What am I doing? I'm waiting for the trade to come to me! What are you doing?
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no. It doesn't matter to naked short sellers (aka criminals).
correction, I should have said hundreds of MILLIONS of shares
MM's are shuffling hundreds of thousands of shares around like they're hot potatoes. Could this have something to do with the FTD reports coming out?
Zecco filled me at .0002 this morning.
I agree and that's why I didn't check aon. Zecco always fills me on this stock but not today!! What does that mean?
I've been slapping that assssk allll day but NO FILL. Zecco has always taken care of me when it comes to RCCH but NOT TODAY!
AH trades (aka t-trades):
1) within 90 seconds after the market closes = normal tradings but so close to 4 pm that it didn't get posted on time.
FOR MORE THAN 90 SECONDS
2) used by financial institutions that are non MMs to report larger trades that occurred during market hours. But they don't have access to ACT (Automated Confirmation Transcation Service) use FORM T to report. These transactions are typically used by larger investors to buy larger lots at prearranged prices without risking to drive the price upward or downward.
3) Certain transactions may clear and settle outside of the regular clearing system ("ex-clearing" transactions), where two dealers make an arrangement to settle trades between them outside the clearing system. Manually via Ex-Clearing. Ex-Clearing is a manual comparison process that is performed by the brokerage firm’s Purchase and Sales Department. Unusual short coverings can end up settle this way
Here are the t-trades as I saw them, there is one 5mil at .0002
11/10/08 16:13:15 0.0001 5865007
11/10/08 16:13:00 0.0001 9000000
11/10/08 16:12:47 0.0001 9999999
11/10/08 16:12:35 0.0001 9999999
11/10/08 16:12:18 0.0001 9999999
11/10/08 16:12:03 0.0001 9999999
11/10/08 16:11:52 0.0001 9999999
11/10/08 16:11:32 0.0001 9999999
11/10/08 16:08:16 0.0002 5000000
11/10/08 16:08:16 0.0001 9999999
all but 5 Mil are at .0001Mil
I see 89,865,000 so far
QUESTION - Which longs trust Gene Newton?
Which longs believe that Gene is neither selling company shares nor is he going to drop us off a cliff here.
1. TT
2. Hypehunter
3. Cigarguy
4. bag8ger
5. TigerFanInNC
6. NewbieAtThis
7. Go-Gold
8. farmboynate
9. billiondollarman
10. MNM moneynmetals
11. lalapalu
12. HUMMER81
13. Strivingforluck
14. Kramrer
15. Trent777
16. DayTrade
17. 727
18. dale w
19. mcokpba
20. GotX
21. Workerturnedtrader
22. PanicButton
ETMM = E*Trade Capital Markets Llc
http://otcbb.com/dynamic/tradingdata/download/mmids.txt
I'm HOLDEN!
I'm seeing t-trades of 185,550,198
11/07/08 16:07:42 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 4000000
11/07/08 16:07:42 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 101400198
11/07/08 16:07:55 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 7128220
11/07/08 16:08:38 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 9000000
11/07/08 16:08:38 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 9000000
11/07/08 16:08:38 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 9000000
11/07/08 16:08:38 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 9000000
11/07/08 16:08:38 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 9000000
11/07/08 16:08:38 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 9000000
11/07/08 16:08:38 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 1021780
11/07/08 16:08:38 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 9000000
11/07/08 16:08:38 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 9000000
Contact is right in the PR.
Kate Rahn
Director, Marketing & Business Development
Shaw Tracking
kate.rahn@shawtracking.ca
I know, that's why I posted it here. Keep up the good fight!
PMorgan Responsible for the Destruction of U.S. Financial System
http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article6826.html
The truth about the FED
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7757684583209015812&hl
ABSOLUTELY! The Money Masters is one of the best most complete documentaries I have ever seen! When you're done watching that movie and your jaw subsequently hits the floor I recommend further studies starting here:
http://www.lewrockwell.com/murphy/murphy129.html
and here:
http://www.google.com/custom?sa=Search&domains=lewrockwell.com&q=federal+reserve&sitesearch=lewrockwell.com
neww nss reg.'s in effect tomorrow !!!!!!!!!!!
Scottrade Messages
If you are a customer who sells short, this notice is to inform you that an emergency order was recently issued and extended by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding short sale transactions. Customers who sell short are now subject to potential buy-in on settlement date and any time thereafter without prior notification from the broker dealer, if the broker dealer can no longer borrow the stock.
Copy and paste the below links for further information regarding this SEC Emergency Order (Release No. 34-58572) and extension.
http://www.sec.gov/rules/other/2008/34-58572.pdf
http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2008/2008-235.htm
RIN 3235-AK06
“Naked” Short Selling Antifraud Rule
AGENCY: Securities and Exchange Commission.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY: The Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) is adopting an antifraud rule under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) to address fails to deliver securities that have been associated with “naked” short selling. The rule will further evidence the liability of short sellers, including broker-dealers acting for their own accounts, who deceive specified persons about their intention or ability to deliver securities in time for settlement (including persons that deceive their broker-dealer about their locate source or ownership of shares) and that fail to deliver securities by settlement date.
DATES: Effective Date: October 17, 2008.
http://www.sec.gov/rules/final/2008/34-58774.pdf
Waking Up To Fatigue
http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1575248/waking_up_to_fatigue/
Posted on: Thursday, 2 October 2008, 03:00 CDT
By Katz, Peter
Just because you're awake, doesn't mean you're alert. The FAA is paying renewed attention to human fatigue in aviation, particularly in air transport operations. This issue has troubled the NTSB to such an extent that it has appeared on its annual "Most Wanted Transportation Safety Improvements" every year since the list was first published in 1990. This past June, the FAA held a symposium in Vienna, Va. About a week before the symposium, the NTSB had issued a safety recommendation calling on the FAA to develop guidance for operators to establish fatigue management systems and continually assess the effectiveness of those systems, including their ability to improve alertness, eliminate performance errors and prevent incidents/accidents.
FAA Acting Administrator Robert Sturgell addressed the symposium, pointing out that current FAA regulations only include the mandatory scheduling of crew rest periods. There's nothing dealing with fatigue mitigation. "We like to think that not getting enough sleep, working tired, being a little drowsy-that they're just all part of how Americans live," Sturgell said. "We don't like to think that fatigue can be linked to catastrophe, but there's some truth in that." The controllers union has been telling the FAA for some time that fatigue is an issue among its members, some of whom have been working assigned overtime and sixday weeks for years. Sturgell didn't specify how the FAA will address fatigue-whether it will limit itself to being a facilitator for industry efforts or embark on a new round of rulemaking.
In its safety recommendation, the NTSB reported that it was investigating a February 13, 2008, incident in which both pilots on a Go!/Mesa Airlines regional jet fell asleep; the flight was out of radio contact with ATC for 18 minutes. Flight 1002 was a Bombardier CL-600 with two pilots, a flight attendant and 40 passengers. At 9:40 a.m., as the flight was crossing the Maui, Hawaii, the flight crew failed to respond to an ATC instruction. Despite continuous efforts by ATC to raise the flight, there was no reply. The airplane was heading southeast over the Pacific Ocean when the crew finally radioed ATC, which directed the flight back to its destination airport, General Lyman Field in Hilo, Hawaii.
The NTSB learned that the crew had been on duty for less than 4.5 hours when the incident occurred. The flight, however, took place on the third day of a trip sequence that involved numerous short flight segments and early starting times. The NTSB also says that one of the pilots was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, a condition associated with poor sleep quality and daytime fatigue.
Since 1972, the Safety Board has issued 115 safety recommendations relating to fatigue in all modes of transportation. Fatigue in aviation was the subject of 32 such recommendations.
Upon investigating the October 19, 2004, crash of Corporate Airlines Flight 5966 at Kirksville, Miss., the NTSB concluded that fatigue likely contributed to the degraded performance of the pilots. Both pilots and 11 passengers were killed, while two passengers received serious injuries. The pilots had been on a nonprecision approach at night in IMC. They had been on duty for 14.5 hours and had conducted five previous landings in poor weather conditions.
In its investigation of a February 18, 2007, incident involving Delta Connection Flight 6448 at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in Cleveland, Ohio, the NTSB found that the captain was suffering from fatigue. The Embraer regional jet landed on runway 28 when it was snowing; it didn't stop until it overran the runway's end, hit an ILS antenna and struck an airport perimeter fence.
The captain had been experiencing intermittent insomnia for several months. He told investigators that he had been unable to sleep the night before the accident and had been awake for all but one of the preceding 32 hours. Before the flight, he told the other pilot that he was tired, but he didn't tell take advantage of a policy allowing pilots to excuse themselves due to fatigue because he was afraid the company would fire him. According to the NTSB, "The administration of this policy didn't permit flight crew members to call in as fatigued without fear of reprisals."
As another example of why the FAA needs to act on fatigue management, the NTSB pointed to its investigation of the April 12, 2007, accident at Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City, Mich., in which Pinnacle Airlines Flight 4712 ran off the runway in snow. None of the 52 people on board were hurt, but me CL-600 regional jet received substantial damage. The pilots had been on duty for 14 hours; they had conducted four previous landings in poor weather conditions. The cockpit voice recorder revealed that the pilots made several comments about being fatigued, and yawning sounds could be heard.
While the NTSB's safety recommendation made no mention of GA accidents involving fatigue, it remains just as important for general aviation as it is for the airlines. In some respects, dealing with fatigue is more difficult for GA pilots operating without any framework for duty hours, maximum flight times or required rest periods. Many GA pilots have to decide whether to fly after a long day of business meetings, a poor night's sleep, a long period of physical activity or some combination of these and other factors. Pressures to make the flight might be self-imposed or come from passengers and business associates. [See "Managing Fatigue" on page 58.]
Take, for example, a PA30 Twin Comanche that crashed while making what should have been a routine approach. The pilot may not have been able to discern that fatigue was impairing his ability to function because he had been used to dealing with a number of troubling factors for an extended period of time.
At 6:19 p.m. on January 13, 2006, the airplane was descending for a landing at Visalia Municipal Airport in Visalia, Calif. The pilot had turned about a half-mile final and had been in radio contact via the local Unicom with a King Air that was on a four-mile final. The King Air pilot had radioed the accident pilot that there was plenty of room and he should go ahead and turn final for landing. The Twin Comanche struck the ground about 400 feet short of the approach end of runway 30. The commercial pilot and the three passengers were killed. The pilot had flown from Visalia to Byron Airport in Byron, Calif., to pick up two children; this was the return flight.
The pilot held a commercial certificate with ratings for single- engine and multiengine airplanes and instruments. His logbooks couldn't be located, but on his application for an FAA medical about two years before the accident, he reported having 5,700 flight hours.
Investigators learned that the pilot had been traveling for work in the days preceding the accident. He took a commercial flight to Portland, Ore., and worked there before driving to Seatde, Wash., for two days of meetings. The night before the accident flight, he flew commercially from Seatde to California on a flight that was delayed an hour. He dropped off a friend in Fresno at 12:30 a.m., and arrived home at 1:30 a.m., the morning of the accident.
Toxicological testing indicated the presence of drugs usually used to control high blood pressure. Also, there was a high level of doxylamine, often used in over-thecounter sleep aids. The pilot hadn't reported using these drugs on his medical application. Investigators subpoenaed die pilot's personal medical records, which indicated that he had a history of lower back pain. On four different occasions, the pilot had complained to his doctor about experiencing difficulty sleeping due to the pain. The NTSB report suggested that the high level of doxylamine had likely accumulated due to daily use or use in excess of the maximum recommended dose.
The NTSB determined that the probable cause of this accident was die pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during the landing approach, which resulted in a stall and uncontrolled descent. Contributing factors included the pilot's impairment due to his prolonged use of a highly sedating overthe-counter sleep aid and the onset of fatigue due to lack of sleep.
Article: http://www.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/opinion/op_ed/article/big_rig_drivers_need_breaks/28368/
Big-rig drivers need breaks
By The Daily Progress
Published: September 26, 2008
Truckers may want to keep the hammer down. We’ll keep hammering away at the need for long-distance drivers to get enough sleep.
Driver fatigue is a factor in about one out of eight crashes involving big rigs, said Jana Price, an investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
Last week in Washington, the board held a hearing on safety, prompted by a crash three years ago in Wisconsin between a tractor-trailer and a bus carrying a high school band. Five people died.
In an earlier court case, one side argued that the truck driver was “just” speeding — not overtired — when he drifted off the road, overcorrected and flipped his trailer in the middle of Interstate 94. The other side blamed the bus driver, saying he was overtired, had vision problems and did not see accident in time to avoid it.
A jury acquitted the truck driver of several charges.
The NTSB had investigated the crash at the time and still stands by its conclusion that the evidence showed sleepiness, not speeding, as the problem.
And it says that trucking companies and the government both can do more to cut down on these types of crashes.
The board recommends that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration increase enforcement to make sure that trucking companies keep their records up to date and accurate. Truckers’ logs are supposed to show when and for how long the drivers take rest breaks, which are prescribed by law.
The board also recommends that government mandate the use of technologies that can alert drivers that they are falling asleep. Some sophisticated systems track the driver’s eye movements and sound an alarm when eye movement (or lack thereof) suggests that the driver is growing drowsy.
There is even technology that can automatically apply the brakes.
Automatic braking can upset big rigs’ stability, say critics. And some drivers complain that alarms can be too distracting, said Ms. Price.
But even such low-key technology as rumble strips has proven highly effective, reducing “drift-off” crashes by 60 percent. Virginia has won praise for its widespread use of grooved pavement on the shoulders of its highways to alert drivers that they have left the travel lanes.
It’s almost certain that reducing crashes due to fatigue will require a more conscientious push from trucking companies as well as a government effort to improve regulations and require effective technology as necessary. It’s often human nature to try to cut corners or push limits. Technology that can remove the human-error factor from driving should be pursued.
Big-rig crashes are said to be a small percentage of accidents overall. But when they happen, they can be devastating — more dangerous than crashes involving smaller passenger vehicles.
Saving lives requires improving safety — both in driver behavior and vehicle capability.
translated
TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION
Detect fatigue, drugs and drunk driving
Updated: 22/09/2008 13h31
A revolutionary camera that detects fatigue, alcohol and drugs has been designed in Montreal.
The camera tested by truck drivers of the company Robert is made to avoid accidents.
ECT is the firm and the Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal who created this intelligent infrared camera which can detect symptoms of fatigue in the eye of the driver.
The device, installed on the dashboard, 60 frames detailed analysis in 534 points in the driver's face every second.
The camera can detect early symptoms of fatigue up to two hours in advance.
Symptoms associated with the consumption of alcohol and drugs are detected early.
Such cameras may soon be integrated into new vehicles.
Thanks for posting! Here is the full article
Sleep-related crash prompts fed call for research
By DINESH RAMDE
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
MILWAUKEE -- Trucking companies should work harder to enforce that their drivers get rest, and the government should move toward mandating the use of alarm systems to alert exhausted truckers, a federal board recommended.
While drivers are ultimately responsible for getting enough rest, trucking companies and the government should also make the nation's roads safer by studying fledgling technology that would keep drivers alert, the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday.
The board hearing, held in Washington, D.C., and streamed live on the Internet, was held in response to an early-morning crash in western Wisconsin three years ago in which a bus carrying a high school band slammed into an overturned semitrailer, killing five people.
NTSB investigators concluded that the truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and began to drift off the interstate's shoulder. When he swerved back onto the road, the rig overturned. The bus then plowed into the truck.
Some technology still in the early stages may eventually prevent such fatigue-induced crashes, NTSB investigator Jana Price told the board.
For example, a dashboard-mounted camera that tracks a driver's eye and eyelid movements could alert a driver who appears to be falling asleep.
"That can be useful since drivers are often unaware of their own fatigue," she said.
Tiredness is a factor in about one in eight large-truck crashes, Price said.
The Wisconsin crash occurred around 2 a.m. on Oct. 16, 2005, on Interstate 94 near Osseo. The NTSB found that the brakes on the bus had not been properly maintained, but said that poor visibility meant the bus driver couldn't have avoided the rig even if the brakes were in ideal condition.
Bus driver Paul Rasmus was among the dead.
The driver of the semi, Michael Kozlowski, of Schererville, Ind., was not seriously hurt. Last year, a jury acquitted him of negligent homicide, causing great bodily harm by reckless driving and causing injury in the crash.
Kozlowski's lawyer, Daniel A. Haws, said his client was simply driving too fast when he tried to pull over to relieve himself. The defense blamed the crash on Rasmus, claiming he was overtired and didn't see the overturned truck because of vision problems.
NTSB investigators said their research suggested that Kozlowski did fall asleep. Onboard equipment indicated the truck left the road at a gradual angle without slowing, and witnesses reported seeing the truck drift, investigator David Rayburn said.
Haws said the NTSB's arguments had been dismissed by the jury in the criminal trial.
"The evidence they use to say he fell asleep, the jury heard the exact same thing and said they didn't believe it," he said.
Kozlowski was on a 430-mile trip to haul groceries for Whole Foods Market Group. The crash occurred after he traveled about 320 miles from Munster, Ind., to St. Paul, Minn.
Records show that Whole Foods gave Kozlowski sufficient time to rest between assignments, but the NTSB said Kozlowski had not filled in his log book as required for five days before the crash.
NTSB board member Debbie Hersman proposed that Whole Foods Market Group be asked to implement a comprehensive fatigue-education program for its drivers. The board approved the proposal.
Whole Foods spokeswoman Libba Letton said the company couldn't comment because of the pending litigation.
The NTSB also called upon the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to step up enforcement of trucking companies, making sure their record-keeping is up to date and drivers are being given adequate time to rest.
Investigators also debated the use of technology designed to warn of impending collisions and automatically engage the brakes. They discussed concerns that automatic braking could interfere with the stability of large rigs, so the board recommended that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study the technology and mandate its use if it proves effective.
Price, the NTSB investigator, also discussed technology that detects when a vehicle is veering from its lane and alerts the driver with a light or an alarm. But some drivers complain that the alerts can be distracting, she said.
Even low-tech measures are effective. Price said studies found that rumble strips - textured strips of pavement that produce vibrations when a driver passes over them - reduced drift-off crashes by up to 60 percent.
Front page of Wall Street Journal today
Pilot Fatigue Spurs Calls for New Safeguards
By ANDY PASZTOR and SUSAN CAREY
September 12, 2008; Page A1
Safety experts and regulators have long been concerned about the dangers of exhausted, overworked or downright sleepy pilots. But the problem is intensifying as financially strapped airlines try to squeeze more productivity out of pilots, who by most measures are logging more hours per month and flying more grueling schedules than at any time since 2001.
Many big airlines with new labor contracts bargained in bankruptcy -- or under threat of it -- have many pilots flying up to an extra 10 or 15 hours each month, closer to the 100-hour maximum allowed by the Federal Aviation Administration. That's in addition to layovers and time spent on ground duties.
Sidebar: Fighting Pilot Fatigue
Flight schedules that look manageable on paper often don't account for storms, air-traffic congestion or other potential delays that can make a long work day longer. In July, according to the latest government statistics, 19 U.S. airlines saw one quarter of all their flights, on average, arrive late by more than 15 minutes. And pilots say certain airlines schedule flight times at or just under eight hours -- the FAA-mandated limit that a pilot can be behind the controls per day -- on trans-Atlantic routes that regularly run longer, so they don't have to pay for an extra pilot.
Now, pilots and safety experts are stepping up pressure on the FAA to rewrite rest and scheduling regulations that basically haven't been updated since the 1960s. Critics say the rules don't reflect the current flying reality, and are based on outdated science that ignores the latest sleep research showing the cumulative impact of inadequate rest. At a hearing earlier this year, several National Transportation Safety Board members and staffers expressed concern that the U.S. was in danger of falling behind other countries in combating pilot fatigue.
After working more than 12 hours in a row -- inside and out of the cockpit -- error rates shoot up, complacency increases and communications become impaired, says Peter Demitry, a former test pilot and fatigue expert who consults for pilot groups. One symptom of fatigue that scientists are now studying is "micro sleep," when pilots become unresponsive for a few seconds or a minute, though their eyes are open.
The NTSB identifies tired pilots as one of its 10 "Most Wanted" safety improvements, linking at least 10 U.S. airliner accidents and 260 fatalities to fatigue since 1990. Hundreds more close calls have been reported to pilot unions and confidential federal safety databases over the years. Fatigue-related mistakes have included pilots forgetting to extend flaps before takeoff, inadvertently shutting down engines in midair, and losing track of a plane's position on final approach. In several cases, crew members have nodded off at the controls.
Airline officials say their own internal programs help counter fatigue and allow pilots to stop flying if they feel unsafe. And overall, jetliner accidents in the U.S. are at historically low levels, with the last crash of a wide-body jet occurring nearly seven years ago. New rules "have to be based on conclusive research, not anecdotal evidence," says David Castelveter, a spokesman for the Air Transport Association, a trade group for major carriers. "You shouldn't change regulations simply because there are times airplanes run late" and pilots end up working longer than anticipated.
But critics say new regulations are necessary to prevent incidents like one that unfolded in February. A flight operated by commuter carrier Go!, en route from Honolulu to Hilo, Hawaii, encountered a serious problem as it flew over Maui: Both pilots were fast asleep.
Cruising at 21,000 feet with 40 passengers aboard a Bombardier regional jet shortly before 10 a.m., the pilots for 18 minutes failed to respond to frantic calls from air-traffic controllers. The jet overshot its destination, crossed the big island of Hawaii and headed southeast over the Pacific. After traveling 26 nautical miles beyond its destination, the flight crew finally responded, reversed course and landed safely, according to the NTSB.
No official report has yet been released on the incident. In a letter urging the FAA and the airlines to more closely monitor pilot fatigue, the safety board said the pilots, who had been on duty four and a half hours that morning, "were on the third day of a trip schedule that involved repeated early start times and demanding sequences of numerous short flight segments." The letter concluded the pilots -- who no longer work for the airline -- "unintentionally fell asleep."
Go!, a division of Mesa Air Group Inc., is cooperating with the safety board's investigation. The company declined to comment on the incident, and hasn't identified the two pilots.
Pretending to Sleep
Pilots say short commuter hops are often more tiring than long hauls. Schedules can entail half a dozen legs in a single day, sometimes requiring planes to go up and down in storms that aircraft on longer routes are able to avoid. Since many commuter flights shuttle between hubs and outlying airports, they tend to run late and start early. That means crews can end up with short layovers in the middle of the night.
The routine can become "take a shower, brush your teeth, pretend you slept," says Tom Wychor, an 18-year veteran of Mesaba Aviation Inc., a wholly owned regional unit of Northwest Airlines Corp. Mr. Wychor recalls, in the early 1990s, nodding off on approach to the Houghton, Mich., airport in snow and fog.
"I was bathed in sweat and scared to death," when the runway suddenly appeared, he says. Mr. Wychor had started early three days in a row, and flown numerous 15-minute hops between Houghton and Marquette, Mich. Mesaba declined to comment for this article.
When Mesa pilots reach a destination late at night, they often want to nap before climbing back into the cockpit for an early morning departure. But for crews on the ground four hours or less, Mesa won't pay for hotel rooms.
'Camping Trip'
Pilots "call it a 'camping trip,'" says Kevin Wilson, a captain and union chief for the 1,400 pilots at Mesa, which flies for UAL Corp.'s United Airlines, Delta Air Lines Inc. and US Airways Group Inc. He says pilots will sometimes curl up on a chair in the terminal "or sleep on the plane; I've done it once myself." The same crews then fly up to three more legs before calling it quits and getting their mandatory rest period.
Such punishing schedules are legal under FAA regulations. Michael Lotz, Mesa's president and chief operating officer, says the carrier complies with all collective-bargaining agreements, and its pilots can be scheduled to fly "as many legs" as the FAA allows.
"I've heard anecdotal stories" of pilots sleeping on planes between flights, he says. "We don't track that."
[Pilot Fatigue Spurs Calls for Safeguards]
With this segment growing -- regional airlines now carry one in four U.S. passengers and operate half the country's scheduled flights -- fatigue issues are coming into the spotlight. Peggy Gilligan, the FAA's deputy associate administrator for safety, recently suggested the most taxing commuter airline schedules may be reassessed. "This may be another area where we need to pay more attention," she said in an interview. Years ago, the agency pledged to establish a single level of safety for large and small airliners.
Airlines say they'd prefer to negotiate with their unions to set acceptable work limits rather than having Washington-imposed solutions. Fatigue "isn't a tremendous issue" for the 2,000 pilots at Republic Airways Holdings Inc., which owns three commuter carriers, according to Wayne Heller, chief operating officer, adding that the airline's work rules are stricter than the FAA's. "If we have fatigue," he says, "it's due to unplanned circumstances" outside the company's control.
The FAA, reluctant to impose additional financial burdens on the ailing industry, has hesitated to rewrite fatigue-prevention rules. But regulators acknowledge that fatigue in the cockpit is a significant threat. In an interview, former FAA Administrator Marion Blakey calls pilot scheduling disputes "the third rail of aviation safety regulation." And in June, the agency convened a comprehensive fatigue forum for the first time, gathering international airline officials, human-factors experts and sleep researchers. FAA officials say they intend to evaluate material presented in the sessions.
Foreign airlines and regulators have broken new ground in recent years by taking multiple factors into account when setting work limits for pilots. For example, pilots who fly numerous short legs or have so-called "backside of the clock" schedules -- requiring them to stay up all night or cross multiple time zones -- generally stop working sooner and are guaranteed more rest between trips than those following less demanding timetables.
The FAA allows all airline pilots eight hours of scheduled time behind the controls per day, and up to 16 hours of total duty time, which includes wait time at airports between flights. The agency allows up to 30 hours of flight time weekly and up to 100 hours monthly.
But pilots complain there are no explicit limits for overall hours of duty per week. And while most airlines schedule longer overnight layovers than Mesa, and will reserve hotel rooms for their pilots, ground duties combined with travel to and from hotels can reduce time available for actual shut eye.
Stalled Sleep Talks
The FAA's attempts to update its fatigue rules date back to the mid-1990s, when the agency proposed a wholesale revision of pilot scheduling limits. The goal was to ensure a 36-hour period of consecutive rest each week in addition to daily rest periods. (Currently, the agency mandates eight consecutive hours of rest in any 24-hour period.) To placate airlines, the proposal also sought to increase maximum daily flight hours behind the controls to 10 hours from eight hours. That would allow carriers to use a single crew to fly round-trip transcontinental runs the same day. But after heated debate, the FAA in 1996 jettisoned the package and later compromise attempts failed.
[Pilot Fatigue Spurs Calls for Safeguards]
The Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks made it virtually impossible to advocate far-reaching safety initiatives, according to current and former FAA officials. Traffic plummeted and the industry, fighting for survival, was shedding pilots and aircraft at a breakneck pace. Like many pilot-union leaders, the agency shifted its emphasis to security matters.
Once the industry started to recover financially about three years ago, business and government couldn't agree on what changes to pursue. Advances in cockpit automation and onboard safety-warning systems were supposed to provide extra protections against human slipups. New routes spanning huge expanses of the Pacific drew more attention to fatigue issues on ultra-long haul flights.
In April 2008, safety board member Steven Chealander told Congress that "little or no action has been taken" by the FAA to grapple with fatigue, and agency officials "have not indicated any firm plans" to improve their track record. That's in dramatic contrast to enhanced fatigue-prevention measures developed for operators of trucks, trains and ships in the U.S.
Two months later, the NTSB reiterated calls to fight chronic fatigue after it was found to be a factor in last year's nonfatal crash of a Pinnacle Airlines Corp. commuter jet. The safety board determined that the captain, making his fifth landing on a short airstrip that day, had been working for 14 hours in mostly bad weather. Landing on a snowy Michigan runway, he failed to heed various warnings and didn't perform basic calculations before the plane careened off the strip. The captain "absolutely made some poor decisions," says Michael Garvin, Pinnacle's vice president of flight operations. The pilot couldn't be located for comment.
Some airlines have struck independent deals with regulators to modify their pilots' schedules. The FAA and Delta, for example, at the end of 2006, signed an agreement authorizing pilots to fly longer than normal shifts on certain non-stop trips between the U.S. and India. Lasting 16 or 17 hours one way, such ultra-long flights pose formidable fatigue issues. The deal includes extra precautions such as extended rest periods for cockpit crews before leaving the U.S., and two full days off in India prior to the return leg. The FAA's Ms. Gilligan said at the time that the voluntary pact was "a very good example of what we are going to do" with subsequent requests.
Frustrated by what they say are unreasonably long shifts on certain domestic and transatlantic routes, pilots at AMR Corp.'s American Airlines recently delivered a report to the FAA and the NTSB documenting individual flights that consistently take longer than scheduled. On selected trips from London's Heathrow Airport to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport -- which normally operate with two pilots -- scheduled trip durations of eight hours or less were exceeded more than half the time, say pilots. If the FAA determines American isn't adhering to "realistic" scheduling rules, those flights would have to carry an extra reserve pilot.
FAA officials declined to comment on the matter. An American spokesman said the company projects months ahead to "set realistic schedules about what out real flying time could be," factoring in historical trends, prevailing winds, aircraft types, specific airport operations and other variables. The airline has previously disputed pilot data on flight times.
personally I like this non-pumping PR, lord knows I've seen my fare share of pinky pumping PR's.
EFFC(0.021) Effective Control Transport Announces NASCO Conference 2008 Participation
Monday, May 12 2008 11:22 AM, EST Market Wire "US Press Releases "LONGUEUIL, QC -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/12/08 -- Effective Control Transport, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: EFFC) (www.econtroltransport.com) is proud to announce its first participation to the North America's SuperCorridor Coalition (NASCO) Conference 2008 with the assistance of the Mexico-Canada Commerce of Chamber who is mandated by the Ministry of Economic Development , Innovation and Exportation of Quebec (MDEIE) to coordinate and put in action a program of a commercial mission in Mexico .
We will participate in an important commercial mission in Mexico , from June 1st through June 7th 2008. This mission regroups firms in the areas of transportation and logistics, which will include two destinations: the cities of Mexico City and Guanajuato.
This is a tremendous opportunity for ECT to network with more than 400 international transportation logistic and economic development specialists, and to establish a strong presence in the Latin American market.
This mission will take place in parallel with the presence in Mexico of the Prime Minister of Quebec Mister Jean Charest who will participate at the conference North America's SuperCorridor Coalition (NASCO), on June 4th , 5th and 6th, 2008 in Guanajuato.
NASCO is a non-profit organization that exists to bring together the public and private sectors, along a common corridor, to attempt to solve critical problems in innovative ways which maximize the efficient use of our existing resources, make better use of critical diminishing funding for transportation infrastructure, and employ technology along our existing infrastructure to improve security.
For more information on NASCO go to http://www.nascogto.com/
MDEIE supports economic development, innovation and export trade, as well as research, particularly by encouraging coordinated and concerted action among the various players in the economic, scientific, social and cultural areas in order to promote job creation, economic prosperity, scientific development and sustainable development in Quebec .
For more information on MDEIE go to http://www.mdeie.gouv.qc.ca/index.php?id=3100
About Us
Effective Control Transport is a software company which specializes in technology that monitors a driver's vigilance announces a shareholder update. (http://www.econtroltransport.com)
All statements in this news release that are other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements, which contain our current expectations about our future results. Forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties. We have attempted to identify any forward-looking statements by using words such as "anticipates," "believes," "could," "expects," "intends," "may," "should" and other similar expressions. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in all of our forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct.
A number of factors may affect our future results and may cause those results to differ materially from those indicated in any forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf. Such factors include our limited operating history; our need for significant capital to finance internal growth as well as strategic acquisitions; our ability to attract and retain key employees and strategic partners; our ability to achieve and maintain profitability; fluctuations in the trading price and volume of our stock; competition from other providers of similar products and services; and other unanticipated future events and conditions.
Contact:
Investor Relations
Andrew Barwicki
516-662-9461
EFFC(0.0165) Effective Control Transport Shareholder Update
Friday, May 09 2008 9:15 AM, EST Market Wire "US Press Releases "LONGUEUIL, QC -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/09/08 -- Effective Control Transport Inc. (PINKSHEETS: EFFC) (www.econtroltransport.com), a software company which specializes in technology that monitors a driver's vigilance, announces a shareholder update.
ECT would also like to take this opportunity to inform its shareholders that the product section of the ECT website has been updated. More specific details on the CRAM product will be released later next week.
The ECT website can be found at www.econtroltransport.com
Due to shareholder inquiries in regards to the press release dated April 25, 2008 , ECT would like to offer further clarification which can be found by using the following link to our website:
http://ecnholding.com/pdf/bcf.pdf
Effective Control Transport is an information technology firm that has developed fully integrated solutions for trucking and fleet management along with the highest level of technical expertise, which enables it to service a wide range of customers, providing tailored solutions.
All statements in this news release that are other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements, which contain our current expectations about our future results. Forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties. We have attempted to identify any forward-looking statements by using words such as "anticipates," "believes," "could," "expects," "intends," "may," "should" and other similar expressions. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in all of our forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct.
A number of factors may affect our future results and may cause those results to differ materially from those indicated in any forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf. Such factors include our limited operating history; our need for significant capital to finance internal growth as well as strategic acquisitions; our ability to attract and retain key employees and strategic partners; our ability to achieve and maintain profitability; fluctuations in the trading price and volume of our stock; competition from other providers of similar products and services; and other unanticipated future events and conditions.
Contact:
Investor Relations
Andrew Barwicki
516-662-9461
They didn't say, or I simply don't recall, when it would actually be on the shelves they did say that they will start shipping in May.
The "China guy" that Anvil/CT is talking about was Marc-Olivier Hassoun. Yes, I agree with Anvil/CT that he did discuss ad nauseum the importance of the Tang and Chinese culture. He has spent months of his life in China laying the foundation for this company. The photos he showed of the numerous "Chinese ceremonies" he has attended and has been honored at is most bizarre but clearly an extremely important part of Aquagold's foundation. May take on all the talk is that this is of utmost importance when it comes to dealing in China! Folks, this ain't like dealing with Walmart! The presentation was not a polished dog and pony show but that actually made it feel very real to me if that makes sense.
With all due respect, IS a big deal! A very big deal! The bottle is clear and as crystal like as you can imagine! Even the cap is unique! The unique bottle shape will ensure that it stands out amongst the sea of bottled water currently available. The label is extremely well designed so that this water will be clearly identified as highly coveted "imported water". There will be no mistake that this water is imported! The market research told them that the old bottle design, with it's Chinese writing, made the water look like it was ordinary Chinese water. This product will be unmistakable identified as the elite water that it truly is.
After attending this meeting and listening to these gentlemen speak I have no doubt in my mind that they are 100% committed to transparency! It will be done!
Everything doog is reporting is accurate! And yes, the water is awesome! I was at the meeting today and I walked away feeling very good about what this company has and will do. They continue to lay a very solid foundation for themselves in China and that should NOT BE UNDERESTIMATED!!!!! (did I stress that enough?) The new bottle design is stunning and their reasoning behind the redesign tells me that they are VERY VERY serious about being successful. This company is absolutely going places IMO!
My vote goes to :RH pulled the plug on Argo
IMO being tied to specific Argo-only hardware was a serious hindrance to market penetration into a market that is already saturated with "hardware". EFFC no longer has to compete AGAINST all the other hardware mfrs out there. This company can now work to forge strong relationships with other HW mfrs in a way they could never do by competing directly with them on the hardware front. Some tall walls just got a lot lower IMO.
forget about building the hardware. There are millions upon millions of units already out in the field that FOLO CRAM can be plugged right into! Think about that, the market for FOLO CRAM just blew wide open!!!!
FOLO CRAM is no longer tied to specific "Argo" hardware, it integrates with existing hardware already installed in the market place, this is a thing of beauty IMO!
The FOLO CRAM(TM) does not affect the driver's normal performance. It requires no special connection or wiring and is easily integrated into fleet management applications already installed in the market today.
57105 @ 0.0336
I am 100% sure! I just checked again for good measure. ;)
ZERO AH T-trades today!
The Dangers of Drowsy Driving
http://www.layover.com/news/article/the-dangers-of-drowsy-driving-12954.html
Falling asleep at the wheel can be just as dangerous as drinking and driving.
Drowsiness can produce the same types of effects as alcohol - slowed reaction time, decreased awareness and impaired judgment, all of which increase the chances of having an accident. While it is common knowledge that it is dangerous to drink and drive, few realize the very real danger of driving drowsy.
In a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)/AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety survey among police officers, nearly 90 percent of the respondents said they had stopped a driver who they believed was drunk, but who turned out to be drowsy.
Fatigue-related accidents tend to be single vehicle crashes in which a vehicle leaves the roadway and then turns over or hits a fixed object. And as might be expected, research shows that people have a greater tendency to fall asleep while driving on the long, uninteresting stretches of road, characteristic of many highways and interstates.
The NHTSA says drowsiness or fatigue is a principal causal factor in up to 100,000 police reported crashes annually. These result in some 71,000 injuries and 1,500 fatalities.
The numbers could be higher, but it is difficult to attribute crashes to sleepiness because there is no standard test for drowsiness, as there is for intoxication.
The body has an internal clock, typically referred to as a biological clock. The scientific term is circadian rhythm, which influences the hormones that play a role in sleep and wakefulness, metabolic rate and body temperature. Research shows that while most people's internal clocks run on a daily rhythm of approximately 24 hours, individual "body time" varies from person to person. For example, there are "morning people" - those who feel most alert early in the day, and there are "night owls" those who seem to come alive at night.
Night time is particularly risky for drivers as sleep can become an irresistible urge, safety experts warn. Most people's biological clocks are programmed to sleep when it is dark. The sleep urge is strongest between 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., which is when drivers are especially likely to have sleep-related crashes.
Another sleepy danger time zone, point out safety experts, is in the middle of the day. Many sleep-related crashes happen between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., a period known as the afternoon lull or slump. It is this time of day when people feel tired and lethargic, and may have difficulty staying alert and focused.
To be a safer driver, safety officials suggest that drivers become aware of their own biological clock. What times of day do your drivers feel most alert? What times do they feel most drowsy?
Once they are aware of their own personal cycle, the officials say, drivers can take extra care when they are likely to be feeling sleepy.
Continuing to drive when drowsy puts a driver - and others - at serious risk of being involved in a fatigue-related crash, safety officials stress. The obvious thing to do is to find a safe spot to stop and get some sleep. Even a power nap - no more than 20 to 30 minutes long - serves to rejuvenate one's self by maximizing the benefits of sleep vs. time.
Since stopping for some sleep is not always practical, here are some suggested countermeasures that safety officials say may be effective for the short-term:
* Take regular breaks and get out of the truck. Stretch, do some exercises or walk around a bit to "get the blood flowing." This can help a driver feel more refreshed and invigorated.
* Drink a caffeinated beverage. Caffeine acts as a stimulant to boost energy temporarily. It takes about 30 minutes for caffeine to enter the bloodstream. For those who regularly drink caffeinated beverages, caffeine won't have much effect. Drinking too much caffeine at one time can make a person feel nervous or jumpy.
* Avoid medications - over-the-counter and prescription - that may cause drowsiness and impair one's driving abilities. Always read the label and check with a doctor or pharmacist to be sure.
* Open a window for fresh air, which can be invigorating.
* Listen to radio talk shows or loud, annoying music.
Understanding the risks, symptoms and countermeasures associated with drowsy driving are the keys to avoiding it, emphasize safety officials. But the bottom line is: the only certain cure for drowsiness is sleep.