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A Brief Intro to Peer-to-Peer Lending
Published on - February 1st, 2011 (Modified on - July 31st, 2013) (by Sierra Black)
This post is from staff writer Sierra Black. Sierra writes about frugality, sustainable living, and getting her kids to eat kale at Childwild.com.
Lately, I've heard a lot of buzz about how peer-to-peer (P2P) lending is a great alternative for investors who feel burned by the stock market. Proponents of peer-to-peer lending say it's a smart way to get a good return on your money without the risk of a failing economy. But before you pull up stakes in your index funds and hightail it for the nearest P2P lending site, let's take a closer look at the pros and cons.
A Brief Intro to Peer-to-Peer Lending
In its oldest, simplest form, peer-to-peer lending is what happens when you loan your mom money to start her new hairdressing business, or borrow funds from a friend for a down payment on your new truck. You're making or taking the loan based on your relationship with the person, which counts for more than their credit rating or collateral.
Sometimes loans to friends and family work out well, but often they don't. They've funded many dreams, but they're also famous for breaking apart families and friendships that have stood the test of decades. An old saying goes, "Never loan money to friends. You'll lose your money and your friends."
In its modern incarnation, peer-to-peer lending has gone online, where it's become a big business. Third-party websites match lenders to borrowers, in an attempt to make both parties feel more at ease.
- Borrowers at peer-to-peer lending sites get better interest rates and loan terms than they would from a commercial bank. The lending sites will only work with you if your credit score is in the mid-600s or higher, but the terms you'll be offered are better than most banks.
- As a lender, you get to know something about the borrower before you lend your money, which builds trust and feels good. But if the loan doesn't work out and you lose your cash, at least you don't have to face the deadbeat over Thanksgiving dinner every year for the rest of time.
Peer-to-peer lending has gained a lot of attention because of its purportedly fabulous returns. Lending Club is advertising investor rates of return in the 9% range. Prosper says their returns are slightly over 10%. That's an order of magnitude better than the return I'm getting on my savings account. Where can I sign up?
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Peer-to-Peer Lending
To learn more about peer-to-peer lending, I recently interviewed Beverly Harzog, co-author of The Complete Idiot's Guide To Peer-to-Peer Lending. She had some words of caution before I chase after this pot of gold. Peer-to-peer lending can be great, she said, but it's not without pitfalls.
"It's very risky. It's like investing in the stock market. Everybody may have great intentions, but when you're lending this money, you have to be prepared to lose it," Harzog said.
Her bottom line: Don't invest any money you can't afford to lose. This might be a good investment, but it's not an a sure-fire way to make a mint. It's an at-risk investment just like stocks.
Unlike in the stock market, you're funding loans. The borrowers have a legal commitment to pay you back at the interest rate you agreed to. If they don't, the website that set up the loan will pursue your funds through a collection agency. In theory, this should make these investments more secure than stocks, but Herzog warns that you can still lose your money.
To combat that, she suggests lenders diversify their risks, just as they would with stocks. Don't put $1,000 into one loan. Put $100 into 10 different loans. It's unlikely they'll all default, and you'll earn a nice rate on most of your money that way. You can also choose to only partially fund a loan; when several people fund a single loan, everyone shoulders a bit of risk instead of one person taking it all.
As another incentive, you'll earn the warm cozy feel that comes from directly helping others. Harzog says this feeling of reaching out and helping is what draws many investors into peer-to-peer lending.
"There's an element of people helping people that's just so appealing," Harzog said. "It's a very feel-good thing."
If you want to try peer-to-peer lending, Harzog strongly recommends sticking with the big sites like Lending Club and Prosper. You can start out as a lender at Lending Club for as little as $100. That's a low bar to entry for new investors. Harzog has seen a lot of smaller sites come and go, while the big ones now have enough gravity to stick around.
Creative Uses for Cash
There are some smaller sites worth noting, though. Some people are putting the basic concept of peer-to-peer lending to incredibly creative uses.
- Some sites, like Green Note and People Capital specialize in funding student loans.
- At sites like Kiva, you can help women in the developing world start their own businesses.
- At Kickstarter.com, you can give money to creative projects ranging from film products to entrepreneurial gadgets. Kickstarter is more about donations than loans, but many of the Kickstarter projects offer a small return in the form of copies of the creative work produced, or your own personal widget when they get made.
These creative sites might not offer the returns a big site like Lending Club does, but they're fun, interesting uses of the concept. They let you participate for very little money. You can take $25 to Kiva or Kickstarter and invest it in someone's new business. And at Kickstarter, you'll get a funky wristwatch or a new folk album, depending on what you invested in. (J.D. helped fund Kind of Bloop, an 8-bit Miles Davis tribute album.)
At this point, I'm intrigued enough by peer-to-peer lending that I'd like to try it. There's just one catch: I can't. At least, I can't play with the big fish. Both Lending Club and Prosper are only available to lenders in certain states, and I don't live in one of the eligible areas.
Have you tried peer-to-peer lending? What was your experience like? Are you tempted to try it? If not, what holds you back?
My friend has tried P2P lending online. He was just testing it out and put in like, $50. It went pretty good for a while, but then his lendees began to default on their payments. Supposedly, the site would automatically try to receive payment by legal action, but I don't think my friend saw anymore of his money.
I don't think it was a bad idea, but I don't think people take this repayment as seriously as they would a bank. If you choose to invest with this method, you want to make sure to choose those with a good credit score, even if the interest rate is low. Then you have a better chance of seeing your money again.
I invested about $300in prosper a few years ago. I invested no more than $50 for each loan. Every loan has been paid on timewiththe exception of one that has defaulted. So, I only lost about $50. Since I initially signed up however I can no longer invest with prosper in my state.
So you invested $300, had the potential of making $30, but ended up losing $50. Sounds like a negative rate of return to me.
i'm doing p2p lending for 3 years now. i've invested about $ 7000 over the years. right now i have a return rate from about 8%. i constantly reinvest the monthly payments back into the system. the monthly payment (amortisation + interest) is approximately $ 350.
some tips for starters: do it slow. do not fire $ 10.000 at once in p2p lending. you need the time to read the project description and evaluate the projects which fail. over time you get a better hand finding good projects.
also keep in mind, 10% of the projects will fail, spread the money in many projects as possible.
Here in the UK I use Zopa (http://uk.zopa.com), and I can't recommend it enough. In over 3 years, I've loaned to almost 180 borrowers in £10 chunks and have an average return of 8%, without a single default. I have had a small number of late repayments, but they pay up eventually.
They've also recently introduced functionality that allows you to sell your loan to other lenders and get your money out quick if you need to, so as an investment vehicle it's now much more liquid and I'll be putting more money in this year.
/not a zopa astroturfer, just a happy user
Using Kiva, I lent money to a woman in Cambodia, who was starting a business and needed financing. I know the work ethic and moral responsibility (honesty and trust) in the region so losing the money wasn't a concern. She was raising $1k which required multiple people donating to help her out. She paid the loan back and I reinvested it all in someone else. It's not a huge amount of money so as long as it gets paid back, I will keep putting it back into business plans to help other people.
Interesting post.
Though Kiva isn't exactly an investment– you will not get any returns on your money. The way that Kiva works, though, you will get your principal back if you want it (most people let it float). You are essentially donating any interest you would have gotten on money if you had put it in a different investment.
From what I understand from people who study it, Kiva loans have actually already been funded and your loan is reimbursing the organization. Additionally, the NGOs that bring the loans to Kiva will repay them no matter what. If they don't, then they won't be able to get money from Kiva again.
Not saying that Kiva isn't a worthwhile cause because it is, but it is more of a charity than an investment. And there should be no reason you're not able to do Kiva no matter what state you're in.
Kiva is an investment in bettering the world-yes, charity but for those who are trying to find a way to better support themselves, their family and community now and in the future. There is the possibility of default- it happened on one loan but as it is really a charity(in my mind)- the money went to someone who needed it but whose small business failed.
I just never wanted to mess with actual p2p loans
One thing that is not discussed here is the level of effort required to select loans versus the (minimal) level of effort of investing in index funds (stocks or bonds).
I think these places have a use and can be good for those looking to offer others a hand up, but as an investment strategy? Nah.
I looked into this a while back and am in one of the states that restricts my participation. The rule in KY is that you have to have an individual net worth of greater than $1 million or an income of greater than $200K/yr. I asked state officials why the rule to help the rich get richer, but let the little guy suffer? I was told the state law mirrors federal law 17 CFR 230.501(a). So how are so many people using these P2P lending sites? Am I that much poorer than everyone else or are they breaking the law?
I signed up for Prosper in early 2008 and lent out about 3k. On the negative side, I lost money on my loans (about 2%) due to defaults. I made about 70 different loans with the money and had some fun doing it. On the plus side, I also invested about 3k in stocks at the same time and lost much more than 2%.
After Prosper shut down for a year for regulatory changes, I've visited again but haven't really lended. At this point, there just aren't enough high quality borrowers on the site that I would want to lend to. The research shows that ROI only comes from A or AA credit borrowers and they typically have better sources of capital.
I am surprised by some of Herzog's comments. I own her book and while it is a good introduction to the concept of peer to peer lending, much of it is now completely out of date. I think Herzog is also viewing peer to peer lending from the way it was in 2007 and 2008. Back then default rates were still very high and many investors lost money.
Let's fast forward to 2011. Now, the return on all notes in Lending Club is 9.68% and Prosper is over 10% since their reintroduction in 2009. The vast majority of peer to peer lenders earn 6-12% on their money with only a very small number now losing money on investments since 2009. Also, I would recommend for the $1,000 investment cited a $25 investment per loan so you can diversify your risk even more.
I am in investor in both Prosper and Lending Club and I have found the returns to be nothing like the stock market. I have never had a negative month since I started investing in 2009 and my money keeps growing (something I can't say about the stock market). It is not without risk, but a diversified investor will most likely earn returns superior to most other investments available today.
I actually am currently involved in P2P lending at Lending Club. After reading an article about P2P lending, and tracking with the author, I decided to take $500 and invest it into as many "notes" (loans) as possible. That said, I followed some basic rules that I think will help hedge my bets (if possible) against defaults.
1. No notes requesting over $20,000
2. No notes for income less than $100K
3. No notes for less than 5 years of employment with current employer.
4. Preference to government employees/military (only because I assumed to be safer)
5. $25 per note…creating almost like a P2P index by investing in as many as possible.
So far I am averaging 13.39% on my notes, and have had 0 defaults. May try some more money in a couple months.
This doesn't sound like something I'd want to do, although I do use Kiva. To be clear, you don't earn money there. The whole point is that the loans are interest-free.
I tried it with Prosper a couple of years ago. I invested $1000 funding $100 to 10 loans. 4 of the 10 defaulted. I won't try it again.
The issue with P2P lending in my eyes is the effort required to invest the money. You need to spend serious time screening and then researching loans you want to invest in. And then, you should only invest a fraction of your portfolio. The more you invest, the more you should diversify. So once you are talking "real" money, you need to be spending a lot of time grooming and reinvesting your money. That can quickly amount to several hours of work per month or week.
You need to trade that off vs. other things you could do with that time – like earning money yourself or spending time with the family.
Is this post a sponsored advertisment, or does this site have financial relationship with any of the peer-to-peer programs?
I have been interested in lending in a peer-to-peer program but almost all of the information available about it is thinly veiled advertorials on blogs, and the whole thing seem likes a very shady pyramid scheme to me. I would be interested in finding neutral, non-commercial information on this. Since this blog is a commercial blog (and one which keeps the identifies of its sponsors tightly shrouded in secrecy), I am skeptical of this blog to deliver unbiased reviews of financial services, especially one which have such a strong history of sponsored posts such as this industry, and ones which compete with other services which are clearly on this blog's bankroll.Sierra's note: No, this is not a sponsored post or advertorial. I'm an independent writer, as is Beverly Herzog. I researched this topic and wrote about it after speaking to an expert in the field, like I would have for any newspaper or website.
As I mentioned in the article, my state doesn't allow lenders to participate in P2P sites, so I have no personal experience with it or stake in anyone else putting money into it.
Re Money Maker above – Maybe I'm naive, but that's never been my impression of this blog at all.
I've been using Kiva for about two years now. I contribute in small amounts ($50) once a month. I try to shake up what/who I invest in (long-term vs short-term loans, women vs men, where they are, what they want the loan for, etc). Although I currently have two loans defaulting, that doesn't mean they'll end in a loss. I've had loans that were defaulting before and caught up on a later repayment. Also, by spreading out where I invest in small amounts, it diminishes the likelihood of losing a lot of money.
That all being said, I donate with the view that my money is likely to default. However, I believe it's a good way to help people, so I'm OK with that. I don't consider money in my Kiva account to be "mine" – rather, I view it kind of as an emergency fund to not be touched. Although it's not totally liquid, if I were to foresee an emergency (or be in one which my savings wouldn't be enough), I would start pulling my repayments out of Kiva every month, rather than reinvesting them.
All in all, I think Kiva is a nice way to tuck away some money for a rainy day and contribute to helping people elsewhere.
@Peter Renton & Micah
Sounds like you're both doing well with this. How much time do you figure you spend on this type of investing?
@Mary, I have a system where I use filters to find new loans. I download the new loans spreadsheet in LC and with Prosper I use the filters on the site. I reinvest all my new cash generated from repayments and my actual time spent investing is about half an hour every two weeks. Of course, it took me a while to learn what I was doing.
Full disclosure: I author a blog about p2p lending (you can click on my name above to get to my site) so I am not your average p2p investor.
This sounds both incredibly risky (who applies for these small but high interest loans instead of just getting a credit card? People who can't get credit cards? Why can't they get credit cards?) and like it has poor returns and ridiculous overhead.
People are talking about getting 9-10-12-13% *since 2009*.
That's less than just investing in the Dow Jones. Your returns would be better in the stock market, and there's absolutely no indication that the returns on these loans wouldn't drop correspondingly with a drop in the stock market (which may be associated with layoffs, deferred bonuses, and lots of other things that could make individual borrowers more likely to default).
And then there's the overhead. People are talking about getting to know individual borrowers for as little as a $25. The amount of time overhead must be ridiculous if you want to invest $25,000. You're really supposed to read up on what 1,000 different people want to do with that money? I'd be absolutely crippling to try to use this for say, weekly retirement savings contributions. You'd be spending hours every week researching people for investments less than $100.
I used Lending Club to receive a $5k loan. I am grateful for every individual that lent to me. I used the $5k to close a credit card account ($4k with 24% interest rate and $90/yearly fee) and used the remaining $800 ($5k less fees) to take an education course to help me pass my Professional Engineering exam.
It took a while to figure out if I really wanted to do it, but I'm able to pay off this amount in 3-years at a lower interest rate and set monthly payments then paying off my credit card over the next bazillion years.
I also became a Dave Ramsey follower so in a year I'll double my payments to the loan and those people will see a quicker return.
I most likely will invest into the Lending Club once I am debt free, just dabble $100 here and there.
I got in on Prosper right from the beginning. Luckily, I got out with only minimal losses. I'll never do it again. For an honest accounting of what really goes on for Prosper lenders and what the rates of return really are, I urge everyone to read Fred93′s Blog. He was one of the early "bigtime" Prosper lenders and has done extensive research into the platform.
Just a quote from his latest entry:
"The worst month so far is still February '07. Of the loans originated by Prosper.com in February '07, 45.3% have now gone bad. Yipes!"
@Tyler, You are correct for large investors it would be terribly time consuming to look through thousands of loans. The best idea for people with $25,000 or more is to use one of the automated plans that diversifies your money evenly among loans, or you can use a filtering system where you filter out the loans likely to give a poor ROI.
I completely disagree that p2p lending is like the stock market. If you to draw a comparison with another investment vehicle bonds would be closest. A diversified p2p investor is going see their balance grow every month, something that simply cannot be said for the stock market.
Like Russ @ #4, I'm another British Zopa fan.
The trick to avoid losses is definitely to diversify and I also stuck to £10 loans (the minimum allowed) to the maximum number of people I could afford to lend to.
I've used the facility that he mentions (Zopa allow you to resell all loans in a given risk market minus a small fee) and it helped me pay off some expenses for my forthcoming wedding.
All in all a positive experience and I hope to invest £200-300/mth once I'm married and have better cashflow.
One thing that needs to be pointed out is that your profits need to be re-invested if you want to obtain a healthy return. For example, with a 3 year loan you are returned 1/36th of the original capital each month. This means that you're getting the headline rate on a lower amount of capital, which will hurt your returns. So Russ is definitely doing the right thing!
My average rate of return is just shy of 9%, no defaults and only one late payment in two and a half years
I have been using Lending Club for about 2 years now. I started with a free $25 promotion, and invested that in a single note. After a few months of watching how the process worked, I began to fund my account with $50 per month. Every note I invest in is in $25 increments, and meets a personal set of investment standards.
Most of my standards are easily sortable with Lending Club's browse notes feature, and the time investment is really quite minimal. With well over 50 notes now, I have been fortunate to have zero defaults, as well as several early payoffs. I am now to the point where I am reinvesting my payments monthly, and am realizing the benefits of compounding.
A feature not really mentioned above is the ability to buy and sell notes from other lenders. Lending Club has partnered to host a platform where you can list your notes, including the flexibility to set your own price, as well as buy other notes from lenders. I have actually started to utilize this feature quite frequently as I can easily determine a payment history, changes in credit score, etc. for the borrower.
Either way, I have been quite pleased with Lending Club, and the returns I have been getting. Currently, I sit at about an 11% return.
*Note: Not affiliated with LC in any way*
I invested $4,000 in Prosper back in 2008. I funded 80 loans of $50 each. So far 23 loans have defaulted. Including the gains from the interest minus the losses from defaults I'm down about $120. I won't invest anymore, I'm just cashing out my money every month until the last loan is paid-off. I used their "Mid-Risk Portfolio".
One thing I have noticed is that once the loan goes into collections it's never collected, their collections agencies must have a pretty bad performance record.
These defaulted loans eventually end up charged off in bankrupcy.
My advice: don't invest you money in P2P. Invest in Corporate Bonds. That's what I've done since then with an anerage return of 8% and no defaults so far.
I've managed to get over 10% returns from both Prosper and Lending Club but I only keep a small amount of my portfolio in both of them.
The one loan I made on Kiva defaulted but I hope it did the borrower some good.
I've got about $1700 in Prosper and Lending Club. I started out with Prosper, but I prefer Lending Club's more extensive filtering capability, so I am gradually shifting my funds there. I've been averaging around 10% returns and have had only one default (on Prosper) — I joined after both sites came back up after getting SEC registration. The few other times I've had late payments it was due to an automatic payment failure that was then promptly replaced with a manual payment, then the borrower went back to automatic. I assume the borrower(s) closed a bank account and forgot to update their autopay information or something.
I view P2P lending as being roughly similar to junk bonds as an asset class and as far as risk is concerned. I wouldn't put the majority of my money into them, but my gut feeling is that they are nicely uncorrelated with stock indexes. $1500 is a comfortable amount to me to play with, but I may reevaluate my filtering criteria and increase that.
I love Kiva. Such a good cause and micro-finance has such a big opportunity to change lives in the developing world.
I don't put much stock in anyone's experience pre-2009, as a lot of changes went in at that time. I invested with Prosper from 2006-2008 and, like many investors of that time frame, lost money. Even still, I know that the platforms have changed since then and I'd be willing to do it again.
Should you cash out all your index funds and dump all of it into P2P? No, but it is a way to diversify. Do you really want *all* your investments in stocks?
RE: Tyler – I see your point about why would someone want to borrow if they have access to credit cards. I can only speak for my situation, but I borrowed $1k from Prosper several years ago because 1) I wanted to try out the platform, 2) I wanted to build my credit with an installment loan, and most importantly 3) the rate I could get (8%) was lower than my credit card cash advance rate (13.99%), and it left my CC free in case of emergency. Now, do you want to lend to people who use their credit card as their emergency fund? That's your call, but I paid mine on time, and so do many other average Joes who are in that place in life.
I've had a 40-note portfolio with Lending Club since 2009. As of today, my annualized return has been 4.79%. I've had 3 of 40 notes default, which hurt the return considerably.
I'm undecided on whether I'll invest more in the future. I do think Lending Club is an interesting and legitimate investment. The credit standards Lending Club imposes are strict and the borrowers are not just people who can't get credit cards. Many want to pay off credit cards. Others just don't want to borrow from major banks or credit card companies.
The time required to hand-pick notes would be prohibitive for a large portfolio (although for someone like me who is only investing $1,000 it was half the fun). I would not be surprised at all if the automated filtering and selection tools could be just as effective, if not moreso, than my one-by-one review of notes.
I've used Prosper, for the last 2 years and over 30 loans. I haven't had one default. The loans I pick are high quality AA & A with long credit history. My returns are 9% and my loans are ultra conservative. I have had a friend or two lose money with Prosper mostly due to high risk loans. I use Prosper as a replacement (for now) for short terms cd's. Great return and a joy to give people who deserve it, a better rate.
The main question I would have before investing in a P2P is do these loans appear on your credit report? @Des, perhaps you answered that in your post since you took out a $1000 loan from Prosper to build credit. Does that mean the loan did appear on your credit report?
I would think that this would have a big impact on the likelihood of default, particularly for those with credit scores above 700.
I use Kiva! Like Allie #18, I use it more as another bank account. It's a place to put money away when I have money, and have it trickle back so when I need it it's there.
I really want to try Zopa though. I am having problems getting part time work to fit around university, so maybe Zopa could help pay my bills?
This sounds really interesting. I'm gonna give Lending club a shot with a few spare bucks and see how it goes.
I can see this as a nice diversification strategy in a portfolio, plus I can see how it would be fun to select loans and hopefully help people out.
I gave Kiva cards instead of gift cards to my siblings for Christmas this year. Since we have all been so blessed materially, Christmas was beginning to feel like an obligation to give something when there was nothing any of us really needed. I decided that Kiva cards were a great way to give a gift that impacted not only the receiver, but also someone else in need. After investing once, each of my siblings can either continue giving (lending) to other people or pull the money out and use it for a need or want. The gifts were so well received. My sister invested hers almost immediately. How fun!
I would be wary – stories like this are starting to surface: http://www.npr.org/2010/12/31/132497267/indias-poor-reel-under-microfinance-debt-burden
I don't want any more debt for the rest of my life, ever, so hopefully I will never have to consider getting a P2P loan.
Kiva on the other hand sounds like a nice alternative to charity, helping people get out of poverty by giving them access to capital.
Then again maybe they aren't really getting out of poverty but temporarily "leveraging" their standard of living? I don't know how this works. I do know that a large part of the 3rd world is terminally indentured to the World Band and International Monetary Fund because of "credit for development" that got out of hand. Hopefully the same won't happen to individuals.
And still, allergic to debt as I have become, I do see a place for short-term lending in business, so Kiva might help people jumpstart their way into profitability, as long as they keep their debt/equity ratio low and don't get into a pattern of living in debt.
I just started using Lending Club. I think for investors with a lot of cash with nowhere to put it, this can be a good solution. I started with just I think like $1K, but I plan to add more over time.
Speaking from personal experience with Lending Club and the stock market, you have to do your homework. You can't just pick stocks or loans willy nilly. I've done some research based on Lending Club's loan data to determine which filters are better than others when picking loans, but there is no one filter that will guarantee success so diversify and expect some losses. I would recommend to anyone who lends on LC to download the data and analyze the failed loans, don't just rely on guesses and intuition. For instance, Some borrowers only invest in small business, but the data says over 13% of small business loans fail. #12 above lends to borrowers with incomes over $100,000. Their failure rate is 5.3%. Borrowers with incomes under 100,000 have a failure rate of 5.9%. There isn't enough of a difference there for me to use it as a filter, but I suspect it helps #12 sleep better at night.
@SARAH #39 – Wow, apparently we were writing our posts at the same time so I didn't get so see your link before I posted my comment, and this in fact goes beyond what I feared– shocking! I don't think that includes Kiva, but still, the dangers of debt are universal.
Just a note:
For lending club, you MUST have an income of 70k and a net worth (independent of house, house accessories, and cars) of $70k! (higher in CA)
This means, as a grad student, even with money to invest, I cannot participate. I had hoped to use the site to generate more interest than I'm paying in student loans and thus make money but I cannot do that at this time.
If you do chose to invest without following these rules, you lose the ability to get your money back if the loan goes to collection (or so I've heard) – be careful of this requirement!
Also, like #39 and #40 said – microlending is becoming a big problem in certain parts of the world, please be careful when you lend!
Thanks for the link to the NPR story on microlending in India! It sound more like usury to me than lending. I wouldn't get involved in such a thing, even if we did make enough to qualify. It sounds to me like non-profits alone should be involved in this practice.
Interesting post. I have friend who did something like this a few years ago. She did it through a very good friend who, with a group of people, lent money to carefully selected people who were, for example, going through bankruptcy. She has done quite well. Started out with putting $10,000 into the pot. Again, the borrowers were carefully selected as a good risk, not something all of us can do on our own.
Im going on 1.5 years with Lending Club. 157 loans out, 1 defaulted, 2 are 31 days late but on a payment plan which is mostly interest payments. Currently I have about $6000 in and thinking of adding more. I am @ 10.2% return including the default.
I had an interesting experience with peer to peer lending. Owing to unique conditions at my bank- I had the chance to buy back my mortgage debt at a discount to what I owed. They were essentially saying – we need cash now and so are selling assets. I had the money line up, but a friend came to me and desperately needed a large loan for just a week since his net worth was tied up in bonds that he couldn't access immediately. Poor planning on his part, but I knew he had the money so I loaned the funds I had collected with an interest payment of $600 a month in the contract just to have it jn writing. The next day, he informs me that he owns my mortgage and had bought it with my loan!!! I know pay him 1000 a month an get back 600 every month as interest. I will be paying him for the next 15 years. Ps- hoc est mendax does apply here and I am trying to work it out.
Well, I would like to leave a comment from the other side of P2P…I currently have my 3rd and 4th loans from Prosper and I have never been late on a payment on any of the loans. I am thankful that there are companies like this and these loans have helped me greatly reduce my debt and help fix my lower-than-average credit from past mistakes. So to all you P2P lenders, THANKS!!!
I started on Lending Club with a $25 promotion about 2 years ago. The biggest problem I had back then was that the loan applications were all for things that I didn't really think of as good investments.
I know that debt consolidation is a needed service, but the little info on the people applying didn't inspire oodles of confidence that they would pay back the loans.
Similar problem for the business startup loans, there weren't business plans available, so you had to use the forum like system they have to ask specific questions. That's fine for 1-on-1 loans, but very cumbersome when you want to diversify much.
I just looked and the $25 has made a 9.48% return so far. The loan offerings appear to have improved as well, but not a lot of things that jump out at me and say "GOOD INVESTMENT!!!".


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Pair your favorite meat with a vibrant sauce made from cherries, red wine, and orange zest.
Sunset JUNE 2009
1. In a frying pan over medium-high heat, sauté a couple of sliced shallots and cherries in olive oil until shallots start to brown.
2. Mix in red wine, orange zest, sugar and orange juice, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until liquid reduces by half. Let cool slightly. Spoon over chicken or lamb and sprinkle with chopped fresh thyme and black pepper.
Go to full version of
Red Wine Cherry Sauce for Meat recipe

subset: commoncrawl


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Productivity information in vertical sharing agreements
AbstractNo abstract is available for this item.
Download InfoIf you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version under "Related research" (further below) or search for a different version of it.
Bibliographic InfoArticle provided by Elsevier in its journal International Journal of Industrial Organization.
Volume (Year): 25 (2007)
Issue (Month): 4 (August)
Pages: 821-841
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Web page: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/505551
Related researchKeywords:
ReferencesReferences listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Raith, Michael, 1996. "A General Model of Information Sharing in Oligopoly," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 71(1), pages 260-288, October.
- Marco Ottaviani & Andrea Prat, 2001.
"The Value of Public Information in Monopoly,"
Econometric Society, vol. 69(6), pages 1673-1683, November.
- Marco Ottaviani, 2000. "The Value of Public Information in Monopoly," Econometric Society World Congress 2000 Contributed Papers 1479, Econometric Society.
- Maura P. Doyle & Christopher M. Snyder, 1997.
"Information sharing and competition in the motor vehicle industry,"
Finance and Economics Discussion Series
1997-4, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
- Maura P. Doyle & Christopher M. Snyder, 1999. "Information Sharing and Competition in the Motor Vehicle Industry," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 107(6), pages 1326-1364, December.
- Okuno-Fujiwara, Masahiro & Postlewaite, Andrew & Suzumura, Kotaro, 1990. "Strategic Information Revelation," Review of Economic Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(1), pages 25-47, January.
- Paul Milgrom & Robert J. Weber, 1981.
"A Theory of Auctions and Competitive Bidding,"
Discussion Papers
447R, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
- Milgrom, Paul R & Weber, Robert J, 1982. "A Theory of Auctions and Competitive Bidding," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 50(5), pages 1089-1122, September.
- Scott M. Fuess & Meghan Millea, 2002. "Do Employers Pay Efficiency Wages? Evidence from Japan," Journal of Labor Research, Transaction Publishers, vol. 23(2), pages 278-292, April.
- von Rheinbaben, Joachim & Ruckes, Martin, 2004. "The number and the closeness of bank relationships," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 28(7), pages 1597-1615, July.
- Werner Bönte & Lars Wiethaus, 2005. "Knowledge Transfer in Buyer-Supplier Relationships – When It (Not) Occurs," RWI Discussion Papers 0034, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung.
- Motohiro Morishima, 1991. "Information sharing and collective bargaining in Japan: Effects on wage negotiation," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 44(3), pages 469-485, April.
- Hau L. Lee & Kut C. So & Christopher S. Tang, 2000. "The Value of Information Sharing in a Two-Level Supply Chain," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 46(5), pages 626-643, May.
- Shapiro, Carl, 1986. "Exchange of Cost Information in Oligopoly," Review of Economic Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(3), pages 433-46, July.
- Ichniowski, Casey & Shaw, Kathryn & Prennushi, Giovanna, 1997. "The Effects of Human Resource Management Practices on Productivity: A Study of Steel Finishing Lines," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 87(3), pages 291-313, June.
- Lode Li, 2002.
"Information Sharing in a Supply Chain with Horizontal Competition,"
Yale School of Management Working Papers
ysm288, Yale School of Management.
- Lode Li, 2002. "Information Sharing in a Supply Chain with Horizontal Competition," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 48(9), pages 1196-1212, September.
- Morris M. Kleiner & Marvin L. Bouillon, 1988. "Providing business information to production workers: Correlates of compensation and profitability," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 41(4), pages 605-617, July.
CitationsCitations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
Cited by:
- Creane, Anthony & Davidson, Carl, 2011. "The trade-offs from pattern bargaining with uncertain production costs," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(2), pages 246-262, February.
- Mark R. Frascatore, 2011. "R&D Cost Sharing along the Supply Chain," International Journal of Business and Economics, College of Business, and College of Finance, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-11, April.
- Amir, Rabah & Jin, Jim Y. & Troege, Michael, 2010. "Robust results on the sharing of firm-specific information: Incentives and welfare effects," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(5), pages 855-866, September.
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A popgun offence was a major issue for the Vancouver Canucks in 2007-2008, so they went out and brought in some help to provide secondary scoring.
Numbers Game looks at Vancouver's additions to the forward ranks.
The Canucks Get: RW Steve Bernier, LW Pavol Demitra and C Kyle Wellwood
Bernier, 23, has loads of offensive potential, but has much room to improve after putting up career-highs of 16 goals and 32 points last season.
On one hand, Bernier uses his ample size (6-foot-2, 225 pounds) well on the forecheck, often banging bodies in the corners and he has nifty hands for a big guy, so it's easy to see why teams still see 30-goal potential in the 2003 first-round pick.
On the other hand, Bernier may be better served by trimming down and improving his conditioning so that he can handle a bigger role. In San Jose and Buffalo last year, Bernier only played 13:20 per game, so it's fair to think that, with improved conditioning, he could establish himself as a legitimate top six forward.
Without any other improvement, and just an increase in ice time to 16-17 minutes per game, Bernier should be good for 20 goals and 40 points, which would have been enough to finish fourth on the Canucks in 2007-2008. If he happens to generate some chemistry with new linemates and improves his conditioning, Bernier could be ready for a breakthrough campaign.
The price for Bernier, $2.5-million for one season, is more than the Canucks would like to pay, but they had little choice but to match St. Louis' offer sheet after dealing with the Sabres to land the promising power forward.
Buffalo could afford to let Bernier go because they were much deeper up front than on the blueline and, after acquiring picks from the Canucks, had the right package of picks to land Craig Rivet to bolster their own blueline.
33-year-old Pavol Demitra is undeniably talented, though he's among the more consistently injured scorers in the game, having missed 53 games over the last four seasons.
Furthermore, Demitra's 15 goals last season represented his lowest total since the fledgling days at the start of his career when he had seven goals in 31 games with the Senators in 1995-1996.
This decline may be attributed, to some degree, by playing in Minnesota, but it's not like the Canucks -- who scored ten fewer goals than the Wild last season -- suddenly represent a free-wheeling style that will turn Demitra's game around.
Demitra does have the high-end skill to play first-line minutes and the Canucks can reasonably expect 60 or so points out of him, which would more than make up for the departure of Markus Naslund (who scored 55 points in 82 games last season) at a cheaper rate.
There's good and bad involved in taking Demitra, but a two-year, $8-million deal is a reasonable price to pay for a team in need of an offensive injection.
Minnesota can hardly afford to lose Demitra's offence, and their off-season additions don't appear to add up to what they're losing, so the Canucks get the added bonus of taking a quality player away from a divisional opponent.
When it comes to Kyle Wellwood, there is a certain leap of faith required as he is coming off a terrible 2007-2008 season, during which he had 21 points and a minus-12 rating in 59 games.
While those numbers make Wellwood seem like a marginal NHLer his 42 points in 48 games the year before had him poised for a career as a top-six forward.
It can be disconcerting to hear a 25-year-old acknowledge that his work ethic hasn't been the best and that has contributed to the time that he's missed, as Wellwood did after the Canucks scooped him off waivers, but there's a self-awareness required that should provide a sense motivation for Wellwood to bounce back.
He's not strong enough and doesn't have great speed for a smaller player, but Wellwood has the smarts and puck skills to, at the very least, be an asset on the power play. More than half of his 108 career points have come with the man advantage and that alone could make him worth a shot.
In theory, Wellwood should have been a fit for the rebuilding Leafs, but it appears that the Leafs are effectively more interested in rolling the dice with a prospect like Mikhail Grabovski.
The Canucks were 23rd in the league in scoring last season and they've lost Brendan Morrison and Markus Naslund to free agency. Since the Sedins were the only other Canucks to average better than half-a-point per game, it's natural for Vancouver to make a concerted effort to address the offensive side of the ledger.
An additional deal for one more scoring forward may need to take place, but the Canucks are at least moving in the right direction with these additions.
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Who's that girl?' Read the headlines splashed on screen in The Artist as Hollywood ingénue Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) out-smiles screen idol George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) at the premiere of his latest film.
We might have directed a similar query at Michel Hazanavicius' homage to silent cinema when it crept into Cannes a year ago, a late competition entry from a director of two decent but modest spy spoofs (the OSS 117 movies).
Yet just as Peppy soars from mystery girl to screen-stealer, so The Artist was the stealthy charmer that slipped under the rope in 2011. It seemed like an Oscar shoo-in after Golden Globe and BAFTA triumphs, sure, but surprise success was otherwise one of this underdog's abundant pleasures. Which might explain why silence has shrouded one aspect of its awards sweep.
Where is the backlash? After all, gripes of a "royalist white-wash" nature followed the success of 2010's chattier The King's Speech. The Artist majors in perkiness, recalling another Frenchman's more divisive hit, Amélie, and tempting dsmissal as "an arthouse film for people who don't do arthouse films".
That it was backed by Weinsteins, the faux-indie heavies in Peter Biskind's industry exposé Down And Dirty Pictures, ought to exacerbate that gripe.
And it spawned about 100 "Silence is golden" headlines too many. You won't find a backlash, though, because Hazanavicius' cine-love letter doesn't betray the cynicism that might turn the above reasons into grounds for grumbling.
When James Cromwell's chauffeur Clifton warns a down-on-his- luck Valentin to drop his pride and embrace Peppy because she's a good 'un, he could be talking about The Artist: drop your guard and it really does look as guilelessly artful as it seems to be.
Sound choices
Sure, the story might be a bit too simple for its own good. Narcissistic but sweetly childlike hunk Valentin and peppy Peppy fall in love, only for her star to soar in the new era of talkies and his to fall as he bullishly refuses to vocalise.
At base it's a comic romance riding a broad moral curve (pride comes before a fall); the smile slapped all over its kisser tells us it won't end badly while background movie posters (Lonely Star, Guardian Angel) offer overobvious pointers for anyone who can't tell where it's going.
Yet Hazanavicius peppers its path with riches, and not just because he plays it as a silent movie. The 1:33 aspect ratio, 22 FPS shooting speed and swoon'n'boom Ludovic Bource score prove he knows his silent onions. But other directors – Finnish hangdog hero Aki Kaurismäki, Winnipeg wonder Guy Maddin – have made more radical revisits to the silents.
Cleverly, though, Hazanavicius uses silence as a theme, from George's manly marital reserve ("We have to talk, George...") to the mutt who can't speak ("If only he could talk...") yet manages to stress a sense of urgency anyway.
Sound is smartly deployed in the sequences accompanying Valentin's fear of the talkies, where the scrape of a glass heightens an expressionist nightmare like something out of The Twilight Zone.
The cast act likewise, providing perfect homages while adding something extra, fresh and alive. As George's wife, Penelope Ann Miller gives a masterclass in life-as-show as she emerges grimacing from behind a curtain to smile for her fans; James Cromwell matches his performance as Babe's Farmer Hoggett for taciturn tenderness. Yet there's no swiping the leads' glory.
Dujardin gives the perfect measure of a man whose life is all show while nailing the vulnerability that comes when he loses that crutch. Bejo pops with pep and delivers a standout moment when she embraces Valentin's suit, a lovely mime of understated dexterity and desire.
Nods and ends
Greta Garbo and John Gilbert circa 1926's haunt the George/Peppy The Artist. References rustled up include Metropolis, 7th Heaven, The Mark Of Zorro, The Man, Vertigo, Citizen Kane, Singin' In The Rain, In A Lonely Place, Sunset Blvd and The Lost Weekend.
The Artist might seem light next Blvd's stinging satire of Hollywood, as when a deliriously drunk George sees tiny tribesmen attacking him after he's made a junk jungle adventure. Yet charm and grace are Hazanavicius' keynotes: he's hewn his film from love, not anger.
You could say he's mounted a critique of how Hollywood is forever chasing the next new thing, a point well made by the fact that he conjures more memorable images than anything released in 3D recently (bar Hugo, whose warm cinephilia makes it a perfect companion piece). But it's the sheer exuberance of the thing that sticks with you, from Peppy's screen-packing smile to the flurries of the final dance.
The Artist doesn't mourn for what movies have lost: it reminds us that cinema can still come from the last place we expect and surprise us with pleasure.


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I bought 7 panels of these to do a clients living and dining rooms and they are beautiful. Has texture like Duponi silk without the price. All are lined and weighted at the bottom and hang beautifully.
I ordered these curtains for a window that overlooks a small lake. During the day, the curtains take on a slight blue/green sheen. The combination is beautiful.
My partner and I wanted to use these curtains as a room divider separating our entry way/bathroom/kitchen area (Brooklyn railroad apt) from our bedroom area. The curtains are just gorgeous and stunning---they go great with our silvery blue and ash white paint colors. Even though people on the entryway side see the back lining (white) of the curtains---they still look amazing---they block a lo of food odors wafting from our open kitchen and insulate a lot of heat from our radiators keeping our bedroom area toasty...the curtains look and feel like silk despite their 'faux' and more affordable materials.
Love the color and the weight of the curtain. They are a little pricey, but you get what you pay for.
These are elegant drapes for price. The color is perfect. They were very easy to iron and look perfect in the master bedroom and living room. I recommend them with no reservations.
This curtain says its a silver color....NOT TRUE.....the Silver curtains I received look like a green......wasn't even close to being silver....have to return
after ordering and returning five other drapes, these complement my bedroom makeover perfectly. they hang and drape well, . I combined these with several other overstock pieces. Wish O had a gallery page to see show the beautiful results
Really nice quality drapes. Would definitely recommend them
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Art, Music and Theatre
Blaffer Art Museum120 Fine Arts Building
Nestled in the Fine Arts Building, Blaffer is a contemporary art museum dedicated to fostering the careers and understanding of emerging, mid-career, and underrepresented artists and bodies of work through exhibitions, publications, and public programs.
Blaffer's myriad educational programs include public lectures, artist's talks, docent tours, audio guides, and youth programs such as Studio Saturday, Summer Arts, and our award-winning Young Artist Apprenticeship Program. Each semester, the Blaffer Student Association hosts a free party in the Fine Arts Courtyard. The event features complimentary food, drinks, museum tours, and activities with prizes awarded.
Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is closed Sundays, Mondays, University of Houston holidays, and during exhibition installations (visit the website or call to confirm). All exhibitions and related programs are free and open to the public. The museum is ADA compliant.
To stay informed of museum exhibitions and events, find Blaffer on Facebook (facebook.com/blaffer) or on Twitter (@BlafferMuseum)
Cullen Performance Hall713-743-5186
Cullen Performance Hall is a 1,544 seat proscenium theater located near Entrance 1. The hall routinely handles a wide variety of events sponsored by departments and organizations at the University of Houston in addition to contemporary music concerts, opera, modern dance, and theatrical performances put on by groups in and outside the Houston area.
Rebecca and John J. Moores School of Music120 Moores School of Music Building
Tickets: 713-743-3313
The Rebecca and John J. Moores School of Music presents concerts in various campus venues–Dudley Recital Hall and the Organ Recital Hall in the Fine Arts Building and in the Moores Opera House and Choral Recital Hall in the music building. Students have a broad choice of musical events from opera to jazz with performers including students, faculty, and guest artists.
School of Theatre and DanceWortham Theatre
Tickets: 713-743-2929
The School of Theatre and Dance offers a subscription series of five plays each year. Works by classical and modern dramatists, as well as new musical collaborators, are seen by theatre fans in full productions or "gypsy run-throughs."
For those who wish to perform, there are opportunities in all areas. Instrumentalists may perform in bands, jazz ensembles, and orchestra. Singers have a choice of choral ensembles, opera, or musical theatre.
For beginning students in music, courses in class voice and class piano are offered, and for those who have an interest in theatre, a beginning acting class is a popular introduction to the stage. For audition information or to make further inquiries about classes, contact one of the offices listed above


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Mastering the Grading System: What Every Parent Should Know
- Monday, May 10, 2010
- Research at least six indoor games that are appropriate for the children.
- Teach the games to children during the wait time before Sunday School starts.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of each activity.
Teachers' editions of textbooks are very helpful when writing objectives. You don't have to use everything that is printed there, but the time you save by skimming over the ideas will be well worth your effort. A teacher's guide usually offers valuable assistance in figuring out the formulas by which you will determine final grades for courses, i.e. answering questions about how much weight you should assign to tests vs. quizzes vs. practice drills vs. rough drafts, etc. when averaging the final grade. Since every course is different, most teachers' editions for textbooks also provide a sense of direction for how the material was intended to be used, what information is deemed essential, and what is considered optional according to conventional school standards.
Finally, objectives should not be limited to what educators call "the cognitive domain" (or exercises with the mind). Be sure to apply the knowledge that you want your children to accumulate in practical ways that are demonstrated in "the affective domain" (expressed by the heart with attitudes and feelings) and "the psychomotor domain" (things we produce with physical activity).
5. Wise teachers refuse to be intimidated in the grading process.
Ironically, the same issues that worry home educators also trouble professional educators—so take courage from the fact that formal education credentials don't guarantee concrete answers to all the questions. Parents often ask, "How do I know that my grades are the same as everyone else's grades?" The answer is simple: No one's grades exactly match another person's grades. In fact, no human being is able to evaluate consistently from day to day or week to week. That is why we establish guidelines, write objectives, read an essay two or three times with some space in between the readings, have a prepared evaluation rubric at hand for scoring purposes, and occasionally ask for a second opinion from a trusted friend or colleague. It does take some effort to achieve internal consistency!
Both parents and teachers are also concerned about inflation and deflation of grades. Our culture tends to err on the side of assigning grades that are often too high in order to help students improve their self-image and encourage academic interest. Some authorities are fearful that giving a "bad grade" will result in litigious retribution or classroom rebellion, and others are anxious to a fault that their students like them. There are also home-educating parents who are fearful of listing all the A's a child has indeed earned, lest the transcript be questioned as a demonstration of nepotism, along with others who say, "I could never give my child a bad grade." In every case the inflation or deflation of the student's grade reflects an erroneous understanding of the whole evaluation process. As educators we do not "give" children grades. Our responsibility is to record the grades they have earned and to make the evaluation process as accurate as possible by establishing clear goals for each educational task in advance.
The educational process—wherever it takes place—requires identification of three things: what the student needs to learn (objectives), how he/she will go about learning it (methods and materials), and how we all will know that the learning has taken place (evaluation). Grading is both a science and an art. As every great chef knows, a good recipe is tweaked through lots of culinary experiences. The dish may vary slightly every time it is served, but the "proof of the pudding" and the reliability of the kitchen increase with conscientious practice. Many of the tasks that take enormous concentration at the outset become automatic with repetition while discernment and confidence improve. You can become a master at evaluation and grading!
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Hidden away in one of Lodi's many side alleys is a parking structure with a green side.
The parking awning behind the law offices of Marshall and Marshall is topped with photovoltaic modules that collect Lodi's bright sunshine and convert it into electricity.
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Women with early stage breast cancer now have a new treatment option available to help reduce recurrence of the disease. The new treatment uses a miniaturized X-ray source that can deliver localized and targeted radiation treatment in virtually any clinical setting under the supervision of a radiation oncologist. Rush is the first medical center in the Midwest, and the second in the country, to treat breast cancer patients using the Xoft system.
"This approach provides the potential to reduce the time required for radiation therapy for early stage breast cancer from seven weeks (for external radiation therapy) down to five days. As a result, more patients may decide to receive treatment. This may accelerate patient choice of breast sparing lumpectomy surgery with adjuvant radiation therapy over the alternative of a full mastectomy," says surgeon Kambiz Dowlat, MD.
With the new electronic brachytherapy system the cancer treatment is delivered in 10 to 15 minutes, two times a day, for five days straight. Recent studies have shown that many patients decide not to receive breast-sparing surgery with radiation therapy due to time, distance or difficulty accessing radiation therapy centers.
Dowlat says a key component that sets the electronic brachytherapy apart from radiation regimens that involve radioactive isotopes, is that the X-ray source can be turned on and off at will, enabling it to be delivered in virtually any clinical setting rather than in heavily shielded environments. "The result is on-demand X-ray treatments that we expect will result in increased access to critical radiation therapy," says Dowlat.
Radiation therapy is used to treat more than one million cancer patients a year. It is administered after breast-sparing surgery with the goal of killing stray cancer cells that might remain in the breast. It is proven to reduce the rate of local recurrences and improve long-term survival.
Data from several randomized controlled clinical studies has demonstrated that radiation therapy is an essential component of treatment for breast cancer when the patient wishes to conserve her breast with lumpectomy surgery as opposed to undergoing a full mastectomy.
"We have incorporated electronic brachytherapy into our breast cancer arsenal because we strongly believe that this technology represents a leap forward in cancer treatment," says Dowlat. "However, as important as the clinical benefits are, the true breakthrough may relate to improved access to a critical therapy that is delivered more easily and conveniently. We hope this encourages women who may have opted for mastectomy or lumpectomy without radiation therapy to explore breast conserving treatment options with their breast surgeon and radiation oncologist."
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Please note: All physicians featured in Discover Rush Online are on the medical faculty of Rush University Medical Center. Some of the physicians featured are in private practice and, as independent practitioners, are not agents or employees of Rush University Medical Center.
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Ni Hao China
... lunch. It was so handy having a fully decked our kitchen complete with oven, microwave, cutlery, plates, fridge and freezer. We heated it up a bit more to kill off any Chinese bugs and sat down to our little lunch smorgasbord. After lunch we went for, what was becoming, our regular afternoon swim. We had planned to walk to the Canton tower at night to see it all lit up but in the early evening there was a massive thunderstorm. There was huge amounts of lightning and thunder ...
China Days 10, 11, 12
... went to the pearl factory! I got my pearl ring that I've wanted for the longest time. Everybody got a little something. After the pearl factory, we went to Elephant Trunk Hill. We then made our way back to the hotel for our tour's farewell dinner. We said goodbye to our tour guides and the other families we would no longer be traveling with. We also got to watch some local kid performers. One little boy played drums like you wouldn't believe! ...
Guangzhou markets and Travel to Guilin
... of the games. The stadium has never been used since the games and is now a place that tourists visit. Also near by was a fountain that was choreographed to music and a museum. The museum had a display on North American Indians :-) In this area, Jim was surrounded by a group of teenagers that wanted to get their picture with him. Seems I married a rock star... We left Guangzhou to fly to Guilin (pronounced gway lyn). Mia ended up with headache but was a ...
Hannah's City
... both orphanages, the girls were called by their Chinese names. We were greeted by the Doctor, the Nurse (both cared for Hannah), the Director and another Assistant Director. A special part of the meeting happened when they told us this was the Doctor that gave Hannah her Chinese name, which means strong and beautiful. This was a special moment for us and we told him that he had named her well! They asked questions of Hannah and answered our questions. This portion ...
Today we traveled to Hannah's City, Guangzhou. We took the bullet train from Yueyang to Guangzhou and discovered it was a wonderful way to travel. The train was a great opportunity to see more of the country side then we have been seen by flying. Since Guangzhou was the very last stop, we figured that we would know it was time to get off the train when we were the last ones sitting there. However, announcements were also in English, which was ...


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Oh gee. Didn't get a chance to ride my bike last weekend. Crazy weahter in Texas. We received 8 inches of snow and it that is very unusual for this part of Texas. Actually I think it is very unusual for any part of Texas.
Anyway I managed to get out yesterday but for only a quick 20.57 mile ride. It's pouring rain outside now but hopefully it will clear out by this afternoon. I felt really good yesterday. My legs were burning which was okay because it made me push harder.
I am going to make an effort to ride Wednesday night with the group. Anyway that is all for now going to make an egg white omelette with some green peppers, tomatoes, and little bit of cheese. So enjoy the winter pictures and keep peddling.


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"The situation will stabilize very soon as by Wednesday evening all the filling stations will have enough petrol."
Related quotes
"Four of our stations ran out of at least one grade of gas (on Wednesday) before we could get them supplied again. You can only respond so quickly."
"My secretary stopped and got gas (Wednesday) for $2.67. (Yesterday at) the same gas station, she got gas again. It was $3.12, ... It has really gotten very, very restrictive to people. It's really hurting. ... My impression, of course, is that they have certainly gone up more than they should have."
"Following Saturdays results the situation is very clear - we need to win on Wednesday and if we win there is no doubt we will at least reach the play offs,"


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Following in the footsteps of the San Francisco Giants, the SFPD became the first police department across the nation to release its own "It Gets Better" video, in hopes to help put an end to LGBT bullying.
Following in the footsteps of the San Francisco Giants, the SFPD became the first police department across the nation to release its own "It Gets Better" video, in hopes to help put an end to LGBT bullying.
Being subjected to bullying and violence as children and teenagers makes gay people unusually vulnerable to depression and despair. The homophobes then use that depression and despair to claim that homosexuality is inherently a miserable state – and we shouldn't do anything that might "encourage" it.Johann Hari, a writer with UK-based The Independent
Day 14:
Write about something you believe in, anything at all.
Something I believe in is Gay Rights. Since my late teens I've done any and everything to protect the gay community. I've lost friends, came close to some serious physical fights, been singled out, made fun of and suspended from school… didn't matter to me though!
When I was a teen there was a boy named Matthew Shepard, he was gay and in college. There were these two boys that lacked commonsense and decency… long story short, they beat, tortured and left him tied to a fence overnight. After a few days Matthew passed away and from that day on, I vowed to do whatever I could to respect and protect the gay community. I no longer used gay hate words and no longer let people recite them around me… I stood up to kids in school, random people on the streets and especially my closed minded family. After all these years I haven't changed at all when it comes to this topic; if anything, I'm even more rigorous and vicious in my quest of equality and protection for them.
I am not putting up with this anymore. I am not going to be harassed by them every single day. I deserve the same amount of respect and consideration as every other person in the world. These kids need to realize how much their words can hurt. And they need to be educated. So if I have to stand up in front of that classroom full of 9th graders and say "Yes, I'm a lesbian." then I will. Because they only bully out of ignorance.
Becky Collins and her gay son Zach describe a pattern of LGBT bullying that lead to a brutal attack.
UW-Madison senior Colton Boettcher unveiled a music video on Thursday, Jan. 26, that promotes the message of the "It Gets Better" Project, an Internet-based support group for LGBT teens that arose after a series of gay teen suicides in 2010.
Raised in an extremist Christian household, assaulted in classroom with a teacher present, Eric James Borges, 19, of Visalia, Calif., was repeatedly bullied, tormented and terrorized for the duration of his childhood and teen years.
Exorcisms, beatings and extreme Christianity pervaded his young life and did not "cure" him. "Disgusting, perverted, unnatural and going to hell" is what his parents told him as he was kicked out of his home.
Just last month, EricJames made a video for the "It Gets Better" project, a campaign that features personal hope-filled videos to LGBT teens to get them through difficult times. Although he said "it gets better" and asked other teens to " never give up," he could not live through the extensive damage to his psyche and the pain that life had brought to him.
On Jan., 14, 2012, EricJames committed suicide, shocking his friends and his co-workers at The Trevor Project. SDGLN Contributor Melanie Nathan attended one of his funerals, and obtained a copy of one of his suicide notes that gives insight on what he was thinking. This is her exclusive story.
The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) will share its new PSA campaign targeting anti-LGBT language among teens with Super Bowl attendees at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday. The award-winning "Think Before You Speak" campaign features stars Hilary Duff, Wanda Sykes and the NBA's Grant Hill.
Read more about this and see a video on The Huffington Post.
If you are the victim of bullying, it can be hard to speak up due to the fear of repercussions—it takes a lot of courage, but speak up you must. Try to de-escalate the confrontation by verbally expressing to the bully that you won't stand to be treated in such a way—never resort to violence. Make an adult or someone in authority aware of the situation so that proper punishment and apologies can be made.
If you witness someone else being bullied, looking the other way will do nothing but hamper efforts to make anti-LGBT bullying a thing of the past. Take charge for someone who might not be able to take charge for themselves—you could be saving someone's life.
- Mark Weikel, who writes about issues in the LGBT community.
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The Juvenile Justice Information Exchange provides continuing information focused on juvenile justice issues and shines a spotlight on the system's strengths and weaknesses.
This blog will cover issues related to juvenile bullying and discrimination in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
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Lindsay Oberst.
Posts, follows, re-blogs, likes and comments are not endorsements.
We also cover youth addiction and human trafficking issues.


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Go on a safari on your vacation! Observe animals and wildlife on our Belize safari tours. Our safari trips are a great overland journey. Take amazing photography on our wildlife tours. See wild animals up close in their natural habitats on our Belize wildlife trips. Our safari vacations are an exciting adventure for any animal lover or outdoor enthusiast. Browse our Belize safaris and plan your wildlife vacation today!
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Arusha, Belize Wildlife & Safari Tours - We are specialists for mount Meru and Kilimanjaro treks,also we arrange wildlife safaris to different national parks like,Lake Manyara,Tarangire,Ngorongoro crater,Serengetietc.
Belize, Belize Eco Tours - fly fishing for Permit Bone fish and Tarpon on the flats site casting wade fishing a 20 minutes run to the flats from Hopkins Village plan your next genuine Caribbean getaway today! We are one of the world best fly fishing destinations.
Belmopan, Belize Eco Tours - Belize Adventure Vacation of a lifetime discovering the Rainforests of Central America and Tropical Caribbean Islands of Belize from our Private Jungle Lodge or the Tropical Island Resorts.
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Placencia, Belize Hotels & Resorts - Located on the the Placencia Peninsula in southern Belize, the award-winning Robert's Grove Beach Resort, is a comfortable, beautifully appointed property set amidst 22 acres of tropical, art-filled gardens and sandy beach.
Corozal, Belize Bed & Breakfasts - Serenity Sands is a comfortable, environmentally friendly Bed and Breakfast. We are off grid, utilizing sustainable living principles to provide, pleasant, individual service, chemical & cruelty free products throughout.
Toledo, Belize Scuba & Snorkeling - Remote Caribbean island offering Marine Conservation SCUBA holidays. Learn to dive or further your PADI qualifications in crystal clear Caribbean waters. Boat leaves Mon returns Fri; food, accommodation & diving included. Free PADI Open Water course!
Belize, Belize Fishing Trips - fly fishing in Belize permit tarpon bone fish on the flats site casting, plan your next genuine Caribbean getaway today! We are one of the world best fly fishing destinations we caters to the discriminating fly
Punta Gorda, Belize Cultural Experience - Warasa Garifuna Drum School welcomes you to a fun and authentic way of experiencing the fascinating and unique Garifuna culture with hands-on lessons and demonstrations in traditional drumming, drum-making, dancing and singing.
Caye Caulker Island, Belize Hotels & Resorts - Barefoot Beach Belize Resort is a modern beach front resort featuring tropically decorated rooms, suites, and cottages steps from the water's edge with all the comforts of home. Our sun decks, dock tikihut, and hammocks are the envy of the island.


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Up To £30 Free Matched Bet
Jamie Lowry's proposed move to Crewe Alexandra has been placed on hold due to concerns over the midfielder's troublesome knee.
The 25-year-old spent two months on loan with the Alex last season after being sidelined for two years following cruciate ligament surgery.
And the former Chesterfield man, now a free agent, impressed manager Steve Davis, who is keen to bring him back to Gresty Road.
"Jamie had the medical, which all players who sign are subject to, and we also had a scan on his knee to check it out," Davis told The Sentinel.
"Our physio said there were one or two things in there which were a little bit concerning, so I'm having another conversation with him to see where we go from here.
"I like Jamie and he can bring something to the football club, but we have to judge that against the decisions of the consultant."


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It's been a long road for JJ Watt from delivering pizzas to leading one of the NFL's top defenses while making a case for defensive player of the year honors. But it's a road that lit the fire in the soul of a player determined to succeed.
2008 was an embarrassing year for the player Pewaukee (Wis.) residents knew as the dominating tight end who had gone on to Central Michigan and started as a true freshman. It was the same year JJ left school because he was playing tight-end in an offense that essentially used him as an extra blocker instead of a weapon. Despite Central Michigan being the one spot he had a chance to play after many teams overlooked the high school senior recovering from mono and barely weighing 215, JJ had to change his situation.
JJ wanted to transfer to the University of Wisconsin – a move that he'd have to make as a walk-on. His parents could only afford to help him for one year. JJ made the decision – he would earn a scholarship after one year or quit, get a job, and just be a student. In order to qualify for Wisconsin, JJ had to earn six credits at a local community college. It was there he doubled as a pizza delivery man for Pizza Hut. Coworkers and friends laughed at the idea of their delivery man playing at the local Big Ten school.
They said he was "too small to compete." Those words provided the gasoline on a spirit already full of fire and determined to find a way to play for the Badgers. JJ wasn't going to be content, he wanted more. So JJ made the decision to compete for his future. He worked out like a madman and ate to grow. By the time he left for Wisconsin, he weight a whopping 280 pounds and was ready to line up on the defensive line.
Once he arrived in Madison, JJ treated every practice snap as if it were the Super Bowl.
"When JJ walked in the door, you couldn't have anticipated him doing what he did. But once he got on scout team, you could see he was going to be a force. He took advantage of every little bit of coaching he got," said Wisconsin defensive line coach Charlie Partridge.
JJ earned his scholarship a year later and then spent four years destroying Big Ten offenses. JJ racked up multiple accolades and was drafted 11th overall by the Houston Texans in the 2011 NFL Draft.
AFC South teams are learning what Big Ten offenses learned the past four years – JJ Watt is a beast. This year, through five games, JJ is dominating the NFL from his defensive end position, with 26 tackles, 8 pass deflections, and 8.5 sacks. He's leading the field for the NFL's best defensive player this year – and we're only 5 games in. He will be relied upon even more now that teammate and rising star linebacker Brian Cushing is out for the year with an injury.
All of this because JJ chose to compete when others said he was too small and his goals were too lofty. The next time critics choose to tell you what is "reality," choose to show them otherwise. Choose to compete like JJ Watt.


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St. Armands Key Lutheran welcomes its new pastor
Date: October 21, 2009
by: Dora Walters
St. Armands Key Lutheran Church held an impressive installation service Oct. 18 for its new pastor, the Rev. Mark A. Bernthal. Taking part were former pastors, the Revs. Eric Wogen, Bob Zimmer and William Nies. Clergymen from Longboat Key also took part in the service.
Bernthal was formerly pastor of the Lamb of God Lutheran Church, in Haines City, for 18 years. He succeeds Wogen, who retired last year.
Following the service, parishioners attended a dinner at the Bird Key Yacht Club hosted by Virginia Toulmin.
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25 Business After Hours Networking Event
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Mar Vista begins dock construction
Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub is on track to have a new dock by the end of October.
Aren't you barracuda?
Steven Herich, of Beach Fishing Adventures, recently caught a 30-pound, 52-inch barracuda.
Donation creates summer camp gift
A donation from St. Armands Key Lutheran Church's senior ministry recently made it possible for 13 children to attend Dollar Dynasty's educational summer camp.


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There are two types of glass referred to in optics,
which are crown glass and Flint glass. Crown glass is the clearer of the two and is most commonly used. However, glass in general is the clearest material of all the mediums.
The index of crown glass is generally between 1.50 to
1.60. Where flint glass is the denser of the two ranging
between 1.57 to 1.75. In multi-focal lenses (bifocal & trifocal) both crown and flint maybe used because of the different refraction scale.
The most common composition of a glass multifocal lens
includes having a segment usually made of flint glass to be completely immersed within the other
glass, usually crown glass, giving a seamless surface
and two different prescription ranges. Crown glass is the clearest material with an Abbe Value of 59. Theoretically speaking, the higher the index of refraction the lower the Abbe Value will be.
Pros and Cons of a
glass lens
Clearest material on Abbe
Value between 39 to 59
At its natural state it is
thicker than poly and other high index lenses.
Heaviest material
Works very well with anti
reflective Coating
May chip or Break
All images and
literature above are Copy written by Solis Inc. Any use
with out the written consent
of Solis Inc. is strictly prohibited.
All literature on
this website is strictly for reference. Specifications
for individual needs may vary. Please consult with a
doctor or licensed Optician to accommodate individual


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Do's & Don'ts of Social Media
Do's of Social Media
- Do look for the ways to expand your networks
- Networking should be fun
- Join groups/chats & particpate
- Incorporate keywords into your bio (i.e. the industry that you would like to work in)
- Know what you want and what you can offer
- Plan your requests and make them reasonable
- How can you help your contacts in return? Make sure this favor is deliverable.
- Do contact individuals privately also (such as direct messaging on Twitter and InMail on LinkedIn)
- This helps to establish a more personal connection
- Talk about the common link between the two of you
- Be friendly yet, respectful and brief
- Be clear about your request - if you have one
- Do follow-up regularly
- Keep your contacts up to date on what you are doing professionally
- Be kind, non-intrusive, specific, and action-oriented
- Do try a variety of social media sites - each one has a different purpose
- Find the one(s) that will serve you and your intentions the best
- There are the big sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
- Also sites such as Ning where you create your own Social Network, industry specfic (i.e. adgabber.com for advertising, communication or media, or Ryze.com for the business field), or hobby specific such as Goodreads for book lovers.
- Do have fun!
Don'ts of Social Media
- Don't connect to everyone
- Make sure connections support your networking intentions
- Don't spend time online on your boss's dime - unless it's okay
- Don't get yourself fired
- Be smart with what you put out into the world online


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Kwadir Felton was 18-years-old when he was shot in the head by undercover Newark New Jersey Police Officer Timothy McVicar. Kwadir went blind and has a cyst on his brain as a result of the damage done by the gunshot wound. The officer stated that in 2010 he was sitting in a car during a drug investigation when he heard a live round click into a handgun that's when he shot Kwadir who he said was aiming a gun at him. Kwadir was then arrested and charged with a long list of crimes from "Conspiracy and intent to distribute to aggravated assault."
Kwadir says that he was unarmed and never carried a gun and that the officer shot him for no reason. In December of 2013 Kwadir was found Guilty on all the charges he recieved even though the officer was caught contradicting himself with his testimony and admitted to tampering with evidence. Officer McVicar admitted to moving the gun before CSI arrived after stating that he didn't touch anything. Since the incident Kwadir has also been harassed and made fun of by police as they drove by and he sat on his front porch. He and his Mother broke down after hearing the verdict of guilty and they are now looking for a new trial because the overwhelming evidence is in his favor. Kwadir tried to kill himself from loss of desire and the depression of losing his eye sight along with the pain of the cyst on his brain. Kwadir fought through it and gained confidence back and he now aspires to teach the blind one day.
In America the "War on Drugs" is really a War on Black people as it unfairly targets us more so than anyone else. Also historically the word of a Black person doesn't mean shit against a system that's always been racist. This type of thing happens all the time and you never hear about it. In this case Kwadir survived and has evidence on his side which is not how it usually goes when these atrocities happen and they try to cover it up. He would normally just get killed and written off as another Black criminal who deserved it and viewed as if his Life wasn't worth shit anyway. That's far from True though, So before you judge wipe your eyes and see shit for what it really is.
Written By: @Champion_Us
#SanCophaLeague #Racism #PoliceBrutality


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Tealet: Startup in a Cup
Tealet connects growers and tea lovers to save tea farms around the world. Pretty ambitious for a four-person startup that's not even two years old.
By Ashley Shaffer
(page 3 of 3)
Tealet Samples:
Misty Peak Tea SiP PEace Yiwu, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China
LongWu Dragon Well Green Tea LongWu, Hangzhou, China
Kyoto Obubu Tea Plantations Kyoto, Japan
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Getty Images
June 18, 2012
Brazilians perform capoeira at the Rio + 20 counter summit or "People's Summit" in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The People's Summit is financed by the Brazilian government and involves 200 ecological groups and social organizations. Over 100 heads of state and tens of thousands of participants and protesters will descend on Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 20-22 for the high-level portion of the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development or "Earth Summit." Host Brazil is caught up in its own dilemma between accelerated growth and environmental preservation. The Brazilian Amazon, home to 60 percent of the world's largest forest and 20 percent of the Earth's oxygen, remains threatened by the accelerated development of the country. The summit aims to overcome years of deadlock over environmental concerns and marks the 20th anniversary of the landmark Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, which delivered the Climate Convention and a host of other promises. Brazil is now the world's sixth largest economy and is set to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics.
Hartford Courant, 285 Broad Street, Hartford, CT 06115


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- What is Mental Illness?
- More information on specific mental health diagnoses
- Mental Health and Medication
- What is Mental Illness?
- A mental illness can be defined as a health condition that changes a person's thinking, feelings, or behavior (or all three), and that causes the person distress and difficulty functioning. As with many diseases, mental illness is severe in some cases and mild in others. Individuals who have a mental illness don't necessarily look like they are sick, especially if their illness is mild.
- From: Mental Health America
- Mental Health and Medication
- Mental Disorders can be treated with medication. Sometimes called psychotropic or psychotherapeutic medications, they have changed the lives of people with mental disorders for the better. Many people with mental disorders live fulfilling lives with the help of these medications. Without them, people with mental disorders might suffer serious and disabling symptoms.
- How are medications used to treat mental disorders?
Medications treat the symptoms of mental disorders. They cannot cure the disorder, but they make people feel better so they can function. Medications work differently for different people. Some people get great results from medications and only need them for a short time. For example, a person with depression may feel much better after taking a medication for a few months, and may never need it again. People with disorders like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, or people who have long-term or severe depression or anxiety may need to take medication for a much longer time. Some people get side effects from medications and other people don't. Doses can be small or large, depending on the medication and the person.
- Factors that can affect how medications work in people include:
- Type of mental disorder, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia
- Age, sex, and body size
- Physical illnesses
- Habits like smoking and drinking
- Liver and kidney function
- Genetics
- Other medications and herbal/vitamin supplements
- Diet
- Whether medications are taken as prescribed.
More information:
Campus Resources:
Health ServiceHealth Service
Gay East Entrance, Lower Level
Health Services is an outpatient health care facility providing service to UMM students, assuring them on-campus access to physicians and nursing staff, medical treatment, routine laboratory tests, immunizations, and some prescription drugs. Health Services will be able to refer students to community resources for more complex mental health needs.
Student CounselingStudent Counseling
235 Behmler
Student Counseling helps students cope with mental illnesses, recover from alcohol or drug abuse, and manage any type of personal crises or stress. Student Counseling also deals with emergencies, such as suicide threats and sexual assault. After hours, students in need of emergency services can call campus police at 589-1155, or 911.
International StudentsInternational Student Program
Multi Ethnic Resource Center 115
The International Student Program advises students on many issues such as immigration, academics, adjusting to the United States, and other matters that affect international students. ISP is also a resource to faculty and staff for consultation on issues pertaining to international students.
Community Resources:
Stevens Community Medical CenterStevens Community Medical Center
400 East 1st Street
Morris MN, 56267
4 blocks from campus
Map »
Stevens Community Medical Center (SCMC) treats a full range of medical issues through clinic appointments, urgent care, emergency and hospital services. SCMC is located 4 blocks from campus.