text:
An Enticing Dragon Tale was just released and took the market by storm.
A new fantasy epic, Dragons of Vetulonia, scales the charts with its imaginative blend of globetrotting fantasy and colorful characters.
"Dragons of Vetulonia" written by C. M. Sutherland, has just released her latest book in the "The Dragon's Revival Series." This thrilling fiction brings dragons to life and leaves the readers craving more! 'Dragons of Vetulonia', was released a few weeks ago and the sales look like it will soon be on the 'Best-sellers' list.
Dragons of Vetulonia has strong characters with a plot that takes the readers by the scales! This fiery story begins with Serena, who's just a human being lost in her thoughts during her English class. However, she must confront the teacher for daydreaming, and now she's embarrassed. The next best thing to avoid her embarrassment is to excuse herself out of the class, and so she does.
However, her curiosity gets the best of her, and she enters a passage which leads to an adventure full of hardship, friendship, and of course – dragons!
The main characters have enemies, but they will not take no for an answer. They also bond with a group of friends to back them up. I'shara, born a queen dragon on the island of Hawaii, is destined to meet her rival who has just hatched in Vetulonia, Italy. Her rival, K'irce is level-headed and agile, but I'shara is fierce, but is she strong enough for an army and a powerful mage?!
The author, Cynthia Sutherland, has travelled the world as a US Navy sailor, taking part in several expeditions and experiencing her own adventures. She grew up in Alaska roaming the woods which were full of bears, moose and wolves and she was immediately enchanted by the wilderness. Dragons were a big part of her childhood fantasy reading, especially Tolkien and Anne McCaffrey's Dragon Riders of Pern series. C.M. is a fantasy book aficionado who wrote her debut novel, Dragons of Vetulonia, after being inspired by a vacation in Tuscany, Italy.
A great story, an amazing read and a cast full of colorful characters; Cynthia Sutherland has produced a fiction thriller, with an enticing plot to keep readers turning pages; if you're looking for a fantasy that hearkens back to the classics while invoking a young adults imagination and fearlessness – Dragons of Vetulonia is sure to win over the child in you.
Media Contact
Company Name: Global Book Writers
Contact Person: Cynthia Sutherland
Email: Send Email
Phone: 929-254-6120
Country: United States
Website: https://globalbookwriters.com/

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|Type Stock exchange
Founded 1698
|Location London, United Kingdom
Currency Pound sterling
|Owner London Stock Exchange Group
Key people Donald Brydon (Chairman)Xavier Rolet (CEO)
No. of listings 2,292 (as of September 2016)
Market cap 6.06 trillion GBP (Dec 2014)
Address 10 Paternoster Row, London EC4M 7LS, UK
CEO Nikhil Rathi (29 Sep 2015–)
Hours Open today · Open 24 hoursSundayOpen 24 hoursMondayOpen 24 hoursTuesdayOpen 24 hoursWednesdayOpen 24 hoursThursdayOpen 24 hoursFridayOpen 24 hoursSaturdayOpen 24 hours
London stock exchange the most prestigious microtiles installation yet by christie
The London Stock Exchange (LSE) is a stock exchange located in the City of London in the United Kingdom. As of December 2014, the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$6.06 trillion (short scale), making it the third-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement (the largest in Europe, ahead of Euronext). The Exchange was founded in 1801 and its current premises are situated in Paternoster Square close to St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London. The Exchange is part of the London Stock Exchange Group.
- London stock exchange the most prestigious microtiles installation yet by christie
- Coffee House
- Royal Exchange
- First Rule Book
- Foreign and regional exchanges
- The Exchange before the World Wars
- First World War
- Second World War
- Post war
- IRA bombing
- Big Bang
- Occupy London
- Primary markets
- Secondary markets
- Statistics
- Information services
- Post trade
- Technology
- Borsa Italiana
- Turquoise
- NASDAQ bids
- Proposed merger with TMX Group
- Opening times
- References
London Stock Exchange is one of the world's oldest stock exchanges and can trace its history back more than 300 years. London Stock Exchange Group was created in October 2007 when London Stock Exchange merged with Milan Stock Exchange, Borsa Italiana.
Coffee House
The Royal Exchange had been founded by English financier Thomas Gresham on the model of the Antwerp Bourse, as a stock exchange. It was opened by Elizabeth I of England in 1571.
During the 17th century, stockbrokers were not allowed in the Royal Exchange due to their rude manners. They had to operate from other establishments in the vicinity, notably Jonathan's Coffee-House. At that coffee house, a broker named John Casting started listing the prices of a few commodities, exchange rates and certain key provisions such as salt, coal and paper in 1698. Originally, this was not a daily list and was only published a few days of the week.
This list and activity was later moved to Garraway's coffee house. Public auctions during this period were conducted for the duration that a length of tallow candle could burn; these were known as "by inch of candle" auctions. As stocks grew, with new companies joining to raise capital, the royal court also raised some monies. These are the earliest evidence of organised trading in marketable securities in London.
Royal Exchange
After Gresham's Royal Exchange building was destroyed in the Great Fire of London, it was rebuilt and re-established in 1669. This was a move away from coffee houses and a step towards the modern model of stock exchange.
The Royal Exchange not only housed brokers but also merchants and merchandise. This was the birth of a regulated stock market, which had teething problems in the shape of unlicensed brokers. In order to regulate these, Parliament brought out an act in 1697 that levied heavy penalties, both financial and physical to those brokering without a licence. It also set a fixed number of brokers (at 100), which was later increased as the size of the trade grew. This invariably led to several problems of its own, one of which was that traders began leaving the Royal Exchange, either by their own decision or through expulsion, and started dealing in the streets of London. The street in which they were now dealing was known as 'Exchange Alley', or 'Change Alley' which was suitably placed close to the Bank of England. Parliament tried to regulate this and ban the unofficial traders from the Change streets.
Traders became weary of "bubbles" when companies rose quickly and fell, so they persuaded Parliament to pass a clause preventing "unchartered" companies from forming.
After the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), trade at Jonathan's coffee house boomed again. In 1773, Jonathan, together with 150 other brokers, formed a club and opened a new and more formal "Stock Exchange" in Sweeting's Alley. This now had a set entrance fee, through which traders could enter the stock room and trade securities. It was, however, not an exclusive location for trading, as trading also occurred in the Rotunda of the Bank of England. Fraud was also rife during these times and in order to deter such dealings, it was suggested that users of the stock room pay an increased fee. This was not met well and ultimately, the solution came in the form of annual fees and turning the Exchange into a Subscription room.
The Subscription room created in 1801 was the first regulated exchange in London, but the transformation was not welcomed by all parties. On the first day of trading, non-members had to be expelled by a constable. In spite of the disorder, a new and bigger building was planned, at Capel Court.
William Hammond laid the first foundation stone for the new building on 18 May. It was finished on 30 December when "The Stock Exchange" was incised on the entrance.
First Rule Book
In the Exchange's first operating years, on several occasions there was a clear set of regulations or fundamental laws missing for the Capel Court trading. In February 1812, the General Purpose Committee confirmed a set of recommendations, which later became the foundation of the first codified rule book of the Exchange. Even though the document was not a complex one, topics such as settlement and default were, in fact, quite comprehensive.
With its new governmental commandments and increasing trading volume in place, the Exchange was progressively becoming an accepted part of the financial life in the City. In spite of continuous criticism from newspapers and the public, the government used the Exchange's organised market (and would most likely not have managed without) to raise the enormous amount of money required for the wars against Napoleon.
Foreign and regional exchanges
After the war and facing a booming world economy, foreign lending to countries such as Brazil, Peru and Chile was a growing market. Notably, the Foreign Market at the Exchange allowed for merchants and traders to participate as well and The Royal Exchange hosted all transactions where foreign parties were involved. The constant increase of overseas business meant eventually the dealing in foreign securities had to be allowed within all of the Exchange's premises.
Just as London enjoyed growth through international trade, the rest of Great Britain also benefited from the economic boom. Two other cities in particular showed great business development, Liverpool and Manchester. Consequently, in 1836 both the Manchester and Liverpool Stock Exchanges were opened. Some stocks were known to rise in price by 10, 20 or even 30 per cent in a week. These were times when stockbroking was considered a real business profession and such attracted many entrepreneurs. Nevertheless, with booms came busts, and in 1835 the "Spanish panic" hit the markets, also followed by a second one two years later.
The Exchange before the World Wars
By June 1853, both participating members and brokers were taking up so much space that the Exchange was now uncomfortably crowded and continual expansion plans were taking place. Having already been extended west, east and northwards, it was then decided the Exchange needed an entire new establishment. Thomas Allason was appointed as the main architect, and in March 1854 the new brick building inspired from the Great Exhibition stood ready. This was a huge improvement of both surroundings and space, with twice the floor space available.
By the late 1800s, the telephone, ticker tape and the telegraph had been invented. Those new technologies led to a revolution in the work of the Exchange.
First World War
As the financial centre of the world, both the City and the Stock Exchange were hit hard by the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. Due to fears that borrowed money was to be called in and that foreign banks would demand their loans or raise interest, prices surged at first. The decision to close the Exchange for improved breathing space and to extend the August Bank Holiday to prohibit a run on banks, was hurried through by the committee and Parliament, respectively. The Stock Exchange ended up being closed from the end of July until the New Year, causing street business to be introduced again as well as the "challenge system".
The Exchange was set to open again on 4 January 1915 under tedious restrictions, as transactions were to be in cash only. Due to the limitations and challenges on trading brought by the war, almost a thousand members quit the Exchange between 1914 and 1918. When peace returned in November 1918, the mood on the trading floor was generally cowed. In 1923 the Exchange received its own coat of arms, with the motto "Dictum Meum Pactum", My Word is My Bond.
Second World War
In 1937 officials at the Exchange used their experiences from the First World War to draw up plans on how to handle a new war situation. One of the main concerns were air-raids and the subsequent bombing of the Exchange's perimeters, and one suggestion was a move to Denham. This however never took place. On the first day of September 1939, the Exchange closed its doors "until further notice" and two days later war was declared. Unlike in the prior war, the Exchange opened its doors again six days later, on 7 September.
As the war escalated into its second year, the concerns for air raids were greater than ever. Eventually, on the night of 29 December 1940 one of the greatest fires in London's history took place. The Exchange's floor was hit by a clutch of incendiary bombs, which fortunately were extinguished quickly. Trading on the floor was now drastically low and most was done over the phone to reduce the possibility of injuries.
The Exchange was only closed for one more day during wartime, in 1945 due to damage from a V-2 rocket. Nonetheless trading continued in the house's basement.
After decades of uncertain if not turbulent times, business boomed for the stock market in the late 1950s. This pushed the officials to find a more suitable space for its new accommodation. The work on the new Stock Exchange Tower began in 1967. The Exchange's new 321 feet-high building had 26 storeys with council and administration at the top, and middle floors let out to affiliate companies. Queen Elizabeth II opened the building on 8 November 1972, and the finalised building was a new City landmark, with its 23,000 sq ft (2,100 m2) trading floor.
1973 marked the year of changes for the Stock Exchange. Firstly, two trading prohibitions were to be abolished. A report from the Monopolies and Mergers Commission recommended the admittance of both women and foreign-born members on the floor. Secondly, in March the London Stock Exchange was to (formally) amalgamate with the eleven British and Irish regional exchanges, including the Scottish Stock Exchange. This expansion led to the creation of a new position of Chief Executive Officer; after an extensive search this post was given to Robert Fell. Governmental changes also continued in 1991, when the governing Council of the Exchange was replaced with a Board of Directors drawn from the Exchange's executive, customer and user base. This also marked the first time the trading name became "The London Stock Exchange".
FTSE 100 Index (pronounced "Footsie 100") was launched by the Financial Times and Stock Exchange partnership in February 1984. This turned out to be one of the most useful indices of all and tracked the movements of the 100 leading companies listed on the Exchange.
IRA bombing
On 20 July 1990 a bomb planted by the IRA exploded in the men's toilets behind the visitors' gallery. The area had already been evacuated and nobody was injured. About 30 minutes before the blast at 8:49 a.m., a man who said he was a member of the IRA told Reuters that a bomb had been placed at the exchange and was about to explode. Police officials said that if there had been no warning, the human toll would have been very high. The explosion ripped a hole in the 23-story building on Threadneedle Street and sent a shower of glass and concrete onto the street. The long term trend towards electronic trading had been reducing the Exchange's status as a visitor attraction and, although the gallery reopened, it was closed permanently in 1992.
"Big Bang"
The biggest happening of the 1980s was the sudden deregulation of the financial markets in the UK in 1986. The phrase "Big Bang" was coined to describe measures including abolition of fixed commission charges and of the distinction between stockjobbers and stockbrokers on the London Stock Exchange, as well as the change from an open outcry to electronic, screen-based trading.
In 1995 the Exchange launched the Alternative Investment Market, the AIM, to allow growing companies to expand to international markets. Two years later the Electronic Trading Service (SETS) was launched, bringing greater speed and efficiency to the market. Following this, the CREST settlement service was also launched. In 2000, the Exchange's shareholders voted to become a public limited company, London Stock Exchange plc. The LSE also transferred its role as UK Listing Authority to the Financial Services Authority (FSA-UKLA)
EDX London, a new international equity derivatives business, was created in 2003 in partnership with OM Group. The Exchange also acquired Proquote Limited, a new generation supplier of real-time market data and trading systems.
The old Stock Exchange Tower became largely redundant with Big Bang, which deregulated many of the Stock Exchange's activities as it enabled an increased use of computerised systems that allowed dealing rooms to take over work previously done by face-to-face trading. Thus in 2004 the Stock Exchange moved to a brand-new headquarters in Paternoster Square, close to St Paul's Cathedral.
In 2007 the London Stock Exchange merged with Borsa Italiana, creating the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). The Group operates out of the Stock Exchange's headquarters in Paternoster Square.
Occupy London
The Stock Exchange in Paternoster Square was the initial target for the protesters of Occupy London on 15 October 2011. Attempts to occupy the square were thwarted by police. Police sealed off the entrance to the square as it is private property, a High Court injunction having previously been granted against public access to the square.
The protesters moved nearby to occupy the space in front of St Paul's Cathedral. The protests were part of the global "Occupy" protests.
Primary markets
Issuer services help companies from around the world to join the London equity market in order to gain access to capital. The LSE allows companies to raise money, increase their profile and obtain a market valuation through a variety of routes, thus following the firms throughout the whole IPO process.
The London Stock Exchange runs several markets for listing, giving an opportunity for different sized companies to list. International companies can list a number of products in London including shares, depositary receipts and debt, offering different and cost-effective ways to raise capital. In 2004 the Exchange opened a Hong Kong office and has attracted more than 200 companies from the Asia-Pacific region.
For the biggest companies exists the Premium Listed Main Market. This operates a Super Equivalence method where conditions of both the UK Listing Authority as well as London Stock Exchange's own criteria have to be met. The largest IPO on the Exchange was completed in May 2011 by Glencore International plc. The company raised $10 billion at admission, making it one of the largest IPOs ever since foundation.
In terms of smaller SME's the Stock Exchange operates the Alternative Investment Market (AIM). For international companies that fall outside of the EU, it operates the Depository Receipt (DR) scheme as a way of listing and raising capital.
There are also two specialised markets:
Professional Securities Market This market facilitates the raising of capital through the issue of specialist debt securities or depositary receipts (DRs) to professional investors. The market operates under the status as a Recognised Investment Exchange, and by July 2011 it had 32 DRs, 108 Eurobonds and over 350 Medium Term Notes.
Specialist Fund Market Is the London Stock Exchange dedicated market, designed to accept more sophisticated fund vehicles, governance models and security. It is suitable only for institutional, professional and highly knowledgeable investors. The Specialist Fund Market is an EU Regulated Market and thus securities admitted to the market are eligible for most investor mandates providing a pool of liquidity for issuers admitted to the market
Secondary markets
The securities available for trading on the London Stock Exchange:
There are two main markets on which companies trade on the LSE: 1. Main Market The main market is home to Over 1,300 large companies from 60 different countries. Over the past 10 years over £366 billion has been raised through new and further issues by Main Market companies. The FTSE 100 Index ("footsie") is the main share index of the 100 most highly capitalised UK companies listed on the Main Market. 2. Alternative Investment Market ("AIM") The Alternative Investment Market is LSE's international market for smaller growing companies. A wide range of businesses including early stage, venture capital backed as well as more established companies join AIM seeking access to growth capital. The AIM falls within the classification of a Multilateral Trading Facility (MTF) as defined under the MiFID directive in 2004, and such is a flexible market with a simpler admission process for companies wanting to be publicly listed.
There are also several electronic platforms on which the different products trade.
SETS is the London Stock Exchange's flagship electronic order book, trading indexed securities (FTSE100, FTSE250, FTSE Small Cap Index constituents, Exchange Traded Funds, Exchange Trading Products as well as other liquid AIM, Irish, and London Standard listed securities)
SETSqx is a trading platform for securities less liquid than those traded on SETS. This platform combines a periodic electronic auction book four times a day with standalone non-electronic quote driven market making.
SEAQ is the London Stock Exchange's non-electronically executable quotation service that allows market makers to quote prices in AIM securities and the Fixed Interest market.
Trading of derivatives products is available on the Turquoise platform (ex EDX London). Products are Norwegian Futures and options on Norwegian single stocks and indices, Russian futures and options on the most liquid IOB Depositary Receipts, Futures, options on the FTSE RIOB index and futures on the FTSE 100. Futures and options on the most liquid European stock underlyings and on European benchmark indices were expected to be launched in Q4 2011 and Q1 2012 subject to Financial Services Authority approval.
MTS is a fixed income trading electronic platform, trading European government bonds, quasi-government bonds, corporate bonds, covered bonds and repo. MTS provides access to both cash and repo markets as well as fixed income market data and fixed income indices. It is majority owned by the London Stock Exchange Group. Shareholding firms also include large international banks such as J.P. Morgan, Deutsche Bank and BNP Paribas.
The largest products offered are:
Order book for Retail Bonds Launched in February 2010, the Order book for Retail Bonds (ORB) offers continuous two-way pricing for trading in UK gilts and retail-size corporate bonds on-exchange. ORB acts as an electronic secondary market for retail investors. 2009 saw highest ever inflow into bond funds, net total of £10.7bn, this inflow driven almost entirely by retail investors (90% of total), with corporate bonds being the bestselling sector.
ORB offers an open and transparent market model for trading in retail-size. Currently there are five dedicated market makers committed to quoting two-way prices in a range of retail bonds throughout the trading day. New market models means private investors will be able to see prices on-screen and trade in bonds in a similar way as they currently do for shares. This creates a greater efficiency of electronic on-book execution and option to use straight-through-processing to settlement system.
Retail Bonds are driven by cost-effectiveness, simplicity of transaction charging and standardisation of market structure. The key aim of ORB is to increase distribution for bonds by opening up these markets to private investors who may have previously felt excluded from this market. This is by increasing the availability of publication on offer, detailing the risks and benefits involved in Retail Bonds, such as taxation.
New entrants into ORB have been able to raise sufficient funds, such as Places for People who were able to raise capital of £140 million. This portrays the advantage using ORB can have, even for non-bank smaller firms seeking to raise capital.
There are currently 2,938 companies from over 60 countries listed on the London Stock Exchange, of which 1151 are on AIM, 44 on the Professional Securities Market and 10 on the Specialist Funds Market. Pence sterling (GBX) is a subdivision of Pounds sterling (GBP). Pounds are official currency of the United Kingdom, but pence are often used when trading stocks. e.g. a stock traded at GBX 2,360 is valued at £ 23.60.
As of June 2011, the AIM had 56 companies as per country of operations from Africa, 41 from China, 26 from Latin America, 23 from Central & Eastern Europe and 29 from India & Bangladesh, making it one of the world's leading growth markets. Since its launch in 1995, more than £67 billion have been raised on AIM. The total market value of these companies was £3.9 trillion. The daily turnover traded in July 2011 was £4.4 billion (€5.0 billion) and the daily number of trades 611,941. The LSE's share of trading in the UK lit order book trading was 62.2%. As of 2011 the London Stock Exchange offered trading in more emerging markets exchange traded funds (ETFs) than any other exchange in the world. There were a total of 158 emerging market ETFs listed on the Exchange in May 2011 compared with 126 on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE Arca) and 93 on Deutsche Boerse.
Information services
The LSE supplies its participants with real time prices and trading data creating the transparency and liquidity through several services. Feeds are also available through providers such as Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters. Some of the products and references provided by the London Stock Exchange are:
Post trade
LSE trades are cleared on LCH.Clearnet, which is mutually owned by some banks, Euronext as well as the London Metal Exchange.
Through the Exchange's Italian arm, Borsa Italiana, the London Stock Exchange Group as a whole offers clearing and settlement services for trades through CC&G (Cassa di Compensazione e Garanzia) and Monte Titoli. is the Groups Central Counterparty (CCP) and covers multiple asset classes throughout the Italian equity, derivatives and bond markets. CC&G also clears Turquoise derivatives. Monte Titoli (MT) is the pre-settlement, settlement, custody and asset services provider of the Group. MT operates both on-exchange and OTC trades with over 400 banks and brokers.
The LSE's current trading platform is its own Linux-based edition named Millennium Exchange.
Their old trading platform TradElect was based on Microsoft's .NET Framework, and was developed by Microsoft and Accenture. 00pMicrosoft used the LSE software as an example of the supposed superiority of Windows over Linux in the "Get the Facts" campaign, claiming that the LSE system provided "five nines" reliability, and a processing speed of 3–4 milliseconds. For Microsoft, LSE was a good combination of a highly visible exchange and yet a relatively modest IT problem.
Despite TradElect only being in use for about two years, after suffering multiple periods of extended downtime and unreliability the LSE announced in 2009 that it was planning to switch to Linux in 2010. LSE main market migration to MillenniumIT technology was successfully completed in February 2011.
LSEG now provides high performance technology solutions, including trading, market surveillance and post trade systems for over 40 organisations and exchanges, including the Group's own markets. Additional services include network connectivity, hosting and quality assurance testing. MillenniumIT, GATElab and Exactpro are among the Group's technology companies.
Borsa Italiana
On 23 June 2007, the London Stock Exchange announced that it had agreed on the terms of a recommended offer to the shareholders of the Borsa Italiana S.p.A. The merger of the two companies created a leading diversified exchange group in Europe. The combined group was named the London Stock Exchange Group, but still remained two separate legal and regulatory entities. One of the long-term strategies of the joint company is to expand Borsa Italiana's efficient clearing services to other European markets.
In 2007, after Borsa Italiana announced its call option exercise right to acquire full control of MBE Holdings, the combined Group would now control Mercato dei Titoli di Stato, or MTS. This merger of Borsa Italiana and MTS with LSE's existing bond-listing business, enhanced the range of covered European fixed income markets.
The London Stock Exchange acquired Turquoise (TQ), a Pan-European MTF, in 2009 and since coupling with MillenniumIT's software, it currently offers the fastest latency bar none in Europe. Currently the speed of latency on Turquoise (as measured at the end of August 2011) is 97 micro seconds on average for 99.9% of trades. Initially founded by a consortium of nine banks, it is now majority owned by the London Stock Exchange Group. Currently shareholders include twelve of the leading Investment Banks.
Turquoise operates a maker-taker fee scheme, 0.30 basis points for aggressive traders and 0.20 rebates for passive traders, providing liquidity. The market share of Turquoise as an MTF has doubled over the past twelve months, from 3% to 6%. There are currently 2,000 securities, across 19 countries that are on Turquoise. Unlike Broker-Dealer Crossing Networks, TQ does not discriminate as to who can trade on their platform.
NASDAQ bids
In December 2005, the London Stock Exchange rejected a £1.6 billion takeover offer from Macquarie Bank. The London Stock Exchange described the offer as "derisory", a sentiment echoed by shareholders in the Exchange. Shortly after Macquarie withdrew its offer, the LSE received an unsolicited approach from NASDAQ valuing the company at £2.4 billion. This too it rejected. NASDAQ later pulled its bid, and less than two weeks later on 11 April 2006, struck a deal with LSE's largest shareholder, Ameriprise Financial's Threadneedle Asset Management unit, to acquire all of that firm's stake, consisting of 35.4 million shares, at £11.75 per share. NASDAQ also purchased 2.69 million additional shares, resulting in a total stake of 15%. While the seller of those shares was undisclosed, it occurred simultaneously with a sale by Scottish Widows of 2.69 million shares. The move was seen as an effort to force LSE to the negotiating table, as well as to limit the Exchange's strategic flexibility.
Subsequent purchases increased NASDAQ's stake to 25.1%, holding off competing bids for several months. United Kingdom financial rules required that NASDAQ wait for a period of time before renewing its effort. On 20 November 2006, within a month or two of the expiration of this period, NASDAQ increased its stake to 28.75% and launched a hostile offer at the minimum permitted bid of £12.43 per share, which was the highest NASDAQ had paid on the open market for its existing shares. The LSE immediately rejected this bid, stating that it "substantially undervalues" the company.
NASDAQ revised its offer (characterized as an "unsolicited" bid, rather than a "hostile takeover attempt") on 12 December 2006, indicating that it would be able to complete the deal with 50% (plus one share) of LSE's stock, rather than the 90% it had been seeking. The U.S. exchange did not, however, raise its bid. Many hedge funds had accumulated large positions within the LSE, and many managers of those funds, as well as Furse, indicated that the bid was still not satisfactory. NASDAQ's bid was made more difficult because it had described its offer as "final", which, under British bidding rules, restricted their ability to raise its offer except under certain circumstances.
In the end, NASDAQ's offer was roundly rejected by LSE shareholders. Having received acceptances of only 0.41% of rest of the register by the deadline on 10 February 2007, Nasdaq's offer duly lapsed. Responding to the news, Chris Gibson-Smith, the LSE's chairman, said: "The Exchange's strategy has produced outstanding results for shareholders by facilitating a structural shift in volume growth in an increasingly international market at the centre of the world's equity flows. The Exchange intends to build on its exceptionally valuable brand by progressing various competitive, collaborative and strategic opportunities, thereby reinforcing its uniquely powerful position in a fast evolving global sector."
On 20 August 2007, NASDAQ announced that it was abandoning its plan to take over the LSE and subsequently look for options to divest its 31% (61.3 million shares) shareholding in the company in light of its failed takeover attempt. In September 2007, NASDAQ agreed to sell the majority of its shares to Borse Dubai, leaving the United Arab Emirates-based exchange with 28% of the LSE.
Proposed merger with TMX Group
On 9 February 2011, the London Stock Exchange Group announced they had agreed to merge with the Toronto-based TMX Group, the owners of the Toronto Stock Exchange, creating a combined entity with a market capitalization of listed companies equal to £3.7 trillion. Xavier Rolet, who currently is CEO of the LSE Group, would have head the new enlarged company, while TMX Chief Executive Thomas Kloet would have become the new firm president. The London Stock Exchange however announced it was terminating the merger with TMX on 29 June 2011 citing that "LSEG and TMX Group believe that the merger is highly unlikely to achieve the required two-thirds majority approval at the TMX Group shareholder meeting". Even though the LSE obtained the necessary support from its shareholders, it failed to obtain the required support from TMX's shareholders.
Opening times
Normal trading sessions on the main orderbook (SETS) are from 08:00 to 16:30 local time every day of the week except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays declared by the exchange in advance. The detailed schedule is as follows:
- Trade reporting 07:15–07:50
- Opening auction 07:50–08:00
- Continuous trading 08:00–16:30
- Closing auction 16:30–16:35
- Order maintenance 16:35–17:00
- Trade reporting only 17:00–17:15
Holidays are currently: New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Bank Holiday, Spring Bank Holiday, Summer Bank Holiday, and Christmas Day. Note that UK time is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), with daylight saving time observed.


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Global Engagement
Global Engagement
Pushing the boundaries of knowledge requires reaching beyond our regional boundaries. To enhance and broaden the global experiences of students and faculty, Lingnan has been actively establishing strategic collaborations with institutions worldwide. The University is also committed to promoting internationalisation on campus and providing students with international exchange, internship and Service-Learning opportunities.
International collaborations and research initiatives
Our researchers collaborate with scholars across Asia and around the world in a wide variety of research projects with both local and international impact. Inter-university research platforms have been set up with local and overseas institutions to strengthen research capabilities and the learning experience of students. An outstanding example is the Centre for Global Higher Education (CGHE) launched by the University College London (UCL) Institute of Education together with Lingnan University and eight other universities in Australia, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, Mainland China, South Africa, and the UK. This is the largest research centre in the world specifically focused on higher education and its future development.
In the coming years, the University will pursue more international collaboration and co-branding in programme offering, at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, as well as in our research endeavours.
International conferences and seminars
The University encourages faculty and students to actively participate in international conferences by presenting papers and interacting with overseas researchers. Each year, the Research Committee supports faculty to attend local and overseas conferences.
International exchange opportunities
Lingnan's commitment to internationalisation is reflected by the diversity of student and faculty population on campus. Over 64% of our 217 faculty members have an international background either in academic training or research experience, while 334 exchange students pursued their studies at Lingnan in 2014/15. The University is devoted to developing exchange partners worldwide. With more than 260 partners in about 49 countries, 85% of our undergraduates benefit from international exchange opportunities or can participate in short-term summer programmes. Please visit the website of the Office of Global Education for more details.
Apart from running regular exchange programmes, the University has also launched the Global Scholar Programme, which gives students the opportunity to develop a global understanding of their research topic through studying in two other overseas institutions.
In addition, the University has set up the Research Postgraduate Scholarships for Overseas Research Visits which allows Lingnan PhD students to undertake a 6-month research visit at an overseas institution as well as PhD students from overseas institutions to come to Lingnan as exchange students for 6 months, under the co-supervision by supervisors from both the home and host institutions.
International internship and Service-Learning opportunities
The Office of Student Affairs organises various international internship programmes to provide students with opportunities to gain experience in real work settings and broaden their exposure in culturally diverse environments. These include ASEAN Internship Scheme, Global Internships, Disney Cultural Exchange Program, Mainland Summer Internship Programme and many others.
Each summer, over 60 students from both Lingnan and partner universities join the Joint Humanitarian Entrepreneurship Academy and other Service-Learning trips in OSL's Trailblazer Programme. They gain global experience in Service-Learning, human-centered design, humanitarian technology, and inclusive entrepreneurship by serving in countries all over the world, including Kazakhstan, Uganda, Nepal, Gansu, and Cambodia.


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The Museum of Natural Sciences has created, specially for the new 'Natural History' section in the Google Arts & Culture platform, 5 online exhibitions:
You will find out about the Museum's finest specimens and curiosities, such as the Stone of Chaleux, the Lier Mammoth or the 'Sea rex' Hainosaurus bernardi. The stories are based on texts, photos, videos and Street Views and are available in French, Dutch, German and English, as well as Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian for the three first of them.
You will find, on the page dedicated to our Museum, the link to the complete Street View of its permanent exhibition spaces, introducing almost 200 specimens and archive documents.
Moreover, "A Short Guided Tour", a selection of the museum's nicest spots, can even be visited in virtual reality, with a Google Cardboard! This experience can be enjoyed by all on the Google Arts & Culture mobile app.
You've visited our Museum or our research institute? Post your pictures and videos using #naturalsciencesbrussels!


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Family: Amaranthaceae
Careless Weed, more... (es: bledo, quelite)
[Alternanthera palmeri (S. Watson)]
Plants glabrous or nearly so. Stems erect, branched, usually (0.3-)0.5-1.5(-3) m; proximal branches often ascending. Leaves: long-petiolate; blade obovate or rhombic-obovate to elliptic proximally, sometimes lanceolate distally, 1.5-7 × 1-3.5 cm, base broadly to narrowly cuneate, margins entire, plane, apex subobtuse to acute, usually with terminal mucro. Inflorescences terminal, linear spikes to panicles, usually drooping, occasionally erect, especially when young, with few axillary clusters, uninterrupted or interrupted in proximal part of plant. Bracts: of pistillate flowers with long-excurrent midrib, 4-6 mm, longer than tepals, apex acuminate or mucronulate; of staminate flowers, 4 mm, equaling or longer than outer tepals, apex long-acuminate. Pistillate flowers: tepals 1.7-3.8 mm, apex acuminate, mucronulate; style branches spreading; stigmas 2(-3). Staminate flowers: tepals 5, unequal, 2-4 mm, apex acute; inner tepals with prominent midrib excurrent as rigid spine, apex long-acuminate or mucronulate; stamens 5. Utricles tan to brown, occasionally reddish brown, obovoid to subglobose, 1.5-2 mm, shorter than tepals, at maturity walls thin, almost smooth or indistinctly rugose. Seeds dark reddish brown to brown, 1-1.2 mm diam., shiny. Flowering summer-fall, occasionally spring-winter in southern part of its native range. Streambanks, disturbed habitats, especially agricultural fields, railroads, waste areas, roadsides; 100-1000 m; Ont.; Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Fla., Ga., Ill., Kans., Ky., La., Md., Mass., Miss., Mo., Nebr., Nev., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Va., W.Va., Wis.; Mexico; introduced Europe, Asia, and Australia. Originally native to the North American Southwest, from southern California to Texas and northern Mexico, Amaranthus palmeri at present is a successful invasive species, which is evident from its expansion both in eastern North America and overseas. Because of its rapid spread, the distribution data presented here are probably incomplete.
FNA 2003, Kearney and Peebles 1969, Wiggins 1964
Duration: Annual Nativity: Native Lifeform: Forb/Herb General: Annual herb, usually erect with a well-developed main axis, 0.2-3 m tall, the height and growth form highly variable depending on soil moisture; herbage glabrous or sparsely pubescent but not glandular. Leaves: Alternate and long-petiolate, the petioles 1-8 cm; blades mostly lanceolate, highly variable in size, 3-12 cm, the lower stem leaves largest and soon deciduous. Flowers: Green and white, occasionally pink-tinged, in terminal linear spikes, these leafless or nearly so, indeterminate, long, and slender, the tips usually drooping; also occasional short clusters of flowers in leaf axils. Plants dioeceous (separate male and female plants). Spikes composed of many small flower clusters, each cluster subtended by a bract. Pistillate bracts with long-excurrent midrib, 4-6 mm, longer than tepals; staminate bracts 4 mm, equaling or longer than outer tepals, apex long-acuminate. Pistillate flowers have tepals 2-4 mm, the apex acuminate or mucronulate. Staminate flowers have 5 unequal tepals, 2-4 mm, the apex acute; inner tepals have a prominent midrib, excurrent as rigid spine. Fruits: Circumscissile capsules, tan, red, or brown, subglobose, the walls thin and obscurely rugose; seeds less than 1 mm, obovoid-lenticular, red-brown to blackish and shiny when fully ripe. Ecology: Widespread weed, grows quickly in disturbed areas, abundant in river bottoms and irrigated land; 0-5,500 ft (1676 m); flowers summer-fall. Distribution: Originally native to the American southwest, now widespread across the N. Amer. from n MEX to CAN. Notes: Amaranthus species are notoriously difficult and commonly misidentified. Pay close attention to the following characters and take samples if unsure. A. palmeri distinguished by its erect, annual habit, which can reach 3 m tall in the right conditions; inflorescences of terminal, mostly-leafless spikes, some of these becoming large; occasional small glomerules of flowers but not well-developed spikes in the leaf axils; and male and female flowers on separate plants. Can appear similar to A. powellii and A. hybridus, but those species are monoecious (male and female flowers on the same plant), and have wider, erect spikes found on branch tips and in leaf axils. Ethnobotany: Amaranthus spp. all have similar medicinal qualities. Tea made from leaves is used to relieve stomach pain. Herb stimulates mucous membranes. Leaves mixed with lavender may be steeped in milk for infants that are undergoing continuous vomiting. It has been used for a longer than a millennium for food by various indigenous groups. The seeds are ground into meal and the leaves are high in vitamins and minerals, excellent as greens or cooked like spinach. Synonyms: None Editor: SBuckley 2010, FSCoburn 2014, AHazelton 2015 Etymology: Amaranthus comes from the Greek amarantos, "unfading," referring to the long-lasting flowers; palmeri is an honorific for Edward Palmer (1829-1911) an American explorer and botanical collector.
Dioecious; erect, 3-10(-20) dm; lvs long- petioled, rhombic-ovate, or rhombic-lanceolate, 3-10 cm; terminal thyrse to 5 dm, 1-1.5 cm thick, the lateral ones shorter or none; bracts mostly 4-6 mm, with heavy, spinosely excurrent midvein; male fls with 5 unequal sep, the outer 3.5-4 mm, acuminate, with conspicuous, long-excurrent midvein, the inner 2.5-3 mm, obtuse or emarginate; female fls with 5 recurved-spatulate sep, the outer 3-4 mm, acute, with the midvein excurrent as a rigid point, the inner 2-2.5 mm, emarginate; fr 1.5-2 mm, circumscissile at the middle; style-branches 2(3); seed 1-1.3 mm, dark reddish-brown; 2n=32, 34. Dry soil; s. Calif. to Okla., Kans., Neb., and La., s. to Mex., and at scattered stations in our range as a weed.
Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.
©The New York Botanical Garden. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
From Flora of Indiana (1940) by Charles C. Deam
Indiana Coefficient of Conservatism: C = null, non-native
Wetland Indicator Status: FACU
Diagnostic Traits: coarse erect plant, stems pale green to purplish; inflorescences terminal, on male vs. female plants; subulate bracts 4-6 mm, 2-3× longer than tepals; pistillate tepals spatulate.


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Monday, November 28, 2011
Historical Moscow on Google Maps
Old Maps of Moscow has a very large collection of historical maps of the Russian capital.
The site uses Google Maps to help users navigate the historical collection. Users need to click on the Google Map of Moscow to show the location they are interested in viewing. Then they can select from the many historical maps to view the chosen location on their chosen map.
The map collection goes back to 1739 and includes plans, topographic maps, historical aerial photography and much more.
Posted by Keir Clarke at 8:26 AM
Labels: history maps, Moscow, Russia
1 comment:
Aerial-photo WWII on Google Maps - wwii.sasgis.ru
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When she was growing up, Jennifer in New York says she always wanted a big brother. "Now that I have three children of my own," she writes, "I thought I could live vicariously through my daughter, the middle child." However, finding this "to-do list" on top of her eldest son's homework has made her consider that vision. (God help this kid's future crushes!)
related: No girls allowed!


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Broncos promote Gase to OC
The Denver Broncos have hired a new offensive coordinator - and no, his name isn't Peyton Manning.
Adam Gase will be calling the plays next season as he replaces Mike McCoy, who bolted earlier this week to become head coach of the San Diego Chargers.
Sure, Manning will have input - lots of it, actually - but Gase said the four-time NFL MVP actually wants a coach to bounce ideas off of, which they frequently did walking off the practice field in the season the Broncos just finished up.
That built-in familiarity with Manning and the offense is a reason why Gase was promoted from quarterbacks coach Thursday.
''While we did speak with several qualified candidates, it became clear that Adam was the best fit,'' coach John Fox said. ''He did a great job working with Peyton and all of our quarterbacks the last two seasons. Adam is a bright coach with a great future, and I am confident he'll have success in his new role.''
After all, he is sending plays in to Manning, who has a knack for making just about any offensive coordinator look good.
''Peyton does a great job of when you give him a play, if it needs to be better, he does a great job of putting you in that play,'' Gase said. ''That's what he does that's so great, that I don't think people admire enough. That's why you don't see a lot of bad plays with him.''
The two will be in Hawaii together for the Pro Bowl, but they won't interrupt beach time to chat about blitz packages. Gase is going to leave Manning alone until after the game. Then, they'll get down to work.
In the meantime, Gase will brush up on the offense so when Manning comes to him with inquiries, he will be ready.
Asked if Manning ever runs out of questions, Gase responded, ''That would be a firm no.
''His questions are always as productive and great questions,'' said Gase, who joined the Broncos in 2009 as wide receivers coach. ''When he asks questions, you're sitting there going, `That's a great question.'
''If you don't know the answer that second, you better go investigate and figure out what the answers are.''
Manning is coming off a stellar year for the Broncos in his return from four neck surgeries that forced him to sit out a season. He shattered numerous single-season franchise records, including most TD passes (37), yards (4,659), quarterback rating (105.8), completions (400) and completion percentage (68.6).
Still, one of the most indelible images of Manning's first season in the Mile High City was his kneel-down to run out the clock with the ball at his 20, 31 seconds remaining in regulation and two timeouts at his disposal. Manning later threw a costly interception in overtime, setting up the Ravens' game-winning field goal that knocked the top-seeded Broncos out of the postseason.
So, would Gase have had Manning take a knee?
''It was best for our guys to regroup at the time, get to overtime and try to win it,'' the 34-year-old Gase said. ''We had opportunities on offense and didn't make the best of them. It's a disappointing deal.''
Yeah, but would he have preferred the Broncos to be more aggressive?
''We were just trying to regroup at that time,'' he said.
Although the Broncos played at an up-tempo pace all season, Gase thinks they can take it up another notch. And those 30 points they averaged a game? He believes it can soar higher.
''We're looking to play pedal to the metal and play as fast as possible and be aggressive, and score as many points as possible every game,'' Gase said. ''I'm not nervous about calling plays. You have one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time as your quarterback. I'm excited. I'm thrilled to be able to have that opportunity.''
It's not like Gase hasn't called a few plays before. Late in games, McCoy would allow him to take a few series, just to throw different wrinkles at opposing defenses.
''We experimented with that a little bit and it went well,'' Gase said.
As for whether the plays he sent in resulted in points, Gase remained silent.
''Not telling,'' he said, chuckling. ''You'll have to figure out which one it was.''
The real task before Gase remains this: Matching Manning's passion.
''When he sees guys do what he does, grind like he does, I think that's what he's looking for with everybody in the building,'' Gase said. ''He gravitates to people like that. I try to do that 100 percent, get after it as much as possible, to give him as many answers as he needed for that week.
''You can't just walk into his meeting room and say, `I think I got it.' You better be on it.''


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Monday, April 11, 2011
So it is when we are at Level 2 on the gaining competency ladder. It's that moment when we discover we're not all that good at a particular skill or skills. My desire would be that this discovery is made either during formal training or when practicing on our own. I sincerely hope that it's not after having done the wrong thing during a critical incident on the street. Sadly, though, this is how way too many riders discover that they're a few vital tools short of a well stocked toolbox.
After having missed my corner, washed the bike ( and a personal garment ), and ridden a little more, the urgency of getting some formal training subsided. It's so easy for us to justify things to ourselves, isn't it? I reasoned that it wasn't a fundamental lack of cornering and braking skills that had led to my mishap. Rather, I had simply made a single mistake and I'd be sure not to repeat that same mistake. What is it about guys and ego? Especially when it comes to something like riding a motorcycle. There's this pervasive thinking that guys are just naturally born with the inherent skill to do certain things. When this proves to be more wishful thinking than reality, ego prevents the admission of said truth. I'm sure that this keeps a lot of guys from taking advanced formal training. Ego and the fear of looking foolish in front of equally inept guys.
So a lot of chest pounding takes place accompanied by a figurative waving of clubs. There's a lot of noise but no improvement in riding happens. I reluctantly admit that I was a member of that clan for many years. Two more bikes came and went. I was three bikes removed from my previous unintentional off road excursion. I tip-toed through the streets and bragged by the campfire. Life would have gone on like that except for a visit from a particular man.
I was the Road Captain for a motorcycle club. The core of the group was comprised of L.E.O.'s. There was Larry, a lieutenant in the sheriff's office ( my supervisor, in fact ), Bob V. and Clyde who were also patrol guys, Bob W. who was a state patrol guy, and Jeff from a local city PD.
One morning a guy from a motorcycle training organization came to our breakfast meeting. He stated that there was this new program being offered to experienced riders. ( the newly launched MSF Experienced Rider Course ) This guy also stated that he thought we would all greatly benefit from taking the course. Yes, the guy made it out alive. On the way out, however, he had to run the gauntlet of several pairs of firmly crossed arms in front of chests below very stern and intimidating looks. The last words he heard from us on the way out were:
"We're macho cops. We don't need no stinkin' training!"
That's where it would have remained if not for Larry. A friend of his had taken the course earlier. Little by little the friend was getting to Larry with things he'd learned. Larry probably needed training more than any of us. Seriously. One example was a recent ride we'd taken. We'd stopped at a little store out in the middle of nowhere. The parking lot was gravel. The drop-off from the paved road to the parking lot was about 5 inches. Larry dropped his bike ( a standard bike with a Windjammer type add-on full fairing ) making the transition from road to gravel. In the process he shorted out his battery.
To show you all some mercy I'll make the long story short. Ultimately Larry and I decided to take the class. Although I do have to share another story ( but very short ) about our arrival at the training site.
The parking lot was cordoned off by means of flags strung between various poles and trees. Very similar to what you can see in the background of the photo below.
Larry picked a stretch of flags strung between two poles about 10 feet apart. Since the poles were close together the flags were fairly taut with no sag. Larry starts under the flags. He ducks his head. His short windshield cleared the flags. So did his helmeted head. Not so fortunate was the sissy bar sticking up on the back of Larry's bike. The flags were surprisingly strong. So much so that the flags against the sissy bar arrested the bike's forward motion. Larry fell over in the process of arriving at a course for experienced riders. Hmmm, maybe it was a good thing we were here!
I learned a lot about head turns and how the bike goes where you look. Look where you want the bike to go. Don't look where you don't want the bike to go. I was grooving on my newly developed low speed control skills. My face was wearing a big grin. This was fun. Until the instructor announced it was time to work on maximum braking. My south end puckered so much it pulled the corners of my mouth into a deep frown.
OMG!!! You want me to do what? The instructor repeated what had been said in the classroom earlier in the day. We were expected to use a LOT of front brake.
I was really getting pissed for a while. The instructor kept urging me to use more front brake on my stops. I kept thinking that this fool was getting his jollies by getting me to do something that everyone KNEW was dangerous. Hadn't they heard of how touchy and unpredictable the front brake was?
As I was waiting in line I was watching other students making much shorter stops than mine. Ego reared its head, but in a good way this time. I was determined that these guys weren't going to show me up. Larry and I had made no secret of who we were. The instructor had used that to describe how to apply the front brake. He'd said to squeeze just like we would a trigger if we were shooting for accuracy.
Guess what? I opened my mind and gave it a shot. Pun intended, by the way. I talked to myself all the way up to the braking chute. Eyes up. Wait for the cone. Squeeeeze and downshift. I made a fantastic stop. I couldn't believe I was still rubber side down but there we were. I had conquered my own worst enemy, which was me.
That day of training has probably saved my riding bacon several times over. Not only from the actual training day, but from the hunger for more. It was also this day that first put the notion into my head to become an instructor though years would pass before that came to fruition.
When we talk about motorcycle training we often think of beginners.
I want to offer something else to think about. It's often the riders who have two or three years of riding under their helmets that are in the most danger. This is just enough time for them to have been exposed to a fair number of real world conditions. We think we've seen it all; that we have it all dialed in, as somebody put it in a comment on a previous post. Complacency can keep us from digging any deeper into training. We may sincerely think we have enough skills to get by so we don't need more. After all, we've done all right so far, haven't we? In some cases we don't know what else is possible. In other words, we don't know what the next level might be. There's another reason we might not train like we should. I'll come back to this one in a bit.
There is always a next level. We never get to a point where we've seen everything. There's always something else out there. A rider should never cease to become a student. I've recycled some photos from an advanced class I really enjoyed teaching last year. These are great examples of seeking a higher level.
These photos are of fellow riding instructors seeking to improve their craft. In the first photo they are in search of the perfect demo ride techniques to better serve our students / customers. In the second is an example of an instructor seeking to master skills on his own bike.
These next photos lead us up to my parting thoughts for this post.
This is a parking lot exit at the south end of a community college in Eugene. As you can see, the slope is quite steep. I watched a guy on a motorcycle trying to deal with stopping on the hill, coping with other traffic, and getting underway. As he was getting underway he dropped his bike. I was watching him as I was approaching the same place myself. This was a very familiar place to me. Pretty much my whole first year of teaching motorcycle classes was spent at this location. I'd mastered stopping on this this hill long ago.
Finding a quick place to park Elvira, ( which is easy on a bike ) I went to help him pick up his bike. He decided to go around the long way rather than tackle this slope again. That was his usual practice. Rather than conquer the situation, he avoided it. This day he had been pressed for time and had taken this route with the hope that he wouldn't actually have to stop.
So here's the moral of the story, as it were.
In my version of gaining skills, Level 2 is a place of discovery. The goal is to discover what we're not particularly good at. Once we find that out we know what we need to conquer to have a complete skill set. We can find this out through our own efforts to practice riding skills. We can also do it through formalized training. I would much prefer that riders make these discoveries by participating in training classes conducted by professionals. Here's why.
Firstly, professionals have the big picture. Training classes are usually designed to cover all aspects of riding. A person on their own may not be aware of what they really need. Professional training provides the 30 thousand foot view. A rider may be at 8 thousand feet and climbing. That's absolutely commendable but the view isn't quite as comprehensive as the higher one will be.
Secondly, there's another factor. We don't always push ourselves in the areas that we should. I've never hit a ball on a golf course ( except mini-golf ) in my life and don't intend to. I do watch people, however. There are a couple of golf courses I ride by regularly. You know what I see the most?
Golfers on driving ranges. Trying to hit the ball as hard and far as possible. I'd venture to say that the majority of golfers concentrate on their long game to the exclusion of their short game. It seems to me that it's in the short game where matches are won or lost, not so much in the long game. Yet people continue to practice what's easy and "showy" rather than the things that come harder.
The same applies to riding a motorcycle in my admittedly not so humble opinion. If something is really hard for a rider or scares them, for that matter, conquering that skill always takes a back burner. I owe that original instructor a lot for goading me into effectively using my front brake. I wouldn't have gone out and conquered that on my own. Possibly to my eternal detriment.
Training teaches us what we need to practice. The question is this:
What will we do once we discover it?
Stay tuned for Level 3.
Miles and smiles,
14 comments:
- Dean W said...
I love getting religious sailing* moments from experienced riders. My favorite is teaching countersteering to long time riders who know you turn by moving your body weight around. Get them to ride up to 15mph or so, relax, and press on one bar. The expression on their face when the bike goes the other way than they thought it should is priceless.
* I'm pretty sure that's what it is- you know, when you can tell they're thinking about a holy ship...
- Oz said...
Good info. The CMA chapter that I ride with periodically has some riding/safety training. No matter how long a rider has been riding practice is always helpful.
- Steve Williams said...
Just when I think you've peaked in your teaching posts you come up with something like this. Outstanding and full of reminders for me.
I've been to the Basic and Experienced MSF courses and each time I learned a lot about my limitations. Was able to take the Experienced course on the Vespa which was pretty neat. Both courses I rode away with much better braking skills.
I do hope you've not let Larry forget his run in with the flags. Guys need all the ego busting and deflating they can get. Weird 80 percent idiot, 10 percent fool, 9 percent oblivious, and 1 percent smart. It's the one percent we use to ride...
Steve Williams
Scooter in the Sticks
Follow me on Twitter
- irondad said...
I echo your sentiments. It must be a religious experience. Whenever the student is thinking about a holy "ship" I think of rolls of really thin paper. You know, like what scriptures were written on.
Take care,
- irondad said...
Thank you for commenting. As one FJR rider to another I also offer thanks for stopping by. Dean W rides an FJR, as well. What great company here!
Take care,
- irondad said...
I'm honored by your compliment. There is always a next level in many things to reach for. My sincere wish is that my blog prove useful to riders.
Larry crashed a few months after the class. It was way out in eastern Oregon. I was not with him. He was with a group we didn't normally ride with. Larry said he was swerving to avoid some deer and lost control. He injured his shoulder. The bike fairing was smashed to pieces but the bike itself was in fairly good shape.
Larry gave me his bike and quit riding. We get together once in a while and remember all the wild times we had. Life with Larry was quite interesting!
Take care,
- redlegsrides said...
Good stuff Irondad...never did develop much of the "I'm a guy and I know how to ride a bike" attitude. Day one of the BRC was the first day I rode a motorcycle....so I was quite receptive to the training.
The training, both in the BRC and the ERC, gave me the tools you mentioned. It was and is up to me to use them and practice them so it's muscle memory not recalling the instructions in an emergency.
Your comments re "emergency stops training" ring a bell with me now that I am riding the V-Strom, it's definitely not a motorcycle to rely on just the rear brake to stop you safely. I'm getting better at hard stops but must practice more I believe.
Quite amusing, your friend dropping his motorcycle due to the flag line. I admire his ability to pick up his bike and carry on in spite of the embarrassment. I trust you gave him a hard time later though.
Again, good points and good reminders, thanks for writing such articles.
Redleg's Rides
Colorado Motorcycle Travel Examiner
- Allen Madding said...
There is one thing I am confident about when it comes to riding, I have plenty left to learn. Thanks for another thought provoking post.
- Roger said...
Excellent and I mean excellent post. Propbably exactly where I am, I am aware of the skills I am lacking, and now have stuff to work on. It has also created a hunger in me to improve and encourage other riders to do the same. Great stuff Dan, keep it coming. It is a great feeling when you conquer a skill you couldnt do before.
- irondad said...
I never pictured you as a chest thumper. You were the one quietly and methodically setting traps and snares while the other guys made noise. Your preparation allowed you to feast while they drooled!
Muscle memory will be in Level 4.
Yes, I still give Larry crap from time to time. We keep each other somewhat humble.
Take care,
- irondad said...
Thank you for the kind words. Yes, you're right. We're all a long ways from learning it all.
Take care,
- irondad said...
I'm humbled by your compliment, admiring of your attitude, and will expound more on the good feelings of mastering a skill. That is what Level 3 is about.
Take care,
- Bluekat said...
'Nother good post. Reading things like this really does encourage me to not blow off some of the challenges I've set for myself. Not that I'm gonna say what those challenges are, just in case I do decide to blow them off ;-)
That was the case with ART last year. Between posts about classes, and moral support from everyone else taking the class, I went through with it, and am very glad I did.
- Jack Riepe said...
Dear IronDad (Dan):
Despite passing the basic safety course, I had a real problem with leaning into turns, and looking in the direction I wanted the motorcycle to go. My turns became a joke.
But then a couple of long-distance BMW riders took me under their wing for hundreds of miles of turns... Wide ones... Tight ones... Blind ones... Decreasing radius ones... And I improved greatly studing the line and the manner in which these guys went about things.
I am far from expert, but I no longer waver, hesitate, or whack the brakes in desperation any more. I do believe in training... And carrying that training out to the street.
Fondest regards,
Jack • reep • Toad
Twisted Roads