text:
Promotions Cloud
Audience Cloud
Why Quotient
Coupons.com Incorporated Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2014 Financial Results
Company Delivers 32% Revenue Growth in 2014 Over 2013
Demonstrates Significant Operating Leverage in 2014
Announces Stock Repurchase Plan
Steve Horowitz to Join Board of Directors
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Coupons.com Incorporated (NYSE: COUP), a leader in digital coupons, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2014.
2014 Financial Highlights
• Total revenue for 2014 increased 32% to $221.8 million, compared to $167.9 million in 2013.
• Total digital coupon transactions in 2014 increased to 1.6 billion, up 23% from 2013.
• Adjusted EBITDA for 2014 increased to $24.0 million compared to $1.7 million in 2013.
• GAAP net loss for 2014 was $23.4 million, which included $35.5 million in stock-based compensation expense. GAAP net loss in 2013 was $11.2 million, which included $5.2 million in stock-based compensation expense.
• Cash generated from operations was $11.5 million in 2014 compared with cash used in operations of $14.2 million in 2013.
"2014 marked a very successful year, delivering on several key milestones and laying the foundation for continued growth," said Steven Boal , President and CEO of Coupons.com Incorporated. "We delivered 32% revenue growth over last year, with solid momentum in all areas of our business. Our Retailer iQ platform is performing well, demonstrating scale in transaction volumes, consumer adoption, and mobile usage. As we enter 2015, we're excited about the business and our position as a leader in the transformational shift from offline to digital. We believe our focus on data analytics, scaling our network, and mobile engagement will continue to drive our business as we digitally connect retailers, brands and shoppers.
"I'm also very pleased to announce that Steve Horowitz , Vice President of Engineering at Snapchat, and former CTO at Coupons.com will be joining our board of directors in June, 2015. Steve brings a wealth of leadership and mobile expertise, and we look forward to welcoming him back."
Fourth Quarter Financial Results
Total revenue for the fourth quarter 2014 was $60.0 million, compared to $52.6 million for the comparable period in 2013. GAAP net loss for the fourth quarter 2014 was $1.7 million, which included $7.8 million in stock-based compensation expense. For comparison, GAAP net income for the fourth quarter 2013 was $1.5 million, which included $1.6 million in stock-based compensation. Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter 2014 was $8.3 million, compared with $5.3 million for the fourth quarter 2013.
"We are very pleased with our performance for the year, although, Q4 was slightly impacted by promotions revenue when a few large CPGs did not repeat December holiday campaigns they ran in 2013. However, we continued to see significant operating leverage improvement in the fourth quarter, demonstrating strength in the model," said Mir Aamir , CFO and COO of Coupons.com. "We are excited about the many benefits our Retailer iQ platform brings and, for 2015, anticipate a faster growth rate in the second half of 2015 as scale in Retailer iQ continues to build."
"We also are announcing that the board of directors has approved a stock repurchase program which we believe underscores our long term growth prospects and demonstrates our continued commitment to maximizing shareholder value."
2014 Business Highlights
Momentum in our digital coupon platform, the Coupons.com Retailer iQ™ Platform. Last year we launched Retailer iQ, our mobile-first digital coupon platform that enables retailers to engage shoppers in a personalized and targeted way using shopper and behavioral data. As retailers go live on the platform and, more importantly, begin marketing the program to their customers, the platform begins to scale. Shopper adoption rates continued to increase in the fourth quarter, with digital transactions from Retailer iQ increasing 86% from the prior quarter. Retailers live on the platform are also seeing benefits from their digital engagement efforts such as basket size increases from those shoppers using Retailer iQ as compared with shoppers that are not engaged on the platform. With our nine announced retail partners, we will serve a total of 18 retail brand names, with distribution reach into approximately $200 billion of total sales in the U.S.
Focus on mobile initiatives. Retailer iQ continued to drive consumer engagement on mobile devices. Over 70% of the Retailer iQ platform usage is via mobile. Other mobile initiatives in 2014 included our partnership with Samsung, the launch of Card Linked Offers, and additional enhancements to our popular Coupons.com app.
Media business grows 64% in 2014. CPGs and other brand marketers have embraced the strategic value of running integrated campaigns across our large network of publishers. As shopper data increases from Retailer iQ, the opportunity to serve more targeted web and mobile ads on retailer properties and across our publishing network also increases.
Continuing to scale the network. New products provide added benefits to our CPGs and retailer partners, and enhance the consumer experience. We recently launched our CPG targeting solution using data analytics from Retailer iQ. CPGs and retailers can now use our platform to reach specific shoppers and segments, providing targeted digital offers to the right consumer at the right moment. Also, in 2014, we added a proprietary and personalized digital-circular product, connected to Retailer iQ, to help retailers shift their static paper circulars to digital delivery. Our digital circular will enable retailers to offer shoppers relevant, targeted promotions based on their shopping behaviors and purchase data.
As of today, Coupons.com is providing its outlook for the first quarter and full year 2015.
For the first quarter 2015, total revenue is expected to be in the range of $52.0 million to $54.0 million. Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be in the range of $1.0 million to $3.0 million.
For the full year 2015, total revenue is expected to be in the range of $275.0 million to $290.0 million. We anticipate a stronger growth rate in the back half of 2015 as compared to the first six months of 2015 due to the anticipated Retailer iQ volume ramp. Adjusted EBITDA for the full year 2015 is expected to be in the range of $40.0 million to $50.0 million, reflecting significant margin expansion over last year.
Coupons.com Announces Stock Repurchase Plan
On February 5, 2015, the board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to $50.0 million of the Company's common stock from time to time in open market or in privately negotiated transactions. The timing and the amount of any repurchases of common stock will be determined based on a variety of factors.
As of December 31, 2014, Coupons.com had $201.1 million in cash and cash equivalents and generated $11.5 million in cash from operations in the year.
Company Appoints New Member to Board of Directors
As announced in a separate press release today, Coupons.com announced that it has appointed Steve Horowitz , Vice President of Engineering at Snapchat, Inc. and former Chief Technology Officer at Coupons.com, to its board of directors effective in June 2015.
Prior to joining Snapchat in January 2015, Mr. Horowitz led global software engineering as the Senior Vice President of Software Engineering at Motorola Mobility, where he was responsible for Motorola's software strategy and products. Prior to joiningCoupons.com in 2009, Mr. Horowitz ran the Android development team at Google. He has also held key leadership roles at Microsoft and Apple.
Coupons.com President and CEO Steven Boal , and CFO and COO Mir Aamir will host a conference call and live webcast to discuss the Company's financial results and business outlook today at 5:00 p.m. EST / 2:00 p.m. PST. Questions that investors would like to see asked during the call should be sent to [email protected].
To access the call, please dial (877) 201-0168, or outside the U.S. (647) 788-4901, with Conference ID# 66250146 at least five minutes prior to the 2:00 p.m. PST start time. The live webcast will be available at http://investors.couponsinc.com under the Events and Presentations menu. A replay of the webcast will be available on the website following the conference call.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Coupons.com has presented Adjusted EBITDA in this press release because it is a key measure used by its management and board of directors to understand and evaluate its core operating performance and trends, to prepare and approve its annual budget, to develop short and long-term operational plans, and to determine bonus payouts. In particular, the Company believes that the exclusion of the expenses eliminated in calculating Adjusted EBITDA can provide a useful measure for period-to-period comparisons of its core business. Additionally, Adjusted EBITDA is a key financial measure used by the compensation committee of the board of directors in connection with the determination of compensation for its executive officers. Accordingly, Coupons.com believes that Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating the Company's operating results in the same manner as its management and board of directors. Coupons.com defines Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) adjusted for interest expense, other income (expense) – net, provision for income taxes, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, and the change in fair value of contingent consideration.
Coupons.com's use of Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Company's financial results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are:
• Although depreciation and amortization are non-cash expenses, the assets being depreciated and amortized may have to be replaced in the future, and Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect capital expenditure requirements for such replacements or for new capital expenditure requirements;
• Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect: (i) changes in, or cash requirements for, working capital needs; (ii) the potentially dilutive impact of stock-based compensation; (iii) the changes in fair value of contingent consideration; or (iv) tax payments that may represent a reduction in cash available to Coupons.com; and other companies, including companies in its industry, may calculate Adjusted EBITDA or similarly titled measures differently, which reduces its usefulness as a comparative measure.
These non-GAAP financial measures are not intended to be considered in isolation from, as substitutes for, or as superior to, the corresponding financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Because of these and other limitations, Adjusted EBITDA should be considered along with other GAAP-based financial performance measures, including various cash flow metrics, net income (loss), and the Company's other GAAP financial results.
For a reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the nearest comparable GAAP financial measures, see "Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss) to Adjusted EBITDA" included in this press release.
This release contains forward-looking statements based largely on Coupons.com's current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends affecting its business. Forward looking statements in this release include Coupons.com's current expectations with respect to revenues and Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter of 2015 and for the full year 2015, the Company's expectations for the continued accelerating shift to the Coupons.com Retailer iQ digital platform, Coupons.com's expectations regarding implementing the Coupons.com Retailer iQ platform with other retailer partners, Coupons.com's expectations regarding digital coupon and mobile growth, and increased operating leverage, the Company's expectations regarding the benefits of a stock repurchase program, and Coupons.com's expectations regarding future growth. Forward-looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available to Coupons.com'smanagement at the date of this release and its management's good faith belief as of such date with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to,Coupons.com's financial performance, including its revenues, margins, costs, expenditures, growth rates and operating expenses, and its ability to generate positive cash flow and become profitable; the amount and timing of digital promotions by CPGs, which are affected by budget cycles, economic conditions and other factors; the Company's ability to adapt to changing market conditions; the Company's ability to retain and expand its business with existing CPGs and retailers; the Company's ability to maintain and expand the use by consumers of digital promotions on its platforms; the Company's ability to attract and retain third-party advertising agencies, performance marketing networks and other intermediaries; the Company's ability to effectively manage its growth; the effects of increased competition in the Company's markets and its ability to compete effectively; the Company's ability to effectively grow and train its sales team; the Company's ability to obtain new CPGs and retailers and to do so efficiently; the Company's ability to maintain, protect and enhance its brand and intellectual property; costs associated with defending intellectual property infringement and other claims; the Company's ability to successfully enter new markets; the Company's ability to develop and launch new services and features; the Company's ability to attract and retain qualified employees and key personnel; the Company's ability to successfully integrate acquired companies into its business and other factors identified in Coupons.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including its quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 6, 2014. Additional information will also be set forth in Coupons.com's future quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, annual reports on Form 10-K and other filings that the Company makes with the SEC. Coupons.com disclaims any obligation to update information contained in these forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
About Coupons.com Incorporated
Coupons.com Incorporated (NYSE: COUP) is a leading digital promotion and media platform that connects brands, retailers and consumers. We distribute digital coupons and media through a variety of products, including: digital printable coupons, digital paperless coupons, coupon codes, and card linked offers. We operate Coupons.com Retailer iQ™, a mobile-first, real-time digital coupon platform that connects directly into a retailer's point-of-sale system and provides targeting and analytics for manufacturers and retailers. We also power digital coupon initiatives in online marketing campaigns — including display and video advertising. Our distribution network includes our flagship site, Coupons.com, approximately 30,000 third-party publishers, as well as our mobile applications, Coupons.com and Grocery iQ®, and those of our many partners. Clients include hundreds of consumer packaged goods companies, such as Clorox, Procter & Gamble, General Mills and Kellogg's, as well as top retailers like CVS, H-E-B, Kroger, Safeway, Dollar General and Walgreens. Founded in 1998, Coupons.com is based in Mountain View, Calif., and is bringing the multi-billion dollar promotions industry into the digital world. Investors interested in learning more about the Company can visit http://www.couponsinc.com and follow us on Twitter at @couponsinc.
COUPONS.COM INCORPORATED
(Unaudited, in thousands, except per share data)
December 31, Year Ended
Revenues $60,001 $52,597 $221,761 $167,892
Cost of revenues (1) 21,722 14,235 86,186 52,080
Sales and marketing (1) 22,686 18,219 78,865 61,793
Research and development (1) 10,984 9,979 49,583 40,102
General and administrative (1) 8,085 8,320 33,392 24,232
Change in fair value of contingent consideration (2,935) — (5,741) —
Total costs and expenses 60,542 50,753 242,285 178,207
Income (loss) from operations (541) 1,844 (20,524) (10,315)
Interest expense (79) (307) (922) (953)
Other income (expense), net 16 (15) (72) 19
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes (604) 1,522 (21,518) (11,249)
Provision for income taxes 1,119 — 1,926 —
Net income (loss) $ (1,723) $ 1,522 $ (23,444) $ (11,249)
Less: net income attributable to participating stockholders — 1,522 — —
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders $ (1,723) $ — $ (23,444) $ (11,249)
Net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and
diluted $ (0.02) $ — $ (0.35) $ (0.57)
Weighted-average shares used in per common share calculation, basic and
diluted 80,543 20,899 67,828 19,626
(1) The stock-based compensation expense included above was as follows:
Cost of revenues $ 492 $ 48 $ 3,086 $ 300
Sales and marketing 2,565 484 9,464 1,492
Research and development 2,119 217 11,536 1,015
General and administrative 2,607 878 11,424 2,374
Total stock-based compensation $ 7,783 $ 1,627 $ 35,510 $ 5,181
RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME (LOSS) TO ADJUSTED EBITDA AND TRANSACTION DATA
(Unaudited, in thousands)
Adjustments:
Interest expense 79 307 922 953
Other income (expense), net (16) 15 72 (19)
Depreciation and amortization 3,959 1,796 14,737 6,859
Stock-based compensation 7,783 1,627 35,510 5,181
Total adjustments $ 9,989 $ 3,745 $ 47,426 $ 12,974
Adjusted EBITDA $ 8,266 $ 5,267 $ 23,982 $ 1,725
Transactions (2) 376,512 371,795 1,608,082 1,311,973
(2) A transaction is the distribution of a digital coupon through Coupons.com's platform that generates revenues. The Company presents transactions as it believes that its ability to increase the number of transactions using its platform is an important indicator of its ability to grow revenues.
Cash and cash equivalents $ 201,075 $ 38,972
Accounts receivable, net 51,061 42,185
Prefunded coupons cash deposits 740 920
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 3,429 3,100
Total current assets 256,305 85,177
Property and equipment, net 25,399 29,942
Intangible assets, net 11,818 1,813
Goodwill 29,277 9,887
Deferred tax assets — 195
Other assets 9,008 7,222
Total assets $ 331,807 $ 134,236
Liabilities, Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit)
Accounts payable $ 6,358 $ 5,589
Accrued compensation and benefits 14,861 13,721
Other current liabilities 15,790 13,699
Prefunded coupons cash obligations 740 920
Deferred revenues 6,219 6,751
Debt obligations 7,500 7,500
Debt obligations, related party — 15,577
Other non-current liabilities 89 1,046
Deferred rent 738 1,222
Deferred tax liabilities 2,624 195
Total liabilities 54,919 66,220
Redeemable convertible preferred stock — 270,262
Preferred stock — —
Common stock 1 —
Additional paid-in capital 531,018 28,403
Treasury stock, at cost (61,935) (61,935)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (1) 37
Accumulated deficit (192,195) (168,751)
Total stockholders' equity (deficit) 276,888 (202,246)
Total liabilities, redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders' equity (deficit) $ 331,807 $ 134,236
Net loss $ (23,444) $ (11,249)
Depreciation and amortization 14,737 6,859
Stock-based compensation 35,510 5,181
Accretion of debt discount 173 228
Amortization of debt issuance cost 77 19
Loss on disposal of property and equipment 9 1
Provision for doubtful accounts 136 155
Deferred income taxes 1,926 —
Change in fair value of contingent consideration (5,741) —
Accounts receivable (8,863) (13,129)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets (4,086) (3,780)
Accounts payable and other current liabilities 1,152 (790)
Accrued compensation and benefits 1,104 2,402
Deferred revenues (490) (680)
Other (742) 625
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 11,458 (14,158)
Purchases of property and equipment (9,580) (14,474)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired (13,341) —
Purchases of intangible assets (111) (11)
Net cash used in investing activities (23,032) (14,485)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock 10,585 3,661
Proceeds from initial public offering, net of offering costs 176,525 —
Exercise of warrant 1,610 498
Net borrowings under revolving line of credit — 7,500
Repayment of debt obligations, related party (15,000) —
Principal payments on capital lease obligations (58) (40)
Payment of deferred offering costs — (2,220)
Other — (177)
Net cash provided by financing activities 173,662 9,222
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents 15 (2)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 162,103 (19,423)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 38,972 58,395
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 201,075 $ 38,972
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The complex is located at 2411 Echols Drive on the Howard College campus. Counties involved with the conference and its accompanying trade show include Howard, Martin, Midland, Glasscock, Upton and Reagan.
Individual preregistration is $15 by Feb. 26 and $25 thereafter. The fee includes the noon meal.
To RSVP, contact the AgriLife Extension office in Howard County at 432-264-2236.
Five Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units will be available, pending approval.
– Variety and Seeding Rate Trials, Dr. David Drake, AgriLife Extension agronomist, San Angelo.
– Cotton Integrated Pest Management and Sugarcane Aphid Updates, Dr. Charles Allen, AgriLife Extension state integrated pest management coordinator, San Angelo.
– Cottonseed Oil and Crop Insurance Updates, Shawn Wade, Plains Cotton Growers Inc., director of policy analysis and research, Lubbock.
– Weed Resistance and New Technologies, Dr. Gaylon Morgan, AgriLife Extension state cotton specialist, College Station.
– Cover Crops, Dr. Calvin Trostle, AgriLife Extension agronomist, Lubbock.
– Texas Department of Agriculture Laws and Regulations, Cory Pence, Texas Department of Agriculture inspector, San Angelo.
For more information, contact any of the following AgriLife Extension offices: Howard County, 432-264-2236; Martin County, 432-756-3316; Upton County, 432-693-2313, Glasscock County, 432-354-2381; and Reagan County, 325-884-2335.


Good bagels are in short supply out here in America.
Defining a good bagel is like defining good pizza. I know what it is but if you don't know what it is, I probably can't tell you.
But if I have to codify what makes a good bagel, there are a few social, physical and chemical traits which I am sure of.
A good bagel shop is never a chain. But it might be sometimes as long as the chain does not span more than 2 counties. The defining characteristic is in the man or woman who works in the back. Ideally you want that person to be the owner-operator of the single location. This applies to pizza as well. You respect them for the simple reason that they wake up earlier than you go to sleep and they perspire over boiling water and hot ovens before the sun rises.
Bagels must be cut by hand, not in a slicing machine.
Good bagel shops spend a minimum on decoration.
You might squeeze a second day from a dozen bagels, but it is a sad result every time.
The hole has to be large enough to fit a finger through. Without that you get improper heating during cooking.
Hard on the outside, soft on the inside. Never flaky. Very few crumbs when you are done, not counting any toppings that might be baked on.
We can argue about appropriate varieties, but tomato, tomazzo(?), asiago cheese, and any fruit beyond raisins are heresy.
Good bagels are made with northern flour. You probably never thought of this. Flour in your bread is not made in some far away land and brought to you in rail cars. Flour is local and therefore influenced by local climate. There are flour mills in almost every state. The fees for shipping unmilled wheat are high, so the wheat needs to be grown close to the mill.
In a New York bagel shop, the flour is coming from NY or Pennsylvania.
Northern wheat, because of the climate, has higher levels of gluten than southern wheat. Gluten is a naturally occurring protein that forms long strands in baked goods. The longer the strands, the tougher and chewier the bread. Biscuits are flaky and soft because cooks use generous amounts of shortening to prevent the formation of long gluten strands. Shortening gets its name because it shortens the gluten strands.


text:
package com.ebayopensource.webrex.resource.web;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.OutputStream;
import java.io.PrintWriter;

import javax.servlet.ServletConfig;
import javax.servlet.ServletException;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;

import com.ebayopensource.webrex.resource.cache.ResourceCacheManager;
import com.ebayopensource.webrex.resource.impl.DefaultResourceHandler.ContentCacheValue;

public class ResourceServlet extends HttpServlet {
	private static final long serialVersionUID = 2183896746339469780L;

	private static final int DEFAULT_MAX_AGE = 3600;

	private static final String MAX_AGE = "Max-Age";

	private int maxAge = DEFAULT_MAX_AGE;

	public void init(ServletConfig config) throws ServletException {
		super.init(config);

		String paramMaxAge = config.getInitParameter("max_age");
		if (paramMaxAge != null) {
			maxAge = Integer.parseInt(paramMaxAge);
		}
	}

	protected long getLastModified(HttpServletRequest req) {
		ContentCacheValue cacheValue = getCacheValue(req);
		return cacheValue != null ? cacheValue.getLastModified() : -1;
	}

	protected ContentCacheValue getCacheValue(HttpServletRequest req) {
		ContentCacheValue cacheValue = (ContentCacheValue) req
				.getAttribute("_resource_content_cache_value_");
		if (cacheValue == null) {
			String requestURI = req.getRequestURI();
			String checkSum = parseCheckSum(requestURI);
			if (checkSum != null) {
				cacheValue = (ContentCacheValue) ResourceCacheManager
						.getGlobalCache(checkSum);
				if (cacheValue != null) {
					req.setAttribute("_resource_content_cache_value_",
							cacheValue);
				}
			}
		}
		return cacheValue;
	}

	@Override
	protected void doGet(HttpServletRequest req, HttpServletResponse resp)
			throws ServletException, IOException {
		// System.out.println("Resource Servlet serving: " +
		// req.getRequestURI());
		ContentCacheValue cache = getCacheValue(req);
		if (cache != null) {
			String mimeType = cache.getContentType();
			resp.setContentType(mimeType);
			Object content = cache.getContent();

			if (maxAge > 0) {
				resp.setHeader("Cache-Control", "max-age=" + maxAge);
			}

			if (content instanceof String) {
				PrintWriter writer = resp.getWriter();
				writer.write((String) content);
				resp.flushBuffer();
			} else if (content instanceof byte[]) {
			   OutputStream out = resp.getOutputStream();
				byte[] byteContent = (byte[]) content;
				resp.setContentLength(byteContent.length);
				out.write(byteContent);
				out.flush();
				resp.flushBuffer();
			}

		}
	}

	@Override
	protected void doPost(HttpServletRequest req, HttpServletResponse resp)
			throws ServletException, IOException {
		doGet(req, resp);
	}

	private String parseCheckSum(String requestURI) {
		int index = requestURI.lastIndexOf('/');
		int indexPoint = requestURI.lastIndexOf('.');
		if (index >= 0 && indexPoint > index) {
			return requestURI.substring(index + 1, indexPoint);
		}
		return null;
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Discussion in 'Outdoor Tropicals' started by Dajefliv13, Jul 8, 2018.
I was trimming my palm trees when I came across the growth in the attached picture at the top of one of the trunks. It looks like miniature limes. Can anyone positively identify what it is? I want to make sure it's not something that will harm the tree.
Those are fruits. Maybe some people can tell from that what kind of palm it is, so what kind of palm fruits they are, but others of us would need to see a photo of the tree and leaves (and even then might not be sure). Or do you already know what kind of palm it is?
Have you been ignoring your tree? It seems that you missed seeing the flowers!
Thanks for responding. I have attached a photo which should allow someone to figure out the type of palm trees I have. I think they might be Chinese Fan Palms.
I think they might be Chinese Fan Palms.


text:
The Concept Of A Corvette Four-Seater Dates As Far Back As 1963
by Jonathan deMacedo
— Mar 24, 2014
Back in 1960, a man by the name of Edward Cole, was set as the head of the design department for the 1963 Corvette. And when entrusted with the design direction, he was pleased with the uncompromising dedication to performance and world-class sporting intentions from the two seat coupe. Yet for its promise, sales were far behind the Ford Thunderbird, the cross-town rival at the time. Possibly for its extra set of seats.
Cole thought that perhaps the best way to stay relevant was to aim its sights square at the Thunderbird, and option the 'Vette as a four-seat sports-car. The concept was called the XP-796.
With free reigns and corporate backing his team set off to work, lengthening the Sting Ray by about 10 inches, of course adding in a pair of extra seats, raising the roofline and stretching the split window descent angle significantly. And while Cole continue to insist on the vehicle, legendary Corvette engineering head Zora Arkus-Duntov and other executives were against the development. Eventually, all support dissolved, and the XP-796 was sent to the crusher, according the VetteWeb.com.
Fast-forward 51 years, and a four-seat Corvette remains a heated topic. And to get a fresh take, how do you feel today about a 2+2 version of the American icon?
— Jonathan deMacedo
Car-enthusiast since birth. British at heart. Just enjoying the ride!
Previous story Team Chevy Drivers Kyle Larson And Kurt Busch Finish Second, Third At Auto Club Speedway 400
Next story Cadillac XTS 2.0T Now Availaible In China
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kilfak says:
The next evolution? It would have to be done exactly right. Perhaps wider than the current C7.
The Corvette is not a 2+2 car. If GM wants 2+2 use the Camaro or build it on a sub Alpha platform.
Anyone remember the 4 door Corvette conversations from 1978-79. They even made a model kit of them. What a tragic mess.
Tom McTernan says:
You know, somethings should never be changed… I recall as a young child the 1956 and 1957 Thunderbird and how beautiful and totally cool I thought it was. Then, in 1958 they changed it to this ugly tank of a beast that destroyed the whole concept of the vehicle. Sure, sales may have gone up and they may have changed it to a "Family Sports car," but as far as I was concerned they went from a potential iconic sports car to another family car and that's when the T-Bird dead.
The mere thought of GM even considering changing the Corvette to a four-seater or 2+2 sends chills up and down my spine. "If it ain't broke, then don't fix it!" The new C7 sales speak for themselves and Scott was right regarding the Camaro, but don't mess with the Corvette. GM has the Camaro and Ford has the Mustang to do that with. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, they can come out with a Camaro or Mustang 8 or 9 passenger SUV next…… But, don't turn an American Icon into something it's not…
Liberty for ALL! says:
Sure, if it looks good and sells, why not?!
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Betania – località della Giudea citata nei Vangeli
Betania oltre il Giordano – località in cui si presume sia avvenuto il Battesimo di Gesù.
Betânia – comune del Brasile nello Stato di Pernambuco
Betania – comune della Colombia nel dipartimento di Antioquia
Betania – comune del Panama
Betania – frazione del comune di Tolmezzo (Friuli-Venezia Giulia)
Betania – si riferisce alle apparizioni della Madonna avvenute a Finca Betania, località in Venezuela
Bethania (o Betania) – luogo religioso che sorge presso la penisola della Maddalena di Siracusa

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


With a hat tip to Dewi at Slugger O'Toole, there was a nice graphic in the Guardian this week showing UK public expenditure for 2010/11 compared with 2009/10, adjusted for inflation. Click the image to open the article.
As we can see, Scotland has received a 2.95% increase in expenditure in real terms, getting a better deal than the UK as a whole; Northern Ireland has received 2.01% less in real terms; but Wales has suffered a reduction of 3.92% in real terms.
Of course the settlements reflect different devolved responsibilities in the three administrations, but we can make these two points: first, that these responsibilities have not changed between 2009/10 and 2010/11; and second, that because overall UK spending is almost exactly the same it means that the cost of things devolved to Scotland and Northern Ireland but not devolved to Wales would have very little effect on the overall Welsh figure. And even if we focus on the most obvious difference, we can see that Westminster's spending on police and crime was reduced by 3.2%, which is only very slightly less than the Welsh reduction.
So from these figures it's clear that Wales has had to take a much more severe cut in public expenditure than any other part of the UK.
Although it doesn't say so on the Guardian's graphic, I'm fairly certain that the £4.5bn bubble at the top of NI expenditure is Health.
I really do feel like a "Little Englander" - why oh why does everyone have to take a hit- yet Scotland rises (again)- really p*** me off.
- the Economy and Transport cuts for Wales is really sickening -40% is just woeful. Although I know we have a soft spot for the NHS- surely improving infrastructure is more important in the long term?
Well, I think we should thank those jolly nice Labour people for allowing us to take the hit for their United Kingdom of great Britain & Northern Ireland. It's their Government of Wales Acts - I & II - and their resistance to us having financial responsibility, which they still oppose. As always with British Labour, it's our rôle to stay at the bottom of the UK pile so they can stay in power.
"I really do feel like a "Little Englander" - why oh why does everyone have to take a hit- yet Scotland rises (again)-"
It's political. Scotland politically extracts a higher level of resource from the UK coffers because of its politics. Those politics are justified in my opinion by the historic amounts of oil revenue that the Treasury has in turn taken from Scotland. So Scotland's funds are entirely justifiable.
Being played off against each other inside the UK, in a bid to have a "fairer Britain", only weakens us.
It is absurd that Wales takes such a hit, but let's not blame Scotland.
Not sure about NI, 21:22. I've looked at their budget for 2011-11, which puts the Current DEL settlement at £9.89bn and Capital DEL at £1.22bn, so the total is higher than shown on the graphic. This includes Police and Justice, so at a guess I'd say that maybe the 2009/10 settlement didn't include it, and the Guardian has excluded it so as to compare like with like. If anyone knows for sure, please enlighten us.
And it is sad that Economy and Transport takes such a big hit. But investment in infrastructure could be maintained if we had borrowing powers or, failing that, if we set up Build for Wales.
I think we should thank that nice Cheryl Gillan too, Syd. After all, she told us that Wales "is facing smaller cuts than most UK government departments" for the next three years ... I'm sure we'll see how untrue that is when the next year's graphic is published.
I'm not blaming Scotland either, 10:59. This is UK government spending. But I've made a similar point to yours: the biggest obstacle to Wales getting fair funding based on need is that Scotland is over-funded by about £4bn on a needs basis. The solution would be to cut Scotland's block grant, but to make up for that loss by allowing them to keep a proportion of their North Sea revenues.
Agree, we must not allow the Westminster Unionist elite to play Scotland and Wales off against one another. The Scottish government's policy is to secure full fiscal autonomy/ independence, both of which entail the phasing out of Barnett in relation to Scotland. This is quite compatible with the goal of fair funding for Wales, removing as it does the Unionist excuse for failing to reform Barnett. It is the British and Scottish Unionists who are dead set against the changes sought by SNP, not the Scottish people.
Beyond this, however, what Plaid ultimately need to do be doing is to start thinking seriously about what kind of fiscal autonomy Wales needs to begin overcoming our dependency on external support. All rhetoric about independence is meaningless without a credible strategic approach to this question.


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Asaphus kowalewskii és una de les 35 espècies de trilobit del gènere Asaphus. Els fòssils d'aquestes espècies són populars entre els col·leccionistes pels seus ulls pedunculats.

Trilobits


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Kings take it seriously, do some work privately
By HELENE ELLIOTT
At heart Dean Lombardi is a draft geek, as animated while praising the hands of a seventh-round pick as when he's gushing over the raw skill of a first-round choice.
Having reaped the benefits of selecting early in the last half-dozen NHL entry drafts, the Kings' general manager decided to keep those benefits to himself for a few days before unveiling them to the world.
It seemed curious when the Kings announced a few weeks ago that their development camp would last only three days, ending Sunday. Previous camps had gone a week or more, and heaven knows those unsuspecting kids needed every moment to learn about what they were getting into.
In truth, this year's camp started several days before the Kings opened the doors of their El Segundo rink to fans Friday and it will continue a few days past Sunday's final game, contested before several hundred enthusiastic fans in the chilly practice rink.
Players began arriving in stages last weekend for drills, tutoring and conditioning, though they were on public view only the last few days.
Why such secrecy?
"NFL teams don't open up their camps. Baseball, it's ridiculous," Lombardi said Sunday. "We do three days for the fans and that's when the combined groups come in. The other four days they're here to work.
"They've got to be focused. They're here to work and get better, not entertain, and they've been really good."
Let's not forget that it's July, when heat can impair clear thinking and the Kings are undefeated. Nearly every kid looks like a potential All-Star and every goalie is a candidate to plug the decades-old black hole between the pipes.
But the effort at this camp by the coaches and 30 or so draftees and free agents reflected a new level of seriousness by the entire organization.
It also acknowledged that after years of collecting good material, the Kings know they flat-out can't screw this up.
Lombardi is committed to rebuilding on the backs of Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty and Dustin Brown, all Kings draft picks. This camp probably doesn't have a Doughty, who made a remarkable jump from junior hockey to top-four NHL defenseman last season, but it might be a springboard for a few players to accelerate the trek back to the promised land of the playoffs.
"This is the funnest part of the job, when they're all trying to get better," Lombardi said, "and they're all getting better at this stage, some of them hour by hour."
Fifth overall pick Brayden Schenn, a center who had 32 goals and 88 points in 70 games last season for Brandon of the Western Hockey League, worked as hard as anyone to improve during the week, even on the rare occasions he had to labor.
Lombardi recalled a first-day drill in which instructor Nelson Emerson was explaining a point Schenn couldn't grasp.
"A lot of kids today when they're first-rounders, if they can't do a drill they'll fluff it off. Or take it like this isn't important. You get that Joe Cool attitude," Lombardi said.
"He put his head down and kept doing it and doing it and now he's really starting to get it. What that told me is exactly what we saw in his character when we drafted him."
Lombardi said Schenn "is a better player now than he was six days ago," showing receptiveness in addition to the competitiveness and physicality the Kings had liked.
"You can just see he's going to be a very good hockey player," Coach Terry Murray said. "He has a nice skill level and very good determination. A lot of character. A gritty player. These are middle-of-July scrimmages and he's playing the game every bit as hard as in the wintertime."
Schenn isn't likely to be with the Kings when the season opens, but it's not impossible. Due to fly home to Saskatoon today with a new workout schedule in hand, Schenn was too busy the last week to think of where he might fit in.
"I just got the experience of my first pro camp and I can't look too far ahead," said Schenn, whose quickness and first few strides still need work.
"I still have a long summer ahead of me to get better, and for the most part right now the focus for me is working on the areas of my game that need to get better. Once I come into September, I'll worry about trying to make this team."
The situation is different for defensemen Thomas Hickey and Colten Teubert, who turned pro late last season. Hickey was a controversial No. 4 pick in 2007 and Teubert was 13th in 2008.
"They'll have a chance. They'll get a very good look," Murray said. "They'll probably end up playing all six exhibition games. . . . Both are now ready. They've finished their time in junior and it's time to step up and see where they're at."
Hickey, who sat out last year's development camp while recovering from ankle surgery, said the last week helped him learn where he stands.
"Every year you get a better idea and I think they do too," he said. "It's come a long way since the first one. There's new stuff off the ice and different things on the ice we've done that I feel are making me better."
Those lessons must kick in for Hickey and everyone else who will convene at El Segundo for training camp in September. It's time to turn potential into results. No need to hide behind closed doors.
helene.elliott@latimes.com
Helene Elliott
Helene Elliott joined the Los Angeles Times' sports department in 1989. She became the first female journalist to be honored with a plaque in the Hall of Fame of a major professional sport as the 2005 winner of the Hockey Hall of Fame's Elmer Ferguson Award, awarded to writers "who have brought honor to journalism and to hockey." A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., and graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, she has covered 16 Olympics. She recently crossed covering Wimbledon off her bucket list.
Ousted Grammys chief: 'We will expose what happens when you "step up" at the Recording Academy'
Ten days before the Grammys, Recording Academy Chief Executive Deborah Dugan has been accused of misconduct and placed on "administrative leave."


Only the shimmering light of candles (lit, that tortured souls find peace, and the living do not forget) shines through my room, creating strange fluid forms on my bed, my soul, and my memories.
Again, I have five years and my childhood is suddenly looked up in the in the basement. I cannot go out because the gates of hell opened and the air filled with the smell of sulfur, blood, death. Most repulsive creatures crawled out from it, dancing the dance of death, salivating and suppurating on the white bubs of my childhood smile.
In the basement is warm and safe (although we are stumbling on crates and each other) and my mom tells me that it is the most beautiful and strongest castle in which nothing will happen to me, because somewhere in the long dark night my dad is a knight on a white horse, keeping our castle and his princess in it safe. She puts me in her lap and tells me the story of the damned people witch the ghosts of the past won't leave them in peace, and who through the ages have been bleeding for every stone and every nugget of their land. She is telling me about two sisters who, seeing the sea, have seen God's tears in it, as though they knew that we would cry so much tears. The story goes further to the Domobrans, the Partisans, the Ustashas, (armies in the WWII), the Chetniks (the Serbian nationalist guerrilla force) ….. about the historical storms that did not break us, but that we are still indestructible as the huge Slavonian oaks, like centuries-old olive trees. I do not understand her, but the sound of her voice and the heartbeat of my brother's heart in her stomach calms me down and a drift in to sleep of her lap.
Something roused me from sleep and I see my mother crying, the first time since this madness started. I hear my grandfather swearing all the saints, the stars and the god of heaven himself and my grandmother praying Hail Mary. My mother's tear fell on my cheek and she just whispered V U K O V A R.
Twenty six years have passed from that day and still I lit a candle in the window to remember all of those we lost in that hell. I will not post pictures form that period, they are too terrifying to look at, it is enough that see them in my mind from time to time, but I will post photos from Vukovar today. Vukovar, even if he did suffer so much, is the one of the most beautiful cities in Croatia and it is worth to see if you ever find yourselves in Croatia. And to people of that city stay strong, you are real heroes for all of us.


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Taste of Cinema - Movie Reviews and Classic Movie Lists > Lists > Other Lists > 10 Famous Movie Scenes Where Actors Weren't Acting
10 Famous Movie Scenes Where Actors Weren't Acting
Posted on March 20, 2019 March 20, 2019 by Spandan Banerjee
In the earliest days of cinema, there was no acting. The experimenters of cinema such as the Lumiere brothers used to place their camera at a fixed position and record the events of daily life until the film stock ran out.
In a lesser extent, it leans toward the documentary filmmaking approach of the present, but even documentaries nowadays manipulate and control the emotion through expert editing and elaborate staging. This practice was abolished soon and the need to act in front of the screen came slowly through the hands of pioneers such as Melies, Edward Porter, and D.W. Griffith. The need for a suitable cinematic expression from the actors reached its paramount importance through the technical prophecy of Sergei Eisenstein.
As Griffith and Eisenstein started to work toward achieving climatic suspense and dramatic emphasis, the camera technique evolved likewise. The camera angles started getting fixated in a close-up of the actor's face for a decent amount of time and it became the responsibility of the actors to carry the appropriate emotion of the scene through performance.
As cinema grows with time, the freedom of interpretation grows in favor of the actor. Now they can inhabit any number of techniques to get into the skin of the character and their emotions. This method of self-analysis and emotional memory recall also has the seal of approval from Konstantin Stanislavski.
There are actors who find this approach frightening, where the cinematic and personal reality intermingles, and chooses to react in the given situation from their own life experiences in the fashion of Lee Strasberg. Regarding the various acting traditions present today, it is best to say that all of them have some redeeming quality in themselves.
In spite of all of this supposed technicality employed today, it is still extremely difficult to depict a realistic situation. There comes the mastery of the filmmaker who can capture the spontaneous reaction of its cast through various methods.
Intentional misleading of its cast from the filmmaker's side has proven to be an excellent tool for recording real responses, whereas sometimes the actors themselves submit to the demand of the scene and express a genuine response. In either case, the actor completely submits to the situation and reveals their reaction as the result of a real-life provocation.
This gives an immense depth to the scene as the actors are not acting. Without further ado, here are 10 great real-life performances from talented performers.
1. Chest Buster scene in Alien
Cinema has always tried to depict the break of normalcy: the dramatic vacation that is not so often present in an otherwise uneventful life. A story starting in a sudden eventful occasion can develop the conflict of the plot and progress toward the final resolution in the end.
This first departure from regularity and the start of the conflict can be illustrated in two ways: in the form of suspense, or a surprise if a certain Alfred Hitchcock to be believed. Rarely, these two extreme ends meet together and the Chest Buster scene in "Alien" in one of its example.
The scientists and the crew are having their meal and conversing casually in the Nostromo ship when one of the members, Kane, starts to convulse. There is suspense in the act as the spectator knows something bad is going to happen from the knowledge of the preceding events, but can't anticipate the reason.
When the baby Xenomorph burst out suddenly from Kane's chest and flees toward some unknown corner of the ship, it is a scene of shock, terror, and gore all at once. Master manipulator Ridley Scott knows the difficulty of bringing genuine terror on the faces of the actors, so he decided not to inform the cast of the technicalities in the scene. The script only reads a line that informs that some alien thing will emerge. The cast was totally unaware of the succeeding events of their meal session, and the terror captured from their face is real.
2. Captain Benjamin Willard glass-breaking scene in Apocalypse Now
Manipulation of the actor in the hand of an auteur is not a rare sight to be seen. It has happened throughout the history of cinema, but the distinguishing factor should be the final outcome and success on the screen.
Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" was such a living hell in itself that the filmmaker has admitted that his film was not about Vietnam; it was Vietnam. Apart from the problems during production, the uncooperative attitude of the cast was a big headache to manage. The cast was frequently reported taking a significant amounts of drugs and alcohol, and one of the lead actors, Martin Sheen, was largely on the payroll of drug dealers.
The alcoholism of Sheen was different from the problematic drug mania on the set, because Coppola himself encouraged Sheen to misbehave for the sake of an authentic portrayal of Captain Willard. It is an extreme example of method acting. Sheen was heavily drunk and nearly naked when he caught his sight in the mirror of the hotel room. He didn't like what he witnessed in the mirror and punched the the glass, breaking his hand as a result.
It was all real emotion, not even present in the script, and upon witnessing this horror, Coppola decided to roll the camera instead of calling an ambulance. This is an inhuman act. However, after the recording finished, Sheen was taken care of quickly. It was the moment when the persona of Captain Willard took over Sheen, and this scene is forever imbibed in the frames of cinema.
3. Forest hunt scene in The Blair Witch Project
Though not the progenitor as the film frequently projects itself to be, "The Blair Witch Project" was the bellwether of the low-budget found-footage horror genre. It was the debut film of Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, who were film students at the University of Florida at the time. Inspired by the deep impact of the paranormal documentaries of that time, in comparison to horror feature films, they decided to mix the two genres to create something new.
The script of "The Blair Witch Project" was as thinly-layered as possible and contained only a 35-page outline to instruct the cast. It highlighted various myths and legends in the script and instructed the cast members, who were roaming free in the woods on their own, in the form of hidden written messages in the film cans.
The protagonists in the film were also film students who are making a documentary about a local legend in the jungle, so this offbeat approach worked in the shooting in favor of the filmmakers. As the cast was amateur and uninitiated about filmmaking techniques, their incompetent recording with the provided camcorder served the tension and reality of the situation equally effectively.
Everything was a surprise to the young cast and they were food and sleep deprived in order to feel angry and dizzy. The filmmakers frequently scared them in the midst of the night from out of sight to exhaust them more and more.
When the cast hunts through the forest to look for one of their missing acquaintances and feels the spell of the witch legend, it was a real reaction as they were not informed of the events from the filmmakers beforehand. "The Blair Witch Project" was an intelligent, cheap, and groundbreaking exercise in the horror genre.
4. Door-breaking scene in The Shining
If legend is to be believed, to witness the genius of the Stanley Kubrick, one has only look into the tie of Jack Nicholson in "The Shining." The meticulousness and genius of Kubrick is not a new story to ponder upon, and the green maze woven into the tie of the reclusive writer "Johnny" developed the central theme of confusion and a ghastly trap again proves the brilliance of the director.
The camera never zooms into the tie of Johnny to prove its point. It is a subtle puzzle waiting in the extreme background to be deciphered by the viewer. Any entry from the short but effective career of this legendary filmmaker would testify to this maniac spirit in detail, but "The Shining" is the extreme example from his films.
Like always, Kubrick was not ready to compromise his uncompromising vision to portray the mental breakdown of his lead characters. He was especially ruthless to Shelley Duvall, the wife of Johnny, who slowly loses her stability in the film. She was tormented and mocked during the whole filmmaking process by Kubrick, to the point of truly breaking her sanity.
It was a conscious decision by the filmmaker to seclude and humiliate her to bring out a provocative response. She was even forced to repeat a take 127 times to succumb to hysteria, which is a matter of Guinness record.
In the door-breaking scene, Nicholson broke 60 doors over the span of three days to finally reach to the bathroom door. Except for some breaks, during all that time, Duvall was forced by the filmmaker to wait in that room being humiliated, and the final reaction by Duvall was very real.
5. Consummation scene in El Topo
Once a midnight cult movie, Alexandro Jodorowsky's acid western "El Topo" is now immortalized by its frequent mention in the excellent documentary "Jodorowsky's Dune," which revolves about the promise and hype of his shelved project "Dune."
The vision of the stalled film feels exciting; however, the remarks made by the filmmaker in the documentary are controversial, to say the least. Once at a point in the film, talking about the consummation scene in "El Topo," he said about the actress: "And I really… I really… I really raped her."
The context is clearly a fictional rape scene which was shown as consummation in the film "El Topo," after the unnamed gunslinger accepts the woman as his muse on his soul-searching journey.
He also mentioned that there was a clause in the contract of the woman to not create a relationship with the director, and this incident was only for artistic purposes. They were unfamiliar prior to the shoot, never interacted with each other, and he told the actress of the scene before doing it. However, in all circumstances, it is a selfish and cruel act from Jodorowsky's part, and an extreme example of exploitation of the actor in the hand of the filmmaker with the excuse of real art.
Famous Movie Scenes
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The older students perform a ballet piece to "The Story of My Life."
The Northwoods School of Dance performed their interpretation of The Wizard of Oz and other specialty pieces last weekend at the Rhinelander High School auditorium. According to director Karen Cook, this is a new production for the school and the dancers had a great time telling the timeless story through dance. Dancers ages 3-21 from Crandon, Land O'Lakes, Eagle River and Rhinelander all participated in program.
Kaylee McRae, Tanya Taylor, Jessie Swearingen and Cook choreographed the production. The show was made possible by a grant from the Northern Arts Council. Photos by Bob Mainhardt.
This dance team performed a salute to the military.
Following the yellow brick road were Tin Man, Sage Flory; Lion, Mackenzie Bourcier; Dorothy, Tina Kansariwala and Scarecrow, Olivia Monk. Photo by Bob Mainhardt.


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Renault: A new direction for parts supply
By Anthony Coia2015-11-10T12:21:29+00:00
Thomas Vernier, Renault's vice-president of aftersales logistics (above), talks about the OEM's attempts to make network cost savings while improving customer service around the world, as well as the opportunities to further integrate logistics and distribution within the Renault Nissan Alliance
Renault has been setting, and achieving, ambitious sales growth, cost cutting and geographic expansion targets in recent years as part of its 'Drive the Change 2016' plan. Logistics plays a significant part in this overall strategy, whether for connecting global supply chains between Europe, North Africa and India, or moving vehicles in volatile markets like Russia or South America.
In the aftermarket and spare parts arena too, logistics is a major focus for improving material flows from suppliers to the carmaker's global network, as well as for increasing labour and handling productivity across the company's roughly 1m sq.m of warehouse space. It is also critically essential to service rates to dealers, whether they are in Paris or New Delhi.
Delivering accuracy
A group-wide service
An integrated Alliance
Investing in frequency
Supplier capacity
IT and planning
Renault has also been moving increasingly towards shared aftermarket logistics functions and operations with its alliance partner, Nissan, including combined warehousing, common transport tenders and administration, and joint expansions in new markets. These combinations follow other successful examples where Renault and Nissan have combined supply chain and logistics operations, notably across Europe for inbound and outbound logistics with its Alliance Logistics Europe function. While significant parts of the aftermarket chain do and will remain separate, the carmakers continue to pursue an alliance strategy wherever it is mutually beneficial.
At the helm of Renault's aftermarket logistics since 2013 has been Thomas Vernier, vice-president of aftersales logistics and supply chain, a 20-plus years Renault veteran who has held a variety of posts across Renault and Alliance Logistics for inbound, production and outbound logistics. He brings with him a desire for precision – he wants to see inbound-like stability and accuracy in spare parts – as well as a readiness to make changes or investments where it improves customer service or logistics efficiency. For example, he has embraced technology to better integrate warehouses and improve dealer inventory through retail inventory management (RIM) tools. Clearly, he points out, if the dealership has the right stock at the right time, emergency orders and premium freight will decrease, and fluctuation in the supply chain will be lessened.
Renault has invested in tools to generate procurement requests automatically and has succeeded in decreasing its stock level drastically without affecting the service rate in comparison to other carmakers. "In Europe, our stock level is half that of our strongest competitors for the same level of service," he reports.
Vernier has also been tackling costs as part of 'Drive the Change', which includes annual price reduction targets across the supply chain. "We want to reduce logistics costs by more than 10%, down to less than 8% of the turnover," he says.
These are not simple tasks. Vernier leads an organisation with a global scope, including nearly 30 warehouses in 25 countries, and serving many more. "Customs clearance regulations are the complicated part of the process with new flows worldwide," says Vernier, pointing to regulations requiring precision on parts' weight and descriptions. "On the surface, this may seem straightforward enough, but in fact it may be highly complex depending on the resources and regulations that are in place," he notes.
At the local level, meanwhile, truck transport must be both fast, and optimal, with routes engineered to avoid wasteful trips while maintaining daily deliveries to most dealers. Customer service, points out Vernier, is a top priority, and following successful cost reductions the carmaker is looking at investments that will serve dealers even better, such as increasing available inventory and opening more local warehouses in markets like India.
Serving a global network
Renault's aftersales logistics organisation is responsible for the procurement, storage, and delivery of aftersales parts for the multi-brand Renault Group, which includes Renault and Dacia, as well as Renault Samsung in South Korea. The department also serves Renault's wider vehicle and engine production partners, which along with Nissan includes General Motors, with which Renault shares van production, and Daimler, which has a variety of cross-production and supply agreements with Renault Nissan, including assembly in France and Slovenia.
Renault's aftersales logistics department covers forecasting, procurement, stock management, warehousing, transport management, customer service and documentation. Spare parts are shipped from distribution centres to dealerships as well as to 100 importers in the countries in which Renault does not have subsidiaries. It supports dealer performance by ensuring parts availability to customers, providing dead-stock management and other functions.
Renault uses a hub-and-spoke system to serve worldwide markets, with 29 warehouses in locations following its regional organisation: France-Europe, Eurasia, South America, Africa and Asia Pacific. Renault's highest concentration is in western Europe, where it has 12 warehouses, including five in France (although several operate as a single entity). Another six are in eastern Europe and Turkey.
Within this global network, five facilities are Renault's main warehouses, also called 'source warehouses', which receive parts and material directly from plants and suppliers, then feed smaller, regional facilities. One of the carmaker's primary source warehouses is in the Paris area, and is made up of four separate facilities. The other source warehouses are located in Romania, Brazil, Argentina and South Korea. Among them, Vernier says that its Romanian facility has been growing the most following the success of the Dacia brand, which has its main plant in Pitesti and is produced globally, including models at major plants in Tangier, Morocco, Moscow, Russia and Chennai, India. Each of Renault's source warehouses handles more than 200,000 part numbers.
The other regional facilities, positioned across 21 countries, maintain approximately 60,000 part numbers that aim to cover 95% of local demand. While Renault maintains stock of most of its spare parts in regional warehouses, the carmaker also arranges for suppliers to ship directly to the dealerships for certain commodities, such as tyres. "Storing and shipping such commodities would otherwise consume a large amount of warehouse space," says Vernier.
Vernier, who cut his teeth on the precision planning and delivery processes for Renault's production plants and inbound logistics, has targets this year to introduce the same processes used for vehicle assembly to the company's spare parts warehouse management. With such a large amount of space, it is essential that the company optimises the use of its warehouse assets, he says.
"We continuously look at stock movement with the objective of compacting storage areas and organising storage to improve internal productivity. We must examine stock quality and be able to manage both the faster moving parts and slower moving parts more effectively," says Vernier.
Costs savings are a big part of the company's objectives in the aftermarket, as well as across other supply chain areas. However, customer service is closely factored into operations. Vernier points to the need to increase delivery frequency to dealerships and improve service fill rates at dealerships and across the network. As part of 'Drive the Change', the department's goal is to reach a global service rate of 95% – a metric that consists of lead-time and order accuracy in terms of quantity and quality (and is also dependent on the amount of inventory kept in warehouses). For most of its dealerships, Renault is already surpassing levels of 94% – but that extra percentage can make a huge difference over such a a large volume.
Part of achieving such penetration is through investment in further warehouses and logistics services where necessary. In India, despite its large size and poor roads, Vernier wants to match global standards for customer delivery and is already looking to expand its warehouse network in the country. "India is a key challenge within Renault's three-year plan," he says. "Here we have decided, jointly with Nissan, to open regional warehouses, in addition to our Chennai warehouse, in order to be closer to our customers and reduce our delivery lead times."
With the establishment of regional warehouses in India, Vernier says Renault will be able to deliver to Mumbai and Delhi within 48 hours before the end of 2016.
So happy together
In line with these objectives is further integration across the 16-year-old Renault Nissan Alliance. The development of this sharing is evident at the parts warehouses. Renault and Nissan share about 50% of their warehouses using the same suppliers or doing cross-operations, or providing space and labour. For example, in the UK, Japan, Mexico, and one example in Italy, Nissan operates the warehouse that it shares with Renault (although in Mexico, operations are outsourced to third-party provider Ryder). Conversely, in Hungary, Slovenia, Romania and in Milan, Italy, Renault operates the spare parts facility for Nissan.
"Most of the shared operations are in regional warehouses, as source warehouse activity is very specific," says Vernier.
Shared operations are often driven by the market presence of either brand, with the first brand in a country usually taking the lead in operations. "During the past ten years, key Alliance developments have occurred in new markets such as Russia, India and China," says Vernier. "When the Alliance enters a new market, we always rely on the first of the two companies that began operating there. This is the case in India and China, where Nissan is currently supporting Renault's start of aftersales operations."
However, even in those markets, as evidenced by the pursuit of further warehouses in India, Renault will look to work with Nissan where relevant to expand.
In Europe, where both brands have a long history and have considerably more overlap, there are more efforts to bring logistics together, especially as legacy systems and arrangements are phased out. "New synergies are made when contracts reach their deadlines," says Vernier.
Renault and the Alliance have a mixed approach to outsourcing labour and handling at its warehouses. While the vast majority in Europe are operated directly by Renault or Nissan, most in other regions are operated by 3PLs. Among the shared facilities, for example, 3PLs operate warehouses in Russia, Sweden, China, India and Mexico. In all these examples, Renault and Nissan share the same 3PL providers at the warehouses to reduce complexity and increase opportunities for sharing, although warehouse contracting is done separately. This synergy with providers can also extend to transport operations. The Russian facility, for example, is operated by DSV Solutions, which handles parts from the same supplier for both Renault and Nissan through separate operations and contracts.
Even where there are 3PLs, Vernier points to a careful division of labour and for key planning and control functions to remain with the carmaker. "We handle critical knowledge functions such as procurement or inventory control in-house," he says. "We subcontract only warehouse operations such as picking, and mostly in the newer markets such as Russia, China, Brazil and Argentina."
Overall, Renault uses seven 3PLs to manage operations in eight countries. This reflects its strategy to use partners with regional expertise and not rely too heavily on one company to handle too large a share of its outsourced warehousing. For the transport function, Renault works with its carriers directly, rather than bundling through a 3PL. "However, we do tenders on a regular basis as a means of checking our performance level," says Vernier.
Somewhat differently to warehousing, Renault and Nissan transport tenders are done jointly, worldwide. Renault delivers around 1m parts daily to all of its customers, and the benefits of better rates and service through economies of scale are significant. Around 10% of flows move by ocean containers.
A season to grow
Renault looks to make daily deliveries to dealers wherever possible, and thus encourages a stable flow of orders from them. Generally, it offers two different service levels. Emergency orders may be placed daily by 4.30pm for delivery by 8am the next day to Europe, South Korea and North Africa. While it is a service that Vernier recognises is important to dealers, his target is to improve inventory management and accuracy to reduce such orders, which can be costly.
On the other hand, Renault delivers its stock orders within one week, with an average lead-time of about five days, though this varies considerably by region. For example, for Europe and South Korea, the average lead-time is 2-3 days. In countries such as Brazil, India, or China, deliveries could take one week as the average distances are greater. In India, Chennai takes less time since its warehouse is nearby, but service to Mumbai or Delhi takes six or seven days, according to Vernier, a lead-time which is prompting the investment in new warehouses.
Drilling deeper into Renault's network reveals further tiers, with some services devolved across regional dealerships, so that many customers are actually getting their parts much faster and more frequently than the lead-time for a stock order would suggest. The carmaker has a designated set of main dealers, known as 'R1 dealers', which act as service providers to the rest of the network and provide multiple deliveries per day to their own customers. Vernier says that Renault's R1 network accounts for 50% of its overall dealership network globally, with a strong concentration in Europe. A daily renewal of R1 dealerships' stock is working well, although Renault evaluates regularly whether there is interest in increasing this frequency.
Vernier admits that up to now during its company-wide strategy, Renault has been focused on reducing its costs, which he believes are now at a benchmark level in Europe with competing carmakers. Perhaps it is even the time to consider increasing frequency as a strategic investment.
"We now are reconsidering the frequency of deliveries for stock orders to dealers because they need to adapt to market fluctuation," he says. "With increased customer service requirements worldwide, we are looking for global improvement. This may mean renewing stock orders more frequently than once weekly, to two or more times weekly."
Working with suppliers
Increasing the service rate to dealers also entails optimising logistics upstream, from suppliers to the source warehouses and from there to the regional warehouses. In some cases, there are supplier capacity issues that can hold back deliveries to source warehouses, especially when there is tight supply between aftermarket and factories.
"The main challenge is to obtain the parts from our suppliers. For the suppliers, aftersales production does not have the same priority compared to mass production of new vehicles," Vernier says. "This must change quickly because the impact on customer loyalty is significant when you are unable to provide the expected spare parts."
Vernier says the way to improve this situation is to consider an integrated supply chain from the suppliers to the final customers, such as sharing forecasts with marketing and purchasing departments to gain a global view of worldwide stock, including at the supplier level, and developing RIM systems for dealerships. Renault also needs to improve its invoicing and custom clearance processes continuously. "To summarise, logistics must become more agile," he says.
Vernier says that to minimise its supplier issues, purchasing and procurement rules for aftersales parts would need to be finalised in the early stage of the supplier relationship. "Furthermore, we are now beginning to consider aftersales performance of a supplier as a criterion for allocating new business to them," he points out. "We need to consider improving our forecasts to help suppliers anticipate their investments better, while furthermore we need to work closely with dealerships to assist with their stock management."
Keep on driving
To Vernier, there is no question that IT systems will play a further role in improving spare parts logistics. Renault has recently launched a renewal programme for its systems together with Nissan, which has been important in guaranteeing the flexibility and quality of services to its customers. The IT systems help to optimise procurement and stock management. "Now we are moving a step ahead in order to improve the global efficiency of our warehouse management system and of our global stock capacity. We have launched an analysis and diagnostics system in order to help us achieve these objectives," he says.
Vernier is also concerned with making sure that Renault's spare parts logistics are as market-driven as possible. In some cases, that has meant looking carefully at supplier flows to make sure unnecessary and wasteful transport can be avoided, or that legacy flows via France are cut out, for example. Again, it is an exercise that benefits from sharing resource and network planning with Nissan and other alliance partners. "One of the purposes of this type of improvement is to reduce lead times from suppliers to markets. For example, we have implemented direct flows from Turkey to Russia because of these changes," he says. "The initial flow was Turkey to France to Russia. We reduced the lead times by half and significantly reduced transport costs by between 3-5% per year."
Systemic improvements have enabled Renault to maintain a stock level of 30-40% less than that of its leading competitors without sacrificing service, according to Vernier.
He and his department have fully embraced Renault's globalised network and service scope. Vernier remains committed to bringing further improvements over the coming years, from purchasing processes for parts and logistics, to how invoicing works across regional warehouses. In future, he also thinks that logistics will need to respond further to a changing consumer base and its habits, including the ability to purchase parts or service their vehicles using smartphone applications. "Supply chain and logistics functions are made to support business development. Renault's service parts logistics will evolve in this regard. We are currently studying how to support ecommerce developments," says Vernier.
Renault's aftersales network is, and will remain, complex; its global scope is set to expand further as the brand grows further in Chinese and Asian markets; as in India, it is also likely to increase its local penetration. However, Renault's alliance with Nissan continues to be a useful buffer and resource tool for improving logistics efficiency throughout its worldwide network. With 'Drive the Change 2016' nearly at an end, the carmaker is sure to be driving through even more transformations well into the future.
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text:
Latin American leaders hail Greece's 'no' to austerity
Supports of the 'no' vote celebrate in Athens on the night of July 5.
Leaders of Latin American left-wing governments have congratulated the Greek government and its people after Greece's historic July 5 referendum. Voters rejected debt austerity proposals by Greece's European lenders.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said: "The 'no' vote in Greece is a victory against the financial terrorism carried out by the International Monetary Fund (IMF)."
Bolivia's left-wing President Evo Morales said: "I congratulate the great Greek people for the victory of 'no' … which is a defeat of European imperialism. It is the beginning of the liberation of the European people.
"My respect and admiration for the historic Greek people, the birthplace of democracy. The Greek people have defeated the harshest capitalism."
Cuban President Raul Castro also sent a message to Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, saying: "I extend sincere congratulations on the victory of the No vote in the referendum ... that result shows the majority support of the Greek people for the courageous policy of your government. I reiterate my highest consideration and esteem."
Ecuador's foreign minister Ricardo Patino said the overwhelming vote against the proposed austerity measures by European creditors represented "solid backing" for Greece's Tsipras-led government.
Ecuador, like Greece, held a debt audit that found the country's debt illegal and illegitimate and that later led to the South American nation substantially reducing its repayments to creditors.
Ahead of the vote, Ecuador's President Rafael Correa said Greece should ignore the advice of the IMF and international financial bureaucracies.
Former Cuban president and historic leader of the Cuban Revolution Fidel Castro praised Greece for fighting back against austerity.
In an open letter to Tsipras on July 6, Fidel said Greek voters inspired "admiration", saying: "I warmly congratulate [Tsipras] on his brilliant political victory."
Fidel said his nation shares characteristics with Greece, saying: "Greece is very familiar to Cubans. They taught us philosophy, art and the science of antiquities which we studied in school.
"Your country, especially your courage during this current juncture, inspires admiration among the people of Latin America and the Caribbean … to see how Greece defends its identity and culture against external aggression."
Fidel concluded his response by wishing "the greatest success" to Tsipras, who the former Cuban leader described as an "esteemed colleague".
"In the current political situation on the planet, when peace and survival hangs by a thread, every decision should be carefully taken, so there is no doubt as to its honesty and sincerity."
[Compiled from TeleSUR English.]
Raul Castro
the Troika


U. S. - Korea Economic Relations. Symposium Sponsored by the East Asian Studies Center of Indiana University, etc. September 27-28, 1991, etc.
The U. S. A.: Geographical Facts and Figures; The American People -- Historical Background -- Economic Strength -- System of Government -- The New Deal -- Foreign Policy, etc. etc.


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