit checks and previous employment verification. Those procedures should be applied not only to direct staff but also to contractors and even cleaning crews. Cleaning crews represent one of the most overlooked areas of risk: They often work in the most sensitive areas during off-hours where there is little or no oversight of their activities.
In addition to establishing good HR hiring standards and practices, organizations must implement ongoing processes for IT security. For example, an organization needs to periodically repeat security checks for employees in sensitive positions.
Because people issues usually trump technology issues, executives need to establish an IT security program that considers the people and the organization's regulatory environment. Regardless of the level of technology implemented, an information security program relies on each person doing his or her part.
Simply put, all personnel must become familiar with security policies and procedures, without exception. The organization must develop an easily understood and consistently communicated awareness program, which should include annual security training that features a testing component. Because employees and employers are in IT security together, education and training will help achieve an enterprise's IT security goals and enable both management and IT personnel to understand each other's wants and needs.
The best way to support the security awareness message is twofold. First, organizations can set up supplemental awareness briefings that let employees ask questions. Second, the organization's information security team can advocate security as a core value of the organizational culture. Other ways to support those initiatives include e-mail tips, posters, letters of support from senior management, self-assessment surveys, an awareness luncheon or creation of a security Web site.
After an organization addresses the people aspect through the institution of practices that will spur operational excellence, an organization should implement auditing. Audits measure the effectiveness of a set of specific controls. Therefore, to measure the effectiveness of an insider threat mitigation plan, an organization must establish an audit plan for those controls.
By implementing best practices for IT security, enterprises will be ready to respond to threats. It is important to note that information assurance is a dynamic process that evolves as new threats surface. Enterprises can handle those threats most effectively through the continuous assessment of their IT security postures and by using best practices.
The success of the IT security program depends on the IT leadership, technology adoption, the enterprise's ability to innovate and, of course, hiring the best people. Information assurance must be practiced continuously. Put into perspective, organizations are only going to be compliant and effective to the degree that people buy into and implement the proper tools to support the IT security and information assurance compliance program.
Ben Apple is director of IA Business Management at Telos.
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Ben Apple is director of IA Business Management for Telos Corp.
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Telstra might have fetched $17 billion-plus a few years ago. They would jump at a third of that now.
Sensis, the division of Telstra in charge of phone books, prints 100 different kinds in Australia: about 15 million copies of Yellow Pages and 10 million White Pages. Photo: Craig Sillitoe
THE Yellow Pages is very useful, you know. It's not just a handy prop to dig out of the broom cupboard when the leg of your couch packs it in. There is a far greater imperative for the continued existence of the big, fat paper directory.
A phone book is indispensable when your house gets burgled, the thief takes your computer and you can't Google a locksmith. Assuming the interloper has made off with your smartphone and you still have a fixed line, the time has arrived for the grand opening, the unsheathing of the venerable yellow artefact from its plastic wrapping.
The White and Yellow pages have been a superlative cash cow for Telstra, churning out 60 per cent profit margins on a billion dollars in sales, year in year out. They are also a monumental waste of trees.
Sensis, the division of Telstra in charge of phone books, prints 100 different kinds in Australia: about 15 million copies of Yellow Pages and 10 million White Pages. It delivers to 8 million homes and 2 million businesses at an annual production cost of roughly $150 million.
The cost is split 50-50 between print and paper. These are pre-carbon tax numbers, mind you.
The carbon footprint is immense. Besides ink and electricity, Sensis uses 60,000 tonnes of paper. At $1100 a tonne, that's $65 million a year in paper alone. Revenue to printer PMP is in the vicinity of $60 million, too. Its seven B-doubles leave the plant every day, trucking directories all over the country.
Entrenched interests will fight valiantly for the survival of the great yellow and white doorstops and, yes, there is a 1800 opt-out number. Though the latest results from Sensis would suggest that the time is nigh for an opt-in number.
Although 70 per cent of these phone books are recycled by Visy, which makes a $5 million or $10 million profit in the process, the paper waste is hardly justified either in economic or environmental terms.
Small business advertisers are flocking online. Sensis revenues for the December half fell 24 per cent to $528 million, but earnings before interest and tax fell twice that, down 69 per cent to $71 million.
We are now right at the steepest part of this industry's structural decline.
A couple of weeks ago, Sensis boss John Akhurst announced he was leaving after 15 years. In 2006, the Telstra veteran had taken a proposal to the board to sell Sensis. The business was raking in $1.2 billion in EBITDA at the time (now $260 million and falling).
Had they spun this off in a sharemarket float – the institutions would have lapped it up just like Myer – and received the 14 times EBITDA multiple that Telecom New Zealand had for the sale of its directories business, it might have fetched $17 billion-plus.
They would jump at a third of that now, having sorely underestimated Google. Although at the time, understandably, the board was loath to part with a billion-dollar cash generator.
Two years before the Akhurst proposal, in 2004, Telstra had paid John MacBain a handsome $636 million for Trading Post. Now the words trading post carry the ring of a foregone era.
TALKING of opportunities, it was wonderful to see David Jones sally forth with an internet strategy this week. Unlike Telstra, the department stores don't have the luxury of other divisions, such as a booming mobile phone business, to compensate for their sagging sales.
Announcing its "Omni Channel Retailer (OCR) model" – which might have been more accurately labelled the BLN (Better Late than Never) model, DJs is finally coming to grips with the ugly reality that the old physical distribution strategies just don't cut it any more.
In the US, department stores average 7-10 per cent of their sales online. It might be cannibalising your own offering but, just like newspapers with their free online news, they have little choice.
The press has been a good deal more proactive than the retailers and now boasts larger audiences than ever, though they are yet to monetise them.
At least they have kept and even expanded on their rusted-on customer base. In 1964, Fletcher Jones used to sell every bloke in town a suit. Fletcher Jones went belly-up a few months ago. Its rusted-on customer base had died out.
David Jones and Myer face the spectre of relentlessly falling sales and an ageing customer base while they sink costs on their internet offerings. For Myer, the going may be tougher. Management may soon have to contemplate canning the dividend.
The cunning private equity mob that floated Myer ripped out its flagship properties and replaced the cash with debt.
DJs has a buffer – it owns its main stores – and Myer shareholders had better hope the privateers didn't load their store lease costs too heavily at the back end (a la the DJs' credit card deal).
And sometimes the big stores could do with more staff rather than less. Otherwise shoppers might as well go online.


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Cinema 4D Exchange Add-On Downloads for ARCHICAD 19
The CINEMA 4D product family has everything to satisfy your professional 3D modeling, texturing, animating and rendering needs. CINEMA 4D is a robust, professional, easy to use 3D Animation software that offers customizable configuration suitable for any industry and all skill levels.
Note: For architectural visualization, CineRender, the built-in rendering engine of ARCHICAD, provides most of the rendering capabilities of the CINEMA 4D R14 version. For professional purposes and to further exploit the texture mapping, rendering and animating capabilities of CINEMA 4D, please use the built-in export command in ARCHICAD. The new export feature lets you precisely export the ARCHICAD model, together with the surface- and the rendering settings, into CINEMA 4D with one click.
Installation of Cinema 4D Exchange Add-On for ARCHICAD 19
When installing the Cinema 4D Add-On, you must be logged on as a member of the Administrator Group.
Start the installer. The installer wizard will guide you through the installation process.
Limitations at importing CINEMA 4D models into ARCHICAD by loading, merging c4d type files and by freeform modeling:
- During the import process only the material and geometry data is being converted.
- CINEMA 4D offers much more material setting possibilities than ARCHICAD does. There are a large number of parameters for setting the materials' visual behavior when affected by direct or indirect light or like glowing, transparency, etc. Some of these parameters have according material settings with exactly the same functionality in ARCHICAD, some others can be converted, but there are some that cannot be interpreted by the rendering engine of ARCHICAD, these are simply ignored.
- CINEMA 4D also offers textures that are based on singular algorithms that are computed during rendering. These cannot be converted, while these algorithms are not implemented in ARCHICAD. The only textures one can convert are the bitmaps loaded from image files (jpg/png/bmp). While in CINEMA 4D textures can be applied to many kinds of settings (like luminance, transparency), ARCHICAD use textures only for determining object colors, so even the bitmap textures are ignored during the conversion when applied to non color material properties.
- Beside the default material model structure there is the possibility in CINEMA 4D to create materials based on different lighting model. In these cases parameters and parameter categories are used that are not known by the converter, so these settings are ignored, and if there is not any parameter among the material's settings that could be converted, the whole material conversion is skipped, and no material is assigned to the converted object in ARCHICAD. One should use the default material model for creating materials for conversion.
- There are differences in the texture projection algorithms of ARCHICAD and CINEMA 4D, and CINEMA 4D also offers more projection methods than ARCHICAD. Those projections for that it is possible will be converted into the corresponding projections in ARCHICAD, in other cases UV mappings are computed from the projections, and these mappings are used in ARCHICAD. As UV mapping cannot be used for solid models in ARCHICAD, one should use convertible projections for objects that should take part in solid operations, and for the other situations, one should set the resulted GDL objects' model behavior parameter to 'Preserve textures'.
Limitations at exporting ARCHICAD models to CINEMA 4D by saving 3D view and freeform modeling:
- During the export process only the 3D geometry data, materials, lights and the 3D view are being converted.
- When using the 'by Class' option for element grouping in the CINEMA 4D Settings of the Add-on, all texture projections are converted during the export, but because of the differences in texture projections algorithms of the two programs, some projections in CINEMA 4D do not get displayed the same as in ARCHICAD. To avoid this situation, the UV mapping information should be used, which is also exported. When using the 'by Material' option, only the UV data is being exported, because of the object hierarchy, so this option is recommended to be used only for quick rendering tasks.


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BAGHDAD - A year after the last American troops rumbled out of Iraq, the two countries are still trying to get comfortable with a looser, more nuanced relationship as the young democracy struggles to cope with political upheaval and the legacy of war.
The military pullout a year ago Tuesday did not end Washington's engagement. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, a fortress-like campus as big as Vatican City, remains a highly visible reminder of America's ongoing interest in Iraq's future.
Several senior U.S. officials have visited Baghdad over the past year, and America's role as Iraq's biggest arms supplier ensures continuing ties to the Iraqi military for years to come.
U.S. companies are hunting for Iraqi oil, and Chevrolet Malibus and Dodge Chargers increasingly cruise Baghdad streets still dotted with checkpoints. Iraqi Airways just days ago got its first Boeing jetliner in three decades, and it's waiting for dozens more.
But Iraq is at the same time busily pursuing its own interests - sometimes against America's wishes - as it seeks to balance its position in a precarious part of the world and reestablish itself as a regional power.
"Since the U.S. withdrawal, Baghdad ... has attempted to re-think its relations with the U.S." said Maria Fantappie, an Iraq analyst at the International Crisis Group. She described the strategy as trying to establish a two-way, "non-exclusive relationship with the United States."
Iraq's desire to go its own way was on display last month when authorities freed a jailed Hezbollah commander that Washington had wanted to keep behind bars. The U.S. considers Ali Mussa Daqduq to be a major threat to Americans in the region and believes the Lebanese militant was behind a brazen 2007 raid on a military base that left five U.S. soldiers dead.
Iraqi courts determined there was insufficient evidence to keep him locked up, and the country's Shiite-led government refused to extradite him to the U.S. to face further trials there.
Iraq meanwhile continues to forge ever stronger ties with neighbor Iran, Hezbollah's top patron, even as the United States and many of its allies work to isolate Tehran over its nuclear program. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to make his second visit to Baghdad soon.
Iraq has done little, for instance, to halt flights suspected of carrying Iranian arms to neighboring Syria. Although Baghdad has searched a handful of planes, saying it found nothing, its reluctance to do more exasperates Washington.
A U.S. Embassy official recently said the Iranian flights continue.
"They need to stop flights at least frequently and randomly without advance notice to have a look. We believe these flights carry weapons, and not just humanitarian supplies ... or flowers for the tabletops of Damascus," said the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter and insisted on anonymity.
American officials say their relationship with Iraq is improving nonetheless.
A number of senior officials have visited Baghdad in recent months, including Sen. John McCain and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey. Robert Ford, the ambassador to Syria, met with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Monday to discuss efforts to resolve the civil war there.
Even so, the American presence in the country continues to shrink.
The number of U.S. government employees and contractors working at diplomatic outposts around the country has fallen below 14,000, according to figures provided by the embassy in Baghdad. That is down from about 16,000 earlier this year. It is expected to shrink to about 12,000 in 2013.
Even after the last American bases were handed over to the Iraqis and U.S. troops rolled out across the border with Kuwait on Dec. 18, 2011, a small number of military personnel stayed in Iraq as an arm of the American Embassy.
They are responsible for facilitating Iraqi arms purchases, including three C-130J transport planes handed over Monday, and training the Iraqis how to use and maintain the weapons. Fewer than 200 of those trainers and administrators remain in the country, and their numbers are expected to decline further into next year.
Iraq's transition to a world without American boots on the ground has been rocky.
Political crisis gripped the country as soon as U.S. troops left, when the Iraqi government announced an arrest warrant against Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, one of the country's highest-ranking Sunni politicians. Al-Hashemi is accused of orchestrating death squads - a charge he dismisses as politically motivated. Iraqi courts have since found him guilty in absentia and handed down multiple death sentences against him.
Al-Hashemi initially sought refuge in Iraq's self-ruled Kurdish region, away from security forces controlled by the central government, and later traveled to neighboring Turkey, where he remains. The Kurds' and Turks' willingness to offer him shelter has helped sour Baghdad's relations with both.
Other Iraqi officials also have been pushed from their posts amid allegations of wrongdoing, including the respected governor of the central bank, Sinan al-Shabibi. Critics see the moves as an effort by al-Maliki to marginalize perceived opponents. The government denies any such motive.
Ethnic tensions, meanwhile, are bubbling back to the surface. The Kurds, a different ethnic group from Iraq's majority Arabs, last month sent additional troops to fortify their positions in disputed areas bordering the Kurds' largely autonomous northern enclave.
Both sides have agreed to withdraw their forces eventually. Still to be resolved are deeply entrenched disputes over the contested areas as well as how to share wealth and manage oil resources.
Securing Iraq, as always, remains a challenge as well. Although the bloodshed is not so rampant as it was during its peak in 2006 to 2007, deadly attacks against civilians remain painfully common. Iraqi security forces still struggle to gather intelligence on militants and prevent attacks - a task made harder without help from the U.S. military.
While many Iraqis were happy to see U.S. forces leave their country after eight long years, some say they now regret that the American soldiers departed when they did.
"We now wish that the Americans would have not left us so soon," said Ibrahim Karim, a 35-year-old government employee in Baghdad. "The Americans left Iraq as a playground for neighboring countries and full of chaos and violence."
On Monday alone, a wave of bombings struck a number of targets, including areas disputed by Arabs and Kurds, killing at least 25 people.
Associated Press writer Sameer N. Yacoub contributed reporting.


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I have been having problem with my inspiration. Which is why I written and deleted the short intro I wanted for this post too many times. Words are just not forming into right sentences for me. Not in Icelandic, not in English and even not in my dreams where I have been mixing all my languages together.
It might be just exhaustion from the stress and the effort that went into writing my BA essay, which I why I decided to take a break from writing and creating for a month. For that month I focused on getting my life organized and I can honestly say that I succeeded. Or I think so, I still am waiting for a confirmation on what I will be doing next semester. But generally, I got things under control.
Usually when I have things under control I can write and I can create. But this time around everything is sucking. When I can write a sentence or two, they are absolutely horrible. Instead I have been reading, baking, and of course talking long walks.
Which brings me to what I actually wanted to write about today, on my walks I have been taking pictures of what is around me and I wanted to share them somehow without overflowing my Instagram account of random pictures of Reykjavík. Instead I decided that I wanted to post once in awhile on this abandoned blog my pictures, seeing if that will push me into being inspired again. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. We'll see.
That's all.


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My thanks to Marco Mori, of Gusto Cycling (which offers cycling vacations in Italy), for permission to use this story by Nick Mynheer:
L'Erocia 2013 By Nick Mynheer
"As Hugh Tyler and I queued up at 5am in the crowded but still sleepy town of Gaiole in Chianti for the start of the 2013 edition of L'eroica it seemed as much the culmination of a journey as much as a beginning. It had been on a club ride, almost a year before, that Hugh and I had discussed the idea of riding L'eroica. L'eroica or 'The Hero' is not so much a sportive as an experience; a brutally hard cycle ride on vintage bikes wearing vintage kit on largely vintage Tuscan roads. It is a unique mixture of theatre, history and superb Tuscan food washed down with Chianti and Grappa, all set in the most beautiful landscape; sort of 'Opera on a bike'. Started as recently as 1997 L'eroica aimed to draw attention to the importance of the region's crushed white limestone roads – the Strade Bianche.
Such has been its success that the roads are now preserved and the route is permanently signposted and the hundreds of miles of lumpy, pot-holed lanes are still there (here the similarity with England ends!) The Saturday is given over to an all day celebration of the golden age of cycling with the whole town turned into a huge cyclojumble where it is possible to buy anything from complete bikes to leather goggles. The Sunday is given over to the 4 rides; 38km;75km;135km and 205km. The legendary Felice Gimondi (Tour de France, Giro, Vuelta, Milan San Remo, World Champ) even turned up to ride.
Even the cars were vintage. Over the last year Hugh and I had restored our vintage steel bikes and I had learnt to nail metal cleats onto my Detto Pietro leather shoes as well as mastering the gluing on and changing of tubular tyres. Heavy woollen shirts and uncomfortable woollen shorts (lined with paper thin chamois) and the substitution of modern crash hats with cotton caps and goggles completed the madness. At a dinner on the Friday night, organised by Marco Mori (from Gusto Cycling), Marco had asked who would be riding the 205km route. Out of 70 guests that had booked their tickets through him about 8 of us nervously raised our hands – to the applause and laughter of the other diners. I had a distinct feeling that they knew something that we didn't…. Hugh and I met up at 4.45am. Dressed in our woollen outfits and cotton caps we felt very much in keeping. My spare tubular tyres were looped over my shoulders. In a small bag I carried an assortment of small tools (as you had to be self sufficient in case of breakdown), tubes of tub glue and a copy of the Cyclist's prayer (taken from the Chapel of the Madonna del Ghisallo Church).
As we would be riding in the dark for the first hour and a half we had lights on our bikes. The first 30 km or so was very easy going on perfectly smooth tarmac. With no warning we hit the first of the many sections of Strade Bianche; a heavily rutted sandy climb. The silence of the tarmac gave way to a crunching of gravel and gears as riders fumbled in the dark with ancient down shifters….no indexing here. I'd read about this first climb on the internet and more importantly its treacherous descent in the dark but was surprised how quickly we were down it without incident. From then on sections of Strade Bianche alternated with tarmac, the quality of the Strade Bianche varying from hard packed to an energy sapping loose gravel and sand mix strewn with stones. The feed stations were like nothing we'd experienced before…no gels or power drinks here but proper food; bruschetta; dried and fresh fruit, cakes and earthen-ware bowls of hot Ribollita, a thick rich broth of cabbage, herbs, beans and vegetables – and a choice of Chianti or Grappa – even water if you looked hard enough. I saw at least one person down what they thought was a cup of water only to discover that it was Grappa. They say that you should frighten yourself once a day…. I had a week's worth that day. Descending at speed in the dawning light the perfect tarmac suddenly became gravel.
I could not brake and could only steer by gritting my teeth more one side than the other. Hugh on the other hand seemed alarmingly happy descending at great speed on the unforgiving surface. Often on the gravel descents there would be 'wash boarding', a series of hard pronounced ridges that were impossible to avoid (certainly at speed). It made me realise how extraordinarily strong the bicycle actually is as well as how well my dentist had filled my teeth.
Beautiful Tuscan landscape with Chianti hills awaiting us in the distance Over the next few hours I discovered slowly how to ride on gravel; how to not try to bully the bike but to relax on it,; to allow the tyres to cut through the naturally best route and how to steer ever so gently with the knees (a bit like skiing). The hills were tough, occasionally brutally hard. The longest white dirt road climb was about 10km long and averaged 15%.
One hill, also Strade Bianche was 25%. If you stood up off the saddle you immediately lost traction so the steepest sections had be ridden seated. It took concentration and huge effort to keep the back wheel turning and the front wheel on the ground when it started to lift on the steeper sections. Hugh reckoned that we climbed 4000 metres out of which over 70% of it had been on dirt roads. We rode together for the first 6 hours or so with him losing me on the descents whilst we met again on the climbs. At the next feed stop
Hugh was feeling strong; I was feeling ravenously hungry so we agreed to ride on independently.
We were so lucky with the weather. The day before it had rained hard all day but overnight the rain had soaked through the limestone roads so that there was little mud and none of the dust normally associated with the Strade Bianche. By lunchtime it was pleasantly warm or at least in my thick woollen itchy jersey it seemed to be. At the next food stop I was approached by one of the helpers and asked if I would spare the time to be photographed for advertising L'eroica in the International press. Vanity immediately took over any need to ride a good time and I was duly ushered off to an outdoor studio. 'Perfecto – you look like a Hero', the photographer announced. Before my heart could swell with pride she continued… '.because you are so dirty'. As she took the photographs she asked my height, my weight…and my frame size! (I kid you not). Whether it was due to tiredness or mulling over the photographers questions I set off again – the wrong way – to be quickly redirected by a large group of highly amused Italian spectators. At the Friday night Welcome dinner Marco had suggested that we would be very unlikely to get round the ride without punctures or mechanical problems.
With only 55km to ride I started to gloat over how wrong he had been. Almost immediately I started having trouble changing gear and my rear derailleur started making a rattling noise then the chain went completely slack and my pedals span. Somehow on a particularly rough section of road I had managed to bend the derailleur and one of the jockey wheels had completely broken out. I searched frantically for the jockey wheel in case I could repair it but to no avail. I've always agreed with Lord Tennyson who said, 'More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of', and so perhaps also in the spirit of Gino Bartali (who would often make his fellow cyclists attend Mass before a ride) I prayed – 'Holy Mother of God..' (OK I'm an Anglican but I was metaphorically in Rome) '…please help me mend my chain'. I found my chain splitter and spare chain link so I cut the chain short and turned my 7 speed into a single speed. I selected a climbing cog because I was determined not to have to walk any of the remaining climbs. My prayer was answered with that reassuring crack of the spare link locking. With a lifted spirit I cycled on, my legs spinning madly. The last climbs were indescribably hard with my single gear and I'm not sure which burnt the most; my thighs or my arms wrenching on the handlebars.
By the end of the ride I would hold in the highest esteem those brave few who had ridden the whole ride on single gear bikes. Hugh, some distance ahead of me by now, had had a trouble free super fast ride and finished in the first wave of 205km riders. I limped in some time later absolutely drained but full of good spirit, Ribollita and perhaps a little Chianti and absolutely delighted that I'd made it round and had not had to resort to putting a foot down on any of the climbs. It was undoubtedly the hardest day I'd ever spent on a bike. I thought La Marmotte was pretty tough but this was in another league…. My hands were raw and my arm muscles ached but Hugh and I both agreed that it had been an absolutely brilliant day. As I sat in the nearest bar to the finish line a hugely moustached Italian gent next to me laughed at my repaired bike and showed me that he had sheared off his pedal in the last 35km and had to ride one legged. Now that's what I call a bloody Hero!"
More photos and original article here.
Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Friday, November 29, 2013
2013 L'Eroica Report
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An Internet search for the terms "health club" "fitness" and "exercise" reveals 145 million returns for health club, 447 million for fitness and 221 million for exercise. The overwhelming number of possibilities, along with the 52,000-plus fitness facilities (commercial, residential, etc.), complicates a consumer's membership decision.
That's why a good brand is important for a club. It can do three things: save time, project the right message and provide an identity. If you want to hold the leadership position in your market, you must strategically differentiate yourself. It is not enough to appear to be different. You must be different.
To compete strategically, your company brand image must be powerful, its culture engaging and its vision determined. In short, for your company to succeed to its fullest potential, your brand must be absolutely focused.
Some of the national and regional club names do a good job of delivering their brand, but many do not. And just because you have one of these names does not mean you do not have to work at it.
From your brand perspective, your point of differentiation is the catalyst that your club or company needs to reduce competition and rejuvenate your sales staff. It is important to determine how to develop your point of differentiation and explore examples of how it can be rolled out into your marketplace.
The solution to differentiation is typically right in front of you. But we are so used to viewing our clubs from one perspective, it is often easy to ignore key processes or developments that truly make us different from our competitors. The goal is to draw out these experiences and determine as a team its potential as a profit-generating advantage.
The company or trademark with the highest percentage or brand awareness in its market always outsells the second- and third-ranked companies combined. In a national survey, 99.2 percent of the respondents said they were more likely to buy a product or service based on the first company or trademark that comes to mind when it's time to make a purchase.
Effective branding increases profits. You don't have to be a mega corporation to leverage this knowledge. Create a logo and place it on your business cards, T-shirts, pens, Web site, etc., and then get these items in front of as many people as possible. Find ways to get your club members to wear or carry your brands outside of the club.
The idea is to get your logo and/or your name out there and keep it out there. Once people see your club's name or hear about your facility enough times, they begin to see your club as the market leader. This will increase your chances of increasing your market share.
To ensure this, you should assess your marketing materials and change inconsistencies. Interview your sales representatives to ensure the message they give customers is the same. Ask customers for their impressions of your club's offerings and make adjustments if their view doesn't align with yours. Assess your advertising program to ensure all ads offer a consistent message. If you sell products, ensure all packaging fits with your image.
Once your brand is out there, remember that quality is the top reason people support a brand and are loyal to it. Once the quality is gone, they flock to the competitor. Always be aware of your brand's performance.
As marketing guru Al Ries has so effectively documented in his books on positioning, the only surefire way to win category leadership for your brand is to be first in the category. That means you must create the quality and the category in the minds of the customers.
Ed Tock is a partner in Sales Makers, a marketing and sales training consulting firm that has worked with more than 1,000 clubs and won the IHRSA Associate of the Year. He can be reached at 800-428-3334 or [email protected]s-makers.com.


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Girl Scouts of the USA is pleased to announce that First Lady Michelle Obama has agreed to serve as its Honorary National President.
"It is my great pleasure to serve as Honorary National President of Girl Scouts," said Mrs. Obama. "With their innovative new programming, ground-breaking research, and emphasis on service and leadership, Girl Scouts is preparing the women of tomorrow to be a positive force for change – in their own lives, their communities, and across the globe."
In accepting the position, Mrs. Obama takes her place in a tradition stretching back to 1929, when Lou Henry Hoover became the first Honorary National President of the Girl Scouting movement. Since then, each successive First Lady has served in this post.Girl Scouts plan to work with the First Lady on areas of mutual concern, such as healthy living, public service and leadership.
"From bullying to obesity to concern over the economy, our nation's girls are facing significant challenges," said Kathy Cloninger, Chief Executive Officer, Girl Scouts of the USA. "Girl Scouts is excited to work with the First Lady's office to ensure that all girls can overcome the challenges they face, and that they have the skills, resources and opportunities they need to become strong, independent young leaders."
"Girl Scouts can help girls from every background develop their self-confidence and leadership ability, and encourage them to make a difference in the world," said Connie L. Lindsey, Girl Scouts of the USA National Board Chair. "The First Lady is a passionate, brilliant and inspirational woman – a fantastic role model for girls across the country. We look forward to an active and mutually rewarding partnership on issues important to girls' lives."
Pictured: President Barack Obama with First Lady Michelle Obama, accepting her role as Girl Scouts Honorary National President, with Kathy Cloninger, CEO, and Connie L. Lindsey, National President, Girl Scouts of the USA, at an October 7 event. (PRNewsFoto/Girl Scouts of the USA)


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PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION OF SCIENTIFIC APPLICATIONS ON EMERGING ARCHITECTURES by Hikmet Dursun A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (COMPUTER SCIENCE) May 2012 Copyright 2012 Hikmet Dursun
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|Performance optimization of scientific applications on emerging architectures
|Dursun, Hikmet
|Author email
|Doctor of Philosophy
|Document type
|Degree program
|Computer Science
|Viterbi School of Engineering
|Date defended/completed
|Date submitted
|Date approved
|Restricted until
|Date published
|Advisor (committee chair)
|Nakano, Aiichiro
|Advisor (committee member)
Lucas, Robert F.
Haas, Stephan W.
|The shift to many-core architecture design paradigm in computer market has provided unprecedented computational capabilities. This also marks the end of the free-ride era--scientific software must now evolve with new chips. Hence, it is of great importance to develop large legacy-code optimization frameworks to achieve an optimal system architecture-algorithm mapping that maximizes processor utilization and thereby achieves higher application performance. ❧ To address this challenge, this thesis studies and develops scalable algorithms for leveraging many-core resources optimally to improve the performance of massively parallel scientific applications. This work presents a systematic approach to optimize scientific codes on emerging architectures, which consists of three major steps: (1) Develop a performance profiling framework to identify application performance bottlenecks on clusters of emerging architectures; (2) explore common algorithmic kernels in a suite of real world scientific applications and develop performance tuning strategies to provide insight into how to maximally utilize underlying hardware; and (3) unify experience in performance optimization to develop a top-down optimization framework for the optimization of scientific applications on emerging high-performance computing platforms. ❧ This thesis makes the following contributions. First, we have designed and implemented a performance analysis methodology for Cell-accelerated clusters. Two parallel scientific applications--lattice Boltzmann (LB) flow simulation and atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulation--are analyzed and valuable performance insights are gained on a Cell processor based PlayStation3 cluster as well as a hybrid Opteron+Cell based cluster similar to the design of Roadrunner--the first petaflop supercomputer of the world. Second, we have developed a novel parallelization framework for finite-difference time-domain applications. The approach is validated in a seismic-wave propagation simulation code on BlueGene/L, BlueGene/P and x86 quad-core processor based clusters. In addition, we have developed strategies for in-core optimization of the algorithmic kernel of this application, which is a high-order stencil computation--a common kernel to a spectrum of finite-differences based applications. Third, we have applied this systematic approach to a production level first-principles molecular-dynamics application, which has achieved a record of 2.58×10¹² electronic degrees of freedom on 163,840 BlueGene/P processors. Finally, we have devised a systematic end-to-end performance optimization scheme for large-scale scientific applications on emerging high-performance computing platforms.
|Stencil computations; hierarchical cache optimizations; molecular dynamics; density functional theory optimization; parallel computing; performance optimization
|Part of collection
|University of Southern California dissertations and theses
|Publisher (of the original version)
|University of Southern California
|Place of publication (of the original version)
|Los Angeles, California
|Publisher (of the digital version)
|University of Southern California. Libraries
|Electronically uploaded by the author
|Legacy record ID
|Contributing entity
|University of Southern California
|Dursun, Hikmet
|Physical access
|The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright. The original signature page accompanying the original submission of the work to the USC Libraries is retained by the USC Libraries and a copy of it may be obtained by authorized requesters contacting the repository e-mail address given.
|Repository name
|University of Southern California Digital Library
|Repository address
|USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 7002, 106 University Village, Los Angeles, California 90089-7002, USA
|Repository email
|Archival file
|Page 1
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|University of Southern California
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|Full text
|PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION OF SCIENTIFIC APPLICATIONS ON EMERGING ARCHITECTURES by Hikmet Dursun A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (COMPUTER SCIENCE) May 2012 Copyright 2012 Hikmet Dursun


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Industry Mourns Tolco Founder
Tolco Corporation Founder William Ernest Spengler, Bill, passed away peacefully on August 30, 2011. Upon his passing, the family released the following statement:
Bill was born on July 27, 1920 in Toledo, Ohio to Ruth and Otto Spengler. He graduated in 1942 from Purdue University with a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering and served as a Lieutenant Commander on the U.S.S. Bang, a submarine that participated in numerous war patrols in the South China Sea during World War II.
Bill and Ruth Virginia Sperry were married on September 13, 1947. They raised four children, William, Susan, Peggy, and Amy. They were the proud grandparents of 8 grandchildren, Molly, John, William, Betsy, Caroline, Patrick, Michael, and Jack.
Bill founded Tolco Corporation on January 11, 1961 after a successful career at National Labs. Tolco had humble beginnings and because of his visionary leadership and steadfast dedication to quality, Tolco soon became the leader in Trigger sprayers and pumps for the janitorial industry. Through his partnerships with long time associates around the world, Bill was able to lead Tolco and expand its market presence at an unprecedented rate.
Bill was a private man, but his friends and employees knew he had a heart of gold. Tolco was an extension of his family and he treated them as such. Perhaps that is why numerous employees at Tolco have been with the company for over 20 years. Many have never known another employer.
Bill remained at the helm until 2008 when he handed the day-to-day operations over to his son, William J., and his son-in-law, George Notarianni. In January of 2011, William J. stepped down as CEO and George assumed the role of President and CEO.
Tolco was started as a family business where every order shipped FOB, "From Our Basement". Today it remains a family business with two generations actively involved in the day to day business. Tolco and the Spengler family look forward to many more successful years as a family owned business.
We thank all of you for your kind words in consoling us with our loss. Our dedication to his legacy is to continue to lead Tolco as a family business for generations to come.
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Prosecutors want Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas to spend time in prison for his gun crime.
In a sentencing memorandum filed Tuesday, the government recommended a six-month sentence with three months suspended, three years probation and 300 hours of community service. Arenas's lawyers requested probation with community service.
Arenas, a three-time NBA All-Star, acknowledged storing four unloaded guns in his locker at the Verizon Center, saying he wanted to keep them away from his young children. He said he took them out of the locker Dec. 21 in a "misguided effort to play a joke" on teammate Javaris Crittenton.
Sports Connection
Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.
Arenas and Crittenton started bickering over gambling losses during a card game on the team plane as the Wizards flew home from a West Coast road trip on Dec. 19. Their dispute became heated when the team reconvened for practice two days later, when Arenas took the guns from his locker. Crittenton produced a gun as well.
Crittenton also pleaded guilty to a gun possession charge. His lawyer said he brought a legally owned, unloaded handgun to Washington "only because he legitimately feared for his life." The government acknowledged that Crittenton didn't threaten anyone with it. He was sentenced to a year of unsupervised probation and ordered to pay a $1,250 fine. He also was ordered to participate in the NBA's Haiti relief effort and to counsel disadvantaged children in D.C.
In the memo, prosecutors accused Arenas of not fully accepting responsibility for his actions nor showing remorse. In particular, the prosecution cited contradictions about why and when Arenas took four handguns to the Verizon Center and his attempts to minimize his guilt, as well as accusing him of feigned ignorance of D.C.'s gun laws. The memo highlighted Arenas's joking about the incident in its aftermath.
"The defendant's conduct since the time of the incident establishes that he has shown little genuine remorse for anything other than how this incident may affect his career," the memo reads.
Arenas's lawyers said the high profile of the case and the publicity surrounding it have clouded the truth about the incident.
Arenas has publicly employed the goof ball defense, saying he meant no harm and never takes anything seriously. He repeatedly joked about the matter with reporters and on Twitter. One day after Arenas pantomimed shooting teammates in a pregame huddle before a game at Philadelphia, NBA Commissioner David Stern suspended him indefinitely. Arenas at one point said: "I'm a goof ball and that's what I am, so even doing something like this, I'm going to make fun of it and that's how I am."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh wrote in the memo that Arenas should be treated like anyone else caught bringing four guns into the city for a confrontation.
The NBA has since suspended Arenas and Crittenton -- who hadn't played this year because of an injury -- for the remainder of the season.
On Jan. 15, prosecutors agreed not to seek more than six months as part of a plea deal with Arenas, who is scheduled to be sentenced Friday. Superior Court Judge Robert Morin is not bound by that agreement. The felony charge of carrying a pistol without a license carries a maximum penalty of five years, but Morin could also let Arenas go with just probation.


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The Out-of-Door Academy will host a mandatory informational meeting for all middle and upper school parents with students participating in cross country, football, golf, sailing, swimming and volleyball from 7-8:15 p.m., Aug. 24 at the Thunderdome on the Uihlein campus, 5950 Deer Drive, Sarasota.
The meeting will begin with a general athletics information session. Parents will then break off into smaller groups for specific team meetings with the head coaches. Thunder Athletic Club memberships and season passes will also be available for purchase at the meeting.


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Cook soba as package directs, rinse, drain and set aside. To prepare the broth, place the kombu, water and shiitake in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the flame to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes. Remove the kombu and discard. Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes.
While the broth is simmering, heat the oils in a wok or large skillet and add the fresh shiitake. Stir fry for 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 tsp. shoyu and fry 1 minute. Add the cabbage and fry 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and place in a bowl.
Reduce the flame under the broth to low and season it with the shoyu and mirin. Simmer 1 minute. Place the soba in 4 individual soup bowls. Top with an equal amount of stir fried vegetables and ladle the broth over. Garnish each serving with daikon, spicy nori strips and scallions. Pass the wasabi paste to each person so that they can flavor their broth as desired, as wasabi is quite hot.
Per serving - 337 calories, 7 g fat (17% calories from fat), 17 g protein, 60 g carbohydrate, 13 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 944 mg sodium


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Obesity and metabolism
Journal "Obesity and Metabolism" is a multidisciplinary forum for clinical and applied research in the field of biochemistry, physiology, pathophysiology, genetics, nutrition, as well as molecular, metabolic, psychological and epidemiological aspects of obesity and metabolism.
The main subject "Metabolism" reviewed in the journal, includes fat, carbohydrate, protein, bone, fluid and electrolyte and other types of metabolism in the spectrum of pathology of the endocrine system.
The priority direction of Journal "Obesity and Metabolism" is publishing modern high-quality original research on the effectiveness of new and existing treatments in any aspect of metabolic and endocrine diseases.
Pre-clinical pharmacology, pharmacokinetics studies, meta-analyzes, addressed to drug safety and tolerance are also welcome for publication in the journal "Obesity and metabolism." Journal "Obesity and Metabolism" announces review articles that are balanced, clear and offer the reader a modern and critical analysis of the literature on the subject of the magazine. Case reports, and lecture materials are also published for highlighting for practitioners new approaches to diagnosis and treatment of patients with metabolic disorders and obesity.
Journal "Obesity and Metabolism" is designed for scientists, diabetologists, endocrinologists, bariatric surgeons and specialists in all related areas of internal medicine, including physicians, general practitioners, family practitioners, pediatricians.
Journal "Obesity and Metabolism" is included into the "List of leading scientific journals under review, where principal data of applicants for scientific degree has to be published", as decreed by Russia's State Commission for Academic Degrees and Titles in Bulletin №2 of 2003 and revised in 2010.
Information on published articles is transmitted to the Russian Scientific Citation Index on the regular basis.
Federal Supervision Agency for Information Technologies and Communications registration ПИ № 77 – 17119 от 26.12.2003
|No announcements have been published.
|More Announcements...
Current Issue
Vol 16, No 4 (2019)
- Year: 2019
- Articles: 11
- URL: https://omet-endojournals.ru/omet/issue/view/808


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Sixty-seven-year-old Bert Stead is a portly, soft spoken, slightly grey and thin haired senior who rides a Gullwing motorcycle. Stead could not have imagined that he would be part of a controversy that erupted on a national scale after Second District Republican Congressman Wally Herger praised Stead's comment at a Aug. 18 Redding health care town hall when at the end of his remarks Stead proclaimed, "I am a proud right wing terrorist."
Sixty-seven-year-old Bert Stead is a portly, soft-spoken, slightly gray and thin-haired senior who rides a Gullwing motorcycle. Stead could not have imagined that he would be part of a controversy that erupted on a national scale after Second District Republican Congressman Wally Herger praised Stead's comment at an Aug. 18 Redding health care town hall when at the end of his remarks, Stead proclaimed, "I am a proud right-wing terrorist."
Herger responded with "Amen. God bless you. There goes a great American."
Published in the Southern Siskiyou Newspapers, Herger's remarks have been picked up by the national media and have generated fierce denunciations and lively debate. Stead says it was not his intention to use the word "terrorist," and his remarks were in response to Democratic policies and pronouncements.
"I?meant to say extremist," said Stead, a veteran who served aboard the aircraft carrier Hancock in 1964 as a helicopter technician in the Vietnam theater at the beginning of the war. "I was defending my right to be extreme, but not in the same sense as going out and doing violence. One of Barak's people called us extremists. I am not a terrorist. I am a patriot."
As for Herger's remarks, Stead thinks Herger misunderstood him.
"I think Wally heard extremist," Stead said. "My mistake has caused Wally a lot of trouble."
Stead states flatly that he does not support the violent overthrow of the government.
"That goes without saying,"?Stead said. "My only offenses are speeding tickets."
Stead is clear that he misspoke at the health care town hall meeting, but he does not, however, support President Obama or his policies.
"I will not even address him as president," Stead said. "I call the administration a regime. Obama is a socialist. He is trying to change our way of life."
Stead has his own solutions to the health care debate and said, "In an effort to gain votes, both sides are pandering to people with their hands out."
"Most of us fighting Obama's program are the first to agree our health care system needs major reform, but the answer is not in government control," Stead said. "I think it would only be a matter of time before the government would drive the private insurance companies out of business."
Stead said he supports tort reform to bring down doctor's malpractice costs, fair reimbursement of Medicare costs to prevent insurance companies from raising rates to make up the difference and a program to allow an insured person to carry their insurance with them at the same rate to new employment or no employment.
Although he opposes a health care public option, he says Social Security and Medicare, both of which he uses, are different.
"Social Security is my money. I paid into it from day one. They took it from me and I had no choice. This is my money and I will never get back what I put in," said Stead. "I pay a premium for Medicare and Social Security partially funds it. If it was opened up to everyone, people would chose it who have not put in the amounts of money that seniors have put in, and Medicare is really only catastrophic coverage."
Mount Shasta Area Newspapers


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There's some sort of writing on the European PlayStation blog about the Dazzle Eye dynamic theme for the PlayStation 3 and PSP. Artists' project, platform for creativity, etc., etc.... something about the pattern for Dazzle Eye originating in a World War I design that was intended "to bewilder the enemy."
Press play on the video and then tell me if you don't suddenly feel that you've been implanted with thoughts to love Sony products and shun that lousy Xbox.
You are getting sleepy....
The Studio Monthly [PlayStation Blog Europe]
You can contact Stephen Totilo, the author of this post, at firstname.lastname@example.com. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook, and lurking around our #tips page.


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Church happenings
DIVORCEHOPE support group meets every Wednesday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Brookwood Baptist Church. Free. Call 910-455-7607.
MARSHALL Chapel MB Church hosts a three-night revival service at 7 p.m. nightly Sept. 18-20 with guest speakers each night. Call 910-353-8300.
PROVIDENCE Baptist Church, Holly Ridge, handbell choir meets at 6 p.m. the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month. Children�s chorus meets at 6 p.m. the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays. Call 910-329-6051.
FALL REVIVAL at 7 p.m. nightly through Sept. 19 at St. Julia AME Zion Church with guest speaker the Rev. Stacatta Powell. Call 910-346-6899.
HAPPENINGS DEADLINE: Churches, clubs, civic groups and other nonprofit organizations can publicize their activities free in the Area Happenings and Church Happenings columns. All announcements must be submitted in writing, e-mail or fax. Notices may be mailed to The Daily News at P.O. Box 196, Jacksonville, NC 28541-0196, e-mailed to email@example.com, fax to 910-353-7316 or hand-delivered to the newsroom at The Daily News, 724 Bell Fork Road. Information is due by noon at least three days before the event.


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Correcting The Media: Young Buck Clears Up Rumors On New Track Being A Eminem Diss Track!
Young Buck making it known it was not a diss track
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Highly recommended. Every Year in the end of January and beginning of February the CTM Festival in cooperation with transmediale takes place in Berlin.
For every Year now, I joined the Festival. Its taking you away in another universe of music and cultural adventures. It will sharpen your senses and put your percipience on an higher level. Mostly it is really experimental. It's more music for your mind then for your feet.
"With an extensive program of concerts, discourses and an exhibition space, CTM.12 – Festival for Adventurous Music and Related Arts is appropriating the festival theme SPECTRAL to explore the current reemergence of all things ghostly and dark in experimental music, avant-pop, and art – and to speculate about its possible causes and inherent potentials.
In addition to a comprehensive music program at HAU, Berghain, Passionskirche, Gretchen, Kater Holzig and Horst Krzbrg, a discourse series developed in collaboration with the philosopher, psycho-historian and author Andreas L. Hofbauer will address the festival's theme by pursuing questions concerning art, theory, and music. "
Here are just some great Musicians – for the specific programm go to this site
Eleh (US) / Jana Winderen (NO) / Hildur Gudnadottir (IS) / Charles Matthews (UK) / Marcus Davidson (UK) / The Eternal Chord (US)
Conrad Schnitzler (DE), Wolfgang Seidel (DE) and his Free Arts Lab project / Qluster (Hans-Joachim Roedelius + Onnen Bock (DE) / Borngräber & Strüver (DE), Köhn (BE)
Mouse on Mars (DE) / Solistenensemble Kaleidoskop (DE) / Sølyst (DE) /DJ Elephant Power (BE)
Ben Frost with Borgar Magnason (contra bass) and Shazad Ismaily (drums, synth) (IS/US) / Roly Porter with videos by MFO (UK/DE) – world premiere /Ancient Methods (DE) / G.H. (UK) – German premiere / Opium Hum (DE)
Sendai (BE) / Kangding Ray (DE) / Mark Fell (UK) / Byetone (DE, DJ set) and many more


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If high-frequency trading is not one of the top issues of discussion at this year's Global Financial Leadership Conference, then properly addressing it in the future most likely is. The lead-off panel at the conference in Naples, Florida discussed the perceptions, realities and possible regulatory outcomes for high-speed electronic trading, often referred to as "algorithmic" or "high-frequency" trading.
Jeff Jennings, global head of listed derivatives at Credit Suisse, suggested that before finding the proper way to address HFT, which the CFTC is currently looking into, the industry should first define what it is:
"We have to agree on a definition. The first step is to define it, then determine where the risks lie."
Edgar Perez, author of The Speed Traders, listed four key elements to defining HFT:
1. Talking about it in microseconds
2. Co-location, or the close proximity of matching engines between a trading firm and an exchange.
3. The use of highly liquid instruments
4. The lack of a need to hold investments, or an environment that allows rapid buying and selling.
Regardless of the definition, Richie Prager, head of trading and capital markets at BlackRock, says part of the solution is industry leadership proactively working to address the situation and propose solutions where they might be necessary:
"I'm of the school of thought that actually thinks there should be more industry leadership. So I do think there is a void. We should step up, because if we're waiting for the regulators to tell us, we might not be happy with that answer "
Daniel Coleman of GETCO addressed the idea of uncertainty around high-speed trading, and shared his view that the industry is better off when compared to past eras:
"Large technological changes always lead to these kinds of uncertainties cause they're really hard to get your arms around. And it happens a lot in different industries over history, and it's happening now in ours. But I was also in this business before we had these changes, and as crazy as it is now, it's better. It's better from an execution point of view, it's better from a competitive point of view with trading venues, in my view, and it's better for the end client."


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Ok, a mousepad is not that an expensive thing to ave money on, right? Well, it is not about money. It is about creativity!
For this neat "girlish" mousepad you will need a piece of cork, double-sided fusible web and some colorful fabric.
On: Monday, September 21, 2009
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