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A Teacher's Guide to African American Historic Places in South Carolina, 2015 Edition
A Teacher's Guide to African American Historic Places in South Carolina, was created as a standards-based resource that can be readily used in the classroom, encouraging the incorporation of local African American historic places into the social studies and arts curriculum. Doing so will prepare students to become more engaged and better-informed citizens who respect, understand, and are equipped to function in our multicultural society. — Leah E. Brown, Editor, 2008 Edition
front cover back cover front cover
Produced by South Carolina teachers and faculty representing grades K-12, this Guide and Supplements are provided by the South Carolina African American Heritage Foundation (SCAAHF) which supports the efforts of the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission (SCAAHC). The SCAAHC, established in 1993 as the SC African American Heritage Council was changed in 2001 to the SC African American Heritage Commission by the South Carolina General Assembly by Executive Order. The Commission's mission is "To identify and promote the preservation of historic sites, structures, buildings, and culture of the African American experience in South Carolina." Free training on how to use these publications is available for educators by contacting Jannie Harriot at the SCAAHC.
Correlation of Standard Indicators (SI) As in the previous versions of African American Historic Places in South Carolina, this edition of A Teacher's Guide to African American Historic Places in South Carolina correlates the sites to the 2011 South Carolina Social Studies Academic Standard Indicators. The standard indicators are listed below each site summary.
The Guide and Supplements support the 1984 state's mandate that states: By the 1989-1990 school year, each public school of the State must instruct students in the history of the black people [African Americans] as a regular part of its history and social studies courses. The State Board of Education shall establish regulations for the adoption of history and social studies textbooks, which incorporate black [African American] history and shall, through the State Department of Education, assist the school districts in developing and locating suitable printed materials and other aids for instruction in black [African American] history. (S.C. Code Ann. § 59-29-55). It is an outreach tool "to assist educators with incorporating the information... into their classroom instruction."
Correlation of South Carolina College-and Career-Ready Standards for English Language Arts (ELA SI) These standards, published in 2015, are the result of a process designed to identify, evaluate, synthesize, and create the most high-quality, rigorous academic criteria for South Carolina students. They are designed to ensure that South Carolina students are prepared to enter and succeed in economically viable career opportunities or post-secondary education and ensuing careers.
Correlation of South Carolina Visual and Performing Arts Academic Standards (ARTS) The 2010 South Carolina Academic Standards for the Visual and Performing Arts is presented as a series of seven documents that individually address the arts areas of dance, choral music, general music, instrumental music, media arts, theatre, and visual arts from kindergarten through high school.


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"Stephen Blackman tried explaining his failure to disclose more than $300,000 in income by claiming he didn't know what the "$" symbol meant.
Sam Ellis, appearing for the Inland Revenue Department, said in a letter dated February 9, 2009, Blackman wrote he had not been paid by his company Plant and Platform Consultants Ltd, of New Plymouth.
"You may have been confused by forms provided to you by my company which contained impressive numbers preceded by a "$" symbol," Blackman wrote..."
You hear some bullshit excuses but that on really takes the biscuit!
If he really is that dumb he should be sectioned.

subset: commoncrawl


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Even though they are in competition, they are not afraid to share things with them, and that is what a team is all https://www.titansauthenticofficials.com/WOMENS_YOUTH_BEN_JONES_JERSEY.html about now.Shineco Inc fell 7 percent to close at $1 in a potential sell off.Mediocre indeed means average, so it's evident you believe Jaguars defensive coordinator Todd Wash is pretty �?average.SUTTON: I am going to tell you that you have to put four more guys into that equation.Purdue: The Boilermakers are 0 against Villanova with their last meeting in November 2016.I'm well aware this is a topic.
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Alt Script: How to Pick the Right Independent Producer
Working with independent film producers, has taught me that one of the most complicated decisions a screenwriter will ever make, is choosing which indie (alt-cinema) producer to collaborate with. And, just to make it clear, in the world of independent film-making the word "collaborate" is code for: we'd like you to work without payment, in return for the vague promise of future earnings or career benefits.
For a lot of writers the opportunity to work with a producer, any producer, to actually have a script in development, may sound like a dream come true. The problems is, this overwhelming desire to find a producer who believes in you as a writer can blind you to potential issues. Writers often perceive the opportunity of working with a producer, any producer, as a milestone career breakthrough, and because of this they can be extremely vulnerable to exploitation. The sad truth is, there are "producers" out there willing to cynically exploit a fresh, new writer's ambitions. There are also other "producers," whose enthusiasm to play at being a movie producer outweighs either their abilities or their knowledge of the industry. And some, are just plain wacko, mad-as-a-box-of-frogs, time wasting, dingbats.
The other thing worth knowing, is that a writer can be asked to collaborate on anything from a no-budget DSLR movie, right up to a movie with a projected production budget of $1.5M. Lack of development money isn't just a problem for the bloke down the road with the cheap camera and some homemade lights. Bigger, more established producers also suffer from it. My guess is that 95% of UK, non-broadcast, productions fall into this range. So, any meeting you do where someone is still offering to pay for an option is unusual. Being asked to collaborate is rapidly becoming the norm. Which seems like good news for producers, but not so good for writers. Especially writers trying to get their first break.
It's not all bad news, mind you, there can be real and genuine benefits in collaborating with these kinds of producers, even if it is just to get a short film into production. Especially if that short can get itself into a festival that lists its films online. The main advantages are: the writer gets to see how their script works (or not) when it is transformed from script to screen. This is always a humbling experience. Production, without doubt, is the best kind of feedback a writer can get. Another benefit gained from having something, almost anything in production, is that when a film makes it into a film festival, even a short film, it can give a writer their first IMDb credit, and that IMDb credit is what you need to get accreditation to professional film festivals like Cannes. Industry events like this are important, because that's where you get to network with a better class of independent producer.
Set Goals
What should be clear from this, is that when considering a collaboration, a writer's starting place should be what you expect to get from the experience. A writer can't just assume the producer will have a plan to get your film out there, or to get your work credited. If that's what you need from the project, then that has to be made an explicit part of the deal. "I will write this script for you, if you can guarantee you'll put the film into festivals and will get me my first confirmed credit." That way the producer knows what you're expecting in return for your work, right from the outset. In fact, I think one of the best things a writer can do is to make a list of the things they expect to gain from any collaboration. Make an honest list, because understanding what you need from a collaboration will help you decide what kind of projects to take on and what kind of producer to work with.
Here's a potential list of things a writer may want from a collaboration:
- An IMDb writer's credit (which means the script MUST be produced, and then at the very least, entered/listed in a festival that IMDb can check for validity)
- To see a film into production (not to be confused with wanting to see a film into production, because once people see your first film, the industry will fall at your feet, and from that day onward everything will be toast and jam).
- The opportunity to experience the development and production processes
- To be paid
- To build your profile in a particular sector of the industry
- To see a pet project made and put in front of an audience
Maybe you only want one of the things on this list. So, for instance, your only goal may be to get paid for writing. If that's the case, the kind of producer you'll be looking for will be different from the kind you'd seek out to make a film for the festival circuit. To get paid, you're going to need to look for a more established producer, or a producer with a first time investor, who is prepared to pay for development.
However, to get to that point, a writer has to decide who to work with. So, let's look at how a writer can decide whether a producer is right for them or right for a particular project. I want to do this because I genuinely believe in the opportunities for writers a good collaboration can bring. I want to encourage writers to seek out producers to work with, but without making the mistake of settling for the first dim-wit, free-loader, or PINO (Producer in Name Only) who wants a free option on your script.
What I am suggesting, in all seriousness, is that writers who are prepared to collaborate on projects without development finance, should be auditioning producers. That they should actively chose who they want to work with, rather than seeing themselves as the person to be chosen. That just because someone says, "I'd like to produce your script" you shouldn't necessarily say yes.
The first thing I want to make clear, is that providing a wage isn't your primary concern, there is absolutely no reason why a writer should automatically rule out working with an unknown producer. After all, we all have to start somewhere, and in the same way it takes a writer a few goes (about ten) to learn how to write a decent feature script, it takes a good producer at least a couple of projects to figure out how the business works, and how to build credibility with distributors and investors. So, this article is not about slamming first-time producers. However, with that said, pretty much the first question a writer needs to ask anyone who says, "I'm an independent producer and I'm interested in your script" is, "What have you done so far?" You just have to be open to the idea that "Just a couple of short films," isn't necessarily a bad answer, if the short films are good ones.
Sizing Up an Independent Producer
When you're sizing up a new producer, writers often start by checking the producer's credits on IMDb. That's a pretty sensible starting point. However, it's not definitive. I know producers with extensive feature credits on IMDb, who are about as toxic as it is possible to get in this industry. There are some very shoddy dingbats out there. The trick is to learn how to avoid the bad ones, so you only put your time and effort into the good ones.
When you're looking at a producer's IMDb listing, there are a couple of things to look out for, which may give you clues as to the kind of beast you're dealing with. The first thing worth looking at is fairly obvious:
Does this producer make the kind of films you're interested in making?
The type of movies a producer has put their name to can tell you a lot about them. It may sound obvious, but it makes sense for me to look for a producer who is interested in making the kind of movies I want to write. If I'm writing a Rom-Com, a producer who specialises in gangster movies isn't likely to be a good fit. It really pays to deal with producers who have a track record for making the kind of project you're pitching. If nothing else, producers appreciate approaches from writers who know what their slate consists of. Nothing is more likely to piss off a prospective producer, than pitching a Rom-Com to a guy who specialises in Kung-Fu movies, and visa versa.
On top of looking for a good match, there are other indicators to look out for in a producer's IMDb listing. For instance, if you find a producer who keeps switching genres: a drama you've never heard of, followed by a horror you've never heard of, followed by a gangster movie you've never heard of, followed by a Rom Com, this may just be a producer who is searching for the sector in which they can do decent business. This constant switching of genres may just be due to a series of poor production choices. On the other hand, this pattern of genre shifting can also be a red flag, a danger sign, a warning. This kind of genre shifting may, in fact, point to something more insidious. It may be telling you this is an opportunist producer. The kind of producer who will take on any project, regardless of its commercial potential, providing it has production finance. Producers take a percentage of the production budget as their fee, so there are producers out there who don't look any further than the money they can earn from the next set of investors. Either way, if a producer is switching genres with every movie, it makes sense to ask to see everything they've made, before you commit to working with them. Nothing gives you a better indication of whether a producer is worth working with, than watching what they've done in the past.
A simple rule of thumb is: if their previous work is shoddy, if you wouldn't be proud to have your name attached to it, then walk away and find someone better. Whatever you do, NEVER collaborate with a producer who blames their poor back catalogue on the writers of those projects. The most dangerous kind of dingbat, is a producer who casts you and your script as their saviour, whilst blaming every writer they've previously worked with for their piss poor slate. The reason any writer should run from a producer who blames previous writers for their poor output, is because what they are really telling you, is that they have zero capacity to tell a good script from a bad one, and that they have absolutely no script development skills. Even if they can get your script into production, they will be doing you and your career a disservice, if they put something out there that needed more development.
Given the choice, I would pretty much always chose an unknown producer with one half-decent short film, one who shows real potential, over a producer with a dozen or so credits on dreadful movies. Unless, of course, your ambition is to make dreadful movies. And, if you do decide to work with that kind of producer, do it because there is definitely an up-front wage for the work. If a producer has a dozen credits for feature films and is still asking writers to "collaborate" on projects, you need to consider carefully why the producer still can't afford to option your script and is also unwilling to include a reasonable writer's fee in the production budget. I'm automatically suspicious of any producer who wants a writer to wait for payment until the film goes into profit, especially if they are taking their producer's fee out of the production budget.
What to Look For
Ideally, what I look for, is a producer whose body of work inspires me. These days, I won't work with a producer just because they can get a bad script into production. Getting a bad script into production isn't satisfying, life affirming and isn't good for anyone's career. The only time it's worth working with that kind of producer, is if they are prepared to pay for your work up front, and that kind of producer NEVER, EVER, wants to pay writers up front. In fact, a lot of those kinds of producers have no intention of paying anyone, under any circumstances.
The second useful indicator, to gauge whether a producer is worth working with, is to look at each of their projects on IMDb and check to see who, if anyone, got the script editor credit on their projects.
One of the best signs of an intelligent indie producer, is a consistent script editor credit. Especially if that credit is given to someone who has good quality, industry credentials. A producer who always hires in a great script editor is telling you two things about themselves: they really want the script to be good before it goes into production, and, they don't believe that their opinion is the WORD OF GOD. This last one is important, because one of the best definitions of a bad indie producer is: a frustrated writer wannabe who believes that they're qualified to give notes, without any evidence to support their belief. Producers like that, turn the development and production process into their own personal ego trip.
I'd like to tell you that this is rare, but it's much more common than you'd expect. Once you start looking at independent producer's credits, you'll be amazed and appalled at how few take script development seriously. The ones who do, are the ones to collaborate with.
As it happens, this is one of the reasons that sometimes it's better to chose a less experienced producer, one who has made a couple of really nice short films, to work with you on your Alt-cinema project. A newbie producer is less likely to want to run their ego-trip on your project. However, it's only a better choice, providing one of the conditions of that collaboration is that development money is put into hiring a professional script-editor, someone to mentor the team through the development process. If everyone concerned is prepared to take professional notes, everyone wins.
These days, what I look for in a producer is a degree of humility when it comes to script development. I want someone who has good instincts, who really understands what their distributor's needs are, who understands what their investors will finance, but who is prepared to back-up their instincts with either an exceptional body of work, or who is open to having their opinions tested by the hiring of a good script consultant. That, for my money, is a good producer.
If consistently hiring good script editors is the sign of a good producer, then conversely a producer whose projects don't have a script editor credit, should be a red-flag to any writer. If you combine: no script editor, with a lot of genre shifting and a poor body of work, it doesn't take a genius to understand you're looking at a producer to avoid, at all costs.
Seek and You Can Find
What are the positives to be taken from all of this? Well, the first is the fact that there are a lot of producers out there who may not have development funds, but who are interested in the kind of movies you want to make. There are people out there who want to make no-budget festival films; folks out there who live and breathe horror; people who specialise in Rom-Coms. Basically, there are a lot of producers out there, and most of them are looking for a half-decent script; a script which will push their career to the next level. The other positive is that it is possible to make sensible choices, when it comes to deciding who to collaborate with.
In my opinion, a smart writer will always chose to work with:
- A producer who works consistently in one sector or genre
- A producer who consistently hires a good script editor
- A producer whose body of work you admire (even if that is just a few short films)
- A producer who understands that when a writer is collaborating on a project, they expect certain things in return, and who is able to deliver on those promises
And the producers to avoid are:
- Producers who shift genres with every movie
- Producers with a poor body of work
- Producers who blame previous writers for their poor body of work
- Producers who act as if producing your script is doing you a favour
- Producers who don't use script editors, but who instead rely on their superior knowledge of writing (especially when they have a poor body of work)
Actually, it's all pretty simple. It's a good idea to work with producers who make good movies and to avoid producers who don't. I know that may sound like the most obvious thing in the world, but, you'd be amazed at how many writers fail to do even basic research into the producers they're talking to, simply because they believe that attention from any producer, regardless of how toxic they are, is better than nothing. It isn't. You and your writing are better than that.
Working with a bad producer is never a good idea and many of them are very credible liars, right up to the point you look closely at what they've done in the past. Good producers are harder to find, but infinitely more valuable. If you're going to invest your time, energy and your career ambitions into working with someone, make sure it's someone worth working with.
Related Articles:
- Alt Script: What Does Independent Filmmaking Mean?
- Behind the Lines with DR: Mr. Hollywood Producer
- Ask the Expert: How Do I Get My Material Seen?
Tools to Help:


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Season 2 of The Voice is coming to an end this week and one lucky hopeful contestant will be crowned the winner of The Voice 2. Here are the final four: Team Adam: Mickey Mouse Club cast member, Tony Lucca, Team Blake: Alicia Keys's former background singer, Jermaine Paul, Team Christina: Chris Mann and Team Cee Lo: Juliet Simms.
On Monday, the four remaining contestants will perform one song, then they will join their coaches to perform another during the live broadcast.
On Tuesday's season finale, the final contestants will each collaborate with some of their fellow season two, previously voted-out, contestants who return for a special performance.
There are plenty of musical guests, surely something for everyone; Justin Beiber, Flo Rida, lady Antebellum and Daryl Hall & John Oates. In a finale surprise, the four coaches will thrill fans when they join together on stage for a group number to end season 2.
Coach, Blake Shelton visited Jay Leno and gave his thoughts about the final four: he thinks that Juliet Simms is a "thorn in his side" because she is a front runner, when it comes to Tony he doesn't want him to win only because he doesn't want Team Adam to win again, Chris is amazing and Jermaine is his guy, so he is predicting that he is going to win. You can check out the interview, in the video below.
These contestants have made it through the blind auditions, the battle phase and now on to the live performance to see who will win The Voice 2 and the grand prize of a recording contract.
Who do you think should be crowned The Voice 2 winner, will they be able to follow in the footsteps of last year's winner, Javier Colon? Hit the comments below and let us know your thoughts!


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Read this tip to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Kayaking Safety and other Kayaking topics.
There is an unwritten rule in the world of boating that very aptly applies to kayaking. It is known as the "Law of Gross Tonnage." More simply put, this can also be called the "law of common sense."
The Law of Gross Tonnage is quite simply the idea that on the water the larger boat wins. Larger boats are often less manueverable and have reduced visibility than smaller boats. And, of course, much more damage and danger will come to the smaller boat should a collision arise.
So, kayakers, be sure to steer clear of larger boats. It is up to you to stay safe and out of the way of larger boats, even if you have the right of way.
to be a bit more clear on this topic as we have had some close calls on our lake in recent years. Kayakers are hard to see from a powerboat/runabout/bow rider. I find that most kayakers are wearing dark wet suits, or wearing a popular dark PFD and their kayak is dark blue green etc, all this blends in to the blue back ground of the water and at at low angle form a power boat, we just do not see you.
It would help those in power boats to more quickly see the kayaker if they were wearing something brighter or a reflective strip on the kayak. a popular time of day for all out the water is late evening, sun is low and you can easily get glare,or if the water is a bit choppy the smaller kayaks will actually disappear in the troughs. Please guys and gals, we power boaters do not want to injury you, but you have to give us a chance to see you.
Thanks so much for the comment. It is great to get the perspective of someone in the motorboat community. As I've spent my fair share of time on powerboats, I've experienced firsthand what you are saying.
Thanks again!
|Guru Spotlight
|George Sayour


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Thom Tillis Backers File To Create Super PAC
A high-profile potential challenger for Kay Hagan's U.S. Senate seat is on the verge of getting some major financial support.
Backers of North Carolina's House Speaker Thom Tillis have put together an independent committee that would support a potential bid for Hagan's seat in Congress. Organizers of the group "Grow NC Strong" say they have filed paperwork with federal officials to create a political action committee. It would be a "super-pac" which would have no limits on raising and spending money to support Tillis, but would operate separately from any campaign Tillis organizes.
The state House speaker has not formally decided to challenge Hagan who is planning to seek a second six-year term in Washington. Tillis told reporters he would spend the Memorial Day holiday discussing campaign options with his family. Only one Republican -- Cary physician Greg Brannon -- has committed to run against Hagan . If Tillis gets into the race, a GOP primary could be set for next May.


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A handful of protesters were planning to spend a second night in U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner's Denver office Wednesday, vowing to remain there until Gardner pledges to oppose the GOP's plan to repeal and replace Obamacare.
Nine people, many of them disabled, spent the night Tuesday, saying in social media posts that they were locked into the downtown Denver building after being threatened with arrest. Their number grew to 12 by Wednesday morning.
Aides to the Colorado Republican said the protesters were never asked to leave and that one of his staff members stayed with them in the office overnight.
The protesters want Gardner to commit to keeping home and community-based services that would be lost in the health care bill now being considered by the U.S. Senate, ADAPT organizer Dawn Russell said. ADAPT is a national program based in Colorado that organizes disability rights activists in nonviolent action.
After the health care bill was released last week, disability-rights protesters, some in wheelchairs, were arrested and forcibly removed from the hallway outside Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office in Washington.
The local protest is part of nationwide action by ADAPT.
Colorado was the first state to adopt attendant services, which can include help with everything from bathing and toileting to cooking and cleaning, Russell said. A year and a half ago, ADAPT started talking to Gardner about creating a national program that mirrors Colorado's.
But instead of expanding, that program is now on the line. Protesters fear that without it, many will end up back in nursing homes, losing their independence.
"Long before the town hall became an issue, even before this new administration was elected, we were already working with Sen. Gardner on this issue," Russell said. "It just became critical. We were so lucky to be ahead of that game."
An aide to Gardner said his staff took time to hear the protesters' stance on health care policy.
"The senator's state director spoke with them earlier today to ensure he listened to all of their concerns regarding potential health care legislation," Casey Contres, a Gardner spokesman, said in a statement Wednesday. "The organization currently in the office has spoken to Sen. Gardner several times and are in constant contact with his health care policy staff regarding requested reforms to our health care system."
Russell said she appreciated the dialogue that has opened up in the morning, roughly 24 hours after ADAPT started its sit in. She hopes this is a sign that further progress can be made.
Kimberley Jackson, a former family physician in Pueblo who had to stop her practice in 2012 after developing an intestinal disease, said she now needs a nutritional IV that costs roughly $16,000 per month — a cost covered by Medicaid. She's terrified that the Senate health care bill will pass and she will lose her Medicaid coverage.
"I would lose my Medicaid, I would lose my nutrition, and I would likely have two weeks to live," she said.
Jackson, who started out with the group Tuesday morning, left and later came back with a sleeping bag and IV nutrition around 1 a.m. She and two others spent the night outside protesting in solidarity with the group upstairs.
The protesters said they worked with building security officers to allow people to bring in supplies. Jackson also brought the protesters breakfast Wednesday morning.
Kalyn Heffernan, one of the protesters who spent the night, said Gardner's office had begun to resemble a dorm room, with blankets, pillows and food everywhere. People began to redecorate the waiting room, putting flyers over photos of Gardner.
She said people have been very supportive of the group, sending them food and drinks — so much so that the group sent some of the food to the people outside.
Although the floor is hard, the protesters say they will stay in Gardner's office as long as necessary — even through the July break — until Gardner says he will vote against the Senate bill.
"We can do everything we can and hope our government does what's right for the people," Jackson said.
The group will not become complacent because the vote was delayed. "If anything, we have to double our efforts now that the bill was delayed, not back off," Jackson said.
Staff writer Mark K. Matthews contributed to this article.
Hey @SenCoryGardner we ain't leaving your denver office till you vote NO pic.twitter.com/jRaMZIihI3
— WheelchairSportsCamp (@wcsportscamp) June 27, 2017
Cops are coming we rowdy "RATHER GO TO JAIL THAN DIE WITHOUT MEDICAID!" #ADAPTandRESIST pic.twitter.com/fEqSfdFdf2
— WheelchairSportsCamp (@wcsportscamp) June 27, 2017
We up @SenCoryGardner wanna commit NO? pic.twitter.com/5LVnUDYijp
— WheelchairSportsCamp (@wcsportscamp) June 28, 2017
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With the announcement of the Midnight Gardener project, the Core Military councils had called an emergency meeting… While other Openers had caused a great deal of trouble here and there – the ring nova, the great Midwestern Orc Invasion, the Dalek Crisis, the Hindi-Rakasha conflicts and the endless problems with Crusader were only some of the most blatant examples – a project like that was something else altogether.
Kevin's Thralls had been a concern simply because they multiplied the boy's reach and power. An analysis of just how much of the trade and travel across the Manifold they were supporting had been disquieting – but the sheer lack of focus had made the situation manageable. The Thralls had not been a serious menace beyond the sheer instability having so many gatekeepers around implied.
But this… Kevin had put hundreds or thousands of his Thralls to work on a single project – and not just on a project to build the Manifold's greatest amusement park, or to provide emergency services, or some such like most of the others were at work on; the boy had started a project to re-design the cosmos without even bothering to consult any of the people in it. The arrogance – and sheer ambition – of such a scheme was monumental. Even Ryan had never proposed a project that would influence the universe on such a scale!
Even the Ourathan Robots – at least according to their cautious communications with them – had never heard of such a thing.
In fact, that report was causing some interest on the galactic end. Several alien groups found the concept of such a project of interest – and the news that a young, newly-discovered, outlying species was actually undertaking it of even more interest. There were problems with making contact of course, especially since the Ourathan were so reluctant to share information – but all of that could be gotten around given a little time.
A through, in-person, evaluation of the situation was in order. Fortunately, the boys meddling in Core – even if it was simply in pursuit of legalistic recognition of his fait accompli recruitment and ownership of his Thralls – provided an opening. There were focus groups all over Kadia and poking into half of the boys operations across the Manifold. A few more wouldn't cause any particular stir – and they needed a military evaluation of Kevin's operations, of Kadia, of the Thralls current occupations, and of how many Thralls the boy might already control.
Dr. Albert Parsons – scholar, sociologist, expert (even if Core-limited) psychic, and amateur detective – fit the bill almost perfectly. He was already going to participate in a focus group anyway, and was congenial enough about adding a military evaluation to the sociological one he'd already been planning at the request of the computer systems. At almost four centuries, he'd seen the Manifold open fifty years before – and didn't entirely approve of magic and other fanciful nonsense, even if the Manifold did make it real.
Permission to visit Kadia was easy enough to come by even if you weren't an adolescent kid or under treatment for something like the meme-weapons.
Dr Parsons took his "focus group" of experts – Radheya (engineering and computers), Jerome (religion, mythology, and magic), and Nadyenka (tactics, combat augmentations, and military history) – and headed for Kadia…
(Gate-Operator/ Greeter) "Dr Parsons and party? Welcome to Kadia! You are registered as being here for a vacation and to visit a youthful third cousin who is in service to Lord Kevin, so these briefing packages have been prepared to suit the purpose of your visit. You are welcome to roam the malls and other public areas of course, if you would like a live guide, one can be provided for a very modest fee. The systems can supply a list of attractions and vacation areas on request. Is there anything else you would like explained at the moment?"
The gate-operator seemed to be… an adolescent anthropomorphic deer -boy, who had his smart-clothes (or collar) set for a quasi-amerindian guise – a loincloth and headband mostly, even if his hooves made the classical moccasins impractical. The kid seemed happy and well-treated enough – save for the fact that his personal-ID broadcast proclaimed him to be one of "Lord Kevin's" personal properties…
Of course, that could be true in Core too – the last time the laws on the topic of owning sapient non-humans had really been reviewed and updated had been for the neodogs, many decades before the Manifold had opened and other forms of animal-people emerged from the realms of myth into fact – but somehow he hadn't really expected "Lord Kevin" to rub his visitors noses into his slave-trading quite so blatantly.
Even worse, since Kevin taught his Thralls to shapeshift, and could, obviously enough, transform them himself, who could say that the boy hadn't started out as a perfectly normal human child, and simply been transformed into a form which the computers would accept as property? If Kevin WANTED to provoke controversy, he could hardly do better; less than thirty seconds into a visit, and already he was on the horns of a moral dilemma…
Well, there was no point in asking the boy if he'd started out as an Anthropomorph. It would arouse suspicion at the least – and it wasn't like it would matter in Kadia or even as if he could call the kid on a lie.
(Parsons) "What would you recommend? This is our first time visiting."
(Greeter, cocking his head as he picked up the datafeed on Dr Parsons and his friends) "Vacation is it sir? I'd suggest the shapeshifting to a naturally flying form – or perhaps a neodolphin – and the whitewater sports! Once you're a little tired, there are some lovely art museums and such too!
Or perhaps a carnival? They wear after a bit, but they're always good for an afternoons diversion!
I'd stay out of the wild zones though Sir! You can't wander in by accident – they're a long ways out and the systems warn you – but they're unrestricted and you can easily get killed there, and then you lose the rest of the day before you wake up back at one of the visitor centers! It's even worse if you fall and break a leg or something. That can cost you several miserable days! (Pause) Is there anything else sir? I have to be getting ready for the next group of visitors if there isn't!"
On the psychic level… there was… rather a lot of power there. An astounding amount actually. The boy practically radiated good will and cheer, but then he was assigned as a gatekeeper and greeter. Still… he did seem to believe what he said – and there were some indications that he regarded being in Kadia as an escape, despite his enslavement. An implanted idea, or was he really from someplace far worse?
(Parsons) "No, I think we'll be fine. Thank you."
(Greeter) "You're welcome Sir!"
Well, general observation before anything that might tip their hand… Visiting a few of the various recreational facilities should let them evaluate Thralls who – presumably – would not be on guard. Besides, a bit of diving and water-sports might be fun.
Still… He had to agree with Nadyenka; the greeter's power signature had frightening implications. If Kevin gave power like that to simple gate-operators, what were his actual combat operatives like? Did Kevin give them ALL the full power-package? The gate-operator had to be a gatekeeper of course – but did they really need all those other powers? Even if he had created this dimension as a custom project, could he possibly be THAT generous with the power he handed out?
Not too surprisingly, information on the total numbers of Thralls in Kevin's service was NOT publicly available – fairly basic business security there – but it was certainly implied that they all got the same standardized power-package.
The recreational facilities were extensive, cheap, and almost ideal – albeit with plenty of areas rated at anything up to "almost certainly lethal". Apparently the bit about "dying just means waking up tomorrow!" was entirely accurate.
They were also a fair number of high-powered young Thralls there too. Not enough samples for any firm conclusion yet – but they knew of several thousand Core kids who had signed up with Kevin already, and yet the vast majority of the Thralls they encountered didn't match any of them. Either they changed quite a lot when they became Thralls, or a sizable majority of Kevin's Thralls were not from Core – and that implied tens of thousands at the very least.
He was known to run rescue services – and to offer employment to kids who got rescued – and was known to buy captured kids and offer them the choice of his pact or an indenture. The indenture terms were apparently mild though, they'd certainly been reported on often, and consistently, enough.
(Jerome) "Well… the entire PACKAGE is hard to believe. Still, the benefits of simply wanting to work for him have been fully examined, and certainly make it more credible… At the moment, there's every indication that his contract is being honestly and fully explained – but the obedience programming and soulbinding makes the kids who take it loyal, docile, property – and "Lord Kevin" seems to have no scruples at all about doing it – or about treating them as pets! He doesn't seem to be abusing them at the moment – but that could change. I suppose the real questions are simply "Is that likely to change?" and "Should Core acknowledge that the children he bonds are in the same category as property-class Neodogs after being enthralled?" In some ways it's just a technicality – acknowledging it won't really change anything – but a lot of people see it as a moral threshold."
Dr. Parsons sighed. He'd have to admit that he was in the group that saw it that way. Neodogs were one thing, but real humans – transformed though they might be – were something else entirely! Yet Kevin apparently didn't see any real difference… It certainly seemed like – to him – property was property. He provided some basic rights for the kids who took his contract in the contract itself – but the fact that he formally granted those rights, instead of assuming that they were inherent, also said a lot.
The boys early biography was normal enough. When had be become so inhuman? The reports from that "Gelman" character had indicated that the whole "prince of darkness" routine was more a pose than a fact – and that the boy might simply be deeply conflicted. The heightened senses and sensuality of the dragon-form might explain an adolescents interests there – but he did seem to have gone overboard. Did he just want to shock? Most of his public actions did seem to have at least some beneficial motivations – and the personal oddities might just result from his being a powerful and privileged adolescent who could indulge in everything he wanted to.
It was hard to say without more direct contact. Best to save that for later though; confronting Kevin directly carried substantial risks – of being influenced if nothing else. The boy seemed to be impossibly charismatic.
The group adjourned to the Aurochs Steakhouse (a computer recommendation) for dinner and discussion. Apparently the place did a mammoth steak that was supposed to be excellent!
And mammoth would be interesting…
The Steakhouse bordered on some hunting preserves, and would clean and prepare your catch if you were feeling independent – but most guests just ordered though. It had an ice-age primitive-man theme, although the modern air conditioning and other conveniences were still present – just hidden.
That was… interesting. It looked like the hunting preserves covered several different eras of the age of reptiles, along with several other major eras from the past. The prey was apparently simple phantasms, but they were precisely based on patterns drawn from the originals in the Manifold. The ice age longhouse reconstruction was somewhat fanciful – but the local computer systems would cheerily explain what the originals were like, and why changes for comfort had been made, for the benefit of anyone who was interested in accuracy. There were similar restaurants for other historic and geological eras, with several other themes. An assortment of historical – and mythical – cuisines were available as well. Even if most of the staff was phantasmal, the customers generally were not.
Hm… Kevin had gone to a lot of trouble here – and, far more importantly, had both resources and Thralls to spare to search out obscure originals and cuisines. That had to be a long ways down on the list of priorities for any organized world-conqueror – unless he really was simply an adolescent who was indulging his whims.
The meal WAS very good – and, almost as interestingly, the next table over had been claimed by a small group – oddly enough, the phrase "pack" came to mind – of youngsters who had brought in an actual auroch to be cooked. It looked like… mostly normal children, albeit not from Core, along with a couple of Kevin's Thralls – apparently hired escorts. A group from the Old Republic star wars universe – a fairly privileged bunch of senatorial children in early adolescent rebellion who had apparently skipped out ahead of the imperial takeover with a good deal of funds. They seemed pretty happy about the entire deal.
Well, that was intelligent of them. Hopefully they were also smart enough to heed the warnings about gambling away their freedom. They did show some slightly odd mind-sets though… Sharply predatory and very group-oriented. Their order was almost entirely rare meat and there were a few physical peculiarities that didn't fit in with Star Wars…
Jerome identified THAT easily enough. A pack of werewolves… it might just be a local identity, but it was still an unusually potent one for a group of random kids to be able to manage… Ah. A bit of research on the local network confirmed that Kadia apparently made any kind of shapeshifting, transforming, or magical identity really easy. Dragons would not be out of reach of a talented youngster.
Wonderful. Another headache and complication. Not only were local powers in play on top of the Thrall-powers, but it could be very hard to tell who anyone was! Hiring guides made sense in this magical madhouse!
Had the children taken werewolf identities to keep up?
Hm… It looked more like a combination of some romantic notions about primitive life, the fact that it was personal power that wasn't "the force" and was completely unheard of in their home realm, and a touch of "us against the world". Judging from the conversation, they'd had a few close calls in escaping their original world ahead of the Emperor's takeover.
Teenage curiosity mingled with rebellion. Perhaps they could find a place in that New Imperium place after the novelty wore off – unless Kevin recruited them in the meantime.
They decided to talk to them directly; their local impressions would be from quite another viewpoint.
(Nadyenka) "That's an impressive quarry you have there."
Yep, definitely a "Pack", at least for the moment. The package had to include a fair chunk of instincts – although it would take that just to keep the legs straightened out. The youngsters quieted and looked at them rather suspiciously – but things returned to normal when they concluded that the group was harmless enough.
(Kids, in a rush) "It is good isn't it! We got it ourselves! We've never caught our own food before! It was cool! It kicked Tarvis there, and it broke his spine, but he got better in a minute or two! It rained and it was no bother at all! Salin got mud in her fur though!"
And a happy announcement from one kid that "Jedi can't do THIS!" as he shifted into wolf-form and took a big chunk out of a rare steak.
Nadyenka had to blink, several times. Most places they weren't quite so… public about talents like that. And didn't find them so easy to acquire either.
(Dr Parsons) "No, Jedi definitely can't do that. You're clearly enjoying yourselves. What else have you done here? I wouldn't mind some recommendations."
The kids had taken combat lessons, a couple of them had visited "adult" facilities (no surprise there, and not even naughty by Core standards), they'd looked into other realms to visit – or to take refuge in – and had reviewed the old empire's usual cycle (concluding that the New Imperium looked a lot better). They'd done lots of sightseeing, visited a carnival (old 1900's gypsy style), checked on buying personal body armor / smartclothes, and had visited a "house of horrors" and a costume party – where someone told them they could actually try being werewolves if they wanted, and that it came with a lot of boosts.
So that's where they learned about werewolf identities. The "adult" facilities had probably been shocking at first, and then liberating to their sensibilities. They weren't gauche enough to say it, but the kids were clearly refugees.
It looked like… they were all allowed to stay if they wanted. Housing and such was free, just as it was in Core – and so was a pack-territory if they wanted to claim one. The kids were currently planning on some mountain-climbing and other rough sports; they were a bit over-excited about their new regenerative abilities – even if they were a bit nervous about the "return from death" idea. It sounded so… unlikely, even if they had seen one of their guides do it during the trip to the gate out of the Old Empire. The young man with them had been killed when he'd lured off a few bounty hunters – and they hadn't been expecting that kind of service from a hired guide.
A few discreet inquiries there revealed that Kevin had deployed some Thralls to the Old Empire as guides out when the cycle started to turn. They'd charged if people could pay. If not… they'd apparently do a rescue on credit if someone wanted one, but they'd owe a month's indenture as a fee later – much of it to be spent on orientation and recruiting spiels.
The spiels seemed to be the same recordings that they'd analyzed before; very, VERY, through, offering a complete explanation, with all the benefits and consequences explained clearly. No apparent supernatural manipulation, although lots of implications of all the thralls around them being very happy with the deal. Powerful – like a combination of Core legalism and the cults of prior eras. Kevin was certainly a master orator – and apparently completely honest. He covered every doubt and question accurately – but made very sure to make it all palatable.
Dr. Parsons sighed again… Much as he hated to say it, there was STILL nothing wrong with that – although he couldn't help but find something unpalatable about Kevin binding people to his will, no matter HOW clear he made it that anyone who signed up was his property and pet for the next several centuries! Accepting was understandable for the recruits from the nastier realms, but why would any child from the Core wish to accept such a thing?
It was only later that night that it occurred to him that – perhaps – Core was too well tamed. Kids were carefully shielded from what conflicts there were, and sheltered from the dangers of the Manifold – and Kevin offered them excitement and power. Would that – and the guarantee of survival – be enough to get a parent to approve such a contract for a child who was determined to adventure in the Manifold? Many who had gone out without such protection had suffered terrible fates… Was that why the computers currently agreed that, in some cases, working for Kevin was a viable option for a child? It was about the best such pact on record, and one of the few that seemed to be reliable – and there were always the kids from the Manifold in the first place with uncaring parents, or no guardians in the first place.
Blast it! "Was it worth the price" was not supposed to be such an ambiguous question when it came to enslaving and soul-binding children for centuries of delayed development! Not to mention that Kevin could do whatever he pleased with them, and they'd be fine with it!
Well, at least it came with a mental link to Kevin: if he caused them a lot of pain, it would cause him pain too – and if he was trying to be malignant, he was being subtle enough to fool the computers. He had certainly made a great point of claiming to be a demon-lord though. Still… if he wanted to abuse his Thralls in-Core, as their guardian he could simply tell them what to ask him to do and then "reluctantly" agree to whatever "they wanted".
Good god… Was his wanting to take formal ownership and responsibility to go with the actual ability a protection for them? Acknowledging that he owned the Thralls would mean making him responsible for their treatment and decisions at the small cost of… appalling many Core citizens' sensibilities.
They would have to dig a little deeper tomorrow.
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Report NEP-CBE-2013-11-02This is the archive for NEP-CBE, a report on new working papers in the area of Cognitive & Behavioural Economics. Marco Novarese issued this report. It is usually issued weekly.
Subscribe to this report: email or RSS.
Other reports in NEP-CBE
The following items were announced in this report:
- Liu, Elaine M. & Meng, Juanjuan & Wang, Joseph Tao-yi, 2013. "Confucianism and Preferences: Evidence from Lab Experiments in Taiwan and China," IZA Discussion Papers 7684, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
- Brañas-Garza, Pablo & Espín, Antonio M. & Neuman, Shoshana, 2013. "Effects of Religiosity on Social Behaviour: Experimental Evidence from a Representative Sample of Spaniards," IZA Discussion Papers 7683, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
- Christine le Clainche & Sandy Tubeuf, 2013. "Nannying, nudging, rewarding? A discussion on the constraints and the degree of control over health status," Working Papers 1306, Academic Unit of Health Economics, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds.
- Benoît Chalvignac, 2013. "Partnership and trust in gift-exchange games," Working Papers of BETA 2013-18, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
- Fabian Winter & Mitesh Kataria, 2013. "You Are Who Your Friends Are: An Experiment on Trust and Homophily in Friendship Networks," Jena Economic Research Papers 2013-044, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
- Xiangdong Qin & Junyi Shen & Ken-Ichi Shimomura & Takehiko Yamato, 2013. "Hometown-specific Bargaining Power in an Experimental Market in China," Discussion Paper Series DP2013-28, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University, revised Jan 2016.
- Ramm, Joachim & Tjøtta, Sigve & Torsvik, Gaute, 2013. "Incentives and creativity in groups," Working Papers in Economics 06/13, University of Bergen, Department of Economics.
- Lisa Bruttel & Werner Güth, 2013. "Tit for Others' Tat Repeated Prisoner's Dilemma Experiments with Third-Party Monitoring and Indirect Punishment," Jena Economic Research Papers 2013-043, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
- Le Coq, Chloe & Tremewan, James & Wagner, Alexander K., 2013. "On the Effects of Group Identity in Strategic Environments," SITE Working Paper Series 24, Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics, revised 10 Oct 2014.
- Collin Raymond & Daniel J. Benjamin & Matthew Rabin, 2013. "A Model of Non-Belief in the Law of Large Numbers," Economics Series Working Papers 672, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
- Nicole Becker & Kirsten Häger & Jan Heufer, 2013. "Revealed Notions of Distributive Justice II: Experimental Evidence," Jena Economic Research Papers 2013-042, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
- C. Giannetti & R. Orsini, 2013. "Mortality Salience, Self-esteem and Status Seeking," Working Papers wp910, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
- Anita Gantner & Kristian Horn & Rudolf Kerschbamer, 2013. "Fair Division in Unanimity Bargaining with Subjective Claims," Working Papers 2013-31, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, University of Innsbruck.
- Loukas Balafoutas & Nikos Nikiforakis, 2012. "Norm enforcement in the city: A natural field experiment," Natural Field Experiments 00385, The Field Experiments Website.


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on 3/17/2012 3:57 AM
In some settings you might need to access more of the language than available through reflection and System.Linq.Expressions. You might want to look into project Roslyn or NRefactory. These will let you access the c# parser. This can be useful in many settings. For instance, to refactor c#. To render the code to another language.


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Conflict theory focuses on the competition for resources in a society where social and economic institutions are tools to control power. Class division in the United States is a real struggle. "The rich keep getting richer," as the saying goes, and the poor keep getting poorer. But why? What can we do about it? These questions, most famously posed by Karl Marx in the mid-and late-nineteenth-century, form the broader conflict theory definition.
History of Conflict Theory
After the Cold War, which took place more than a century after Karl Marx's death, anti-communist rhetoric spread throughout the United States. This campaign silenced the teachings of conflict theory considerably. Today, however, everything that Karl Marx, Max Weber and their colleagues warned about is coming true.
According to an Inequality.org report, the top 1% of income earners have doubled their earnings (from 1969-2017), while those in poverty have seen no increase over the same time period. This grim statistic is at the heart of the conflict theory definition; it's exactly what Marx, Weber, and company said would happen. The following report will peel apart the layers of propaganda on both sides, taking an objective look at the theory and providing conflict theory examples in a modern context.
Exploring the Conflict Theory Definition
The German philosopher, lawyer, activist, and author Karl Marx is most often credited with the creation of conflict theory. These are the core principles that define his theory.
1. Society is an endless competition for commodities
There is only so much money, property, medicine, food, and other commodities to go around in any particular society. In capitalist societies, the wealthy class (bourgeoise) will always struggle against the working class (proletariat) to maintain their vastly overwhelming share of the resources. These classes are always in conflict with each other.
The wealthy want to maintain their status and keep their resources, and the poor want to ascend to a higher class. As Karl Marx explains, this endless struggle will cause war, revolution, legal changes and structural inequality.
2. Income inequality is built into society by the bourgeoise
The working-class outnumbers the richer class by a great margin, often as much as 50-to-1 or more. In order to keep the working class from overpopulating their exclusive group, the bourgeois has many systems built into the very structure of society. Company executives work together to devalue the labor of the working class, setting wages that prevent workers from acquiring assets that could generate income (property, businesses, etc.).
Governments use lackluster regulations and huge bailouts to allow big banks to financially exploit their customers. In a modern context, consider the strategic placement of liquor and gun stores in low-income areas. If the poor are drunk, high or dead, they have even less chance of working their way to a higher class. No matter how it's done, the goal of the bourgeoise is very often referred to as such: they wish to "control the means of production." Keep the poor workers working, pocket the profits, and prevent any uprising.
3. Inequality drives revolution
Just as the rich ally with each other to oppress the poor, so can the poor rally themselves for an abrupt, dramatic, and often violent form of change. Marx believed that revolution was highly likely in capitalist societies because the poor would be stripped of their political, economic, and social influence.
They can't work their way out of their position, so they must force their way out. Ironically, through historical examples of war or revolution, the soldiers savvy enough to side with the winners will bear sons and daughters into the new bourgeoisie. Of course, this doesn't fix the broken system, per Marx – it only shuffles the cards.
Conflict Theory Expanded by Mark Weber
Though Marx is most often given credit as the "father," or at least "a father," of social theory and communism, he was not the only one who dedicated his life to it. German philosopher and economist Max Weber (1864-1920) agreed with the social conflict theory, but he wished to expand it. Where Marx focused mostly on economic inequality as the engine of conflict between classes, Weber argued more subjective factors had equal influence. A person's race, religion, gender, political affiliation, attitude towards governmental leaders and other factors can influence the conflict level, Weber believed. This allowed for a broader picture of inequality, qualifying the poor as not just penniless, but socially excluded.
Max Weber then went on to author several popular works that focused on the role of religion and societal and economic matters. His most famous book, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905) offered a bridge between religion and economics that the world hadn't seen before. Thanks to Weber, who is more often labeled a socialist, the world gained new insights about the role of religion in society.
Conflict Theory Today
Marx and Weber were the first generations of social conflict theorists, but the belief system is still prevalent among modern thinkers. Social scientists use conflict theory not to argue against capitalism as a whole, but to further explain the causal factors behind different forms of inequality. Unfortunately, the structural inequality first referenced by the two founders is also still alive and well. Let's take a look at some modern conflict theory examples in action.
Large Companies
The way that large companies are structured in capitalist economies today is very similar to the "pyramid" structure that Marx referred to. A small executive board enjoys a very large portion of the earnings, and a much larger number of employees is paid minimum wage or slightly more. This observation holds throughout most fast-food chains, retail companies, manufacturing companies, and more.
From another perspective, companies will sometimes perpetuate class division by cornering a market and raising the price of a product by a large amount. In the case of pharmaceutical companies, for example, who face very few (effective) sanctions from the friendly government, the price of a life-saving drug may be increased 5000 percent overnight with no consequence. The rich can afford it, the poor die off or become poorer, and class division is increased.
Landlord-Tenant Relationships
One of the more personal conflict theory examples involves the relationship between a landlord and tenant. The landlord, who controls the means of production, wishes to get as much as they can out of the relationship financially. The tenant, who works to pay the landlord, wishes to negotiate a lower rent and fairer conditions so that they can increase their wealth and possibly become an owner one day. It is this conflict over resources that drives both the landlord and the tenant's behavior throughout the relationship.
Conflict Theory in Education
The optimistic view of capitalism upholds public education as an opportunity to increase one's social class. Conflict theorists, however, often consider conflict theory in education as a piece of the structural inequality discussed earlier – a method of control. Low-income students are less likely to succeed because they have family obligations, part-time jobs, and a lack of the necessary materials. More affluent families can afford private school and school supplies, and their children don't need to work as early in life.
Another example of conflict theory in education is the placement of students in different "tracks." Students whose families can afford the resources necessary to succeed in school often get placed in advanced tracks, where they are challenged more. Students who are already struggling are placed in lower tracks, where resources are of lower quality.
Conflict Theory Today
We as a nation have rejected communism. We're also very hesitant to accept socialist ideas. This doesn't mean, however, that we can't learn from the teachings of conflict theory. We can use the deep insights provided by Marx, Weber, and modern thinkers to monitor and work against the structural inequality that keeps the working class from making a better life for themselves.


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Have you ever thought that empathy could be that feature that will boost your marketing strategy in 2018? Empathy should be at the center of your marketing and sales strategy. Moreover, brands should know that the key to a top digital marketing strategy is showing you really care about your consumers.
You can transform casual readers into loyal fans simply by deciding to use empathy as the core of your digital marketing strategy. Without empathetic marketing, no company will be able to connect with its customers. That's because people want to feel special and unique, regardless of your company's conversation rate targets.
Is Empathy in your marketing mix in 2018?
Every brand should be aware of the fact that empathy can help to better connect with the audience, since emotions are the most powerful marketing tool. Empathy is the innate or developed ability to perceive the emotional state of another individual. Before starting your digital marketing plan, think of the communication means through which you can understand or anticipate your audience's needs and desires and act accordingly.
Indeed, businesses talk about ways to AQUIRE or CONVERT customers, but the problem is they forget about the fact that in the end the customer's experience and opinion are the ones that count in fact the most. If you manage to determine the level of impact you brand has on their daily lives and listen to them in order to optimize and improve their user experience, that means you are following the right path in Digital Marketing.
Your consumers are truly perceptive when it comes to honesty, so try to stay as transparent and empathetic as you can. Do understand your audience before taking any step regarding your Digital Marketing strategy and develop strong genuine interactions with them to really achieve high engagement rates.
Kondiment can give you some guidance on how to work brand empathy into your 2018 marketing strategy, so please use the contact form to plan a meeting with us. We promise you - our coffee isn't like anything you've tried before!
Image source: http://www.higherperspectives.com


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The Salvation Army Healthlink in South Australia is an Allied Health clinic with professionals providing a broad range of therapeutic and direct health services to older Australians living in the community.
The services are available to both individuals and groups. They focus on recovery, restoration and reablement. The aim is to enhance overall well-being and to help older people live independently in their homes and within their communities.


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He may perhaps not have slept well enough in preparation for the opening of the parliament on Friday but newly appointed leader of the House, George Chaponda has seen his images which show him in deep slumber when President Peter Mutharika was making the State of the Nation address in parliament yesterday hit the social media as a storm.
The images have gone viral on the social media and a greater number of people argue sleeping meant that he was bored by Mutharika's speech.
While most of the people say Mutharika's speech was impressive and that the Malawi leader managed to outline his government's plan on every itching issue, Chaponda and others may not share the same feeling if the slumber they fell into before they met the wrath of cameras is anything we could take seriously anyway.
One of the eye catching comments wonder why it would be interesting that Chaponda was sleeping in parliament when sleeping is normal.
Edna Abiti Kadango wrote 'To me its not news!people sleep even in churches when the pastor is preaching the word of God!why not in parliament?"
However some people who have been commenting on various Facebook pages say Chaponda did not portray a good gesture by sleeping while taking into consideration the fact that he has just been appointed the leader of the house and that his Agriculture Ministry was one of the sectors Mutharika had given a special focus on in his address.
Ausman Nyirongo wrote "Just imagine. Opening the budget meeting then someone is busy asleep.it shows that you are not interested about the speech of the president. Ok don't hesitate fire them they are too old."
A debate on sleeping on duty has been ignited on the social media with people having miscellaneous defences to their stands on the matter.
In his presentation at the opening of the budget sessions, Mutharika talked against the social ills including the trendy attacks on people with albinism and maintains his government will not relent to deal with the perpetrators.


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Search Experience Optimization and Digital Strategy
By combining my skills and experiences in digital strategy, search experience optimization, and science, I am able to bring a uniquely quantitative and logical approach to digital marketing. With my experience in Associate Director and Director roles, I have been responsible for providing the strategic vision across various Fortune 500 clients from both an architectural and executable perspective, as well as designing and developing information frameworks. I use consumer behavior insights, data analysis, and SEO auditing best practices to implement solutions that achieve client goals while working alongside user experience, design, content, media, and technology teams.
My greatest strength is my ability to process a complex topic, distill it down to its simplest form, and translate it so it can be understood by anyone from a CEO to a Web Developer to a Sales Executive.
I love presenting my thought leadership at some of the most renowned industry conferences such as SMX, State of Search, Digital Summit, and PubCon. My greatest pride in my work lies within the valuable and meaningful relationships that I build. I'm a true servant leader with a passion for teaching and mentorship, both inside and outside of the workplace. I firmly believe that any team can accomplish great things when inspired by a genuine purpose and led with respect. My professional career and personal standards are founded on a highly ethical, empathetic, dependable, and result-oriented structure – the qualities I believe create successful leaders.
- Critical Thinking 100% 100%
- Technical SEO 100% 100%
- Holistic Digital Strategy 100% 100%
- Data Analysis 100% 100%
- Content Strategy, Development, and Optimization 100% 100%
- UX and UI Strategy 100% 100%
- Ecommerce Optimization 100% 100%
- Web Analytics 100% 100%
- Conversion Rate Optimization 100% 100%
- Leadership & Training 100% 100%
- Client Presentation 100% 100%
- Public Speaking 100% 100%
Do you need help optimizing your website, building a digital strategy, or expanding your organic search visibility?
References and Recommendations
I worked with Upasna (Pas) for nearly three years, and in that time, I watched her blossom from a hungry, dedicated search strategist to a full-blown search thought leader with a passion for digital marketing rarely seen and paralleled. That passion and fire for digital and search marketing knowledge still burns hot today. If you have the opportunity to work with her, or even speak with her for 15 minutes, you'll be better for it.
I had the pleasure of working with Pas at Rockfish for several years. From my first interaction with her, I knew she was an expert in her field and in digital holistically. Her desire to serve clients is second to none, and her scientific approach to digital is miles ahead of others in this space. Working alongside her on a few accounts, she excelled under pressure and exceeded all expectations from all parties. She has personally taught me many things both professionally and personally and I'm very grateful for my time with her. Her ability to inspire you, keep your drive to succeed at a high level, and to constantly innovate were things that made her stand out among my colleagues. This lended itself well for our internal team and clients alike, as the passion was seen by all sides and new ideas kept brewing to keep things fresh, whether with search or a site architecture or an entirely new concept. She is the ultimate ideation leader. Pas is not just an incredible colleague, but one who I'm lucky to call a great friend. I'm very fortunate to have met her at Rockfish and I'm confident that with any endeavor she seeks, any team will find the gem in Pas that our team found.
How can I recommend Upasna more? She was my absolute go-to for all search thought-leadership, knowledge, trends and insights. (She still is.) A valuable teammate, smart leader and powerful strategist, Upasna is sure to be a powerful asset at any company looking to take their SEO strategy and search science to new heights. She is an excellent teacher and consistently elevated my work. I loved collaborating and working alongside Upasna, and I hope to do so again soon!
This recommendation is for Upasna as an industry speaker, however, these same skills apply to her overall teaching ability and her expertise in the actual work that she speaks about. There are industry speakers and experts, and then there are the best speakers and experts – a whole different level of reality. Upasna Gautam is in that class – the best of the best, when it comes to her knowledge, technical prowess, and ability to convey highly sophisticated concepts in ways less skilled and less experienced people can understand. If you're ever considering Upasna for a conference, master-mind, or corporate speaking or training opportunity, I highly encourage you to allow her that opportunity. You and the people she presents to will be highly rewarded.