In 2006-2007, the bat colonies in the Northeastern US have declined 75%.  Over 100,000 bats have died due to a cold-loving fungus linked to white-nose syndrome, scientist at the USGA state. Affected species include little brown bats, northern bats, tricolored bats, Indiana bats, small-footed myotis and big brown bats. “Data show the occurrence of white-nose syndrome radiating outward from the site of its first appearance, and genetic identity among fungal isolates from distant caves argues for a recent introduction of this microbe.  Before the identification of white-nose syndrome, mass mortality events in bats as a result of disease were very rare,” says lead USGS microbiologist David Blehert.

Many people fear bats, but they are a critical ecological player in insect control, plant pollination and seed dissemination.  The decline in bats should have a direct impact on industries.

Source: http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2058

This artist was passed to me from a friend. Immediately, I had a connection with this song and felt the need to publish his work, in respect.

http://www.ronaldjenkees.com/

Song: http://www.ronaldjenkees.com/2008/08/16/stay-crunchy-youtube-jam/3

This is the trademark for my bicyclist campaign against people who don’t follow the traffic laws.

How To Ask Stevie Cohen for a Job

Are you great with Excel and looking for a job? You're not alone. More than 200 hedge funds have closed so far this year, one investment bank has gone belly up, and New York's financial district has shed tens of thousands of jobs in recent months.

Thankfully, Stevie Cohen and Ken Griffin are hiring. Bloomberg reports that some of the top hedge funds, including Cohen's SAC Capital, Griffin's Citadel, D.E. Shaw, and Balyasny Asset Management, have been on a hiring spree of late, scooping up the talent discarded from struggling funds or bloated investment banks.

Portfolio.com's stealth mailroom guys intercepted a recent cover letter for one such job. This might help provide some insight into the kind of competition you'll face on the job hunt.

Dear Mr. Cohen,

In response to an article I read on Bloomberg about your job openings, I wanted to introduce myself to you and share a bit about why I think I'd make a great fit for SAC Capital. I've also enclosed my resume for your review.

I have been a hedge fund analyst for my entire career, so I know I have the right amount of experience for the job. Three years ago, I graduated with honors and a hot girlfriend from Princeton University. I was on a quest for three things: to establish a two and twenty pay structure, to get a lifetime membership to the Shinnecock golf club in the Hamptons, and to prove to my Dad that he didn't get me into Princeton for nothing.

Somewhere along the way, I shed the girlfriend and acquired a 2,000 square foot loft in Soho. My trades rocked. But in 2006, the hedge fund I was working for abruptly closed. I learned a lot at Amaranth, and I'm grateful for the experience. I wouldn't advise calling Amaranth's founders for a reference on me, as I'm sure they have better things to do with their time these days.

I didn't let the setback get me down, and I was even more determined to reach for my goals.

I moved on to Vikram Pandit's awesome Old Lane Partners. I had a great six-month run there, but sometime after Citigroup acquired it, they suggested I spend more time with my family (which I don't have) so I decided to seek opportunities elsewhere. I'm sure Mr. Pandit would be happy to provide a reference if you so desire one. He's pretty easy to get in touch with at vikram@citigroup.com.

In May of last year, Ralph Cioffi hired me to help deal with some trading issues at his hedge funds at Bear Stearns. What a terrific challenge! Unfortunately, the hedge funds had minor losses last summer and I decided on my own to spend some more time with my family. Again, I'm sure Ralph Cioffi has plenty of time on his hands right now if you want to call him for a reference.

I got a great opportunity to move to London and work for Peloton Partners last fall. What a talented team. And London rocked. Unfortunately, earlier this year, the co-founders of the firm decided they wanted to spend more time with their families, so they gave all their money back to the investors.

I took the summer off to golf in the Hamptons, but now I've returned to my Soho loft and I really, really need a job. I had a verbal job offer from Ron Insana about working for him but I guess I should have gotten it in writing, because it fell through.

In summary, Mr. Cohen, I think you'll agree that I have an impressive track record in the hedge fund industry. I'm motivated, talented, and I don't mind taking female hormones if the job demands it.

Very warm regards,

[NAME REDACTED]

Internship search 2008; it’s on!

Pure power and dynamics – this is what the Wiesmann GT MF5 stands for. This puristic sports car, with its classic design and latest modern technology has raised the bar of the Wiesmann sports cars with their already impressive road performance: kitted-out with a free-revving BMW V10 cylinder motor and proud 507 HP enables a sprint from 0 to 100 in only 3.9 seconds. With a sensational performance specification of 2.7 kg/PS and a maximum speed of 310 km/hr this coupé can lay a strong claim to a place amongst the top of the league sports cars. You are guaranteed unique driving enjoyment with the Wiesmann GT MF5.

One can already guess the outstanding drive-dynamic waiting for a driver of a Wiesmann GT MF5 just by looking at its form-which speaks volumes: the very low and road-hugging body-work combined with wide wheels promise ample power. Above all, the wing and the diffuser ensure a powerful drive from the rear-axle and guarantees exceptional stability even at high speeds. After much effort a high performance chassis was developed in the manufactory in Dülmen, which not only offers the driver a unique driving pleasure but also the necessary security measures. The energy absorbing body, toughened aluminium Monocoque, with Side-impact protection as well as the usual ABS combined with Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) ensure the safety of the Wiesmann GT MF5. In addition, the low overall weight and aerodynamic perfection ensures an exceedingly low emission level for a car of this performance class.

This past week, in my Intro to Financial Markets class the teacher brought up the question if one could place a bet on the weather directly.  Obviously, my answer was no; I was wrong.

The CME lists weather contracts based on aggregate temperatures on 35 cities around the world as well as snowfall and frost indexes. CME introduced weather derivatives in 1999. In 2006, traded CME Weather derivatives had a notional value of $22 billion.

http://www.cme.com/trading/prd/weather/