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By Katie Lannan
BOSTON -- The state's community investment tax credit helped generate $11 million in donations in 2016, and with a year-end deadline approaching, backers expect a similar total for 2017.
Massachusetts taxpayers can claim a 50 percent refundable credit on this year's state taxes if they donate at least $1,000 by Dec. 31 to certain community development corporations, nonprofits aimed at improving urban, rural and suburban communities.
"What's happened, over the last four years that the program's been in effect, since the Legislature passed it, is that hundreds and thousands of families and businesses have gotten involved in working with local community residents to provide affordable housing and economic opportunity to people," said Joe Kriesberg, president of the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations.
The credit raised $11 million from 1,883 donations last year, according to the association, up from the $4.7 million collected during the first year of the tax break in 2014 from 1,013 donations.
Kriesberg said the money can support various initiatives, including affordable housing, small business development and workforce training.
"There's a wealth of innovative programs, like in Franklin County they're using it to support local farmers, get their products to market," he said. "In Quaboag Valley, the CDC has used it to form a partnership with Holyoke Community College to bring community college courses to the Quaboag Valley region.
Created as part of a 2012 economic development law, the community investment tax credit is scheduled to sunset after 2019. Pending legislation would extend it another another six years while also gradually raising the annual cap on total authorized credits from $6 million to $12 million.
The extension of the credit through 2025 is tucked into a $1.7 billion housing bond bill that's now before the House Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets.
Kriesberg said he hopes the bill will make it to Gov. Charlie Baker's desk "early in 2018."
"We are hoping that we get this done in 2018 so that the program can continue uninterrupted and we don't create uncertainty," Kriesberg said. "CDCs are working with donors, those are often long-term relationship, people making multi-year pledges and so forth."

subset: commoncrawl


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Focus Groups EuroPLoP 2018
Pattern Mining and applied patterns for programming exercises. (Or how to excite your students.)
Focus group leaders: Beate Münster & Thomas Raser
In our experience students often struggle with programming tasks and projects. They tend to get overwhelmed by the tasks complexity and/or design. In this Focus Group, we want to explore and evaluate these problems and how to solve them by applying patterns. We want to especially focus on designing and creating programming exercises that will excite students rather than intimidate them.
Structure of the Focus Group:
- Introduction of our topic including some exercises of the last terms EuroPLoP focus group proposal Yuki Kawabe, Keio university
Facilitator: Yuki Kawabe, Aimi Burgoyne, Konomi Munakata
MaxParticipants: 5 participants * 3 goups (15participants)
Time 1hour
10min Explanation of workshop and the web application we are developing
40min the workshop
10min Feedbacks
Experience short version of future language workshop which was invented by Iba lab.
Discuss how can we use pattern language
In this focus group, we will hold an ideathon to think of functions that should be added to the Pattern Application that we developed. The Pattern Application was developed to help meld patterns into everyday life and enrich everyday practice. In the paper we submitted to this conference, "Pattern Experience Chart Generator function on a pattern language platform Patterns We Live By," we introduced the new pattern experience chart function and how it supports the practice of patterns. This function supports the long-term practice of patterns by indicating what patterns the user should practice. The goal of this hackathon is to come up with ideas for separate functions that can meld patterns into everyday life and support the practice of patterns in the short-term.
To begin, we will have all of the participants use the Pattern App to get a sense of the existing functions and how the app runs. After that, we will freely think of what functions could support the short-term pattern usage cycle. We also look forward to hearing any other opinions or ideas that do not relate to supporting the pattern usage cycle
To be specific, we will use the "Future Language Workshop" method to think of what functions may be beneficial to implement
The Future Language Workshop will be run as explained below. First we will brainstorm what is ideal, without worrying about whether it is possible. Then we will brainstorm the points that we think are dissatisfying or points that we think would be nice to have. Lastly we will brainstorm solutions that connect ideal visions and points that we think are dissatisfying.
Usually this workshop is run around hours, but this time it will be run in a short span of time.
- candidates for patterns for creating good exercises
- candidates for patterns for the evaluation of the existing structures to create better exercises.
- Mining new patterns on the way
Workshop for Designing a Workshop using the Wholeness Egg Approach
Focus group leaders: Konomi Munakata, Yuki Kawabe, Aimi Burgoyne, Taichi Isaku, & Takashi Iba


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1. Introduction
The major reform of local self-government in Slovenia was implemented in 1994, when the transformation of existing 58 »communal« municipalities was envisaged. From 1995 onwards, the number of municipalities increased to the current number 212, and this transformation was implemented predominantly on the voluntary basis. Namely, the structural reform in 1994 was inspired by the possible improvements in local democracy (see, e.g., Čokert, 2005). This inspiration was rather natural, as country was just democratizing itself, so democracy issues were more politically viable. However, the result of the process was not just larger fragmentation of local self-government, but the fact that more than one half of municipalities have less than 5,000 residents [14], which is actually legally prescribed minimum size of the municipality. Although municipalities can have smaller size, this indicates that exceptions have become the rule. Consequently, several authors have stressed the necessity to implement structural reforms of local self-government in Slovenia (see e.g. Kupec, 2013). Namely, economic and fiscal crisis has put additional pressures on the efficient management of resources also at the sub-national levels of government, where the issue is related to the appropriate creation and size of local jurisdictions. This can be put in the context of the decentralization theorem [11], which is based on the competing theory and states that excess fragmentation of government leads to inefficiencies in the provision of local public services, such as various duplications, problems in achieving economies of scale etc. The arguments favoring municipal amalgamations stressed that country has become too fragmented and municipal amalgamation would enable the reduction of (administrative) costs, and increase efficiency as well as quality of services provided. In fact, this argumentation clearly identifies that scale economies should also be the reason for municipal amalgamation. This means that technical aspects of local authority operation are targeted, since it is assumed that consolidation of local government units would enable achieving economies of scale and subsequently reduce costs. Therefore, this study would like to portray how important are scale economies, a classical argument favoring municipal amalgamations, for the functioning of Slovenian municipalities.
2. Methodology and Data
Theory predicts that scale, size and scope economies determine the nature of production processes carried out in organizations [17], and this also holds for municipalities. This paper focuses specifically on scale economies, which means that only technical efficiency of Slovenian municipalities will be estimated. Technical efficiency is determined by the difference between the observed ratio of combined quantities of output to input and the ratio achieved by best practice. Therefore, the goal is to produce the maximum output or utilizing the minimum inputs compared to what is technically feasible [12]. In order to ensure data stability, 11 so-called urban municipalities (cities), which have special status by the law and they perform specific tasks given to them from central government involving the development of the city [8], are excluded from the analysis, as their costs (expenditures) are not directly comparable to the costs of other municipalities, which means that the analysis is performed for 200 Slovenian municipalities with "ordinary" status. The data for the 2011 fiscal year are utilized; the on-going process of establishing new municipalities from 1995 onwards severely omits the possibility to employ pooled data sets. Besides, in 2012 the mega law (i.e., Fiscal Balance Act) was adopted to tackle the economic and fiscal crisis related problems, and this law also affected municipal expenditures in the form of external shock, so data for 2012 onwards might be biased.
Contemporary empirical literature recognizes several available approaches to generate "best practice frontier" to assess efficiency levels of observed units. One class of methods is represented by the so-called nonparametric-deterministic methods (see Krüger, 2012). One of those methods is Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), which has become very popular in the evaluating technical efficiency in the public sector, because it can easily handle multiple outputs, is non-parametric and does not require input prices [13]. This can be suitable for estimating technical efficiency of service provision. Specifically, the DEA linear programming model that is being solved can be described as:
where θ is a scalar, λ is a N*1 vector of constants and N1 is a N*1 vector of ones, the value of θ obtained
representing the efficiency score for the i-th municipality. Actually, the restriction N1'λ = 1 that is put additionally into the model imposes convexity to the frontier, corresponding to the variable returns to scale DEA model, a specification that does not presume that all municipalities are operating at the optimal scale, which is suitable for establishing whether particular units under observation experience either increasing, decreasing or constant returns to scale. For the data envelopment analysis a specialist DEAP program version 2.1 is used. This program was developed by Coelli (1996).
The inclusion of input, output and other (exogenous) variables in the analysis is predominantly based on the literature dealing with local government efficiency (e.g. Athanassopoulus & Triantis, 1998; Arcelus et.al., 2007; Geys et.al., 2010; Stastna & Gregor, 2011; etc.). Therefore, this study utilizes total expenditures of the municipality as input variable, whereas four output variables describing important responsibilities of the Slovenian municipalities with respect to the social, educational and infrastructure services are: (1) the number of pupils in primary schools (nine years program), (2) the total population of municipality (this is the most important variable in the model, since it indicates possible scale effects), (3) the population over 65 years of age, and (4) the number of employed persons in municipality. Although additional variables that describe municipal responsibilities could be included in the model, predominantly related to the provision of cultural and recreational services, the lack of available statistical data on these activities omits doing that. It is worth noting that input-oriented DEA approach is utilized, since it can be assumed that municipal management should have more control over spending rather the amount of services that they need to provide. This approach is quite common in the studies on local government efficiency, where expenditures are taken as input variable (Lo Storto, 2013). As the size of the sample is quite large (200 units) and the number of input-output variables is rather small (5), traditional limitation of DEA method is avoided. Namely, small sample size combined with large number of inputs and outputs artificially inflates the efficiency scores. Descriptive statistics for the variables employed in the analysis is presented in the table 1 below. Data for all variables relate to the year 2011.
3. Results and Discussion
Table 2 represents the results of the multi-stage DEA estimation of technical efficiency for Slovenian municipalities. As the results suggest, the estimated average efficiency of municipalities in Slovenia is 88.3%. The number of 100% technically efficient municipalities is 14 in DEA model, which corresponds to 7 % of total population. If we consider the results, municipalities should on average reduce their expenditures by 12% to achieve technical efficiency. It might be concluded that although technical inefficiencies exists, they are not on average as large as in some similar studies performed for other post-socialist countries, although it is worth noting that such comparisons are actually meaningless as differences in best practice between the samples are unknown (see Steering Committee for the Review of Commonwealth/State Service Provision, 1997). Besides, even the minimal technical efficiency estimated (0.74) is relatively large.
Table 2
|Number of TE units (TE=1)
|Standard deviation
|Average scale efficiency
|Number of municipalities (returns to scale)
In particular, scale economies are often put forward as an important factor affecting differences in the efficiency among municipalities, since it is reasonable to assume that size influences the ability of municipalities to produce goods and services efficiently. The results indicate that there is important scale efficiency component. Average scale efficiency level of 0.924 suggests further potential expenditure savings of 7.6% if a municipality could operate at the constant returns to scale technology. Summary statistics in table 2 also reveals that more than 81% of municipalities operate under decreasing returns to scale, and only 7.5% of municipalities operate under increasing returns to scale, which means that they should be consolidated with other small units to achieve the optimal size. This suggests the existence of a production technology with variable returns to scale, as almost 90% of municipalities are scale inefficient. Besides, the average population size of municipalities having increasing returns to scale (1,117 residents) is smaller compared to the average population size of municipalities with constant returns to scale (1,699 residents) and decreasing returns to scale (7,951 residents). It is evident that predominantly very small municipalities are operating under increasing returns to scale, which indicates that the increase in "production" would obviously raise productivity due to the specialization, so some extent of merging to benefit from scale economies may be one of the alternatives particularly for those municipalities.
4. Conclusion
This paper was concerned with determining the level of technical efficiency of Slovenian municipalities.
It is evident that municipalities in Slovenia are operating under the variable returns to scale technology (almost 90% of them), which means that there is still some possibility for improvement to achieve optimal scale. Nevertheless, only 7.5% of municipalities are operating at increasing returns to scale, where some form of consolidation (merging) would lead to greater scale efficiency. Obviously, if municipal consolidation (amalgamation) is to be implemented in order to achieve economies of scale, those municipalities should be targeted. Specifically, scale economies can be put forward as an argument for municipal amalgamation only for 15 municipalities, although they tend to be predominantly very small ones, which is according to the expectations. Therefore, one of the classical arguments for municipal amalgamation, achieving economies of scale, can only be applied at a limited scale. This does not imply that more extensive amalgamation is not warranted, but other arguments justifying municipal amalgamation should be put forward. Further empirical analysis would also be appreciated, particularly in relation to the omitted variables problem, presence of outliers, and potential relationship between size and scale economies (diseconomies) that Slovenian municipalities are currently experiencing.


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It was the eve of St. Nicholas, the fifth of December, 1820. Natasha had been staying at her brother's with her husband and children since early autumn. Pierre had gone to Petersburg on business of his own for three weeks as he said, but had remained there nearly seven weeks and was expected back every minute.
Besides the Bezukhov family, Nicholas' old friend the retired General Vasili Dmitrich Denisov was staying with the Rostovs this fifth of December.
On the sixth, which was his name day when the house would be full of visitors, Nicholas knew he would have to exchange his Tartar tunic for a tail coat, and put on narrow boots with pointed toes, and drive to the new church he had built, and then receive visitors who would come to congratulate him, offer them refreshments, and talk about the elections of the nobility; but he considered himself entitled to spend the eve of that day in his usual way. He examined the bailiff's accounts of the village in Ryazan which belonged to his wife's nephew, wrote two business letters, and walked over to the granaries, cattle yards and stables before dinner. Having taken precautions against the general drunkenness to be expected on the morrow because it was a great saint's day, he returned to dinner, and without having time for a private talk with his wife sat down at the long table laid for twenty persons, at which the whole household had assembled. At that table were his mother, his mother's old lady companion Belova, his wife, their three children with their governess and tutor, his wife's nephew with his tutor, Sonya, Denisov, Natasha, her three children, their governess, and old Michael Ivanovich, the late prince's architect, who was living on in retirement at Bald Hills.
Countess Mary sat at the other end of the table. When her husband took his place she concluded, from the rapid manner in which after taking up his table napkin he pushed back the tumbler and wineglass standing before him, that he was out of humor, as was sometimes the case when he came in to dinner straight from the farm — especially before the soup. Countess Mary well knew that mood of his, and when she herself was in a good frame of mind quietly waited till he had had his soup and then began to talk to him and make him admit that there was no cause for his ill-humor. But today she quite forgot that and was hurt that he should be angry with her without any reason, and she felt unhappy. She asked him where he had been. He replied. She again inquired whether everything was going well on the farm. Her unnatural tone made him wince unpleasantly and he replied hastily.
"Then I'm not mistaken," thought Countess Mary."Why is he cross with me?" She concluded from his tone that he was vexed with her and wished to end the conversation. She knew her remarks sounded unnatural, but could not refrain from asking some more questions.
Thanks to Denisov the conversation at table soon became general and lively, and she did not talk to her husband. When they left the table and went as usual to thank the old countess, Countess Mary held out her hand and kissed her husband, and asked him why he was angry with her.
"You always have such strange fancies! I didn't even think of being angry," he replied.
But the word always seemed to her to imply:"Yes, I am angry but I won't tell you why."
Nicholas and his wife lived together so happily that even Sonya and the old countess, who felt jealous and would have liked them to disagree, could find nothing to reproach them with; but even they had their moments of antagonism. Occasionally, and it was always just after they had been happiest together, they suddenly had a feeling of estrangement and hostility, which occurred most frequently during Countess Mary's pregnancies, and this was such a time.
"Well, messieurs et mesdames," said Nicholas loudly and with apparent cheerfulness (it seemed to Countess Mary that he did it on purpose to vex her),"I have been on my feet since six this morning. Tomorrow I shall have to suffer, so today I'll go and rest."
And without a word to his wife he went to the little sitting room and lay down on the sofa.
"That's always the way," thought Countess Mary."He talks to everyone except me. I see . . . I see that I am repulsive to him, especially when I am in this condition." She looked down at her expanded figure and in the glass at her pale, sallow, emaciated face in which her eyes now looked larger than ever.
And everything annoyed her — Denisov's shouting and laughter, Natasha's talk, and especially a quick glance Sonya gave her.
Sonya was always the first excuse Countess Mary found for feeling irritated.
Having sat awhile with her visitors without understanding anything of what they were saying, she softly left the room and went to the nursery.
The children were playing at"going to Moscow" in a carriage made of chairs and invited her to go with them. She sat down and played with them a little, but the thought of her husband and his unreasonable crossness worried her. She got up and, walking on tiptoe with difficulty, went to the small sitting room.
"Perhaps he is not asleep; I'll have an explanation with him," she said to herself. Little Andrew, her eldest boy, imitating his mother, followed her on tiptoe. She not notice him.
"Mary, dear, I think he is asleep — he was so tired," said Sonya, meeting her in the large sitting room (it seemed to Countess Mary that she crossed her path everywhere)."Andrew may wake him."
Countess Mary looked round, saw little Andrew following her, felt that Sonya was right, and for that very reason flushed and with evident difficulty refrained from saying something harsh. She made no reply, but to avoid obeying Sonya beckoned to Andrew to follow her quietly and went to the door. Sonya went away by another door. From the room in which Nicholas was sleeping came the sound of his even breathing, every slightest tone of which was familiar to his wife. As she listened to it she saw before her his smooth handsome forehead, his mustache, and his whole face, as she had so often seen it in the stillness of the night when he slept. Nicholas suddenly moved and cleared his throat. And at that moment little Andrew shouted from outside the door:"Papa! Mamma's standing here!" Countess Mary turned pale with fright and made signs to the boy. He grew silent, and quiet ensued for a moment, terrible to Countess Mary. She knew how Nicholas disliked being waked. Then through the door she heard Nicholas clearing his throat again and stirring, and his voice said crossly:
"I can't get a moment's peace . . . . Mary, is that you? Why did you bring him here?"
"I only came in to look and did not notice . . . forgive me . . ."
Nicholas coughed and said no more. Countess Mary moved away from the door and took the boy back to the nursery. Five minutes later little black-eyed three-year-old Natasha, her father's pet, having learned from her brother that Papa was asleep and Mamma was in the sitting room, ran to her father unobserved by her mother. The dark-eyed little girl boldly opened the creaking door, went up to the sofa with energetic steps of her sturdy little legs, and having examined the position of her father, who was asleep with his back to her, rose on tiptoe and kissed the hand which lay under his head. Nicholas turned with a tender smile on his face.
"Natasha, Natasha!" came Countess Mary's frightened whisper from the door."Papa wants to sleep."
"No, Mamma, he doesn't want to sleep," said little Natasha with conviction."He's laughing."
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After leaving his wife, what does Pierre do that gives him new hope?
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I have a new publication out for the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA), titled "How to Increase Labor Force Participation in Oklahoma." Excerpt below:
Oklahoma's labor force participation rate sits at 60.5 percent as of August 2016. By way of comparison, the overall U.S. labor force participation rate is 62.9 percent, while the median labor force participation rate among states is 63.5 percent.
Both in Oklahoma and nationally, the labor force participation rate has modestly improved since a steep decline caused by the Great Recession, but that recovery from a cyclical decline has likely peaked. That leaves a much larger, persistent decade-and-a-half structural decline—structural defined as economic effects driven by deep economic fundamentals and not those driven by temporary, business-cycle factors.
This is a grave problem necessitating public policy reform on multiple fronts.
The labor force participation (LFP) rate measures the percent of the adult, civilian, non-institutional population that is either employed or is unemployed and actively looking for work. Thus, those in college, those retired, and those otherwise not looking for work—those perhaps discouraged from a fruitless job search or those on social assistance, for example—comprise the cohort not in the labor force.
LFP has a crucial bearing on economic health. This understanding can be traced all the way back to Adam Smith, who noted that "specialization is limited to the extent of the market," i.e., to the number of workers contributing to the capitalist engine of production, which is a key driver of growing production. A society can only consume what it produces; thus more citizens contributing to productive endeavors allows us all to consume more products, better products, and lower-priced products.
Looking at annual LFP in Oklahoma over time, we can see in the nearby graphic a precipitous decline over the last decade and a half, with LFP dropping from 64.6 percent in 2002 to 61.9 percent in 2015. Returning to an LFP of 64.0 percent would mean adding 105,341 individuals to the labor force.
—Read "How to Increase Labor Force Participation in Oklahoma" at the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs.


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All the main operators now provide free Wi-Fi internet access, as do many of the other hotels and coffee shops. Welcome Break and Roadchef's Wi-Fi is provided by BT WiFi.
Within a service area's amenity building, usually public wifi is provided under the operator's name. However, McDonald's always make their wifi available too, sometimes under O2's name.
Roadchef were the first to make their wi-fi free to all customers, but initially (in 2003) it was only made available to customers who purchased from Costa Coffee.
Prior to wi-fi, Granada worked with Travelodge and BT to provide internet access in designated 'workspaces', for travelling businesspoeple.
This is a portal page, which tries to provide comprehensive information on a generic subject people are likely to be asking about. If you can add any more information, please do!


text:
The most cost effective way to obtain relevant market information
- MercuryOmniBus <Face-to-Face Omnibus>
MercuryOmnibus is the cost-effective, flexible tool for continuous monitoring of brands and product categories. Now the tables come with an easy-to-use crosstab generator for… Read more
- CATIbus <Telephone Omnibus>
Mercury Research hosts a modern dedicated CATI facility of 79 workstations using NIPO-Odin software for interviewing and database management. Read more
- IBus <Online Omnibus>
In October 2009 Mercury Research launched the first online omnibus in Romania. The sample of 500 respondents, representative for online population has its source… Read more


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Fung, C, Ladkin, A., Osman, H. and Wong, S., 2015. An Exploratory Study on the Antecedents of Occupational Commitment among Hospitality Educators in Hong Kong. In: CHME (Council for Hospitality Management Education) Annual Research Conference, 20--22 May 2015, Manchester, UK. (Unpublished)
Full text available as:
An exploratory study on the antecedents of occupational commitmentamong hospitality educators in Hong Kong March 2020129.pdf - Accepted Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives.
Official URL: http://www.chme.org.uk/events/conferences/
In recent years, the growth in hospitality management programmes and the demand for hospitality educators in Hong Kong has increased dramatically. The hospitality industry, educational institutions and hospitality students also have high expectations of hospitality educators. Due to an increased need to recruit and retain qualified hospitality educators, this research seeks to understand the occupational commitment of hospitality educators in Hong Kong. Occupational commitment is an important indicator of a number of factors. It is found that occupational commitment is closely related to work-related stress, job satisfaction and occupational retention (Jamal, 1990; Borg et al., 1991; Jepson and Forrest, 2006; Klassen and Chiu, 2010). However, there is lack of research investigating the occupational commitment or its antecedents of hospitality educators. Therefore the study aims to gain an insight into the occupational commitment of hospitality educators in Hong Kong. This research identifies the key antecedents affecting occupational commitment and investigates which of these antecedents influence the occupational commitment of hospitality educators in Hong Kong. It also explores the reasons why hospitality educators are committed to hospitality education profession in Hong Kong. The research presented in this paper is one element of wider study. For this part, a qualitative research method and purposive sampling is adopted. Four focus groups comprised of twenty hospitality educators currently working in Hong Kong have been conducted. The results found that the flexibility of hospitality education work, non-shift work pattern, the self-actualization needs in education, career opportunities and occupational image are the key antecedents of occupational commitment of hospitality educators in Hong Kong.
|Item Type:
|Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
|Uncontrolled Keywords:
|occupational commitment; the antecedents of occupational commitment; hospitality educators
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|Unnamed user with email symplectic@symplectic
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Exclusive details/pics: new "DEMONS" discs bonus featuresMovies/TV,News Fangoria Staff
We broke the news yesterday about Synapse Films' upcoming new special-edition DVDs and Blu-rays of Lamberto Bava's DEMONS and DEMONS 2 and Dario Argento's TENEBRE and PHENOMENA, and now we've got exclusive info on the supplements accompanying the DEMONS films, and pics from those features.
Calum Waddell of High Rising Productions, who's producing those extras, let us know what to look forward to: "We have some really meaty stuff—lengthy interviews and in-depth personality profiles," he tells Fango. "The kind of material that we hope people expect from High Rising by now! We have brand new interviews on DEMONS with [1st through 4th photos below] Lamberto Bava, Dario Argento, stuntman Ottaviano Dell'Acqua, Alan Jones, the worldwide authority on all things Argento-related, and Luigi Cozzi, who contextualizes the DEMONS films and speaks about the unofficial sequels—including how his own movie THE BLACK CAT ended up as DEMONS 6 in some territories! For DEMONS 2, we have Lamberto again, composer Simon Boswell [5th photo below], assistant director Roy Bava, effects maestro Sergio Stivaletti and Federico Zampaglione, the new blood of Italian horror [director of SHADOW and the upcoming TULPA], chatting about DEMONS and how it has inspired him.
"It's great to be working on these two Italian classics, especially since Lamberto has become a dear friend to Naomi [Holwill of High Rising] and I over the past six years. I first became acquainted with him after bringing him to Manchester for a film festival, and we've stayed in touch ever since. To be giving his movies this sort of treatment is amazing—and he gave us both a huge hug when he found out we were working on them! I guess he was aware they were in friendly hands!"
Meanwhile, High Rising's documentary SLICE AND DICE: THE SLASHER FILM FOREVER (which we last reported on here) will be screening on Sunday, March 24 at the Glasgow Film Theatre in Scotland. "We'll have special guests James Moran and Norman J. Warren, as well as Naomi and myself," Waddell says. "Tickets will be on sale soon at the GFT website."


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Lovely 3 Bed home swap in CLONMANY, IRELAND
This charming holiday home is set on an acre of lawn, within 2kms of the sea. The house has three bedrooms one ensuite. There is an open plan kitchen/sitting room, bedroom 1 has two double beds and is ensuite, bedroom 2 has a double and a single bed and bedroom three has a double bed. The house has either tiled or wooden floors throughout. Sorry no pets. Set beside both hills and beaches it offers something for everyone.
Type of home swap
- Home Exchange
- Rental Offered
Conditions of home exchange
- No pets allowed
- Children welcome
- Washer / Drier
- Garage / Parking
- Garden
- Boating
- Fishing
- Golfing
- Horse Riding
- Tennis
- Walking
- Car recommended
- Local restaurants
- Shopping facilities
Nearest city: Londonderry/Letterkenny
Property type: Cottage
Location type: Rural
Co. Donegal, IRELAND
- 3 bed (sleeps 8) 2 bath
Preferred destinations
- Open to Offers.
Dates available
Open to offers
Swap duration: 1 - 2 weeks
Meet the member
Adults: 2 Children: 1
Membership expiry date: 29 Aug 2004


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Each operator shall adopt an adequate program for improving roof control systems. This program shall include a roof control plan, provision for the training of miners, a history of all unintentional roof falls, and systematic evaluation of the effectiveness of the roof control system in use. Each operator shall adopt a roof control plan suitable to the roof conditions and the mining system for all underground roadways, travelways including escapeways, and working places of each mine. Roof control plans shall be filed with the chief of the division of mineral resources management. The chief shall notify the operator in writing of the approval of a proposed roof control plan. If revisions are required for approval, the changes required shall be specified and the operator shall be afforded an opportunity to discuss the revisions with the chief.
A roof control plan shall include the following information:
(A) Name and address of the company;
(B) Name and address of the mine;
(C) Names and addresses of the responsible officials;
(D) Area of the mine covered by the roof control plan;
(E) A columnar section of the mine strata that shall:
(1) Show the name and thickness of the coalbed and any persistent partings;
(2) Identify by type and show the thickness of each stratum (rock layer) up to and including the main roof over and for ten feet under the coalbed;
(3) Show the maximum cover over the mining area covered included in the roof control plan.
(F) A description of the sequence of mining and installation of supports including temporary supports. The description shall include:
(1) Drawings on eight and one-half by eleven inch paper or on paper folded to this size, showing the location of all roof, face, and rib supports for each method of mining employed at the mines. The scale shall be specified and not less than five feet to the inch nor more than twenty feet to the inch. A legend explaining all the symbols used shall also be included on the drawings.
(2) A list of all roof support materials employed in the roof control system including, where applicable, the name of the manufacturer and its designation for the item. Prior approval shall be obtained before making any changes in the materials listed.
No person shall refuse or neglect to comply with this section.
Effective Date: 06-14-2000.


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East Section Mite ADM Program
ADM Policy
Red Div.
Blue Div.
White Div.
Updated 8-7-17
For Your Information:
Hello NYSAHA East Section Association Presidents and ADM Coordinators,
As we begin to gear up for league playoffs, end of season gatherings and
register our little ones for Little League, softball, lacrosse, tennis and golf,
we wanted to share a few end of season notes in regards to the ADM in the East
Our East Section ADM committee of volunteers continues to be inspired by the
dedication and commitment of so many of our ES organizations who strive to
provide the best age appropriate on-ice and off-ice experiences for our youth.
This season the East Section ADM team;
• Launched the new 8U East Section ADM league, which included our
www.eastsecmiteadm.com website, 8U pre-season seeding jamborees and regular
season Red/Blue/White and Level jamboree events.
• Educated over 800 youth hockey coaches at CEP's throughout the East Section
on the ADM, Long Term Athlete Development and the implementation of Small Area
• Hosted clinics for associations, squirt-midget, on the benefits of small area
games, station based practices and off-ice training.
Our ADM team continues to discuss the many East Section programs who implement
small area games and station based practices for their skaters age 8-18. It is
important to celebrate your accomplishments and highlight the hard work many
programs have put into practice planning and program development.
We thank you for your efforts!
In the "Attachment" section of this webpage you will find two documents. As your organization begins to plan for the 2016-2017 youth hockey season, we recommend you take a look at the USAHockey Model Program information and Club Structure document. Please share this information with your association coaching coordinator and/or
Director of Hockey. Take a look to see what your program might be missing and
how best to add some of these important elements into your program next season.
As always, our East Section ADM committee is available to meet with your
organizations coaches, players and/or parents to discuss the many facets of the
ADM including age appropriate practices, windows of trainability and long-term
athlete development. Please don't hesitate to reach out.
We also encourage your feedback and suggestions. You are always welcome to email
me with any ideas or happy to speak on the phone.
Spring will be here before we know it. Enjoy the final few weeks with your
On Twitter @ USAHADMNewYork
Published by Anthony Mensi


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A long time ago in a galaxy far far away I graduated college with a degree in psychology.
I was on a mission to improve the mental wellness of all earth's inhabitants.
But, like so many others, I did nothing with that degree.
Now a world changing psychologist quitter turned web designer, I am still extremely fascinated by psychology. Just now instead of focusing on psychological disorders of the mind, I'm more interested in the psychology of users on the web.
I've recently discovered that some of those once long forgotten psychological principles that I crammed into my head back in college, are very much relevant to how a user interacts with a website.
Cognitive Overload
A user who feels confused by the options, the interface, the navigation and so forth will probably feel overwhelmed in their thinking process.
Complicated and confusing interfaces force users to find solutions to problems that shouldn't be there in the first place.
When your working memory receives more information than it can handle comfortably, leading to frustration and comprised decision-making, cognitive overload happens.
Simply put, cognitive overload is no bueno.
What causes cognitive overload?
- Unnecessary actions – A user's mind is goal oriented. They want to accomplish their task as fast as possible. So, unnecessary actions force the user to put in more effort thus, testing their patience.
- Overstimulation – It's hard to focus when too many images, animations, icons, ads, text types and bright colors are fighting for your attention. Every distraction, especially a visually domineering one, derails a user from their task at hand.
- Hick's Law – describes the time it takes for a person to make a decision as a result of the possible choices he or she has: increasing the number of choices will increase the decision time –> Too many options can overstimulate the user.
- Too much content – obviously content is super important but displaying too much at the same time in an unorganized manner pulls the mind in too many directions. Its distracting.
- Ambiguous Interface – Vague icons and symbols can confuse even a tech savvy person. A user shouldn't have to spend a lot time trying to decipher what an icon or symbol means.
- Hidden features – The website navigation should feel intuitive and even if your site provides everything the user needs, they still might not be able to find it.
- Inconsistent format throughout the website – Visual and functional inconsistencies as well as typos and grammatical errors all make the user stop and think which distracts them from the message you're trying to convey.
How to reduce cognitive overload
Basically the takeaway here is to not make the user think any more than they have to which distracts them from their overarching task.
Preventing cognitive overload is actually quite simple. Keep your design simple.
- Remove redundancies – combine pages or menu items
- Get rid of everything that's not essential
- Minimize the number of steps users must take or the amount of effort they must expend
- If you have too much content, you must learn how to organize it.
- Chunking – breaking text and multimedia content into smaller chunks to help users process, understand, and remember it better.
Ready to see how your website ranks in SEO, web usability, lead generation, site architecture, social integration, mobile responsiveness, site speed and more in 2017?


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YA Eco Mysteries, Memoirs, Novels & Travel
Little River Canyon National Preserve
Environmental Education Association of Alabama
10/03/13 17:25 Filed in: Environment
Oh, what a pleasure and a privilege to participate in the Environmental Education Association of Alabama's Conference at Little River Canyon Center, and Little River Canyon National Preserve this weekend! Meeting with field biologists and teachers dedicated to conservation and to educating the public to become wise stewards of our precious natural resources was indeed a joy. Read More...


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Coulson Knew of Bribes: Report
An anonymous source tells Reuters that police have financial records showing Andy Coulson, David Cameron's former spokesman, knew of bribes to police officers when he was editor of News of the World. According to Reuters, police also have emails between Coulson and the paper's disgraced royal correspondent, Clive Goodman, in which they discuss payments to police officers for information about royal-family members, including their phone numbers. Coulson has denied knowledge of the illegal practices.


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Raiders to face new-look Hancock Central team Friday
Hancock Central head coach Wilbert Simmons isnt just sand-bagging when he says his program is getting its feet wet Friday night when it opens its season against Madison County.
To start with, Simmons is in his first-ever head coaching position after a previous stop as an offensive coordiator at Wilkinson County.
Then, theres a wholesale change in personnel as the Bulldogs have the chore of replacing 18 starters this year.
And finally, Hancock Central has been on the practice field trying to implement new schemes on both sides of the ball in time for Friday nights contest.
Despite all the change, Simmons said that the transition hasnt been overally choatic in Sparta.
Its going really well, he said. Practice has been smooth. Were trying to put in a new offense and defense so thats been a little challenging but weve got devoted players and a great group of kids. Its going as good as can be expected.
Madison County head coach Tom Hybl said his team will have its hands full with what could be a very dangerous Hancock Central team.
Theyre very athletic, very big, he said. ... We saw them in two scrimmages and they played two good football teams and they played very well. They threw it on the ground in our game last year three or four times which helped us to win.
The Bulldogs will sport roughly the same amount of numbers as the Raiders with 42 players on their roster, most of them playing both ways.
Simmons listed his key players as quarterback Brandon Griffin, quarterback; brother Kevin Griffin, who plays wide receiver and defensive back; offensive and defensive lineman Aaron Willis, fullback and linebacker Josh McClain; and receiver, linebacker and pretty much jack-of-all trades Cordero Foster.
Those guys are doing a good job with leadership and everything, Simmons said of the group.
Offensively, Simmons said his scheme will be one that encompasses the entire playbook, featuring a wide-open style of play that will utilize the shotgun formation and three and four wide receiver sets.
Theyve got a good left handed quarterback and they like to get in the shotgun and hose it all-around and scramble around, Hybl said.
On the other side of the ball, Hancock Central will employ a base four-man front set up which should feature some pretty impressive athletes according to Hybl.
Defensively, theyre big and physical, he said.
Hybl said the keys to a win over the Bulldogs will be the same as those in the Raiders 14-7 win over Franklin County this past Friday.
Well have to stay deciplined and plug away and hopefully we can get to the fourth quarter and make something happen which was exactly what happened Friday night, he said.
Simmons said his group is excited about the opportunity to open against a team like Madison County.
Theyre a good program. We saw some film of them in scrimmages. Theyre big and well-experienced. It will be a good battle. The coach does a good job of coaching them. We just hope we can hang in there.
Lady Leopards top Athens Christian
Banks picks up third win of season
In only their eighth game of the season, the Lady Leopards matched their win total from all of last season with a 7-6 victory over Athens Christian early last week.
Now the team turns its focus to two region games this week. In a game moved from last week, Banks was slated to take on Union County Wednesday afternoon.
On Thursday, the Lady Leopards will travel to Wesleyan for a 5 p.m. game. And on Monday, theyll get Athens Christian in Athens at 4:30 p.m. for a re-match of last weeks contest.
Softball coach Kevin Gaines said the team should compete with Union. The Lady Leopards picked up a win against Wesleyan last season and could do the same this year.
But the teams leading hitter, Kayla Parks, could be nursing a knee injury sustained in last weeks Athens Christian game. Gaines listed her as day to day but said he does not expect her to miss any games.
The 7-6 win over Athens Christian was Banks Countys third of the season, coming against a team competing in the sport for the first time on the varsity level.
Like most first-year programs, they struggle with pitching, Gaines said. They hit the ball real well against us and in turn we hit the ball as well.
Freshman pitcher Gabbie Fleming lasted the entire contest on the mound for Banks, bagging six strikeouts.
Athens Christian jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first off a double, two singles and two hit batters. Banks only picked up a Hope Autry single in the bottom half of the inning.
In the bottom of the second, the Lady Leopards were able to take the lead.
K. Parks reached on an error and Brittany Harris got to first on a single. Brooke Whitmire then put down an RBI single to cut the lead to 3-2.
Ashley Denton drew a walk and Jessi Freeman hit into a fielders choice to score B. Whitmire to tie the game. Brandy Stapp also hit into a fielders choice but Rachel Walker followed with a single.
H. Autry drew another walk and Nicole Powell picked up an RBI single to give the Lady Leopards a 4-3 lead. K. Parks came back up to bat in the inning and picked up an RBI single to add another run.
In the fourth, B. Stapp and R. Walker lead with back-to-back singles. K. Parks followed with a single to score both runners and take a 7-4. But K. Parks came out of the game on the play after injuring her knee trying to beat out the single.
Athens Christian tried cutting into the lead in the top of the sixth. The Lady Eagles picked up four straight singles to score two runs and cut the lead to 7-6. Banks held on in the seventh to take the win.
The Wait Is Over
Tigers Looking For Fast Start, Lions Looking To Get Back On Track Friday
Expect Commerce and Franklin County to be two teams eager to get back on the playing field when they meet Friday night albeit, for much different reasons.
The 7:30 p.m. matchup in Carnesville finally gives the Tigers the chance to put an end to seven grueling weeks of preseason preparations and use it towards something that counts after sitting out this past Friday with an open date while the majority of the teams in the state started their seasons.
Fifteenth-year Commerce head coach Steve Savage said his team has become a bit restless after a month-and-a-half on the practice field.
Were ready to play win, lose or draw, he said. We might start getting worse if we keep on practicing.
Meanwhile, the Lions will be a club with redemption on its mind after being topped 14-7 in the closing moments Friday night by rival Madison County in which the Raiders grind-it-out offense maneuvered 65 yards down the field to score the game-winning touchdown with just six seconds left.
Though his team fell in dramatic fashion, second-year Lions coach Danny Durham said his team isnt one thats feeling sorry for itself this week.
Theyre OK, Durham said of his team. We practiced yesterday (Monday) and everybody came ready to work. We just cant make the same mistakes that we made. And we made a lot of them. But we still had a chance to win. We probably shouldnt have had that.
Savage wasnt sure how the Lions close loss would affect them for Friday.
It thought it was a hard-fought, good high school football game between two teams that played hard and it was as hot as 400, he said. It went down to the wire. It was a great game. I dont know whether its good to play a team after a loss or not. Im sure they found out a lot about themselves in that game.
Commerce enters the contest enjoying a six-game winning streak in the series and a 14-3 edge overall. But if last years game is any indication, Savage said his team can expect a barn-burner. Franklin Countys double-slot option attack racked up 310 yards, including 188 on the ground as Commerce hung on to win 23-15.
Despite featuring a scheme that is similar to what Commerce employs, stopping Franklin Countys offense this year will be a tall order for the Tiger defense.
The Lionss offense is led by a dangerous and experienced signal caller in Tyler Eavenson, who rushed for over 100 yards this past Friday, including a 37-yard touchdown in which he broke loose from a host of Raiders tacklers. Franklin County also features a pair of solid fullbacks Daniel Smith and Matt Hewitt and a speester at tailback, Cordero Davis.
We felt going into last years game that we had a good chance to defend that because its thats something we see everyday, he said. And they ran up and down the field on us. I feel like its the best offense made for high school football.
Durham doesnt think that his team having already played a game to be an overwhelming factor in Friday nights contest.
Sometimes its just getting there on Friday night when the lights come on, he said. I know those young men at Commerce when the lights come on, theyll be ready to play.
Durham said his players understands that it has a very, very big game ahead of it and knows what to expect from Commerce.
The usual and by saying that, that says a lot, Durham said of the Tigers. Theyll be very, very good at what they do. Theyre a program that can compete on any level. Theyll be tough with what they do offensively and defensively. Well have to hope that we can make the right adjustments and execute our offense.
Commerce does come into the game in solid shape with its personnel. Savage said the team has seen few injuries in the preseason and has its starting lineup all but set, save for a few adjustments that might be made this week.
Were pretty much healthy, he said. Weve been two-platooning as much as we can because of the heat and playing as many guys as possible. Thats our main concern.
Headed for the mountains
Dragons to face Union Co. on Fri.
With their first-game jitters and question marks now behind them the Jefferson football team heads north to Union County this Friday night to face a Panther squad that will have to deal with many of the season-opening issues that the Dragons have already seen.
That in itself gives Jefferson an edge according to Union County head coach Kent Green.
I definitely think its a disadvantage for us, Green said Tuesday. (Jeffersons) gotten all of the nervousness and jitters out already, but we havent had a chance to step on the field yet.
When they do walk out between the hashmarks Friday, fans can expect a decidedly different squad on the field for Union County than the one that suited up last season for the Class AA school.
An overhaul on offense has seen the club lose a variety of players from last season and they have had to retool their philosophy on that side of the ball, according to Green.
Were probably not as balanced as we were last season, were going to be more of a running oriented team this year, Green explained.
During the two teams last meeting on Sept. 6 of last year the Panthers were able to even out the play distribution en route to 158 yards passing and 154 yards rushing in the losing effort.
With eight seniors returning from a 4-6 team last season, Union County will be looking at Fridays game as a new beginning, Green said.
One advantage the Panthers will have this time around is the home field edge, something that has proven to be an obstacle tough to overcome for the Dragons since the arrival of head coach Bill Navas in 2002.
The Dragons are 1-6 under Navas in road contests, but with the monkey apparently off their backs after last weeks win at Apalachee things could be turning around for the squad. I think that (the home field advantage) will be somewhat of an advantage for us, a little one but still an advantage, said Green.
Lady Panthers prowling rival Winder on Thursday
TWO OF the top teams in Region 8-AAAA North, Jackson County and Winder-Barrow, will square off Thursday in Winder in what has become one of the areas fiercest rivalries.
Winder is always Winder, Jackson County head coach Mark Mahoney said last week. Its always a big game for us.
Last season the Lady Bulldoggs finished behind North co-champions Jackson County (6-3) and Madison County thanks in large part to the Lady Panthers win over Winder. While Jackson County went unbeaten at home last season it was the squads close road win against Winder-Barrow that helped guide them to the title.
Rain limited Jackson County from opening at home last week against Habersham Central, that game has been rescheduled for Oct. 7 at 5 p.m.
Thursdays game begins an important stretch of contests for the Lady Bulldoggs. Friday and Saturday the squad plays in the Lake Lanier Invitational in Gainesville followed by important area games next week against Cedar Shoals and perhaps the biggest rival of all, Madison County, which comes to town Thursday.
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My Fun designs looks at the world through the eyes of a curious child. Building on the dual theories that tactile stimulation is crucial for infant development and that child-directed pretend play helps develop children's early cognitive development, My Fun simply gives children a platform to make up their own play. What do different textures feel like? The colors are intentionally unconventional, because a child's world goes beyond pink and blue. Eco-friendly—made from 100% cotton, filled with polyfill and using Azo free dyes. Approximately 13" x 8"
Additional Information
|Eco Factor
|Eco Friendly, Fair Trade
|Fairly Traded
|In India
|Eco Status
|Socially Responsible, AZO Free Dyes
|Made in USA
|Product Brand
|Mirasa Design


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Feng Zhengquan, born in 1976, lives and works in China. His oil paintings place contemporary candy-like imagery of lipsticks, cosmetics, fruit, foliage, and creatures: all reminiscent of contemporary Asian pop culture, into old world spatial compositions– think Dong Yuan, to examine the abstraction of contemporary spaces or environments. How much of our own landscape history is virtual and how much is physical? The blurring of both is what draws us to these pieces regardless of nationality.
Tag Archives: Chinese art
Hong Kong Graffiti Challenges Ai WeiWei's Arrest
Unless you've been living under a rock you've heard about the arrest of prominent Chinese artists and activist Ai WeiWei by the Chinese Government. Ai Wei Wei and dozens of bloggers and artists were arrested earlier in April for "inciting subversion of state power," a catch-all term used to jail anyone critical of Communist Party rule. Apparently The government is concerned that activists want to launch a "jasmine revolution" similar to the protests taking place in the Middle East.
Yesterday NPR released a great story about graffiti popping up all over China supporting the artist and demanding for his release. Street art is at its best when used to expose corruption. Taking your cause to the streets is one of the only ways to let your voice be heard In a country where the government won't give a legitimate platform to its citizens. Lets hope that more people stand up to the government and demand that not just Ai Wei Wei but all political prisoners are released and that an open discussion can begin between the Chinese government and the countries 1.4 Billion residents.
Listen and read the full story on NPR.
Li Hui
Li Hui, a conceptual artist born in the (a term which is often used here) post-70's decade, creates a lot of his work with automobiles and "custom laser array, Laser Night Module, waterjet cutting machines, and laser engraving machines" in his arsenal. He's even welded two front parts of a car together and turned yet another car into a pink sofa. Check out his video interview on The Creator's Project.
And yes, I am alive and well in China!


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Hello friends. I'd like to start this post off by saying thank you, so very much, for all of your comments, messages, and sentiments following my previous blog post. I am far from over the loss of my precious Bubs, but I am getting there, slowly. I have been keeping myself busy, the result of which you can see here today - I have swatches of the Fall 2015 Collection from Colors By Llarowe to show you!
All the relevant info will be at the end of the post, so shall we take a look?


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(Video) George Soros: Hillary Presidency a Done Deal.
On October 17, 2016 BlackBox Politics-Facebook.com/breakingtheherd deconstructed a recent interview of George Soros, conducted by Bloomberg, stating Hillary Clinton will win the electoral college vote, while Donald Trump wins the popular vote. Video below.
George Soros claims Clinton presidency already a done deal. States Donald will win popular vote, not electoral.
The popular vote does not matter, its purpose is to make people feel like they have a voice or say in the out come, when in fact they do not. The electoral college has the only and final say in the outcome. If the popular vote mattered or actually counted, the electoral college would essentially be useless. Notice how he says, "they are paid political announcers", meaning they are on the pay role of those calling the shots, which isn't we the people. He also almost admitted, as you can hear him stumble, "they are a paid political element" but chose the word announcers instead. Paid announcers sound better than paid element. Also, by using or saying "paid element" means a legally binding and public admission that the electoral college is rigged and paid off, which is treason against the United States as per the law of the land aka the Constitution. He also admits yes, the popular vote will more than likely be for Donald Trump, but eludes to the vote for Donald being stolen, or rather not honored, by the electoral. He makes it very clear they are two separate entities. He also states hillary is a done deal. If you know who and what George soros is capable of and has done, that isn't a light statement, nor a joke or simple opinionated statement. It is violently and intellectually calculated backed by power, resources, control and loyalty to the New World Order.


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Long before history was actually recorded, legends of the Canary Islands existed. Stories were told of these mythical lands to be found beyond the Pillars of Hercules in the Straits of Gibraltar, on the way to the Dark Sea. Many classical authors sited 'Paradise' here, 'Los Campos Eliseos' (Elysian Fields) or 'Garden of Hesperides'. One of the first credible testimonies of the islands we owe to Pliny the Elder, who in the first century spoke about an expedition sent out by King Juba of Mauritius. The adventurers brought back an enormous dog as a gift. This native breed still exists today, called Verdinos or Bardinos, they are an impressive, fierce hunting dog, from which the Canaries derives its name – 'can' or 'canine'. These early tales, not surprisingly, nearly always mentioned Tenerife. Known as Nivaria, due to its majestic snow-capped mountain emerging from the clouds and visible from many kilometres around, it was awe-inspiring to those ancient mariners.
The Canary Archipelago consists of the seven major island (Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma, El Hierro, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura) and six minor ones. Of these Alegranza, Graciosa, Montaña Clara, Roque de Este and Roque del Oeste, can be found to the north of Lanzarote. Grouped together they are known as the Chinijo Archipelago and are separated from the cliff of Famara by the Strait of El Rio. Encompassed within a protected natural park and marine reserve, the landscape is remarkable with volcanic cones, craters, dunes, beaches, cliffs and caves. They are rich in wildlife, especially migratory birds that nest there, including endangered species and marine life with great number of turtles, fish (particularly the tuna family) and whales.
I spent a day on La Graciosa, the larger of these isles, 27 kilometres in size and the smallest inhabited island of the Canaries. After a short trip over from Lanzarote, the boat docked at the quay in Caleta de Sebo, a whitewashed village with unpaved, sandy streets. The 500 or so villagers that live here year-round mainly make their living from fishing. We hired bikes and spent a leisurely few hours cycling around the unspoilt countryside and lazing on the beautiful, deserted, fine, white, sandy beaches.
La Isla de Lobos lies to the north-east of Fuerteventura and can be reached by boat from there or by daily excursions from Lanzarote. Sand dunes, brought by the Alisio winds, have covered the volcanic lava fields and unusual salt-water lagoons have formed. Also a protected nature reserve, with similar wildlife to the Chinijo Isles, Lobos is also visited by the almost extinct Monk Seal. The ocean is a paradise for divers with clear, warm waters. The seabed is fascinating with caves and tunnels alive with fish. The Canaries have 107 protected areas, more than any other Spanish region, and is fourth in the world for endemic flora – 600 species.
The ancient inhabitants of the Canary Islands were the Guanches. Dressed in animal skins they were apparently of enormous stature, hence tales of giants. Living isolated from the rest of the world they were not a seafaring people. This was once believed to be the remains of the sunken continent of Atlantis and the Guanches descendants of Atlantians.
Until the Spanish conquest in the 15th century little was known about these islands. In 1402 Juan Bethencourt and his men set sail from Cadiz, first landing on Alegranza as a base from which to launch an attack on Lanzarote. Much to their surprise they had a peaceful reception. The people of Lanzarote, who were tired of pirate raids, saw the Spaniards as a means of protection. Bethancourt had conquered Fuerteventura by 1408, after fierce fighting with the natives there but it was to take almost a century before resistance to the Spanish conquest was quelled on the rest of the islands. Tenerife was the last to be conquered after much bloodshed in 1496.
Exploring the Canary Islands it's easy to become fascinated with volcanoes. Their existence is due to the movement of the continental and oceanic upper crust of the Earth and the very slow movement of the African plate – about one centimetre per year for the last 60 million years. Lanzarote for example is a shield volcano, 20 million years old, while La Palma is a stratovolcano and Pico del Teide on Tenerife is the third largest volcano on Earth. I've also discovered that the planet Venus has more volcanoes than any other planet in the Solar System, but that's digressing.
Hiking over volcanoes, walking through cool Laurisilva forests, enjoying the warm winter sun on a stretch of deserted sandy beach or sitting on the ebony, rocky shoreline contemplating the sunset over the ocean, these are just a few things that make the Canary Islands so magical.


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Family, friends of Myrtle Beach's Heather Elvis to celebrate her 21st birthday today
The family of Heather Elvis will gather at 3 p.m. Monday to celebrate her 21st birthday, according to a posting on Facebook.
Elvis was last seen the night of Dec. 17 and last heard from early Dec. 18, according to authorities. She was reported missing Dec. 19 after Horry County police found her car, which was registered to her father, parked at the Peachtree boat landing. Elvis' keys, cellphone and purse were not found in the locked car and she remains missing.
Police charged Sidney Moorer, 38, and Tammy Moorer, 42, both of Myrtle Beach with murder and kidnapping on Feb. 24 in connection with Elvis' death.
The couple also face charges of making a false statement on an application for Medicaid and obtaining a signature or property under false pretenses with a value of $10,000 or more; two counts of indecent exposure and one count of obstructing justice.
Bond had been denied for the couple on the murder and kidnapping charges and they remain held at J. Reuben Long Detention Center.
During the initial bond hearing, prosecutors pointed to cellphone records and video surveillance to build their case against the couple. But defense attorneys said the evidence is circumstantial, with no link to tie the couple to Elvis' disappearance.
According to the Facebook posting, friends and family members will gather from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday at Peachtree Landing to honor the Myrtle Beach woman's 21st birthday. They also ask that people write down their memories, thoughts and stories about Elvis for a book to be shared.
"The book we are making will have two parts. The first part is in chronological order. Starting from when she was born until the last day she touched your life," according to the posting.


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Moldbug quite memorably makes the observation that America is a communist country, and then goes further and makes it obvious that all of the world is America now, so all of the world is communist. He also traces this communism back through American history to America's founding and then even further back and places this founding as the continuation of an English political conflict between Tories, and Whigs.
We can get under the engine of this broad claim and start to get at the mechanism behind this conflict and the roots of this communism. For a start, we can look at the claim of communism. Moldbug clearly used this for rhetorical effect, and it works to a degree, but we don't need to retain this for analysis purposes. Instead we can concentrate on the status of the origin of property in the various strains of thought which is what defines this communism.
In the first instance we have the Tory conception which was expressed by Filmer. Now Filmer's concept of property has been dismissed ad nauseum for being based on biblical grounds unlike Locke's which were based on…biblical grounds, but there is a difference in that Locke's ideas were developed in service to the Whig's position in society and they won, so there is that. Why were Locke's positions popular with the Whigs, whilst Filmer's were popular with the Tory loyalists? Locke's position was one supportive of rebellion, anarchism and oligarchy – which is what the Whigs were about. We can really consider this a case of two power centers forming two distinct cultures based on their specific interests – the monarchy versus parliament. Parliament won
History shows that the Whigs won so effectively that they purged Filmer Tories from every effective position of power in England following the failed Jacobite Rebellion. From this point on, every Tory position would be based on the grounds of Locke and we see the conservative is born. Every single incarnation of Toryism (and there have been many of that pathetic shadow) would forever be reborn on some new absurd position trying to justify a position built upon the ever shifting basis of anarchic property tied in with the individual coming before society, or communism if you will. We have had Burkean conservatism, Peelite conservatism, modern American conservatism, compassionate conservatism and now the alt-right – it is the never ending joke.
Now, when we read Locke and his refutation of Filmer, it is worthwile comparing the means of persuasion employed by both writers, and to observe their differing tones. For example, here is Filmer offering a logical, well thought out, appropriately historically supported positions on the nature of kings:
"Whereas many out of an imaginary Fear pretend the Power of the People to be necessary for the repressing of the Insolencies of Tyrants; wherein they propound a Remedy far worse than the Disease, neither is the Disease indeed so frequent as they would have us think. Let us be judged by the History even of our own Nation: We have enjoyed a Succession of Kings from the Conquest now for above 600 years (a time far longer than ever yet any Popular State could continue) we reckon to the Number of twenty six of these Princes since the Norman Race, and yet not one of these is taxed by our Historians for Tyrannical Government. It is true, two of these Kings have been Deposed by the People, and barbarously Murthered, but neither of them for Tyranny" ?"[sic] Chapter II, XVIII, paragraph 1
And now we can turn to Locke who tells you that IF WE DON'T HAVE FREEDOM, AND LIBERTY MEN WILL SODOMISE AND EAT THEIR OWN BABIES!!!!!!
"But if the example of what hath been done, be the rule of what ought to be, history would have furnished our author with instances of this absolute fatherly power in its height and perfection, and he might have shewed us in Peru, people that begot children on purpose to fatten and eat them. The story is so remarkable, that I cannot but set it down in the author's words. "In some provinces, says he, they were so liquorish after man's flesh, that they would not have the patience to stay till the breath was out of the body, but would suck the blood as it ran from the wounds of the dying man; they had public shambles of man's flesh, and their madness herein was to that degree, that they spared not their own children, which they had begot on strangers taken in war: for they made their captives their mistresses, and choicely nourished the children they had by them, till about thirteen years old they butchered and eat them; and they served the mothers after the same fashion, when they grew past child bearing, and ceased to bring them any more roasters," Garcilasso de la Vega hist. des Yncas de Peru, l. i. c. 12" [sis] Two Treatises of Government, Chapter VI, S57
"Be it then, as Sir Robert says, that anciently it was usual for men to sell and castrate their children, Observations, 155. Let it be, that they exposed them; add to it, if you please, for this is still greater power, that they begat them for their tables, to fat and eat them: if this proves a right to do so, we may, by the same argument, justify adultery, incest and sodomy, for there are examples of these too, both ancient and modern; sins, which I suppose have their principal aggravation from this, that they cross the main intention of nature, which willeth the increase of mankind, and the continuation of the species in the highest perfection, and the distinction of families, with the security of the marriage bed, as necessary thereunto." [sis] Two Treatises of Government, Chapter VI, S59
No very flattering and demonstrates the weakness of Locke's position, which is why I think he concentrated as pedantically as possible on Filmer's claim of descent from Adam. It is the weakest part of Filmer's arguments and frankly we can do without it and cut straight to the reasoning behind both author's positions.
Locke's reasoning is without basis in my opinion as it works from a state of nature which has never existed. So why are we still taking his writing as a serious and respectable body of work? Why do I need to argue past this point? His claims of the independence of the individual and the labor theory of property are obscenely wrong. Everything about his thinking is disastrously wrong but given it was a rejection of absolutism it was useful, and anything pushing individualism has been warmly received by the modern state for its destructive value. The advocate of individualism is the foot soldier of a centralised state. Now, some may have trouble with this concept because on the face of it the contradictory nature is hard to get past, but it is only a contradiction if you don't think it through and realise the destruction of individualism is aimed at everything and everyone except the centralising power, which in this case was democratic governance seated in parliament.
Filmer on the other hand has many serious points to make which don't rest on biblical exegesis at all, and instead rest on logic. Take for example his issue with the idea of law bounding the king:
"The Father of a Family governs by no other Law than by his own Will; not by the Laws and Wills of his Sons or Servants. There is no Nation that allows Children any Action or Remedy for being unjustly Governed; and yet for all this, every Father is bound by the Law of Nature to do his best for the preservation of his Family; but much more is a King always tyed by the same Law of Nature to keep this general Ground, That the safety of the Kingdom be his Chief Law: He must remember, That the Profit of every Man in particular, and of all together in general, is not always one and the same; and that the Publick is to be preferred before the Private; And that the force of Laws must not be so great as natural Equity it self, which cannot fully be comprised in any Laws whatsoever, but is to be left to the Religious Atchievement of those who know how to manage the Affairs of State, and wisely to Ballance the particular Profit with the Counterpoize of the Publick, according to the infinite variety of Times, Places, Persons; a Proof unanswerable, for the superiority of Princes above Laws, is this, That there were Kings long before there were any Laws: For a long time the Word of a King was the only Law; and if Practice (as saith Sir Walter Raleigh) declare the Greatness of Authority, even the best Kings of Judah and Israel were not tied to any Law; but they did whatsoever they pleased in the greatest Matters."[sic] Chapter III, I, paragraph 2
It is clear what he is saying here is that A) those lower on the rung of authority cannot bind those higher as this make no sense, and B) the sovereign is bound by consequences. Further to this, he notes the following regarding law:
"Whereas being subject to the Higher Powers, some have strained these Words to signifie the Laws of the Land, or else to mean the Highest Power, as well Aristocratical and Democratical, as Regal: It seems St. Paul looked for such Interpretation, and therefore thought fit to be his own Expositor, and to let it be known, that by Power he understood a Monarch that carried a Sword: Wilt thou not be afraid of the Power? that is, the Ruler that carrieth the Sword, for he is the Minister of God to thee —— for he beareth not the Sword in vain. It is not the Law that is the Minister of God, or that carries the Sword, but the Ruler or Magistrate; so they that say the Law governs the Kingdom, may as well say that the Carpenters Rule builds an House, and not the Carpenter; for the Law is but the Rule or Instrument of the Ruler."[sic] Chapter III, II, paragraph 4
Here he is saying rule of law is nonsensical. Law is merely a tool in the hands of someone. Were he alive today, he would no doubt be amazed at the manner in which modern conservatives look at the law and the constitution in particular as some form of magic document that rules.
On other issues, Filmer is no less logically robust, whilst Locke rests on assertions and not arguments. Anything based on the state of nature is not an argument and shouldn't be accepted as one, it is an assertion based on a point of faith (that we are born free and equal.) One such robust position is in the underlying logic behind the patriarchical model put forward by Filmer. While we can merely set aside the whole issue of progeny from Adam, we can nonetheless maintain Filmer's conclusion that governance does indeed mirror a paternal relationship, and that authority can only flow down from those with authority to those with less. Take for example Filmer's questioning of Bellarmine's assertion of the people being able to chose their king:
"Had the Patriarchs their Power given them by their own Children? Bellarmine does not say it, but the Contrary: If then the Fatherhood enjoyed this Authority for so many Ages by the Law of Nature, when was it lost, or when forfeited, or how is it devolved to the Liberty of the Multitude?"[sic] Chapter II, I, paragraph 2
If we concentrate on the theology and not the logic, we are doing a great disservice. What is at stake here is simply this – can those with less authority bind those with more? The logic is obscene. Filmer makes the point even more strongly in reference to law:
"What though the Government of the People be a thing not to be endured, much less defended, yet many men please themselves with an Opinion, that though the People may not Govern; yet they may partake and joyn with a King in the Government, and so make a State mixed of Popular and Regal Power, which they take to be the best tempered and equallest Form of Government. But the Vanity of this Fancy is too evident, it is a meer Impossibility or Contradiction, for if a King but once admit the People to be his Companions, he leaves to be a King, and the State becomes a Democracy; at least, he is but a Titular and no Real King, that hath not the Sovereignty to Himself; for the having of this alone, and nothing but this makes a King to be a King. As for that Shew of Popularity which is found in such Kingdoms as have General Assemblies for Consultation about making Publick Laws: It must be remembred that such Meetings do not share or divide the Sovereignty with the Prince: but do only deliberate and advise their Supreme Head, who still reserves the Absolute Power in himself; for if in such Assemblies, the King, the Nobility, and People have equal Shares in the Sovereignty, then the King hath but one Voice, the Nobility likewise one, and the People one, and then any two of these Voices should have Power to over-rule the third; thus the Nobility and Commons together should have Power to make a Law to bind the King, which was never yet seen in any Kingdom, but if it could, the State must needs be Popular and not Regal."[sic] Chapter II, XVI, paragraph 1
In effect, Filmer is making it absolutely clear that those arguing in favour of constitutional monarchy are violating logic, and they are. From our 21st century perch, we should be in an excellent place to judge just who is right on this point – Locke or Filmer? There is where it gets interesting. It is obviously clear from conventional history and practically all conventional political theory that Locke was completely correct but seeing as this history and theory is based on Locke, there is a serious problem here. If we start out with the assertion that X is true, will always be true, and is not to even be questioned, then what will this say about our results if X is false. Garbage in, garbage out.
We can see this being played out over the issue of spontaneous order which is thoroughly Lockean. Using Hayek as are sparing partner, we can approach the "spontaneous development" of common law as based on Locke. For Hayek, common law derives from custom which is spontaneous and developed independent of authority. The Lockean nature of this is pretty obvious. For Filmer this is a fiction:
"If the Nature of Laws be advisedly weighed, the Necessity of the Princes being above them may more manifest it self; we all know that a Law in General is the command of a Superior Power. Laws are divided (as Bellarmine divides the Word of God) into written and unwritten, not for that it is not written at all, but because it was not written by the first Devisers or Makers of it. The Common Law (as the Lord Chancellor Egerton teacheth us) is the Common Custom of the Realm. Now concerning Customs, this must be considered, that for every Custom there was a time when it was no Custom; and the first President we now have, had no President when it began; when every Custom began, there was something else than Custom that made it lawful, or else the beginning of all Customs were unlawful. Customs at first became Lawful only by some Superiour, which did either Command or Consent unto their beginning. And the first Power which we find (as it is confessed by all men) is the Kingly Power, which was both in this and in all other Nations of the World, long before any Laws, or any other kind of Government was thought of; from whence we must necessarily inser, that the Common Law it self, or Common Customs of this I and, were Originally the Laws and Commands of Kings at first unwritten
Nor must we think the Common Customs (which are the Principles of the Common Law, and are but few) to be such, or so many, as are able to give special Rules to determine every particular Cause. Diversity of Cases are infinite, and impossible to be regulated by any Law; and therefore we find, even in the Divine Laws which are delivered by Moses, there be only certain Principal Laws, which did not determine, but only direct the High-priest or Magistrate, whose Judgment in special Cases did determine, what the General Law intended. It is so with the Common Law, for when there is no perfect Rule, Judges do resort to those Principles, or Common Law Axiomes, whereupon former Judgments, in Cases somewhat like, have been delivered by former Judges, who all receive Authority from the King, in his Right and Name to give Sentence according to the Rules and Presidents of Antient Times: And where Presidents have failed, the Judges have resorted to the General Law of Reason, and accordingly given Judgment, without any Common Law to direct them. Nay, many times, where there have been Presidents to direct, they, upon better Reason only, have changed the Law, both in Causes Criminal and Civil, and have not insisted so much on the Examples of former Judges, as examined and corrected their Reasons; thence it is that some Laws are now obsolete and out of use, and the Practice quite contrary to what it was in Former Times, as the Lord Chancellour Egerton proves, by several Instances." [sic] Chapter III, IX -X, paragraph 1
What Filmer is implying here is explosive. He is making the point that laws don't come into being by themselves, but are authorised by a higher power in all cases. Common law was not made irrespective of the sovereign but was, and is, determined by agents acting on his behalf, and transmitting his will either directly or in accordance with the presumed wishes of the sovereign. The sovereign obviously being unable to sit in court for all cases and talk with every judge must delegate, and as such has a judiciary working in accordance with his will. In this instance, we can see that authority is the determiner of all action within the area of common law, and this holds true across society as a whole if this logic is maintained. All action that occurs within the authority of the sovereign is by default either within the sovereign's will and therefore acceptable, or it is not, and it is illegal and/or a threat. Any other definition nullifies the entire concept of sovereignty as a meaningful term. There is no spontaneous action independent of authority but all of our means of formally viewing the world (political theory, political science, politically acceptable history) are premised on the concept that there is. Notably, in areas with more practical usage (such as property law) this premise is quietly and (I am sure quite innocently) ignored.
Approaching the matter from a non-lockean perspective, and using, say for example, Filmer's refusal to accept the sovereign can be bound by lower powers, or that authority can be reversed, we get Moldbug's history. In this history, revolutions are led by elites in a position of authority, the entire concept of democracy is rendered a sham by following the trail and determining which institution is sovereign, and the republican governance structure comes into view as the mere surface camouflage that it is. In short, we go from Lockean consensus history based on a giant lie, to a realistic history based on a giant uncomfortable truth regarding authority.
We can even see Filmer acknowledging the determining factor of power on theory, thus presaging his own banishment from polite discourse on page 7:
"SInce the time that School-Divinity began to flourish, there hath been a common Opinion maintained, as well by Divines, as by divers other learned Men, which affirms,
Mankind is naturally endowed and born with Freedom from all Subjection, and at liberty to chose what Form of Government it please: And that the Power which any one Man hath over others, was at first bestowed according to the discretion of the Multitude. (1)
This Tenent was first hatched in the Schools, and hath been fostered by all succeeding Papists for good Divinity. The Divines also of the Reformed Churches have entertained it, and the Common People every where tenderly embrace it, as being most plausible to Flesh and blood, for that it prodigally destributes a Portion of Liberty to the meanest of the Multitude, who magnifie Liberty, as if the height of Humane Felicity were only to be found in it, never remembring That the desire of Liberty was the first Cause of the Fall of Adam.
But howsoever this Vulgar Opinion hath of late obtained a great Reputation, yet it is not to be found in the Ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Primitive Church: It contradicts the Doctrine and History of the Holy Scriptures, the constant Practice of all Ancient Monarchies, and the very Principles of the Law of Nature. It is hard to say whether it be more erroneous in Divinity, or dangerous in Policy.
Yet upon the ground of this Doctrine both Jesuites, and some other zealous favourers of the Geneva Discipline, have built a perillous Conclusion, which is, That the People or Multitude have Power to punish, or deprive the Prince, if he transgress the Laws of the Kingdom; witness Parsons and Buchanan: the first under the name of Dolman, in the Third Chapter of his First Book labours to prove, that Kings have been lawfully chastised by their Commonwealths: The latter in his Book De jure Regni apud Scotos, maintains A Liberty of the People to depose their Prince. Cardinal Bellarmine and Calvin, both look asquint this way." [sic] Chapter I, I, paragraph 1
By acknowledging that Catholic and Calvinists have the issue of being able to depose the king as the basis of their opinions, Filmer is observing that interest and the actor's particular role in the power system underpin theology and theory. Power in effect being above culture. Both the Jesuits, and the Calvinists being the theologians of the Papacy and the oligarchic (parliamentary) sections of society respectively, were developing justifications for undermining monarchy. All actors playing high-low versus the middle in effect in a three way battle.
The resultant winner was the Calvinists faction pushing what Moldbug identifies as communism which is a conception of property which renders authority optional.
Everyone is a communist now.
[Edit: The quote in paragraph 20 was a duplicate of another quote, this has been corrected.]