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For Keeps
For Keeps, an Austin & Ally one-shot
Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally. This is a combination of two different ideas, so hopefully you all like it. Review saying what you think, and remember requests are open for Auslly and Klaine!
Ally stands upon the very tips of her toes, wrapping her arms around his neck. It's a common occurrence, her reaching up, and him crouching down, enveloping each other. And as much as she loves the feeling of his arms around her, she can only last so long on the tips of her toes.
That afternoon she heads over to the shoe store.
And as she counts out her change she can only wonder one thing.
What has she gotten herself into?
The next morning she rolls out of bed. She goes through her usual routine. It's the same cereal, the same shower and blow dry.
She fiddles with her hair. In the front. Behind the shoulders. In the front.
She's starting to think it isn't the placement that needs changing. Maybe a new haircut? Straightening? Dying it purple?
Okay, it was definitely not the last one.
She leaves it down, shaking it out. May the strands land where they may.
Except for that one in her face. It's got to move.
She returns to her bedroom, where the bag from the shoe store is still sitting in front of her closet, right where she left it last night. With a nudge of her foot, she moves it out-of-the-way.
The switch gets flicked on. She looks at all of her clothes. Sorted by type. Tops left, bottoms right, dresses center. Sorted by style. Formal to casual to oh-my-gosh-it-is-too-hot-for-clothes-right-now.
And of course, sorted by color.
Just to be thorough.
Normally this is a good thing. She knows what she wants, and where to find it. But today, it is not a good thing.
It's a terrible thing.
Because she knows what outfits go with what shoes. Every pair, lined up along the wall. Every pair but this pair.
She goes back into her room to get the shoes out. The box slides out of the bag. It falls to the ground with a thud. The receipt follows.
Maybe she should just return them.
Then again, they would go perfectly with her blue skirt.
She pulls off the price tag.
The page breaks here.
Instead of going straight to the mall, she stops by the hair salon. The walls are covered in pictures. Bleach blondes. Asymmetrical bobs. Cornrows.
It's enough to make her want to turn around and leave.
"Can I help you?"
"Um, yes. Can I have a haircut?" She asks, checking the clock on the wall. It's still pretty early.
"Come with me." The hairstylist drops her pen, and gets up. She ducks down to spit her gum in the trash. Ally takes it as a good sign. Better the trash than in her hair.
She lets the stylist sit her down and wrap a smock around her. The chair gets raised. "So what are you looking to do with your hair today?"
Ally looks at her reflection in the mirror. She had wanted something new. A new her. Now she's not so sure.
"Just a trim," she sighs. Her shoulders droop.
"You don't sound too sure about that," the stylist replies, stepping in front of her.
She thinks for a second. This is a start of the newly improved Ally. The Ally that takes risks, and steps outside of her comfort zone. The Ally who is not returning her new three-inch wedges, despite the fact that they are a full inch taller than the rest of her collection and she will probably fall on her face.
"I want to do something new, but I don't know what," she explains. She takes a deep breath, and with it, a leap of faith. "How about you surprise me? Just nothing too out there."
The stylist takes out her scissors. "Just close your eyes, and I'll let you know when it's all over."
The page breaks here.
When the stylist turns her chair towards the mirror, there's that feeling of apprehension. Her heart races and she questions why she gave a complete stranger free reign over her. She opens her eyes.
Oh, that's why.
"Do you like it?"
"I love it," she replies as the stylist removes the smock.
She can only hope her friends like it too.
She finds Trish, who's filling out a job application at one of the tables.
"Hey Ally," she says as she sees her nearing the table.
"Hey Trish." She places her hands on the back of the chair. It's not like she doesn't want to talk to her best friend, but she's already an hour late, and she hates to keep her dad waiting.
Trish pulls out a stack of papers. Her resume.
"You're later than usual this morning. Your dad was looking for you."
She knew she was right. "I should probably get going then. I'll see you later?"
"Later," she calls out to Ally's retreating back.
No mention of hair or shoes.
Well, she had been busy. Maybe she hadn't noticed.
She makes her way to the Sonic Boom. Her dad is talking to Austin and Dez.
"Sorry boys, I haven't seen her since breakfast." Mr. Dawson shrugs. "Wait, there she is now."
They turn around. Dez scratches his chin.
"There's something different about Ally."
"She got her hair done." He steps towards her, pulling a strand from her face to examine the color.
Dez shakes head. "No that's not it."
She smiles. At least someone had noticed.
"I know, she's taller!" He measures her height against Austin's. Three inches taller.
"It's the shoes," she comments, sticking out her foot. She nearly loses her balance, and he reaches out to catch her.
That's when she sees it. Or rather them. The two brown eyes, blinking back at her. She's not on her toes. She's flat on her feet, and if she tilts her head up ever so slightly, and him down, everything lines up. Their eyes, their noses.
Their mouths.
She ignores that last detail.
He isn't letting go of her. His hand is still on her back, his other in hers. She needs to say something, anything.
"You were looking for me?"
"Yeah." He slowly retracts the arm around her back. She hangs onto his hand.
This new Ally has more courage than old Ally.
Maybe Austin was starting to rub off on her.
The page breaks here.
It's summer again. And Austin is so glad. No more tests or pop quizzes. No more waking up early to shower (which he does, but at a more humane time of the morning) and go to school.
No more study dates with Ally.
Well, not dates really, since they aren't together, for some reason he has yet to discover. Because he refuses to believe the reason is that he is to chicken to ask her out. Which he is, but she has just as much right as him to ask him out. And so far she hasn't, so either she is chicken, or she doesn't like him the way he likes her.
It's easier not to think about it.
Each day, there had been a fun fact. One thing that he had learned from their study date. Henry the Eighth married six women, three Catherines, all of different spelling. 3,4,5 was the smallest Pythagorean triple. Fairies can fall in love with donkeys, at least if Shakespeare was writing the play.
And now, school has been out for seventeen hours, and he's awake, looking up fun facts on the internet.
Because fun facts actually are fun.
Not that he'd ever admit that to Ally.
She's organizing the display of CDs, so he sneaks up behind her. He presses his hands against her sides. "Morning Ally."
She jumps.
"Austin, you scared me."
"Sorry." He pauses and wraps her in a hug. "Did you know Cherophobia is a fear of fun?"
She pulls back. "What?"
"Cherophobia. The fear of having fun. Y'know, not being all uptight all the time." He lets her go.
"I am not uptight." He taps a cd so the stack goes crooked. She frowns at it.
One second, two.
She straightens the cd.
"That doesn't prove anything." She crosses her arms.
"I know." He smiles, unwinding her arms.
He always has fun with her.
The page breaks here.
The next day he comes to Sonic Boom with two boxes of animal crackers. He sets them on the counter.
She's with a customer so he doesn't interrupt her. He opens the package, pulling out a camel.
"What's with the animal crackers?" she asks once the customer is gone.
"There are eighteen different animal shapes in the Animal Crackers cookie zoo," he recites from memory.
He pushes a box towards her. "Really?"
She has no idea why he's mentioning this. But she missed breakfast, and she's not going to question it. She opens her box, struggling with the package.
"Yeah. Pretty cool, right?" He lines his crackers up on the counter, sorting by animal. "I only have thirteen."
She narrows her eyes at the package. It should not be this hard to open. "Austin?"
He takes the package from her. He opens it with ease, dumping them onto the counter.
"Ooh, you got the koala!" It gets lined up with the others.
"That was not what I meant," she mutters.
His zoo is almost complete, save for the zebra. She picks up a bear. There were two of them. Surely he wouldn't miss one.
She decapitates it.
Still hungry, she looks at the camels. Perhaps she could take the one that had lost its leg?
She stuffs it in her mouth as Austin's camera phone goes off. A guilty look crosses her face.
"Ally killing my animal cracker zoo," he says as he types his latest Tweeter update.
She swipes his only rhino. He grabs her wrist.
"What are you two doing?" Trish asks, walking in on the situation.
"Nothing," they both say all too quickly.
She eyes them. "Okay... oh, you have animal crackers!"
Now neither of them get the rhino.
Thanks a lot Trish.
The page breaks here.
"A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue."
Not a hello. Not a how's it going. Not any kind of precursor. He just walks right in and says it.
"Austin, are you still doing fun facts? I told you that you didn't have to do them anymore." She's caught on by now. It's the third week he's done this, sharing some irrelevant factoid she hadn't known before.
He won't admit it. He won't admit how he wakes up, searching for something she doesn't know to impress her. How fun it is for him to learn.
Looking back, he doesn't see how he thought giraffe tongues would impress her.
"I know. But come on, you have to admit that's pretty impressive."
She smiles at him.
It's always worth it. To wake up early, just to find something to say. Something to make her smile that heart melting smile.
He grins back.
The page breaks here.
Her head hits the piano keys. They had been out late the night before, at a concert.
He still got up early to find her a fun fact.
He sets an apple in her palm. The other two get set on top of the piano.
"What? What's this for?" She lifts herself up and he sits down next to her on the bench.
"Fun fact: Apples are more efficient than caffeine in keeping people awake in the mornings." He bites into his own apple.
She polishes it off on her shirt. "Thanks."
They sit quietly munching for a few minutes.
He swallows.
"So, what are you doing up at the piano so early for anyway?" He snaps the stem off.
"I had an idea for a song. What are you doing here so early? I figured you would have slept in after last night." She takes another bite, feeling more alert.
He gets up to throw his core out.
"Someone called my mom this morning. Phone woke me up." He used to roll over and fall back asleep when this happened. But it was already time to be up. Time to find the fun fact to make Ally smile. Not that she needed to know that.
She nods, chewing at her apple. He sits and waits for her. Finally she throws out her core. "So the song?"
"I think you're going to like it." She starts to play the melody, her arm up against his.
He's wide awake now.
Somehow, he doesn't think it has anything to do with the apple.
The page breaks here.
On his way to the Sonic Boom, Austin makes a big decision. He had spent breakfast scrolling through fun facts. But none of them had really jumped out at him this morning. He had settled for some fact that really wasn't all too fun for a fun fact.
And now he was completely changing his mind.
"Hey Ally." He's nervous, and he has to remind himself not to look down. It's a normal day, and Ally is a normal girl that he normally talks to. By looking straight in the eyes. Eyes that are not on the ground.
She hands the bag over to the customer. "Oh, hi Austin. What's up?"
He strides over to her, leaning over the counter.
"Fun fact of the day," he replies, looking her dead in the eye.
"Alrighty then," she says, wondering why he's gotten so close and serious. She leans in too.
This new Austin has more nerves than old Austin.
Maybe Ally was starting to rub off on him.
"Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean in 1492."
Okay, so new Austin definitely had more nerves than old Austin. At least in the Ally department.
She frowns. "I already knew that."
She begins to back away. He takes her hand.
"That's not what I wanted to say."
"Then what did you want to say?" He looks down, despite what the inner voices told him.
"You don't want to know."
She lifts his chin. "Oh come on. It couldn't have been that bad."
She has no idea.
But since he's already dug himself a hole, and the only other fun fact he can remember has to do with pink hippo milk, he needs to tell the truth.
"Fun fact of the day," he starts. He takes a deep breath. "Fun fact of the day: I love you. In a more than friends kind of way."
There are customers buzzing around her. Dez and Trish could come in at any minute. Her dad could come in.
Somehow none of this bothers her nearly as much as it should.
"Fun fact of the day," she echoes back.
"Yeah," he answers lamely. He drops his head again, but her hand is still there, and all he gets is a face-full of her palm.
She adjusts her hold on him and tilts his head up for a second time.
"Fun fact of the day: I love you too." She kisses his cheek.
The page breaks here.
So in the end, they've learned the only way to find yourself is to get lost. For if nothing is lost, how can it ever be found?
He loses a bit of himself. That self-assured, popular self. She loses a bit of herself. That nervous girl who isn't sure of herself. And sure, they're still those people, but they've grown so much from that. He's that popular guy that thinks about others before he acts. She's that nervous girl who goes for it anyway. Because they've rubbed off on each other. Because they found what the other had lost and kept it.
Maybe she hadn't known that it was lost to begin with. But it was, and now she had found just what she was looking for.
It was wrapped right around her, whispering in her ear.
And for Austin?
It was right in his arms, being told how much it was loved.
Fun fact of the day: 40% of people who are rejected in romantic love slip into clinical depression.
Not that he'll ever know.
Because she said yes.
This one's for keeps.
Did you enjoy my story? Please let me know what you think by leaving a review! Thanks, skwirelygurliWrite a Review


text: World Cup: Dutch Treat as Ratings Top 88 Percent for Final Group Game 3:27 AM PDT 6/24/2014 by Scott Roxborough FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME AP World Cup Netherlands - 2014 Television ratings in Spain and the UK dip after their teams are eliminated from the tournament while the French prefer "Criminal Minds" to Monday night's matches. Many Brits preferred to watch Wimbledon and the soccer-mad Spanish were a bit non-plussed but the rest of Europe continues to go mad for the World Cup. In the Netherlands, dreams of their first-ever World Cup win are driving television ratings sky-high. 8.1 million people watched Team Netherlands third group match against Chile in the tiny country, a jaw-dropping 88.4 percent of the viewing audience. PHOTOS World Cup 2014: The 32 Biggest Global Stars The rating was a high-water mark in the Netherlands or the tournament so far, beating the 7.2 million that watched the Dutch bash defending champions Spain 5-1 and the 7.9 million that cheered them to a 3-2 win over Australia. After dispatching Chile 2-0 Monday night, the Dutch have advanced to World Cup favorites, a position that's certain to keep fans glued to their sets in the tournament's final weeks. PHOTOS Hollywood's Biggest Soccer Fans In contrast, viewership in Spain and the UK slipped sharply after two straight losses for both nations meant they had no hope of advancing to the second round. ITV's coverage of Cameroon v Brazil on Monday drew just 5.3 million viewers on average, a 26.9 percent share while the simulcast Croatia v Mexico match pulled a paltry 839,000 viewers, a 4.2 percent share and the lowest rating of any World Cup match on UK television this year. More Brits preferred to watch Wimbledon defending champion Andy Murray in his opening match of the tennis tournament, with a peak of 2.2 million, or 35.6 percent, cheering the Scots star on to a straight-sets victory. Soccer hasn't completely faded from view in the UK, however. A peak of 6.9 million viewers watched ITV's Cameroon v Brazil coverage and even the early evening Netherlands v Chile match drew 5.4 million fans at its high point. PHOTOS If the World Cup Were a Movie France's national team has already qualified for the second round and Gallic viewers appeared to be taking a temporary break from back-to-back soccer action. The Cameroon v Brazil match was the top-rated of the night, pulling in 5.6 million viewers, for a 29.2 percent share on TF1 but it was beat for the night by the latest episode of Criminal Minds, which topped the French ratings with 6.1 million viewers, a 24.2 percent share. In Italy, a respectable, if not record-breaking, 5.72 million caught Cameroon v Brazil on public broadcaster RAI 1, a 27.8 percent share. Millions more likely watched on pay-TV network Sky Italia, whose figures were not immediately available. The Germans, waiting in eager anticipation for Wednesday's match up against the USA, were more loyal. Cameroon v Brazil drew 10.33 million viewers, a respectable 44.2 percent share although short of the 15.87 million German viewers who watched. The earlier Netherlands v Chile match failed to hit double digits, pulling in 9.25 million viewers for a 44 percent share. FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Scott Roxborough email@example.com @thr

subset: commoncrawl


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Resident Recruitment
Thank you for your interest in Quillen College of Medicine, Internal Medicine Residency program! Your training and educational goals are important to us. We provide meaningful research and continuity clinic opportunities as well as a variety of elective rotations which expose you to many different subspecialties.
QCOM IM Resident Program Philosophy
The Department of Internal Medicine is strongly committed to encouraging scholarly activity and research among its residents and fellows. These goals will be accomplished through a solid academic program and the importance of bedside teaching. The faculty in the department will serve as teachers and mentors as well as colleagues.
Our Goals For QCOM IM Residents
Our Internal Medicine residents will have a wealth of knowledge in the practice of internal medicine, areas of patient care through practice-based learning, interpersonal communication skills and professionalism. Each resident will demonstrate special achievement based on scholarly activity. This may include knowledge developed from a research project, case study or literature review. It may also include a special lecture or presentation. Since residents are in an advanced training program, academic conferences are very important. Therefore, the QCOM IM Residency Program requires 70% attendance of conferences sponsored by department.
Educational Programs and Conferences include:
- Morning Report
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- Noon Conference for Core Curriculum Lecture Series
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- Journal Club
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QCOM IM Continuity Clinic
- Patient care provided for a period of three years
- Opportunity to develop a meaningful relationship with a single population of patients in an environment which permits continuity of care
- Patient mix in the long-term general internal medicine clinics is excellent and provides experience in all aspects of ambulatory general internal medicine.
Our QCOM IM Residency Program offers a wide variety of subspecialty electives:
- Allergy/Immunology
- Cardiology
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The Labour Party's latest Churches Update is now out. Focusing on the General Election, it begins with a message from Labour leader Ed Miliband. Writing about Labour's links with the churches, Ed Miliband comments:
"As the Leader of the Labour Party I am proud of our movement's roots in the Christian tradition. That tradition underpins our conviction about the importance of social action and our belief in the power of community transformation. "
The Churches Update also includes contributions from the CEOs of Christian organisations involved in a variety of social action and campaigning, saying what they would like to see from the next government.
The Churches Update can be downloaded here.


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The Final Straw
Genre: Blues/ Classic Rock
Before I commence with this review I would like to personally thank The Other Side for sending me their new album for reviewing; it always brings me a huge sense of satisfaction and achievement to be contacted by bands, especially when I receive wonderful music because of it, much like the excellent Rock that can be located on this album. Although 'The Final Straw' is only seven tracks long, don't let this fact deceive you into believing that this album is short as, the impressive and notable length of every song present collaborates to make this album a staggering 50-minute venture through valleys of Blues and realms of Classic Rock.
A glistening example of how The Other Side manage to use a Blues tinged environment to propel the adrenaline of the album can be vividly observed in the opening track, 'Left Right'. Vocals which possess an acute splash of Killing Joke in the background add a strong flavour of conviction and purpose to this amazing Blues Rock experience.
'Left Right' was a fair demonstration of the vocal, coordination and stamina skills of The Other Side, 'No Sleep' however, seems to emanate a stronger glare of the bands song writing abilities and talent for executing fluent and appropriate guitar solos. As the album progresses the pace and tempo moves in a parallel fashion with 'Zero Hours' and 'The Mirror' providing an immense injection of energy straight to the core of 'The Final Straw'.
'Nothing Goes Forward' is handed with the difficult task of preparing the audience for the mammoth of a closing ceremony which is the 19-minute behemoth of a Blues marathon that is the title track, 'The Final Straw'. For almost 20 minutes, The Other Side use 'The Final Straw' to demonstrate their incredible talent as this song flows and weaves from one Rock based atmosphere to another but, all the while maintaining the same air of professionalism throughout. The first three minutes are filled with blissful Blues guitar harmonies before evolving into a Pink Floyd influenced Classic Rock song teeming with character and presence before giving way to an instrumental section led by the sound of great guitar play.
If you ever find yourself with 50 minutes' spare, I seriously recommend that you give this album a listen as there are so many different styles and tempos covered that it is virtually impossible to not be impressed by at least one of these songs. All-in-all, this a good album by a promising band.
Review Rating: 8
AC Rock Reviews
Come the revolution I wouldn't mind seeing a berserker riding into battle on behalf of the people to the accompaniment of The Other Side being blasted out as the call to arms.
Full review at:
It's a **** thing
the perfect closer to what's been a completely faultless album, one that any fan of vintage rock and blues-rock taken kicking and screaming into the 21st century, is going to love and relish for years to come.
Full review at:
Andy Gee at The Sound
'Anger Is A Gift' opens in a very ZZ Top mode, but once again displays the band's love of anarcho-punk, particularly in its venomous lyric, and the song is blessed with a series of stunning, bluesy solos.
Full review at:


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Decade in Review – 10 Most Overrated Films of the Aughts
It's that time of the year when all of the "Best/Worst of" lists start to appear and, of course, this year we get the "Best/Worst of the Decade" lists. Usually, these appear in the format of "10 Best" and "5 Worst," but, here at The Movie Hater's Movie Blog I like to focus on my disdain, so I'm flipping it around.
So I'll start with my "10 Worst" list. Actually, this first list isn't about the "10 Worst Films of the Decade" so much as the "10 Most Over-rated Films of the Decade." These are movies that achieved high levels of critical acclaim, box-office success, or Academy Award attention, but that didn't deserve any of it. I didn't rank the films in order of their overall awfulness but, instead, ranked them by the gap between the level of adoration for the film and my level of derision. So, while Slumdog Millionaire is a better movie than Transformers (though just barely), it still ranks #1 on my list because Transformers didn't achieve quite the same widespread celebration that Slumdog did.
But enough with the explanations – here is the list:
#10. The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2005)
I had heard so much about this movie before I saw it that I couldn't wait to join the "in" crowd who had seen and loved it. Turns out, this was a mildly amusing comedy, not the groundbreaking, side-splitting romp that everyone made it out to be. By the end, I just kept thinking, "okay, I get it, he's forty and he hasn't had sex – what else you got?" The answer, unfortunately, was "not much."
#9. Transformers (2007)
Sure, critics were pretty harsh towards this movie and, for once, they got it right (although this one was kind of a no-brainer), but the box-office draw was astounding – and unexplainable. This movie exemplifies two of the reasons I hate movies – I had very low expectations, and yet it still managed to disappoint. I expected nothing more than cool scenes of giant robots fighting and transforming with a loose plot holding it together. Instead, I saw frantic, unintelligible action scenes that didn't make creative use of the robots ability to transform, and really no plot to speak of. I left assuming that this movie would be a Van Helsing sized flop but instead it turned into one of the top grossing franchises of the decade.
#8. Avatar (2009)
This one slipped in right under the wire – too bad for the aughts. Avatar wanted so badly to be an imaginative epic that would change the way films were made. Instead, it rehashed a bunch of racist stereotypes from the 18th century, wrapped them up in a CGI Smurf suit, put them through a bunch of clichéd blockbuster narratives, and took three hours to do it to boot.
#7. Gladiator (2000)
The winner of the decade's Award for Most Undeserving Academy Award goes to Gladiator. The whole thing is just a cheap knockoff of Braveheart. While Braveheart's battle scenes succeeded in creating excitement through jarring depictions of war's brutality, Gladiator tried to create excitement through choppy camera work and frantic editing. While Breaveheart told a moving story of a man who channels his love of his wife into fighting for his country's freedom, Gladiator used a screaming Russell Crowe to tell a clichéd story of a man seeking revenge. I could have rented Braveheart, saved a trip to the theater, and had a better time.
#6. Crash (2004)
This was easily the most heavy-handed, contrived, and poorly made film to ever win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. I have my theories about why it won, but, regardless, it was undeserving. The plot lines were manipulative and yet completely predictable, the comments on race felt like they were coming from a college freshman who's just seen Roots for the first time, and the editing felt like a chaffing two hours of filmic masturbation.
#5. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
I, of course, have my on-going issues with the Coen Brothers, but the bottom line here is that Homer told this story way better. I can only assume that the legions of fans either never read the original, blindly allow the Coen Brothers to dictate to them what clever film-making is, and/or love bluegrass music. None of those things applies to me, so I reacted to the movie with what it deserves – a great big "EH."
#4. Pirates of the Caribbean – Trilogy (2003, 2006, 2007)
If you ever want to get trashed one afternoon, watch the first Pirates movie and take a drink every time there's an underwater shot showing someone falling from a boat into the ocean. If you ever don't want to get trashed one afternoon, take a drink every time Pirates 2 takes a break from elaborate action sequences to actually offer some plot and/or character development. If you want to watch Pirates 3 one afternoon, make sure you get trashed first. How these movies became one of the biggest franchises of the decade, and how the first film even garnered critical acclaim, is beyond me.
#3. Napolean Dynamite (2004)
Before I got around to seeing this movie I often heard its fans reciting various lines from the film and would inevitably think to myself, "I don't understand why that's funny but, I haven't seen the film, so I'm not in on the joke." Then I saw the film. I still don't understand why it's funny. I chuckled briefly a couple of times, but that doesn't even come close to warranting the kind of cultish devotion that this film ended up achieving.
#2. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
As I've said before, Wes Anderson puts me in mind of a line from the Simpsons: "the whole thing smacks of effort." Anderson's audacity as a filmmaker works when his characters follow suit (as in Rushmore and Fantastic Mr. Fox), but the painstaking earnestness of his style just felt jarringly out of whack with the detached, morose insincerity that drives the narrative of the this film and its characters.
#1. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Sometimes it feels like I'm the only person in the world who doesn't like this movie. Sure, the kids were cute and their Dickensian struggle was charming, but then they grew into bad actors with no chemistry. Meanwhile the central contrivance of the whole film (the game show) was, well, contrived. The best thing I can say about the film is that it makes abject poverty cute. How that translates into an Academy Award for Best Picture is beyond me.
So that's that. In my next post, I'll try to enter the unfamiliar territory of positivity by giving my five favorite films of the decade.Explore posts in the same categories: Movies, Uncategorized
Tags: 40 Year Old Virgin, Academy Awards, Avatar, Best films, best films of the aughts, best of the aughts, Best of the Decade, Braveheart, Coen Brothers, Crash, End of the decade, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Films, Gladiator, Movies, Napolean Dynamite, O Brother Where Art Thou, Pirates of the Caribbean, Reviews, Rushmore, Russel Crowe, Slumdog Millionaire, The Royal Tenebaums, Transformers, Wes Anderson, worst films, Worst films of the aughts, worst of the aughts, Worst of the DecadeYou can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.
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Good points, I think I will definitely subscribe!🙂. I'll go and read some more!


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In conjunction with the release of their new messenger bag collection, a SocialBusiness.org favorite has released the Ethnotek travel blog, which features exciting stories and photography from the team while on the road.
"The new travel blog is an attempt to increase transparency between our customers and villagers and this section gives you a detailed look into the lives, techniques and just how much culture goes into each and every bag," Founder and Creative Director Jake Orak told SocialBusiness.org in an email.
Indeed, the Ethnotek travel blog is an invigorating source for customers to educate themselves about the people and process behind the product. What's more, it's a refreshing change to a fashion and textile industry fraught with sweatshop scandals.
Contact Information
Ethnotek travel blog
Ethnotek website
Ethnotek on Facebook
Ethnotek on Twitter
Ethnotek on Vimeo
The Ethnotek Travel Blog Delves into Culture and Process
Tiana Reid — March 7, 2012 — Social Good
References: ethnotekbags & vimeo


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Whether you are an experienced professional in hot and heavy pursuit of the brass ring, or are a soon-to-be-graduate just plugging in to the corporate matrix, the work world requires skill, intelligence, knowledge, and the occasional dose of cunning. At How To Do Things, we know that knowledge is power, and we exist to empower you.
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Crime Control & Law Enforcement
Throughout my time in Congress, I have had a long-standing record of supporting police and law enforcement. Below is some of the recent work I have done in Congress to assist law enforcement and fight crime:
Support Funding for our Law Enforcement
As the son of a police officer, I know how important it is to make sure our law enforcement officers have the funding and tools they need to keep our streets safe. I have strongly supported the Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) which funds police anti-terrorism programs, many of which are opposed by liberal critics such as the New York Times, the Associated Press, and the ACLU. I have repeatedly advocated for and secured: annual funding for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program, which provides federal justice funding grants for state and local governments to support law enforcement programs, courts, and drug treatment programs; as well as the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program, which provides federal grants to state and local law enforcement to hire and train officers, purchase and deploy new crime-fighting technologies, and develop and test new and innovative policing strategies. We must ensure that our law enforcement officers have the funding they need to continue protecting and serving our communities.
Deter Crimes Targeting Police Officers
Given recent tragic incidents of police ambushes, it is important that Congress work to deter crimes targeting police officers. I proudly cosponsored The Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act of 2015 (P.L. 114-12) which became law in 2015. This law requires instant nationwide "blue alerts" to warn about threats to police officers and help track down the suspects who carry them out. This law also created a notification system relating to assaults on police officers, officers who are missing in the line of duty, and credible threats against law enforcement. I also supported The Thin Blue Line Act, which recently passed the House. This bill increases the penalty for killing or targeting a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or other first responder.
Mara Salvatrucha-13 (MS-13) is an exceptionally violent gang and is the only street gang to be designated a Transnational Criminal Organization by the Treasury Department. The extent of this vicious gang's brutality has hit Long Island at its core. That is why I have made the destruction of MS-13 a main priority -- bringing Attorney General Sessions and President Trump to Long Island to address the issue first hand, working with federal and local law enforcement, obtaining funding for police anti-gang units and meeting with family members of the murdered victims.
It is essential that we stand with law enforcement including the Nassau and Suffolk Police Departments and District Attorneys, the FBI, Homeland Security, ICE, and the Drug Enforcement Agency in the fight against MS-13. Very simply, MS-13 must be eradicated.
In the interest of protecting both our law enforcement officers and society as a whole, I have been a leader in cracking down on illegal gun trafficking, ensuring only qualified individuals are able to purchase weapons, and respecting individual state laws on firearm purchases, all while respecting the Second Amendment Rights of Americans nationwide. During the 115th Congress, I have introduced legislation, the Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2017 (H.R. 4057). This legislation seeks to close a dangerous loophole that grants individuals on the terrorist watch list an unfettered ability to purchase firearms. The existence of this loophole poses a danger to national security and this bill has consistently received bipartisan support.
I am also an original cosponsor of the Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2017 (H.R. 4240) which provides a responsible and consistent background check process. In addition, I am a cosponsor of the Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2017 (H.R. 1475), which amends the federal criminal code to make trafficking in firearms a crime. This bill will help keep illegal guns off the streets, like the one that was used to kill NYPD Detective Brian Moore in 2015.
Lastly, with support from both local district attorneys and law enforcement offices, I opposed the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 (H.R. 38). I will continue to support and advocate for common sense gun reform in the House.


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NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The New York State Comptroller ("OSC") has provided nine pages of documents as a partial fill of a Freedom of Information Request filed on May 1, 2014. The OSC claims the records "explain the school district reporting error".
Actually, the don't.
The central question has been, from the beginning, when did Assistant Superintendent for Business & Administration John Quinn "discover" the "error" that has been asserted by the OSC but never actually claimed by the District.
The terms "discover" and "error" are in quotation marks because neither Quinn nor Board President David Lacher has ever offered any explanation of the findings in the New York State Local Accountability Audit published on April 23, 2014.
The only mention of this audit by the District was the day before it was published, at the April 22nd Board Meeting when Lacher said:
"We are paying attention to fund balance. In fact, New Rochelle, within the last few weeks has been relieved of its designation as a school district under moderate fiscal stress and we're very please about that and there will be more information about that."
Well, we never did hear any more about that.
I contacted Mark Johnson, Deputy Press Secretary for Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli the next day.
Mr. Johnson,
At last night's school board meeting, the Board President stated that the New Rochelle School District's status as "Moderately Stressed" was changing. He did not say to what but suggested that the District would no longer be on the Moderately Stressed list.
Can you please address this and provide any records that pertain to this?
Thank you.
Robert Cox
Managing Editor
New Rochelle's Talk of the Sound
Johnson responded:
Maybe they have a plan that will assist in changing their score in future years. We are not changing the current scores for any school district's at this point.
Mark Johnson
Deputy Press Secretary
State Comptroller DiNapoli's Office
In fact, the OSC did change the scores for the school district as the records obtained this week indicate.
In the Local Accountability Audit published on April 23rd, there is a letter dated March 27, 2014. This is the only mention of any "upgrade" in the stress test anywhere, ever, and there is no mention of the basis for the upgrade, the putative "error" asserted by the OSC but never claimed by Quinn, Lacher or anyone else in New Rochelle.
If you want to understand the nuts and bolts of the issue, read our two previous articles:
New York State Comptroller Finds New Rochelle School District in "Moderate Financial Stress" (lowest grade in Westchester)
NYS Comptroller Fiscal Stress Test and Local Accountability Audits a Sham in New Rochelle Schools
Whether you read the two previous articles or not, the next step was a Freedom of Information requests to the Comptroller's office and the school district.
On Friday, June 6th I received an email from the OSC stating that they would not provide records until September.
I immediately called the OSC Records Access Officer and expressed my displeasure in clear terms. She transferred my call to Jennifer Freeman, DiNapoli's Press Secretary. I explained that I was seeking to obtain a particular record, an email, which had been read to me over the telephone by her deputy and that the OSC knew exactly what document I wanted, where it was and that there was no justification for whatever for a request made on May 1 to be kicked down the road until September. She said she would seek to obtain the record I was seeking.
On Thursday, June 12th I received an email from Jeff Kehl, the attorney for the District, denying my request for records of communications between OSC and CSDNR regarding this supposed "error" on the grounds that the records were "inter-agency communications" and thus exempt from FOIL. This is utter nonsense.
On June 13, I filed a formal appeal with Interim Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Korostoff.
First, as a general matter, the Freedom of Information Law is based upon a presumption of access. Stated differently, all records of an agency are available, except to the extent that records or portions thereof fall within one or more grounds for denial appearing in §87(2)(a) through (j) of the Law.
Second, one of the exceptions to rights of access, §87(2)(g), often requires disclosure, and I believe that to be so in this instance. That provision permits an agency, such as a school district, to withhold records that:
"are inter-agency or intra-agency materials which are not:
i. statistical or factual tabulations or data;
ii. instructions to staff that affect the public;
iii. final agency policy or determinations; or
iv. external audits, including but not limited to audits performed by the comptroller and the federal government…"
It is noted that the language quoted above contains what in effect is a double negative. While inter-agency or intra-agency materials may be withheld, portions of such materials consisting of statistical or factual information, instructions to staff that affect the public, final agency policy or determinations or external audits must be made available, unless a different ground for denial could appropriately be asserted.
In the context of the denial of my request, two of the provisions requiring disclosure are pertinent. Pursuant to subparagraph (i), those portions of the record or records at issue that consist of statistical or factual information, i.e., the figures to which you referred, are accessible, and based on subparagraph (iv), external audits must also be made available.
The particular records I seek are related to communications described to me by the New York State Office of the Comptroller ("OSC") in which a person working for the City School District of New Rochelle or someone working on behalf of the City School District of New Rochelle represented to auditors working at the OSC that there was an "error" in the 2013 Audited Financials for the the City School District of New Rochelle and that $1.6 mm reported in the designated fund balance for workers compensation should have been reported in the undesignated fund balance.
Not knowing the precise nature of these communications, I cannot be certain as to exactly how the communications were structured but on information and belief, understand that the communications contain some "statistical or factual information" as well as a request to use that "statistical or factual information" to restate portions of the fund balance information contained in the ST-3 reports (District audited financials) used by OSC to conduct audits of school districts. There may be some acknowledgement from OSC that this has been done (because the OSC has confirmed it was done).
So, in so far as the records contains "statistical or factual information", they are not exempt from FOIL. The District does not appear to dispute this point.
By its nature, an audit consists of statistics and facts, as well as opinions and recommendations.
A communication by a school district to the OSC asserting a belief that there was an "error" in a school district's audited financials would be an opinion not a fact unless the school district's audited financials were formally re-stated, re-approved by the school board and submitted to the New York State Education Department in an updated ST-3 form. None of that was done.
A request to change the figures in a school district's audited financials when no such right to a change exists would merely be a recommendation to the OSC that this be done and would be entirely subject to the discretion of the OSC.
So, in so far as the records relate to an audit, they contain statistics, facts, opinions and recommendations they are not except from FOIL because they relate to an external audit. And not just any external audit but an external audit performed by the OSC when subparagraph (iv) of §87(2)(g) specifically states that "audits performed by the comptroller" may not be withheld.
To suggest that opinions and recommendations within an external audit may be withheld would render subparagraph (iv) of §87(2)(g) meaningless, and the State Legislature could not have intended that to be so.
I note, too, that §87(2)(g)(iv) was enacted initially as part of the "Governmental Accountability, audit and Internal Control Act of 1987. This act highlighted the need for agency management to promote good internal controls and accountability in government. The Legislature, recognizing the importance of internal control, updated and made the Act permanent effective January 1, 1999 in Chapter 510 of the Laws of 1999 to ensure, in part, that external audits remain accessible to the public. (see http://www.osc.state.ny.us/agencies/ictf/docs/internal_control_act.pdf)
The Committee on Open Government issued Advisory Opinion FOIL-AO-17865 on October 28, 2009 (http://docs.dos.ny.gov/coog/ftext/f17865.html) in which Executive Director Robert J. Freeman states:
"it is clear that an audit and related materials cannot be characterized as the work product of an attorney or otherwise considered privileged."
For these and other reasons, it is clear, in my view, that the Legislature has passed laws specifically to ensure that the public has access to precisely the documents I seek.
I asked that you overturn the decision of the District Clerk.
I still have no reply to that appeal. He has 10 days to reply.
On June 18th I received an email from the OSC. Attached were records that I did not request, a narrative explaining what the OSC says is how the auditors came to understand to be the "error" and the actions they took as a result but no email or other records explanation how the OSC was informed of the "error".
In the letter the OSC states:
Our audit staff reviewed this reporting error, and our final audit report is based on the corrected information. The handwritten notes on these pages indicate the incorrectly reported information which was revised prior to the final report. When viewed in contrast with the final audit document, we trust this reporting error of the school district will be
A description of the contents of the pages is as follows:
• Page 1 is our audit staffs description of the events that explain how we became aware of the reporting error and how we handled it.
• Page 2 is from our draft report and shows how the fund balance would have been reported prior to identification of the error.
• Page 3 is data reported on the ST-3 by the school district prior to the identification and correction of their error.
• Page 4 is data reported on the ST-3 after the error was corrected.
• Page 5 is the FSMS scoring based on the originally submitted ST-3.
• Page 6 is what the FSMS score would have looked like using the corrected school district data.
• Pages 7-9 are the Independent Audit Financial statements showing the incorrect amounts, and our handwritten changes showing what the corrected amounts would be.
Page 1, the audit staff's description of the events that explain how they became aware of the reporting error and how they handled it reads:
New Rochelle CSD AUD Error Explanation
History of Events
• Entrance Conference 5/22/13
• Fiscal Stress Report, data as of 12/13/13
• Exit Conference 3/13/14
Description of Events Leading to Change in Designation
• We performed our analysis based on information the school district reported to SED using a form called ST-3 (it is now electronic). OSC receives the same data to be used in our Annual Update Document (AUD).
• The fiscal stress scores are calculated based on this data.
• We were engaged in the audit prior to the report.
• Before the exit conference key officials including the board of education received a draft copy of the report.
• Prior to the exit we were notified that "Total Unrestricted Unappropriated Fund Balance" figure for 2012-13 was incorrect. It was originally reported as $3,768,167 as it was in the AUD.
• We then gained a complete understanding of the issue and validated the description.
• Based on our analysis we came to the same conclusion that the figure was not correct and should have been $5,370,372.
• We then updated our worksheets with this new figure and it decreased the score from "moderate" to "susceptible".
Internal Service Fund for Workers Compensation
• The District uses an internal service fund to account for all activity relating to workers compensation.
• To report to SED and OSC this fund needs to be rolled into the general fund, as these are considered general fund activity. All expenditures are accounted for under A9040.8.
• Each year they add a portion from their "Unrestricted Net Position" to general fund "Unassigned Fund Balance".
• The District's accountants determine this amount but generally quantified it as the difference in net position and a pre-determined reserve of $323,485.
• This was consistently done for fiscal years 2009- 2012.
• This was not properly adjusted in 2013, as noted with an usually large reserve balance.
In fact, Page 1 absolutely does not explain how the OSC audit staff became aware of the reporting error only that they became aware of the "error".
There are many questions about all of this, some of them quite technical, but the central question is still not answered, the old "What ddid you know and when did you know it?" question.
That the OSC has been asked this question repeatedly, and has fobbed off one answer after another without addressing it, suggests that this is all part of a deliberate attempt at a cover up.
Attached are the two documents sent by the OSC on June 18, 2014.
New Rochelle_Accounting Error_BW_Redacted.pdf
You will see that Page 1 does not explain how the OSC audit staff became aware of the reporting error.
You will see on Pages 4-5, that the OSC did change the current scores for the New Rochelle school district despite the OSC's claim to the contrary.
You will see the page from the Local Accountability Audit as originally written with the "moderate stress" grade towards the bottom.
And perhaps most significantly, you will see pages marked "3" and "4". I wrote to the OSC today and asked for an explanation for the following:
If you look at the pages marked 3 and 4 (in pencil) in s2dF8B4AC5480824218AB85363776BE8681_1.pdf you will see these are some form of financial statements for CSDNR (perhaps a print out of the OSC AUD?)
Page 3 is the "before" version. It indicates a "Not in Spendable Form (2013)" of $1, 751,462, "Workers Comp Reserve" of $1,925,689 and "Unassigned Fund Balance" of $3,768,167.
Page 4 is the "after" version. It indicates a "Not in Spendable Form (2013)" of $1, 751,462, "Workers Comp Reserve" of $3,323,485 and "Unassigned Fund Balance" of $5,370,371.
Both have a snapshot date of 11/12/13.
Does this not indicate that as of 11/12/13, the OSC has made the changes described in the narrative provided on page 1 of s2dF8B4AC5480824218AB85363776BE8681_1.pdf?
In fact, does it not suggest that the change was made on 11/12/13?
Stay tuned…


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Old rumors of an Apple Concierge app for their retail store customers have reemerged with screenshots and more info surrounding exactly how users will take advantage of the app when scheduling Genius Bar appointments.
As shown in the images above and below, the app will prompt users with a push notification when entering an Apple retail store if they have Genius Bar appointment, allowing you to check in. Once checked in, you will be given info on your position in line as well as an image of an Apple employee that will be helping you.
Apple store employees will also use the app's iQueue feature to view customer check in times and manage those that have checked in for their appointment. Apple employees will also have access to an app called "Scout" that will allow them to assign specific check-in locations for "accurate, close proximity check-ins."
This is definitely a great idea for improving the Apple retail store experience, as most retail locations (in North America, anyway), have become infamous for their hectic atmosphere and heavy traffic.


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5:00-6:30 Frankie Fontagne and the Ramblers
Born in the small town of Monmouth, IL, Frankie began her career early, singing in the church choir. It was here that her natural ability was given the roots that would later flower into its current soulful state. Realizing that her hometown didn't provide the opportunities needed, she packed up and headed west to California, where she began to ride the "circuit" doing hooks for various West Coast rap groups throughout the '90s. Though not very lucrative, these escapades paid off in the form of studio experience as well as chances to arrange and produce. From 2003- 2014 Ms. Fontagne revisited her gospel roots by traveling with a choir, and shortly thereafter she took the position as choir director for Second Baptist Church of Kankakee, IL. She also continued to collaborate with several artists in the Chicagoland and Quad City area, recording three solo projects: "Undeniable," "Reincarnation," and "Linger." In 2015 Ms. Fontagne teamed up with local blues musician Shawn "Skoy" Harris to form the Ramblers. Harris, a devoted blues fan and musician, has had the opportunity to play with artists such as Billy Branch, Bernard Allison, and Gloria Hardiman. Ms. Fontagne and The Ramblers pay homage to their influences and offer original songs in a high energy, funky package featuring Harris on guitar, Andrew Durham on harmonica and tenor sax, Bob Rosenstiel laying down the bass and Bryan West rocking the drums.


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This Challah bread is a bit sweeter than normal. The doughier you want the bread to be, the shorter time you should bake it.
Amazing! ... If you like the sweeter version of classic challah. After all, who doesn't like the sound of more sugar? But if I could change one thing, don't let it rise too long otherwise the bread will lose its shape and turn into a blob of dough. - 03 Jan 2011 (Review from Allrecipes USA and Canada)
Tastes really good. I'm not very adept at braiding limp dough, so it looked odd. It does freeze well, though, so you could make it up ahead. - 29 Jan 2010 (Review from Allrecipes USA and Canada)
Used a lot less flour, maybe 2 1/2 cups less, just couldn't work it all in. Delicious, sweet, fairly easy to make! Thanks for sharing! - 31 Dec 2009 (Review from Allrecipes USA and Canada)


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Katharina Glock
Stellv. Abteilungsleiter
Katharina Glock studierte Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen am Karlsruher Institut für Technologie und am Institut polytechnique de Grenoble. Zu ihren Studienschwerpunkten gehörten Produktions- und Logistikmanagement, Operations Research und Netzwerkökonomie. Seit 2016 arbeitet sie am FZI in der Abteilung Logistics Systems Engineering des Forschungsbereichs IPE. Hier beschäftigt sie sich insbesondere mit Problem der kombinatorischen Optimierung.
Zeitungs- oder Zeitschriftenartikel (2)
- Mission planning for emergency rapid mapping with dronesDetails
Katharina Glock, Anne Meyer, 2020
- A disruption management system for automotive inbound networks: concepts and challengesDetails
Anne Meyer, Suad Sejdovic, Katharina Glock, Matthias Bender, Natalja Kleiner, Dominik Riemer, 2017
Konferenzbeitrag (7)
- Decentralized dynamic task allocation and route planning for autonomous delivery vehicles in urban areasDetails
Katharina Glock, Anne Meyer, Martin Pouls, 2019
- Micro Rapid Mapping: Automatic UAV-based Remote Sensing for Chemical EmergenciesDetails
Katharina Glock, Anne Meyer, Bodo Bernsdorf, Sascha Woditsch, 2018
- Correlated Orienteering for Planning Emergency Surveillance Flights of Unmanned Aerial VehiclesDetails
Katharina Glock, Anne Meyer, Guido Tack, 2017
- BigGIS - Einsatz von Flugrobotern zur Entscheidungsunterstützung bei Bränden Details
Bodo Bernsdorf, Julian Bruns, Katharina Glock, 2017
- Extensions to the Correlated Orienteering Problem for Emergency Surveillance Details
Katharina Glock, Anne Meyer, Guido Tack, 2017
- New techniques for Constraint Programming based heuristics for VRPInfoDetails
Katharina Glock, Anne Meyer, Guido Tack, 2016
In order to provide flexible services for solving vehicle routing problems (VRP), logistics professionals should be enabled to easily adapt the planning tool even without having a background in optimization. Constraint Programming (CP) combines an expressive modelling language and problem-independent search methods, thus making it a promising candidate for a planning engine for such a flexible service. Users can add or remove constraints without having to modify either the core model formulation or the solution methods. Large Neighbourhood Search (LNS) proposed by Shaw (1998) is the most frequently used heuristic for solving VRP in a CP framework. We introduce the basic solution architecture with particular consideration of CP specific features. We furthermore present current research combining LNS and Monte-Carlo tree search (MCTS), an algorithm originally proposed for decision making in non-deterministic games that aims at balancing the exploration of a search tree and the exploitation of sub-trees that are likely to contain good solutions. We apply MCTS for constructing the initial solution as well as for solving the sub-problems created by the LNS. Integrated into the CP framework, MCTS provides a robust search algorithm that adjusts itself to the properties of the problem at hand, thus ensuring the flexibility of the search framework. Results are promising with respect to quality and runtime for several problem classes such as the VRP with time windows, the VRP with pickup and delivery, and the periodic VRP with time windows.
- A Monte Carlo Large Neighbourhood Search for Vehicle Routing ProblemsInfoDetails
Katharina Glock, Anne Meyer, Guido Tack, 2016
Optimization tools addressing large scale combinatorial optimization problems in a real-world setting need to be easily adaptable to application specific requirements. Solution procedures need to be fast and robust towards these adaptations. To this end, we propose a hybrid approach combining Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) and Large Neighbourhood Search (LNS) in a CP framework. The integration of local search and a self-adjusting tree-based search strategy offers a flexible and efficient solution approach that can adapt itself to the problem at hand. First results for the vehicle routing problem (VRP) indicate that the proposed Monte Carlo Large Neighbourhood Search (MCLNS) yields better results than related CP-based approaches.
Betreute Thesis (7)
- Flugroutenmodellierung zur drohnengestützten Schadensermittlung im KatastrophenfallDetails
Mathieu Teicht, 2020
- Analysis of Handling Quality in Air FreightDetails
Johannes Pesch, 2019
- Forecasting non-compliant air freight shipmentsDetails
Katja Habitzreither, 2019
- Dezentrale Auftragssteuerung für autonome Zustellfahrzeuge im urbanen RaumDetails
Felix Schreyer, 2019
- Integrating dynamic programming and relaxed problem representations for solving the vehicle routing problem with profitsDetails
Wei Su, 2018
- Constraint-programming based solution of vehicle routing problems with time synchronisation using simple temporal network.Details
Vladimir Solovyev, 2017
- A CP-based return in time algorithm for the vehicle routing problemDetails
Konstantin Zangerle, 2017
Export Suchergebnis .bib
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E-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Mission planning for emergency rapid mapping with dronesDetails


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The nights are no longer drawing in. They have well and truly drawn in. It's been misty with poor visibility till about 7am every morning, and by 7pm we're in darkness.
I've tried a couple of different types of lights in my time – from the cheapest of the cheap blinkers to £200 lamps that illuminate the road. There is always something new to test, so the lovely team at Global Bike stepped in and sent me some shiny new gadgets – a Femto Drive LED Pair, and a Zecto Drive LED Pair 2014.
The Femto Drive set has an RRP of £21.99, but at the moment they're on offer for £19.49. These are 'be seen' lights, meaning they will ensure that cars see you, but you can't take them down any unlit streets and expect to be able to see the road.
Like all things Lezyne, they look pretty stylish. They've also ensured that the lights will suit commuter riders with a cool 'clip on' feature that allows you to attach the light to jeans, your backpack, or anything else, as well as providing a rubber band for fastening to the bike.
These are little lights that you can slip into your bag whilst you're not riding, and having been the victim of 'bike light theft', I'm all in favour of these quick and easy solutions.
Once you've removed the packaging, and arranged the batteries correctly, you're good to go. I'll admit it took me and my other half a little while to work out which way round the batteries went, but that's not a big issue. To turn the light on, you just press the lens, which is good if you're wearing gloves. There are 4 different speeds of flash, and a solid light option.
But what of the beam? For a set of lights at the £20 mark, you get a good bright flare in the dark. These weren't exactly earth shattering, but they're pretty bright, especially considering the entry level price tag.
It is worth noting that the batteries supplied (as brand new) with the lights were questionable – initially it appeared the front light was quite poor and the rear very strong. I swapped the batteries and found the reverse. This isn't so much a slur on Lezyne as their battery supplier.
The Zecto drive really impressed me. At £54.99, now down to £47.45, these are still 'be seen' lights, but they're a pretty incredible version.
Firstly – I was amazed to find a USB cable in the packet – these are rechargeable. That's something I've come to expect from an expensive 'seeing' light, but for a fairly affordable commuter bulb, it's pretty impressive. The USB port is neatly stored beneath a rubber flap, so you wouldn't expect to get any water damage.
As the Femto, you get clips for attaching to clothing (making this a great 'second light') and an elastic band for clipping the light to the bike.
And the beam? At up to 80 lumens on the front, and 20 on the back, depending on the mode you use – these are startling enough to be reassuring on the road. There are 6 modes, and as I tested it in the living room my first remark was "this isn't a bike light, it's a disco light!" Seriously, you could set up a load of them and have a party.
On the road, these performed excellently. The rubber fixtures meant the light didn't move around and I felt safe in the knowledge I had a bright beam. LED's on the side tell you when you're running low on battery, too, with different colours depending upon how much juice you have left. Both front and rear last 3-7 hours depending on t he mode you're on.
The square shape gives a good surface area of light, but it's worth noting it won't sit well on an aero, or time trial bike. This won't be an issue for a commute, but as it's worth bearing in mind if you're partial to time trials and like to ride with a light.
Finally – here is a direct comparison. Please excuse my bike for still having panniers, she's currently transitioning from 'touring bike' to 'winter bike':
The Zecto (top) compared to Femto (bottom)
Both sets of lights are effective and well built, but that comes with the Lezyne name and I would expect nothing less. For a USB rechargeable battery, brighter front and warning when the juice is getting low, I'd choose the Zecto, but I'd trust the Femto to get me home if I found myself in a pickle.
Of course, if you plan on riding hard and fast of an evening/early morning in winter, on unlit roads, you will need to crank it up to a 'seeing light'. A good quality 'seeing' bulb will light up the road in front of you, so that you don't feel handicapped by the dark at all. If this is what you're after, you'll be looking for 1000+ lumens, and many of these lights retail at £150+. There are cheaper ebay options, but having tried this, and compared to quality builds from brands such as Exposure and Lezyne, I'd recommend you trust the reputable brands. For the joy of getting out in winter before the rush hour traffic and bombing round the country lanes as comfortably as you would in daylight, it's money well spent.
To see the full range of Lezyne lights at Global bike, click here.


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By Ron Miller
Published by Zenith Press
I'm going to cut to the chase here – this book is filled with some of the most beautiful and inspiring art I've seen for a long, long time. From the earliest images of heavenly bodies to the modern-day digital renderings, and everything in between, this book covers everything.
The five chapters – Planets & Moons, Stars & Galaxies, Spaceships & Space Stations, Space Colonies & Cities, and Aliens – covers art that illustrates what we see in Earth's orbit to what we imagine in star systems and galaxies far beyond our own. The combination of recreation, concept and fiction takes you on quite a ride and the sheer amount of art can feel somewhat like an overload on the senses. It's hard not to be fascinated by how the ages before us viewed the stars, or inspired by those who imagine the views from the surface of other worlds.
But, I'm getting well ahead of myself. This hardback book, with a solid binding enabling you to leave the book open without fear of the pages flipping over while you peruse the images, is an attractive piece of work with a suitably impressive science-fiction cover ('The Rings of Saturn' by Peter Elson) and wonderful 1970s-style sci-fi title lettering. That may seem a little unimportant, but I feel it set a tone for me, a sci-fi fan from the 70s onwards, and even though science fiction isn't the driving force behind this book as many of the illustrations are based on fact (or, at least, what was taken as fact at the time), there is a solid offering of speculative artwork. To be clear, though, although there are science fiction elements in this book it's primary purpose is to show us space art throughout the ages based on what we know - or think we know - about the known universe.
The artwork is printed on glossy pages and the amount of detail is fine for a book of this size, but there are images you wish were much, much larger so that you could drink in the visuals, but where do you draw the line? A small book is out of the question and a poster-sized book is unwieldy and impractical, so I think the coffee-table book approach works just fine.
The Art of Space contains some stunning paintings and covers many things, from the bodies of our solar system, to some incredible starship designs to imaginative images of alien life. For example, the early drawings of the Moon reflect how our views and attitudes towards, as well as knowledge of, our Moon has changed so amazingly over the last century. To see the early images of how we thought the Moon would be, as well as the other planets of our solar system, is fascinating when compared to what we know of the Moon and planets now, and actual images alongside what could be regarded as simple flights of fancy really draws the line between a sense of innocent wonder and practical knowledge.
You get this sense throughout the entire book, as early concepts of what could be beyond our world or how we would get there is brushed aside by the reality of it. This doesn't mean the early images have no merit – indeed, I found the creativity and energy of many of them very inspirational – and it doesn't sterilise the impact of modern, practical art based on a more tangible sense of reality. In fact, some of the paintings based on what we know about the universe are just as fantastical and awe-inspiring as the speculative art, in some cases even more so. There's wonder to be found in both types.
In each chapter there's also a spotlight on some of the most influential and inspiring artists who really gave a lot to the genre – Chesley Bonestell, Lynette Cook, Pat Rawlings, Don Davis and Wayne Barlow. With a brief background and some of their best work included, these little snippets give you an idea of what drives and inspires artists to create the amazing visuals feasts that they do.
It's written well and gets to the point, and each piece of art has it's own description to give the image context. It's very informative and covers all the pertinent details, and includes some great stories such as the 'Moon Hoax' and some observations on certain aspects such as the Soviet poster art. Even though I don't like the black-on-grey text on some pages as I do not feel it's easy on the eye, it's a good read and really adds a lot of depth to the images.
I can heartily recommend 'The Art of Space'. It's a great selection of artwork accompanied by some good writing and I can't imagine anyone not being even partly inspired by the glorious images within.
For me it was perfect because I'm a lover of everything this book has to offer, from the early art of Jules Verne stories to the renditions of starship concepts, planet surfaces and insane but believable aliens. It really did have something of everything for me, and I felt I had travelled the cosmos when I turned the final page. This is a truly great piece of work and a must-have for lovers of this genre.


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Doing much this weekend? Love Jason Derulo? Well if you are free head down to Westfield Parramatta on Sunday October 16th to catch multi-platinum singer and songwriter Jason Derulo entertain his fans in a special one off in-store appearance and performance to promote his new album Future History
Jason will be performing five of his chart-smashing hits and then conduct a signing where fans will have the chance for Jason to sign their very own copy of his brand new studio album which features the hits Don't Wanna Go Home and It Girl.
On a promo tour of Oz, the BMI Pop Award 2011 winner for "Songwriter of the Year" is also to appear on X-Factor and Sunrise next week! Get your self down to Parramatta and see the chart topper this weekend! We at SCP HQ can't make it however if you go, take a picture and send it through to us!


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A CONVICTED rapist who threatened a woman with a knife on a Calderdale canal towpath has been jailed for five years.
Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday that 43-year-old Paul Sykes had been sentenced to 16 years behind bars back in 1989 for a series of offences, including rape and robbery, and in 2000 he was given a three-year jail term for possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.
In September last year, just two months after his release, he confronted a medical secretary as she enjoyed a lunchtime walk along the Calder and Hebble canal between Brighouse and Elland.
Prosecutor Yunus Valli described how the woman was near the Cromwell Lock when she came across Sykes who was carrying an old kitchen knife with a 4in blade.
"He said to her: `Go back in the bushes' in a calm and quiet voice," said Mr Valli.
"She shouted help and the next thing she recalls is being on the ground with the defendant kneeling next to her."
Mr Valli said she wasn't sure whether she had fainted, but Sykes was next to her holding the knife very close.
He told her not to scream or he would cut her and pinned her down on the ground.
"She asked him not to hurt her and asked if he wanted any money," said Mr Valli.
As she went to get her bag Sykes, of Poplar View, Lightcliffe, near Halifax, suddenly said he was sorry and she was able to run off.
As she fled he shouted: "Please don't report me."
Mr Valli said the woman had been left shocked and traumatised by the incident and was extremely frightened to go out alone afterwards.
Sykes was arrested in January after police obtained a DNA match from a baseball cap left at the scene.
He was eventually picked out during identification procedures by another female walker who had spotted him shortly before the attack.
In April Sykes pleaded guilty to charges of affray and possessing an offensive weapon.
The court heard that he still maintained that there was no sexual motive behind the attack.
Judge Kerry Macgill
suggested that Sykes should be put on a sex offender programme while serving his sentence.


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Editor's Note: This article originally published in June 2013. Dates and ages have remained unchanged from the original piece.
Want to do business with agent Brian Greenberg? Drop that telephone. Don't bother blocking out an afternoon appointment. No need to Google Map his office.
Greenberg's clients can find him (or, at least, his services) online, 24/7, at CompassQuote.com and TrueBlueLifeInsurance.com. There, customers can learn about life insurance products, compare quotes and fill out an application — without ever coming into contact with another human being.
In fact Greenberg hardly speaks to, let alone sees, any of the hundreds of clients he serves each year. And that's fine by him.
"I made the MDRT this year and I didn't meet with one client," the 36-year-old Phoenix-based producer says. "I didn't have to drive to any appointments, go to anyone's house, convince anyone they needed life insurance."
Greenberg is one of a growing number of agents and carriers venturing into online sales and turning long-held life insurance sales beliefs on their head. Chief among them? The idea that potential life insurance buyers need to be goaded by an agent.
"I don't believe insurance should be sold," Greenberg says. "I believe insurance should be bought."
Going digital
Greenberg didn't always think that way. He worked as a traditional agent with MetLife right out of college and did well for himself. "It was a good experience," he says. "I was a good agent."
But Greenberg still suffered his fair share of client objections and dead-end sales. "It was a lot of rejection, a lot of trying to convince people to buy life insurance," he says. "You ended up just trying to get in front of people, no matter what, even if they weren't interested in life insurance."
Certain there was a better way, he set out in 2003 to create a website that would let customers come to him. Greenberg took CompuLife quote software and, with his web skills, customized it to boost user-friendliness and collect additional info.
The result? CompassQuote.com and TrueBlueLifeInsurance.com, which have sold roughly 1,400 policies in the last three years.
Greenberg says the sites' success is due to a couple of things: a constant focus on search engine optimization (90 percent of his clients find him through search) and a lack of sales trickery. For example, Greenberg built his site so prospects don't have to enter any contact information in order to get an insurance quote — a notable distinction from the lead generators disguised as online quote tools offered by other agencies and carriers.
"They can get all the information they need, and they don't have to be contacted by anybody," he says. "I didn't want to use the site to just collect email addresses and contact people later. I wanted to be the polar opposite. I wanted to be the ethical and honest guy."
And the invisible one, too. Once prospects run a quote on one of Greenberg's sites, they can select their desired price and start filling out the application right then. The mostly complete form is then shipped to the customer, who is contacted by a paramedical examiner to set up an appointment. The client keeps track of the entire purchase process from an online dashboard, and in an average of three weeks, he or she is covered — usually without ever coming into contact with Greenberg.
That's the point, says Greenberg, who stays in touch with existing clients using occasional emails but does little to try to up-sell them on other products. "My goal is to issue life insurance as quickly as possible, without any agent interaction" he says. "It's not so much about selling."
In fact, Greenberg spends almost no time on selling activities these days. His wholesaler handles all of his case management, and his one employee answers the chat requests, emails and telephone calls that come through the websites. "I sold 500 policies last year for the same amount of work that a traditional agent would sell 50 … maybe less," he says.
Greenberg admits that what he sells — mostly simple term and universal life products, nothing that has an investment element — isn't a good fit for all clients and their needs. But he sees his market continuing to grow all the same. "Everyone's got an iPad; everyone's got high-speed Internet," he says. "They're going to go online."
The online trend
Experts tend to agree with Greenberg.
According to an analysis by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), 61 percent of consumers between the ages of 18 and 54 find purchasing life insurance online attractive, and 8 in 10 life insurance purchases these days start online. It's a trend that will likely accelerate as younger generations — self-service aficionados who are among the most eager to purchase online — continue to come of buying age.
See also: Life insurance is sold, not bought. But for how long?
"Younger generations want information to be interactive, and they want it in bite-size pieces," says Anand S. Rao, principal, Insurance Advisory Services, at PwC. "They don't necessarily want to meet face to face."
And as medical information becomes increasingly digitized, they won't have to. "One of the biggest impediments [to buying online] is this notion around medical underwriting," Rao says. (Greenberg agrees. The majority of his customers opt for non-medical products even though they're more costly.)
But health care reform has pushed providers to adopt electronic medical records, giving more people access to their health information — and the ability to share that information with insurers. "As that takes hold in the next two to three years, then people will have the option to basically have all the info online and make it available to the insurance carrier," Rao says.
Term insurance will likely lead the online sales charge — PwC estimates $9 billion of the $14 billion term market has direct-distribution potential — but other products, simplified for the online marketplace, will follow, Rao says.
"Right now, you have so many different riders and add-ons that you end up confusing consumers and then they push off their decision," he says. "And this is more or less how the industry has been justifying the need for agents and advisors. It's a sort of vicious cycle, and we think, more and more, we'll see carriers offering something more simple for the consumer, and that will move more sales online."
Carriers vs. agents?
Forecasts like Rao's don't necessarily bode well for agents — and even web-savvy Greenberg admits he's a little worried about the future. "My biggest concern is just more people using the technology I'm using, more competition from other agents and carriers," he says.
Who would win a battle for online insurance dollars? It's anybody's game at this point, but Rao's betting carriers will have the upper hand in the United States, noting that U.S. consumers continue to buy their online auto insurance from insurance companies while customers in the U.K. almost always go through aggregators.
"My bet would be more life insurance carriers here will start offering [price comparison programs and other tools] online, so as not to give up the business to the aggregators," he says.
Greenberg won't prove an easy foe, though. He plans to continue growing his website — offering more non-medical options and adopting technologies that speed the underwriting process as soon as they become available.
"The insurance industry is very antiquated, very paper-dependent," he says. "So whenever someone comes up with a technology to make it easier or faster, I'm always going to be a first adopter in that regard. If it helps, I'm going to use it."
For more on direct sales, see:
Life insurance underwriting: The questions matter
Direct annuity sales are coming. Are you ready?


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Last Sunday is a day I won�t soon forget. I made the trek once again to the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field for the NFC Championship game between the New York Giants and the Green Bay Packers.
First off, I have to thank Travis Loftus and Gameday Sports Marketing in Green Bay for giving me the opportunity to attend the playoff games.
It was quite an experience leading up to kick off on Sunday afternoon as everywhere we went was green and gold.
The game didn�t go the way the record setting crowd at Lambeau had hoped, but it still was a great experience to attend a game of that magnitude. I was shocked to see Eli Manning shred the Packer defense the way that he did. I thought going into the game that Al Harris and Charles Woodson would have a strong game against the Giant receivers and the young quarterback.
That wasn�t the case and it should set up an interesting Super Bowl as it is Manning vs. Brady in an rematch of the Week 17 battle.
The only thing I would change from the game is the weather. It went down as the third coldest game in the National Football League history and you could feel it through the several layers of clothing at the game.
Before the game, I figured, that the weather would be a big factor in the outcome. However, it didn�t hurt the passing game at all as the Giants had success through the air.
All-in-all. The trips to Green Bay will be something I won�t soon forget and look forward to the opportunity of heading back in the future.
For the Super Bowl, I expect the Patriots will complete the perfect season and win the Super Bowl over the New York Giants.
I think the Patriots have too many weapons on offense and have a strong enough defense to stop the Giants. It will be interesting to see if Manning can continue his solid play. If he is able to do that, the Giants have a strong shot at the upset. I don�t see that happening on Super Bowl Sunday.


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Guest Post
With so many opportunities for travellers and volunteers in South Africa, it has become one of the most popular countries for those on a career break or gap year. Opportunities exist to gain experience in human rights work, wildlife conservation, teaching, journalism, and care and community work. And there is so much to see and do – from the very civilised waterfront of Cape Town to the very wild 'Big 5' in the reserves, it offers adventures of a lifetime.
With so much to research before making your decision, it seems almost churlish to add one more thing to your list. But there is a way that you can really save money on phone calls to South Africa, as well as calls home while you're there.
VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol and is a way of making phone calls over the internet rather than using standard wire-based telephone networks. It offers considerable savings over traditional phone services, particularly when making long-distance calls such as those to and from South Africa. Here are five reasons to research VoIP before travelling in South Africa.
1. See everyone back home for free
VoIP services such as Skype allow you to make video calls to other users for free using your computer and a broadband connection. If you're far away from home, nothing can be more heart- warming than actually seeing friends and family. There's little time difference between South Africa and the UK, so videoing home is easy to arrange and won't cost you a penny.
2. Cheap calls to South Africa
Some VoIP services, such as those offered by Vonage.co.uk, can transform your home phone into an internet phone by plugging an adapter into your broadband connection and your phone into this adapter. This gives you access to much cheaper calls to South Africa or unlimited free calls to South Africa and eight other African countries from as little as £4.99 a month.
3. Cheap calls from South Africa
If you have friends in South Africa – or you make friends while travelling – VoIP services can help you set up a virtual phone number so they don't have to pay more than the cost of a local call to contact you when you're home.
You may be asking 'what is a virtual phone number?' It's simply a number that can have any dialling code in front of it – a South African one for Cape Town, for example – that rings through to your home phone number. As VoIP services are not physically connected, they can have any geographical location code. Those calling you on this virtual number will pay only the cost of a local call.
4. Cheap calls in South Africa
While you're in South Africa, VoIP services can also help you to make cheap calls. By carrying your adapter with you, any phone near a broadband router can become your home phone. You carry your home phone number with you and continue to benefit from the cost savings while you're abroad.
5. Easy-to-access voicemail
In addition to saving money, VoIP services such as those offered by Vonage can revolutionise your telephone. They often include premium services, without the premiums. You could have visual voicemails, which send any messages left for you to your email account as sound files or, better still, as transcribed text messages. With VoIP, even though you're far away, you need never miss an important call.
Images courtesy Paul Mannix, flowcomm and Gari
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2 Comments
Just wondering, could the guys at Rays Index release the song list that the players prefer when they approach the plate at the Trop? Living here in Seattle, I don't get many chances to see the team play at home, so would love to know this infomation regarding my favorite team. Just hope the Rays players have better taste in music than Seattle's Russell Branyon...
Thanks again and keep up the great work. Love the website!


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TEMPTATIONS® Hairball Control Treat
Mouth-watering, Hairball control treats your feline friend craves. No artificial flavours. 100% nutritionally complete.
Nutrition and Ingredients
Chicken By-product Meal, Animal Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Ground Corn, Dried Meat By-products, Brewers Rice, Wheat Flour, Powdered Cellulose, Natural Flavour, Dried Beet Pulp, Corn Gluten Meal, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Salt, Taurine, Dl-methionine, Calcium Carbonate, Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Potassium Iodide), Mixed Tocopherols (A Natural Preservative), Vitamins (Alpha Tocopherol Acetate [source Of Vitamin E], Vitamin A Acetate, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, D-calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [vitamin B6], Folic Acid).
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein
Min. 30%
Crude Fat
Min. 17%
Crude Fibre
Max. 8.5%
Max. 12%
Calorie Content
ME (Calculated)
4050 kcal/kg
AAFCO Statement
TEMPTATIONS® Hairball Control Treats for cats is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages. AAFCO stands for the Association of American Feed Control Officials. AAFCO develops standards for dog and cat nutrient profiles which are used as model regulations in the United States. AAFCO feeding protocols are referenced the ""Guide for the Labeling and Advertising of Pet Foods"" endorsed by the Competition Bureau of Canada as well as in the Guidelines for the Canadian Pet Food Industry, developed and administered by the Pet Food Association of Canada. These documents were created to help pet food manufacturers ensure that the food that they manufacture, distribution and sale of animal feeds are safe and of high quality.


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WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The White House on Friday expanded a troubled Obama administration program seeking to help borrowers on the verge of foreclosure, tripling incentive payments to investors who cut the amount owed by borrowers.
The program, known as the Home Affordable Modification Program, seeks to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure by allowing them to reduce monthly loan payments and, at times, reduce the amount they owe on their loan. Under the program, the lender voluntarily lowers the interest rate, and the government provides subsidies to the lender.
One change to the program announced by the Treasury Department was to triple the incentive payments to investors who agree to cut the amount borrowers owe, known as principal reduction. The agency said that incentive payments would continue to range depend on the degree of change in the loan-to-value ratio but that all payments would triple. Read about the expansion of the Treasury program
Principal reduction is a small part of the HAMP program, so far. The Treasury noted Jan. 9 that banks have reduced the principal amount owed by about 36,000 borrowers, as of Nov. 30.
In addition, Treasury said that nearly 910,000 troubled borrowers on the verge of foreclosure have had their mortgages permanently modified to lower payments as part of the program — far short of the original goal.
Timothy Massad, Treasury's assistant secretary for financial stability, said the housing market shows signs of recovery but is still fragile.
"These enhancements will extend the reach of HAMP to a broader pool of struggling homeowners and provide more robust relief to those who participate," Massad said.
In addition to greater principal reduction payments, for the first time, the program also was expanded to include properties occupied by a tenant as well as vacant properties that the borrower intends to rent.
The Treasury said this expansion will "provide critical relief to both homeowners that live in their homes and those who rent their homes, while further stabilizing communities from the blight of vacant and foreclosed properties."
The timing of the program was extended also by one year, until Dec. 31, 2013. Borrowers with higher levels of secondary debt will also now be eligible to participate in the program.
Fannie and Freddie
The program also is seeking "to encourage" government-seized mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to participate in the program. So far, the two big mortgage firms are not participating in a government principal reduction program. Their regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, reported recently that cutting mortgage principal on Fannie and Freddie mortgages would cost $100 billion to taxpayers.
Treasury announced that it was offering the two mortgage giants incentives to reduce the amount owed by borrowers of mortgages owned or insured by Fannie and Freddie.
In response, FHFA noted its analysis and huge costs to taxpayers from any Fannie or Freddie principal reduction program. The agency added that its assessment of the new incentives will "follow its previous analysis."
"FHFA recently released analysis concluding that principal forgiveness did not provide benefits that were greater than principal forbearance as a loss mitigation tool," FHFA said. "FHFA's assessment of the investor incentives now being offered will follow its previous analysis, including consideration of the eligible universe, operational costs to implement such changes, and potential borrower incentive effects."