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TV review: The Savage Peace told a story we don't want to hear | The Herald

This was a thoroughly depressing programme, full of execution, rape and ethnic cleansing, and there was no respite from the horror and no nice ending.

1945: The Savage Peace (BBC2) told the largely unknown story of what happened to the Germans after their surrender. For those living outside Germany, notably in Czechoslovakia and Poland, ordinary people who had committed no crime, but who merely happened to be German or Ethnic German, were subject to horrific atrocities which matched what the Nazis did, not in scale, of course, but in method.

I suppose we don't like to admit this. Most of us prefer to think the Nazis were evil, and so that explains their actions, because if we allow some subtlety to shade the story that will discomfit us, making us think that perhaps any country, and any person, could gas, rape and slaughter. Yet this programme forced us to acknowledge that the 'good' side in the war were also capable of horrors. In fact, they often took care to precisely match what the Nazis did, pushing Germans into concentration camps, carrying out public hangings, lining them up by a pit or a ditch to shoot them en masse, and branding them with swastikas and armbands even though 'their only crime is that they happen so speak German.'

It was impossible immediately after the war, and perhaps even now, to conceive of a German as a victim. They were branded as Nazis, and the concept of collective guilt made an individual's own innocence or goodness invisible. They were German and so were fair game for the tortured, weary and angry populations who were suddenly free and, sadly, but inevitably, wanted revenge.

The programme showed some images of Britain in 1945, and it was all about bunting, street parties and kisses, but that tiny snippet of London's VE Day is all we saw before moving East. Indeed, Britain's jolly VE Day was unique only to us. Elsewhere the peace was "violent and chaotic'.

This was an oral history, moving across Eastern Europe to tell the individual stories of Germans, or German speakers, who were raped, battered or stripped of their citizenship and forced to leave in what was the largest ethnic cleansing operation in history.

Christa Ronke, a teenager in Berlin, was raped at gunpoint by a Russian soldier, as were the other women in her flat. Stalin had given the soldiers three days in which to do as they pleased, as a reward for taking Berlin, and so they raped German women.

In Czechoslovakia, there was an extreme rage unleashed against ethnic Germans in the Sudetenland. Some had swastikas carved into their faces and then the wound was rubbed with salt. This was a horrible Czechoslovak version of the Nazis marking Jews with a yellow star. After viewing the treatment of the Sudeten Germans one of the witnesses says bluntly, 'I would never want to live in this country again'.

We would assume that Poland suffered worst under the Nazis, but most of the violence reported in this programme was meted out in Czechoslovakia, including the most disturbing scene: Germans were lined up by the roadside and shot in the back. As they slumped forward, many still alive, a truck was gleefully driven towards them and deliberately driven over their legs. The bodies buckle, shift and roll under the wheels like rag dolls.

Poland had its own methods of hitting back at resident Germans. The concentration camp at Zgoda was taken over by a Jewish partisan called Solomon Morel and Germans were imprisoned there, with Morel telling them, 'You will think of Auschwitz as a kindergarten by comparison.'

Much of this was revealed to us in stark colour film and photography, which is relatively rare for WWII film, so had the effect of setting these stories apart from the war, and therefore releasing it from the narrative of 'good' versus' bad, or 'Nazis' versus 'us'. We were forced to think that perhaps we're all capable of horrors.

It was a depressing programme indeed, and the only shred of hope came from the 'wolf children'. These were a band of East Prussian children who lost their parents and lived alone in a forest in Lithuania, living wild and falling asleep at night to the howls of wolves. Locals screamed at the children, throwing freezing water at them and refusing to help, but the tiny group of siblings stayed together and survived the war. I felt slight hope in hearing the children's stories, but how can they have any hope in their chests, especially when one of them admitted, 'I wanted to force my mother to commit suicide.'

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Bombing of Dresden | History, Deaths, & Facts | Britannica

bombing of Dresden, during World War II, Allied bombing raids on February 13–15, 1945, that almost completely destroyed the German city of Dresden. The raids became a symbol of the “terror bombing” campaign against Germany, which was one of the most controversial Allied actions of the war.

Throughout the war, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had called for increased British air raids against the population centres of Germany in order to swamp German authorities and services, particularly transportation, with hordes of refugees. As the Allied forces closed in on the Third Reich in 1945, such targets became more feasible because of the air superiority and improved navigation techniques of the Anglo-American bomber force.

Before World War II, Dresden was called “Florence on the Elbe” and was considered one of the world’s most beautiful cities because of its architecture and art treasures. Having never previously been attacked in the war, the city offered increased value for terror bombing against an inexperienced population. On the night of February 13, the British Bomber Command hit Dresden with an 800-bomber air raid, dropping some 2,700 tons of bombs, including large numbers of incendiaries. Aided by weather conditions, a firestorm developed, incinerating tens of thousands of people. The U.S. Eighth Air Force followed the next day with another 400 tons of bombs and carried out yet another raid by 210 bombers on February 15. It is thought that some 25,000–35,000 civilians died in Dresden in the air attacks, though some estimates are as high as 250,000, given the influx of undocumented refugees that had fled to Dresden from the Eastern Front. Most of the victims were women, children, and the elderly.

After the war, German and Soviet authorities considered leveling the Dresden ruins to make way for new construction. But local leaders forced a compromise for rebuilding part of the city centre and placing the modern construction outside—in effect, encircling old Dresden with a newer city. After reunification in 1990, Germany undertook the extensive reconstruction of the inner city as a moral and political objective, unveiling new works at various stages with much fanfare in an effort still ongoing in the 21st century. Dresden has returned to much of its former grandeur as a centre for art and culture.

The bombing of Dresden was a historic benchmark that demonstrated the power of strategic bombing. Critics say that the military value of the bombing did not justify Dresden’s near destruction and that the city could have been spared, like Rome, Paris, and Kyōto. Given the high number of civilian casualties and the relatively few strategic targets, some even called the bombing of Dresden a war crime, though both the British and the American militaries defended the bombing as necessary.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Michael Ray.

~ ~ ~ Allied bombing of Dresden: Legitimate target or war crime? ~ ~ ~

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SEC Probes Ryan Cohen’s Bed Bath & Beyond Trades

Billionaire took $120 million position in housewares retailer, then abruptly sold it

~ ~ ~Ryan Cohen sold his 11.8% interest in Bed Bath & Beyond in August 2022, just days after tweeting positively about the company.~ ~ ~

PHOTO: MARK ABRAMSON FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

By Dave Michaels and Lauren Thomas Sept. 7, 2023 5:45 pm ET

The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating billionaire Ryan Cohen’s ownership—and surprise sale—of Bed Bath & Beyond shares at a time when such so-called meme stocks were all the rage with investors.

Cohen took a $120 million stake in Bed Bath & Beyond and pushed for changes to the housewares retailer’s sales strategy, but abruptly sold his 11.8% interest in August 2022, just days after tweeting positively about the company. The five-month investment netted him a profit of nearly $60 million.

Cohen’s interest in the company spurred a frenzy of trading that caused its stock to soar 34% in a day before collapsing after he disclosed the sales, before which he had gotten three new members appointed to the board.

The SEC has requested information from Cohen about his trades and his communications with officers or directors at Bed Bath & Beyond, according to people familiar with the matter. The regulator has also sought records from some of the company’s current and former board members.

The SEC’s civil investigations sometimes take more than two years and can end without the regulator bringing formal claims of wrongdoing.

Cohen founded online pet retailer Chewy and later developed a deep fan base of individual investors who herd into the stocks he buys. He most notably took control in 2021 of videogame retailer GameStop, where he currently serves as executive chairman.

A group of Bed Bath and Beyond investors sued Cohen last year in Washington, D.C., federal court, alleging he committed fraud because he was aware of bad news about the company that hadn’t been disclosed when he sold his shares. They claim his statements on Twitter and in SEC filings were part of a pump-and-dump strategy that left small investors nursing big losses.

In an order issued in late July declining to dismiss the investors’ claims, U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden called the timing of Cohen’s trades “sketchy.”

Cohen’s ability to attract a bandwagon of retail investors grew from the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic, when traders triggered by social-media posts and online communities such as Reddit began gambling on meme stocks.

According to the investors’ lawsuit, Cohen misled investors when he tweeted on Aug. 12, 2022, in response to a negative news article about Bed Bath & Beyond, that included an emoji showing the face of the moon.

Some investors took it as a bullish signal, indicating that Bed Bath & Beyond stock would go “to the moon,” according to the lawsuit. The stock rose 12% that day, according to FactSet data.

In his response to the investors’ lawsuit, Cohen denied misleading the market about his trading plans. He decided to sell, he said in a court filing, because the stock price had “unexpectedly increased to a value that exceeded what he believed it was worth.”

Cohen also said that one of his earlier disclosures told investors that he could sell some or all of his shares. He didn’t change that statement, so investors were on notice that Cohen could dump his stake at any time, his court filing said.

In declining to dismiss the case, Judge McFadden wrote that investors “plausibly alleged that the moon tweet relayed that Cohen was telling his hundreds of thousands of followers that Bed Bath’s stock was going up and that they should buy or hold.”

In the week after his tweet, Cohen filed two public updates to his Bed Bath & Beyond holdings. The first, on Aug. 16, 2022, said he hadn’t done any trading during the prior 60 days. The second, filed on Aug. 18, said he began selling all of his shares two days earlier.

The company filed for bankruptcy in April and has closed hundreds of its stores since last year.

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I seem to remember the BlockBuster stock along with lots of the other Cellar Boxed stocks doing strange stuff around the time of the original squeeze.

If I’m not mistaken that was the original impetus for the creation of the so called “eXpErTs MaRkEt”. Because we have to sAvE rEtAiL iNvEsToRs from themselves.

It’s criminal how many companies Wall Street has been able to victimize with these Bust Out & Cellar Boxing schemes.

User 1fuzzypickel and The-doctor-is-real have put in a tremendous amount of energy in compiling lists of companies that have fallen prey to these private equity driven leveraged takeovers. The list includes some very well known names such as: Blockbuster, OfficeMax, Pizza Hut, K-Mart, Neiman Marcus, Pier 1 Imports, Sears, Toys R Us, Circuit City, JC Penny, Radio Shack... and the list goes on, and on, and on.

You can find the lists here:

Request: Help me create a master list of companies BCG has bankrupted, is actively trying to bankrupt, failed bankruptcy attempts, and other various scandals they’re tied to.

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Can we make a list of the companies that BCG has sabotaged?

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I think I have a fair grasp on how it works but it is difficult to see exactly how all the pieces slot together inside Wall Street’s black box full of imaginary numbers.

This is an intro to the Wall Street take on the classic Mob “Bust Out” scheme.

You really have to consider shorting and the “Bust Out” activities as more of a “group” activity rather than a direct dynamic between only one or two Wall Street entities. All of them have a part to play in this feted little scheme. And sure, there’s probably some stronger (RICO) ties between a few of the players here and there, but overall they don’t really even need to communicate between each other much. They can play the game just fine without too much talking, because it’s like musical parts in a band. As long as they all know who the victim company is - they can pretty much just hum along in time with each other. They all know how the song goes.

Predatory Lending and the debt trap is one of the core requirements for a successful Wall Street “Bust Out” operation.

It typically starts with getting a Board Member onboard the victim company. This can often be done through Corporate Vote Manipulation. Corporate voting is surprisingly easy to manipulate. All you have to do is borrow enough shares prior to the company vote and you can vote those shares to achieve whatever corporate action you want to accomplish. Initially the first goal is usually to get a Board Member (or members) onboard the victim company.

Once a Board Member(s) are on board you need to “trim the fat” to make the company reliant upon Wall Streets services. Specifically Debt. Debt, especially cheap debt is how they get you. How they own you. The Debt trap is why Wall Street generally does not allow companies to carry large surpluses of cash. It’s generally leached out through the Board members bonuses, their “golden parachutes”, extravagant expenditures like the company jet, the “overpriced consultants”, payed out to the majority shareholders as dividends, etc...

This is done so that companies “run lean” and they often don’t keep much cash on handset all. Instead companies borrow cash from Banks to pay big expenditures. Some even run so lean that they will not even keep enough cash on hand for payroll.

They take short term loans for things like payrolls, operating expenses. The loans are a key component. You make a company reliant on debt, and then you own them. The scam works because the stock price of a company works something like a credit score. Banks use the stock price as a key component of an analysis of that companies credit worthiness.

So if they can drop the price of a particular stock low enough through Naked Shorting, the victim company will not be able to pay their day to day bills and will go bankrupt immediately unless they obtain emergency financing from somewhere else. That’s when the predatory lenders come in. They will be willing to provide emergency funding, but at a steep cost.

The predatory lenders will often use what is called a Convertible Bond to provide funding to the victim companies. What a Convertible Bond does; is allow the predatory lenders to convert that bond into shares. The Predatory Lenders are secretly involved with the Naked Shorters that are trying to drive the stock to zero. What the predatory lenders do is structure the loan in such a way that it’s extremely difficult to pay off on time without penalty.

When the victim companies enviably can’t meet the terms and conditions of the loan, the predatory lenders “convert” those Convertible Bonds into shares and dump them on the marketplace. This further depresses the share price of the company. It’s called “Death Spiral Financing”.

Once the share price is close to zero the predators refuse to continue lending, this bankrupts the company, forces a sale, where the private equity predators again come in and scoop up the companies assets at pennies on the dollar.

The Private Equity Companies benefit by being able to keep or sell off the victim companies assets.

The Naked Shorters (Market Makers) get to keep all the profits of selling those Naked Short Shares and they get to “Cellar Box” the remaining shares of stock that has reached around $0.0001 to ~$0.0004. Cellar Boxing is taking advantage of the arbitrage between the 100% spreads at the price “cellar”. If you own $1,000 dollars worth of a stock at $0.0001, your stock value can never decline. And if you drive up the price of that stock to $0.0002, you now have $2,000 worth of stock. And because they never close those positions, they get to keep the Naked Shorting proceeds Tax Free.

The Predatory Lenders (Banks) profit by keeping the proceeds of the loans and from selling those shares obtained from the Convertible Bonds.

The DTCC benefits from all the FTDs because of how FTDs are “resolved”. The DTCC charges a “small” fee (much smaller than the actual price of the shares) to maintain those FTD records, so the more FTDs, the more money they make.

The Board Members deliberately drive the company into the ground, get fat bonuses for doing so and golden parachutes on the way out. They probably get kickbacks from bringing in the “Overpriced Consultants”. And they get to move on to their “next assignment” to bankrupt the next company.

The “Overpriced Consultants” like BCG extract fat fees from the Victim Companies and have a dual function to keep the Victim Companies on the path to Bust Out and as a data breach funneling information back to the Naked Shorters and the Private Equity company. The data breach is important because it allows the Private Equity to either sabotage innovation or to front run products.

The the Lawyers and Judges in important jurisdictions are also often involved in keeping both the regulators deaf and dumb but in making sure that court decisions swing in favor of the Private Equity as often as possible.

The politicians get paid fat “speaking fees” to look the other way. They are also fed juicy stock tips through their Wall Street lobbyists. The court officials (judges) are given lavish vacations and other monetary benefits (goods, property) to rule on the side of Wall Street. The SEC is also effectively kept deaf and dumb by the aspersions of its own staff. SEC staffers all have a big fat carrot dangling in front of the courtesy of big financial institutions. The staffers all want to move on to those cushy Bank or Institutional jobs in the financial industry that involve using their experience to circumvent the regulations that they often wrote while inside the SEC.

The other beneficiary of this little scam is the company that is going to take over that market that the Victim Company has just been forced to vacate. Amazon for example has benefited immensely by the “Bust Out” scam. They have taken over electric components from RadioShack, Home good sales from Sears, on demand video from Blockbuster, office goods from OfficeMax, Toys from Toys R Us. The list goes on and on: K-Mart, Neiman Marcus, Pier 1 Imports, Circuit City, JC Penny...

Wall Street has figured out that they can make more money by destroying companies than by supporting them. Everyone wins and makes money hand over fist doing so.

Everyone except the Victim Companies and their Retail / Household Investors. They get fucked. Hard.

Bonus material: The Bust-Out

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https://www.reddit.com/r/Superstonk/comments/np33hr/amazon_bain_capital_and_citadel_bust_out_the/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Superstonk/comments/s4moop/bustout_the_movie_stock_edition_players_include/

https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/wall-streets-naked-swindle-194908/

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/greed-and-debt-the-true-story-of-mitt-romney-and-bain-capital-183291/

Wall Street Whistle Blower - Laser Haas https://youtu.be/aURQbtmgrfQ

~ ~ ~ Laser Haas ~ ~ ~

Former Morgan Stanley employee. —“Gaming Wall Street” https://youtu.be/i-tKiiHWGkE

~ ~ ~ I naked short sold stocks EVERY single day ~ ~ ~

EX-HEDGE FUND MANAGER EXPOSES THE TRUTH ABOUT NAKED SHORTS https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WUAfc4S3djU

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by DrEyeBall

Legacy Swaps, Margin Requirements, Phase 6, oh my! I AM NOT SEEING ENOUGH CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS Sept 1st margin requirement that has been delayed longer than usual...

I tried posting this earlier but it contained the virus word that is blocked by automod here.

The following is discussion of the rule published by the CFTC in Jan 2021 with a recent proposed rule change. Herein I post a summary of the rule (important terms bolded), my interpretation, and speculation on how this relates to our beloved stock. I would like more EyeBalls on this. The Rule explains that the majority (492 of 514) entities would fall under this rule; seems rather important to me and not many have discussed this thoroughly here in detail.

Margin Requirements for Uncleared Swaps for Swap Dealers and Major Swap Participants

Final Rule Jan 5 21 / Document Citation: 86 FR 229

• Old Rule: Margin requirements start Jan 1st every year based on average daily aggregate notional amount from Jun-Aug.
• New Initial Margin (IM) requirements started Sept 1 2022 based on average month-end aggregate notional amount (ANAA) positions over Mar-May of that year. Margin requirements are required every Sept 1st based upon the Mar-May monitoring period. Previously this was a daily average with margin requirement starting on Jan 1st and based on Jun-Aug of the prior year. If the entity’s position is >$8B then margin requirements are in effect. Most situations use a risk-based model (ranging 1-15%), but certain participants can elect to use a standard model.
• ELI5: entity marks positions during a timeframe and if they meet the criteria they are subject to posting the margin (IM) requirements on the listed date.

Final Rule Jan 25 21 / Document Citation: 86 FR 6850

Proposed Rule (comments close 10/10/23) / Document Citation: 88 FR 53409

• "The proposed amendment would revise the definition of “margin affiliate” to provide that certain collective investment vehicles (“investment funds” or “funds”) that receive all of their start-up capital, or a portion thereof, from a sponsor entity (“seeded funds”) would be deemed not to have any margin affiliates for the purposes of calculating certain thresholds that trigger the requirement to exchange initial margin (“IM”) for uncleared swaps. This proposed amendment (“Seeded Funds Proposal”) would effectively relieve SDs and MSPs from the requirement to post and collect IM with certain eligible seeded funds for their uncleared swaps for a period of three years from the date on which the eligible seeded fund's asset manager first begins making investments on behalf of the fund (“trading inception date”). "

TRANSITION PERIOD

• “The shift of the MSE determination date from January 1 to September 1 may defer for nine months to September 1, 2023, the obligation to exchange IM for a firm that absent the rule change would have been subject to the IM requirements on January 1, 2023. Uncleared swaps entered into by the firm during the nine-month deferral period will be deemed legacy swaps, or uncleared swaps exempt from the IM requirements.[49] As a result, in 2023, less collateral may be collected for uncleared swaps, which could render uncleared swap positions riskier and increase the risk of contagion and systemic risk.”

ELI5: If you were required to post margin on Jan 1 2023 based on the old rules, you can elect to defer until Sept 1 2023.

• "The Commission further notes that the amendment to the timing of post-phase-in compliance, as proposed, will defer compliance with the IM requirements with respect to uncleared swaps entered into by a CSE with an FEU that comes into the scope of IM compliance after the end of the last compliance phase. Under the current rule being amended, FEUs with MSE as measured in June, July, and August 2022 would have come into the scope of compliance post-phase-in beginning on January 1, 2023. On the other hand, under the Final Rule, FEUs with MSE as measured in March, April, and May 2023 will come into scope, post-phase-in compliance, beginning on September 1, 2023. As a result, for FEUs with MSE in both periods, less collateral for uncleared swaps may be collected given that the Final Rule changes the beginning of post-phase-in compliance from January 1, 2023, to September 1, 2023, rendering uncleared swap positions entered into between January 1, 2023, and September 1, 2023, riskier, as no IM will be required to be collected during that period, which could increase the risk of contagion and the potential for systemic risk."

ELI5: If you came into the scope of our margin requirements you can defer to Sept 1 2023.

CONCERNS

There are several concerns aired in the documents about how the month-end calculation can have fuckery such that entities do things to avoid meeting the margin cutoff or to improve their positions during the monitoring period. I would defer the reader to the above initial Rule for discussion there.

SIMILAR POSTS ABOUT THIS

• Excellent overview of Phase 6
• Video and commentary on Phase 6
• More commentary on Phase 6

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

• I would encourage the reader to review 2022 and 2023 Mar-May month-end (last business day) price action - the position on that day determines whether future margin is required. Take note of how a swap and counterparty may consider managing other securities before/after swap dates.
• Notice the consistent attempts at price suppression and/or stabilization during the monitoring period.
• Pardon me for using Yahoo.

JAN 1 2019 MARGIN: Mar-May was monitoring period (daily avg). Jan 1st margin required. Position going as planned…
JAN 1 2020 MARGIN: Jun-Aug was monitoring period (daily avg). Jan 1st margin required. Position going as planned…
JAN 1 2021 MARGIN: Jun-Aug was monitoring period (daily avg). Jan 1st margin required. We should all know the company events here. Macro equity V-shaped recovery period. RC buy-in on Aug 28, Aug 31, Sept 21 2020.
JAN 1 2022 MARGIN: Jun-Aug was monitoring period (daily avg). Jan 1st margin required. Macro market peak around Dec 2021.
SEPT 1 2022 MARGIN: New Rule in effect (except for Legacy Swaps). Mar-May end-month monitoring. Sept 1st margin required. Macro market starts transitioning upwards in October 2022. Opinion: RC buy-in in March 22 2022 messed up the end-month calculation. ![](https://preview.redd.it/legacy-swaps-margin-requirements-phase-6-oh-my-v0-dyb9lmxxmxjb1.png?width=1470&format=png&auto=webp&s=696ab50e9ce81d87b4ad55d4509186405b85dfd9 "Image from r/Superstonk - JAN 1 2023 MARGIN: Last Jan 1st margin requirement for those NOT electing to defer to Sept 1 2023. Aug-Jun monitoring period; notice price action at month-end. [Scontinue

NY Fed Fired Examiner Who Took on Goldman

by Jake Bernstein
ProPublica, Oct. 10, 2013

A version of this story was co-published with The Washington Post.

In the spring of 2012, a senior examiner with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York determined that Goldman Sachs had a problem.

Under a Fed mandate, the investment banking behemoth was expected to have a company-wide policy to address conflicts of interest in how its phalanxes of dealmakers handled clients. Although Goldman had a patchwork of policies, the examiner concluded that they fell short of the Fed’s requirements.

That finding by the examiner, Carmen Segarra, potentially had serious implications for Goldman, which was already under fire for advising clients on both sides of several multibillion-dollar deals and allegedly putting the bank’s own interests above those of its customers. It could have led to closer scrutiny of Goldman by regulators or changes to its business practices.

Before she could formalize her findings, Segarra said, the senior New York Fed official who oversees Goldman pressured her to change them. When she refused, Segarra said she was called to a meeting where her bosses told her they no longer trusted her judgment. Her phone was confiscated, and security officers marched her out of the Fed’s fortress-like building in lower Manhattan, just 7 months after being hired.

"They wanted me to falsify my findings," Segarra said in a recent interview, "and when I wouldn’t, they fired me." read more

So Who is Carmen Segarra? A Fed Whistleblower Q&A

by Jake Bernstein
ProPublica, Oct. 28, 2013

Former bank examiner Carmen Segarra vaulted into public consciousness earlier this month when she filed a wrongful termination lawsuit alleging that the Federal Reserve Bank of New York fired her after she refused to go soft on investment banking behemoth Goldman Sachs.

As ProPublica has reported, the Fed hired Segarra in late 2011 as part of a group of examiners brought on to monitor systemically important banks in the aftermath of the Dodd-Frank regulatory overhaul. The Fed wanted experts in key areas — such as operations, compliance and credit risk — to examine the "Too Big To Fail" financial institutions.

Segarra's career path seemed to make her a perfect fit. Segarra, 41, was born in Indiana, raised mostly in Puerto Rico and graduated from Harvard. Her father, a doctor, encouraged a life-long love of learning. She is a polyglot, fluent in Spanish and French, conversant in German and Italian. Even in the midst of preparing her lawsuit, she continued with classes in Dutch, which she says is "totally messing up my German."

After getting a master's degree in French cultural studies at Columbia's campus in Paris, she went on to law school at Cornell. She then spent 13 years working at different financial firms, including Citigroup and Société Générale. Outside of the office, she held leadership positions in the Hispanic National Bar Association. Hired by the Fed as a legal and compliance specialist, she was told to pay particular attention to how Goldman was complying with the Fed's requirements on conflicts of interest. read more

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The Secret Recordings of Carmen Segarra - This American Life

An unprecedented look inside one of the most powerful, secretive institutions in the country. The NY Federal Reserve is supposed to monitor big banks. But when Carmen Segarra was hired, what she witnessed inside the Fed was so alarming that she got a tiny recorder and started secretly taping.

Prologue

Ira introduces Carmen Segarra, a bank examiner for the Federal Reserve in New York who, in 2012, started secretly recording as she and her colleagues went about regulating one of the most powerful financial institutions in the country. This was during a time when the New York Fed was trying to become a stronger regulator, so that it wouldn't fail to miss another financial crisis like it did with the meltdown in 2008. As part of that effort to reform, the Fed had commissioned a highly confidential report, written by Columbia professor David Beim, that identified why the regulator failed in the years leading up to the crisis. Beim laid out specific recommendations for how the Fed could fix its problems. Carmen's recordings allow us to see if the Fed successfully heeded those recommendations more than two years later. What we hear is not reassuring.

Act One

ProPublica's Jake Bernstein tells the story of Carmen's first months at the New York Fed, and how she came to start recording. And we hear the story of how the Fed examiners respond to an unusual, questionable deal that Goldman Sachs did — a deal that the top Fed guy stationed inside Goldman calls "legal but shady."

Act Two

We hear what the New York Fed and Goldman Sachs say about all this. We hear a New York Fed supervisor tell Carmen Segarra how an examiner should talk and act to be successful at the Fed. And we hear what happens to Carmen when she does exactly what David Beim's confidential report told the Fed it needed to encourage its examiners to do in order to spot the next financial crisis.

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~ ~ ~ 💥 BooM 💥~ ~ ~

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Mount an SMB Share in Linux |

Linode Docs Determining how to share files and directories between computers is a common problem — one that has many different solutions. Some of these solutions include file transfer protocols (like SFTP), cloud storage services, and distributed file system protocols (like NFS and SMB). Figuring out what solution is right for your use case can be confusing, especially if you do not know the correct terminology, techniques, or the tools that are available. Sharing files can be made even more complicated if you intend to do so over the internet or use multiple operating systems (like Linux, Windows, and macOS).

This guide covers the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol. Specifically, it discusses using the SMB protocol to mount a Windows SMB share (a shared directory) to a Linux system. By following this guide, you will be able to access all of your files within a Windows folder (such as C:\My_Files) on your Linux system at whichever directory you choose as a mount point (such as /mnt/my_files). This method of file sharing is appropriate when you need to access entire Windows directories remotely as if they were local resources. In most cases, SMB is a native (or easily installed) file sharing solution for users that need access to the same directory and is commonly shared through a corporate intranet or the same private network.

Note

Network File System (NFS) is another distributed file system protocol that’s similar to SMB. While SMB is more commonly used in primarily Windows environments and NFS is used in primary Linux environments, both have cross-platform support. This guide does not cover NFS, but you can learn more about it by reading through our NFS guides. If you are not in a Windows environment and are looking to share directories between Linux systems, consider using NFS.

Warning

While security and performance of the SMB protocol has improved over time, it is often still a concern when connecting to an SMB share over the internet. This is typically not recommended unless you are using SMB over QUIC (recently introduced on Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022), intend to always use the latest protocol version (3.1.1 as of this writing), or are connected through a personal or corporate VPN. If you are not able to implement these recommendations and still wish to share files over the internet, consider if the SFTP protocol would work for you instead.

Overview of the SMB Protocol

The SMB protocol provides the ability to share entire directories and printers between multiple machines over a network (typically a private network). It is widely used in Windows environments due to its relative simplicity (for system administrators), built-in Windows support, and extensive Linux support (basic support is also included in recent Linux kernels).

SMB Versions

To understand SMB and some of the related terminology (specifically CIFS), it’s helpful to know a little about the history of the protocol:

• SMB1: (1983+) While Microsoft is the developer and maintainer of SMB, it was originally designed at IBM. Microsoft modified that original design and implemented the “SMB 1.0/CIFS Server” as part of their LAN Manager OS and, eventually, in Windows. Version 1 of the protocol has been discontinued (as of 2013) and is no longer installed on modern Windows systems. There are many security and performance issues with SMB1 that make it largely unfit for use today.

• CIFS: (1996) Microsoft attempted to rename SMB to CIFS (Common Internet File System) as it continued to develop features for it, including adding support for the TCP protocol. While the name was retired in subsequent versions, the term still appears in various tooling and documentation as it was in use for over 10 years.

• SMB2: (2006) Version 2 introduced huge performance benefits as it greatly reduced the amount of requests sent between machines and expanded the size of data/storage fields (from 16-bit to 32-bit and 64-bit). It was released alongside Windows Vista. Even though SMB2 (and all SMB versions) remained a proprietary protocol, Microsoft released the specifications for it so that other services (like Linux ports) could provide interoperability with this new version.

• SMB3: (2012) Version 3 was released alongside Windows 8 and brought extensive updates to security (including end-to-end encryption) and performance. Additional updates were released with Windows 8.1 (SMB 3.0.2) and Windows 10 (3.1.1). When using the SMB protocol today, always use the latest version — unless you are supporting legacy systems and have no other choice.

For a more comprehensive version history of SMB, review the Server Message Block > History Wikipedia entry.

Linux SMB Support

• Samba: Unix support for the SMB protocol was initially provided by Samba. Since Microsoft initially did not release public specifications for their proprietary protocol, the developers of Samba had to reverse engineer it. Future versions of Samba were able to use the public specifications of later SMB protocols. Samba includes support for SMB3 (3.1.1) and is actively updated. Samba provides extensive support for all features of the SMB protocol and acts as a stand-alone file and print server. For more background information, see the Samba Wikipedia entry.

• LinuxCIFS utils: This in-kernel software acts as an SMB client and is the preferred method of mounting existing SMB shares on Linux. It was originally included as part of the Samba software, but is now available on its own. LinuxCIFS utils, available as the cifs_utils package in most Linux distributions, is used within this guide.

• ksmbd: Developed as an in-kernel SMB server in cooperation with the Samba project, ksmbd is designed to be a more performant fileserver. It doesn’t implement all of Samba’s extensive features (beyond file sharing).

Before You Begin

• Obtain the necessary information required to access an existing SMB share, including the IP address of the SMB server and the path of the share. If you do not have a share, you can create a local directory using the mkdir command and then create a Samba share for that location. Access to an existing SMB share on a Windows or Linux machine. Creating an SMB share is beyond the scope of this tutorial.

• Have access to an Ubuntu or Debian Linux system where you intend to access your SMB share.

Installation

The LinuxCIFS utils package provides the tools needed to connect to a share and manage mounts on a Linux system. You use it to help create and manage a connection to a Windows, macOS, or Linux share.

1. Update the list of available packages using the below command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

    
2.  Install the both the LinuxCIFS utils package (needed to mount SMB shares) and the psmisc package (needed to gain access to the `fuser` command, which shows you which users are using the various mounts on your server).
    
    ```
sudo apt install cifs-utils psmisc

3. Verify that LinuxCIFS is available using the following command:

   No error or output message is expected as there are no CIFS connections set up yet.

4. Verify that you have access to the fuser command.

   This command shows a list of the various command line switches that can be used with the fuser utility.

Usage: fuser [-fMuvw] [-a|-s] [-4|-6] [-c|-m|-n space] [-k [-i] [-s sig] | -SIGNAL] NAME...

    

All files in Linux are accessible on a single giant hierarchical directory tree, which starts at the root (`/`). The mount command (used in this tutorial) enables you to access other storage devices or file systems from that same tree. These other storage resources do not have to be physical disks and they do not have to be using the same file system. To learn more about the mount command, review the following guides:

*   [Quick Guide to the Linux Mount Command](https://www.linode.com/docs/guides/linux-mount-command/)
*   [Mount a File System on Linux](https://www.linode.com/docs/guides/mount-file-system-on-linux/)

The following sections detail how to mount an SMB share on Ubuntu, but the essential process is the same for other Linux distributions.

1.  Create an empty directory to be used as the mount point. This directory can be located wherever you wish, though it’s common to use the `/mnt` directory.
    
2.  Enter the following command to mount the SMB share, replacing _\[server-ip\]_ with the IP address of your SMB server, _\[share-path\]_ with the file path to your SMB share on that server, and _\[mount-point\]_ with the new directory you just created.
    
    ```
mount -t cifs //[server-ip]/[share-path] /[mount-point]

In the example below, the SMB server’s IP is 192.0.2.17, the share’s path is SharedFiles, and the mount point is /mnt/smb\_share.

```

mount -t cifs //192.0.2.17/SharedFiles /mnt/smb_share

    
3.  When prompted, enter the password to connect to the remote share.
    
4.  If the connection is successful, you should see the remote share mounted on the mount point directory you created. To verify this, type the following command:
    
    The command above lists all mounted SMB shares. Among this list, you should see the share you just mounted.
    
5.  You should now be able to access the files as if they were on a local drive. In the command below, replace _\[mount-point\]_ with the directory you have created (such as `/mnt/smb_share`).
    
    From here, you can run the `ls` command to view your files and you can interact with the files as you would any other files on your system.
    

Create a Credentials File[](#create-a-credentials-file)
-------------------------------------------------------

You don’t want to have to type in your credentials every time you access a share. On the other hand, putting the credentials where everyone can see is not a good idea. The following steps help you create a credentials file to automate the process of logging in.

1.  Use your preferred text editor such as vi or nano to create a file to store the credentials. You can name the file anything you want, but using a period before the filename will hide it from view. For example, you can create a file named `.credentials` using the following command:
    
2.  Add the necessary credentials to the file in the following format:
    
    File: .credentials
    
    
    
    If the `domain` is not required (except on Windows systems), you can omit that entry. Replace the `target_user_name` and `target_user_password` with the actual credentials you need to use to access the SMB share. Save and close the file.
    
3.  Set ownership of the credentials file to the current user by running the following command:
    
    ```
sudo chown :

Replace `` with your username and `` with the name of your credentials file.

4. Set the file permissions to 600 to ensure that only the owner has read and write access:

sudo chmod 600

    
5.  To mount the share using the credentials file, run the following command:
    
    ```
sudo mount -t cifs -o credentials= /// /

Replace `` with the IP address of the server hosting the share, `` with the name of the share you want to mount, and `` with the local mount point where you want to access the share. You aren’t asked for credentials this time because mount uses the credentials file instead.

6. Verify that the share has been successfully mounted using the following command:

   This should show you the share information as output, confirming that the share has been successfully mounted using the credentials file.

Remounting the SMB share every time you restart the server can be tedious. You can instead set your server up to automatically remount the share every time you restart it using the following steps. Before starting these steps, make sure that the share is currently unmounted.

1. Open the /etc/fstab file in your preferred text editor. This file contains configurations that the server uses on reboot to reconnect to shares (among other things). There are columns for the file system, mount point, type, and options.

2. Enter the information below in each of the columns:

   File: /etc/fstab

   From the file above, replace with the IP address of the server hosting the share, with the name of the share you want to mount, with the local mount point where you want to access the share, with the name of your credentials file,

3. Save the file so the share is available next time you reboot the server.

4. Verify that the share is mounted correctly using the `` as an identifier because the mount is reading the /etc/fstab file.

You may need to unmount a share at some point. To unmount an SMB share that has been mounted using the mount command, you can use the umount command followed by the mount point of the share. The correct command is umount, not unmount.

So to unmount an SMB share at the mount point ``, run the following command:

umount -t cifs /

The share should not appear in the output of this command.

Conclusion

You now have an understanding of SMB (and CIFS), what an SMB share is, and what a mount point is. These pieces of information allow you to share remote data in a way that’s transparent to users. From the user’s perspective, the resource is local to the server that they’re accessing. This guide also shows you how to use the mount and umount commands in a basic way to create and delete shares, how to create and use a credentials file to automate the sharing process to some extent, and how to automatically remount the share after a reboot.

More Information

You may wish to consult the following resources for additional information on this topic. While these are provided in the hope that they will be useful, please note that we cannot vouch for the accuracy or timeliness of externally hosted materials.

• Server Message Block (SMB) share
• Common Internet File System (CIFS) utils

This page was originally published on Tuesday, June 6, 2023.

source

---

A Beginners Guide To Cron Jobs - OSTechNix

Cron is one of the most useful utility that you can find in any Linux and Unix-like operating system. Cron is used to schedule commands at a specific time. These scheduled commands or tasks are known as "Cron Jobs". Cron is generally used for running scheduled backups, monitoring disk space, deleting files (for example log files) periodically which are no longer required, running system maintenance tasks and a lot more. In this Cron jobs tutorial, we will see the basic usage of Cron Jobs in Linux with examples.

1. The Beginners Guide To Cron Jobs

The typical format of a cron job is:

Minute(0-59) Hour(0-24) Day_of_month(1-31) Month(1-12) Day_of_week(0-6) Command_to_execute

Just memorize the cron job format or print the following illustration and keep it in your desk.

~ ~ ~ ~ Cron job format~ ~ ~ ~

In the above picture, the asterisks refers the specific blocks of time.

To display the contents of the crontab file of the currently logged in user:

$ crontab -l

To edit the current user's cron jobs, do:

$ crontab -e

If it is the first time, you will be asked to choose an editor to edit the cron jobs.

no crontab for sk - using an empty one

Select an editor. To change later, run 'select-editor'.
 1. /bin/nano <---- easiest
 2. /usr/bin/vim.basic
 3. /usr/bin/vim.tiny
 4. /bin/ed

Choose 1-4 [1]:

Choose any one that suits you. Here it is how a sample crontab file looks like.

~ ~ ~ ~ crontab file~ ~ ~ ~

In this file, you need to add your cron jobs one by one.

By default, cron jobs run under the user account that created them. However, you can specify a different user by editing the crontab for that user. To edit the crontab of a different user, for example ostechnix, do:

$ sudo crontab -u ostechnix -e

1.1. Cron Jobs tutorial

Here is the list of most commonly used cron job commands with examples. I have also included the detailed explanation for each cron job expression.

1. To run a cron job at every minute, the format should be like below.

* * * * * 

This cron job is scheduled to run every minute, every hour, every day, every month, and every day of the week. For example if the time now is 10:00, the next job will run at 10:01, 10:02, 10:03 and so on.

Explanation:

Here is the breakdown of the above cron expression.

The asterisks (*) in each field represent a wildcard, meaning "any value". So, in this case:

• The first asterisk (*) represents any minute (0-59).
• The second asterisk (*) represents any hour (0-23).
• The third asterisk (*) represents any day of the month (1-31).
• The fourth asterisk (*) represents any month (1-12).
• The fifth asterisk (*) represents any day of the week (0-7).
• The `` represents the actual command that will be executed every minute.

Please note that running a command every minute can have resource implications and should be used with caution. It's important to ensure that the command you specify is appropriate for frequent execution and does not overload your system.

2. To run cron job at every 5th minute, add the following in your crontab file.

*/5 * * * * 

This cron job is scheduled to run every 5 minutes. For example if the time is 10:00, the next job will run at 10:05, 10:10, 10:15 and so on.

Explanation:

Here's how to interpret the cron expression:

• The */5 in the first field represents a step value, indicating that the cron job will run every 5 minutes. It matches all values that are divisible evenly by 5 (e.g., 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, etc.).
• The second asterisk (*) represents any hour of the day (0-23).
• The third asterisk (*) represents any day of the month (1-31).
• The fourth asterisk (*) represents any month (1-12).
• The fifth asterisk (*) represents any day of the week (0-7).
• The `` represents the actual command that will be executed every 5 minutes.

So, this cron job will run the specified `` every 5 minutes, continuously throughout the day and month, regardless of the specific date or time.

Please keep in mind that running a command at such frequent intervals can generate a high volume of executions. Ensure that the command is suitable for such frequent execution and that it won't overload your system or cause unintended side effects.

3. To run a cron job at every quarter hour (i.e every 15th minute), add this:

*/15 * * * * 

For example if the time is 10:00, the next job will run at 10:15, 10:30, 10:45 and so on.

Explanation:

The cron job */15 * * * * is scheduled to run every 15 minutes.

Let's break down the cron expression:

• The */15 in the first field represents a step value, indicating that the cron job will run every 15 minutes. It matches all values that are divisible evenly by 15 (e.g., 0, 15, 30, 45, etc.).
• The second asterisk (*) represents any hour of the day (0-23).
• The third asterisk (*) represents any day of the month (1-31).
• The fourth asterisk (*) represents any month (1-12).
• The fifth asterisk (*) represents any day of the week (0-7).
• The `` represents the actual command that will be executed every 15 minutes.

Therefore, this cron job will run the specified command every 15 minutes, throughout the day and month, regardless of the specific date or time.

4. To run a cron job every hour at minute 30:

30 * * * * 

For example if the time is 10:00, the next job will run at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30 and so on.

Explanation:

The cron job 30 * * * * is scheduled to run at 30 minutes past every hour.

Let's break down the cron expression:

• The 30 in the first field represents the specific minute when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 30, so the cron job will execute at 30 minutes past the hour.
• The second asterisk (*) represents any hour of the day (0-23).
• The third asterisk (*) represents any day of the month (1-31).
• The fourth asterisk (*) represents any month (1-12).
• The fifth asterisk (*) represents any day of the week (0-7).
• The `` represents the actual command that will be executed at 30 minutes past every hour.

Therefore, this cron job will run the specified command once an hour, specifically at the 30-minute mark. It will execute at 30 minutes past every hour throughout the day and month, regardless of the specific date or day of the week.

Please note that the cron job will not run continuously every minute. Instead, it will run once per hour, always at 30 minutes past the hour.

5. You can also define multiple time intervals separated by commas. For example, the following cron job will run three times every hour, at minute 0, 5 and 10:

0,5,10 * * * * 

Explanation:

The cron job 0,5,10 * * * * is scheduled to run at the 0th, 5th, and 10th minute of every hour.

Let's break down the cron expression:

• The 0,5,10 in the first field represents the specific minutes when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 0, 5, and 10. The cron job will execute at the 0th, 5th, and 10th minute of every hour.
• The second asterisk (*) represents any hour of the day (0-23).
• The third asterisk (*) represents any day of the month (1-31).
• The fourth asterisk (*) represents any month (1-12).
• The fifth asterisk (*) represents any day of the week (0-7).
• The `` represents the actual command that will be executed at the specified minutes.

Therefore, this cron job will run the specified command multiple times within each hour. It will execute at the 0th, 5th, and 10th minute of every hour throughout the day and month, regardless of the specific date or day of the week.

Please note that the cron job will execute only at the specified minutes and not continuously throughout the hour.

6. Run a cron job every half hour i.e at every 30th minute:

*/30 * * * * 

For example if the time is now 10:00, the next job will run at 10:30, 11:00, 11:30 and so on.

Explanation:

The cron job */30 * * * * is scheduled to run every 30 minutes.

Here's how to interpret the cron expression:

• The */30 in the first field represents a step value, indicating that the cron job will run every 30 minutes. It matches all values that are divisible evenly by 30 (e.g., 0, 30).
• The second asterisk (*) represents any hour of the day (0-23).
• The third asterisk (*) represents any day of the month (1-31).
• The fourth asterisk (*) represents any month (1-12).
• The fifth asterisk (*) represents any day of the week (0-7).
• The `` represents the actual command that will be executed every 30 minutes.

Therefore, this cron job will run the specified command every 30 minutes, throughout the day and month, regardless of the specific date or time.

7. Run a job every hour (at minute 0):

0 * * * * 

For example if the time is now 10:00, the next job will run at 11:00, 12:00, 13:00 and so on.

Explanation:

The cron job 0 * * * * is scheduled to run at the 0th minute of every hour.

Here's how to interpret the cron expression:

• The 0 in the first field represents the specific minute when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 0, so the cron job will execute at the start of every hour.
• The second asterisk (*) represents any hour of the day (0-23).
• The third asterisk (*) represents any day of the month (1-31).
• The fourth asterisk (*) represents any month (1-12).
• The fifth asterisk (*) represents any day of the week (0-7).
• The `` represents the actual command that will be executed at the 0th minute of every hour.

Therefore, this cron job will run the specified command once per hour, specifically at the start of each hour. It will execute at the 0th minute of every hour throughout the day and month, regardless of the specific date or day of the week.

Please note that the cron job will not run continuously every minute. Instead, it will run once per hour, precisely at the 0th minute.

8. Run a job every 2 hours:

0 */2 * * * 

For example if the time is now 10:00, the next job will run at 12:00.

Explanation:

The cron job 0 */2 * * * is scheduled to run at the 0th minute of every other hour.

Here's how to interpret the cron expression:

• The 0 in the first field represents the specific minute when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 0, so the cron job will execute at the start of every hour.
• The */2 in the second field represents a step value, indicating that the cron job will run every 2 hours. It matches all values that are divisible evenly by 2 (e.g., 0, 2, 4, 6, etc.).
• The third asterisk (*) represents any day of the month (1-31).
• The fourth asterisk (*) represents any month (1-12).
• The fifth asterisk (*) represents any day of the week (0-7).

The `` represents the actual command that will be executed at the 0th minute of every other hour.

Therefore, this cron job will run the specified command once every 2 hours. It will execute at the 0th minute of every other hour throughout the day and month, regardless of the specific date or day of the week.

Please note that the cron job will not run continuously every minute or every hour. Instead, it will run once every 2 hours, precisely at the 0th minute of those hours.

9. Run a job every day (It will run at 00:00):

0 0 * * * 

Explanation:

The cron job 0 0 * * * is scheduled to run at midnight (00:00) every day.

Here's how to interpret the cron expression:

• The 0 in the first field represents the specific minute when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 0, so the cron job will execute at the start of the hour (00 minutes).
• The 0 in the second field represents the specific hour when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 0, which corresponds to midnight.
• The third asterisk (*) represents any day of the month (1-31).
• The fourth asterisk (*) represents any month (1-12).
• The fifth asterisk (*) represents any day of the week (0-7).
• The `` represents the actual command that will be executed at midnight (00:00) every day.

Therefore, this cron job will run the specified command once per day, precisely at midnight. It will execute at 00:00 hours every day, regardless of the specific date or day of the week.

Please note that the cron job will run once per day, specifically at midnight, to perform the task defined by the command.

10. Run a job every day at 3am:

0 3 * * * 

Explanation:

The cron job 0 3 * * * is scheduled to run at 3:00 AM every day.

Here's how to interpret the cron expression:

• The 0 in the first field represents the specific minute when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 0, so the cron job will execute at the start of the hour (00 minutes).
• The 3 in the second field represents the specific hour when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 3, which corresponds to 3:00 AM.
• The third asterisk (*) represents any day of the month (1-31).
• The fourth asterisk (*) represents any month (1-12).
• The fifth asterisk (*) represents any day of the week (0-7).
• The `` represents the actual command that will be executed at 3:00 AM every day.

Therefore, this cron job will run the specified command once per day, specifically at 3:00 AM. It will execute at 3:00 AM every day, regardless of the specific date or day of the week.

11. Run a job every Sunday:

0 0 * * SUN 

Or,

0 0 * * 0 

It will run at exactly at 00:00 on Sunday.

The cron job will run once per week, specifically at midnight on Sundays, to perform the task defined by the command.

Explanation:

The cron job 0 0 * * SUN is scheduled to run at midnight (00:00) on Sundays.

Here's how to interpret the cron expression:

• The 0 in the first field represents the specific minute when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 0, so the cron job will execute at the start of the hour (00 minutes).
• The 0 in the second field represents the specific hour when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 0, which corresponds to midnight.
• The asterisks (*) in the third and fourth fields represent any day of the month (1-31) and any month (1-12), respectively.
• The SUN in the fifth field represents the specific day of the week when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to SUN, indicating Sundays.
• The `` represents the actual command that will be executed at midnight on Sundays.

Therefore, this cron job will run the specified command once per week, specifically at midnight on Sundays. It will execute at 00:00 hours every Sunday, regardless of the specific date or month.

12. Run a job on every day-of-week from Monday through Friday i.e every weekday:

0 0 * * 1-5 

The job will start at 00:00.

The cron job will run once per day, specifically at midnight, from Monday to Friday, to perform the task defined by the command.

Explanation:

The cron job 0 0 * * 1-5 is scheduled to run at midnight (00:00) from Monday to Friday.

Here's how to interpret the cron expression:

• The 0 in the first field represents the specific minute when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 0, so the cron job will execute at the start of the hour (00 minutes).
• The 0 in the second field represents the specific hour when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 0, which corresponds to midnight.
• The asterisks (*) in the third and fourth fields represent any day of the month (1-31) and any month (1-12), respectively.
• The 1-5 in the fifth field represents the range of days of the week when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 1-5, indicating Monday to Friday.
• The `` represents the actual command that will be executed at midnight from Monday to Friday.

Therefore, this cron job will run the specified command once per day, specifically at midnight, from Monday to Friday. It will execute at 00:00 hours on weekdays, regardless of the specific date or month.

13. Run a job every month (i.e at 00:00 on day-of-month 1):

0 0 1 * * 

The cron job will run once per month, specifically at midnight on the 1st day of the month, to perform the task defined by the command.

Explanation:

The cron job 0 0 1 * * is scheduled to run at midnight (00:00) on the 1st day of every month.

Here's how to interpret the cron expression:

• The 0 in the first field represents the specific minute when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 0, so the cron job will execute at the start of the hour (00 minutes).
• The 0 in the second field represents the specific hour when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 0, which corresponds to midnight.
• The 1 in the third field represents the specific day of the month when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 1, indicating the 1st day of the month.
• The asterisks (*) in the fourth and fifth fields represent any month (1-12) and any day of the week (0-7), respectively.
• The `` represents the actual command that will be executed at midnight on the 1st day of every month.

Therefore, this cron job will run the specified command once per month, specifically at midnight on the 1st day of each month. It will execute at 00:00 hours on the 1st day of the month, regardless of the specific month or day of the week.

14. Run a job at 16:15 on day-of-month 1:

15 16 1 * * 

The cron job will run once per month, specifically at 4:15 PM (16:15) on the 1st day of the month, to perform the task defined by the command.

Explanation:

The cron job 15 16 1 * * is scheduled to run at 4:15 PM (16:15) on the 1st day of every month.

Here's how to interpret the cron expression:

• The 15 in the first field represents the specific minute when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 15, so the cron job will execute at 15 minutes past the hour.
• The 16 in the second field represents the specific hour when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 16, which corresponds to 4:00 PM.
• The 1 in the third field represents the specific day of the month when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 1, indicating the 1st day of the month.
• The asterisks (*) in the fourth and fifth fields represent any month (1-12) and any day of the week (0-7), respectively.
• The `` represents the actual command that will be executed at 4:15 PM on the 1st day of every month.

Therefore, this cron job will run the specified command once per month, specifically at 4:15 PM on the 1st day of each month. It will execute at 16:15 hours on the 1st day of the month, regardless of the specific month or day of the week.

15. Run a job at every quarter i.e on day-of-month 1 in every 3rd month:

0 0 1 */3 * 

The cron job will run once every three months, specifically at midnight on the 1st day of the applicable month, to perform the task defined by the command.

Explanation:

The cron job 0 0 1 */3 * is scheduled to run at midnight (00:00) on the 1st day of every third month.

Here's how to interpret the cron expression:

• The 0 in the first field represents the specific minute when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 0, so the cron job will execute at the start of the hour (00 minutes).
• The 0 in the second field represents the specific hour when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 0, which corresponds to midnight.
• The 1 in the third field represents the specific day of the month when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 1, indicating the 1st day of the month.
• The */3 in the fourth field represents a step value, indicating that the cron job will run every 3rd month. It matches all values that are divisible evenly by 3 (e.g., 1, 4, 7, 10).
• The asterisks (*) in the fifth field represent any day of the week (0-7).
• The `` represents the actual command that will be executed at midnight on the 1st day of every third month.

Therefore, this cron job will run the specified command once every three months, specifically at midnight on the 1st day of each applicable month. It will execute at 00:00 hours on the 1st day of every third month, regardless of the specific day of the week.

16. Run a job on a specific month at a specific time:

5 0 * 4 * 

The job will start at 00:05 in April. The cron job will run once per day, specifically at 12:05 AM, during the month of April, to perform the task defined by the command.

Explanation:

The cron job 5 0 * 4 * is scheduled to run at 12:05 AM (00:05) every day during the month of April.

Here's how to interpret the cron expression:

• The 5 in the first field represents the specific minute when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 5, so the cron job will execute at 5 minutes past the hour.
• The 0 in the second field represents the specific hour when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 0, which corresponds to midnight.
• The asterisk (*) in the third field represents any day of the month (1-31).
• The 4 in the fourth field represents the specific month when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 4, indicating April.
• The asterisk (*) in the fifth field represents any day of the week (0-7).
• The `` represents the actual command that will be executed at 12:05 AM every day in April.

Therefore, this cron job will run the specified command once per day, specifically at 12:05 AM, during the month of April. It will execute at 00:05 hours on each day of April, regardless of the specific day of the week.

17. Run a job every 6 months:

0 0 1 */6 * 

This cron job will start at 00:00 on day-of-month 1 in every 6th month. The cron job will run once every six months, specifically at midnight on the 1st day of the applicable month, to perform the task defined by the command.

Explanation:

The cron job 0 0 1 */6 * is scheduled to run at midnight (00:00) on the 1st day of every 6th month.

Here's how to interpret the cron expression:

• The 0 in the first field represents the specific minute when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 0, so the cron job will execute at the start of the hour (00 minutes).
• The 0 in the second field represents the specific hour when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 0, which corresponds to midnight.
• The 1 in the third field represents the specific day of the month when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 1, indicating the 1st day of the month.
• The */6 in the fourth field represents a step value, indicating that the cron job will run every 6th month. It matches all values that are divisible evenly by 6 (e.g., 1, 7, 13).
• The asterisks (*) in the fifth field represent any day of the week (0-7).
• The `` represents the actual command that will be executed at midnight on the 1st day of every 6th month.

Therefore, this cron job will run the specified command once every six months, specifically at midnight on the 1st day of each applicable month. It will execute at 00:00 hours on the 1st day of every 6th month, regardless of the specific day of the week.

18. Run a job on the 1st and 15th of every month:

0 0 1,15 * * 

This cron job is scheduled to run on the 1st and 15th of every month at midnight (00:00). The cron job will run twice per month, specifically at midnight on the 1st and 15th days, to perform the task defined by the command.

Explanation:

The cron job 0 0 1,15 * * is scheduled to run at midnight (00:00) on the 1st and 15th day of every month.

Here's how to interpret the cron expression:

• The 0 in the first field represents the specific minute when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 0, so the cron job will execute at the start of the hour (00 minutes).
• The 0 in the second field represents the specific hour when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 0, which corresponds to midnight.
• The 1,15 in the third field represents the specific days of the month when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 1 and 15, indicating the 1st and 15th day of the month.
• The asterisks (*) in the fourth and fifth fields represent any month (1-12) and any day of the week (0-7), respectively.
• The `` represents the actual command that will be executed at midnight on the 1st and 15th day of every month.

Therefore, this cron job will run the specified command twice per month, specifically at midnight on the 1st and 15th day of each month. It will execute at 00:00 hours on the 1st and 15th days, regardless of the specific month or day of the week.

19. Run a job every year:

0 0 1 1 * 

This cron job will start at 00:00 on day-of-month 1 in January. The cron job will run once per year, specifically at midnight on January 1st, to perform the task defined by the command.

Explanation:

The cron job 0 0 1 1 * is scheduled to run at midnight (00:00) on the 1st day of January.

Here's how to interpret the cron expression:

• The 0 in the first field represents the specific minute when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 0, so the cron job will execute at the start of the hour (00 minutes).
• The 0 in the second field represents the specific hour when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 0, which corresponds to midnight.
• The 1 in the third field represents the specific day of the month when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 1, indicating the 1st day of the month.
• The 1 in the fourth field represents the specific month when the cron job will run. In this case, it's set to 1, indicating January.
• The asterisk (*) in the fifth field represents any day of the week (0-7).
• The `` represents the actual command that will be executed at midnight on the 1st day of January.

Therefore, this cron job will run the specified command once per year, specifically at midnight on the 1st day of January. It will execute at 00:00 hours on January 1st, regardless of the specific day of the week.

Using Cron Job Strings:

We can also use the following strings to define a cron job.

Cron job strings	Action
@reboot	Run once, at startup.
@yearly	Run once a year.
@annually	(same as @yearly).
@monthly	Run once a month.
@weekly	Run once a week.
@daily	Run once a day.
@midnight	(same as @daily).
@hourly	Run once an hour.

Supported Cron strings

20. To run a job every time the server is rebooted, add this line in your crontab file.

@reboot 

Explanation:

The code @reboot is not a cron job syntax. Instead, it is a special directive that can be used in the cron configuration file.

When the @reboot directive is used in the cron configuration file, it indicates that the specified `` should be run once when the system reboots or starts up.

Here's how it works:

• When the system boots up or restarts, the cron daemon reads the cron configuration file.
• If a cron job has the @reboot directive followed by a ``, the specified command is executed at that time.
• The command can be any valid command or script that you want to run when the system starts up.

Therefore, using @reboot in the cron configuration file allows you to schedule a command or script to run automatically once when the system boots up.

Please note that the availability and usage of the @reboot directive may vary depending on the specific cron implementation and system configuration.

21. To remove all cron jobs for the current user:

$ crontab -r

The command crontab -r is used to remove or delete the current user's crontab (cron table) entries.

When you execute crontab -r, it removes all the scheduled cron jobs associated with your user account. This action is irreversible, and the cron jobs will no longer be executed as per their previously scheduled times.

It's important to exercise caution when using this command because it permanently deletes all the cron jobs for your user account, including any recurring tasks or scheduled commands.

Before running crontab -r, ensure that you have a backup or make sure you no longer need the existing cron jobs. If you accidentally delete your crontab, it may not be recoverable unless you have a backup.

To confirm the removal of your crontab, the command usually displays a message such as "crontab: no crontab for ," indicating that the cron table has been successfully removed.

If you wish to edit your crontab in the future, you will need to create new cron entries using crontab -e or restore from a backup if available.

22. For cron job detailed usage, check man pages.

$ man crontab

At this stage, you might have a basic understanding of what is Crontab and how to create, run and manage cron jobs in Linux and Unix-like systems.

Now we will learn about some graphical tools which helps us to make the cron job management a lot easier.

2. Crontab syntax generators

As you can see, scheduling cron jobs is much easier. Also there are a few web-based crontab syntax generators available to make this job even easier. You don't need to memorize and/or learn crontab syntax.

The following two websites helps you to easily generate a crontab expression based on your inputs. Once you generated the line as per your requirement, just copy/paste it in your crontab file.

2.1. Crontab.guru

Crontab.guru is dedicated website for learning cron jobs examples. Just enter your inputs in the site and it will instantly create a crontab syntax in minutes.

Crontab guru - A quick and simple editor for cron schedule expressions

This site also provides a lot of cron job examples and tips. Do check them and learn how to schedule a cronjob.

2.2. Crontab Generator

This has been pointed out by one of our reader Mr.Horton in the comment section below.

Crontab Generator is yet another website that helps us to quickly and easily generate crontab expressions. A form that has multiple entries is given in this site. The user must choose all required fields in the form.

Finally, hit the "Generate Crontab Line" button at the bottom.

Crontab Generator - Easily generate crontab expressions

In the next screen, the user will see his/her crontab expression. Just copy/paste it to the crontab file. It is that simple.

Generate crontab entries using Crontab Generator

Easy, isn't? Both of these websites will definitely help the newbies who don't have much experience in creating cron jobs.

Remember to review and verify the generated cron syntax from these tools before using it in your cron configuration to ensure it aligns with your requirements and environment.

3. Crontab graphical front-ends

There are a few Crontab front-end tools available to easily create cron jobs via a graphical interface. No need to edit the Crontab file from command line to add or manage cron jobs! These tools will make cron job management much easier!

3.1. Crontab UI

Crontab UI is a web-based tool to easily and safely manage cron jobs in Linux. You don't need to manually edit the crontab file to create, delete and manage cron jobs. Everything can be done via a web browser with a couple mouse clicks.

Crontab UI allows you to easily create, edit, pause, delete, backup cron jobs and also import, export and deploy jobs on other machines without much hassle.

Have a look at the following link if you're interested to read more about it.

• How To Easily And Safely Manage Cron Jobs Using Crontab UI In Linux

3.2. Zeit

Zeit is a Qt front-end to crontab and at command. Using Zeit, we can add, edit and delete cron jobs via simple graphical interface. For more details, refer the following link:

• Zeit - A GUI Front-end To Crontab To Schedule Jobs In Linux

4. Frequently Asked Questions

Here's an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) for Cron jobs.

Q: What is a Cron job?

A: A Cron job is a time-based task scheduler in Linux and Unix-like operating systems. It allows you to schedule and automate the execution of commands or scripts at specified intervals, such as minutes, hours, days, or months.

Q: How do I create a Cron job?

A: To create a Cron job, you can use the crontab command to edit your user-specific cron table. Run crontab -e to open the table in a text editor and add your desired cron job entry using the specified cron syntax.

Q: What is the cron syntax?

A: The cron syntax consists of five fields: minute, hour, day of month, month, and day of week. Each field allows you to specify the desired time or condition for the job to run. For example, 0 12 * * * represents a cron job scheduled to run at 12:00 PM every day.

Q: How do I specify multiple values in a field?

A: You can use commas (,) to specify multiple values within a field. For example, 1,15 * * * * means the job will run at the 1st and 15th minute of every hour.

Q: Can I use step values in the cron syntax?

A: Yes, you can use step values. For example, */15 * * * * means the job will run every 15 minutes. It matches all values divisible evenly by 15.

Q: How can I specify the user for a cron job?

A: By default, cron jobs run under the user account that created them. However, you can specify a different user by using sudo crontab -u username -e to edit the crontab for that particular user.

Q: How do I view existing cron jobs?

A: To view the existing cron jobs for your user, run crontab -l. This command lists the contents of your current crontab.

Q: How do I remove a cron job?

A: To remove a cron job, run crontab -e to edit your crontab and delete the corresponding entry. Alternatively, you can use crontab -r to remove all cron jobs for your user.

Q: Are there any web-based tools available to help generate cron job syntax?

A: Yes, there are web-based crontab syntax generators that can assist you in creating cron job schedules without needing to memorize the syntax. Some notable examples include Crontab.guru and Crontab Generator. These tools allow you to interactively select the desired schedule using user-friendly interfaces and generate the corresponding cron job syntax for you.

These web-based tools can be helpful, especially for those who are new to cron jobs or need a quick way to generate complex schedules. However, it's still important to understand the basics of cron syntax to effectively use and troubleshoot cron jobs in various environments.

Q: Are there any graphical interfaces or front-end tools available for managing cron jobs?

A: Yes, there are Crontab front-end tools that provide graphical interfaces to easily create and manage cron jobs without needing to edit the Crontab file manually from the command line.

Notable examples of such tools include Crontab UI and Zeit. These tools typically offer user-friendly interfaces where you can define cron job schedules, specify the commands or scripts to run, set environment variables, and manage multiple cron jobs in a visual manner.

5. Conclusion

In this Cron tab tutorial, we discussed what is a cron job, and the basic usage of cron jobs in Linux with example commands.

We also discussed a few web-based crontab syntax generators and crontab graphical front-ends which are used to easily create and manage cron jobs in Linux. Finally, we have listed some most commonly asked questions and answers (FAQ) for Cron Jobs.

Resources:

• Scheduling Tasks with Cron Jobs
• The Complete Beginners Guide to Cron, Part 1

~ ~ ~ Get a Job or Try ~ ~ ~

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by nayboyer2

The OTC Conspiracy - The Final Chapter? Presenting 135 weeks of GME OTC and ATS data, in pictures, including a pre-split / post-split analysis, some intriguing subplots (Citadel and Virtu, Robinhood and Drivewealth, Credit Suisse, UBS and the banks), and some forward-looking statements! I'm not much for long intros or shout outs to all the OG bros

Just a simple ape who likes to rhyme, and keep tabs on all the financial crime

Citadel, Virtu, Jane Street and G1, gonna send this rocket into the Sun

So without further ado, here's some data, swing back through and thank me lata!

My wife said she would leave with her boyfriend if I make one more graph... We've come a long way from FINRA ADF to Missing Bananas, OTC Conspiracy and the Infinite Banana Tree, to today. I've learned a lot through this journey and I hope you have too!

OTC and ATS data

• OTC trades are internalized retail trades, payment for order flow, odd lots (i.e. I purchase 10 shares through "Insert retail broker", which gets routed to Citadel, Virtu, G1 Execution (Sus), Jane Street, and doesn't impact the NBBO.
• ATS trades are dark pool trades

Here's a nice video by Dave on Off-Exchange vs. On-Exchange trading:

https://learn.urvin.finance/content/on-exchange-vs-off-exchange-trading

The Data:

All information is taken directly from FINRA OTC Transparency website:

https://otctransparency.finra.org/otctransparency/OtcIssueData

Please refer to The Cooks Keep Cooking the Books series for additional information and details on Robinhood and Dirvewealth LLC 'adjusting' their reported OTC trades 8-12 months after they supposedly occurred:

Volume 1 - Robinhood

Volume 2 - Robinhood does it again

Volume 3 - Robinhood and Drivewealth

Volume 4 - Featuring Drivewealth LLC adding 3 million OTC trades

See some of my previous OTC write-ups for additional context and explanation:

119 Week OTC Update

100 Week OTC Update

21 Month OTC Update

69 Week OTC Update

This latest data represents 135 weeks (over 2.5 years). I started with August 2020, which is when RC bought in, but as we've all learned, the story starts even earlier.

This data is especially important given the proposed SEC rule changes. Send in your comment letter!

Citadel wants you to do Nothing

Weekly GME OTC Shares traded

This shows the total weekly shares traded OTC by Citadel, Virtu, G1 Execution, Two Sigma, UBS, Drivewealth, and Robinhood (and others) over the counter (OTC), as internalized trades from retail across 135 weeks.

• The data ranges from 8/3/2020 - 3/3/2023
• The data is delayed by 2 weeks, so we will have the data from Week of 3/6 - 3/10 on Monday (3/27) GME OTC shares 8/3/2020 - 3/3/2023

Weekly OTC Trades

GME OTC trades 8/3/2020 - 3/3/2023

Weekly OTC Shares/Trade

GME OTC shares/trade 8/3/2020 - 3/3/2023

So as not to weigh down this post, please see my previous posts for some in-depth analysis on this nefarious OTC trading activity.

Besides an overall decrease in the OTC trades (which may reflect the change in share price after the split), we see increase in shares/trade has increased, and cyclical increases in volume. We'll dig deeper into the data further down.

Weekly Range (split-adjusted and including last week)

As you can see, we've had a lot of volatile weeks in terms of share price, but last week's adjusted Range of $43.00 doesn't really align with the significant increase in volume

SHiTeR Score

If we multiply OTC Shares /* Trades /* Range, we get a value that helps normalize the amount of OTC trading and weekly price volatility. The Range is adjusted for the split (closing price /*4). Helps detect crime

Who is responsible for all these shares and all these trades?

Let's compare pre-split distribution to post-split distribution for shares:

Here, we can see:

• A decrease in OTC market share for Citadel (from around 40% pre-split to 33% post-split)
• A slight decrease in market share for Virtu (from around 31% pre-split to 27.5% post-split)
• An increase in OTC market share by Jane Street (from 4% pre-split to just under 10% post-split). This is accentuated in the Shares/*Trades (SHiT score), where they have increased from 1% to 6% post-split
• A decrease in market share for Two Sigma and UBS (UBS has been completely absent for 24 of the past 25 weeks)
• A significant increase in market share for De Minimis Firms (from less than 3% pre-split to almost 9% post-split)
• I'll try to add more later! What are your conclusions?

The biggest shift here is the decrease in OTC trading share by Robinhood, from over 16% pre-split to less than 6% post-split.

GME OTC Leaderboard

ATS (Dark Pool) trading

ATS (dark pool) trading 8/3/2020 - 3/3/2023

ATS Participants:

![](https://preview.redd.it/the-otc-conspiracy-the-final-chapter-presenting-135-weeks-v0-xu07y61mq4qa1.png?width=3050&format=png&auto=webp&s=d7e2d6156b0865662cd72c9447e8db837c2f3901 "Image from rcontinue