Scorses Does It Again

I walked into Martin Scorses' Hugo without reading any reviews or knowing anything about the Brian Selznick book on which it is based and I'm glad. I found it a wonderful movie for all ages. I doubt that youngsters will appreciate the appearance of James Joyce having coffee with Salvador Dali in one of the early crowd scenes, but this movie is filled with many such things.

Twitter Maps Made Easy

View rob_daly's profile on TweepsMap

I have to admit that I'm an analytics junkie. When I came across #TweepsMap for Twitter, it sucked me in for a bit more time than is probably healthy. It's easy to use and provides a good deal of data. Check it out and have fun.

Are You Really Ready for Real-Time Pre-Trade Risk Checks?

In a little over a week, all SEC-regulated brokers in the US will need to preform pre-trade risk and capital checks for clients for whom they provide sponsored market access. Sell-Side Technology sits down with industry veteran Bill Karsh to discuss how prepared the industry is as well as the state of the available custom and third-party offerings.

The Lighter Side of Lower Manhattan

To soothe tempers around Zucotti Park, New York's MTA has integrated the world's largest gumdrop into its new Fulton Street Transit Center.

"We hope that it will bring out everyone's holiday cheer and calm everything down," says an MTA spokesperson, not wishing to be identified.

Dodd-Frank's Brave New World

I recently had a chance to catch up with Tabb Group's Kevin McPartland in his firm's office overlooking lower Manhattan. We took the opportunity to discuss how prepared the swaps industry is for life under Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act now that US regulators expect to have the rules complete in the next five months. You can listen to the entire conversation at Sell-Side Technology.

The Mill and the Cross

The best way to describe Lech Majewski's The Mill and the Cross is that it is falling into a painting for 90 minutes. The film is an in-depth analysis of Flemish painter Pieter Brugel the Elder's 1564 painting "Way to Calvary."

Low Latency in the Middle and Back Office

How can sell-side firms leverage their low-latency trading technology to handle the new levels of regulatory and client reporting? 

I've scribbled a few thoughts on the topic at Sell-Side Technology.