,hl=en,siteUrl='http://0ldfox.blogspot.com/',authuser=0,security_token="v_SeT2Tv8vVdKRCcG9CCW-ZdIfQ:1429878696275"/> Old Fox KM Journal

Wednesday, March 02, 2005

Telegraph | Expat: "Beginning a short series on how to trace your ancestors Part one: the Net "

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

A new source for uploading and sharing images


Flickr Photo Download: IMG_0669.JPG
Crystal Semantics Granted Patent for World's First Sense Engine

Crystal Semantics Granted Patent for World's First Sense Engine


Ownership of Technological Process to Provide Leading Position in Analysis of Textual Content

NEW YORK, Feb. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Crystal Semantics, the leader of
contextual Internet search solutions and developer of the world's first Sense
Engine technology, has been granted Patent No. 6,847,972 effective January 5th
2005 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Already patented in the UK,
this additional technology patent secures the core innovation of the Crystal
Semantics' Sense Engine for the analysis of textual content and comparison
with a pre-classified vocabulary to target the context of content.

The technology enables the correct senses of words to be determined -- for
example, determining the sense of the word 'depression' in relation to
economics as opposed to 'depression' in the context of mental health. The
patent outlines a structure where a database containing a 'plurality of terms'
is used to define the placements of information within logical categories. The
'plurality of terms' along with the taxonomy of all the associated words are
used to define and uniquely classify the particular subject. In everyday
language, the words and senses of a dictionary are being associated with the
knowledge categories of an encyclopedia.

Crystal Semantics' patent was filed in 1999, a time when the technology
was focused upon the classification and categorization of documents, spell
checking and refining keywords as part of a search query. Since then, a
continuance has bee"
Crystal Semantics Granted Patent for World's First Sense Engine

Crystal Semantics Granted Patent for World's First Sense Engine


Ownership of Technological Process to Provide Leading Position in Analysis of Textual Content

NEW YORK, Feb. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Crystal Semantics, the leader of
contextual Internet search solutions and developer of the world's first Sense
Engine technology, has been granted Patent No. 6,847,972 effective January 5th
2005 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Already patented in the UK,
this additional technology patent secures the core innovation of the Crystal
Semantics' Sense Engine for the analysis of textual content and comparison
with a pre-classified vocabulary to target the context of content.

The technology enables the correct senses of words to be determined -- for
example, determining the sense of the word 'depression' in relation to
economics as opposed to 'depression' in the context of mental health. The
patent outlines a structure where a database containing a 'plurality of terms'
is used to define the placements of information within logical categories. The
'plurality of terms' along with the taxonomy of all the associated words are
used to define and uniquely classify the particular subject. In everyday
language, the words and senses of a dictionary are being associated with the
knowledge categories of an encyclopedia.

Crystal Semantics' patent was filed in 1999, a time when the technology
was focused upon the classification and categorization of documents, spell
checking and refining keywords as part of a search query. Since then, a
continuance has bee"

Monday, February 28, 2005

Blogging:Welcome


Welcome to the Blogging 101 Wikibook. This book (which anybody can edit) is a collection of resources about blogs and blogging. It is divided into several categories. Please add whatever links you think would be useful to people under the appropriate headings. (Off-topic & inappropriate material will of course be edited out.)

101

Dumbing Downe


One would say, just because it is the BBC doesn't mean it isn't as silly as American TV.

We have a history program discussing the 1644 conflict with the King's Royalists and Oliver Cromwell with a loverly sweeping aerial shot of the Clock Tower (Big Ben) representing Cromwell's Parliamentarian forces.

Nevermind that Big Ben was built in 1858.

It's kind of like using the Eiffel Tower to symbolize Napolean or Lincoln Center for the US Civil War.
map of Lincoln Center, NYC

I Kid You Not




Click picture to see the full size


Early European Vampire Killing Kit VERY UNUSUAL!!!!!

Item # 1102093762 . This is a catalog item.

You must refresh (hit the refresh button on your browser) your browser to view the most current information. You must refresh each time you wish to see the latest information.

Top: Antiques: Antiquities:

Description

Bid Currently 2,100.00 USD First Bid 1,600.00 USD

Quantity 1 # of Bids 4 (bid history)

Time Left 10 days, 21 hours + Location CLT
Warehouse Location GR-SHELF-1

Started 12/02/04 00:00:00 Country USA

Ends 03/10/2005 10:20:00 PM EST (mail this auction to a friend)

WATCH THIS ITEM!
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(view feedback on seller) (view other auctions by seller) (ask seller a question)

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Payment Money Order/Cashiers Check,See item description for payment options,Visa/MasterCard,Discover

Shipping Buyer Pays Actual Amount,with the exception to "catalogues" sales, where there is a minimum of $7.50 for S&H

Seller assumes all responsibility for listing this item. You should contact the seller to resolve any questions before bidding. Currency is USD (U.S. Dollar) unless otherwise noted.

Description
This case and contents are very typically early European in style and age. A vampire-slaying kit complete with a wooden stake and 10 silver bullets sold for US$12,000 at Sotheby's last year. These types of kits have been assembled since the early 1800’s and sold to tourists who were traveling in little known countries of Eastern Europe. We date this particular kit to the mid 1850’s and believe it to be all original. This kit is infinitely more detailed and has many more contents offered than the kit sold at Sotheby’s. There is a case within a case which locks and has the key. This smaller box has three crucifixes with rosaries in it of various sizes. There is a hand mirror with a stained cross on the back side. There is also a pair of mallets with two different weights to them. The kit contains two very early Bibles one of which is German and the other is in English. There are six hand planed stakes, a bone saw, two crucifixes, one smaller mirror and a cased percussion pistol with five solid silver bullets. The pistol appears to be Belgian and has a carved cross on one side of the grip and “Free the Soul” carved on the right side. There is also a powder horn, plunger and a bone caped percussion tin in the cased gun box. The entire case is leather wrapped and has a working lock and key. There is also a cross on the top of the kit for easy identification in an emergency. This is probably the most unusual piece of history we have ever offered. Don’t Miss Out.

High estimate: 15000
Low estimate: 3000
Condition: Excellent-


Bidding
Early European Vampire Killing Kit VERY UNUSUAL!!!!! (Item #1102093762)

Current Bid 2,100.00 USD
Bid Increment 105.00 USD
Minimum Bid 2,205.00 USD



Vampire slaying kit

Sunday, February 27, 2005

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Contact Joslin

Joslin Diabetes Center Scientists Discover ‘Master Switch’ that Triggers Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes
Salicylate Blocks the Inflammatory Cascade

January 30, 2005 - Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center have discovered why excess weight leads to low-grade inflammation, which hampers the body’s ability to use insulin. They found that the “master switch” of this inflammation is activated in the liver by weight gain. And they showed it can be turned off by salicylates, a class of drugs that includes aspirin.

The Joslin study, published in the February edition of Nature Medicine, is a major milestone in understanding why being overweight can lead to a host of health problems, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. An estimated 18 million Americans have type 2 diabetes, including an increasing number of young people. They are two to four times more likely to have cardiovascular disease.

“We zeroed in on a factor called NF-kB,” said principal investigator Steven E. Shoelson, M.D., Ph.D., Helen and Morton Adler Chair and head of the Section on Cellular and Molecular Physiology at Joslin, and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medicine School. Other researchers included Dongsheng Cai, M.D., Ph.D., Minsheng Yuan, Daniel F. Frantz, Peter A. Melendez, Lone Hansen and Jongsoon Lee. This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Diabetes Association.

“When we activated this factor in the liver of laboratory animals, it stimulated a cascade of inflammatory responses,” said Dr. Shoelson. “The result was dramatic — including insulin resistance consistent with type 2 diabetes.

“We previously knew that in obesity, the liver becomes fatty and that it accumulates fat faster than other organs and tissues,” Dr. Shoelson continued. “But until now, we didn’t know fat in the liver could orchestrate the entire inflammatory process that results in insulin resistance, both locally and throughout the body.”

The researchers were inspired by previous clinical studies of human patients at Joslin, driving them to seek answers in the laboratory. Those studies had shown that overweight people who have insulin resistance had slightly higher activity levels of NF-kB and other substances normally found in inflammation. Intrigued that fatty tissue may activate a small but measurable level of inflammation, they set out to discover the cellular pathway.

They focused on healthy lean mice — with no weight problems predisposing them to type 2 diabetes. Using genetic techniques, the research team turned on the gene that expresses NF-kB. They then measured the insulin levels in the bloodstream; if higher than normal, it’s a telltale sign of insulin resistance because the body is not using the available insulin. They also measured blood glucose levels to see if they were higher, consistent with diabetes. And they looked for substances produced along the inflammation pathway.

“Unlike in an acute infection, when NF-kB levels shoot up about 50-fold, the inflammation seen in these mice just simmered — only about 3-fold,” said Dr. Shoelson. “But their insulin levels and blood glucose levels were high, what we’d expect in type 2 diabetes. In effect, we had induced diabetes by turning on low-grade inflammation.” Among the markers in the cascade was C-reactive protein, now the focus of considerable interest in cardiovascular research.

The Joslin researchers also found that the NF-kB ”master switch” could be inhibited by the salicylate family of drugs. “These drugs — among the safest drugs known — can do a surprisingly good job of toning down this inflammation,” said Dr. Shoelson.

“But more studies need to be done before we can make recommendations to patients,” he cautions. “For now, the best advice for preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes is to shed those extra pounds, eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly.”

About Joslin Diabetes Center

Joslin Diabetes Center, dedicated to conquering diabetes in all of its forms, is the global leader in diabetes research, care and education. Founded in 1898, Joslin is affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Joslin research is a team of over 300 people at the forefront of discovery aimed at preventing and curing diabetes. Joslin Clinic, affiliated with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, the nationwide network of Joslin Affiliated Programs, and the hundreds of Joslin educational programs offered each year for clinicians, researchers and patients, enable Joslin to develop, implement and share innovations that immeasurably improve the lives of people with diabetes. As a nonprofit, Joslin benefits from the generosity of donors in advancing its mission. For more information on Joslin, call 1-800-JOSLIN-1 or visit www.joslin.org

Link to a photo of Dr. Shoelson




Privacy Statement
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Joslin Diabetes Center
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(617) 732-2400

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Copyright © 2005 by Joslin Diabetes Center. All rights reserved. All documents on this Web site are the property of Joslin Diabetes Center and are protected by copyright. Any reproduction of any document on this Web site which omits Joslin's name or copyright notice is prohibited. Documents on this Web site may be reproduced for personal use only. They may not be distributed or sold. They may not be published in any other format (e.g., book, article, Web site) without the prior, written permission of Joslin Diabetes Center, Communications Department, (617) 732-2415

webspace at redmont


You have successfully created and set up your space. You can get to your space at the following web address (URL):

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Thursday, February 24, 2005

Visual Thesaurus Online Edition: "Old Europe


Nearly all languages today have leaky borders: globalization has led to the phenomenon of words - whether for food items, technological developments, or business practices - slipping across borders and naturalizing themselves in another language.

A unique feature of English is that it has always had leaky borders. Unlike its contemporaries in other parts of the world, English has freely incorporated foreign words from the get-go. This largely accounts for the rich vocabulary of English, and the fact that multiple synonyms, often with subtle nuances of meaning, exist for nearly all common English words. The profligate borrowing habits of English also account for the fact that many English words that are related in meaning have roots in different languages - and that's a topic we'll explore this month. Our focus is Old Europe, and we don't mean the one that Donald Rumsfeld recently disparaged: we're going way back, to ancient Greece and Rome, and to the Germanic group of languages, where English finds its closest relatives. "
FatWallet - Forums, Free Coupons, Compare Prices, Cash Back and Shopping Reviews

Good one...




I am not so lost in lexicography as to forget that words are the daughters of earth, and that things are the sons of heaven.
—Preface to Dictionary (1755)
Samuel Johnson

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

Wednesday, February 23, 2005

UK Content


Search Engine Optimized for UK Content
"Welcome to Seekport (beta), the new Internet search engine optimised to meet the needs of users in the UK. Proven technology and a British indexing team ensure high-quality searching with much less spam and far fewer hits from the US." [via URL Wire]


Permanent Link Topic(s): Legal Research, Search Engines

BeSpecific

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

ColabWiki: ExpeditionWorkshop/SemanticConflictMappingandEnablement MakingCommitmentsTogether 2005 02 22: "Collaborative Expedition Workshop #38, February 22, 2005 at NSF (8XT)

Semantic Conflict, Mapping, and Enablement: Making Commitments Together (8RO)

AGENDA (8RP)

Purpose/ Description (8XU)

How can Communities of Practice build the capacity needed for shared understanding and governance around new mission responsibilities for data stewardship and sharing? How can emerging standards-based protocols (RDF, OWL, Topic Maps) improve collaboration around problem-centered, intergovernmental scenarios? In the realm of semantic technologies, conflict and context is the crux of everything. In light of this reality what is the potential for creating Public Information Environments that Strengthen Citizen-Government Relationships? (2IOY)

The reason why semantic technologies exist at all is because of the unavoidable fact of semantic conflict. Software engineers cannot escape it; business leaders pay a hefty price because of it. The only way semantic conflict can be dealt with successfully is by fully understanding the context in which the conflict exists. In fact, context is crucial regardless of whether software engineers program a solution in a popular programming language or model the solution in a scalable data representation modeling language. So, whether Java is used or OWL is used, the engineer and analysts will always have to understand the business context that created a given data conflict. Source: Chapter 5. Semantic Conflict Solution Patterns in 'Adaptive Information ? Improving Business Through Semantic Interoperability, Grid Computing & Enterprise Integration,' Wiley-Interscience by Pollock and Hodgson. Also . . ."

Monday, February 21, 2005

AdWords Learning Center: "Lessons Catalog

Use Google's free training to sharpen your AdWords knowledge and prepare for the Google Advertising Professional Exam [?]. Comprised of concise multimedia lessons, our training program is self-paced to match your individual learning needs. Skip, pause, or end a lesson at any time. In addition, each lesson includes practice exercises and quizzes to ensure you master the concepts."

Saturday, February 19, 2005

Blah, blah, blag, blog



PEGGY NOONAN

The Blogs Must Be Crazy


Or maybe the MSM is just suffering from freedom envy.

Thursday, February 17, 2005 12:01 a.m. EST

image of Peggy Noonan"Salivating morons." "Scalp hunters." "Moon howlers." "Trophy hunters." "Sons of Sen. McCarthy." "Rabid." "Blogswarm." "These pseudo-journalist lynch mob people."

This is excellent invective. It must come from bloggers. But wait, it was the mainstream media and their maidservants in the elite journalism reviews, and they were talking about bloggers!

Those MSMers have gone wild, I tell you! The tendentious language, the low insults. It's the Wild Wild West out there. We may have to consider legislation.

...
OpinionJournal - Peggy Noonan: "Someone is going to address the 'bloggers are untrained journalists' question by looking at exactly what 'training,' what education in the art/science/craft/profression of journalism, the reporters and editors of the MSM have had in the past 60 years or so. It has seemed to me the best of them never went to J-school but bumped into journalism along the way--walked into a radio station or newspaper one day and found their calling. Bloggers signify a welcome return to that old style. In journalism you learn by doing, which is what a lot of bloggers are doing."
OpinionJournal - Outside the Box

Socialism's Last Redoubt


Why do Dems oppose Social Security reform? Because they're committed to government control.

BY PETE DU PONT
Wednesday, February 16, 2005 12:01 a.m. EST

In 1945 Clement Attlee led the British Labour Party to victory over Winston Churchill's Conservative Party. He then proceeded to socialize much of the British economy, for he believed that 'the creation of a society based on social justice . . . could only be attained by bringing under public ownership and control the main factors in the economic system.' Labour's goal was to get rid of the waste and irrationality that, in the socialist view, doomed market economies to failure.

Fast forward six decades, and you hear an Attlee echo--Sen. Hillary Clinton telling a California audience last summer that taxes must rise because 'We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good.'

lightbulb American socialist Noam Chomsky made the same argument concerning Social Security: that allowing people to invest in markets is a bad thing, for 'putting people in charge of their own assets breaks down the solidarity that comes from doing something together, and diminishes the sense that people have responsibility for each other.'

So the 2005 Social Security argument is an old and familiar one: government decisions versus individual ones, government control of assets versus individual ownership. In short, socialism versus individualism."
...

A New Blog


Pepys' Diary: "The Diary of Samuel Pepys"
THE DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS M.A. F.R.S.

CLERK OF THE ACTS AND SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY

TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SHORTHAND MANUSCRIPT IN THE PEPYSIAN LIBRARY
MAGDALENE COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE BY THE REV. MYNORS BRIGHT M.A. LATE FELLOW
AND PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE

(Unabridged)

WITH LORD BRAYBROOKE’S NOTES

EDITED WITH ADDITIONS BY

HENRY B. WHEATLEY F.S.A.


LONDON
GEORGE BELL & SONS YORK ST. COVENT GARDEN
CAMBRIDGE DEIGHTON BELL & CO.
1893

Friday, February 18, 2005

Sabrina, the white witch


beSpacific: California ID Theft Case Now Has National Impact

Updates today on news earlier this week, Data Mining Aggregator Reports Widespread ID Theft, disclose that the scope of the ID theft scam may involve half a million individuals around the country, not just the 35,000 in California as initially reported.

Related resources:

[Nigerian!] Defendant In Major ID-Theft Case Found Guilty

Choicepoint Fraud Highlights Need for Stronger ID Theft Safeguards; 11 States Consider Security Freeze Right for Consumers - Two Others Consider Requiring Companies to Notify Customers About Security Breaches

From Consumers Union, a website listing 'state identity theft protection bills that give consumers the right to place a security freezes on their credit files.'

S. 115 - Notification of Risk to Personal Data Act: A bill to require Federal agencies, and persons engaged in interstate commerce, in possession of electronic data containing personal information, to disclose any unauthorized acquisition of such information. Sponsor: Sen Feinstein, Dianne [CA] (introduced 1/24/2005).

Permanent Link Topic(s): Cybercrime, ID Theft, Legislation

DHS Factsheet on Cybersecurity

From the Department of Homeland Security, Fact Sheet: Protecting America's Critical Infrastructure - Cyber Security: 'In February 2003, President George W. Bush issued the National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace. Recognizing the increasing danger posed by cyber threats and the devastating disruption that could result because of the interdependent nature of information systems that support our nation's critical infrastructure, the Strategy provides a strategic framework to prevent cyber attacks against America's critical infrastructures; reduce national vulnerability to cyber attacks; and minimize the damage and recovery time from cyber attacks should they occur."

Permanent Link Topic(s): Cybercrime "

Thursday, February 17, 2005


Richard Simmons on Whose Line: "Here's a list of sites for when you're feeling bored. Updated constantly, so check back whenever you're bored."

A Source is a Source, of Course, of Course: finale


Judith Miller, go directly to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.

How could anyone actually beleive that there was a First Amendment reporter's privilege? It's awfully obvious after you read this.

One judge points out exactly my point that without a government license, there is no class of persons that can be said to have a privilege that every other class of person doesn't have, specifically mentioning bloggers.

Monday, February 14, 2005


The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists is the 100th Livery Company of the City of London, bringing together the centuries old Livery tradition and information technology - the key industry of the new millennium.

Directory listing

THE LIVERY MOVEMENT


The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists is part of a Livery tradition dating back hundreds of years.

Livery Companies or guilds originated in this country before 1066 and were formed by groups of people involved in the same profession. They regulated competition, set professional standards and preserved knowledge and skills for future generations. They also cared for their members in times of hardships. Each Livery Company was based at its own Livery hall or headquarters.

The usual entry to a trade or craft was by apprenticeship. Craftsmen who served their apprenticeship were called Journeymen. Later craftsmen could become Freemen or Liverymen (full members of the company).

The term 'livery' refers to the distinctive badges or clothes which members wore to distinguish themselves.

Older Livery Companies include the Mercers (1394), Merchant Taylors (1327) and Grocers (1428). Newer arrivals include the Insurers (1979), Marketors (1977) and, of course, Information Technologists (1992).

Although ancient in origin, the Livery tradition - of shared values, shared purpose, high standards, innovation and integrity - remain as crucial today as ever.

All Livery companies have close links with the The Corporation of London


The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists
39A Bartholomew Close London EC1A 7JN
Telephone 0207 600 1992 Facsimile 0207 600 1991
E-mail: info@wcit.org.uk
© Copyright 2000 The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists
Site designed by Marketingnet


39A Bartholomew Close dates back to the mid-18th century (although the boundaries of 'Greate Saynte Bartholomew Close' were set out on land owned by the priory of Saint Bartholomew as long ago as 1544). The building has a colourful history, including a brief period as the "Rose and Crown" public house in the late 19th century.

The area around Bartholomew Close is home to several other Livery Companies - the Butchers, the Haberdashers, the Farmers & Fletchers and the Founders - and is close to many major commercial firms and City institutions.

New Law Librarian blog


I have just started a new blog (in my free time) called AbsTracked. It is a blog of useful, theme-related Web links. Most of the links will relate to law or ready-reference types of materials (but there will be some fun stuff too), so you may want to check it out. Here's the URL: www.bloglines.com/blog/AbbieM. If you have an aggregator, the rss feed is here: www.bloglines.com/blog/AbbieM/rss.

AbsTracked blog

Thursday, February 10, 2005

TV Tome - guide to the television shows you love: "TV Tome has over 2,500 complete guides covering almost all the current shows and many of your favorite classics. There's also an additional 3,500+ guides that are partially complete or under development. Use the search box to find your favorite or browse through the list of all shows.

TV Tome features reviews for some of your favorite shows. Look for a reviews link on your the show's main page or check out some recent reviews. If you'd like to volunteer to share your views on the episodes of your favorite show see being a TV Tome writer.

TV Tome is more than just a collection of episode guides. The site also features over 250,000 people associated with TV. Actors, writers, directors and producers can all be found here. With each person is at least a partial list of their credits and many have biographies and additional information.

If you find a guide for a show or person that's not complete and you'd like to help, check out our information about how to become a TV Tome editor.

If you have questions, comments or suggestions check out our about pages or leave feedback. "

Transferring info between formats


This is from an email so there is no URL and I did not put in all the embedded URLs from the item.

Rescuing Old, Outdated Media



In general, my "State of the Art" column in Circuits generates only five or ten pieces of e-mail a week. This e-mail newsletter, on the other hand, routinely generates several hundred responses, both by e-mail and on the Pogue feedback board.

My column in the paper two weeks ago, though, reversed all expectations. It generated about 200 reader e-mail queries. The topic was hybrid VCR-DVD recorders, which you can use to rescue old analog tapes by transferring them to shiny new recordable DVD's.

Big Bunch #1 asked, "Can I edit the resulting DVD's on my computer?"

The answer: Not easily. Video on a DVD is stored in a format designed for playback, not for editing.

Still, if you have a computer and you want to edit the old tapes, you shouldn't be messing around with a VHS-DVD burner at all. Why not just play the old tapes directly into the computer and edit them BEFORE burning to DVD?

You'll find instructions below under "TRANSFERRING VHS (AND OTHER ANALOG) VIDEOS TO DVD."

Big Bunch #2 asked, "But what about all the copy-protected commercial VHS tapes I've bought over the years? Surely I don't have to buy them all over again on DVD?"

Answer: Yes, I'm pretty sure you do. Again, there's probably special software that can strip out the copy protection from a movie on tape. But if I'm not mistaken, that would involve playing the whole movie onto your PC first, then burning it onto a DVD, and the result won't have anything close to the quality of a new store-bought DVD. Frankly, I'd pay the $18 for the movie on DVD and save myself the headache.

But the vast majority of the questions all reflected the same thread of anxiety:

"But how do I rescue my old vinyl records/audio cassettes/VHS-C tapes/8mm film reels?"

That's a terrific question, a very common one, and, fortunately, one that gets answered frequently these days, online and off. Here are some links to just such tutorials, for your Web-browsing pleasure:

TRANSFERRING AUDIO TAPES TO CD:

If you have a Windows PC: http://www.g4techtv.com/callforhelp/features/

If you have a Mac, here are a couple of different approaches: http://www.wap.org/journal/digitizingcassettes/default.html
http://lowendmac.com/lab/03/0814.html

TRANSFERRING VINYL RECORDS TO CD:

Take your pick of free tutorials:

http://www.thelaughingpapillon.com/vinyl2cd.php
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=387506
http://www.cyberwalker.net/columns/feb02/150202.html
http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,46164,00.asp

TRANSFERRING VHS (AND OTHER ANALOG) VIDEOS TO DVD:

Here are several sets of instructions, all variations on the theme. They're here for Windows: http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,97624,00.asp
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3000_7-5071953-1.html

. . . and here for the Mac:
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=91153
http://www.macworld.com/2004/05/features/fromvhstodvd/index.php

TRANSFERRING OLD FILM TO DVD:

This one's not so easy. There is such a thing as a mirrored apparatus that lets you play your old films from a projector directly into a modern camcorder, but it's a royal pain, it's time-consuming and the resulting quality isn't so great. That's why most experts concede defeat on this one and recommend that you send your reels off to a commercial transfer service.

That's the conclusion by this online columnist, for example, which includes links to several such transfer companies (which I haven't tested): http://channels.lockergnome.com/windows/archives/

And here's a first-person account by Circuits's own Michelle Slatalla:

http://tech2.nytimes.com/mem/technology/techreview.html?res=9C01E4D61431F93BA15751C0A9649C8B63

If you've had good luck with one transfer house or another, would you mind letting us know by posting it on the Pogue feedback boards?

Thanks -- and happy rescuing!

Forum: Discuss David Pogue's Columns .

This week's Pogue's Posts blog.

This week's Pogue's Gallery video.

Visit David Pogue on the Web at DavidPogue.com.

Wednesday, February 09, 2005

Best Search Tools Chart: "Best Search Tools Chart"


Internet

The Best Internet Innovation In Years


Lisa DiCarlo, 02.07.05, 6:00 AM ET

Let me just come right out and say it. Answers.com is the most useful, smartest, coolest, easiest-to-use Web innovation to come around in years.

Answers.com is a new approach to Internet search, but make no mistake: It is not search. With one click Answers.com delivers instant information, not Web links, laid out cleanly on one page.

For example: Typing in Intel (nasdaq: INTC - news - people ) turns up a single page with a brief company history including pictures of the founders, a company profile, annual sales, employees, office phone numbers, executive's names, stock charts and recent news.

"I defy you to go to Intel's own Web site and find all that information within five minutes," says Robert Rosenschein, chief executive of GuruNet (amex: GRU - news - people ), the company behind Answers.com.

He's right. All the information available on Answers.com is out there, somewhere, but it's not aggregated and laid out as cleanly and easily.

What's even cooler is GuruNet's one-click technology. It works like this: After downloading a tiny bit of software, users mouse over any word on any Web page, within any e-mail, within any document, hit the "Alt" key and automatically get an Answers.com page with information described above.

What's better still is its ability to recognize context. If you mouse over the word "Ford" in one paragraph containing three different references to Ford Motor (nyse: F - news - people ), Harrison Ford and Francis Ford Coppola, the system will process that and deliver information on cars, actors and directors respectively.

Any word on the screen, provided you're online, becomes a simple gateway to more information.

The system, which has been live for about two weeks, is not perfect. It aggregates data from about 100 sources including dictionaries, encyclopedias and covers about one million topics, which sounds like a lot until you consider how many possible topic areas there are. Rosenschein says the company is adding sources and topics all the time.

Answers.com helps you find information but shouldn't be lumped into the search category with Google (nasdaq: GOOG - news - people ), Amazon.com (nasdaq: AMZN - news - people ) or Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ).

In fact, Google's search results page has provided a small link, called "definition" in the upper right hand corner, that takes users to Answers.com. The word "definition" doesn't tell users anything about what's behind it, so there's really no compelling reason to click on it. Rosenschein says he's talking with Google to come up with a better link.

Amazon's new A9 search engine also uses Answer.com for the "reference" section of its site.

The company, based in Wesley Hills, N.Y., hopes advertising will sustain its business. In the past nine months GuruNet reported a $2.4 million loss on $117,000 in revenue.

Rosenschein founded GuruNet in 1999 and raised $28 million from top-shelf investors like Goldman Sachs (nyse: GS - news - people ). But it wrongly tried to sell its technology--enterprise search--to corporations. It retreated from that business and re-emerged in 2004 with Answers.com. Rosenschein says one potential investor was so blown away by the demo that he told him to write down a number on the back of a business card.

The tech industry is full of hype and overblown promises. Rosenschein is a pleasant surprise. He appears to be a humble, aw-shucks kind of guy who may have just unleashed the Internet's next big thing.



Tuesday, February 08, 2005

Washington Speakers Bureau: "
Hot Topic for February 8, 2005

He's one of the most respected statesmen in U.S. history, a leader, diplomat and soldier. But, more importantly, General Colin Powell is an icon: After serving as the very first African-American chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Powell was appointed secretary of state by President George W. Bush - becoming the most powerful African-American ever to hold office. Gen. Powell was tasked with building coalitions, forging alliances and spreading the universal human values of democracy and freedom throughout the globe. His leadership, presence, grace and dignity allowed him to transcend nations, cultures and identities, making him in turn one of the most easily identifiable and revered persons in the world. "

COMPU-WEATHER CASE OF THE WEEK


http://www.compuweather.com/
A once-in-a-lifetime storm event

Plaintiffs comprised of 12 homeowners and three business owners in Brooklyn, NY, claimed property and structural damage due to the flooding of their basements after a heavy rainstorm on July 31, 1996. Defendants, which included the local gas utility and a construction company sub-contracted by the utility, had previously dumped 70 cubic yards of sand in the vicinity of the damaged buildings, which they planned on using in a backfill operation. Plaintiffs claimed that the sand and runoff from the rainstorm, combined with the heavy rain, caused the storm drains to clog up, resulting in the flooded basements. Plaintiffs further contended that the City was negligent in maintaining the storm drains and catch basins.

At trial, defense attorneys called upon COMPU-WEATHER meteorologists to examine the weather and explain to the jury what had occurred. By analyzing the magnitude of the rain which fell on the day of the flooding, and comparing it to historical standards, the COMPU-WEATHER meteorologist concluded that the event was a "50-year 1-hour storm". The amount of rain which poured down during a mere one hour's time could only reasonably be expected to happen in Brooklyn about once every 50 years. Engineers for the City testified that the storm drain system was designed to handle "5-year storms".

Based on the testimony that the storm was an extraordinary occurrence, the jury vote was 6-0 in favor of the defendants.

Did you know that Compu-Weather's Expert Reports help settle 98.5% of all our customers' weather-related cases and claims prior to litigation?

For a no-obligation initial consultation regarding your weather-related case or claim, call us at (800) 825-4445 or click the link below and we'll get back to you shortly !!

Thursday, February 03, 2005

UK Land records


Land Register Online - Additional information

Additional information


Why is this information useful to me?
Typically, you...
want to look at the register and/or title plan of a property you own
want to find out who owns a specific property
want to discover the extent of a property
are interested in buying an unoccupied property you have noticed and wish to approach the owner
lease or rent a property and need to contact the landlord
What property details can I obtain?
The Register information will generally include:-
A description of the property
Who owns it
Mortgage Lender (if any)
Price stated (if registered since 1st April 2000)
Rights of way (not public rights of way) or other rights affecting the property
Restrictions or other conditions
The details held by the Land Registry are updated following the receipt of an application at the appropriate local office. For guidance, this can be up to a few months after a property transaction.

You can see a typical example of a Register.

You can also see an example Title Plan. Based on a large-scale Ordnance Survey map, this shows the general extent of the property.

Can anyone view details of any property?
Since 3 December 1990 the public have been able to look at the register of title (this includes title plans) in England and Wales. Prior to that, only registered owners and people with the owner's permission could look at a register of title.

Land Register Online is the first service that has provided this electronically to the public.

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Leverage Alert: CG


LEVERAGE ALERT

TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2005
NEW RECOMMENDATION!

PLACE A DAY-LIMIT ORDER TO BUY (TO OPEN) THE CAROLINA GROUP MARCH 30.00
CALL (CGCF) AT A MAXIMUM ENTRY PRICE OF 2.40 OR LESS.

*** IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ENTER THIS POSITION BEFORE THE CLOSE TODAY, WE
RECOMMEND THAT YOU REPEAT THIS PROCEDURE THROUGH THE NEXT TRADING DAY. DO
NOT ATTEMPT TO GET INTO THIS TRADE AFTER THE NEXT TRADING DAY’S CLOSE. ***

THIS OPTION IS CURRENTLY BID AT 2.10, OFFERED AT 2.30.

CG IS CURRENTLY TRADING AT 31.82.

DO NOT PLACE A GOOD-TIL-CANCELLED ORDER TO EXIT THE POSITION UNTIL WE
FOLLOW UP WITH FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS, AS WE MAY ALLOW PROFITS TO RUN IF OUR
INDICATORS SUGGEST THE POSITION HAS MORE PROFIT POTENTIAL.

NEVER PAY MORE THAN THE MAXIMUM ENTRY PRICE FOR THIS OR ANY OTHER
RECOMMENDATION. DO NOT INVEST MORE THAN 10%-20% OF YOUR AVAILABLE CASH
ALLOCATED TO THIS PROGRAM IN ANY ONE TRADE.

YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE FURTHER COMMUNICATION CONCERNING THIS TRADE, INCLUDING
CLOSEOUT INSTRUCTIONS, IF YOUR SUBSCRIPTION IS NOT ACTIVE AT THE TIME WE
ISSUE FOLLOW-UP INSTRUCTIONS.


LEVERAGE ALERT COMMENTARY
RECOMMENDED ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2005




CAROLINA GROUP (CG) TRADE DRIVERS:
* According to Hoover's, CG is a group company of Loews Corporation (LTR),
accounting for 21 percent of LTR's sales. CG was created in 2002 to track
stock for LTR in its tobacco holdings. CG's subsidiary, Lorillard, is the
fourth largest cigarette maker in the U.S., driven by menthol brand
Newport.

* Pessimism runs high on CG as, according to Zacks, six of the eight
analysts covering the stock have "hold" or "sell" ratings on it. Any
upgrades from this group could send the equity higher.

* Options players are also betting against the equity, as the stock's
Schaeffer's put call open interest ratio has jumped higher during the past
several sessions from its near-term low of 0.19 on January 18 to its
current perch at 0.22.

* Also on the options front, the stock has recently taken out potential
resistance at the 30 level, site of peak-front month call open interest.
With little in the way of call activity above this strike, CG should face
little options-related resistance.

* Technically speaking, CG is soaring higher today following a successful
retest of support at its 10-day moving average. The shares have risen
along the loose support of this short-term moving average since September.
Furthermore, the equity has taken out round-number resistance in the 30
area and continues to advance along its rising 10-week moving average.

* This combination of pessimistic sentiment and strong technical
performance has earned CG a Schaeffer's Equity Scorecard rating of 7.5 out
of 10.0. This elevated reading indicates that the security could have
additional upside as pessimistic sentiment unwinds.
REVIEW OF RECOMMENDATION: Buy the Carolina Group March 30 call (CGCF) at a
maximum entry price of 2.40. We will closely monitor this position and
contact you immediately with updated instructions should our expectations
change.
CURRENT OPEN POSITIONS: Apple Computer April 60 call (AAQDL); Genzyme
April 55 call (GZQDK); Wynn Resorts March 65 call (UWYCM); Amazon.com
February 45 put (ZQNNI).
You will not receive further communication concerning this trade, including
closeout instructions,
if your subscription is not active at the time we issue follow-up
instructions.
©Copyright 2005 Schaeffer’s Investment Research. All rights reserved.

Monday, January 24, 2005

Double Taxation


So the winning plaintiff pays income tax on the attorneys fees and the attorney pays income tax on the attorneys fees. Not a pretty picture!
Commissioner V. Banks

Now this one's a classic


BY DAVE BARRY

(originally published on March 6, 1994.)

Why don't regular people like classical music? This is the question that was posed to me recently in a letter from Timothy W. Muffitt, the music director of the University of Texas Symphony Orchestra, which has gained international acclaim for its rendition of ''Achy Breaky Heart.''

No, I'm sure it's a fine orchestra that plays a serious program of classical music featuring numerous notes, sharps, flats, clefs, bassoons, deceased audience members, etc.

Anyway, Mr. Muffitt states that he has been asked to conduct a series of concerts for the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. The goal is ''to get people into the concert hall other than those who usually come.''

He asks: ''What would get the average Joe into the concert hall? Do you go to classical music concerts? Why or why not?''

Mr. Muffitt, those are important questions, and before I answer them, let me state that I really like saying ''Mr. Muffitt.'' I think ''Mr. Muffitt'' would be a great title for a Saturday-morning children's cartoon show, wherein Mr. Muffitt is a super hero who, accompanied by sidekicks representing every major minority group and gender, goes around kicking villain butt. I have not worked out the details of the plot, although it would definitely involve a Magic Tuffet.

But getting back to Mr. Muffitt's questions: Our first task is to define exactly what we mean by ''classical music.'' When I look in volume ''M'' of my son's World Book Encyclopedia, I find, on pages 838-9, the following statement: 'Mosses grow and reproduce in two phases 'sexual' and 'asexual.' ''Not only that, but during the ''sexual'' phase, the moss develops ''special organs,'' and when the time is ripe, ''they burst and release hundreds of sperm cells.''

Do you believe it? MOSS! Growing organs! Having sex! Probably smoking little one-celled cigarettes afterward! Parents, this could be going on in your community. I think we should alert the Rev. Pat Robertson.

But we also need to define ''classical music.'' A little farther on in the World Book, we come to the section on music, which states: ''There are two chief kinds of Western music, classical and popular.'' Thus we see that ''classical music'' is defined, technically, as ''music that is not popular.'' This could be one reason why the ''average Joe'' does not care for it.

I myself am not a big fan. I will go to a classical concert only under very special circumstances, such as that I have been told to make a ransom payment there. But until I got this letter from Mr. Muffitt, I never knew why I felt this way. I've been thinking about it, and I have come up with what I believe are the three main problems with classical music:

1. IT'S CONFUSING. With ''popular'' music, you understand what's happening. For example, in the song, ''Long Tall Sally,'' when Little Richard sings, ''Long Tall Sally, she's built for speed,'' you can be certain that the next line is going to follow logically (''She got everything that Uncle John need''), and then there will be the chorus, or, as it is known technically, 'the 'Ooh baby' part.'' Whereas in classical music, you never know WHAT will happen next. Sometimes the musicians stop completely in the middle of the song, thereby causing the average Joe, who is hoping that the song is over, to start clapping, whereupon the deceased audience members come back to life and give him dirty looks, and he feels like a big dope. It would help if there were an electronic basketball-style clock hanging from the conductor's back, indicating how much time is left in the song. Speaking of which:

2. IT TAKES TOO LONG. The Shangri-Las, performing ''Leader of the Pack,'' take only about four minutes to tell a dramatic and moving story -- including a motorcycle crash. A classical orchestra can take five times that long just to sit down. There needs to be more of an emphasis on speed. There could be Symphony Sprints, wherein two orchestras would compete head-to-head to see who could get through a given piece of music the fastest. There could even be defense, wherein, for example, the trombone players would void their spit valves at the opposing violin section. This would be good, because:

3. IT NEEDS MORE ACTION. When I was in college, I saw the great blues harmonica player James Cotton give a performance of 'Rockin' Robin'' wherein he stuck his harmonica into his mouth, held his arms out sideways like an airplane, and toppled headfirst off of an 8-foot stage into the crowd, where he landed safely on a cushion of college students and completed the song in the prone position.

That same year -- I did not see this personally, but I have friends who did -- the great blues guitarist Buddy Guy gave a club performance wherein, while taking a solo, he went into the men's room (he had a long guitar cord), closed the door, apparently relieved himself, flushed, reopened the door and came back out and never stopped playing.

You do not forget musical experiences such as those.

I'm not saying that classical musicians should do these things. It would be difficult to get, say, a harp into a restroom stall. I'm just saying, Mr. Muffitt, that until the average Joe can expect this level of entertainment from classical music, he is probably going to stay home watching TV, stuck to his sofa like moss on a rock. But with less of a sex life.

Saturday, January 22, 2005

Any Card to Wallet: "A mind-blowing effect from the ever creative Rich Bloch.

The performer tosses out a deck of cards asking the spectator to look through the deck (not to remove a card) and to MENTALLY select any card. This being done the pack is tossed back to the performer.

The performer removes his wallet from his coat pocket and with a finger snap, says (jauntily) 'Your card is now in my wallet.' Opening the wallet, a single face down card is seen. 'Look familiar?', quips the performer.

Responding to the derisive hoots and looks of appalled disbelief, the performer tosses the deck to the spectator. 'See for yourself,' he says, 'and for the first time, name your card.'
The spectator does so, then opens the pack. Spectator looks... and looks ... but his card is not there. He counts the cards and there are only 51 cards. Eyes shift back to the performer. 'As you can see, there are but 51 cards and this is the fifty-second -- your card.' At this, the performer slowly removes the card from his wallet. It is, indeed, the chosen card! "
Memory & Learning - Hypnotic World Psychology: "

Memory Improvement Techniques'How does memory work?'

The capacity of our long-term memory can be made virtually unlimited by using a variety of techniques to memorize every day names, faces, numbers and other information. All you need to do is select the correct method for the type of data you need to memorize. See below for a selection of these methods:

Need to put names to faces? Try the Association Method and never forget a face again! Read more...
Remember lists of information: Use the Luria method and convert lists to journeys. Read more...
Memorizing phone numbers: Use a popular mnemonics technique called the Pegword Method
Need to remember anything else? The Retentive Method is a powerful method

Mnemonics Methods
Mnemonics form the basis of many commercial memory improvement guides. We look at what they are and how you can employ them... without the sky-high costs...

Theories of remembering:
Multi-Store Model
An introduction to one popular theory on the structure of human memory. Discover how your memory works...

Miller's Magic Number
Find out why many US and UK telephone numbers are 6-digits long with Miller's study. Read more...

Flashbulb memories
What gives us the ability to recall vivid details about events such as September 11th? Flashbulb memories

Do we really forget?
A look at how psychologists think information can be 'forgotten' and retrieved

Take the Free Memory Test and see how we you can improve your memory in minutes!

Friday, January 21, 2005

Leverage Alert: Ishares Lehman 20+


ALL LEVERAGE SERVICES

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2005
½-POSITION CLOSEOUT INSTRUCTIONS!

CANCEL ANY OPEN ORDERS AND PLACE A MARKET ORDER TO SELL (TO CLOSE) THE
SECOND HALF OF YOUR POSITION IN THE ISHARES LEHMAN 20+ YEAR TREASURY BOND
FUND JANUARY 2005 88.00 CALL (TLTAJ).


THE OPTION IS CURRENTLY BID AT 2.90, ASKED AT 3.00.

TLT IS CURRENTLY AT 91.00.

WE RECOMMEND EXITING THE SECOND HALF OF THIS POSITION TO LOCK IN PROFITS
AHEAD OF JANUARY OPTIONS EXPIRATION.

Leverage Alert: Delta


ALL LEVERAGE SERVICES

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2005
CLOSEOUT INSTRUCTIONS!

CANCEL ANY OPEN ORDERS AND PLACE A DAY-LIMIT ORDER TO SELL
(TO CLOSE) THE DELTA AIR LINES JANUARY 2005 5.00 CALL (DALAA) AT 0.20 OR
BETTER.

THIS OPTION EXPIRES TODAY. WHILE THE OPTION IS CURRENTLY OUT-OF-THE-MONEY
AND IS BID AT ZERO, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT IT COULD QUICKLY MOVE IN-THE-MONEY.

AS SUCH, IF THE OPTION MOVES IN-THE-MONEY TO A DEGREE THAT WOULD ALLOW YOU
TO RECOUP MORE PREMIUM THAN YOU WOULD PAY IN COMMISSIONS, YOU SHOULD EXIT
THE POSITION BY EXECUTING THE SALE PER THE INSTRUCTIONS ABOVE.

THIS POSITION IS BID AT 0.00, ASKED AT 0.05.

DAL IS CURRENTLY AT 4.99.

Thursday, January 20, 2005

Mary Ellen Bates - Tip of the Month


January 2005: Googling Better
While I often remind people in my workshops that Google is not necessarily the most appropriate search tool, most of us do use Google in the course of our research day.

The following are a few of the techniques and tools I use to make my Google searching more effective or more productive.
Synonym Searching

Google has a limit of 10 words per search, which can make it difficult to include all the possible variations on a word. For example, a search for reports on childhood obesity should probably also include the words child, children, kid, kids, youth and family as well as childhood, and the words obese, overweight and fat as well as obesity. Oops! That adds up to 11 possible search terms, and doesn't give you any leeway to include filetype: limitations or other words to narrow the search down to reports. One way to circumvent this limitation is to try Google's synonym search. Add a tilde (~) at the beginning of the words child and obese (~child ~obese), and Google retrieves web sites that use any of those synonyms. "

Legislative KM>


About GovTrack: "About GovTrack
There is a huge divide between citizens and government in the United States. I'm no expert in politics, but it seems to me the larger the divide the less responsible politicians are to their constituents, and this is bad. Worse yet, it can be avoided. We could have better government if we could only make it simpler for people to see what their representatives are doing."

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

Todd Lassen | Coin Gaffs


Check out for a JFK copper/silver and a chinatown half
Thank you for taking interest in Lassen Coin Gaffs.

For general questions,to place an order,
or check on the status of an order e-mail:
todd@toddlassen.com

Send checks or money orders to:
Todd Lassen
1023 Grand Court
Davenport, Ia 52803

Phone: 563-323-3048
"

New blog discovered: Magic


Magic.AtomicBrew.com
No Permission Required!: "Open Source Magic
Do you find anything in this blog interesting? Is there something you want to quote? Is there a presentation suggestion you want to use? Go for it! It's yours. No permission required. Honest! No catches. If you decide to use my posts on a magic discussion board or put something of mine in print or video, I only ask for credit.

Web developers/programmers are used to the concept of 'Open Source'. A developer/programmer has an idea for something and releases it to everyone who's interested. They are free to use it, work with it, alter it under a GNU Public License. The concept being ' The licenses for most software are designed to take away your freedom to share and change it. By contrast, the GNU General Public License is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free software--to make sure the software is free for all its users.'
The software I am using for this blog is Open Source. It's called WordPress and I highly recommend it. Maybe Open Source will catch on in magic."

Monday, January 17, 2005

How slow is it?


Astound Broadband: "

Home For Your Home Pricing St. Cloud Area
St. Cloud Area Monthly Residential Pricing

The more you buy, the more you save!
Take two select Astound services and save 5 percent each month!

Take three select Astound services and save 15 percent each month!
Bundle Monthly Rates (with discount)
Basic Plus Cable and Telephone$42.65
Basic Plus Cable and 1.5Mb Internet Access$66.40
Basic Plus Cable and 3.0Mb Internet Access$71.15
Basic Plus Cable and 5.0Mb Internet Access$90.15
1.5Mb Internet Access and Telephone$52.15
3.0Mb Internet Access and Telephone$56.90
5.0Mb Internet Access and Telephone$75.90
Basic Plus Cable, 1.5Mb Internet and Telephone$72.13
Basic Plus Cable, 3.0Mb Internet and Telephone$76.37
Basic Plus Cable, 5.0Mb Internet and Telephone$93.37
Prices do not include taxes or fees and are subject to change.

Check our current specials.
A la carte pricing also available. For more information, contact us at 320-529-1300 (MN) or 1-800-427-8686 (CA)."

Saturday, January 15, 2005

Stock Market




Stock Market
The market struggled during the end of the year (the supposed "Santa Claus rally") and became completely unglued in the first three trading sessions of the new year. The old adage is "When Santa Claus fails to call, bears will come to Broad and Wall." Statistically speaking, about 50% of the years in which the first week is negative (as it was this year) are down years. We will have one more early gauge -- the January barometer, which says how the market does in the first whole month of the year, will show how the whole year goes.

All of the major averages have broken down below their short- term, 20-day moving averages (which have now rolled over and begun to turn downward). Furthermore, they continue to make new lows, although the damage since those first three days of the new year has been much more muted.

Equity-only put-call ratios remain on their sell signals. The standard ratio didn't turn negative until January 5th, but the weighted ratio has been on a sell signal for some time. See Figures 2 and 3. They will not give buy signals until they roll over and begin to trend downward.

Market breadth deteriorated badly during the first week of this year. Breadth sell signals remain in force.

Finally, there is $VIX. It jumped higher before the market sold off -- a good "prediction" on its part. But then it began to decline again, despite the market's failure to rally. There has been much debate among option traders as to whether this recent decline in $VIX is a) predictive, indicating that the worst is over, or b) contrary, meaning that option traders are way too complacent and further declines will be necessary to shock them out of their complacency. Given that $VIX was recently a good predictor, we have to lean that way a little, but it certainly seems risky to be selling premium (i.e., betting on a $VIX decline) at these low levels.

In summary, since all of the indicators -- save $VIX -- are bearish, we retain a bearish opinion. Ideally, the market will decline enough to generate true buy signals (not merely the lukewarm buy signals that littered the first half of 2004).
.


To receive the complete commentary plus reccomendations visit here: http://www.optionstrategist.com/offers/strategist.htm

Note: Use the following link to view this week's charts: http://www.optionstrategist.
com/products/advisories/hotline/charts.asp

Google Scholar: "
Advanced Scholar Search Tips



Google Scholar
About Google Scholar
About Google


Find on this site:

You can increase the accuracy and effectiveness of your searches on Google Scholar by adding 'operators' that fine-tune your search terms. In some cases, you can add operators right in the Google Scholar search box; other times, you'll want to use the Advanced Scholar Search page.
Here are the most common Google Scholar operators:
Author Search - Publication Restrict - Date Restrict - Other Operators
Author search
Author search is one of the most effective ways to find a specific paper. If you know who wrote the paper you're looking for, you can simply add their last name to your search terms.
For example:
The search [friedman regression] returns papers on the subject of regression written by people named Friedman. If you want to search on an author's full name, or last name and first initial, enter the name in quotes: ['jh friedman']
When a word is both a person's name and a common noun, you might want to use the 'author:' operator. This operator only affects the search term that immediately follows it, and there must be no space between 'author:' and your search term.
For example:
[author:flowers] returns papers written by people with the name Flowers, whereas [flowers -author:flowers] returns papers about flowers, and ignores papers written by people with the name Flowers (a minus in front of a search term excludes results that contain this search term).
You can enter several author terms, but you'll have to prefix each one with the operator.
For example:
To find articles about regression by JH Friedman, try [author:jh author:friedman regression]. This may "

Thursday, January 13, 2005

Leverage Alert: iShares Lehman 20+ year treasury bond


ALL LEVERAGE SERVICES

THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2005
½-POSITION CLOSEOUT INSTRUCTIONS!

CANCEL ANY OPEN ORDERS AND PLACE A DAY-LIMIT ORDER TO SELL (TO CLOSE) THE
FIRST ONE-HALF OF YOUR POSITION IN THE ISHARES LEHMAN 20+ YEAR TREASURY
BOND FUND (TLTAJ) AT 1.50 OR BETTER.

IF THIS INITIAL ONE-HALF POSITION HAS NOT BEEN CLOSED BY 11:00 A.M. EASTERN
TIME, CANCEL YOUR DAY-LIMIT ORDER AND PLACE AN ORDER TO SELL (TO CLOSE) THE
ONE-HALF POSITION AT THE CURRENT MARKET PRICE.

THE OPTION IS CURRENTLY BID AT 1.75, ASKED AT 1.95.

TLT IS CURRENTLY AT 89.76.

WE RECOMMEND EXITING THE FIRST HALF OF THE POSITION AT THIS TIME AND
CONTINUING TO HOLD THE SECOND HALF OF THE TRADE.

YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE FURTHER COMMUNICATION CONCERNING THIS TRADE, INCLUDING
CLOSEOUT INSTRUCTIONS, IF YOUR SUBSCRIPTION IS NOT ACTIVE AT THE TIME WE
ISSUE FOLLOW-UP INSTRUCTIONS.