SoFi is certainly one of the more interesting companies in fintech. They started life focused on student loan refinancing, a category they invented back in 2011, but have morphed into what is the most diversified company in all of fintech. They have not just moved into other areas of lending, they have moved quite aggressively into many completely different areas of finance whether it is saving, investing, cryptocurrencies, stock trading, personal financial management and more.
Our next guest on the Lend Academy is the CEO of SoFi, Anthony Noto. He has been leading SoFi now for a little over a year so I wanted to get him on the show to give us all a sense of where SoFi is today and its priorities going forward.
The priorities for the company when Anthony first became CEO.
How SoFi has changed over the past 12 months.
The two biggest drivers of revenue today at SoFi.
The percentage of mortgages that are taken out today by existing SoFi members.
Why they look at all of their products holistically.
How they will make money specifically with the SoFi Money product.
What they are trying to achieve with SoFi Invest.
Where they are at with an ILC charter application.
How Anthony thinks about competition and differentiation.
Their core target customer for SoFi Invest.
The different funding sources they are looking at for their loans today.
Where they stand on a potential IPO.
How Anthony is spending most his time today.
The total headcount today and where SoFi is hiring people.
Where we can expect SoFi to innovate for the rest of this year.
Download a PDF of the transcription of Podcast 193 – Anthony Noto.
Welcome to the Lend Academy Podcast, Episode No. 193. This is your host, Peter Renton, Founder of Lend Academy and Co-Founder of the LendIt Fintech Conference.
Today's episode is sponsored by LendIt Fintech USA 2019, the world's leading event in financial services innovation. It's going to be happening April 8th thru 9th, at Moscone West in San Francisco. We're going to be covering digital banking, blockchain, financial health and, of course, online lending, as well as other areas of fintech. There will be over 5,000 attendees, over 250 sponsors and registration is now open. Just go to lendit.com to register.
Peter Renton: Today on the show, I'm delighted to welcome Anthony Noto, he is the CEO of SoFi. Now I think pretty much every listener has heard of SoFi, they really are one of the highest profile companies in all of fintech, they seem to have more news than pretty much any other company, I see them in the news pretty much every week, it seems like, these days and they're really pushing the envelope.
They're moving from just focusing on the lending side of the business to a really fully diversified financial services company. Now I wanted to get Anthony on the show, he's been in the job now for over a year and I wanted to talk about, you know, how the last year has been, where the focus is today, what are some of the things that he's excited about, what are some of the things they're working on and we go through all the various different pieces of the SoFi business. It was a fascinating interview. I hope you enjoy the show.
Welcome to the podcast, Anthony!
Anthony Noto: Thank you for having me.
Peter: Okay, so I'd like to get this thing started by giving the listeners a little bit of background about yourself. You've certainly had an interesting career with some pretty high profile positions so why don't you give us some of the highlights.
Anthony: I've been fortunate to be part of some great organizations with, you know, phenomenal cultures and really well known brands or products. I spent just about four years at Twitter prior to coming to SoFi first as a Chief Financial Officer and then as the Chief Operating Officer. We accomplished a lot of great things at Twitter and really restructured them and turned around the company and really proud of what the team was able to accomplish there and be a part of that team.
Prior to being at Twitter, I spent two different distinct tours at Goldman Sachs, four years from 2010 to 2014 in banking as the Head of Global Technology Media & Telecom Banking and the first nine years in banking, 1999 to 2007, as an Equity Research Analyst focused on technology and media companies, initially just on the Internet and then adding entertainment companies and then distribution companies like Satellite and Cable.
In between those two experiences, I was fortunate to spend three years at the National Football League as the Chief Financial Officer.
Peter: Okay, so you've been at SoFi now for just a bit over a year and I'm curious to sort of get your take on how it's been and how has SoFi changed over the last 12 months.
Anthony: Sure, I'm really proud of the fact that we've made, since we spoke last year, and where we are now and having a couple of important things that tied back to our 2018 priorities and what we're focused on in 2019, if I could. The number one priority when I arrived at the company was to ensure that we stabilized the core lending products in anticipation of an interest rate environment that would be quite (garbled) over the coming years and we focused on per loan economics, variable profitability so that the loans can be durable as interest rates increase and the economy slowed.
We meaningfully improved the approval and economics on a variable profit basis over the course of the year focusing on better efficient pricing, a tighter credit model focus and then really fine tuning our marketing initiatives to ensure that we're getting high quality credit, but also managing customer acquisition cost.
On the operation side, there is an opportunity, not just to drive up efficiency in our operational co-spaces, but also to improve the value to our members that were applying for loans and shortening the time to fund and really drive meaningful increases in time to fund across personal loans and student loans in the order of magnitude on personal loans of 50% and about 30% on student loans.
In addition to that, we made a really tough decision to pull back a little bit on our home loan business or mortgage business as the experience that we were operating under wasn't up to what we thought was adequate for our members, and so we've made a number of different decisions that put us in a great position now in 2019 to really step on the gas and double that business. So that was the number one priority and I feel like the team had to cover up the ball.
Number two was really accelerating our path to providing a border array of products. Our Mission is to help people achieve financial independence and realize their ambitions and we think in order to do that, we have to help our members, current members and new members, get their money right across borrowing, saving, spending, investing and protecting.
We've primarily been a lending business up until the point when I arrived in March and I really wanted to ensure that by the end of the year we are in a position to be able to offer SoFi Money which is now available to everyone to help on spending, saving and paying and also launch SoFi Invest which delivers on the investing component of getting your money right and they were also able to integrate in on the insurance side and to protect some partners. So we now have SoFi Money that's available to everyone through the mobile application. SoFi Invest is available to everyone through the mobile application, in addition to insurance.
The team did a phenomenal job of not just building the right roadmaps to get us to this point, but actually, you know, building the code, deploying it and really building an integrated mobile experience. Our mobile application has been re-launched, the rating had been a 2.8 in the IOS Store when I started; it's now a healthy 4.9 and 5.0 scale in the IOS Store. The mobile app is ranked in the top 80 under finance category and in the Google Play Store it's ranked on the top 60.
We're really proud of that and we're seeing meaningful downloads per day organically on the mobile application which is helping fuel the demand for SoFi Money and SoFi Invest and ironically, even for our loan business so we're really excited about that. And then our third priority, just to hit on very quickly, was to build the foundation of what the membership experience will be like and to build the principles of what we mean by member experience and we were able to do that in the first half of our position and we will start to see that unfold in the mobile app throughout the year, as well as behind the scenes in how we approach pricing, customer service, member events and member services & benefits.
The last thing, which, you know, was probably the most critical to the company's long term success was working out our culture and making sure this was the place that people really wanted to work. We feel passionate about our Mission, we established 11 Core Values, they've been shared throughout the company, they're integrated into our day-to-day functions and business, as well as evaluation of talent and retention of talent and promotions and we just scratched the service on the possibilities, but I'm really proud of what we have accomplished on the cultural side as well.
Peter: Okay, okay. So there's a lot there to unpack and I want to actually spend a little bit of time on the different segments here. Starting off with student loans, because that's really still been….I imagine it's still sort of the biggest part of your business, but you guys invented student loan re-financing and, you know, you guys are, by far, the largest In think in the entire country, banks and non-banks, as far as everybody goes. Is this still the main engine of your growth as far as revenue goes and if so, like how do you continue to grow, you know, to what's becoming a fairly mature segment.
Anthony: Yeah, I'd made a couple of points. We are more diversified on student loan re-financing from a member activity standpoint. It's going to be the case that will have more members and SoFi Money and more members in SoFi Invest and SoFi Advice than we have them either student loan re-financing or personal loan re-financing. We're not there yet, but by the end of the year we're going to be pretty diversified across all over those different products.
Quite frankly, I anticipate that we'll be relatively even across all those products by the end of the year and as 2020 unfolds, it's likely going to be the case that we'll see SoFi Money and SoFi investing larger than the number of members in student loan re-financing as well as personal loan financing. But, today, student loan re-financing is still a significant percentage of our overall revenue. I was referring before to the number of members that we have and that and personal loans are the two biggest drivers of revenue in totality. They're both expected to grow quite meaningfully in 2019.
We expect to see an acceleration in our revenue growth given that we focused on quality in 2018 over quantity to ensure that our loans are durable. Now that we have that right quality measured by variable profitability and return on equity, we can really step on the gas within the credit and quality box that we've created. So, we expect decent growth from both those businesses today and an acceleration overall in revenue because of the opportunity we have to grow each of those businesses.
Peter: Right, and then you said….you mentioned before with mortgages, obviously mortgages….the loan sizes are much larger, is this something you're also going to be trying to grow significantly in 2019?
Anthony: We think we have an opportunity to double the loan volume within home loans or mortgages and that will be a nice increase in revenue relative to 2018. Our members really want to have a relationship with us beyond one product; we're seeing the cross buying already happen. On average, it's been the case historically that about 40 to 50% overall mortgages are actually taken out by existing members. We're seeing some really interesting trends of cross buying in our other products that we're excited about and I think we'll create a competitive advantage for us over time.
Peter: Okay, so let's switch to SoFi Money and full disclosure, actually, I am a SoFi Money customer, I joined the waiting list as soon as I could and I opened my account, I think it was in January and I do….I think you've done a really nice job there and having a pretty compelling offering.
But, what I do want to know is like obviously this is a product that is competitive out there, but you've got a lot of competitors as well. Two questions, one, how are you actually going to make money on this product because you are giving very high interest rates and you're can't hold deposits yourself, as least as of yet. I guess maybe we'll start there, how are you planning on making money on this product?
Anthony: Yeah, I'd make a couple of points. First, I'd say we're looking at all of our products holistically, our products are member relationship and how those relationships translate into our overall business model and putting revenue and cost. So there's an inter-relationship between all of our products that we'll focus on over the long term.
But just to answer your specific question, SoFi Money, there are two primary revenue streams that we generate from SoFi Money today and there could be more in the future. The first primary revenue stream is the interest that we make on your deposits through a partnership that we have and that's pretty common of both existing banks and new bank competitors, and the second revenue stream we generate is an exchange rate on your debit transactions. We do not charge any other fees from an account fee standpoint. ATM's are rebated so you have complete access to your money to spend where you want and to be able to spend as much as you want.
The important thing about our product is that we're giving you a really high interest rate at 2.25% and no requirements on direct deposit or advance minimums and you have access to that cash when you need it, where you need it to be able to pay, whether it's person-to-person payments, Bill Pay electronically, Bill Pay…we'll send a check for you, you can transfer money in and out of the account to your other accounts and you have the functionality of a debit card, ATM card and, of course, the integration with Apple Pay and Samsung and Google Pay. So we're trying to give you the best of both worlds as it relates to how to manage your money and spending, saving and paying.
Peter: Okay, okay, that makes sense. So when I…I opened up my SoFi Money account which I have right now and you can see you're pushing other products here. Right underneath it is SoFi Invest and I want to get to that in a second….like obviously the student loan product/personal loan product, they're fairly high margin products and you talked about it yourself and you already said that you expect large numbers of people signing up here, do you expect significant cross sell between SoFi Money and then your loan products?
Anthony: Yes, absolutely, we're already observing…today, we're not trying to bring any new product marketing in the app to a SoFi Money member or SoFi Invest member and people are using the application assigned for those products by using those products. They're becoming aware of other products and then they're using a second product. So it's very small numbers in total, but the observation on a percentage basis is much better than we thought it would be and it's very encouraging.
So our strategy is to really put the member at the center of what we're building and deliver to them the best borrowing or saving or spending or investing or protecting experience that we can. Our hope is that as we do that and they become comfortable with the brand and they trust the brand, they'll be aware of the other services that we're offering across those five activities and then they'll consider those brands when they're making that choice and they're really signs that that's working.
Peter: Okay, so then with SoFi Invest….actually, I can see there's a button on your Home Page with SoFi Invest so it's clearly something you're also pushing hard and it seems like…..you know, you've launched a brokerage business. I mean, I feel like in the last month there's been news coming out of your page almost every week pretty much where you've got the brokerage business, you're talking about zero fee ETF's, you're talking about crypto trading in partnering with Coinbase.
So maybe let's take a step back and say, what is SoFi Invest kind of ….what are you trying to achieve? Are you trying to be the one-stop shop so no one ever has to go to Schwab or Fidelity or Vanguard, whatever, what are you trying to achieve with SoFi Invest?
Anthony: Yeah, so I tie it back to our overall job to be done and then our Mission. When I mention job to be done, I'm really applying to our differentiation the concept that Clayton Christensen used in his book, Competing Against Luck, in that we ask ourselves, why will a member hire us versus others and we think our job to be done in that hiring decision by a member is to help them get their money right. If we help them get their money right they'll reach financial independence and realize their ambitions.
In order to help them get their money right, we're focused on all the activities that you do with the money as opposed to products or businesses and those activities are borrowing, saving, investing, spending and protecting. So our initiative behind SoFi Invest is to help people invest better and get the money right because they're investing better in addition to their other activities. We think about within that category of SoFi Invest we want to offer a fast, easy to use solution; the fastest place to open an account, the fastest place to fund, the fastest place to buy a stock or an ETF or to invest in a Robo strategy, the fastest place to sell, the fastest place to do research; always accessible, always convenient.
Second is selection and so we're focused not on just offering Robo advisory strategies, but also offering single stocks, ETF's and our own ETF's, for that matter, to fill-in a void where our direct target of millennials and Gen Z may have an area or pick an interest that's not been met by this selection that's being offered by others across the investing universe. So the first is fast; the second is selection; the third is content and the fourth is convenience.
As we release the content which are broad strategies; everything from education to helping for planning and so we do provide on the platform, on the mobile app articles and blogs about investing, about dollar cost averaging and to educate our members. In addition to that, within the app, you can click on the Membership tab which is right on the Home toolbar in the bottom next to the Home tab and choose to sign-up for a certified financial planning session with one of our certified financial planners.
You can schedule that right in the app and use your phone to conduct that conversation and so it's not just the products that we're offering in a fast way, but also supplementing the content across the spectrum of everything from quotes and news about companies, the news about business, to regional content to also live on planners.
And then last, convenience, we want people to be able to access their accounts from any device at any time. There are a number of other convenience factors that we'll add-in over time in addition to the other four differentiators that I mentioned.
Peter: Right, right. So I want to switch gears a little bit and talk about regulation, you know, you guys…it was before your time at SoFi, but you had an ILC application out there which you guys pulled and clearly, you're sort of ….you are entering into so many different areas of financial services and I'm sure it would be nice to have access to the banking system directly. So where are you at with bank charters today?
Anthony: Sure, 2019, and we have five priorities. The first is to build a mobile first/member first experience and drive the penetration of SoFi Money, SoFi Invest and SoFi Advice. Our second key priority in 2019 is to build out a membership experience more broadly and more overtly to members as they come on the platform. Our third is to continue to drive efficiency and effectiveness of our lending platform and as we relate to that, we will evaluate different ways to lower our cost of funding and financing.
We're really fortunate today in that we have a three-layered approach to financing the loans. We have our own capital which is, as it has been publicly reported, $2 Billion of equity has been raised. In addition to that, we have partnerships with a number of banks, over 20 banks that provide us nearly $6 Billion of warehouse facilities and we also have a very important unsecured line of credit that's over $500 Million. There is an opportunity for us to lower our cost of funding by building a deposit business and having the company as a whole being an IDI, insured deposit institution.
There are a couple of paths to go down to relate to that. we've evaluating those paths, whether it's national banking charter or an ILC and the team is in the process of really thinking through all the strategic implications of either one. We haven't made any decisions either on either one or actually going forward to try to become an IDI type of company, but it's clearly an opportunity for us to meaningfully lower our cost of funding by 50%.
Peter: Sure, sure. Okay so then, when you look at the broader market today you've got all these different….you know, challenger banks, neo banks I guess you call them, like Chime, Stash, Varo and many others coming; Europeans coming, Revolut, Monzo and N26 and then you've also got the big banks. Many of them are putting out digital offerings directly to sort of the target market of millennials and Gen Z. So who do you see as your main competitor today and how are you differentiating?
Anthony: Yeah, I don't think about it in that construct. I think about it in the construct of who provides better borrowing, who provides competitive abilities to spend to be able to invest, to be able to protect. So we think about those activities because those activities are trying to help our members do better and, as you can imagine, there's a long list of companies under each one of those five activities. So there's no one competitor, it's we're competing against that activity which is offered not just by traditional banks, also fintech companies and then what I'd say is increasingly and probably non-fintech companies.
Peter: Okay, okay. So basically then if you look at obviously the SoFi Invest, you've got to make something really compelling because you've got people offering free stock trading now, there's free mutual funds, I know you guys have the free ETF's so we're looking at that specifically then and it's a very sophisticated space already with many homely entrenched players.
I mean, like the zero fee ETF, you know, got a lot of publicity, I'm just curious about how you sort of make a dent in the millions and millions of customers out there. As you know, it's not easy to get people to switch, are you focused primarily then, with this particular product, on people starting like an investment program for the very first time, are you trying to get people to switch, or both?
Anthony: They are core target and I use the word core purposely. Our core target for SoFi Invest is a new or beginning investor. And our goal, our goal is to help educate them on the benefits of investing to get their money right, our goal is to help educate them on how to actually invest and to, over time, become more confident in what they're investing in and what they expect from a performance and a risk standpoint.
One of the reasons why we're offering, you know, we're in the path of offering stocks and fractional shares and one of the reasons why we're offering unique ETF's and one of the reasons what we're not charging for trades or charging on the ETF's that we've announced and also offering Robo advisory is to make sure that as we start to drive a connectivity point between us and a potential investor, new or beginning, that they have the broad selection they would consider.
Some want to buy stocks, some would prefer to start with the Robo account, some would prefer to buy a small amount of something that they already buy as a consumer, but actually the cost of one share is too high relative to what they would like to pay. As an example, Amazon is a company that has stock priced for one share is a really meaningful amount of investment and so being able to buy that in a fractional share is unique.
So we want to help these new and beginning investors, take the money that's sitting in their cash account or their money account that's not earning interest, that's not really compounding over time and solely educate them on buying things that they like and being confident in what investing really means and taking them from some that's very familiar like in the case of a consumer that spends a lot of money on an Amazon and having them become an owner of one of those companies that they spend a lot of money on and then over time as they get confident and understand what investing means, bringing them along the path of a more diversified portfolio and at a risk adjusted return that meets their individual long term financial goals.
The fact that we have stocks or we have fractional shares, we have ETF's, we'll soon have our own ETF's and we have Robo and there's no charging for trading or commissions is actually very unique, reduces the friction and gives them the assortment they would consider across the range of things that they would do first.
Peter: Okay, so I want to get back to the lending business for a second and talk about securitization. You know, I went back and looked at some of the numbers from PeerIQ last year and you guys were more than 50% of the total volume that went through in the online lending space in the securitization markets in the….you know, talking about consumers and student loans. So do you still look at securitization as really the absolutely critical funding source as you thought when you look at expanding and increasing the volume of the loans you put through?
Anthony: You know, we're evaluating the varied different types of financing sources for the loans. You know, we obviously cannot use SoFi Money deposits or SoFi Invest deposits for financing source without a bank license at SoFi, either an ILC or a national charter so at some point, if we have an IDI organizational structure and a charter we could consider that, but until we do, it's really not even a question.
Peter: Okay, okay, fair enough. So then you haven't mentioned it…I presume this is not on the horizon, but I know the listeners will want me to ask this question, IPO plans for 2019, anything, where are you at with potential future IPO?
Anthony: It's not a priority and we have no plans as it relates to that.
Peter: Okay, okay, fair enough. So then I feel like you've got so much that you're trying to do here, you know, it feels to me, the news comes out all the time, I'm curious to see….like as you're managing the different areas of your business, I mean, where do you spend your time personally? Are you really…..and obviously you've got a strong investment background with Goldman Sachs, obviously you spent time at Twitter, but like what areas of the business are you most connected to right now?
Anthony: I don't think I would highlight one area as it relates to the businesses or being more connected than the others. They're all in different stages of business formation so I'm spending equal parts on all the five different areas that I mentioned. Outside of the day-to-day running of those businesses, I'm spending a significant amount of my time on recruiting great talent. We're hiring a significant number of people in 2019 and one of the major areas of focus within is we're re-hiring these great product engineering and design people.
We've launched a lot in a year and we have very ambitious clients that continue to shift more and more innovation every week and so that's the area of the company that I'm most focused on, attracting and retaining great talent. I'd say the second area outside of the businesses and attracting and retaining great talent is on partnerships. We teach you partnerships as they can accelerate the path for and making sure that we have the right top-to-top relationships with key partners, both current partners and future partners.
And then, last, really focused on building out the best culture in the world, our goal is to have the best culture in the world and we do not believe it takes any special type of innovation or technology or access to capital to get there. It really requires leadership, alignment and accountability and we're committed to having the best culture in the world and making sure those three things are true and so I spend a lot of time on that as well.
Peter: Okay, so then where are you hiring people? I mean, I know you've got the San Francisco office, Healdsburg, I think there's something in Montana, I think from memory, or Idaho, where are you hiring people today?
Anthony: Yeah, geographically, we're hiring from all of our current locations across the eight different cities that we have physical locations in, we've had a small office in Seattle in addition to what we have already. As it relates to people, we've been really fortunate to be able to hire really experienced people from leading technology companies in the United States and the leading financial companies. I've been quite pleased with our ability to attract some people that have achieved significant things from the consumer Internet and technology world, in addition to getting some really experienced executives from the traditional financial world.
Rich Garside is the Head of Global Operations, thirty plus-year veteran from Citi; Assaf Ronen is our Head of Product who came from Amazon where he was a key leader driving the growth of Alexa Shopping; Tony Donohoe who came from Expedia as the Head of the Expedia brand CTO, he is our CTO; Michelle Gill is our CFO who was a Partner at Goldman Sachs and then was an investor in Structured Products at TPG.
We've also been able to hire great business unit leaders in each one of our business units from the walks of the financial services industry so I have been really pleased with our ability to find really talented experienced people across the big diverse area of industries.
Peter: Okay, okay, we're almost out of time, but what is the total head count today?
Anthony: We're about 1,400 people.
Peter: Okay, okay. Two more questions before I go, one real quick, are the challenges of SoFi had in 2017, do you feel like….obviously, it's well behind you now, are you still asked about that when you're talking to new hires, when you're talking to reporters or do you feel like it's now ancient history?
Anthony: I'm definitely not asked about that. I'm more asked about how do you build a culture, are you committed to build any culture, what's the mission of the company, is the company, as whole, passionate about that mission, where do you want to take the business over the next five to ten years as opposed to the next year.
I would say those are the three biggest focus areas for the people we're trying to hire, generally, and then when we get into specific cross functional areas and expertise like technology, there's definitely a focus on innovation and using new technologies and how to think about the impacts of those technologies over the long term.
And then on the financial side, without a doubt, there's questions about regulation and our ability to operate in a regulatory environment and as a regulated entity, which we already are, given that we have loan licenses by state, in addition to really understanding the amount of impact there's in the business because of regulation, all of which we think is reasonable and has allowed us to operate at a really high pace of growth.
Peter: Okay, so last question, I'm sure you're going to tell me anything that hasn't been announced yet, but what part of your business should we expect the most future announcements this year? Where are you really focusing on innovating the most?
Anthony: I tie back to our priorities so number one is continue to innovate on being a mobile member first company with leading products in SoFi Money, SoFi Invest and SoFi Advice and so that's the number one priority and I would put that at the top of the list, but right behind it is building out the member experience in a transparent and more over way to the outside world. Third is our focus on ensuring that we continue to drive really fast, efficient and effective lending with our existing and new members. So those would be the three key business focus areas.
Peter: Okay, Anthony, let's leave it there. I appreciate your coming on the show today.
Anthony: Thank you very much for having me, really appreciate it.
SoFi is such a fascinating case study to me, you know, starting out as really a monoline lender in student loan re-financing and not just going into other areas of lending, but other completely different areas of finance. You know, I always thought that the secret to SoFi success was the fact that they were able to execute so well, particularly on the lending side of the business.
After talking with Anthony, you can really see sort of that military background which he didn't talk about, but you see that sort of no nonsense execution type mentality that Anthony is bringing to the table here. I think it is going to be one of the most fascinating things to watch over the next few years…is to see how SoFi evolves, can they be a success in all these different areas of their company. I'm certainly not betting against them, it's going to be interesting and I will be following along like everybody else.
Today's episode was sponsored by LendIt Fintech USA 2019, the world's leading event in financial services innovation. It's happening April 8th thru 9th, at Moscone West in San Francisco. It's going to be the largest fintech event held in the Bay Area in 2019. We'll be covering online lending, blockchain, digital banking and much more. You can find out all about it and register at lendit.com.


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Tech news you can use, in two minutes or less: The Mueller Report, Finally After nearly two years of work, special counsel Robert Mueller has turned in his final report to the nation's attorney general, William Barr. But what happens next is anyone's guess. For now the report will be for Barr's eyes only, who at some point will submit his own report to Congress with as much, or as little, information as he chooses to share. So for now, we wait. Again.


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Around this time, Eminem had heard one of 50 Cent's demo tapes and expressed a huge interest in him on MTV, as did Dr. Dre. Shortly after this, 50 Cent officially signed to Interscope Records. He was the first rapper to sign to the joint label owned by Dr. Dre and [artistEminem[/artist]. The first song he released on this record was entitled Wanksta and was featured on the 8 Mile soundtrack.
Lirik lagu A Little Bit Of Everything U.T.P.
Lirik lagu F***in' With Pac?
Lirik lagu What Up Gangsta?


Christine: Ordinarily, I'm juggling two jobs and an education on the side. I'm studying Textile Design, Handicraft, and Communication at University College Copenhagen. Here, I'm taking an education in textile crafts with a focus on clothing, design, textile printing, and embroidery.
Sam: I don't have as many balls in the air as Christine. I'm studying to become a care assistant and have a job in home care on the side.
Both of us have been active in the cosplay community since 2010. Every year since then, we have visited J-Popcon and a few other Danish conventions. We haven't competed together (we have a few planned, though), but Christine participated in J-Popcon's Sunday Show and Craftsmanship in 2016 and 2017.
What is cosplay to you, and how did you start?
Our first convention was J-Popcon 2010, but it was a convention we experienced separately, since we only got to know each other in 2011 and since then we have visited conventions together.
For us, cosplay is a creative free space with social perks. We have gotten to know a lot of our close friends through the cosplay community and we developped a good social network. We are both very creative and cosplay gives us a good opportunity to explore new techniques and go about it creatively.
What motivates you to the role of WingGirl/BatteryBoy?
For a few years now, we have admired the different designs that the mascots have had, and we've talked about how nice it would be to cosplay them. Last year, the interest really caught on when two from J-Popcon's own team cosplayed WingGirl and BatteryBoy. It looked so fun to cosplay someone so familiar and close to home as J-Popcon's own mascots.
What can people expect when the meet you at the convention as WingGirl/BatteryBoy?
We hope that we can be a part of creating a good and cozy atmosphere at the convention. WingGirl and BatteryBoy are to very recognisable and important characters for J-Popcon's image, so we hope that we can maintain the magic surrounding them.
Do you have a favourite thing from this year's design by Kimikawa?
Christine: I'm definitely fan of WingGirl's colour palette and then I love all the small phone charms - and the Ita bag with room for plenty more of those!
Sam: I like the colour contrast between WingGirl and BatteryBoy. I'm also a big fan of BatteryBoy's amount of neon colours and the purple hair - those colours are awesome together!
Whare are you looking forward to experience the most at J-Popcon? Is there anything special that you usually look forward to at the convention?
The Danish Cosplay Championship during Saturday is a clear favourite! Every year' it's exciting to see what people have come up with of new ideas and how much work and love they have put into their cosplays and acts.
We cannot avoid mentioning Sunday's activities either - J-Popcon's own cozy show, which is always full of jest and charm, followed by the Craftsmanship competition, which really gives the finishing touch in terms of crafts!
In general, it's just an amazing experience arriving Friday afternoon and get on with loads of people who share the same passion as oneself. There's nothing better.


Extensive investigations throughout Africa have revealed that the AMF panel which monitors the mains supply will switch the generator on when the AMF panel controller sees a phase missing from the mains supply. This causes the generator to run for extended periods of time, even while one or two other phases are available. Jasco Power found that such a generator will run, on average, for five hours per day more than necessary. This wastes diesel fuel and money. With the phase selector installed, generator run time can be reduced by as much as 60%, saving fuel and money.


Our Returnee Online Workshop is an opportunity to experience worldwide spiritual fellowship and invigorate your practice.
You'll watch a live video stream of two longtime meditators and trained BMCM presenters, who will guide you through a 75-minute interactive workshop, with a focus on one of the eight points.
We hope that you'll leave with practical tips, renewed enthusiasm, and motivation to strengthen your practice.
We also invite you to meditate for 30 minutes directly before or after.
You'll be able to type in your comments and questions which we'll read and respond to, but we won't be able to see or hear you. You can interact with us as much or as little as you choose.
If you'd like to take this opportunity to create a retreat day, either by yourself or with your local spiritual fellowship group, you could create your own schedule using these sample activities.
Have chosen a mantram from Easwaran's recommended list.
The standard fee is $10. The sliding scale is $0–$25.
Our sliding scale means that you can choose the price that's right for you. If you can pay the standard fee, that will cover the cost of your program.
We hope you'll find that it's easy and enjoyable to take part. Very little technical expertise is needed!
Once you've registered for the Workshop, we'll send you an email with a link to join the live event. We use Zoom software, and it takes a few minutes to download. We recommend that you join the Workshop 10 minutes early so you're ready to join us from the beginning.
Your operating system should be Windows XP/7/Vista or later, or Mac OS 10.6.8 or later. If you're using a mobile device or tablet, your operating system should be iOS7 or later (Apple) or Ver 6 or later (Android).
If you've registered for the Workshop, you'll receive a link to the recording a few days after the live event.
"Being with others who are practicing the program developed by Easwaran – even if only via a short webinar – is a real blessing; it's helped me grow in my determination and enthusiasm for my own practice. Mantram writing was something specific I took away from this webinar. Since then I've begun to use it almost daily to help calm my mind."
"I found the webinar provided the support I need for my spiritual practice. For me, it had very similar qualities to the in person retreats. I thought the follow up support emails and phones calls were very helpful. As always, the presenters were very thorough and thoughtful. I highly recommend these programs."
"When I started this journey, spiritual companionship consisted of retreats and satsang. The webinars have been a big step forward: live learning and interaction with fellow seekers without the need to physically travel."


Working as the Prime General Contractor on this project on the Ohio River, C.J. Mahan Construction Company successfully completed this project which expanded and upgraded Marathon Petroleum's Catlettsburg, Kentucky and Kenova, West Virginia Oho River dock facilities. The Kenova work scope included the construction of a sheet pile mooring cell, installation of three dock floats, gangway installation for barge access, debris deflector installation, and miscellaneous mechanical, electrical, and structural upgrades. The Catlettsburg work scope was almost identical. All work was successfully completed from a floating plant on the Ohio River, on budget, and on schedule in approximately 5-months during the refinery shut-down period and on an extremely aggressive schedule.


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Le soudage orbital est un procédé de soudage spécial pendant lequel un arc tourne sans interruption à au moins 360° autour d'une pièce fixe (composant cylindrique, tel qu'un tube).

Histoire du soudage orbital
Le procédé du soudage orbital a été inventé il y a plus de 50 ans.

Équipement
Les composants de base de chaque dispositif de soudage orbital sont le générateur avec commande, la tête de soudage et éventuellement le dévidoir de fil. De nombreux facteurs peuvent avoir une influence sur la soudure obtenue. Parmi les principaux paramètres, citons la hauteur d'arc, l'intensité et la fréquence de pulsation du courant de soudage, la vitesse de soudage, le gaz de protection, le matériau de base, le métal d'apport, la préparation des bords et la conductivité thermique. Une soudure de haute qualité ne s'obtient enfin que si l'on détient un savoir-faire suffisant pour choisir la bonne combinaison de paramètres.

Application

Le procédé de soudage

Le soudage manuel ne permet que difficilement d'atteindre des niveaux de qualité et de sécurité optimum, étant donné que les diverses positions de soudage, comme le soudage au plafond ou le soudage vertical descendant, entraînent souvent des erreurs de soudage dans le cas d'accès et de marge de manœuvre très restreints. Pour maîtriser sans difficulté le bain de soudage, quelle que soit la position de la torche, un équilibre parfait entre la gravité et la tension superficielle doit être préservé.
Dans le cas de la variante mécanisée, les éléments du procédé de soudage sont pris en charge par les composants mécaniques tandis qu'un soudeur contrôle et dirige l'opération. L'idéal est que les paramètres de soudage soient entièrement programmés avant le début du soudage. Dans la pratique, les contraintes diverses amènent souvent le soudeur à apporter des modifications en cours de route.
Dans le cas d'un soudage automatisé, le procédé est entièrement géré par un ordinateur. Par conséquent, le soudeur n'intervient pas.

Matériaux

Depuis ses débuts le soudage orbital a quasiment toujours été associé à un procédé TIG avec électrode de tungstène sans fusion, sauf dans certains cas lorsqu'il se révèle nécessaire de travailler au fil froid. Une multitude de métaux peuvent être soudés : les aciers les plus durs, les plus résistants à la chaleur et à la corrosion, les aciers au carbone non alliés et peu alliés, les alliages au nickel, ainsi que le titane, le cuivre, l'aluminium et leurs alliages. Au sein de l'atmosphère protectrice, ce procédé est réalisé sous contrôle. Il est extrêmement propre, ne génère que peu de particules et permet d'éviter les projections indésirables. Destiné avant tout au soudage d'aciers au chrome nickel austénitiques, il répond aux exigences les plus strictes tant au niveau de la qualité mécanique que de l'esthétique.

Diamètres de tube

Le soudage orbital TIG est très précis, comme le montre le plus petit diamètre standard pouvant être soudé :  !
Avec des têtes de soudage orbital fermées, vous pourrez même assembler des tubes de  de diamètre avec des parois de  d'épaisseur. Les têtes permettent de positionner précisément la torche et de garantir un parfait maintien du tube. L'atmosphère protectrice en caisson clos empêche l'apparition de couleur de revenu même avec les matériaux les plus fragiles. Dans le cas de diamètres de tubes compris entre , il est possible d'utiliser les têtes de soudage orbital ouvertes, plus facilement manipulables. Un faisceau de flexibles permet de les alimenter en courant, en gaz de protection, en eau de refroidissement et
éventuellement en fil d'apport. En cas de soudage sur des tubes aux parois épaisses ou en cas d'utilisation de matériaux de base difficiles à maîtriser, il faut avoir recours à un fil d'apport. Dans le cas de tubes aux parois étroites, il est possible de s'en passer.
Pour garantir un soudage de grande qualité, il faut soigneusement préparer les extrémités du tube et les arêtes doivent être exemptes de rouille et d'impuretés. En cas de parois minces et de tubes de dimensions petites à moyennes, il suffit souvent de procéder à un chanfrein. En revanche, si les parois du tube sont plus épaisses, il est nécessaire de préparer les bords, par exemple avec un chanfrein en U.

Marchés

Grâce à tous ces avantages, il n'a pas tardé à s'imposer dans la fabrication de composants pour salles blanches, destinés au secteur des semi conducteurs. Depuis il continue sur sa lancée : soudage de tubes pour les secteurs de l'agroalimentaire, de la pharmacie et de la chimie, biotechnique, construction de navires et de véhicules, ou encore navigation aérienne et aérospatiale.
Dans le secteur de la construction de centrales électriques (installations de production thermique d'électricité) aussi, le soudage orbital TIG automatisé a su faire valoir ses qualités. Dans ce secteur, les matériaux de construction doivent résister à d'énormes charges mécaniques liées aux pressions et températures élevées des fluides acheminés par les tubes. Le moindre trou, encoche ou inclusion dans la soudure peut ensuite être à l'origine de fissures qui, à leur tour, causeront la perte prématurée d'un composant. Par conséquent, ces défauts doivent impérativement être évités. Il n'est pas rare d'assembler des tubes dont le matériau est à base de nickel et dont la paroi peut atteindre . Pour ce contexte, tout particulièrement, un fabricant a mis au point le soudage orbital à chanfrein étroit avec fil d'apport chaud. Dans le cadre de ce procédé, un support de soudage est déplacé sur un anneau de guidage autour du tube. Cette nouvelle variante n'est pas passée inaperçue dans le secteur, surtout dans le contexte actuel qui voit une croissance mondiale de la construction de centrales électriques et une recherche incessante de méthodes de fabrication plus productives pour les nouveaux aciers haute température.

Perspectives
En alternative aux procédés TIG et plasma se développe en continuité le MIG/MAG qui offre une toute nouvelle gamme d'applications. Dans tous les secteurs, la construction d'appareils fait appel à des alliages ou à des métaux « exotiques », tels que le titane, le zirconium, le tantale, le niobium, l'Hastelloy, l'Inconel, le Monel pour ne citer qu'eux. Tous ces métaux requièrent un soudage parfaitement réglé et reproductible. Or, cette condition ne peut être remplie que par le biais d'un procédé de soudage mécanisé.
Que l'on se trouve face à des parois épaisses ou à un diamètre de tube minuscule, à des matériaux exotiques ou à des conditions environnementales néfastes, si l'on souhaite pouvoir compter sur une qualité de soudage fiable et reproductible, le soudage orbital est à privilégier de par son large spectre d'applications possibles et ses nombreuses variantes de procédé.

Références

Krüger, Jürgen; Schnee, Dieter (2007). Rundum sicher. bbr 3 (2007): 40-42.
Tout ce qu'il faut savoir sur le soudage TIG orbital (2017). AXXAIR : Téléchargement en ligne

Orbital

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Home Uncategorized Shreveport group plans Baton Rouge trip to protest southwest Louisiana pipeline
Shreveport group plans Baton Rouge trip to protest southwest Louisiana pipeline
Daily Report Staff
A newly formed Shreveport environmental activist group plans to travel to Baton Rouge to protest an incoming pipeline that threatens parts of the state's wetlands.
As The Shreveport Times reports, North Louisiana for Climate Justice—Shreveport-Bossier City's newest environmental watchdog group—was created on Friday in Shreveport. Currently, about a dozen members strong, the group's first mission is to tackle the Bayou Bridge Pipeline project at a Jan. 12 public hearing in Baton Rouge.
"The purpose of this trip is to gather information and make connections with allies," says Ron Hagar, a concerned citizen from Shreveport.
Members have different reasons for protesting the pipeline—a $670 million, 162 mile-long route that will carry an estimated 280,000 barrels of oil through 11 southern Louisiana parishes. The pipeline is backed by Energy Transfer Partners Inc., the same company behind the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota.
That's the reason Sonya Bratlie, one of the leaders of the group who has Native American heritage, wants to be on the front lines of the protest. In explaining why she's against the pipeline, Bratlie references the rounds of rubber bullets, mace and water cannons unleashed on protesters in Cannon Ball, North Dakota in interactions with police.
"I don't want that company because of what they did to the Natives," Bratlie says. "I don't want that company in Louisiana. I don't want them to touch us."
Read the full story.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Hey ho, the wind and the rain. Chester's charming open-air theatre has entered its third season with the welcome innovation of a canopy over the seating area, but it's scant compensation for a cast condemned to play much of the second part of Twelfth Night in a downpour. Yet, in a curious sense, the conditions actually enhance the impact of Alex Clifton's production, whose mood, like the sky, darkens threateningly as it goes along. "Now tempests be kind," implores Krupa Pattani's Viola, to ironic laughter from the audience; while Scott Arthur's amiable Sir Andrew Aguecheek takes practical action by sheltering under someone's golfing umbrella. And the unforgiving weather conspires to make the fate of Matthew Rixon's supremely unctuous Malvolio seem crueller than ever – not only must he suffer humiliation and incarceration, he's absolutely drenched as well.
Glyn Maxwell's Masters Are You Mad? is a newly commissioned companion piece that charts the further adventures of the hapless steward. Twelve years have elapsed since the unfortunate incident with the cross-garters, and Orsino's dukedom has become severely depleted as people depart for the mysterious land of Moai, where a cult of love is rumoured to be presided over by a charismatic figure in yellow stockings.
Maxwell evidently means to take the same sort of playful liberties with Twelfth Night that Tom Stoppard inflicted on Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. But you never sense that the concept is quite substantial enough to stand apart from its host play, and the blank verse challenges one's inclination to untangle the sense from long, expository, ersatz-Shakespearean speeches. "You mean to jumble language pointlessly and stir the words like soup when nothing much is happening?" says one of the characters, which more or less sums it up.


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We may make this aggregated information available to our commercial partners, to our advertiser clients and also to auditors. These statistics are anonymous and contain no Personal Information.
This policy was last updated on 14 April 2018.


text:
Four-star 2018 guard Coby White commits to North Carolina
By Raphielle JohnsonJul 28, 2016, 10:16 PM EDT
With guards Jalek Felton and Andrew Platek having committed in their 2017 recruiting class, North Carolina received a commitment from one of the better guards in the Class of 2018 Thursday night. Four-star guard Coby White, who's ranked 61st in his class by Rivals.com, made his pledge to Roy Williams' program. News of White's commitment was first reported by Scout.com.
The 6-foot-4 White is a native of Wilson, North Carolina, where he attends Greenfield HS, and he played his grassroots basketball for the CP3 16U basketball program this summer. His commitment to UNC comes just a couple days after the ACC school offered him a scholarship.
White took an unofficial visit to UNC in June, and his play in July ultimately led to the program making the aforementioned scholarship offer. By the time White enrolls in Chapel Hill, current veterans such as Joel Berry II and Nate Britt will be out of eligibility. Among the perimeter would could potentially be on campus in 2018 are freshmen Seventh Woods and Brandon Robinson, and sophomore Kenny Williams.
White is the second commit in the 2018 class for the Tar Heels, with 6-foot-7 guard Rechon Black being the first.


A Classic V-neck dress with stretch lining. This versatile fitted dress is crafted from textured knit suiting and can be worn throughout the year. Fastened with an invisible zip at center back and falls to just below the knee. This dress is great base to wear under our feature jackets from past and current ranges. Styled with the LB Classic Silk Cover Up.


Topic: el mejor manera a viajar entre Valpo y Renaca con tabla?
Im going to valpo pretty soon and im wondering how a foreign american kid like myself can get to the breaks in renaca as much as possible without a car of my own.
RE: el mejor manera a viajar entre Valpo y Renaca con tabla?
Hope you read this on time. If not, no swet. With a small board, maybe up to 6´4", any bus ride ("micro") will do, just watch out for sudden stop n gos. With a longer board you are pretty much stuck in Valparaiso unless you ride a (much more expensive) taxi cab strapping your board on top of the car.
I'm chilean and i moved this year to valparaiso. I think that i could use metrovalpo, but the viña del mar station is nearest to quinta vergara than reñaca.
Reply to the topic: el mejor manera a viajar entre Valpo y Renaca con tabla?


The ESPN body Issue 2013 features Kerri Walsh Jennings, the famed and much loved Olympian Beach volleyball champion.
The 34-year-old gold medalist posed for the edition in naked photos, taken of her nine months pregnant and then straight after her third child was born.
Kerri spoke confidently while doing the ESPN body issue shoot about her body, saying that giving birth: "makes me feel like a Wonder Woman," also mentioning how proud she is of her body.


We believe Investor relations website design is to help companies ensure their investors feel connected and well informed of the corporate activities.
Animated video marketing is now the most powerful tool for explaining business products or services. If interested in marketing your business, video shouldn't be ignored.


Mastabas of the Western Cemetry: Part I: Sekhemka (G1029); Tjetu I (G2001); Iasen (G2196); Penmeru (G2197), Hagy, Nefertjentet, and Herunefer (G2352/53); Djaty, Tjetu II, and Nimesti (G2337X, 2343, 2366). von Simpson,William K.: - Antiquariaat A. Kok & Zn. B.V.
Mastabas of the Western Cemetry: Part I: Sekhemka (G1029); Tjetu I (G2001); Iasen (G2196); Penmeru (G2197), Hagy, Nefertjentet, and Herunefer (G2352/53); Djaty, Tjetu II, and Nimesti (G2337X, 2343, 2366).


text:
SHANKILL BOMBER'S APOLOGY '20 YEARS TO LATE'
Loyalist held a protest on Sunday to the IR commemoration to IRA to Shankil bomb Thomas Begley
THE only IR terrorist convicted over the Shankill Road bombing has had apology dismissed by a man who lost his wife in the atrocity.
On Sunday, Provo bomber Sean Kelly said he was that nine innocent Protestants were killed when a bomb he had helped transport from Ardoyne to the Shankill Road detonated prematurely in Frizzell's fish shop.
The convicted was speaking at a plaque commemoration to IRA man Thomas Begley who was also killed after the bomb hidden inside a box exploded on Saturday, October 23, 1993.
The intended target was a UDA/UFF meeting upstairs but unknown to the IRA bomb gang the meeting was switched at the last minute.
However, victims campaigner Alan McBride, whose wife died in the blast, said his apology was hollow.
"He went out that day, I have no doubt he was trying to murder UDA men upstairs in that shop, so I'm not suggesting for a minute my wife was the intended target, but she wasn't even considered, her life wasn't even considered that it was worth anything," Mr McBride said.
"He left that bomb on the counter and the timescale for them getting out of that was so small that they had to have known the potential for innocent casualties to be taken that day was huge and that's exactly what happened.
"So for Sean Kelly to come out now and say he's sorry, I don't really believe him."
Charlie Butler said the apology came "20 years too later.
Mr Butler lost three relatives in the no-warning bomb attack – his niece Evelyn Baird, her partner Michael Morrison and their seven-year-old daughter Michelle.
"I don't think any apology will bring back what happened," he said.
On the commemoration to Begley, he said: "I think there's better ways of remembering your son than being a child murderer and a murderer of women and pensioners."
During Sunday's ceremony, Billy Begley, Thomas Begley's father unveiled a plaque stating that the bomber "died on active service" and is "always remembered by his many comrades and friends".
In a brief speech at the ceremony, his father, thanked the crowd and said: "As you well know, this is not a celebration or a glorification of that tragic day that happened. It's also (not to) degrade the innocent people on the Shankill Road."
The crowd was also addressed by Sean Kelly, the IRA man who was with Begley on the day and survived the bomb.
He described it "an IRA operation that went tragically wrong".
"I offer no excuse that will change how any of these innocent people and families will think about myself or Thomas or the IRA as a result of this operation. I am truly sorry for the loss of life and the injuries that were suffered that day and for the suffering the families have endured," Kelly added.
There were two protests against the commemoration, one involving victims families and another one staged by loyalist youths on the Crumlin Road.
Police also later had to deal with a bomb alert in the area later that afternoon.
Families of some of the Shankill bomb victims condemned the commemoration when the plans emerged earlier this month.
Michelle Williamson, who lost both her parents in the explosion, wrote a personal letter to Begley's parents, asking them to call off the ceremony.
She told them she had "no problem in acknowledging your loss" but said the unveiling of the plaque to a bomber was "a sick and cruel insult to the memory of our loved ones".


Reclaiming screens may not be the most glamorous part of the screen printing process, but an efficient and effective process will save you time and money. Terry Keeven has over 16 years experience in the screen printing industry. In this article, published in Printwear Magazine, Terry gives his expert advice on how to reclaim screens and why it is an important task.


Whether it's an important meeting, an office party or simply staff lunch, Bowlers Restaurant can supply a buffet to suit your needs.
All our buffets are delivered free of charge within the Southampton area.
A selection of sandwiches on white and brown bread (1½ rounds per person), fresh fruit and a selection of soft drinks.
A selection of sandwiches and freshly baked baguettes, sausage rolls, vol-au-vents, fresh fruit, crisps and a selection of soft drinks.
Assorted cold meats, sandwiches, pasta salad, rice salad, potato salad, mixed salad, coleslaw, and fresh oven baked bread rolls.


text:
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	Version 0.1.1.

	On mobile devices, using `on-click` isn't good enough. Tapping the
	touchscreen will fire a simulated click event, but only after a 300
	millisecond delay, which makes your app feel sluggish. It also
	causes the tapped area to highlight, which in most cases looks a
	bit messy.

	Instead, use `on-tap`. When you tap an area, the simulated click
	event will be prevented, and the user's action is responded to
	instantly. The `on-tap` event also differs from `on-click` in that
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	Pointer events are also supported, as is pressing the spacebar when
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	is good for accessibility).

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	Troubleshooting: If you're using a module system in your app (AMD or
	something more nodey) then you may need to change the paths below,
	where it says `require( 'ractive' )` or `define([ 'ractive' ]...)`.

	==========================

	Usage: Include this file on your page below Ractive, e.g:

	Or, if you're using a module loader, require this module:

	    // requiring the plugin will 'activate' it - no need to use
	    // the return value
	    require( 'ractive-events-tap' );

	Add a tap event in the normal fashion:

tap me!

	Then add a handler:

	    ractive.on( 'foo', function ( event ) {
	      alert( 'tapped' );
	    });

*/

(function ( global, factory ) {

	'use strict';

	// Common JS (i.e. browserify) environment
	if ( typeof module !== 'undefined' && module.exports && typeof require === 'function' ) {
		factory( require( 'ractive' ) );
	}

	// AMD?
	else if ( typeof define === 'function' && define.amd ) {
		define([ 'ractive' ], factory );
	}

	// browser global
	else if ( global.Ractive ) {
		factory( global.Ractive );
	}

	else {
		throw new Error( 'Could not find Ractive! It must be loaded before the ractive-events-tap plugin' );
	}

}( typeof window !== 'undefined' ? window : this, function ( Ractive ) {

	'use strict';

	var tap = function ( node, fire ) {
		var mousedown, touchstart, focusHandler, distanceThreshold, timeThreshold;

		distanceThreshold = 5; // maximum pixels pointer can move before cancel
		timeThreshold = 400;   // maximum milliseconds between down and up before cancel

		mousedown = function ( event ) {
			var currentTarget, x, y, pointerId, up, move, cancel;

			if ( event.which !== undefined && event.which !== 1 ) {
				return;
			}

			x = event.clientX;
			y = event.clientY;
			currentTarget = this;
			// This will be null for mouse events.
			pointerId = event.pointerId;

			up = function ( event ) {
				if ( event.pointerId != pointerId ) {
					return;
				}

				fire({
					node: currentTarget,
					original: event
				});

				cancel();
			};

			move = function ( event ) {
				if ( event.pointerId != pointerId ) {
					return;
				}

				if ( ( Math.abs( event.clientX - x ) >= distanceThreshold ) || ( Math.abs( event.clientY - y ) >= distanceThreshold ) ) {
					cancel();
				}
			};

			cancel = function () {
				node.removeEventListener( 'MSPointerUp', up, false );
				document.removeEventListener( 'MSPointerMove', move, false );
				document.removeEventListener( 'MSPointerCancel', cancel, false );
				node.removeEventListener( 'pointerup', up, false );
				document.removeEventListener( 'pointermove', move, false );
				document.removeEventListener( 'pointercancel', cancel, false );
				node.removeEventListener( 'click', up, false );
				document.removeEventListener( 'mousemove', move, false );
			};

			if ( window.navigator.pointerEnabled ) {
				node.addEventListener( 'pointerup', up, false );
				document.addEventListener( 'pointermove', move, false );
				document.addEventListener( 'pointercancel', cancel, false );
			} else if ( window.navigator.msPointerEnabled ) {
				node.addEventListener( 'MSPointerUp', up, false );
				document.addEventListener( 'MSPointerMove', move, false );
				document.addEventListener( 'MSPointerCancel', cancel, false );
			} else {
				node.addEventListener( 'click', up, false );
				document.addEventListener( 'mousemove', move, false );
			}

			setTimeout( cancel, timeThreshold );
		};

		if ( window.navigator.pointerEnabled ) {
			node.addEventListener( 'pointerdown', mousedown, false );
		} else if ( window.navigator.msPointerEnabled ) {
			node.addEventListener( 'MSPointerDown', mousedown, false );
		} else {
			node.addEventListener( 'mousedown', mousedown, false );
		}

		touchstart = function ( event ) {
			var currentTarget, x, y, touch, finger, move, up, cancel;

			if ( event.touches.length !== 1 ) {
				return;
			}

			touch = event.touches[0];

			x = touch.clientX;
			y = touch.clientY;
			currentTarget = this;

			finger = touch.identifier;

			up = function ( event ) {
				var touch;

				touch = event.changedTouches[0];
				if ( touch.identifier !== finger ) {
					cancel();
				}

				event.preventDefault();  // prevent compatibility mouse event
				fire({
					node: currentTarget,
					original: event
				});

				cancel();
			};

			move = function ( event ) {
				var touch;

				if ( event.touches.length !== 1 || event.touches[0].identifier !== finger ) {
					cancel();
				}

				touch = event.touches[0];
				if ( ( Math.abs( touch.clientX - x ) >= distanceThreshold ) || ( Math.abs( touch.clientY - y ) >= distanceThreshold ) ) {
					cancel();
				}
			};

			cancel = function () {
				node.removeEventListener( 'touchend', up, false );
				window.removeEventListener( 'touchmove', move, false );
				window.removeEventListener( 'touchcancel', cancel, false );
			};

			node.addEventListener( 'touchend', up, false );
			window.addEventListener( 'touchmove', move, false );
			window.addEventListener( 'touchcancel', cancel, false );

			setTimeout( cancel, timeThreshold );
		};

		node.addEventListener( 'touchstart', touchstart, false );

		// native buttons, and <input type='button'> elements, should fire a tap event
		// when the space key is pressed
		if ( node.tagName === 'BUTTON' || node.type === 'button' ) {
			focusHandler = function () {
				var blurHandler, keydownHandler;

				keydownHandler = function ( event ) {
					if ( event.which === 32 ) { // space key
						fire({
							node: node,
							original: event
						});
					}
				};

				blurHandler = function () {
					node.removeEventListener( 'keydown', keydownHandler, false );
					node.removeEventListener( 'blur', blurHandler, false );
				};

				node.addEventListener( 'keydown', keydownHandler, false );
				node.addEventListener( 'blur', blurHandler, false );
			};

			node.addEventListener( 'focus', focusHandler, false );
		}

		return {
			teardown: function () {
				node.removeEventListener( 'pointerdown', mousedown, false );
				node.removeEventListener( 'MSPointerDown', mousedown, false );
				node.removeEventListener( 'mousedown', mousedown, false );
				node.removeEventListener( 'touchstart', touchstart, false );
				node.removeEventListener( 'focus', focusHandler, false );
			}
		};
	};

	Ractive.events.tap = tap;

}));

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Yesterday was the first day of what's going to be a new MMG (More Meaningful Gifts -- a BNR group started up by the lovely Dorana) tradition -- The Sneak Attack!
Most of us already know about the official Sneak Attack organized by The Handmade Movement, but this sneak attack is just for MMG'ers. If you're on the list by 9AM Eastern time on the day of the attack, you're put into a random drawing to be the 'victim' shop.
Last night's shop was Tsurfer, a lovely lady with lots of fun, creative pieces like these zipper pouches and purse organizers.
The next attack will be held next Wednesday, 12 Nov., at 9PM. Make sure to tune in and buy onto the list by 9AM to participate!


Hi. My name is Sean, and I'm a mass media addict.
I guess it started with taping movies off of cable. Having secured a film on the permanent archival format of a Beta cassette, I felt that I couldn't let it slip out of my clutches. After all, now I could watch it again whenever I pleased! Media was finally at my convenience instead of at the whim of broadcasters! The collection of tapes grew quickly, and some I never did get around to watching even once. What mattered was that I could have.
Actually, it may have started before then, with comic books. On my mom's side, I'm the youngest of my cousins. I don't recommend being last in a generation, by the way; it's the nuisance position. Even the kids table doesn't want you. What I did get was everybody's cast-offs, which for the purposes of this essay means comic books.
Comics from my kin accumulated at my grandma's house, and when I tired of exploring the old hay barn and chicken coop I'd curl up with the stack of leftover comics. They were mostly from the Harvey line: Richie Rich, Casper, Little Lotta, and the rare Lil' Devil which I loved most of all. Few of these had covers, and many were missing pages. I'm sure this helped fuel my desire to possess my own things.
Whatever the cause, the effect is that one room of our house is dedicated to the hoard. Somewhat hopefully, I call this room the library. There's a pile of boxes in the center of the library, and I no longer recall what they contain. I can't even get to them to find out; the rest of the floor is adrift in stacks of books that have been catalogued but await shelving. The walls are concealed behind boxes of DVDs. There's a treacherous path that leads about three feet into the unstable mass of media. The door to this room cannot close.
So, yeah. I have a media addiction. At least I admit it, right? And I've already made strides in resolving to pare down the collection. The problem is that my compulsions keep interfering. First they demanded that I write a custom application to track media. Then I could enter everything, discover duplicates (hopefully only due to bundled packages…), track which I've read/watched/consumed, and mark which I've given away.
For months I picked away at this program. I'd make good progress and then get lost in other projects again. When I'd return to coding the damn thing, I'd inevitably discover that nothing worked anymore because some third-party library had been updated. The next week would be lost to cursing and bug-fixing, I'd add one more feature, and then I'd get lost in something else again.
After nearly a year of this, I realized that this process had gotten in the way of actual progress. I chucked the application and started transferring DVDs into binders. This went well until I finished with all the titles starting with 'C', at which point other projects captured my attention.
The biggest problem I have with the books is that there are a lot I don't know if I'd read again because I've not read them in the first place. Currently there are just under a thousand unread books in the library, according to what I've entered at LibraryThing. This is only that low because I decided that I'd never read dozens of the books I've already donated.
Actually, that's merely a big problem. The biggest problem is that I continue to bring new books into the house. I've slowed the pace considerably, mind you. On average I'm only buying 3-4 books and 1-2 movies a week. I'd like to turn that into an average for a month, but it's better than when it was a daily average.
Netflix instant and the availability of ebooks is helping to some extent, as I can enjoy books and movies without bringing new material into the house. Ultimately, what I think will help more is that I'm growing more interested in doing things and creating. I'm writing more, thanks to this blog, and for the first time in years I'm working on a short story. I've written another comic and have plans do more. The musical dry spell is over, and I'm working on a holiday EP.
I don't have time to consume media, because I'm too busy creating it. It's starting to sink in. All of these things that fired my imagination threaten now to snuff out the expression of it. If it comes to a choice between making and having, I'll choose making.
This entry was posted in Life as a Zombie and tagged addiction, books, clutter, hoarding, movies, personal, shopping by retrozombi. Bookmark the permalink.
A sad tale, but one that is all too common. I, personally, am avoiding looking over my shoulder at the piles of media, like a lone traveler down a dark road, certain there is something terrible behind him.
Try whistling. Keeps the ghosts away, but it doesn't do squat to save you from the falling stacks of media.
In your defense, my friend – it's a small room!
I'm not sure if it's my natural cheapness, or the benefit of working in a library (it's very, very easy for me to borrow most books, mainstream films and some music) but I've avoided this fate. I think frequent moves helped up to this point as well, but I've enough family members that struggle with this kind of stuff that I'm glad you're making some kind of progress.
The irony is that part of the cause was the desire to be able to reread a book whenever I wanted, but now I have trouble reading them even once!


How do car insurance companies calculate total loss value?
How do car insurance companies calculate value in a total loss accident?
Auto insurance provides coverage to drivers for all kinds of car mishaps, from fender bender repairs to a car that is completely totaled. Right after an accident, stress levels are high, a long list of tasks awaits, and the inconvenience of being without a car only adds to the misery. This is further compounded when injuries or other financial demands caused by the accident are present. Understanding car insurance companies' formula for totaling a vehicle can shed insight for accident victims, helping them stay involved in the process. This can help relieve a certain amount of stress, in addition to letting the insured prepare for, and have a say in the final determination that comes from the insurance company.
Many people used the word "totaled" to describe a car after an accident. In reality, the word can mean many things, but is not always used as it should be when discussing a damaged vehicle. A simple definition is a situation where the entire car is worth less than the cost to repair all of its damage. Certain types of damage hurt the overall structural integrity of a vehicle, and could make it dangerous to drive, even if it looks fine.
The full extent of damage can only be determined by thoroughly examining the car. A vehicle may appear to be fine on the outside, and yet the engine may have sustained extensive damage. Conversely, the car may have body damage and be perfectly fine underneath the hood. Insurance companies consider damage to both the body and engine when making a determination about the cost to repair the car. Damage to the engine carries more weight, though, since it costs more to repair than the car body. Additionally, the car may have sustained major damage to its frame and cannot be repaired back to a safe condition.
Having some involvement in the determination of the car's value is helpful, and even though an insurer might carry on with the process as if the evaluation is strictly up to them, the insured has the right to hire a mechanic or use one who works with the insurance company to review the car as well.
The insurance company will send an insurance adjuster to look at the vehicle, and review the mechanic's report. The insured can use a mechanic they are comfortable with and, if not comfortable with the assessments from the adjuster or mechanic, may ask for another mechanic to look at the vehicle. The insured may need to be their own advocate and do all they can to get the most for their car, since insurance companies are simply making a business decision, and will do whatever keeps costs the lowest for them.
The first number the insurance company starts with is the cash value for the car. This value is determined by figuring out how much the car would have sold for on the open market at the time of the damage or accident. This value determination considers the car's upkeep, mileage, age, condition of the exterior and interior, any pre-existing damage, and finally, damage from the accident itself. The insurance company will often give the insured the value listed in the blue book. This will not account for a car that had lower mileage, was in better-than-average condition or had additional equipment or options installed.
The best way to prove the value of a vehicle is to keep all receipts and records for work that was performed on the car. From small things like oil changes to larger expenses such a new transmission, records of the work done will help support the car's real value. Another way to prove a car has more value is to find other closely comparable cars that have recently sold, using their sales prices as a benchmark for the value of the insured's car. With out proof otherwise, the insurance company will go with the value that is easily supportable, which may not be correct. It is up to the insured to prove why the car's value should be something different. Additionally, the person should have the adjuster walk them through the total loss worksheet details, so all of the calculations, including the subtraction of the deductible, have been made clear.
After the insurance company determines the cash value, it will determine the total damage based on the information provided by the insurance adjuster and the mechanic. Each insurance company uses its own process for determining the cutoff between repairing or replacing the vehicle. The percentage generally used among insurers is 70 to 75%, meaning any repair costs that would total more than 70-75% of the car's value will cause the vehicle to receive a determination to be totaled. However, some insurers may also go as low as 50% damage or as high as 80% before totaling a car.
Once the final determination is made to total the car, the insurance company will provide the insured with a check for the car's value. The money can be used to purchase a new vehicle, or in any other way the insured sees fit. The totaled car goes to a salvage yard where it is sold, with the proceeds going to the insurance company. If the insured wants to keep the vehicle, the option needs to be discussed with the claim adjuster early on in the car's evaluation process. Once it goes to auction, the owner may have a difficult time trying to buy it from the auction house. On the flip side, keeping a car after it has been "totaled" by the insurance company means a potentially large project of repairing the car. Additionally, the car will have a salvage title, which shows on its carfax report and dramatically decreases its market value even if fully repaired.


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text:
San Antonio woman saw parents in near-death experience
Linda Fair believes she knows what happens after you die. "I died and it was amazing. I got to see my mom, my dad (who had died) and my husband's dad that had been dead for like 35 years!"
November 19, 2012 Reported at [woai.com]. San Antonio Woman Talks About Near-Death Experience. Linda Fair believes she knows what happens after you die. "I died and it was amazing. I got to see my mom, my dad (who had died) and my husband's dad that had been dead for like 35 years!"
Fair happened to mention that Near-Death Experience when I was asking about all the good work she's done helping children and the elderly. I was there to shoot a story on her winning a Jefferson Award for Public Service. She won it for making and collecting thousands of blankets, pillows, caps and socks for children at University Hospital and for people in several area nursing homes.
But I found out that all of that started shortly after that brush with death she had while coming out of a routine surgery ten years ago. "I remember going over the nurses station," Fair says. As for what she saw "it was a green beautiful field with a mountain and all these people. They came to me and they told me it wasn't my time. I had to go back." "I always believed in God and knew that we would be taken care of. I just didn't know the details of it. But now I got to see the details and I think that's one of the things I'm supposed to tell people is that there is hope."
Fair says her dead parents and the long dead father-in-law she had never met told her she had work to do. "They were just enjoying... I'm not goning to say being alive because I don't know what state that was. lt was enjoying the life they had, but of the fulfillment, cause everybody was whole again."
I ask whether it felt like she was in heaven. "Yes it did, because it was such a glorious easy feeling. It wasn't like you were flying. the things you hear about the hallways or whatever, not like that at all. It was energy. I was encouragement. You could tell everybody was together. Somebody had to mow that hill. The grass was beautiful on the hill. There was flowers. And they took me over the hill and told me I had work to do. I had to go back."
I ask whether she saw a tunnel or a light, as some describe in near-death experiences. "That's what people ask and no. It was just beauty and serenity. And I was not afraid to stay there or come back. I wasn't afraid either way."
She also said those who have died are somehow watching us. "My father-in-law, I always felt so sad because he was such an amazing man. (He) never got to see his grandkids. But he showed me this book. You know how cartoons, they go flip, flip, flip. He's been with us... enjoying."
"And he told me he wanted to be called Pappy. And when I came to I told my husband and his mother just how he looked. And that's what they called him was Pappy, and I had no idea. And my dad had been dead for like ten years, his book wasn't as big. But he showed me what he had been watching. My mother didn't have a book. She had only been dead a month."
Fair says her near-death experience helped the family when just a few months later her grandson was seriously injured. He was left in a wheelchair and nearly blind. "And I really think there was a purpose to (the near-death experience) because when all of this happened with him I told my son and daughter-in-law there is nothing. And if I can tell everybody in the world one thing, there's nothing to ever be afraid about.
People are so afraid of this or that. Small potatoes, don't worry about it."
Linda continues her work helping children and the elderly. Before Christmas, she's taking more than a thousand blankets for children to University Hospital.


text:
Renault ZOE Wins 2015 ZENN Monte-Carlo Rally
Winner of the 2014 ZENN Monte-Carlo Rally, the Renault ZOE, has done it again, finishing first in the overall standings at the 2015 ZENN Monte-Carlo Rally.
The five-door electric supermini dominated the prestigious international competition, with four ZOE's coming first, second, third and fourth in the overall standings, as well as five coming in the top 5 consumption standings.
The sixth ZENN Monte-Carlo Rally (ZENN is short for zero emissions, zero noise), played host to electric cars with a range lower than 250km. The drivers competed in both timed and regularity events, with the cars making their ways around the snake-like crowds of Saint-Agnes, Breil-sur-Roya and Col de la Madone. The race began and ended at the Port of Monaco, with eight racing zones completed in total.
Renault had four teams representing them at the coveted event, among them a blogger car. After the two-day race had ended in the principality of Monaco, Renault's five ZOEs scooped first, second, third, fourth and seventh place, whilst an individual team competing in an individual initiative came fourth. Renault had nothing but praise for the individual team, saying they were only too glad that their electric supermini was able to bring them success at the ZENN Rally.
The Renault ZOE has become known for its state-of-the-art design, with 98% of its customers praising this particular aspect. Other attributes it has been lauded for include best-in-class range, performance, driving pleasure and cutting edge technologies. Backed by a host of victories at the 2015 ZENN Monte-Carlo Rally, the Renault ZOE is once again in the limelight and has to go down as one of the world's most in demand electric cars.
The Renault ZOE has sold almost 22,000 units, with sales doubling in Europe in 2014. A brand new engine is expected to be fitted by summer 2015.
Will Titterington
Writer at OSV Ltd
Will Titterington is a freelance writer, video editor and all-round content creator based in Manchester, UK.
He believes that words can take on a transformative aspect and wants to help people make better decisions today.
His influences as a writer include Hunter S Thompson and Jack Kerouac, while among his interests outside writing are music, art, foreign films and football.
He'd one day like to own a Tesla, and still holds a candle for the Ford Capri.
Latest posts by Will Titterington (see all)
How Reliable are DS Cars? An Honest Assessment of the DS Brand - 10th August 2018
Ford Focus Electric vs Nissan Leaf vs Volkswagen e-Golf: Review & Comparisons - 17th April 2018
Review of the BMW i3 Rex - 16th April 2018


My 1st years contacted me at the end of last year to review an item from their 'Winter Warmers' range. I was really stuck for choice as all their items are fantastic, we have Christmas baubles by them and so I knew any product would be of a high quality.
I eventually chose the Teddy Cardi. I could choose either a blue or pink cardi, I went for pink. Text personalisation in fuscia pink, baby pink, royal blue, baby blue, red, white or yellow and I could even choose the font from a selection of two. Of course if you don;t want personalisation then you don't have to but it is free with all orders.
The Teddy Cardi arrived in a beautiful luxury gift box, which is standard. This gift box is perfect if the item is a gift.
The Cardi itself was beautifully folded inside.
The Cardi is super soft and cuddly. The lining is 100% organic cotton and beautiful. My daughter is so cuddly in this coat. I really like the cuffs that fit nicely to her wrist, which provide extra warmth. The cardi is really soft and fluffy to touch and the personalisation is really clear. It is a great coat for her to wear not only through Winter but also as a Spring coat.
This really is a lovely winter warmer coat and an absolute bargain at £19. This would make a beautiful gift for any child and really is made with love.
She looks proper boss in that Cardi.