text: This is the accessible text file for GAO report number GAO-08-387R entitled 'Limitations in DOD's Evaluation Plan for EEO Complaint Pilot Program Hinder Determination of Pilot Results' which was released on February 22, 2008. This text file was formatted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to be accessible to users with visual impairments, as part of a longer term project to improve GAO products' accessibility. Every attempt has been made to maintain the structural and data integrity of the original printed product. Accessibility features, such as text descriptions of tables, consecutively numbered footnotes placed at the end of the file, and the text of agency comment letters, are provided but may not exactly duplicate the presentation or format of the printed version. The portable document format (PDF) file is an exact electronic replica of the printed version. We welcome your feedback. Please E-mail your comments regarding the contents or accessibility features of this document to email@example.com. This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. It may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without further permission from GAO. Because this work may contain copyrighted images or other material, permission from the copyright holder may be necessary if you wish to reproduce this material separately. United States Government Accountability Office: Washington, DC 20548: February 22, 2008: Congressional Addressees: Subject: Limitations in DOD's Evaluation Plan for EEO Complaint Pilot Program Hinder Determination of Pilot Results: In August 2004, pursuant to Section 1111 of the fiscal year 2001 Department of Defense authorization act,[Footnote 1] the Secretary of Defense authorized components of the United States Air Force (USAF), the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), and the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) to implement an equal employment opportunity (EEO) complaint pilot program to reengineer the EEO complaint process to, among other things, reduce complaint processing time and reinforce management accountability. The program was exempt from the procedural requirements of 29 C.F.R. Part 1614 and other regulations, directives, or regulatory restrictions prescribed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). As required by the legislation, in May 2006, GAO reported on the implementation of the pilot programs and found that two of the three pilot initiatives operated consistent with existing EEOC requirements, with a specific emphasis on alternative dispute resolution (ADR).[Footnote 2] USAF's pilot operated outside of EEOC regulations, as authorized under the legislation. We identified limitations in the Department of Defense's (DOD) evaluation plan for the pilot program that, if not addressed, would limit the likelihood that the evaluation would yield sound results. For example, the plan did not have well-defined or clear objectives or set criteria for determining if the pilots had met objectives. Accordingly, we made recommendations to DOD on ways to develop a sound evaluation plan that would more accurately and reliably assess the pilot programs' results and thereby support effective program and policy decisions. DOD made some changes to the evaluation plan based on our recommendations. USAF and DeCA's pilot programs ended on September 30, 2007; DLA ended its pilot on September 30, 2006. As required by the legislation, GAO evaluated the pilots at the conclusion of the program. Our objectives were to (1) describe the key aspects of the EEO process that were tested by the pilot program, (2) present data DOD reported from the pilot program, (3) evaluate improvements DOD made to its evaluation plan, (4) describe ADR processes used in the pilot programs compared to other ADR processes reported by federal agencies, and (5) provide lessons learned from the pilot program that can inform future EEO complaint process reform initiatives. To accomplish our objectives, we used GAO's evaluation guidance and social science evaluation literature to assess the changes DOD made to its evaluation plan and we assessed the reliability of the pilot program data provided by program officials. We also interviewed DOD and pilot program officials to obtain their perspectives on the pilot program and lessons learned and EEOC officials to get their views on the strengths and limitations of the pilot program. We determined that the data provided by DOD were sufficiently reliable for the purposes of our review. We conducted our review from July 2007 through December 2007 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. We provided detailed briefings on the results of our work to congressional committee staff.[Footnote 3] The briefing slides are included in the enclosure. This letter also provides clarifying information that we obtained about participation rates in the pilot program. In addition to the results of our assessments of the pilot program, we are including information on EEOC's preliminary efforts under an ongoing initiative to reform the federal EEO complaint process, which EEOC officials told us after our briefings is focused on the investigative phase of the process. In summary, DeCA and DLA tested the informal stage of the EEO complaint process, primarily by increased use of ADR to informally settle disputes before they became formal complaints. DeCA developed a toll- free call line which they indicated was to enable employees to "vent" their grievances and DLA required management and new hires to attend training on ADR and offered it to all employees. USAF made substantive changes to the formal stage of the complaint process--combining the investigative and hearing phases--with a goal of reducing complaint processing times to an average of 127 days or less.[Footnote 4] At the end of their program, USAF officials reported that the average processing time for pilot cases was approximately 108 days. USAF's program officers informed us that they plan to seek approval to continue their program and have drafted legislation that would authorize them to do so. We have not obtained a copy of this draft legislation. Data reported by DOD showed that rates of participation in the pilot programs varied widely. As specified in the legislation, claimants had the option of participating in the pilot program or staying with the traditional process within their respective organizations. Further, DOD afforded those opting to participate in the pilot program the opportunity to opt out and go back to the traditional process at any time. USAF's participation rate was about 16 percent of those offered the pilot, but 76 percent of the pilot cases were resolved and another 9 percent, which were still pending as of September 30, 2007, will remain under the pilot. USAF officials generally attributed the relatively low number of complainants who opted to participate in the pilot to a lack of familiarity and trust in a new EEO complaint procedure. DeCA had 100 percent of those eligible accept the pilot and 51 percent (44 of 87 complaints) completing it with resolution. Over 95 percent of those eligible accepted DLA's pilot with 75 percent (12 of 15 complaints) completing it with resolution. During our briefings, we received several questions from congressional committee staff about what was meant by "completed the pilot with resolution," especially for USAF cases since these could be appealed to EEOC. USAF described as "resolved" those cases that received a decision on the merits or were settled during the USAF's process. Since DLA's and DeCA's pilot programs focused on the informal stage of the process, these agencies considered a case "resolved" when it did not proceed to a formal complaint under the traditional EEO complaint process. Based on recommendations we made in our May 2006 report, DOD made changes to its evaluation plan, including establishing benchmarks to assess pilot "success" and clarifying objectives and how they were to be measured. DOD officials, with assistance from USAF pilot officials, made the most substantive improvements to the evaluation plan for the USAF pilot and, as a result, an evaluation of that pilot initiative will likely produce sound results. However, because of continuing weaknesses in DOD's evaluation plan, an evaluation of the other two pilot initiatives will not likely produce results sufficiently sound to be applied governmentwide. Pilots' use of ADR procedures had several common features that are similar to best practices reported by EEOC for federal ADR programs.[Footnote 5] These features included support from senior management and training of managers and employees in ADR. Officials from both DeCA's and DLA's pilots heavily emphasized the importance of using ADR in resolving EEO concerns before they became formal complaints, and officials from both agencies have indicated that they will continue to emphasize this use of ADR. We are not making new recommendations in this correspondence. However, based on our evaluations of the pilot program, as discussed in this letter and in our prior report, we have identified lessons learned that could be applied to future pilots to help inform EEO complaint process reform initiatives: * Develop sound implementation and evaluation plans, including data needs, as part of the design of the pilot itself and before implementation to increase confidence in results and facilitate decision making about broader application of the pilot. * Involve senior management in designing, implementing, and evaluating the pilot program to help with buy-in. * Emphasize the importance of customer feedback and include mechanisms to solicit such feedback. * Involve EEOC, potentially in an advisory role, when designing the pilot. * Leverage strategies that have been tried successfully. * Continue to stress the use of ADR to help resolve disputes. DOD officials informed us that the department intends to issue a report on the results of the pilot program in the Spring 2008 but did not indicate how the limitations we identified in the evaluation plan would impact how information, especially any results for DLA and DeCA, could be used by DOD officials and other policy makers. With regard to governmentwide complaint process reform, EEOC has convened focus groups of various stakeholders to obtain feedback on how to improve the investigative phase of the process. EEOC has identified fairness, accountability, efficiency, and oversight as the four goals guiding the reform efforts and plans to make recommendations to the Commission in these areas. At the time of our review, EEOC staff had not established specific timelines for developing recommendations. As EEOC moves toward reforming the current federal sector EEO complaint process, it will be important to consider the lessons learned from the pilot program. This is especially true in regard to developing a sound evaluation plan to measure results. We provided a draft of this report to the Secretary of Defense and the Chair of the EEOC. EEOC had no comment. Department of Defense officials responded that they had no official comments on the draft report. We also received comments from one of the pilot agencies--DeCA--which we summarize below along with our response. In its comments, DeCA took exception with us limiting our focus to DOD's evaluation plan and asserted that DeCA had its own set of measurable goals to evaluate its pilot and that our report should emphasize how well DeCA's objectives were accomplished. At the onset of the pilot program, DOD designated the Civilian Personnel Management Service (CPMS) to monitor and provide oversight responsibilities for the pilot program, which included DeCA and two other DOD components. CPMS developed and provided us with the pilot program's evaluation plan and we provided an assessment of that plan in our May 2006 report on DOD's EEO complaint pilot program.[Footnote 6] After providing a recommendation to DOD to strengthen its evaluation plan in 2006, one of the objectives of this follow-on engagement was to evaluate the revised plan and we found that it had some improvements but still had key limitations. While we acknowledge DeCA's assertions of how well it accomplished the objectives it established for its segment of the overall pilot program, as stated above, the focus of our evaluation was to assess the official evaluation plan prepared by CPMS. As we discuss in the draft report, we found the revised evaluation plan lacking in several key areas specific to the DeCA pilot. We continue to believe that a sound evaluation plan is important for producing results that can inform decisions to implement such programs elsewhere in DOD and potentially governmentwide, one of the fundamental intentions of the pilot program. DOD has committed to issuing its own evaluation report with findings from the three pilot programs in Spring 2008, which we anticipate may incorporate more details on DeCA's accomplishments. We will send copies of this report to the Secretary, Department of Defense; the Chair, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; and other interested parties. Copies will also be made available to others on request. This report will also be available at no charge on GAO's Web site at [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov]. If you or your staff have questions about this report, please contact me on (202) 512-9490 or by e-mail at email@example.com. Contact points for our Office of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found on the last page of this report. Key contributors to this report were Belva Martin, Assistant Director; Karin F. Fangman; Cindy K. Gilbert; and Anthony R. Patterson. Signed by: George H. Stalcup: Director, Strategic Issues: Enclosure: List of Congressional Addressees: The Honorable Carl Levin: Chairman: The Honorable John McCain: Ranking Member: Committee on Armed Services: United States Senate: The Honorable Joseph I. Lieberman: Chairman: The Honorable Susan M. Collins: Ranking Member: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: United States Senate: The Honorable Daniel K. Akaka: Chairman: The Honorable George V. Voinovich: Ranking Member: Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia: United States Senate: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: United States Senate: The Honorable Ike Skelton: Chairman: The Honorable Duncan Hunter: Ranking Member: Committee on Armed Services: United States House of Representatives: The Honorable Henry A. Waxman: Chairman: The Honorable Tom Davis: Ranking Member: Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: United States House of Representatives: The Honorable Danny K. Davis: Chairman: The Honorable Kenny Marchant: Ranking Member: Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, Postal Service and District of Columbia: United States House of Representatives: Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: United States House of Representatives: [End of section] Enclosure: Department of Defense�s EEO Complaint Pilot Programs: Briefing for Congressional Clients: December 2007: Contents: Background: GAO�s Objectives: Results in Brief: Scope: Methodology: Current EEO Administrative Complaint Process (29 C.F.R. Part 1614): Key Aspects of the EEO Complaint Process Tested: Department of Defense (DOD) Reported Pilot Program Data (FY05�FY07): Status of Evaluation Plan: - Improvements; - Limitations: ADR Processes Used in Pilot Programs Compared to ADR Best Practices Used in Other Federal Agencies: Observations & Lessons Learned from DOD�s EEO Pilot Program: Moving Forward. [End of contents] Background: Mounting backlog of equal employment opportunity (EEO) complaints in various stages of the EEO redress system precipitated calls for streamlining. Section 1111 of the fiscal year 2001 National Defense Authorization Act [Footnote 7] authorized DOD to carry out pilot programs for up to 3 years as alternatives to the current EEO complaint process for DOD civilian employees: * waived procedural requirements of EEOC, including those in 29 C.F.R. Part 1614 (dealing with EEO complaints);�required that participation in pilot programs be voluntary; * preserved complainant's right to appeal final agency decision to EEOC and file suit in district court; and; * required that we evaluate and submit reports on the pilot programs after the first and last full or partial fiscal years of the pilots. Our first report on the pilot program recommended that DOD (1) establish intra-agency meetings among the pilot sites, and (2) develop a sound evaluation plan to accurately and reliably assess pilot program results. DOD generally agreed with our recommendations in that report. [Footnote 8] DOD�s EEO Pilot Programs: Pilot sites: * U.S. Air Force (All continental U.S. bases); * Defense Logistics Agency (Headquarters); * Defense Commissary Agency (23 sites). Pilots varied but had several common features, including: * began operating between October 2004 and February 2005; * authorized by DOD initially for 2 years with option to continue for 1 additional year; * allowed individuals to opt out at any time and return to the traditional EEO complaints process, and; * increased emphasis on ADR. GAO�s Objectives: Our objectives were to: * describe aspects of the EEO complaint process tested by the pilot programs; * present data DOD reported from the pilot program; * evaluate improvements DOD made to its evaluation plan; * describe how the ADR processes used in the pilot programs compare to other ADR processes reported by federal agencies, and; * identify lessons learned from the pilot programs that can inform future EEO complaint process reform efforts. Results in Brief: * DeCA and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) tested the informal stages of the EEO complaints process primarily using alternative dispute resolution (ADR) to informally settle disputes. USAF made substantive changes to the formal stage of the complaints process�combining the investigative and hearing phases�with a goal of reducing complaint processing time. * Data reported by DOD showed that participation in the pilot varied widely. USAF�s participation rate was less than 20 percent of those offered the pilot but of those, 76 percent were resolved. DeCA had 100 percent of those eligible accept the pilot and 51 percent complete it with resolution. Over 95 percent of those eligible accepted DLA�s pilot with 75 percent completing it with resolution. * Based on our recommendations, DOD made some improvements to its evaluation plan to clarify objectives and how they will be measured and established benchmarks to assess pilot �success.� Based on these improvements, an evaluation of the USAF�s pilot program will likely produce sound results. However, an evaluation of the other two pilot programs will not likely produce valid results. * Pilots� ADR programs had several common features that are similar to best practices reported by EEOC for federal ADR programs, including support from senior management and training of managers and employees in ADR. * Among the lessons learned are the importance of developing sound implementation and evaluation plans and involving EEOC, at least in an advisor role in future pilots. Scope: To accomplish our objectives, we focused on: * EEO complaint procedures in the pilot program; * Pilot data as reported by DOD from January 2005�September 30, 2007; * Reported results of other federal agency ADR efforts, and; * DOD�s Pilot Program Evaluation Plan. We performed our work in Washington, D.C., from July 2007 through December 2007 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. Methodology: To accomplish our objectives, we reviewed: * Pilot program data reported by DOD, including the number and types of cases processed or in process through September 30, 2007; * Pilot program information from pilot program officials, agencies� Web sites, and the Civilian Personnel Management Service (CPMS); * Prior GAO reports; * DOD�s Pilot Program Evaluation Plan; and; * GAO�s evaluation guidance and social science evaluation literature. We also interviewed EEOC and DOD pilot program officials. Current EEO Administrative Complaint Process(29 C.F.R. Part 1614): Two stages: informal and formal [Footnote 9]: * Informal stage: - Individual contacts agency EEO counselor; - Individual offered counseling or ADR in an attempt to resolve complaints. * Formal stage: - Individual files a complaint with agency; - Agency investigates and provides the complainant with a copy of the investigative file; - Complainant chooses either (1) a decision based upon the agency investigation, or (2) a hearing before an EEOC administrative judge who renders a decision; - If a hearing is requested, the agency issues its own final order to the complainant as to whether it will fully implement the decision; - The complainant may appeal a final agency decision (FAD) or agency order to the EEOC; - The agency may appeal the administrative judge�s decision to the EEOC; - Either the agency or complainant may request reconsideration of an EEOC decision. Key Aspects Tested: U.S. Air Force�s Compressed Orderly Rapid Equitable (CORE) Pilot: CORE sites: All Continental USAF Bases. CORE�s key objectives: (1) increase emphasis on ADR; (2) create three- step process (ADR, fact-finding, and FAD), to be completed in 127 or less days; and (3) increase local management accountability for timely complaint resolution. Primary Aspects of EEO Process Tested(Formal Stage): * Offered ADR. * Combined the Investigation and Hearing processes. [Footnote 10] * Received and reviewed recommended FAD and transcripts upon completion of CORE fact-finding conference. * Issued FAD. * Replaced hearing before EEOC administrative judge. Key Aspects Tested: Defense Logistic Agency�s Pilot for Expedited Complaint Processing (PECP): PECP sites: Headquarters only �Fort Belvoir, Va. PECP�s key objectives:(1) reduce processing time by streamlining voluntary early resolution during the informal stage, (2) utilize ADR during the informal stage to resolve EEO disputes instead of counseling, and (3) offer expedited processing for aggrieved individuals who elect PECP (60 days vs.90 days) during the informal stage. Primary Aspects of EEO Process Tested(Informal Stage): * Strongly encouraged ADR during precomplaint stage. * Streamlined counseling process for PECP participants who did not chose ADR. Key Aspects Tested: Defense Commissary Agency�s Early Resolution Opportunity (ERO) Pilot: ERO sites: 23 test stores. ERO�s key objectives:(1) reduce the number of formal discrimination complaints through emphasis on early resolution and (2) foster faster resolution of disputes that do occur. Primary Aspects of EEO Process Tested (Informal Stage): * Established a �1-800� Precomplaint call-line for employees to �vent.� * Offered precomplaint counseling/facilitation between complainant and management. * Offered mediation if facilitation fails. * Centralized informal process (e.g., counseling and facilitation) within DeCA that had been carried out by Army, Navy, and Air Force under interservice support agreements. [Footnote 11] DOD�s EEO Complaint Pilot Program Reported Participation and Results: Table: Data for the pilot programs reported by DOD from January 2005�September 30, 2007 [Footnote 12]: Agency: CORE; Initial contacts: N/A[B]; Eligible for pilot: 1,506[C]; Opted for pilot: 239; Opted out of pilot: 35; Completed pilot with resolution: 182; Completed pilot without resolution: 0; Still under pilot[A]: 22. Agency: PEPC; Initial contacts: 16[D]; Eligible for pilot: 16; Opted for pilot: 15; Opted out of pilot: 1; Completed pilot with resolution: 12; Completed pilot without resolution: 2[E]; Still under pilot[A]: 0. Agency: ERO; Initial contacts: 138; Eligible for pilot: 87; Opted for pilot: 87; Opted out of pilot: 0; Completed pilot with resolution: 44; Completed pilot without resolution: 43; Still under pilot[A]: 0. Source: DOD data. [A] Although pilot has ended, cases in process will be allowed to continue under CORE. [B] CORE focuses on the formal stage of the complaint process; initial contacts occur at the informal stage. [C] Represents the number of individuals who filed formal complaints and were offered CORE. [D] Data are from October 1, 2004�September 30, 2006. DLA�s pilot program lasted 2 rather than 3 years. [E] Although complaint not resolved, complainants opted not to file formal complaint. [End of table] Improvements Made to the Pilot Programs� Evaluation Plan: DOD�s initial Evaluation Plan had some strengths, but lacked key features. CPMS, with assistance from USAF officials, revised the evaluation plan based on GAO�s prior recommendations. Under CORE: * Clarified pilot objectives and how they will be measured; * Established benchmarks to assess pilot �success�; * Added statistical controls in order to distinguish pilot and nonpilot cases; * Developed a data reliability and analysis plan. Based on these improvements, an evaluation of CORE will likely produce sound results. Under PECP & ERO: * Clarified pilot programs� objectives; * Established benchmarks to assess pilot �success.� Key Limitations to the Pilot Programs� Evaluation Plan Remain: While CPMS made some improvements to the Evaluation Plan, key limitations remain: * Under PECP & ERO: - Only one of the pilot programs� stated objectives�reducing processing times�will be measured. - Interpreting the comparisons with prior year data will continue to be problematic. - A data reliability plan is lacking. * Based on the revised plan, an evaluation of PECP and ERO will not likely produce sound results. ADR Use in Pilot Programs Compared to ADR Best Practices in Other Federal Agencies: Pilots� ADR programs had several common features that are similar to best practices as reported by EEOC.[Footnote 13] Among these: * Support from senior management: - All three pilots demonstrated senior leadership buy-in, including participating in ADR training and developing ADR policies. * Marketing of ADR program: - All three pilot sites created brochures about their programs. * Training of managers and employees in ADR: - All three pilots provided training to managers and employees. - CORE officers hired contractors to conduct selected trainings. * Collaboration with unions: - All three pilots collaborated with union representatives; - CORE is marketed by some unions. * Appearance of independence and neutrality: - All three pilot programs were designed to maintain their appearance of independence and neutrality. - ERO used external neutrals in its ADR process. DeCA and USAF were included in EEOC�s fiscal years 2003-04 ADR best practices report. GAO Observations and Lessons Learned from DOD�s EEO Complaints Pilot Program: Future initiatives to reform the EEO complaint process should consider the following lessons learned based on the pilots: * Develop sound implementation and evaluation plans before a pilot is implemented, as this is important to increase confidence in results which can facilitate decision making about broader application of the pilot. * Involve senior management in designing, implementing, and evaluating the pilot program to facilitate with buy-in. * Emphasize the importance of customer feedback and include mechanisms to solicit such feedback. * Involve EEOC, potentially in an advisory role, when designing the pilot. * Leverage strategies that have been tried successfully. * Continue to stress the use of ADR to help resolve disputes. Moving Forward: DOD intends to release a report on the pilot program in Spring 2008. According to the department, it will send the report to GAO, EEOC, Congress, and the President to help inform future complaint process reform. USAF officials have indicated a desire to continue CORE and have drafted legislation to that effect.[Footnote 14] EEOC is developing potential recommendations to reform the federal agency component of the EEO complaint process and is holding focus group meetings with stakeholders to obtain their feedback on suggested reforms aimed at enhancing the stated goals of fairness, accountability, efficiency, and oversight.[Footnote 15] Footnotes: [1] Pub. L. No. 106-398 (Oct. 30, 2000). [2] GAO, Equal Employment Opportunity: DOD's EEO Pilot Program Under Way, but Improvements Needed to DOD's Evaluation Plan, GAO-06-538 (Washington, D.C.: May 2006). [3] On December 6, 2007; December 14, 2007; December 17, 2007; and January 7, 2008, we briefed congressional staff members. [4] According to EEOC's 2006 Annual Report on the Federal Workforce, federal agencies reduced the average time it takes to process equal employment opportunity complaints to 186 days in fiscal 2006, down from 237 days in 2005. [5] See EEOC, ADR Report: Part II--Best Practices in Alternative Dispute Resolution FY 2003-FY 2004. [6] GAO, GAO-06-538. [7] Pub. L. No. 106-398 (Oct. 30, 2000). In the 2004 fiscal year authorization, Congress authorized DOD to establish its own human capital system, the National Security Personnel System (NSPS), Pub. L. No. 108-136 (November 2003). This legislation did not modify the pilot program authority, nor did it modify the rights and remedies available to individuals with complaints of discrimination. [8] GAO, Equal Employment Opportunity: DOD�s EEO Pilot Program Under Way, but Improvements Needed to DOD�s Evaluation Plan, GAO-06-538 (Washington, D.C. May 5, 2006). [9] See appendix for a detailed description of the EEO complaint process. [10] CORE fact finders conduct fact-finding conferences, which are an investigation technique available under the current EEO process. Under CORE, however, fact finders are also required to prepare recommended decisions. CORE fact finders do not have the same authority as EEOC administrative judges, including the authority to sanction uncooperative parties. [11] Although not part of the pilot program, ERO also utilized electronic transmission of files to DOD�s Investigation Resolution Division during the formal stage. [12] We determined that the data are sufficiently reliable for the purposes of our review. [13] EEOC, ADR Report: Part II�Best Practices in Alternative Dispute Resolution FY 2003-FY 2004. In this report, EEOC partnered with 21 federal agencies, including the U.S. Postal Service, the Department of Education, and the Social Security Administration. [14] We have not seen the legislation. [15] EEOC officials met with DOD Pilot program officials several times during the pilot period; EEOC officials expressed interest in the CORE pilot. [End of section] GAO's Mission: The Government Accountability Office, the audit, evaluation and investigative arm of Congress, exists to support Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities and to help improve the performance and accountability of the federal government for the American people. GAO examines the use of public funds; evaluates federal programs and policies; and provides analyses, recommendations, and other assistance to help Congress make informed oversight, policy, and funding decisions. GAO's commitment to good government is reflected in its core values of accountability, integrity, and reliability. Obtaining Copies of GAO Reports and Testimony: The fastest and easiest way to obtain copies of GAO documents at no cost is through GAO's Web site [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov]. Each weekday, GAO posts newly released reports, testimony, and correspondence on its Web site. To have GAO e-mail you a list of newly posted products every afternoon, go to [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov] and select "Subscribe to Updates." Order by Mail or Phone: The first copy of each printed report is free. Additional copies are $2 each. A check or money order should be made out to the Superintendent of Documents. GAO also accepts VISA and Mastercard. Orders for 100 or more copies mailed to a single address are discounted 25 percent. Orders should be sent to: U.S. Government Accountability Office: 441 G Street NW, Room LM: Washington, D.C. 20548: To order by Phone: Voice: (202) 512-6000: TDD: (202) 512-2537: Fax: (202) 512-6061: To Report Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in Federal Programs: Contact: Web site: [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/fraudnet/fraudnet.htm]: E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com: Automated answering system: (800) 424-5454 or (202) 512-7470: Congressional Relations: Ralph Dawn, Managing Director, email@example.com: (202) 512-4400: U.S. Government Accountability Office: 441 G Street NW, Room 7125: Washington, D.C. 20548: Public Affairs: Chuck Young, Managing Director, email@example.com: (202) 512-4800: U.S. Government Accountability Office: 441 G Street NW, Room 7149: Washington, D.C. 20548:


text:
Aralyn Hughes, the self-proclaimed "Queen of Weird" takes us on a journey through her shocking life.
Speaking on the global theme of "shock" in this CreativeMornings/Austin event from October 2015, Aralyn Hughes, a pioneer for women's rights and self-proclaimed "Queen of Weird," takes us on a colorful, poignant, and shocking journey through her incredible life. Whether it was teaching students about sex in a time when such topics were taboo, being among the first women in the US to obtain a legal abortion, or driving around Austin in her banana-topped art car, Aralyn Hughes makes a habit out of disrupting social norms. And the world is better for it.
This episode was made possible by our friends at MailChimp and Media Temple.
Watch the video
Aralyn Hughes The Queen of Weird

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I can't believe it's already turkey time! How did it come so fast? De verdad, I blinked, and the week was over. It started last Tuesday with splits with our Hermana Leader. A member showed us where several inactive members live; there are soooo many here! Wednesday, I played babysitter and stayed with sick Hermana Christenson so that Hermana Vazquez could get some work done in her area with Hermana Neff. That same day, investigator Virginia (who I used to teach on the other side of Ivan Guzman when it was all one area) passed her baptism interview! She'll be getting baptized this Saturday!!!
On Thursday, us 4 missionaries taught the stake mission prep class about the First Vision and the Book of Mormon; it was so much fun! Those youth are so strong and willing to learn, ay mi madre, sometimes they have 40 kids come to class!Friday, we had zone conference with elder Hugo B. Martinez of the Seventy/counselor in the Caribbean Area Presidency. I learned how to more effectively teach keeping the Sabbath day holy and about how to plan conversion. We set some awesome, new mission goals concerning baptism, and wow, it's amazing to see how much this mission has improved in all aspects during the past year or two. I was asked to bear my "final testimony" at conference; how surreal that I've arrived at that point. On Sunday, I played a piano solo in sacrament meeting, and we had a fantastic family history activity for the ward that evening! So many people came, including Starlin, Victor, and Wbert, yippee!
I got to visit my third area, Bella Vista! Unlike in Ocoa the week before, where I felt like it was a dream, I felt like I had never left BV:) I saw my favorite member, who seriously are like my family, and I found out that my investigator who was recently baptized, Alberto, is now a counselor in the ward Young Mens presidency, yay!
Miracle story time. Saturday night, after having a tough time with the work all week, our plans fell through, so we went contacting. Well, just about everybody was drunk, but we were able to meet some non-intoxicated people and make our contacting goal. Once we did, it was almost time to go home, but we didn't stop there; we knew that we could find someone ready to hear the message of the gospel, and the very next person we met was GOLDEN! Her name is Yelissa, she's 24, has all the right questions, doesn't work on Sundays, and can't wait for us to come back tonight! Miracles are real! Faith + obedience + works = miracles:)
I was looking through my agenda from my first transfer and found the list I wrote of things I took for granted: accessible water, doors, paved streets, privacy, air conditioning, electricity, plumbing, stable houses, a job, trustable food, traffic laws, cars, carpet, wood and tile floors, running and/or clean water, handheld and electric mixers, the ability to sing on key, restaurant health codes, parents who are married, clean transportation, churches close to us, cute dogs/non-disease-carrying dogs, cleanliness in general, clothes, family who loves and supports me, pianos, toasters, dishwashers, crushed ice, fences, windows, electric stoves, washing machines and dryers, quiet neighborhoods, appropriate social conduct/behavior, church members who fulfill their callings, ranch dressing, waffle makers, whipped cream, powdered sugar. Wow. That's a lot. Since then, there are many more things I have become grateful for. I am grateful for the chance to learn Spanish. I am grateful for what I've learned from every companion. I am grateful for my testimony. I am grateful to have served a full-time mission in la Republica Dominicana. I am grateful for everyone I have met here, for the unfailing faith of these Dominicans, for my leaders, my family, the sacrifice and dedication of the missionaries here, my patriarchal blessing, a knowledge of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, His perfect Atonement, our loving Heavenly Father, and so much more. There is ALWAYS something to be grateful for, no matter how hard life gets--especially when life is hard. As we live with an attitude of gratitude, we choose to be happy; I relearned that principle this week. I hope you all think of something to be grateful for this week and remember that it--and everything--is from our Father in Heaven.
Alma 34:38 "Live in thanksgiving daily."
Doctrine and Covenants 78:19 "He who receives all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious."
Llena de gratitud,
Hermana Randall


text:
Band: All Them Witches
Date: Sunday, April 9, 10:30 p.m.
Stage: The Merry Widow, 51 S. Conception St.
Before SouthSounds 2017 wraps another year, The Merry Widow is inviting the crowds to sample the rock 'n' roll folly of All Them Witches. This Nashville outfit has forged a unique brand of modern psychedelic rock that has set new standards for the genre.
The band could not have picked a better city in which to establish their musical legacy. Since the turn of the millennium, Nashville has traded its exclusive emphasis on country music for a plethora of alternative sounds, much as Austin has. While Austin's scene is extremely cutthroat, though, even among locals, guitarist Ben McLeod's descriptions make Nashville seem a more forgiving and communal town.
"Nashville is still a small town in a lot of ways," McLeod said. "I have never felt that outsider vibe. Everybody moves to Nashville to play music. The cool thing about it is that if you want to start a band, you end up jamming with your friends, and you're like, 'Hey, wanna start a band?' They're usually all down, because that's why everybody is there in the first place."
"Sleeping Through the War" is the latest effort from All Them Witches. Once again, this band pummels its listeners with volley after volley of ear-blasting rock that balances mixes of hypnotic stoner metal and intense psychedelic rock delivered with alt. rock attitude. All Them Witches also balances the vibe of the album, as can be witnessed on their previous releases. A track might begin with ethereal mellowness before plummeting into a hurricane of raw sound. McLeod cites the band's collective rock 'n' roll psyche as the catalyst for this recurring arrangement.
"It's totally natural," McLeod said. "It's a seesaw between one person wanting to take a song into one direction and someone takes a song in a different direction. It ends up going back and forth between calm and heavy."
While the music on the album is truly unique, another interesting aspect of "Sleeping Through the War" is the band's choice of producer. Dave Cobb's background includes studio work with Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell and Shooter Jennings. Working with All Them Witches seems like quite a tangent for a studio master with a country background. However, McLeod says Cobb sought out the band with hopes of producing their last effort, "Dying Surfer Meets His Maker." At the time, McLeod says, the band was not ready to take a "polished approach" to the music, but is quick to say the band is glad that Cobb joined them for their latest album.
"He's a fan and friends with the president of our label [New West Records]," McLeod said. "I think they probably got together, and they found out about us. He lives in Nashville, and he's a cool dude. We met him, had lunch and decided to do this one with him."
Those who follow All Them Witches know their live show is a different experience from their music's studio interpretations. McLeod says their songs tend to "inbreed into themselves" and "bleed into each other." With each show, All Them Witches finds itself adding new riffs and shaping new structures for each song. With just a handful of completed shows from their 200-show tour itinerary for 2017, McLeod admits these songs might transform into new sonic beasts as they play them in each town.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
It looks like you are opening this page from the Facebook App. This article needs to be opened in the browser.
iOS: Tap the three dots in the top right, then tap on "Open in Safari".
Android: Tap the Settings icon (it looks like three horizontal lines), then tap App Settings, then toggle the "Open links externally" setting to On (it should turn from gray to blue).


text:
I was a bit bored today with Ena out of town so I decided to get on my bike and take a ride out to explore the surrounding area. Basically I just randomly went off in one direction to see what was there. After a while I saw a sign directing me to the Nagahama dam / reservoir so I thought I'd check that out. Its in the mountains so it involved a lot of uphill riding. So much so that at one point I had to abandon my bike and continue on foot. It was a pretty nice day though. On the way up I got a good view of the city in the distance, with Fukuoka tower and the Fukuoka Yahoo dome clearly visible:
This is what the reservoir looks like, its actually quite large (about 3km around). Fukuoka's water comes from here, so whatever you do don't pee in it:
A self portrait:
Another shot of the reservoir, you can sort of see the dam in the distance as well as some larger mountains looming in hte background:
This is a pedestrian bridge over the reservoir. I like this picture because the white sign on the right says that fishing is banned. But the group of people on the bridge (visible at the far left) all have fishing poles and are openly catching fish (they've even set up little chairs).


text: The Filmmakers' Village is a unique project at Chapman University which combines historical buildings with new construction to provide dynamic student housing. This 397 bed project has been designed for students of the film school. In addition, 5,200 SF of multi-purpose space have been integrated into the project which will allow for activities such as casual meetings, private film showings, film editing and formal showings for the community. The design of the building's exterior reflects the industrial nature of the neighborhood where old warehouses and packing houses still stand. Elements of historical significance are preserved and seamlessly integrated into the design of the building and landscaping. This project includes the restoration and tenant improvement of historical buildings, which serve as program space for the residents, as well as a 358 stall attached parking structure.


text:
The election campaign's day 17 notably belonged to Barnaby Joyce, and not just for the package of concessional loans he announced for struggling dairy farmers.
For light relief, the day delivered another episode of the Depp-Joyce show. Appearing on American TV Johnny Depp described Joyce as looking like he was "inbred with a tomato". "It's not a criticism. I was a little worried … Just he might explode," the actor quipped to an appreciative audience.
Derision from Depp is instantly returned in mockery from Joyce, who reached for a horror character and shot back: "I think I'm turning into Johnny Depp's Hannibal Lecter".
Depp's reflections on Joyce won't do Joyce any harm with the voters of New England, where he's under challenge from former independent member Tony Windsor.
It's another story with this week's poll reflections on Malcolm Turnbull's attributes.
Essential and Newspoll have documented a cooling on Turnbull's qualities, providing some context for his falling approval ratings.
Tuesday's Essential found that over the last three weeks there has been a seven-point rise in those saying he is out of touch with ordinary people (to 63%) and a five-point increase in the proportion who find him arrogant (to 51%). Those who said he understands the problems facing Australia fell five points to 47%. Turnbull is well ahead of Shorten on a number of attributes – it's the movements that are interesting. Shorten's numbers didn't change significantly.
In Wednesday's Newspoll the figures on Turnbull's attributes were mostly going in the wrong direction, while Shorten's were moving the right way. For example, since February those who see Turnbull as arrogant has risen from 55% to 60%; the proportion who think he is in touch with voters has fallen from 54% to 51%, while those rating him as trustworthy went from 59% to 56%.
Shorten's score on trustworthiness rose from 44% to 49%; he has had a substantial jump, from 48% to 60%, in those who describe him as in touch with voters. In February, Turnbull led Shorten 54-48% on being in touch with voters; now, Shorten is ahead of Turnbull 60-51%.
Turnbull is much more disciplined than he used to be, but he might have found the campaign trail character-forming on Wednesday.
It started with the ever so mutually polite encounter with Alan Jones. It was their first broadcast since their recent rapprochement-of-convenience and their egos were on strong leashes. Turnbull will be back with Jones during the campaign, but who knows what will happen after, if Turnbull is re-elected and Jones returns to his aggressive self?
The Liberals, who'd been scoring off Labor's senator Nova Peris pulling the pin on Tuesday, lost a candidate of their own on Wednesday. Carolyn Currie, in the new notionally Labor regional NSW seat of Whitlam, was a small fish. But any drop out is unhelpful, especially when she suggests the area could be best represented by an independent or a Green.
More seriously, Turnbull had to deal with the aftermath of Tuesday's fiasco, when the claim by Treasurer Scott Morrison and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann of a A$67 billion black hole in Labor's numbers spectacularly fell apart.
Turnbull dug in. Pushed to say whether he stood by the $67 billion figure, he said: "Well $67 billion is the list of the measures that they have either blocked or proposed or said they want us to roll back. Now if they are changing their position or they have new promises and want to abandon old promises they are entitled to do that. But they should spell it out."
Pointing to Friday's debate between Morrison and Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen, Turnbull challenged Bowen to "spell out exactly what his alternative budget looks like".
For the government to produce a shonky number and then say it is up to Labor to discredit it is outrageous, but we're already well into the say-anything-and-hope-it-hurts stage of this campaign.
The Morrison-Bowen debate, which precedes Sunday's Turnbull-Shorten debate, has taken on extra significance after Tuesday's embarrassing performance. Morrison won't want a loss.
Avoiding pitfalls is a major test in election debates – one that Joyce failed in Wednesday night's regional leaders face-off in Goulburn when he was pitted against Labor's agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon and Greens leader Richard Di Natale.
As exchanges heated up, Joyce linked Labor's suspension of the live export trade to Indonesia and asylum seeker boats from there. "Might I remind you that when we closed down the live animal export industry, it was around about the same time that we started seeing a lot of people arriving in boats in Australia," he said.
It was dangerous ground, implying causality and involvement by the Indonesian government. Joyce had indeed exploded.
Moderator Chris Uhlmann asked Joyce: "Do you realise you are suggesting the Indonesian Government then unleashed the boats in response?"
Joyce replied: "I think it's absolutely the case that we created extreme bad will with Indonesia when we closed down the live animal export industry."
Later, he said: "I believe that the independents and the Greens and the Labor Party, when they closed down the live animal export industry, created immense bad will, and our capacity to manage other problems which became present were affected."


text:
How News Orgs Used Social Media to Pay Tribute to Whitney Houston
When the news broke that Whitney Houston had died, the world was shocked.
Social media sites lit up. On Twitter, hashtags related to Houston and her name itself dominated the trending topics. YouTube's News channel featured her videos. Fan pages were created on Facebook. On Pinterest a search for "Whitney Houston" revealed dozens and dozens of pins. Videos and photos, from album and magazine covers to more candid ones, created what Poynter's Julie Moos termed a "scrapbook of her career."
While some news organizations covered it in the usual way with the standard obituary, videos, and slideshows of photos, others took Houston's untimely death as an opportunity to experiment with using social media to pay tribute to the artist. A few outlets, such as Mashable, created Spotify playlists to honor Houston.
In particular, there were three that stood out and used social media tools to create particularly effective memorials to Houston.
A Pinterest Remembrance Board
The New York Daily News took Pinterest to a new level with its "Whitney Houston, Remembered" board.
This was the news organization's first board on Pinterest. Not only was the paper able to capitalize on the extremely popular new social network, it also used Pinterest to engage with readers. The site's Twitter account, @NYDailyNews, and Facebook page solicited picture recommendations from readers.
"I saw that the New York Daily News' followers on Twitter and Facebook were quite moved by the news of her passing, that they wanted to talk about her and about her work, and I tried to think of things we could do efficiently that would be useful," Anjali Mullany, the site's social media editor, said via email.
Mullany described the board as "a visual, evolving history of Whitney Houston's career" and said readers suggested photos like the cover of her album "Whitney" and of her performing the National Anthem. The board also only used pictures and images that Mullany and her team could source and verify, she said.
The Pinterest board, as well as a Spotify playlist, are embedded in the site's coverage of Houston's death.
"There is something about the collagey format of Pinterest that feels right in this instance, it serves a different purpose than a timeline would," Mullany said.
Celebrity Twitter Reactions Get Storified
Almost immediately after about Houston's passing, two Storifies were created that curated celebrities' Twitter reactions to Houston's death.
Anthony Quintano, NBC News' senior community manager, and Brian Brownstein, a columnist and editor with the Austrialian paper The Sun Herald, could have both gone with the more common "Twitter Reacts…" Storify. Instead, they used it to showcase how celebrities were reacting — a great use of both Twitter and Storify.
Brownstein's Storify, which is the first one connected with his Storify account, already received more than 77,000 views in the first two hours it was published.
Quintano said he decided to focus on the celebrity reaction because he noticed a lot of the celebrity tweets were about how Houston was an inspiration to them.
"The reason I thought to do this was because of the icon Whitney Houston was to the entertainment community and the world," Quintano said to me via email. "Twitter has become the outlet for celebrities to comment on news and I knew curating those comments would be powerful to share."
#FavoriteWhitneySong Trends on Twitter
The Daily Beast also engaged its readers in its tribute to Houston via the hashtag #FavoriteWhitneySong.
With Whitney Houston dead at 48, we want to gather a list of your favorite songs. So tell us, with the hashtag, your #FavoriteWhitneySong.
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) February 12, 2012
Brian Ries, social media editor for the Daily Beast and Newsweek, said by email that his team initially planned on asking readers to contribute their nominations via comments or email, then "decided due to the breaking news nature of the story it would be best to ask our followers on Twitter to nominate their favorite songs."
"Within ten minutes or so it was trending worldwide. So…a huge reaction," Ries said. "At that point it was well beyond just our audience participating, so we went with it — retweeting a few to keep people going and watching with awe at the stream of nominations coming in."
In the first hour after @TheDailyBeast tweeted the hashtag, it was mentioned more than 1,000 times, according to Topsy. Of course others not related to the Daily Beast could have been using the hashtag. It was, however, still a great way to reach out to readers and help them celebrate Houston's legacy.
Did you see any other news organizations use social media in an innovative way in marking Houston's passing? Let us know.


text: Osca0273 0 Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 Hello everybody! I am looking for some data from the Battle of Kursk. I will analyze it with Lanchester's models, and make a complex solve with RK4. Therefore i wonder if anyone has some data, or knows where i can find some data about the development of tanks during the Battle of Kursk. Something like this, just with true historical numbers: German side, number of tanks: 5. july: 1544 6. july: 1423 8. july; 974 11. july: 658 Russian side, number of tanks: 5. july: 2890 6. july: 2877 8. july; 2456 11. july: 2341 Just with more data than this ofc. Thank you for your time! Best regards Oscar Link to post Share on other sites


text:
Highlights / General details
Our Seal Swim program is a unique deep and shallow water interaction with harbor seals. Your Seal Swim will begin with you changing into one of our wetsuits and then enjoying a brief educational and safety talk with one of our seal trainers. You will then join the seals in the water for your 15-20 swim. During your interaction, you'll be swimming freely alongside our seals then be introduced to your special seal friend to receive hugs, kisses, and take part in a fun training session. You'll also enjoy a full day of shows and exhibits at Miami Seaquarium.
Seal Swim; Admission to Miami Seaquarium.
Transportation to and from attraction; Gratuity.
Hours of operation
Available daily; Park is open 9:30am - 6:00pm, Swim time is at 12:00pm or 3:15pm.
Please allow about 1 ½ hours for entire program.
Miami Seaquarium is located at 4400 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149.
Additional Information
Things you should know before your visit:
Advanced reservations are strongly suggested.
Guests should bring their own bathing suits.
As an Seal Swim participant or an observing guest you'll receive complimentary admission to all Miami Seaquarium shows and exhibits for that day.
A wetsuit & towel are provided for use during your experience.
Participants are not permitted to wear jewelry.
Participant restrictions
Children must be at least 5 years old to participate and be able to swim.
Children ages 5-9 must be accompanied at all times by a paying adult who also is participating in the seal swim.
Participants 10-17 years must be accompanied by a paying adult as an observing guest or participant.
This program is not available to expectant mothers.
All guests must read and have basic English or Spanish. (Please specify on reservation if Spanish is needed)
Observing children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
There will be a $25.00 charge per person to change your program date, and you may only reschedule one time within a year of your original program date.
**All information requested must be supplied or booking is subject to automatic cancellation**


text:
Texas has long been a hotbed of action in the psych/experimental genre, spawning notable bands like the 13th Floor Elevators, Bubble Puppy and locals The Red Krayola, The Moving Sidewalks, Fever Tree and The Children. However, the only known showcase in Houston history was 1969's Day of Joy Festival, a one-day honorarium to the genre. But it's been a very short while (four months, in fact) since Meghan Hendley and friend Marcus Gausepohl decided to create a venue to meld the art and music they felt went unseen and expose a genre that is still going strong today. So they set out organizing Lost in Space, Midtown's inaugural music festival. Hendley, no stranger to shedding light on the oft-unnoticed arts scene through her work as producer of KUHF's The Front Row and as music chair of the Empty Bowls Houston event, says organizing the event was a breeze.
Rocks Off: Through your work, you've exposed Houstonians to a diverse array of art; sometimes pretty out-there stuff. Did this lead you to come up with the festival concept?
Meghan Hendley: The variety of art, music, and theater in this town is mind blowing! Each time I experience something new I feel I am a better artist because of it. The other great aspect is the support factor. It's that special vibe of friendship and creativity that keeps everything vibrant. The quality of art makes me proud to be a Houstonian.
With the fest, I hope to develop contact, create dialogue and in turn cultivate future collaborations. It will showcase musicians that revolve around the psychedelic/experimental areas of sound.
RO: Your new band, Solanae, and your previous project, Golden Cities, will both be performing at the fest, correct?
MH: Yes. I've been fortunate to walk into a solid foundation of music with my bandmates, past and present. In Solanae, we set out to create a new project using a foundation of friendship and shared musical direction. The name roughly translates to 'one female' (fitting since I'm the only girl in the band).
Melodies and lyrics just flow out of the core of our unique instrumental framework. I think listeners are surprised by the musical form with our eclectic backgrounds, from classical music to math-rock.
We Believe Local Journalism is Critical to the Life of a City
Engaging with our readers is essential to the mission of the Houston Press. Make a financial contribution or sign up for a newsletter, and help us keep telling Houston's stories with no paywalls.
Support Our Journalism
RO: Will you be making a guest appearance with Golden Cities as well?
MH: Yes, I will be! And it won't be on the keyboards.
Even with the wintry weather on tap for Saturday night, we expect the outdoor event will be hot. Twelve artists including Weird Weeds, My Education, Ghost Mountain and B L A C K I E are scheduled to perform on the rooftop of Khon's Bar overlooking the downtown skyline. The event will offer food from Ray's Franks, two rotating stages and live projections to illuminate the fray.
6 p.m. Saturday, December 5, at Khon's Bar, 2808 Milam, $10. For more information visit: www.myspace.com/lostinspacefest.


text:
Bug with coverage highlighting in dotCover? Follow
Hi all
I think I've found a bug in DotCover, and was wondering if anyone else has seen the same behaviour?
When reviewing coverage of my tests with highlighting turned on, a block of code will appear red when it is partially shown in the editor window (i.e. 1/2 a line is shown in red), but when I scroll down to bring it into completely view (i.e., a line or more is shown) it switches to green.
The correct colour is red, as I have not tested that code path.
This is when testing code written in the Rx framework, with lots of lambda methods, etc.
Has anyone else seen this issue? I've attached a screenshot showing the section of code showing this problem. There are 3 screenshots of the same section of code. Between each screen shot I have simpled scrolled down one unit.
Hi Matt,
Thank you for the feedback.
Is this code located inside the lambda expression or anonymous delegate?
Yes, the whole try/catch clause is within a lambda, but it is only the code inside the catch block, and the catch block statement itself, that is not covered, and so sometimes shows up red and sometimes green.
I'm going to put together a sample solution showing this error and forward it to your support guys.
Thank you Matt!
Currently we are working on better highlighting and representation in coverage tree for the anonymous delegates and lambdas.
Please sign in to leave a comment.


text:
Divorce doesn't mean failure
- posted: Feb. 28, 2019
Divorce doesn't mean failure. In fact, divorce may be the mark of a successful marriage concludes Shana Lebowitz in a story titled, "Divorce isn't a failure, therapists say. In fact, it could mean the marriage was a success." For the article, she interviewed several marriage therapists. Here are some quotes to consider.
"Your marriage has one goal," Hal Runkel said. "Marriage has evolved into a people-growing machine."
Runkel says that it highlights the areas where you need to grow and change. As Laura Markham puts it, disagreements are opportunities to "grow yourself."
According to therapist Rachel Zamore satisfaction in relationships depend on our attitudes toward change. We need to embrace our experiences as opportunities for growth. Too often we rate experiences based solely on whether it makes us happy or not.
And sometimes you change to the point that you see your marriage differently and understand that it is time to leave. Even if you did not initiate the divorce, you will have a much better experience during and after divorce if you look at it with a learning and growing lens.
Your attitude to your marriage breakup will help you make sounder decisions
You are also much more likely to make sound decisions during the process, our three family law attorneys say. Feelings of failure and rejection work against good decisions and strong recovery. David Jones, John Groseclose, and Larry Lofgren are careful to explain the pros and cons of each decision to clients. Clients, however, must make crucial decisions in divorces. You can help ensure sound decisions with a more realistic look at your marriage and the breakup.


text:
Mousa Dembele, Tottenham Midfielder Handed Six Game Ban For His Eye Gouge On Chelsea's Diego Costaby Rachel Stephens 06/05/2016 16:22:00 0 comments 0 Views
Tottenham midfielder Mousa Dembele has been handed a six game ban for his eye gouge on Diego Costa.
The Belgian has been charged with violent conduct by the FA after replays showed him to scrape his fingers down the Chelsea star's face during a touchline bust up in the first half.
Wembley chiefs believe the offence warrants a greater punishment than the standard three-match ban for violent conduct charges and the suspension comes in with immediate effect.
Dembele had until 6pm on Thursday to respond but he did not contest the charge, head coach Mauricio Pochettino said on Friday afternoon.
An FA statement on Friday afternoon said: 'Mousa Dembele will serve a six-match suspension with immediate effect after he committed an act of violent conduct which was not seen by the match officials but caught on video.
'The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder accepted the charge but denied The FA's claim that the standard punishment of three matches which would otherwise apply to this offence was clearly insufficient.
'An Independent Regulatory Commission upheld The FA's claim at a hearing today [Friday 6 May 2016] and ordered that an additional three match suspension was appropriate.
'The player was involved in an incident with Chelsea's Diego Costa in or around the 45th minute of the fixture at Stamford Bridge on Monday [2 May 2016].'
Tottenham have no right to appeal the decision.
The suspension of six games is a severe blow for manager Mauricio Pochettino, who is looking to build upon the momentum of Tottenham's title challenge for next season.
The 28-year-old Dembele has been an essential component of the Tottenham side, playing 36 times in all competitions and netting five goals.
Tottenham host Pochettino's former club Southampton at White Hart Lane on Sunday, looking to secure second place in the Premier League table.
Their fierce north-London rivals Arsenal are only three points behind in third, but Tottenham's goal difference of 39 is 14 more superior than that of Arsene Wenger's side.


text:
Life is a matter of creative expression, be it love or a poem or a piece of art, you can find creativity in everything. Undoubtedly, creativity is the greatest gift that is given to the humans. Now, nobody knows how the humans have developed this ability but certainly, it has made the world a beautiful place.
If you are someone who loves the idea of animation, especially anime, then you should consider buying anime box sets. Apparently, these box sets come with a number of characters and you can easily find your favorite character. This Japanese creative art has been widely accepted by people who love creative expression; perhaps, in a more childlike way. Why should you get these pieces?
The idea behind anime:
It feels great to play with something that looks utterly beautiful. That is not all; these pieces can be used as a decorative element and can also be used as toys.
Now, the usage completely depends on your preferences. If you love certain characters and superheroes, then you might find these objects interesting because they can help you in expressing your creativity and love for the animated characters pretty easily. So, how are you going to find the best ones?
Finding the right anime:
Specialization: You must find a specialized producer that has relevant experience in creating and producing these characters. Apparently, a specialized company can only offer you the best products that are designed perfectly. So, make sure that you look a few of their products to verify the quality. In addition, you can also read some reviews and testimonial.
Product offering: You must find producers and suppliers that have a range of products with them. In fact, a company with a range of products will be able to give you a variety like special anime box sets, comics and much more. It is advisable that you get those anime from the reputed service provider.
Cost: You should find a cost-friendly supplier that offers you the best products. Apparently, not every supplier is reasonable. You might end up buying costly objects if you fail to find a cost-effective supplier. Apparently, the best way to find a better supplier is to search for a few suppliers and compare the costs and offerings to determine the supplier that can offer you a better price.
So, make sure that you carry out your research. Google should be the ideal place to start with; however, you can also get recommendations if you have people in your fraternity who are anime lovers.
You can use the social media site to find the right kind of supplier. By spending a little time in research, you should be able to find the best supplier.
Apparently, life can be lived fully only when you understand the importance of creativity and these objects are the epitome of creativity. Interestingly, they can entertain you and inspire you. So, try to find your favorite character today and characterize your life with super animation characters. It is time to be a little playful.


text:
Save Money & Grow Your Business
Whether you're looking to cut operating costs, purchase new heating equipment or create a more comfortable climate, Enbridge can help you find and fund smart ways to use less energy and save money.
Get started today by learning about the free programs and services available for your business.
Check out all the ways you can save money at www.enbridge.com


text:
The purpose of this article is to serve as a general strategy guide with tips and advice that you should follow when attempting to win a basic food challenge. There are over 28 different types of food eating challenges around the world, and each type has its own specific strategy that you should follow based on the foods that you are eating. With that being said, there are definitely basic ideas and points that are similar among all food challenges which you should know and understand before focusing on any of the more specific challenge strategies. The most common restaurant challenge around the world is most definitely a large burger served with french fries, and we will be using this type of food challenge to explain all of the basic strategy points. Before you continue reading though, please be sure to watch our extremely informative How To Win A Basic Food Challenge video so that you can see all of our different points put into practice during an actual challenge. For this video, I attempted The Hot Mess Burger Challenge at The Dubliner which is located in St. Louis, Missouri. It is the perfect basic challenge because it involves multiple burger patties topped with cheese and bacon, served between two halves of a Reuben sandwich. The challenge included a side of french fries and 2 additional fried pickles. On top of all that, there were drinks that I was required to finish too. Be sure to watch the entire challenge video so that you do not miss any crucial points. Even just one simple strategy detail can be the difference between winning and losing your next challenge.
14 Basic Strategy Tips For Winning Food Challenges
1. Prepare by increasing your stomach capacity – Having the required stomach capacity limit to fit the entire meal inside of you is the single most important factor that determines whether or not you have the ability to win a specific food challenge. If you cannot physically fit everything inside your body, the strategy you have and all of the other steps you take will not be able to help you enough, and you will fail the challenge. 5 pounds of food will not fit into a stomach that can only hold 4 pounds. Be sure that you train to increase your stomach capacity level safely and properly by following all of the articles in our Stomach Capacity Training section.
2. Break down and analyze the challenge components – When developing the strategy that you will use to attack and dominate your challenge meal, you must start by breaking down the meal and analyzing each particular component of the challenge separately. You will most likely fail a large burger challenge if you just try to pick it up and eat the entire thing at one time. Consider what parts of the challenge you know you will enjoy the most, and also decide whether there are any specific components that you know you won't like. You will want to eat the foods that you dislike most in the beginning. You want to do this because you surely won't want to eat a food you don't like towards the end of a challenge. Eat it first while you are fresh and able to quickly force it down so that you can move on. Saving a food you dislike for last is not a smart strategy. I learned that the hard way!!
3. Eat meats and proteins first, and then carbohydrates – In most cases, you want to finish all of the meats, cheeses, vegetables, and toppings before moving on to the carbohydrates. Eat the meats and cheeses while they are warm, juicy, and delicious. The meats and toppings typically make up a very large percentage of the total challenge weight, so get everything down first while you are fresh. You will find that it is usually easier to eat the breads (buns), french fries, and other potato side dishes at the end, especially if you drink an acidic and carbonated beverage while eating them. The occasional exception to this rule is french fries that get really tough to chew and eat when they get cold. Overcooked crinkle-cut french fries are the main culprit from my past experiences. If you encounter a certain carb component that you know is really going to taste terrible once it gets cold and unappealing, you need to finish that item early while you are fresh and the item is still edible.
4. Be confident before beginning the challenge – Whether you think you are going to win, or you think you will not, you are right. If you properly trained to increase your stomach capacity and have put together a well-designed strategic plan of attack, you should be confident that you will defeat the challenge. Do not begin the challenge hoping that you will win, or thinking that you might win. Make sure that you go to the bathroom beforehand so that you don't feel the need to go during the challenge (because you typically can't). Put together a pre-challenge ritual or do whatever else you have to do so that you can psych yourself up and get excited about beating the challenge. Before you begin, know that you are going to dominate the meal just like you practiced. To be successful at winning food challenges, you must be strong mentally. Confidence is king!!
5. Keep track of the challenge time yourself – During almost all restaurant challenges that have a maximum time limit associated with it, someone from the restaurant staff will be put in charge of watching you and keeping track of the official time. You will find that some restaurants are much more strict about the time limit than others. Even if there is no specific time limit, you should still keep track of the time yourself with your own timer. You always want to be able to know how much time you have left and how long you have been eating. You most definitely want to keep track of time if the restaurant uses a non-digital timer or stopwatch, because those have a much higher chance of being inaccurate. Stay in control and keep track of time yourself so that you know whether you need to speed up or are able to relax a little. For a food challenger, there are very few things more depressing and discouraging than losing a challenge due to running out of time with just one or two bites left.
6. Listen to music to help you stay focused – If you watch eating competitions and food challenges online, you will most likely see a few people with headphones listening to music while they are eating. By listening to your favorite music, this will help you to stay focused and "in the zone" so that you can dominate your challenge. You won't be distracted by the noises and people around you, and the music will help you focus less on the fact that you have a massive pile of food in front of you, which will help you eat more. Music can be a very powerful motivator too, so use it to your advantage during eating challenges, just like you do when you are exercising.
7. Drink the required beverages first – There is only so much room in your stomach, and you don't want to waste too much precious space by filling it with liquids that are not required to win the challenge. Many people fail challenges because they drink too much liquid while they are eating, and run out of room towards the end. If a challenge includes specific drinks that must be finished in order to win the challenge, make sure to drink those first. Finish those before consuming any optional beverages. Even required beverages should be conserved until the end though because that makes sure you are not drinking too much unnecessary liquid. If the challenge has creamy toppings or side items (e.g. coleslaw), use those to help get the chewy foods down rather than liquids.
8. Start off eating as quickly as you possibly can – As mentioned in How Stomach Capacity Training Works, eating speed during a food competition has a geometric pattern, meaning that you will start off very fast in the beginning and your speed eventually begins to decrease as time goes on and you begin to fill up. Depending on your body and total stomach capacity, you only have so long until your stomach and brain starts telling your body that it is full which causes you to begin slowing down. Because of this, you need to eat as much as you can in the beginning while you are fresh and feeling great so that you allow yourself some extra time towards the end (near "the wall") when you are eating at a much slower pace. Start fast and guarantee yourself victory!!
9. Take many smaller bites rather than a few larger bites – When speed eating, you need to focus on swallowing the food rather than chewing it. Chewing food just takes precious time that you could spend on taking the next few bites. It is much more efficient to take many small bites rather than stuffing your mouth with a few very large bites. If you take very small bites, you can swallow the food a lot quicker. If you take massive bites, you will have to take time to chew the pieces down into small enough bites to swallow, which you could have done much faster just by taking small bites in the first place. Taking small bites reduces jaw fatigue and also makes it easier for your tongue to correctly position the food in your full mouth so that it can be swallowed quickly.
10. Be sure to order your meat and fries correctly – Make sure to specify when ordering your challenge meal that they do not overcook the meat or french fries, especially beef steaks and burgers. Chicken, pork, and other meats have different cooking requirements than beef. I always order my steaks and burgers medium rare so that they are juicy and moist. If the meat gets overcooked, it will by dry, tough, and hard to both chew and swallow. You will need to drink extra liquid to get dry meats down which takes up additional room in your stomach. The same theory applies to cooking french fries and other fried potato side dishes. If the fries are overcooked, they will be crunchy, dry, and tough to chew, especially towards the end of a long challenge when they are cold and upappealing. Be sure the chef knows not to overcook anything. Your jaw will surely thank you after the meal.
11. Have manners but do not eat fries one at a time – Many food challenges are won and lost because of how the eater deals with the french fries. If you take a long time to eat them due to poor technique, you may run out of time and fail the challenge. If you do have a proper strategy and eat them efficiently, you have a much higher chance of success. The easiest way to fail a challenge is to eat your fries and food one bite at a time. While nobody wants to see you eating like a sloppy pig, people don't want to see you fail the challenge either. Use the techniques mentioned in the video so that you can fill your mouth and get the food down as quickly as possible. If you play around with your food and take too long, you will fail the challenge. You can eat cleanly while still eating quickly, using those techniques. They apply to tater tots and onion rings too, along with other foods.
12. Use your beverages to change up the flavor – Beverages will play a key role in helping you to win your challenge, so choose them wisely. You can choose drinks based on your preference, but I always start with 3 different drinks in front of me. I have one glass of cold water, one non-carbonated flavored drink, and one carbonated beverage. I start with water in the beginning while I am fresh and enjoying the deliciously flavored food. When the flavor begins to dull due to flavor fatigue, I switch to a non-carbonated juice drink such as lemonade because it helps change up the flavor of the food and enlivens my taste buds. Once all of the meats, veggies, and toppings are gone, I switch to a diet soda because the acidity helps break down the bun and fries (carbs) while I am eating them, and the carbonation helps me burp up the remaining air in my stomach so that I free up more room for the food that I have left to finish in front of me. I also prefer the flavor obviously. When you start to get bored of the taste, use liquids to make everything taste better. Just be careful not to drink so much that you don't have room in your stomach for the remaining food. Take sips of liquid and not big gulps.
13. Finish strong and leave no doubt – We mentioned up above that you should start fast so that you give yourself more time towards the end to finish the challenge, but make sure not to be careless and think you can eat casually because you have a lot of time left. Get the challenge finished and then celebrate by eating dessert if you want to enjoy something casually. Weird things can happen when you are eating extremely large meals. You may think everything is great and that you are feeling strong at one point, and then a minute later your stomach might start feeling upset. If you start playing around towards the very end of your food challenge, something might happen that causes you to fail. Finish strong and leave no doubt. Eat every last bit and crumb of your meal so that the restaurant does not try to say you had a few pieces left on the platter when your time expired, causing you to fail. Leaving no doubt also means that you don't want to be finishing the challenge with just a few seconds left. Finish well in advance and make sure that the restaurant confirms your new victory.
14. Build your confidence and don't set yourself up to fail – One of the most common mistakes that amateur eaters make is attempting challenges that they have no chance of winning. If you have never tried a food challenge before, it is not smart to attempt a challenge over 5 pounds (2.28 kg). There are so many people trying food challenges who don't even get halfway before quitting. These people should never have attempted the challenges in the first place. This goes back to tip #1 above about how your stomach must be able to fit the entire meal inside it. If you don't have the required stomach capacity to win, you will fail, and there are no questions about it. If you have never done a food challenge before, you need to start small by attempting a one or two star challenge. Build your confidence by gradually increasing the difficulty of your challenges. Please do not set yourself up to fail because you will only find disappointment. Start small and build gradually, just like when exercising, and you will have much more fun in the world of food challenges and competitive eating.
These are all basic strategy tips that you can use when attempting any particular type of food challenge. If you understand all of these, you are now ready to move on and learn more specific strategy tips based on each particular challenge type. To go back and view other Strategies Per Challenge Type articles, click here.


text:
Nike asks you to accept cookies for performance, social media and advertising purposes. Social media and advertising cookies of third parties are used to offer you social media functionalities and personalized ads. To get more information or amend your preferences, press the 'more information' button or visit "Cookie Settings" at the bottom of the website. To get more information about these cookies and the processing of your personal data, check our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Do you accept these cookies and the processing of personal data involved?
These cookies are required for basic site functionality and are therefore always enabled. These include cookies that allow you to be remembered as you explore the site within a single session or, if you request, from session to session. They help make the shopping cart and checkout process possible as well as assist in security issues and conforming to regulations.
These cookies allow us to improve the site's functionality by tracking usage on this website. In some cases these cookies improve the speed with which we can process your request, allow us to remember site preferences you've selected. De-selecting these cookies may result in poorly-tailored recommendations and slow site performance.
Social media cookies offer the possibility to connect you to your social networks and share content from our website through social media. Advertising cookies (of third parties) collect information to help better tailor advertising to your interests, both within and beyond Nike websites. In some cases, these cookies involve the processing of your personal data. For more information about this processing of personal data, check our Privacy & Cookie Policy. De-selecting these cookies may result in seeing advertising that is not as relevant to you or you not being able to link effectively with Facebook, Twitter, or other social networks and/or not allowing you to share content on social media.
The Jordan Air Cadence blends modern craftsmanship with overt brand heritage. Easy to get on and wear all day, it features a sporty, streamlined design that's light, breathable and supportive.
The Jordan Air Cadence blends modern craftsmanship with overt brand heritage. Easy to get on and wear all day, it features a sporty, streamlined design that's light, breathable and supportive.
Visible Air
Visible Nike Air technology provides lightweight impact cushioning. It's visible through a window in the heel.
Complete Comfort
The plush collar and tongue, molded footbed and breathable construction help the shoe feel comfortable all day.
Easy and Agile
The wide collar and heel pull tab make it easy to get the shoe on and off. The low-top design lets your ankle move freely.
More Benefits
Product Details
0 Stars
Have your say. Be the first to review the Jordan Air Cadence.


text:
Bangalore-based offline gaming products startup MadRat Games Pvt Ltd has secured $1 million (around Rs 6.2 crore) in funding from a clutch of investors, including Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal (not related), co-founders of home-grown e-commerce giant Flipkart.com. Other investors who participated in the round are Pine Labs, a provider of payments, loyalty and retail automation solutions, besides Rajul Garg, Sanjay Singh, Manoj Agarwala and Tarun Upadhyay -- founders of GlobalLogic.
MadRat, which essentially makes board games, learning puzzles, toys and mobile games, will use the funds for branding, marketing and expansion.
In December 2012, MadRat had raised an undisclosed amount from Blume Ventures.
The company was founded in 2010 by three IITians – brothers Manuj & Rajat Dhariwal and Madhumita Haldar. Prior to founding MadRat, Manuj worked with companies such as Compassites Software Solutions and Itsme S.r.l of Milan. Rajat worked at Amazon.com and was also a teacher in Rishi Valley School in Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh). He holds an MS degree in Computer Science and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Madhumita worked with Rhythm & Hues and like Rajat, was a teacher at Rishi Valley School.
MadRat entered the market with its flagship product Aksharit, a scrabble game in Hindi, but is now offering games in several local languages such as Bengali, Punjabi and Telugu, and also in English.
The firm claims that it has sold over 275,000 units since inception, and launched 70-plus titles last year.
The firm is selling through 2,000 stores. Its products are also available on e-commerce sites like Flipkart and Amazon. MadRat claims that it had a turnover of Rs 3 crore in the last financial year.
"Innovation is at the core of MadRat's approach to disrupt the market and led by a team of very talented individuals they enjoy a strong competitive advantage in the industry," said Sachin Bansal.
(Edited by Joby Puthuparampil Johnson)


text:
Privacy Policy
Effective date: December 04,2018
OÜ Cochain, doing business as Chimpion, ("Company", "us", "we", or "our") operates https://chimpion.io/ (the "Website").
This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data when you use our Website and the choices you have associated with that data.
We use your data to provide and improve the Website. By using the Website, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. Unless otherwise defined in this Privacy Policy, terms used in this Privacy Policy have the same meanings as in our Terms and Conditions, accessible from https://chimpion.io/.
We collect several different types of information for various purposes to provide and improve our Website to you.Types of Data Collected Personal Data
While using our Website, we may ask you to provide us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify you ("Personal Data"). Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to:
- Email address
- Cookies and Usage Data
We may also collect information how the Website is accessed and used ("Usage Data"). This Usage Data may include information such as your computer's Internet Protocol address (e.g. IP address), browser type, browser version, the pages of our Website that you visit, the time and date of your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track the activity on our Website and hold certain information.
Cookies are files with small amount of data which may include an anonymous unique identifier. Cookies are sent to your browser from a website and stored on your device. Tracking technologies also used are beacons, tags, and scripts to collect and track information and to improve and analyze our Website.
You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our Website.
Examples of Cookies that we use:
- Cookies HTTP (simply cookies).
Company uses the collected data for various purposes:
- To provide and maintain the Website
- To notify you about changes to our Website
- To provide care and support to users
- To provide analysis or valuable information so that we can improve the Website
- To monitor the usage of the Website
- To detect, prevent and address technical issues
Your information, including Personal Data, may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ than those from your jurisdiction.
Your using of Website is consent to this Privacy Policy followed by your submission of such information represents your agreement to that transfer.
Company will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and no transfer of your Personal Data will take place to an organization or a country unless there are adequate controls in place including the security of your data and other personal information.
Company may disclose your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:
- To comply with a legal obligation
- To protect and defend the rights or property of Company
- To prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Website
- To protect the personal safety of users of the Website or the public
Company protect your Personal Data under internationally acknowledged standards, using physical, technical, and administrative security measures to reduce the risks of loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, and alteration.
The security of your data is important to us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.
Users have a right to require the correction, updating or deletion of incorrect or/and inaccurate data by contacting us at [email protected]
Our Website may contain links to other sites that are not operated by us. If you click on a third party link, you will be directed to that third party's site. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of every site you visit.
We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites or Websites.
Our Website does not address anyone under the age of 18 ("Children").
We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 18. If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your Children has provided us with Personal Data, please contact us. If we become aware that we have collected Personal Data from children without verification of parental consent, we take steps to remove that information from our servers.
We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time.
The Company reserves the right to change any terms of this Policy at any time without prior notice and prior consent. All changes to this Policy will be publicly available in the same manner as this Policy. In case of making changes to this Policy, you automatically agree with them. In case of disagree with changes to this Policy, you has no right to use the Website. In case of any questions about informational content of this Policy and / or changes to it, you may request for explanation.
You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us by email: [email protected]


text:
LG May Launch The LG V30 in India Without The Quad DAC
LG announced its new flagship, the LG V30 at IFA 2017 in Berlin a few days ago and early impressions of the phone have been positive. The smartphone does away with a secondary display which became a signature of the V series for the past couple of years.
The LG V series phones have always been designed for enthusiasts of media consumption. In the past, LG has teamed up with B&O in a bid to deliver to premium sound quality through their V series and this year as well, LG and B&O came together to work on the sound of the LG V30 by including an inbuilt QUAD -DAC. The LG G6 launched with different features in different markets and it seems that the V30 will follow the same system. According to a tip received by iGyaan, in order to keep the pricing competitive in India, the LG V30 will launch without the B&O Quad DAC. While aesthetically the phone will only lose the B&O logo at the back, it will affect the sound output from the device hindering the experience when compared o that of the LG V30 with a DAC. If LG does go through with the removal of one of the important USPs of the LG V30, LG's decision will definitely raise a few eyebrows in India.
While this may be a move to bring down the pricing of the LG V30, it may not be appreciated by many of the prospective buyers of the LG V30. LG has had a poor trend with their recent flagships, with the modular LG G5 not doing well at all, and the LG G6 remaining the underdog, The LG V30 may be the comeback phone LG is looking for, however pricing will be crucial in a market like India.
The LG V30 has a 6 inch 2880 x 1440 px OLED FullVision display, LG's first, with an 18:9 aspect ratio and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection. LG's nearly edge-to-edge OLED display has HDR 10 format for a high level of colour contrast. While being powered by a 3300mAh battery with wireless fast charging the phone also supports quick charge 3.0. The smartphone runs Android 7.1.2 with LG's UX 6.0+ on top which offers a few customisation options. Like other flagships of 2017 the V30 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, a 2.4GHz octa-core processor, 4 GB RAM and 64GB/128GB onboard storage with up to 2TB of expandable storage via a microSD card. The phone also has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance and MIL-STD 810G rating for durability.
A big omission from the V30 is the secondary display, which was a signature in the previous V series devices. Instead, LG has introduced a Floating Bar which displays shortcuts and can be disabled when not required. Apart from the rear mounted fingerprint scanner which also doubles as a home button, LG has introduced few new security features in the LG V30 such as facial and voice recognition. The voice recognition will even work along with music playback. On the camera front, the LG V30 features a dual-camera setup at the back. As LG had announced, this smartphone has the first ever inbuilt camera unit to feature a 16MP crystal clear lens made of glass with an f/1.6 aperture and another 13MP wide angle lens with an f/1.9 aperture. Compared to the f/1.8 aperture cameras on the iPhone 7Plus and the Samsung Galaxy S8+, the camera on the LG V30 will let 25% more light to pass through. The glass lens also delivers greater light-collecting ability than a plastic lens as well as better colour reproduction. The camera will feature laser detection AF, optical image stabilisation and electronic image stabilisation. On the front side, the LG V30 sports a 5MP wide-angle camera with an aperture f/2.2.
There is no word on the pricing of the LG V30 yet but, if the reports of the omission of B&O Quad DAC are true, the smartphone will launch at a very competitive price and beat the likes of Samsung Galaxy Note8 and the upcoming iPhone 8 in terms of price, at least.