The Post picked up my story on the CSIS hacking. I’m still perplexed by the comment from Tahera Mufti, a media liaison officer at CSIS, who said the websites are fine, when they clearly aren’t. I can only think of two explanations: The charitable explanation: CSIS fixed the sites after I first posted about the problem [...]

CSIS websites hacked with pharma malware

by AnnB on April 24, 2013

Rogue Viagra vendors  have successfully hacked CSIS, the government agency charged with analyzing and investigating threats to Canada’s cyber security . Google search results show that CSIS sites are infected with so-called pharma malware. since 2011. The search engine warning “this site may be compromised” appears on dozens of pages in in both English and French for www.csiscareers.ca and www. carriereauscrs.ca. [...]

I was just looking up some information on CSIS and was shocked to see that, according to Google, its website may be compromised. After all, CSIS is responsible for assessing cyber security threats to Canada. How could it be possible that (part of) their website (second of three shown below) could be hacked by a bunch [...]

Today I got a visit (see above) from New York’s Tower Research Capital, owners of the mysterious Latour Trading. They stop by from time to time to check out certain information about Vigilant Global, the Montreal prop trading firm that used to be called Vigilant Futures. All this reminds me that I really need to [...]

Last week the Wall Street Journal reported: WASHINGTON—Federal law-enforcement authorities have reversed course and revived an insider-trading probe into how media companies transmit government data to investors, according to people familiar with the matter. The decision came after the Wall Street Journal in January disclosed the probe and reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation [...]

Take it with a shaker full of salt. Here’s a nice FT piece on DRW and its head honcho Don Wilson. I can be reached at ann.brocklehurst@gmail.com

Wattpad, What Pad, WTF Pad???!!!

by AnnB on March 27, 2013

Wattpad is a bit of a tech darling as of late. Not only does it have the venture capital crowd on its side, it’s also got Margaret Atwood. In fact, credit where credit’s due, Atwood’s the one who coined the name “what pad,” which inspired WTF pad, whch sounds a lot like making reading and writing [...]

Or does Cequity Int Limited just have two very similarly named directors? Yakov (Yankey) Mermelstein owns all or part of Econolive also known as Empire News.

Review: The Daughter of time by Josephine Tey

by AnnB on February 05, 2013

All the news about Richard III has reminded me of Josephine Tey’s great 1951 detective novel, The Daughter of Time. The book began the most recent rehabilitation of Richard III, who until its publication was known in modern times mostly by his evil Shakespearian reputation. Tey’s hero, Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard, recuperating from a [...]

The Wall Street Journal ran an interesting story Monday about an extensive investigation into media companies in lock-ups and the possible premature release of sensitive  and potentially market-moving economic data. I think we’re supposed to read between the lines about why no charges are being laid as the explanation given by anonymous source(s) doesn’t really [...]

Are the DOL lock-ups for algorithmic traders or the public?

July 14, 2012

I’ve been bemused for awhile now about how proposed changes to the Department of Labor lock-ups have been played as a great affront to journalists and freedom of the press, when, in reality, those who would be most affected by the suggested restrictions are so-called algorithmic or high frequency traders. The general public, who the [...]

Read the full article →

House committee hearing on new lock-up rules sure was interesting

June 6, 2012

I listened to the whole thing and a number of things struck me: Boy, has Carl Fillichio changed his tune since his April 16th conference call with reporters, when he stonewalled and refused to answer reasonable questions. (The transcript to that call is here, but to fully appreciate the extent of his obnoxiousness, listen to the audio.) [...]

Read the full article →

Hedge funds (traders) with DOL lock-up connections

June 6, 2012

These are the ones that I know about, but there are more: JED Capital of Chicago used to be tied to Need to Know News (NTKN) Vigilant Global (formerly Vigilant Futures) of Montreal started the fake news agency CEP News to gain access to lock-ups. CEP News was subsequently folded, but its marketing director, Paula [...]

Read the full article →

Still more scrutiny for new lock-up rules

June 4, 2012

Not only is the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce demanding to know more about the changes to the lock-up rules, so is the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which will hold a hearing “Addressing Concerns about the Integrity of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Jobs Reporting” on Wednesday June 6. The [...]

Read the full article →

Congressman to DOL: Give us the background on the lock-up changes

June 4, 2012

Congressman John Kline, chairman of the committee with primary jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Labor, is requesting more information on why the lock-up rules are being changed. In a letter dated last Friday, he asks to see the study by the Sandia National Laboratory that was delivered in August 2011 and looks at the [...]

Read the full article →

RTT News, NTKN and Bond Buyer booted out of Department of Labor lock-ups

May 8, 2012

Here are the news organizations that have been officially credentialed for Department of Labor lock-ups, effective July 6, 2012: Agence France-Presse Associated Press Bloomberg News Bloomberg Television CNBC CNN Dow Jones Newswires Fox Business Network Jiji Press Kyodo News Market News International MarketWatch The Nikkei Thomson Reuters Tribune Company This is the old Department of [...]

Read the full article →

Who’s behind the big changes to the Department of Labor lock-up rules?

April 16, 2012

This post is delayed. Please check back later. Update 10:30 April 17: The promised audio of Monday’s call, which was supposed to be posted to the DOL website yesterday, is still not available. The DOL linked it earlier, but the recording turned out to be muzak and now it’s disappeared. Honestly, if they can’t upload [...]

Read the full article →

A settlement in the Shirley vs. JED Capital and Harada case

April 16, 2012

This means no more juicy details will be forthcoming. That’s probably why they settled. Terminate Hearings

Read the full article →

Vigilant Global (Vigilant Futures) has one of biggest claims in MF Global debacle

March 14, 2012

Reuters put together a list of the 50 biggest claims by former MF Global clients, based on its analysis of about 10,000 of nearly 28,000 total claims. Vigilant Futures (now known as vigilant Global) is 18th on the list with its claim of $10,471,037.

Read the full article →

Hmm, U.S. Department of Labor worried about lock-ups

March 8, 2012

CNBC reports: The federal government routinely churns out new data that can cause huge swings in individual stock prices and sometimes entire markets, including commodity trends, FDA drug approvals, and, perhaps most importantly, the monthly jobs report from the Department of Labor. The release of that figure on the first Friday of each month can [...]

Read the full article →

How does the TTC define medical emergency?

May 18, 2011

Toronto’s subway is regularly delayed during rush hour — two to three times a week on my route — for medical emergencies, and the delays are often long enough to make you late by 15 minutes to half an hour.I’ve always wondered just what exactly these frequent medical emergencies are, and Monday morning I found [...]

Read the full article →

Can we talk — or email if you prefer?

May 14, 2013

It’s not a good day for appealing to anonymous tipsters but what the hey. Could the person who got in touch back in February to discuss, among other things, my “impact” please contact me again. I’m 99% sure DOJ isn’t watching. After all, this is no national security link. Thanks. ann.brocklehurst@gmail.com

Read the full article →

The problem with “root causes”: Attention Justin Trudeau

April 22, 2013

New Yorker editor David Remnick’s article on the Tsarnaev brothers is a perfect example of how explaining terrorism often morphs into excusing it. It begins with the facts of life in Chechnya and the Caucuses, pointing out the political and historical factors that have contributed to the rise of terrorism in that part of the world. But [...]

Read the full article →

Empathy, explanations and Excuses

April 22, 2013

On the final day of the week the Boston Marathon was bombed, the indie musician and performance artist Amanda Palmer wrote an appalling and almost universally denounced blog post that she odiously entitled  “A Poem for Dzhokhar.” While Palmer and a small coterie of supporters have talked themselves into believing that this supposed poem represents [...]

Read the full article →

Subscribe to Der Spiegel in United States

April 2, 2013

The best and most reliable way to do this is through Amazon. CLICK HERE for details

Read the full article →