Daily Archives: March 17, 2017

Attorney General: Decree Restricting Importation Of New Cars Is Unconstitutional – Q Costa Rica News

Posted: March 17, 2017 at 7:45 am

It restricts the freedom of commerce and implies an intrusion into the market, says Attorney General

Q COSTA RICA It restricts the freedom of commerce and implies an intrusion into the market, says Costa Ricas Attorney General, Julio Jurado, commenting on the decree emitted by the government last August, that prevents importers of new vehicles from introducing into the country late-models before the month of September.

This year, for example, 2018 models cannot be in the market before September.

The Attorney General considers the government decree restrictive of freedom of trade, unconstitutional, and lacking the legal authority.

Jurado presented his written arguments before the Constitutional Court or Sala IV as it is commonly refered to, that is studying the action of unconstitutionality presented by the Asociacin de Consumidores Libres (ACL) Association of Free Consumers against the decree promulgated by President Luis Guillermo Solis and the Ministry of Finance in August 2016.

Jurado added, the restriction cannot be classified as a reasonable and adequate measure to achieve uniform fiscal (tax) values.

According to the Attorney General, the decree is also unreasonable because the Tax Administration has extensive powers, which would allow it to seek alternative mechanisms that are proportionate to address the situation it seeks to regulate by decree.

The government and the Ministry of Finance argue that the early importation of late-model vehicles, devalues the rest of the vehicles in the country, in effect lowering their fiscal (tax) value. Since the fiscal value is used to calculate the property tax payable for the year, included in the cost of the Marchamo (circulation permit), the lower values will mean a lower tax revenue.

For its part, the Association of Free Consumers argued before the Constitutional Court argues that the decree violates freedom of trade, freedom of contract and freedom of enterprise, as well as the rights of choice, among other points of law.

Rogelio Fernndez, vice-president of the Association of Free Consumers, said he was happy that the Attorney General is on their side. We are hopeful the action will finally be declared valid (accepted by the Court), because the State lawyer himself is concluding, like us, that the decree is unconstitutional, he said.

For his part, Fernando Rodrguez, Deputy Minister of Finance, said he was surprised at the Attorney Generals position.

There is no date for the Constitutional Court to decide on the merits of the action. Such processes may take several months or even years.

Source La Nacion

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Attorney General: Decree Restricting Importation Of New Cars Is Unconstitutional - Q Costa Rica News

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theFIREstarter – Financial Independence. Retire Early

Posted: at 7:44 am

Greetings!

Welcome to theFIREstarter! If you are interested in themes such as Financial Independence, Retiring Early, Downshifting, or simply just working less and living more then please stick around, I think well get on just fine

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TFS.x

I have many more pictures of horses in store for you

Welcome to part ii of my Cheltenham diary, inada matched betting styleeeee.

Apologies for that and any subsequent outburts Its getting late into Day 2 evening now as I write and my brain is frazzled with bets and offers.

Its certainly been a tale of 2 different days for me so far so lets look at how the results have gone so far, but first a bit more about what I was trying to attempt, which I explained briefly in part i earlier today yesterday

Just to give you a better idea of my strategy as briefly laid out in part i, I was aiming to dutch the field on the first race as that is the one each day that has the most offers on, and then hoping to hit as many free bets on that as possible to just use for the rest of the days races. I also then randomly put some other bets on when I felt like it and when there were good odds or I thought a particular offer might cop.

Dutching is where you back more than one horse, normally to get an even win. For exampleyou might put 10 on a horse at 5/1 and 5 on one at 10/1 to give you a 50 win if either wins. Dutching the whole field does obviously not guarantee you a win (otherwise everyone would do it and the bookies would go bankrupt) but instead guarantees you a loss (similar to how when you back then lay you normally guarantee yourself a small loss). However by dutching the whole field I dont have to bother laying any of the bets.

This saves me one headache of putting the odds into the lay calculator, going to the exchange, and laying, but gives me another, possibly even bigger, headache of working out exactly what stakes to put on each horse to make sure the qualifying loss is as close as possible.

In short This is impossible, mainly because I am working in the max free bet increments for most offers of 10, 20 and 25. I just decided to get it as close as possible and make sure there wasnt too big a loss on any given horse when there was and Id run out of offers to do, I just stuck a few quid on the exchanges to level things up a bit better

*Other no lay dutching mega strategies areavailable

Enough of the theory already, onto results

Please note winning prices are official SP not necessarily what I backed them at (if I did at all). Also some of the race names are a right old mouthful so Ive shortened them to what I deem a less stupid length.

13:30 Supreme Novices Hurdle winner Labaik 25/1 P+L: -72

So the first race of my dutching career! Exciting.

My Average qualifying loss on this race was actually in the positive at an 8.90 win, I am guessing this is because the bigger odds horses are easy to get into the positive (i.e. winnings) and with the double odds boost from Grosvenor sportsbook, it makes it possible to get a win rather than a loss here. I also had a free bet with Coral which helped too.

However the good news ends there because the horse that won I actually left a gaping hole with the horse that won it in the end with a joint largest loss of 72. Damn! And as I said it is so easy to get the higher price horses into the profit zone with dutching so lesson learnt there. This horse was 50/1 on Betfair exchange when I was looking at it so it would have only taken a 2 bet to take me into profit on that horse, but hindsight is a wonderful thing isnt it.

Anyway not the best start but not disastrous, as I copped a few free bets on the Betway and Skybet offers to use for the rest of the day.

14:10 Arkle Novices Chase winner Altior 1/4 P+L: -70

I backedCharbell each way because it was an each way arb, it duly fell at the 2nd to last (I think) while right in the mix. Also backed another horse with William hill for their High 5 offer but no joy there either.

14:50 Ultima Handicap Chase winnerUn Temps Pour Tout 9/1 P+L: 0

This was one of those races with ahuge field and many bookies paying out extra places on it, so I backed a few each way here including some with free bets. Managed to get Noble Endeavour (10/1) and Young Master (22/1) in the top 6 so a bit of cash back there. Also did the Betstars offer (laid this one of due to the high 50 stakes which was good as none of those bets won!). All told this producedan outcome of breaking even, but 2 x 50 free bets scored from the Betstars offer. If you cant remember each offer by the way please refer to part i again where I explained them all briefly.

15:30 Champion Hurdle winnerBuveur Dair 5/1 P+L: 101

I went to town on this one with the Paddy Power (PP) and Betfair (BF) offers along with doing some each way shots with Betway free bets. Imanaged to hit the winner with one at 11/2 with BF, so got a 25 on top of the winnings, and also got Sceau Royal (33/1) and My Tent or Yours (price?) in the frame as well for a decent profit on the race.

16:10 Mares Hurdle winner Apples Jade 7/2 P+L: 202

A friend of mine who knows far more about equine matters than I do tipped up Apples Jade at 9/2 so I backed it with both PPand BF, which came in! Thank you friend! A decent profit and another 25 free bet acquired.

16:50 Amateur Riders Novices Chase winner Tiger Roll 16/1 P+L: -45

Backed Genie in a Bottle on advice from said friend (no joy this time, came 5th) with BF and PP again. Did both the Betstars50 free bets on Beware the bear and Edwulf both of which came nowhere although were pretty much the favourites. Its annoying when I do this sort of thing as normally pick higher prices for a higher potential win, although the safer option is always to try to go with say, the first three in the betting as you will get winners more often and smooth out the variance. Of course this is just gamblers remorse kicking in and there is no evidence to suggest I would have picked the winner if the stakes of the free bets were not so large and I were left to my own devices (so to speak) `anyway, although I really do like Tiger Rolls so maybe I would have ;). If I get another 50 free bet though I will probably use it on a much smaller field race, or one with better each way value at least, or I might even just lay it off and take the easy 35-40.

17:30 Novices Handicap Chase winner Tully East 8/1 P+L: -60

Backed a few for the Betway offer and also PP, none of which came anywhere. A damp squib to end the day on.

Final Day One P+L: 56

I have to say I was a little disappointed with this result having spent a good 4 hours putting bets on Monday night then sneaking a few more throughout the day at work. However the main thing was that it wasnt a loss! And to just keep thinking, variance, volatility, whatever you want to call it, if you arent laying, you have to eat shit like that for breakfast.

This is where things got interesting!

13:30 Novices Hurdle winner Willoughby Court 14/1 P+L: 20

Went hard at it again with all the offers and dutched them a bit better than yesterday (helped by using up some of the free bets I had from yesterday) and didnt leave too many glaring holes, especially on the higher priced horses! I also decided to go each way on the Grosvenor double odds ones as realised this give you massive value on the each way part as well (but you can only do 5ew). Anyway the winner wasnt the best (that would have been Bon Papa for a 300+ win!) but wasnt the worse either so I made a very small profit while importantly triggering a few Skybet, Betway, and also a Paddys (Neon wolf 2nd) and BF (backed the winner with them) free bet.

14:10 RSA Novices Chase winner Mite Bite7/2 P+L: 52.50

Realised Id totally forgot about the Sunbets free bets from yesterday, luckily they are valid until Friday unlike what it made out to be from their T&Cs which made it sound like you could only use them on the day they were issued. Phew! Anyway I managed to back the winner which was the favourite and came away with a nice profit.

14:50 Coral Cupwinner Supasundae16/1 P+L: 68

Did the Betstars offer again but no joy there so lost a bit on the qualifying losses. Used my Skybet free bets on some bigger each way prices as they were doing extra places again (this seems to be the strategy to go for with free bets if you can, use them in the extra place markets!). Managed to get Scoir Mear and Taquin du Seuil in the top 6 for a modest profit.

15:30 Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Special Tiara 11/1 P+L: 800

Yes you read that right eight freaking hundred pounds!!! How!? Im glad you asked.

There was a very short priced horse in this race called Douvan, which skews all the other prices and means there are loads of each way arbs on offer. I read on OddsMonkey that you can often dutch the rest of the field backing them all each way and guarantee a profit, this technique is sometimes called each way scalping. If you need more info then Id advice signing up to OddsMonkey and checking out their forum! They alsohave a tool called the each way matcher which you can use on specific horses rather than dutching the field if that works better.

Anyway, I decided there was bigly each value on offer here so was going to try my hand at dutching all of the horses. Ill give you an example, the second favourite, Fox Norton was backable at 9/1 with place terms of top 3 and 1/4 the odds, which implies a chance of placing is (9/4 +1 = ) 3.25, but this was available to LAY on Betfair exchange (in the top 3 market) at about 2.1 if I remember correctly. This is a huge, huge arb. Obviously you have to back the win part as well to get the each way arb so its only worth going for it if there is mega value on offer, and in this case there was. Every single horse was pretty much double the price on the Betfair exchange place market, so I steamed in and backed them with Boylesports, BF sportsbook, PP to also take advantage of their 2nd/3rd place and 3/1+ winner offers, as well as Betstars who offered fallers insurance.

Anyway the result could not have been better, as well as getting a huge priced horse Sir Valentino in the top 3 which is what were really after here (you assume the fav is going to win of course!) it turned out that the Fav did not win and did not even get into the top 3!

I couldnt believe my eyes, and always thought hed make a come back until the race was pretty much over with. I did some quick calculations and Id backed the winner at 20/1, Sir Valentino at 40/1 and Fox Norton at 9/1 for an amazing profit of 800 and also kicked in a couple offree betsas the icing on the cake (Fox Norton PP 2nd place offer, BF sports book 3/1+ winner offer).

There is one importantpiece of advice here which is get your bets on early using this strategy for races like this, as I noticed that when it got nearer to the race the prices went totally rubbish! (Hence me getting the winner at 20/1 when it went off only 11/1!)

16:10 Cross Country Chase winner Cause of Causes7/2 P+L: 125

I used up a few free bets here and fancied the second fav Cause of Causes (got on at 4/1) for no particular reason really, as well as a few other ones which lost of course, and came away with a nice 125 profit.

16:50 Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle winner Flying Tiger 33/1 P+L: 0

Used up the rest of my Sunbets free bets but didnt hit any winners of places. Gamblers remorse time again I had flagged up Flying Tiger in my brain earlier in the day when I looked at this race but when it came to place my free bets I totally forgot about it! Gah! I felt like I missed out on a 33/1 winner but of course I know that this is just a silly cognitive bias at work, so I quickly chilled out afterwards especially given the bigger picture of the days events.

17:30 Champion Bumperwinner Fayonagh 7/1 P+L: 25

Placed a few bets with Betway for their First/Last race of the day offer and managed to hit the winner so made a slight profit and got a few other free bets to use up tomorrow as well. A very nice end to day two of the festival!

Final Day One P+L: 1,022.50

Whoo! Thats all there is to say really. And, I just realised I forgot to do the Stan James free bet offer today but I can stomach losing out on a couple of free fivers I think in the grand scheme of things

It is probably worth noting that all of the above P+Ls are pretty rough, I am too lazy to record exactly every bet but have done so by very quickly noting bets down in a spreadsheet, sometimes I forget the price etc so the profits are estimated, but should be in the right ballpark (+/- 10 were talking about I reckon) and if in doubt I am being pessimistic on what returns I had rather than trying to paint a rosier picture than what might have really happened.

Although I undoubtedly got lucky with my first each way scalping attempt, if I were to have laid all those bets off it would have been a lot harder work and a much smaller profit, so I think the no lay thing has been at least slightly validated here. It will now be pretty much impossible to lose on the festival as a whole (unless I go crazy and turn into a rampant mug punter all of a sudden, which I wont!!!!) but it will be interesting to see if I can grind out a profit on the final two days, or even hit another big win with some of my free bets etc Stay tuned to find out!

Good luck again for the final two days and let me know how youve all been getting on in the comments below?

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theFIREstarter - Financial Independence. Retire Early

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SeaLand To Establish Corporate Headquarters In Miramar …

Posted: at 7:44 am

News Items

In January of 2014, Maersk Line, the worlds leading ocean transportation company and a unit of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, announced the formation of a regional, containerized shipping company SeaLand dedicated to the intra-Americas market.

With a structure similar to Maersks other successful regional carriers, including intra-Asia carrier MCC Transport and intra-Europe carrier Seago Line, SeaLand will feature knowledgeable, local sales and support personnel positioned in North, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean, to meet the unique needs of customers throughout the region. This agile framework will provide greater flexibility and a higher-level of customer-focused service to these local markets. Maersk Lines existing Intra-Americas service network will be the foundation for SeaLands ocean products.

Craig Mygatt, SeaLands CEO said, We are excited to base our headquarters in Miramar, Florida. The SeaLand headquarters will act as the main hub for our business which spans throughout North, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. This location is ideal for our operation and will serve us well as we focus on delivering world-class shipping service for all of our customers throughout this vital region of the world. We believe Florida offers great opportunities for our team and their families. We thank Governor Scott, Secretary Swoope, the State of Florida, Enterprise Florida, and our local partners for their outstanding support on this project.

Governor Rick Scott said, The opening of SeaLands headquarters in Miramar is great news for area families, and the 65 new jobs that will be created will help more families live the American Dream here in Florida. Since December 2010, we have created 651,300 private-sector jobs and we will continue working to create an opportunity economy where every Floridian who wants a job can get one.

SeaLands decision to locate in Florida validates the states success in maintaining a business climate that supports not only Floridas extensive logistics industry, but our headquarters sector as well, said Gray Swoope, President/CEO of Enterprise Florida. Floridas resources, including a strong workforce, expansive infrastructure and strategic partnerships, have created one of the top business climates in the country. Were excited to see SeaLand take advantage of Floridas assets and I congratulate them on this establishment.

This project was made possible through the close partnerships of Enterprise Florida, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, CareerSource Florida, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance and Broward County. CareerSource Florida provides performance-based partial reimbursement grants to qualifying new or expanding businesses for customized employee training through the Quick Response Training program.

Florida is a global trade hub and businesses that specialize in logistics, like SeaLand, thrive here, said Jesse Panuccio, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. This administration is focused on diversifying our economy and building our trade, transportation, and logistics industries so we can bring more jobs to our state for Florida families. With the creation of 65 new jobs over the next year by SeaLand, we are continuing to grow our opportunity economy.

CareerSource Florida strongly supports the growth of Floridas target industries through training grants that facilitate high-skill, high-wage jobs, said CareerSource Florida President/CEO Chris Hart IV. With the location of SeaLands new headquarters here, our beautiful state further strengthens its growing international reputation as the global hub for trade and logistics operations.

We are proud to welcome SeaLand to our city and commend the company for partnering with us as we work to sustain a strong economic base for our community, said Miramar Mayor Lori C. Moseley.

SeaLand is yet another example that Broward Means Business. The company has a long distinguished reputation in the marine industry, which is a prime targeted business and we thank them for bringing jobs and a considerable investment to Broward County, said Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief. Broward County continues its widespread effort to bring new companies to our area and we are pleased to welcome SeaLand to Miramar.

The Alliance is excited that SeaLand has located in Miramar. The companys rich history and bright future in marine and logistics is a perfect match and strong addition to two of Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward Countys targeted industries. We wish the company continued success, said Alliance CEO Bob Swindell.

SeaLands 13,000 square foot headquarters in Miramar at MetLifes Huntington Centre is a highly significant leasing deal in terms of economic impact, said Taylor & Mathis Director of Leasing, Donna Korn. The company will be an outstanding asset to Broward County. Korn, along with Jennifer Gemma, brokered the lease transaction on behalf of landlord MetLife.

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Sealand in Miami, Florida with Reviews – YP.com

Posted: at 7:44 am

Helpful ReviewsJunk Removal EcsMark H.rated

Some Businesses are started because an Entrepreneur comes up with a great idea and then some businesses are started from necessity and just trying to make other people's lives easier. This business is of the later. Hi I am Mark Horton and a few years ago my father past from at the early age of 76. It was a stressful time not only was the man who I loved dearly now gone from this world, I was confronted with the task of cleaning out his estate. Over the next 4 months I would travel from Miami Florida to Baltimore, Maryland every other week working to get my father's home cleaned out. This would require multiple airfares, car rentals, eating out day and night; yes, the expenses were piling up. My back was sore and I didn't know what I was doing. It was emotionally draining wanting to hold on to almost everything. I had nowhere to keep this old stuff and all I would have been doing would be moving it from his house to collect dust at my house. Many, many thousand dollars later I had it done. But the house needed cleaning and fixing in order to sell. I needed a low cost way to get the house ready to be sold at top dollar. This required even more time. Fixing, Cleaning, Painting and bring the house to code. Finally, the house was ready, several more thousand dollars later, a lot of lost wages and a sore back. There must be a better way? A more cost effective way? An easy way that the surviving family members could afford and that would eliminate so much stress? Ultimately, a company that would allow consumers like you to get a great "Return On Investment" from ECS removing your trash, Junk, cleaning the home, repair minor things, professional painting, new flooring and assistance with finding a great Realtor.

My husband and I bought an apartment in the Brickel area. We needed to change and update the whole bathroom. We were looking for a special kind of marble called the 'Volakas spider'. We were so amazed to find SASA Stones a few blocks away from our apartment. The price for this marble was incredibly good (back in August 2014); we paid $9.38/sq.ft. (24x24). They also installed, re-disigned, and re-did all my bathroom in no time, and at a very reasonable price. The quality of the materials they used was amazing, and the finished work was very professional. I recommend any related services offered by this company. The show room has a lot to choose from, and for every budget. The customer service team is also very friendly, and knowledgeable of their products.

Dear Donna, Thank-you so much for taking such good care of my daughter Jillian in her hunt for the perfect apartment. I know that you went ABOVE AND BEYOND what realtors normally do and I want you to know how much I appreciate it. She appears to be living in the place of her dreams and thus, if she is happy, I am ecstatic! You have been professional and caring at the same time and I will not hesitate to recommend you to anyone who is in need of your services. Thanks again. Best regards always, Rozi Rice

I walked into this store not knowing what i was going to get into and i must admit, the results were AMAZING!! Great prices, A VAST selection, and they have the most friendliest and professional staff I've ever witnessed. This is THE spot in Miami for all your Tile/Granite/Marble/Porcelain needs! Request for Jose or Elizabeth Morales! -Jorge Acosta

We recently changed to WindsorKent during the second quarter and it has been a great experience. They actually answer the phone when we call (an actual live person that knows what they are talking about)!!! Transitions are never easy, but they made every effort to accommodate us. I highly recommend them

Great guys!! and Very professional, gave us really good price. Will buy again. When got to their shop I was confused about what to do but their advice made it easy for me. Now I'm happy!

tHIS COMPANY DID AN EXCELLENT JOB IN ACQUIRING ME A MORTGAGE LOAN FOR MY HOME, I AM VERY SATISFIED AND HAPPY. "THEY ARE THE BEST" JOSE GUERRA.....!!!!

They gave me a receipt with all the charges listed in detail, first time I get this service since I have been filing my taxes. Keep it that way guys...!!!

I had a great experience with this company, prompt response, very knowledgable and super friendly staff.

it's the best place to find what need you about computer

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Sealand – The Principality of Sealand – thoughtco.com

Posted: at 7:44 am

The Principality of Sealand, located on an abandoned World War II anti-aircraft platform seven miles (11 km) off the English coast, claims that it is a legitimate independent country, but that's quite doubtful.

In 1967, retired British Army major Roy Bates occupied the abandoned Rough's Tower, located 60 feet above the North Sea, northeast of London and opposite the mouth of the Orwell River and Felixstowe.

He and his wife, Joan, discussed independence with British attorneys and subsequently declared independence for the Principality of Sealand on September 2, 1967 (Joan's birthday).

Bates called himself Prince Roy and named his wife Princess Joan and lived on Sealand with their two children, Michael and Penelope ("Penny"). The Bates' began issuing coins, passports, and stamps for their new country.

In support of the Principality of Sealand's sovereignty, Prince Roy fired warning shots at a buoy repair boat that came close to Sealand. The Prince was charged by the British government with unlawful possession and discharge of a firearm. The Essex court proclaimed that they didn't have jurisdiction over the tower and the British government chose to drop the case due to mockery by the media.

That case represents Sealand's entire claim to de facto international recognition as an independent country.

(The United Kingdom demolished the only other nearby tower lest others get the idea to also strive for independence.)

In 2000, the Principality of Sealand came into the news because a company called HavenCo Ltd planned on operating a complex of Internet servers at Sealand, out of the reach of governmental control.

HavenCo gave the Bates family $250,000 and stock to lease Rough's Tower with the option of purchasing Sealand in the future.

This transaction was especially satisfying to the Bates as the maintenance and support of Sealand has been quite expensive over the past 40 years.

There are eight accepted criteria used to determine whether an entity is an independent country or not. Let's examine and answer each of the requirements of being an independent country with respect to Sealand and its "sovereignty."

1) Has space or territory that has internationally recognized boundaries.

No. The Principality of Sealand has no land or boundaries at all, it's a tower built by the British as an anti-aircraft platform during World War II. Certainly, the government of the U.K. can assert that it owns this platform.

Sealand also lies within the United Kingdom's proclaimed 12-nautical-mile territorial water limit. Sealand claims that since it asserted its sovereignty before the U.K. extended its territorial waters, the concept of being "grandfathered in" applies. Sealand also claims its own 12.5 nautical miles of territorial water.

2) People live there on an ongoing basis.

Not really. As of 2000, only one person lived at Sealand, to be replaced by temporary residents working for HavenCo.

Prince Roy maintained his U.K. citizenship and passport, lest he ends up somewhere where Sealand's passport wasn't recognized. (No countries legitimately recognize the Sealand passport; those who have used such passports for international travel likely encountered an official who didn't care to notice the passport's "country" of origin.)

3) Has economic activity and an organized economy. A State regulates foreign and domestic trade and issues money.

No. HavenCo represents Sealand's only economic activity up to now. While Sealand issued money, there's no use for it beyond collectors. Likewise, Sealand's stamps only have value to a philatelist (stamp collector) as Sealand is not a member of the Universal Postal Union; mail from Sealand can't be sent elsewhere (nor is there much sense in mailing a letter across the tower itself).

4) Has the power of social engineering, such as education.

Perhaps. If it had any citizens.

5) Has a transportation system for moving goods and people.

No.

6) Has a government which provides public services and police power.

Yes, but that police power is certainly not absolute. The United Kingdom can assert its authority over Sealand quite easily with a few police officers.

7) Has sovereignty. No other State should have power over the State's territory.

No. The United Kingdom has power over the Principality of Sealand's territory. The British government was quoted in Wired, "Although Mr. Bates styles the platform as the Principality of Sealand, the U.K. government does not regard Sealand as a state."

8) Has external recognition. A State has been "voted into the club" by other States.

No. No other country recognizes the Principality of Sealand. An official from the United States Department of State was quoted in Wired, "There are no independent principalities in the North Sea. As far as we are concerned, they are just Crown dependencies of Britain."

The British Home Office was quoted by the BBC that the United Kingdom does not recognize Sealand and, "We've no reason to believe that anyone else recognises it either."

The Principality of Sealand fails on six of eight requirements to be considered an independent country and on the other two requirements, they're qualified affirmatives. Therefore, I think we can safely say that the Principality of Sealand is no more a country than my own backyard.

Note: Prince Roy passed away on October 9, 2012, after battling Alzheimer's. His son, Prince Michael, has become the regent of Sealand.

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Watch how Deeside has transformed over 70 years on Google Earth – Daily Post North Wales

Posted: at 7:44 am

These aerial images show how Deeside has been transformed over the past 70 years.

The first picture dates back to 1945 with the Shotton Steel site a dominant landmark on the ground.

Back then it would have been working at full capacity as part of the war effort - with many women stepping into roles at the plant while more than 1,000 men were away on war duty.

Spanning the River Dee was the Jubilee Bridge (Blue Bridge), built in 1926 to carry road traffic, and the railway bridge (Hawarden Bridge) built by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway and opened in 1889.

RAF Sealand was another key site on the border.

It started the war as the home of No 5 FTS (Flying Training School), equipped with Airspeed Oxfords and in 1941 19 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) equipped with Tiger Moths was based at RAF Sealand.

During the war Tiger Moths, Lysanders, Leopard Moths, Dragons and Dominies were a regular sight on the grass runways.

Fast forward to the early 2000s and there are another two crossings over the River Dee.

The A494 now has a new crossing point at a four lane bridge at Queensferry while the Flintshire Bridge carries the A548 from the border to Connahs Quay.

Parts of the former RAF Sealand site have been transformed into Deeside Industrial Park with a growing number of major employers setting up on site.

Shotton paper mill and motor giant Toyotas engine plant are among the new developments.

There is also additional housing at Queensferry and Shotton, filling up some of the former green spaces while retail developments like Asda in Queensferry also appear on the map. Deeside Leisure Centre and the ice rink also come into view.

Moving on to the current day the industrial park has continued to expand while the Shotton steel furnaces have gone, although steel workers continue to be employed at Tata Steel.

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Utopia Multimedia Festival brings artistic talents together in one place – Taranaki Daily News

Posted: at 7:43 am

KRIS BOULT

Last updated14:30, March 17 2017

SIMON O'CONNOR/Fairfax NZ

Utopia multimedia festival in Huatoki Plaza is set for busy weekend

A new type of festivalthat seemusicians, street artists and sculptors collaborate together to create and showcase their talents has come to New Plymouth.

The Utopia Multimedia festival, which runs till March 26, iscurated by well known New Plymouth art and music festival organiser Anand Rose, sculptor Steve Molloy and artist Phil Jones in conjunction with the New Plymouth District Council.

Rose said the aim of the long running event was to increase the vibrancy in the CBD area through art.

SIMON O'CONNOR/Fairfax NZ

Phil Jones' work is well known around New Plymouth.

Although the festival has been running for a weekthis weekend looks set to be a busy one with visitors flocking in from around NZ for the Womad festival .

READ MORE: *Arts snippets: Coming up in Taranaki's arts and entertainment scene *Central city gets 'free taste of Womad' during pop-up concert *Jet-powered push bike can reach speeds of 120kmh

"Womadweekend will be a big one,"Rose said.

"We're really looking forward to hosting people from outside of town and showingthem what we can offer"

ProminentNew Plymouth artist Phil Jones, whose mural ofeelgraces the Huatoki plazaand who is also responsible for turning electricity transformer boxes into works of art, has a studio in the plaza that provides thebackdrop for the festival.

The studio isa vibrant and funkyopenbunker typespace that houses a DJ booth, comfy chairsand an eclectic mix of art work.

"Phil's studio is the perfect environment for the festival, it provides a good indoor/outdoor flow for people," Rose said.

Positive feedback after a successful launch last weekend had organisers optimistic about hosting future festivals, perhaps even expanding.

"We're definitely looking to build on it in the future" Rose said.

-Stuff

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The Nature of Robots – Film School Rejects

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Ex Machina (dir. Alex Garland,2015).

The title of Alex Garlands 2015 thoughtful psychological thriller Ex Machina derives its name from the ancient Greek phrase deus ex machina, meaning god from the machine. By omitting the deus from the films title, its clear Garland wants his audience to question both the roles of God and man. Theres the godly referencing and positioning of Oscar Isaacss secluded genius, Nathan, the creator of Ava, a robot with consciousness played by Alicia Vikander. And Avas emotional existence itself goes against the idea of the natural in God, since she is a manmade creation. Meanwhile, the natural world of Ex Machinathe trees that blend Nathans perfectly rectangular home into the forestacts as a direct juxtaposition to the technological imagery that fills the rest of the film.

The films concern with the inner workings of its human and non-human characters and clever seduction of the audience earns it the title of a classic film. This (rightful) praise allows Ex Machina to be placed with the great films of the science fiction genre, like Blade Runner (1982) and The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). And with these classic films comes the comparison with and influence of the first feature-length science fiction film, Fritz Langs Metropolis (1927). To compare Metropolis with Garlands debut feature can seem contrived; Metropolis longevity has been proven with the test of time, while Ex Machina was only released two years ago. Moreover, both films are trying to do different things, with Langs film presenting a conflicted utopia (one where the very world some call a utopia is seen as a dystopia by others) and fear-of-the-other through a robot. Meanwhile, Garland ensures he subverts the typical representation of the robot as a source of evil by establishing a contrast between Avas lack of knowledge against Nathans constant surveillance.

However, the central themes of both films (the idea of utopia and how the robotic is an inevitable part of the utopian world, for good or bad) remain the same. Exploring the differences between both Metropolis and Ex Machina through these themes allows audiences to view the shifts in representations of robots, utopia, and nature.

Utopia is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as a real place which is perceived or imagined as perfect, and its clear from Metropolis two central locationsthe underground of the workers and the aboveground of the established peoplethat the films utopia lies solely on perception rather than a fair society. With its symmetrical Expressionistic buildings and emphasis on height over width, the city Metropolis is not afraid of its ability to be seen; instead, it wants to be seen from the highest point beyond the clouds. Unlike Ex Machina, Lang omits nature from the city of Metropolis until the dnouement of the film. When the threat of the robotic Maria, a clone of the protagonists (Freder, played by Gustav Frhlich) love interest, is at its height yet nearing its conclusion, Lang reintroduces the natural elements of fire and water. Nature works against the robotic Maria (played by Brigitte Helm, who also plays the human Maria) rather than working as an intrinsic part of her world.

However, when viewing the subversions of various science fiction tropes Garland creates in Ex Machina, Metropolis lack of nature can be seen as more of a reflection on mankind than on the other-ness of the robot.

The brief opening of Ex Machinathat can be seen as more of a prelude rather than an introductionshows the protagonist (Domhnall Gleesons Caleb) texting his friends the news that he has been accepted onto Nathans program. Audiences first meet Caleb through the computer screen, his face recognized by the computers sensors while his friends remain invisible through their mobile phone-only existence. Whilst we arent provided with much scenery, with the minimalist background emphasizing the strive for perfection through technology, what is provided tells us that Calebs world is far removed from the natural and instead in the middle of a quest for artificial perfection.

By contrasting this opening void of minimalism to the forestry of the natural world where Nathans hidden experiment resides, it becomes clear that Ex Machina is not necessarily an exploration of nature, utopias, or A.I., but instead an exploration of ideas that are explored through these science-fiction conceits. Garland questions the role of society and inclusion vs. seclusion through Nathans home, with the role of the observer complicated by the three main characters; theres Nathans omniscient, god-like stance enabled by his technology, and Calebs observations of Ava in order to see whether she can pass the Turing Test are complicated further by Avas subtle but deductive observation of everything that surrounds her.

Importantly, however, Garland does not create a film that is paranoid about A.I. In an interview for the Guardian, Garland describes the sense of possibility in Ex Machina, saying whereas most AI movies come from a position of fear, this one comes from a position of hope and admiration. As one lecturer states, the machines, the robots, are projections of us. Theyre dreams or metaphors for our own anxietiesideas externalized in controllable and malleable forms.

However, the controllability of Ex Machinas Ava results in a different conclusion to Metropolis. Where the former concludes with the A.I., the New Human, finding her place in the world, Metropolis assures its audience that the status quo is going to be preserved. In terms of utopia, this means the world and people of the underground and aboveground have the chance to become one, with the biblical imagery of the flood and the heart mediating the head and hands cementing this. The threat of the Other represented through the robotic Maria, whether thats femininity or leadership itself, has gone; its characters come to be relocated in a new, semi-utopian, world.

Meanwhile, Ex Machina uses Calebs character to seduce the audience. According to Garland, if the film functions, something is happening to the audience which is equatable with what is happening to the protagonist So as hes being seduced, were being seduced. And as were being confused, hes being confused. The film has no concern with providing answers or relieving anxieties, instead unsettling its audience by unravelling the carefully constructed world as each session with Ava moves the film along. Ex Machinas construction can be seen as both manipulation as well as another series of ideas. For example, the wide windows in the opening of Nathans home suggests a sense of freedom and connection to the natural. But, of course, the windows are merely more transparent barriers between the technological worlds, linking with the transparency of the mesh that makes up Avas body.

Whats more, when audiences are first introduced to Ava, Garland places her within a one-dimensional triptych of layers of nature. Theres the first triptych in the far background of the forest and stream of water, the second holds the possibilities of new technology, of Ava, and the third the disconnectedness of humankind. Avas curiosity also plays into the sense of nature that surrounds her, with her understanding that she is alive, and therefore impermanent, allowing her to explore questions about art and the outer world.

Ex Machina is a film that asks questions rather than providing answers to them, and its questions and curiosities are extracted from its robot rather than the human characters. In a masterclass at the National Film and Television School, Garland described how the noises of Ava were purposefully made to sound like the heartbeat, stating that these noises make you feel she is alive. And its Ava who often feels more alive than the two humans that fill most of the film. Even after seeing another A.I., Kyoto, tearing the skin from her torso and face, the blood that pours from Calebs arm or the red stain that spreads across Nathans plain white shirt feels more alien than the magnetic body of Ava.

Metropolis concludes with nature ridding its city of the robotic, which comes both in the form of Marias robot as well as the workers of the underground, who are often stuck in a repetitive trance-like routine. Importantly, the robotic Maria is never referred to as a woman, with characters instead using the pronouns he and referring to the robot as The Machine Man. By ignoring the gender off of which the robot Maria is based, this machine man does not speak to the anxieties of what the robot can do, but instead the anxieties of what man can do, since it is was Rotwang who created this invention.

Freder also has a journey with nature, with his beginnings in the pleasure gardena juxtaposition of the natural and unnaturaljourneying him down into the looking glass, to quote Calebs character in Ex Machina, of the machine world. Where Freder travels from the natural to the dark or unnatural, or from his constructed utopia to a nightmarish hell for the people beneath him, Caleb journeys from his hollow world to the contrasts of Nathan and natures creations. The nature of the semi-utopia in the end of Metropolis exists for its people, while the natural world of Ex Machina, and more specifically the forestry that conceals Nathans home, concludes by existing for Ava; the natural (the nature of the world) and the unnatural (a manmade machine) work together in these final moments.

However, its clear once Ex Machina reaches its dnouement that these contrasts arent as juxtaposing as once thought. Like Ava, Caleb and Nathan use their ability to lie and manipulate to gain what they want, and Nathan constantly refers to the programming of humans by nature or God in comparison to his programming of Ava. While Nathan does this to further cement himself in his egotistical self-view that he is a god, the programming of humans and A.I. creates similarities between the two.

The conclusion of Ex Machina furthers this search for the similarities between humans and A.I. rather than the differences. Avas body is seen in a reflection of a window, mirroring the opening shot of the reflection of Calebs coworkers. The comparison immediately relates the human and the non-human, while the moving bodies that walk through Avas still reflection make her seem like a ghost or a specter. No answers are provided as to whether Ava is free, but the important part of this ending is that Garland ensures the concentration and the questions created are on Avas feelings, on how she feels, and that should be answer enough.

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List of the Countries of Oceania by Area

Posted: at 7:42 am

Oceania is a region of the South Pacific Ocean that consists of many different island groups. It covers an area of over 3.3 million square miles (8.5 million sq km). The island groups within Oceania are both countries and dependencies or territories of other foreign nations. There are 14 countries within Oceania and they range in size from the very large such as Australia (which is a both a continent and a country) to the very small like Nauru.

The following is a list of Oceania's 14 different countries arranged by land area from the largest to the smallest. For reference, the capital city and 2011 estimated population have been included for each. All information in the list was obtained from the CIA World Factbook.

1) Australia Area: 2,988,901 square miles (7,741,220 sq km) Population: 21,766,711 Capital: Canberra

2) Papua New Guinea Area: 178,703 square miles (462,840 sq km) Population: 6,187,591 Capital: Port Moresby

3) New Zealand Area: 103,363 square miles (267,710 sq km) Population: 4,290,347 Capital: Wellington

4) Solomon Islands Area: 11,157 square miles (28,896 sq km) Population: 571,890 Capital: Honiara

5) Fiji Area: 7,055 square miles (18,274 sq km) Population: 883,125 Capital: Suva

6) Vanuatu Area: 4,706 square miles (12,189 sq km) Population: 224,564 Capital: Port-Villa

7) Samoa Area: 1,093 square miles (2,831 sq km) Population: 193,161 Capital: Apia

8) Kiribati Area: 313 square miles (811 sq km) Population: 100,743 Capital: Tarawa

9) Tonga Area: 288 square miles (747 sq km) Population: 105,916 Capital: Nuku'alofa

10) Federated States of Micronesia Area: 271 square miles (702 sq km) Population: 106,836 Capital: Palikir

11) Palau Area: 177 square miles (459 sq km) Population: 20,956 Capital: Melekeok

12) Marshall Islands Area: 70 square miles (181 sq km) Population: 67,182 Capital: Majuro

13) Tuvalu Area: 10 square miles (26 sq km) Population: 10,544 Capital: Funafuti

14) Nauru Area: 8.1 square miles (21 sq km) Population: 9,322 Capital: No Capital

References

Briney, Amanda. (28 December 2009). "Geographic Profile of Oceania - Learn Important Facts about the World's Oceania Region." Geography. Retrieved from: http://geography.about.com/od/specificplacesofinterest/a/oceania.htm

Rosenberg, Matt. (n.d.). "Countries of Oceania." Geography. Retrieved from: http://geography.about.com/library/maps/blrocean.htm

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List of the Countries of Oceania by Area

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Oceania Street Redesign Passes First Vote – Queens Tribune

Posted: at 7:42 am

BY JAMES FARRELL Staff Writer

Community Board 11s transportation committee voted during the boards March 6 meeting in favor of a street redesign aimed at improving cyclist and pedestrian safety in northeast Queens.

The project runs along Oceania Street and 210th Street between the Horace Harding Expressway and Brooklyn Queens Greenway and is adjacent to Cunningham Park. M.S. 74 is also located along the route of the project, which was designed in part to make the area safer for students.

The project is shared between CB 11 and CB 8, and is currently being reviewed by the CB 8 transportation committee, according to the citys Department of Transportation. That committee must also approve the project before it can begin. The DOT is hoping to implement the project this summer.

Currently, there are two-way traffic lanes along Oceania Street, which merges into 210th Street, that are 25 feet wide, but the new project would cut each lane down to 11 feet, with eight-foot parking lanes on either side. Between the western sidewalk along Cunningham Park and the parking lane will be a two-way bike lane, with each lane measuring four feet.

Along the strip of Oceania Street that runs over the Long Island Expressway, the 19.5-foot travel lanes would be reduced to 12-foot travel lanes with buffered bike lanes on either side.

The proposal would also convert 210th Street, north of the merge with Oceania Street, into a northbound, one-way street. A diversion point for southbound drivers would be installed before the merge. The changes aim to improve safety at the merge, where southbound visibility is limited, according to the DOT. A crosswalk would also be installed in the area.

Finally, the proposal would install two high-visibility crosswalks at the north and south corners of 64th Avenue along 210th Street, a 15-mile-per-hour slow zone on 210th Street near MS 74, a 20-mile-per-hour slow zone on Oceania Street near MS 74 and the extension of parking regulations near the schoolculminating in the conversion of 18 parking spots into the designation No Standing School Days, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The proposal addresses concerns raised by the community, including a prevalence of illegal U-turns, encouraged by the wide lanes; and unsafe student drop-offs. It also includes more protections for students and cyclists, according to the DOT.

Reach James Farrell at (718) 357-7400 x 127, jfarrell@queenstribune.com or @farrellj329.

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