The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ( GS ) is contemplating the closure of its dark pool trading segment - Sigma X, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal . However, there has been no official revelation.

Before analyzing the facts that may have prompted Goldman to consider the closure, let us take a look at the concept of dark-pool trading.

Basics of Dark Pool Trading

Dark pool trading, also known as 'off exchange trading', is stock trading in private platforms wherein the secrecy of investors (who are largely institutional investors) is guarded well in comparison to public exchanges. The crux of dark-pool trading is that there is less transparency in trading, minimizing the market impact. Further, price and volumes of trade are predetermined and are only revealed after the trade. Owing to this, such investors reap the advantage of efficient price movement and lower transaction costs.

Notably, dark pool trading is under constant vigilance by regulators as it allows a section of investors and traders to gain at the cost of a general investor.

Goldman's Sigma X Falling from Heights?

Goldman added Sigma X in its operations in 2006 and currently stands as one of the largest dark pools in the market. Other major players in this space include Barclays PLC ( BCS ), Morgan Stanley ( MS ) and UBS AG ( UBS ).

However, the dark-pool market is largely scattered. Further, the industry is combating troubled times with increasing competition. Further, technical faults and issues have heightened the associated risks.

Notably, Sigma X was hit by a pricing error in 2011 that caused many of its clients to incur losses. Goldman is evaluating the optimality of running Sigma X, given the current headwinds across the dark pool trading industry.

Bottom Line

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Will Goldman Shed Darkness by Shutting Dark Pool? - Analyst Blog

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Where on Earth is this freaky lava pool? Why do people hate love locks? Is it true that fire ants love the suburbs? And what do the soon-to-be-lost sounds of the industrial age sound like? All your answers are here, in this week's landscape reads!

Who hates love? People who care about bridges, apparently. As the fad has grown among the romantically inclined, small footbridges in Paris now groan under the additional metal of an estimated 700,000 locks. And these tiny tokens of affection, taken together, are weighing down the city's aging infrastructure. [The Guardian]

Fire ants first arrived by ship as stowaways from South America in the 1930s, but, for decades, they spread in only a fifty-mile radius around the port of Mobile, Alabama. Then Americans moved out into the suburbs, buying shrubs and sod for their picket-fenced lawns. And fire ants hitched a ride again, as nurseries transported plants and soil across state lines; soon enough, fire ants had invaded the entire South. This piece by Justin Noble is from July, but it was just selected for the Best Science and Nature Writing of 2013, and it's well worth revisiting. [Nautilus]

Torsten Nilsson curates a curious place in Sweden called the Museum of Work. As he's been collecting old factory equipment, he realized that these machines may persist in museums but no one will know what they sound like in use. He's decided to do something about that. "The resulting archive of 600 recordings will focus exclusively on things that clang, screech, hiss, grind, roar, and clatterthat is, noises most of us try to avoid," writes Christ Wright in the introduction to his lovely interview with the Swedish curator. You can also listen to some of the sounds below. [The Boston Globe]

When a mystery chemical spilled into West Virginia's river this January, we wondered how we could know so little about a chemical being stored so close to drinking water. In typical New Yorker fashion, Evan Osnos unravels the tangled web of lobbying and backroom deals that cozied the state up to big business while putting its citizens'- health at risk. [The New Yorker]

Photo: NASA Earth Observatory shared this unearthly photo of the Halema'uma'u Crater in Hawaii this past week. This lava lake formed in the crater just 6 years ago, slowly expanding into a pit over 500 feet across. The lava had sunken slightly from the day before, leaving the glowing cracks on its barely cooled surface. Photo by USGS.

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Where on Earth is this freaky lava pool?

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Simon Rios/The Standard-Times Chuck Smiley, owner and operator of the Captain Haskell's Octagon House on Union Street, says the economy and increased competition have made the business harder than ever.

By SIMN RIOS

April 06, 2014 12:00 AM

NEW BEDFORD Before the Fairfield Inn arrived, about the only lodging available downtown was a handful of bed and breakfasts.

Now, with the expected construction of a second downtown hotel, the lodging landscape is poised to change once again.

Not everyone is happy about it.

"Prior to the hotel we were getting a chunk of people who were just happening by, looking for a place to stay (in New Bedford)," said Chuck Smiley, owner of Captain Haskell Octagon House, a Union Street B&B.

Now, he said, "I don't think I'm getting those people."

Smiley said the opening of the 106-room Fairfield Inn & Suites in June 2010 cut deep into his occupancy rates, which are about 50 percent of his most successful year. And with a proposed 141-room hotel at the landmark Rodman Candleworks building, Smiley said it could force him to close.

Excerpt from:
Lodging landscape changing in New Bedford

Bergen County, Northern NJ (PRWEB) April 04, 2014

A recent study by the China Agricultural University and Purdue University revealed that 1 in every 5 adults has admitted to peeing in a swimming pool. Most people believe that the chlorine in the pool will simply neutralize the urine and everyone will be fine. This is not necessarily the case. Whats more alarming about the study is that when uric acid, a byproduct of urine, combines with chlorine it creates a new chemical called cyanogen chloride. Cyanogen chloride is a gas that when inhaled can be harmful to the central nervous system, heart and lungs. Healthline News says that cyanogen chloride is a schedule 3 controlled substance by the U.S. Chemical Weapons Convention due to the potential in being used in chemical warfare.

The WHO (World Health Organization) recommends that the maximum concentration of cyanogen chloride be 70 milligrams per liter or less for drinking water. The highest concentration the study observed was 33 milligrams per liter at 8 milligrams per liter of chlorine, which is a much higher concentration of chlorine than is found in the average pool. This is still deemed safe by the WHO revealing that there is no imminent threat of poisoning while peeing in the pool. Never the less, doing so adversely affects water and air quality and should be avoided as much as possible especially for indoor swimming pools because of the enclosed room.

The study only polled adults, but it can be assumed that the percentage of children who pee in a swimming pool is higher than the 20% of the adults who do. Homeowners may be wondering how they can protect themselves when having a large amount of bathers in their swimming pool? When hosting a large party over the summer with a lot of children, Chris Cipriano, President of Cipriano Landscape Design has some recommendations. The best way you can prepare is to make sure your pool is running at its maximum sanitation level when the party starts. In order to ensure this, I recommend running your filtration system for 48 hours prior to the party to allow your pool to turnover several times. He continues, If the pool is running at the maximum sanitization level it will be better prepared to handle the party. Turnover refers to how long it takes to filter all of the swimming pools water through the filtration system.

After the party is over Cipriano would also recommend running the filtration for another 48 hours to filter any contaminants that may have entered the water and also slightly increasing the amount of chlorine in the pool to help with the decontamination process. People have been safely using swimming pools for centuries so this isnt meant to scare anyone but rather provide some advice to keep a swimming pool as clean as possible. Obviously the best safety measure is to pee in the appropriate place, the bathroom, but these are some good precautionary measures that can be taken when planning a large party.

Celebrating 25 years in business, 15-time international award winner Cipriano Landscape Design distinguishes themselves from all other swimming pool & landscaping companies with their extensive design and construction experience. As a recognized national leader in custom residential & commercial landscaping, masonry and swimming pools, the Mahwah NJ firm has been offering complete estate transformations since 2001. With a design office headed by Certified NJ Landscape Architect William Moore, the Cipriano team has won 75 awards of excellence since 2006 and in 2013 was named by Pool And Spa News to their "Top 50 Pool Builders list.

Visit http://www.njcustomswimmingpools.com for more information.

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New Study Shows Peeing in A Swimming Pool Poses Health Risks

Published: Wednesday, April 2, 2014 at 6:01 a.m. Last Modified: Monday, March 31, 2014 at 10:55 p.m.

'The Ichetucknee and its run, the most beautiful landscape in the world.

Archie Carr, A Naturalist in Florida

So says a bronze plaque at the entrance to Ichetucknee Springs State Park. It was a canoe trip down the beautiful Ichetucknee that convinced Gov. Jeb Bush to create the first Florida Springs Task Force to consider how we could protect this priceless part of our heritage for future generations.

Florida's constitution proclaims that it shall be the policy of the state to protect ... its scenic beauty. Surely the Ichetucknee qualifies for that protection. Florida law also says the water management districts may give consideration to aesthetic and scenic values in setting the minimum flows.

But there is little beauty to be found in the Suwannee River Water Management District's final report on the minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for the Ichetucknee and lower Santa Fe rivers. While there is an acknowledgement that the growth of algae can alter the aesthetics of the river, in general beauty is dismissed from consideration because there is little quantitative information linking aesthetics and flow suitable for the establishment of MFL criteria.

In short, there are no metrics for beauty. The best the district can do is to conflate the aesthetic values with recreational values. The district measures recreational values in terms of how many inches of clearance there are between a tuber's posterior and the bottom of the river. It would be funny, if the result was not so tragic.

The district's minimum flow rule for the Ichetucknee provides that flow will be at least 343 cubic feet per second (cfs) 50 percent of the time. However, over the last decade, the actual median flow of the Ichetucknee as measured by the U.S. Geological Survey has been only 285 cfs. Yet the district's recovery plan has a goal of only restoring 3 cfs to the river.

The problem is that the more water there is for the rivers, the less water is available for big utilities and agribusiness. MFLs are seen as the way the district can squeeze the last few cubic feet of water per second out of water bodies in sharp decline.

The public is then reassured by being told something that is patently untrue: that the rivers' ecosystems will not be significantly harmed by giving out still more permits.

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Rob Williams: MFLs fail to protect beauty, rare species of Ichetucknee

TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) -

Due to warmer than average weather Tucson's swimming season is approaching rather quickly. It is important that parents take the necessary precautions to keep their children safe in and around water.

Drowning is 100 percent preventable and sadly each year it continues to occur in Tucson. The most effective way to prevent this tragedy is to create multiple layers of protection around pools and to rely on the ABC'S of drowning prevention.

According to a Tucson Fire Department release adults should adhere to the following ABC's of drowning prevention:

Active Adult Supervision

Is the first line of defense against drowning. The Designated Child Watcher (DCW) is responsible for supervising the children when they are in or near the water. The DCW agrees to supervise the children without distraction for a given period of time. The DCW is given a lifeguard whistle or neck wallet that serves to remind them of their responsibility. When another adult relieves them, the whistle is handed off to them. This ensures that there isn't a lapse in supervision.

Barriers

Perimeter Fencing: Every pool within Tucson city limits is required by law to have a five-foot high, permanently fixed fence that completely surrounds the perimeter of the pool.

Self-Closing/Self Latching Gates: All pool gates need to be self-closing and self-latching. To test your gate, open the gate to body width and release. The gate should swing close and completely latch on its own.

Check for Gaps or Openings: Make sure that pool fencing does not contain gaps exceeding four inches. Check the entire perimeter of the fence regularly to look for erosion or unusual spacing between the ground and the bottom of the fence.

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TFD reminder on ABCs of pool safety as swim season approaches

TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) -

Due to warmer than average weather Tucson's swimming season is approaching rather quickly. It is important that parents take the necessary precautions to keep their children safe in and around water.

Drowning is 100 percent preventable and sadly each year it continues to occur in Tucson. The most effective way to prevent this tragedy is to create multiple layers of protection around pools and to rely on the ABC'S of drowning prevention.

According to a Tucson Fire Department release adults should adhere to the following ABC's of drowning prevention:

Active Adult Supervision

Is the first line of defense against drowning. The Designated Child Watcher (DCW) is responsible for supervising the children when they are in or near the water. The DCW agrees to supervise the children without distraction for a given period of time. The DCW is given a lifeguard whistle or neck wallet that serves to remind them of their responsibility. When another adult relieves them, the whistle is handed off to them. This ensures that there isn't a lapse in supervision.

Barriers

Perimeter Fencing: Every pool within Tucson city limits is required by law to have a five-foot high, permanently fixed fence that completely surrounds the perimeter of the pool.

Self-Closing/Self Latching Gates: All pool gates need to be self-closing and self-latching. To test your gate, open the gate to body width and release. The gate should swing close and completely latch on its own.

Check for Gaps or Openings: Make sure that pool fencing does not contain gaps exceeding four inches. Check the entire perimeter of the fence regularly to look for erosion or unusual spacing between the ground and the bottom of the fence.

Read the original:
Learn ABCs of pool safety to keep kids safe

CLEARWATER After being booked into the Pinellas County Jail in January, James Brown was told he could either clean up after the homeless at Pinellas Safe Harbor, the nearby county shelter, or help at the jails horticultural center.

I preferred the plants, Brown, 53, said.

What he discovered was that potting red geraniums and pulling weeds out of Egyptian papaya plants suited him. He liked it. His blood pressure, which was high, has come down. And hes mellowed somewhat.

I used to be a rough guy, Brown, who is serving a six-month sentence for marijuana possession and for having a counterfeit license plate 10 years ago, said at the center on Friday. Fooling around with these plants sort of backed me up from that.

In August, the center will have been operating for 10 years.

It started with a Pinellas Technical Education Center instructor who was given office space, access to a vacant lot, and about $6,000 of tax money a year to buy potting soil, pots, seeds and the like.

Since then, the center has evolved into a bright stretch of variegated green in the jails shadow where so many plants are sold the enterprise has become economically self-sufficient.

At the helm is the PTEC instructor who was there from the beginning Chuck Pool, a 67-year-old who sports a pith helmet as he walks around giving instructions to jail trustees in striped uniforms whose crimes are minor enough for them to be allowed outside.

I wasnt real thrilled about coming to the jail, said Pool, who worked at the PTEC on 34th Street South in St. Petersburg before his transfer. But now that Im here, I like it and I dont plan on leaving.

The inmates are my students, he said.

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Pinellas horticulture center at jail marks 10 years

Submitted Naples Squares streetscapes will be lined with numerous soaring palms interspersed with colorful flower beds, strips of green, and heavily landscaped areas that separate the sidewalks and buildings.

A landscape design by Christian Andrea of Architectural Land Design Inc. will bring a lush, park-like ambiance to Naples Square, an enclave of residences ranging from over 1,200 to just under 3,000 square feet being developed by The Ronto Group on the corner of Fifth Avenue South and Goodlette-Frank Road within a short walk of downtown Naples renowned attractions. Naples Squares walkable lifestyle will bring a sense of cohesion to downtown by connecting Fifth Avenue to Bayfront with access on 10th Street via Third Avenue South. The Naples Square residences are priced from the $500s.

Andreas design gracefully merges pavered roadways, entry water features, and fountain roundabouts with Washingtonia and Medjool Date palm trees and a mix of plantings. Oak trees will create a canopy to provide shade and further soften the building mass. Plantings that will perform well in Naples heat and humidity are also incorporated in the design, and include Clusia, Variegated Dwarf Schefflera, and Bougainvillea. Asian Jasmine, a carpetlike ground cover, will be used in the pedestrian areas. Naples Squares key intersections, crossings, and building entry features will be identified by tall palms. Building corners that are adjacent to the communitys signature roundabouts will be softened by tall, scattered height Washingtonia palms.

Whether walking or riding a bike through Naples Squares downtown environment, the visual impact and shade created by Andreas design will create a park-like feeling. The streetscapes will be lined with numerous soaring palms interspersed with colorful flower beds, strips of green, and heavily landscaped areas that separate the sidewalks and buildings. In addition to their visual appeal, the fountains at each of the roundabouts will provide a soothing level of white noise and also have a cooling effect. Taken in sum, the design will evoke feelings of comfortable familiarity and a sense of place that is rarely found when walking through typical downtown building corridors. To enhance the sense of connection even further, Andrea has incorporated lighting into the design that will contribute to the communitys dramatic after-dark tableau.

Naples Squares courtyard amenity decks will feature a resort-style heated swimming pool and spa, sun deck, pavilion bar with gas grills, and a gas fire table with seating. Andreas amenity deck landscape design incorporates green spaces, Asian Jasmine ground cover, raised-planters with date palms, and arbors with vine plantings to create a garden-like effect. Additional planters provide a colorful note of separation between the terraces of the garden level residences and the edges of the plaza. Naples Squares u-shaped residential buildings will be situated with their open ends facing one another. Andrea has taken the juxtaposition of the buildings into account and created long-range amenity deck view corridors with strong visual appeal. The tranquillity of the setting will belie Naples Squares location literally less than a five-minute walk from downtowns most popular dining, entertainment and shopping district.

Naples Squares landscape design will play a major role in furthering efforts to transform Goodlette-Frank Road into a corridor lined with greenways and pathways for cyclists and pedestrians. A dedicated public access linear park easement will stretch along the entire eastern edge of the Naples Square site and front Goodlette-Frank Road. The linear park will solidify Naples Squares connection with the Gordon River Greenway and with a new park the City of Naples plans to develop. At the same time, the linear park will contribute to Naples Squares grand sense of entry and reinforce the communitys lifestyle that is focused on walkability and the freedom to enjoy bicycling even while living in the heart of downtown Naples.

Naples Square offers seven one and two story, two and three bedroom plus den floor plans with open-concept living areas and open-air terraces, each ideally suited to the downtown Naples lifestyle. Designed by MHK Architecture and Planning of Naples, the light-filled floor plans feature 10 ceilings, designer kitchens, chic master bedrooms and designer flooring throughout. Controlled access covered parking is also included. Over 50 reservations have been received since the Naples Square Sales Gallery at 100 South Goodlette-Frank Road in mid-January. Ronto anticipates converting Naples Square reservations to contracts later this season. Construction is planned for 2014 and includes completion of 73 residences.

Reservations for residences at Naples Square are now being accepted. The Naples Square Sales Gallery at 100 Goodlette-Frank Road S. Visit NaplesSquare.com.

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Naples Square to feature parklike ambiance

3-bed Apartment for Sale in Vilamoura, Algarve, Portugal on portugueselife.biz
More info on Apartment for Sale in Vilamoura, Algarve, Portugal with 3-bedroom: http://portugueselife.biz/properties/1335-apartment-for-sale-in-vilamoura-al...

By: Portuguese Life

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3-bed Apartment for Sale in Vilamoura, Algarve, Portugal on portugueselife.biz - Video