On the origins of consorting laws

AbstractConsorting laws have piqued the attention of Australian legislatures. In the last year alone, two states have re-enacted these offences, which criminalise repeated association with criminals. Such measures, though, have a pedigree stretching over seven centuries. This article offers an historical analysis of consorting offences, placing them in the context of a long line of statutes that criminalised the act of associating with undesirable classes of people. It traces their emergence from the beginnings of English vagrancy legislation in the late-mediaeval period, to early attempts in the Australasian colonies to suppress inchoate criminality, and then to 20th century efforts to tackle organised criminal activities. What emerges is that consorting offences are neither a modern phenomenon nor one restricted to the antipodes

European Treasure: A. H. Reed\u27s French and Italian Autograph Letters

This catalogue, published in conjunction with the exhibition “European Treasure: A. H. Reed’s French and Italian Autograph Letters,”aims to create a meaningful connection among disparate handwritings, which guide us through troubled times in late eighteenth and early nineteenth century Europe, among two nations in search of their national identities. It includes letters by people who helped to make France and Italy the modern states they are today. Of particular interest are letters by Italy’s ‘father of the nation’ Giuseppe Garibaldi, which exemplify the rebellious spirit agitating European nations in search of stability, identity and peace. Certain letters evoke cultural aspects, such as Jules Verne’s letter responding to a literary admirer who had evidently written to him in praise. Personal letters to friends convey a more human side and give us a glimpse into some private and daily aspects of the lives of those writers. Alfred Hamish Reed’s letter collecting is itself a subject of focus, with displays of his meticulously organised albums of letters, to which he habitually added portraits of authors or significant persons, a typed copy of the letter text, supplemented with biographical notes, and embellished with fancy lettering and illuminated in colour. The Barham scrapbook, recently discovered at a bookstore in Canada, contains the correspondence of Mr. and Mrs. Barham with Mr. Reed during his final years, and reveals their fascination with his character. Mr. Reed began collecting autograph letters in 1907, laying the foundation of a huge collection. He appreciated a letter for its uniqueness, retaining something of the individuality of the author, and sometimes the personality of the recipient. These rare and precious items offer an exceptional opportunity to glimpse the personalities of various French and Italian historical and cultural figures – and of Mr. Reed himself.https://egrove.olemiss.edu/libarts_book/1037/thumbnail.jp

Formal methods for analysing, coordinating, and controlling decisions in multi-agent systems

Multiagentensysteme sind verteilte (Computer)Systeme, die sich aus autonomen interagierenden Systemkomponenten, bezeichnet als Agenten, zusammensetzen. Sie bieten ein flexibles Framework zur Modellierung und Analyse von interaktiven Systemen, in denen Kooperation, Eigeninteresse und Autonomie eine entscheidende Rolle spielen. Dies ist zum Beispiel der Fall in Smart Grids. Eine Herausforderung in solchen Systemen ist die Kontrolle und die Koordination von Systemausführungen. Agenten handeln autonom und lassen sich daher oftmals nicht direkt kontrollieren, sondern bestenfalls beeinflussen. Aufgrund der Autonomie und des Selbstinteresses, ist es schwierig, angemessene Kontrollmechanismen zu finden. Die vorliegende Arbeit behandelt formale Grundlagen zu den Themen Entscheidungsfindung, Koordination und Kontrolle in Multiagentensystemen. Insbesondere werden in diesem Zusammenhang Logiken zur Analyse und Spezifikation von strategischen Fähigkeiten von Agenten, unter diversen Restriktionen, untersucht. Es werden formale Ansätze zur Beeinflussung und Überwachung von Systemausführungen eingeführt. In einem weiteren Teil der Arbeit wird mittels spieltheoretischer Verfahren analysiert, wie rationale Agenten interagieren und Entscheidungen treffen. Es wird argumentiert, dass formale Methoden und Werkzeuge zur Analyse und Kontrolle von autonomen Systemen entscheidend für deren verlässliche Entwicklung sind.Multi-agent systems (MASs) are distributed (computer) systems composed of autonomously (inter-)acting system components referred to as agents. MASs offer a flexible framework to model and analyse many real world settings in which cooperation, self-interest, and autonomy are crucial elements. A key challenge in such settings is the control and coordination of behavior. However, due to the agents' autonomy behavior can often not be controlled, but at best be influenced in some way or another. For example, agents can be given incentives in order to affect their decision-making in such a way that the emergent behavior of all actors is desirable from the system's perspective. The properties of self-interest and autonomy make it challenging to find appropriate control mechanisms. Existing coordination and control approaches from the distributed system literature are often not applicable due to the lack of direct control on the system components of MASs. New methods and tools are needed. In this thesis formal foundations related to the subjects of decision making, coordination and control in MASs are studied. In particular, we investigate (extensions of) temporal and strategic logics which capture specific capabilities of agents that influence their decision making. We also propose formal approaches to control, coordinate and monitor the emergent behavior in MASs. In the last part of the thesis we analyse how rational agents interact and make decisions using game theoretical methods. We argue that such formal approaches and tools to analyse and control autonomous systems are crucial for the development of reliable and flexible systems and will become even more crucial in the near future

Finding certainty in determining whether a "De Facto Relationship" exists: An impossible task?

Section 2D(1) of the Property (Relationships) Act 1976 defines a “de facto relationship” as “a relationship between 2 persons … who live together as a couple”. Although the Act does not define “living together as a couple”, section 2D(2) & (3) provides that “[i]n determining whether 2 persons live together as a couple, all the circumstances of the relationship are to be taken into account, including … [a list of 9 matters]” and that none of these 9 matters is “to be regarded necessary” and “a court is entitled to have regard to such matters, and to attach such weight to any matter, as may seem appropriate … in the circumstances of the case” (emphases added). The seemingly unfettered discretion of the Court, delegated by section 2D, may be helpful in pursuing a fair and just outcome for each case, but it also raises a great concern as to uncertainty. This paper examines some relevant cases and argues that “mutual commitment to a shared life” should be at the core of section 2D and be the most important test, and by which certainty can be found to a large extent, in determining whether a de facto relationship exists. Accordingly, this paper recommends that amendments should be made to the legislation to aid the interpretation and application of section 2D

Chronology and Itinerary of the Career of Ernest Hogan: Materials for a Biography

Hogan, The Unbleached American in the moniker he adopted, was a comedian, singer, dancer, actor, composer, lyricist, and author. Hogan is right up at the top among the greatest figures in African American musical theater of his generation, including Billy Johnson (1858-1916), Billy McClain (1866-1950), Bob Cole (1868-1911), George Walker (1872-1911), and Bert Williams (1874-1922). In his lifetime, he was called the father of ragtime or the father of ragtime music, and recognized as the originator of this kind of music. He was the \u27king\u27 of negro comedians (Indianapolis Freeman, August 31, 1901, p. 5). He was the greatest comedy star actor of his race acc. Sylvester Russell\u27s obit. Biggest solo act to emerge before Dudley and Harrison Stewart. The first major African American stage performer to carry a big show by himself, rather than as part of a comedy team; he nonetheless often played as one of a team in partnership with prominent comedians such as Billy McClain, John Ruckers, etc. but it was important to him that he realized one of his pet ambitions---to be the only colored star in a big musical comedy in Rufus Rastus and Oyster Man (Walton obit.)

Chronology and Itinerary of the Career of Ernest Hogan: Materials for a Biography

Hogan, The Unbleached American in the moniker he adopted, was a comedian, singer, dancer, actor, composer, lyricist, and author. Hogan is right up at the top among the greatest figures in African American musical theater of his generation, including Billy Johnson (1858-1916), Billy McClain (1866-1950), Bob Cole (1868-1911), George Walker (1872-1911), and Bert Williams (1874-1922). In his lifetime, he was called the father of ragtime or the father of ragtime music, and recognized as the originator of this kind of music. He was the \u27king\u27 of negro comedians (Indianapolis Freeman, August 31, 1901, p. 5). He was the greatest comedy star actor of his race acc. Sylvester Russell\u27s obit. Biggest solo act to emerge before Dudley and Harrison Stewart. The first major African American stage performer to carry a big show by himself, rather than as part of a comedy team; he nonetheless often played as one of a team in partnership with prominent comedians such as Billy McClain, John Ruckers, etc. but it was important to him that he realized one of his pet ambitions---to be the only colored star in a big musical comedy in Rufus Rastus and Oyster Man (Walton obit.)

‘A Man’s Environment’? The Petone Workingmen’s Club and Masculinity in New Zealand after 1945

My thesis, in the broadest terms, looks at New Zealand men’s understanding of themselves and their work. My study is based on oral history interviews with male members of the Petone Workingmen’s Club in Lower Hutt, Wellington. This thesis has two purposes: to compare men’s experiences with wider understandings of class, work and masculinity in New Zealand during the post-World War II period, and to complicate the assumptions about masculinity that have gone somewhat unexplored in historiography. This study takes a thematic approach to men’s experience, but weaves elements of oral history and historiography throughout. Chapter three looks at the Petone Workingmen’s Club as a masculine and working-class space; while Chapter four continues to examine men’s memories and masculinities, this time in the context of an interview. Finally, Chapter five observes the place of education, leisure, and particularly work, in men’s narratives to add greater depth to histories of work, class and masculinity in New Zealand. My interviews found that studies of New Zealand men have neglected the role that class, gender and historical changes have had in affecting men’s understanding of themselves and their lives. This thesis hopes to complicate, as well as add value to, the limited scholarship that exists surrounding masculinity in New Zealand, particularly among working-class men

The mythology of the Ara Pacis Augustae: Iconography and symbolism of the western side

The guiding idea of my article is to see the mythical and political ideology conveyed by the western side of the Ara Pacis Augustae in a (hopefully) new light. The Augustan ideology of power is in the modest opinion of the author intimately intertwined with the myths and legends concerning the Primordia Romae. Augustus strove very hard to be seen by his contemporaries as the Novus Romulus and as the providential leader (fatalis dux, an expression loved by Augustan poetry) under the protection of the traditional Roman gods and especially of Apollo, the Greek god who has been early on adopted (and adapted) by Roman mythology and religion