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The third tension that Boettke identified in the final chapter on The Hayekian Legacy is between moral intuitions and moral demands. This is one of the topics that Boettke would like to see pursued to realise the potential of the program that emerges from Hayek's unfinished business – the loose ends of the tapestry of his thoughts.
That is not a small program and he touches on some aspects of it – the pioneering work of Deirdre McCloskey on the role of ideas in the cultural domain (sadly overlooking the great work of Michael Novak), essentially unpacking the implications of a full-blooded "institutional turn summed up the importance of "rules of the game".
While admittedly not the most philosophically sophisticated, perhaps the most analytically productive definition of institutions is simply the formal and informal rules of the game and their enforcement in a given society" [291]
I don't know how much philosophical sophistication is required here but the analytical productivity is seismic. In a nutshell the "rules of the game" approach unifies Karl Popper's philosophy of science and society, and links it with the work of his (almost) lifelong friend and correspondent Hayek.
I promised Pete that I would limit myself to one small plaintive whinge at the very end of my review and here it is.
He has flagged a newish book Exact Thinking in Demented Times. The Vienna Circle and the Epic Quest for the Foundations of Science. I am keen to find out what is being said about this movement that launched the dominant philosophy of science for almost a hundred years. It was based on two key ideas.
1. The verification principle that only statements that can be empirically verifiable are meaningful. The rest is literally nonsense (with a special dispensation for logic and mathematics). That never worked and one has an image of the circle huddled for years around the dying embers of the verification principle.
2. The quest for a logic of induction that would provide a foundation for science based on sensations from our sense organs. The quest continues, having added no value for working scientists.
Chairman Karl, the Great Helmsman of Critical Rationalism effectively strangled the ideas of the positivists at birth but he did not prevent them from lodging like cancer cells in the great universities of the west when Hitler drove the Circle members out of Europe (think of logical empiricism as Hitler's revenge). Young Chairman Karl got on a different boat and went to Christchurch NZ where he spent his spare time writing a big book of political philosophy. Under the bad influence of his friend Colin Simkin he took little interest in cricket and less in football but he could have developed his situational analysis model by talking with an off-spin bowler.
The pursuit of logical positivism/empiricism cost a lot of money but the real cost was its impact on other fields wherever people tried to take it seriously. Part of the cost was the missed opportunity to advance the kind of program that Pete Boettke wants to see through collaboration between Popper, Mises and the American Talcott Parsons a generation or two ago. But that is another story.
Let me end this review with the suggestion that there is a Popper-shaped hole in the liberal scrum. If he is selected I think the Great Helmsman will not be found wanting in attack and defence. More game time for Chairman Karl!


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Tiny RF Pi attenuators using surface mount resistors.
Attenuators are useful when you need to reduce a signal's strength by a specific amount. Flatness of the attenuator's response is very important to ensure predictable signal levels across the entire bandwidth of operation. Maintaining the impedance match is also important. You can buy high quality attenuators from manufacturers like Mini-Circuits, but sometimes it's more fun or more expedient to make your own. Luckily you can make very low-cost, low-power attenuators that will have sufficient performance for general use in your workshop.
Alan, W2AEW, has an excellent YouTube video on the theory of Pi attenuators and how to design them. Check out his video. I'll also post a link to an online calculator to aid the design process.
Pi Attenuator Schematic
R1 is in parallel with R2, and R4 is in parallel with R5. This allows you to get odd resistor values needed for some attenuator designs by placing common value resistors in parallel. The back of the board has a white silkscreen box for writing in the amount of attenuation as a reminder.
Order PCBs on OSHPark:
Parts List:
R1 through R5: 0603 or 0805 thin-film SMT resistors
SMA Connectors: Edge-Launch SMA for 1.6mm/0.062" board thickness
Using SMT components for these attenuators allows you to achieve best performance at higher frequencies. These boards have a generally flat response up to about 2GHz. Be cautious of the signal levels you put through these and the power ratings of the small SMT resistors.
With some of these boards, SMA connectors, and a book of SMT passives, you should be able to handle any low-power attenuation needs that arise on the bench.
Thanks for reading.
- Dan W.

subset: commoncrawl


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[Warning, this post is not as Light-Tight-And Bright as I normally keep my posts.]
While I was teaching biology labs in Grad School, I had the opportunity to get on my soap box from time to time, and say the things that matter most to me, and hopefully pass on some knowledge other than what was in the textbooks.
It's been a while since I was on my soap box.
I have missed my soap box. [Steps up, and clears throat]
I posted this on my Facebook page here, but I felt that it was not quite enough to get my words out. It didn't cover enough ground. I needed a bigger outlet. So I'm re-posting it here, with a little more oomph.
I saw this video posted on Facebook about Midway Island. It's a tiny island 2,000 miles from the nearest continent, that is frequented by seabirds like the Albatross, a huge seabird that flies for miles on end searching for food to feed their chicks which are hatching all over Midway Island. The thing is, that the video was not so much about the island, but it was about how we are killing the next generation of Albatross because the island is covered in garbage.
Not only do the chicks find interesting things to eat while they are waiting for their parents to return, but the parents are bringing back interesting items that are floating on the surface of the water. They are easy to collect because they don't fight back, and they fill up the stomach, so they must be tasty morsels of food, right?
Except that those interesting items that they are eating are pieces of plastic that have washed ashore or are floating in the ocean. True, they fill up the stomach, but they also don't break down and take up space that true tiny fish morsels could be taking up. No nutrients are getting to the birds, so they die with a full stomach. Full of plastic cigarette lighters and bottle tops and whatever else will float on the water long enough to be picked up by the birds.
After fighting it's way back from extinction (also caused by humans), the California Condor has started to fill their babies tummies with plastic bottle tops as well, killing the recovering population with what is termed Anthropogenic Junk. Vultures, gulls, and crows are known for frequenting dumps to find food scraps let behind by people. The best place in the US that you can see the Tamualipas Crow is at a dump in South Texas.
It's not just birds, either. I have found a dead calf in a pasture once, that had a stomach full of plastic grocery bags, baling twine, and all sorts of other garbage. I have seen cows in pastures chewing on plastic bags as I drove by, helpless. Bears are known for frequenting dumps as well, and I found picture after picture of camels, goats, turtles, seals, and dolphins dead or dying from eating or getting tangled in anthropogenic junk.
Have you ever heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? This post is getting pretty long, so that will have to wait for another day.
Below is what I posted on Facebook regarding the video. It's a little emotional, but for good reason. Please feel free to repost this. Either the video or my blog post as well. I don't care. I just want to get the message out there. Maybe it will reach enough people. Maybe it will change some minds. Maybe it will help…
It's amazing to me that people think that it's ok to throw plastic on the ground and leave it there, as if someone else is coming up behind them and cleaning up the mess they leave behind. It's also amazing to me that those same people do …not seem to understand how massive an impact they are making on wildlife populations. It doesn't matter where you live – your litter will find its way to a place where it shouldn't be.
Doesn't it disgust them to walk on the beach and see garbage everywhere? Doesn't it worry them that they will cut their foot on the broken bottle that someone else left there? Doesn't it bother them that there are dirty diapers and household waste where their children are trying to play?
How is it any different for animals? Why should they live amongst the garbage that humans produce? Why should their needs be ignored?
Because we are human? Because we are smarter? If we were so much smarter, than why are we letting this happen, year after year? Why have we not been able to stop being selfish? Why are we killing off the only place we can possibly live?
Doesn't sound very smart to me.
I always like to end my posts with a positive note, so below are some links to how you can help. You can also find similar efforts in your local area.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading. I (obviously) feel very passionately about this and other conservation topics, and would love to discuss such things in the future if you would like!
What have you done, or what will you do to help clean up our planet? Let me know!


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Glass Sculptures & Lighting
"As a designer, my creations are fashioned on what is known as the golden ratio, a ratio that appeals to the human sense of beauty and balance. I aim to capture the essence of nature and allow people to see it as if for the first time." -Asaf Zakay
Asaf Zakay is a geometric glass art visionary. His sculptures and luminaries adorn spaces around the world. His pieces are most known for their unique and mesmerising reflections. Made of the highest quality materials, Asaf is world recognised for his art and creates each piece with perfection and grace.
Asaf first began creating glass sculptures back when he was living in his native country, Israel. He had long worked with materials like wood and marble, using them to create geometric forms – in particular the interlocking tetrahedron shape better known to him as the Star of David.
When he began working as an installer of Belgian-style stained-glass windows, his natural curiosity led him to experiment with similar techniques in his personal work.
Little did he know the influence this geometric star will have on his portfolio. From his gallery studio in Bangalow on the Australian East Coast, Zakay creates stunning interlocking glass sculptures that, when illuminated, fill a room with interplaying patterns of shadow and light.


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I'm downtown. I don't want to be in this cab. I love downtown and love public transit. I don't want to feel bad for staying out and talking with coworkers. I wanted to take positivity of marriage and partnership and emerge stronger and CONQUER.
I don't want to feel bad for being independent or trusting myself. My marriage makes me stronger so I can do and be more and WE CAN MORE!
Why does this sound bad when I try to describe or explain it?


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With consistent waves and two kilometers of shallow sandy beaches, Weligama Bay is a great place for surfers trying to build a connection with the waves.
Protected from the wind and rough weather, surfing at the bay can still be manageable even when the rest of the beaches in the area are all blown out.
Surfing noobs can start at the first light of the day when the tide is just right and carry on surfing until the daybreak with a continuous flow of uncontended waves that hardly rise above 2.5 meters.
With a comparatively longer season that spans between October and April, Weligama Bay is best for slow rides on low powered waves with lazy lefts and rights in the morning. Although lazy by name and lazy by nature, surfers will find that more powerful waves and swells can occur as the day moves towards noon with some waves as high as five feet.


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Most Asked Questions About On Site Assessment
The Construction NVQ is assessed on site as much as possible, to ensure that candidates are able to "earn while they learn" – in other words to carry on doing their job while they gain the qualification they need to possess the CSCS Card relevant to their trade and role within it.
Different Colours of CSCS Card and different roles require different Construction NVQ Levels. There are questions common to all Levels of On Site Assessment though, which we have reproduced here.
What is a Construction NVQ?
The "NVQ" in Construction NVQ stands for "National Vocational Qualification." It's a way of measuring your skills as you do your job – hence the name and hence the need for on site assessment. You will be awarded Units by your Assessor as you work. When you have enough Units to pass the Modules you are enrolled in, you'll get your NVQ.
Why Do I Need a Construction NVQ?
There are two reasons for getting a Construction NVQ:
• to show your current skill in your role and demonstrate your commitment to developing your skills further which will open up more job opportunities for you
• to make sure you are awarded the correct CSCS Card.
Without a CSCS Card showing you have achieved the recommended NVQ Level, you won't get the job you want on major construction sites, which only employ staff who hold appropriate CSCS cards.
How Do I Know What Level Construction NVQ I Should Apply For?
Normally your employer will tell you what Construction NVQ Level you need.
What Qualifications Does My On Site Assessor Have?
All Construction NVQ On Site Assessors must have a minimum qualification equal to the NVQ Level you are studying for. That means you will always be assessed by a person competent to do so. In actual fact most Construction NVQ Assessors will be very highly qualified and will either hold or be working towards an additional Assessor's qualification.
How Long Will My Construction NVQ On Site Assessment Take?
The length of time it takes to gain a Construction NVQ depends largely on the NVQ level you are working towards. The assessment for a Level 2 Construction NVQ is usually completed in less than a day, for Levels 3 and above assessment takes longer as there are more units to be covered. In total a Level 2 Construction NVQ is normally completed in less than a week and Level 3 and above takes between 1 and 3 weeks.
What Happens If I Fail?
It is not possible to fail the Construction NVQ. You will continue to be assessed in your workplace until your Assessor deems you that you have achieved the skills required.
Do I Have to Go to College?
Not usually, the Construction NVQ is designed to assess you in your place of work. There is some paperwork to do – a portfolio detailing your current skills and achievements. This is usually completed in your own time, outside of working hours.
Will On Site Assessment Prevent Me From Doing My Job?
Absolutely not. In fact, obtaining a Construction NVQ will make you able to do your job better.


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Semantic Web – a 'humanizer' for computer-aided work
May 22, 2008
Martin Hochmeister claims that his Semantic Web Company, generate semantic use cases that enhance knowledge productivity through semantic web technologies that connect and situate data in a meaningful contextual structure that resembles the mind-brain network for organizing info and experience.
Webliography and Bibliography
Hochmeister, Martin. 2008. "Semantic Web: a 'humanizer' for computer-aided work." >> Semantic Web Company. May 20.
Random notes for the bricoleur:
The process behind the blog
An email from my Twitter account told me I was being followed by digitalassetman @ twitter
When this happens unless the tweeter's avatar suggests an obviously 100% market-motivation, I skim read a bit to get a sense of the author/tweeter's style, form, content and context. Hochmeister's article provides succinct language relating to a use of the semantic web that does not interpret knowledge management as uniquely a commodity management. While Hochmeister's main interest is as a business offering products and services, his skillful use of language his writing may prove to be a quotable resource. I will follow more through twitter and on his blog from time to time.
I am looking for the most precise, efficient terms for what is being done in the name of the semantic web in 2008.
I have been exploring interconnectivity between a myriad of open source Semantic Web services and products. The methodical slow process of linking is not unlike a digital sudoka where urls are lined up instead of numbers.
How did Hochmeister code his blog's .jpg so that digg.com automatically-generated the appropriate 100 pixel image as an image option for diggers to associate with his post?
Tag Cloud
(folksonomy, tagging) : semantic web, semantic web company, computer-aided work, semantically enabled, semantically enabled services, semantically enabled products, services and products, humanize, dehumanize, are you a machine?, are you human?, knowledge as commodity, digital sudoka,
Snurl Roll
(snurl cloud) http://snurl.com/29yiv http://snurl.com/29y8w http://snurl.com/29yaa
Semantic Web Services and Products:
igoogle.com, delicious.com, digg.com, wordpress.com
snurl.com & tinyurl.com
http://www.semantic-web.at/1.36.resource.238.semantic-web-a-x27-humanizer-x27-for-computer-aided-work.htm http://snurl.com/29yiv for
Semantic Search: An Antidote for Poor Relevancy
May 30, 2007
Academically speaking, semantic search ought to be a system which understands both the user's query and the Web text using cognitive algorithms similar to that of the human brain, then brings results that are dead on target (right context) at first glance (not requiring to open the Web page for further investigation.)


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Grooby Productions
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 8:30 PM - Monday, February 20, 2012 at 2:00 AM (PST)
Grooby Productions presents The 4th Annual Tranny Awards will be on February 19th, 2012 at the hip Joseph's Cafe in Los Angeles, CA.
The winners will be announced that night, so come and support your favorite t-girl superstars! Tons of special guests, the hottest performers in the industry, free prizes, grab bags, and more. The Tranny Awards is the only of its kind, celebrating the accomplishments of the t-girl adult industry
Pre-sale ticket holders can bypass the regular line and stand in our VIP entrance line. Please print out your tickets to be collected at the door. This event is +21 only, so please bring your ID.
Doors open at 8:30pm with red carpet interviews and more. Show starts at 10pm!
You can also follow us on twitter at @trannyawards and @groobydotcom. We will be live tweeting all night at the Tranny Awards announcing winners, posting pictures, and more!
UPDATE: Pre-sale tickets are no longer for sale, but you can still purchase a ticket at the door. Cover is $30 and we recommend coming early because space is limited!
*UPDATE* To accommodate all of our guests and performers, we had to move the Tranny Awards to a bigger venue! It will now be held at the hip Joseph's Cafe located at 1775 Ivar Avenue in Los Angeles.
Sponsored by
Kink, Eros, Third World Shemales, AEBN, Tranny Box, Cam4, Tranny Strip, U-P Network, Shemale Strokers, JoannaJet.com, Sammi Valentine, Mariana Cordoba, Mia Isabella, Jasmine TS Fantasy, Shemale XXX, Shemale Yum, Black TGirls, and more to be announced.
PLEASE CONTACT kristel[at]grooby.com if you have any questions or problems submitting your payment.
In order to purchase these tickets in installments, you'll need an Eventbrite account. Log in or sign up for a free account to continue.


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We have this package of "a year" that we celebrate with champagne and kisses and often resolutions…the Earth has made another trip around the sun, through the cycle of the seasons, the shortest and darkest days, to the longest and brightest days. I don't need to look too hard to find reasons to celebrate life and this seems like a pretty damn good one. I'll take it.
So amidst all of the celebrations, I like to spend some time reflecting on the previous year…
What were my intentions last year?
What did I do to work towards them?
What were the key decisions and turning points in my journey towards those intentions?
Did any of them manifest? Have any of them changed?
What were the surprises? How did I respond?
What were the challenges and the lessons? What did I learn about myself?
Where did I find synchronicity and serendipity?
What were the highlights? The lowlights? and why?
What were my relationships like this year? What new people showed up in my life?
What did I let go of? Where did I explore something new?
And I like to then look forward to the next chapter of my story…
How have my intentions evolved for what I want for my life?
What do I want out of this next year?
What opportunities are available?
What are my priorities?
How can I apply what I learned last year?
What do I need to do and what do I want to do?
What am I willing to do to make it all happen?
What resources do I have?
What's my plan for checking in with my intentions and tracking my progress?
How do my dreams for the next year fit into the dream for my life?
This may seem a bit intense and those of you who know me know that that is sometimes true, but I like to think about it as passionate and intentional. I'm not doing this because it's a "thing"…hashtag resolutions…I'm doing it because I actually do intend to make these dreams a reality. And when I'm intentional about setting intentions, the universe seems to conspire to help them become a reality…always in a way I don't expect and not always on my time frame…but it happens.
I should also say that the questions are just meant to help guide me in this mindful exploration. I like to get creative and have fun with the process too. When I'm done, I end up with a list of meaningful intentions for the new year. And by all means, I celebrate.
One of my intentions, my Top Priority intention for next year, is to write and publish my book on my transformative adventure from Corporate America to a life designed around my passions and an interactive guidebook to personal change to go with it.
I've launched a campaign on kickstarter.com called: Let's Go on an Adventure! to help me make this happen. What I like about kickstarter is that it brings together people who are working towards something, who have something to share with people who want to be a part of making it happen.
I have 10 days left in my campaign. All or nothing…not to be dramatic, but you really do get everything you've raised if you meet your goal or you get nada.
To give people a taste of the type of material that will be in the interactive guidebook/journal, I am doing a countdown to 2015 with ten blogs over ten days, starting with this one. They will be focused on personal development practices, specifically around getting ready to plan a glorious, adventurous new year.
If you like what you're reading here, please consider backing my campaign, any donation helps, and also please share my campaign with others who might be inspired. You can find out more about me and my story at erinkmac.com as well.
Thank you for coming along on this adventure with me and stay tuned for the countdown.


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The asset comes with some basic AI scripts, that may be fine for standard enemies, but if you want to create more complex behaviours, the Corgi Engine provides an advanced AI system that will help you create all sorts of interesting patterns and attitudes. These will be more costly than the base actions, but will also give you more control and complex behaviours. Of course, pick one system or the other, combining both wouldn't work. For a brief overview of what you can do with it, you can have a look at the RetroAI demo scene, which will showcase a tiny portion of the things you can create with this system.
Core concepts
The Advanced AI system is based on a few core classes you'll find in the MMTools/AI/ folder :
- AIState : A State is a combination of one or more actions, and one or more transitions. An example of a state could be "patrolling until an enemy gets in range".
- AIAction : Actions are behaviours and describe what your character is doing. Examples include patrolling, shooting, jumping, etc. The engine comes with a lot of predefined actions, and it's very easy to create your own.
- AIDecision : Decisions are components that will be evaluated by transitions, every frame, and will return true or false. Examples include time spent in a state, distance to a target, or object detection within an area.
- AITransition : Transitions are a combination of one or more decisions and destination states whether or not these transitions are true or false. An example of a transition could be "if an enemy gets in range, transition to the Shooting state".
- AIBrain : the AI brain is responsible from going from one state to the other based on the defined transitions. It's basically just a collection of states, and it's where you'll link all the actions, decisions, states and transitions together.
All of these will be put on top of an already setup character (check out the dedicated doc for more on this) and can potentially leverage all existing abilities.
Creating an advanced AI character
We'll recreate one of the example characters available in the RetroAI demo scene, the yellow RetroSwordsman. Creating the base character is no different from creating any character, so we won't go over that again here. Once that base character is ready, you'll want to add an AIBrain to it.
What we want from this character is the following behaviour : patrol until an enemy gets close enough, and if that's the case use our weapon. Then after a certain time get back to patrolling (and repeat).
To get there, we'll use some of the ready made actions and decisions available in the engine. We'll add the following components : AIActionPatrol, AIActionShoot, AIDecisionTargetRadius, and AIDecisionTimeInState. Each of these comes with an inspector where we'll need to set a few things :
- AIActionPatrol : we'll want to make sure our character changes direction on walls, so we'll check that. The rest can remain as it is.
- AIActionShoot : our character is equipped with a melee weapon that doesn't require aiming, but we'll want it to face its target, so we'll check that.
- AIDecisionTargetRadius : we'll want our character to attack if the player gets within 4 units. We'll set the radius to 4, leave the origin offset to zero (the center of our character will be used to determine the area), and we'll select the Player target layer as we want this enemy to only attack the player.
- AIDecisionTimeInState : we want our character to resume patrolling 2 seconds after attacking, so we'll put "2" in After Time.
Our character now has all the actions and decisions we need to define its behaviour. All that's left to do is plug all that into its brain. As stated before, our character will have 2 states : patrolling and attacking. So in its AIBrain component, we'll simply add two states by pressing the bottom right "+" sign twice. We'll name our first state "Patrolling" and our second state "Attacking".
Now in the Patrolling state we'll only have one action, and one transition, so we'll add an Action and a Decision by pressing their respective "+" signs once each. We'll now drag our character's AIActionPatrol component into the Actions' array slot, and we'll drag the AIDecisionTargetRadius into the Transitions' first Decision slot. We want to switch to attacking when the player is in range, so we'll put "Attacking" in our transition's True State field.
We'll proceed in the same way for our second state : we'll add an action and a transition, then drag our AIActionShoot component into our Shooting state's Action slot, and our AIDecisionTimeInState into our state's transition's decision slot. We want to go back to patrolling after attacking, so we'll put "Patrolling" into our True State field. And that's it, press play and your character is ready!
To make sure our brain is properly setup, we can just "read" it. From top to bottom, we have a first Patrolling state, in which our character will patrol (AIActionPatrol) until an enemy is in range (AIDecisionTargetRadius), and if that's the case it'll go to Attacking, which is a state in which our character will attack (AIActionShoot - shoot works for all weapons, including melee), and it'll come out of this state if its AIDecisionTimeInState is true, in which case it'll go back to patrolling.
Congratulations, you've completed what is probably the "hardest" thing to do with the Corgi Engine, and you now know how to create all sorts of character behaviours. You can of course have more than one action in a state (running and jumping for example), more than one decision in a transition, and more than one transition, so you can really come up with complex stuff.
The engine comes with all of these predefined actions, ready to use in your own characters :
- AIActionChangeWeapon : used to force your character to switch to another weapon. Just drag a weapon prefab into its NewWeapon slot and you're good to go.
- AIActionDash : this action will perform one dash. Requires CharacterDash. The RetroBlobDash enemy in the RetroAI demo scene uses it.
- AIActionDoNothing : as the name implies, does nothing. Just waits there.
- AIActionFlyTowardsTarget : you'll need a CharacterFly ability for this one. Makes the character fly up to the specified MinimumDistance in the direction of the target. That's how the RetroGhosts move.
- AIActionFlyPatrol : allows a flying character to patrol through a set of node.
- AIActionJump : performs the defined number of jumps. Look below for a breakdown of how this class works.
- AIActionMoveAwayFromTarget : directs the CharacterHorizontalMovement ability to move in the opposite direction of the target.
- AIActionMoveTowardsTarget : directs the CharacterHorizontalMovement ability to move in the direction of the target.
- AIActionPatrol : patrols until it (optionally) hits a wall or a hole.
- AIActionPatrolWithinBounds : same thing but you can also define left and right bounds that the character can't exceed.
- AIActionShoot : shoots using the currently equipped weapon. If your weapon is in auto mode, will shoot until you exit the state, and will only shoot once in SemiAuto mode. You can optionnally have the character face (left/right) the target, and aim at it (if the weapon has a WeaponAim component).
Just like everything else in the engine, you're encouraged to create your own. Let's look at an Action's code to see how it works :
public class AIActionJump : AIAction
public int NumberOfJumps = 1;
protected CharacterJump _characterJump;
protected int _numberOfJumps = 0;
protected override void Initialization()
_characterJump = this.gameObject.GetComponent<CharacterJump>();
public override void PerformAction()
protected virtual void Jump()
if (_numberOfJumps < NumberOfJumps)
public override void OnEnterState()
_numberOfJumps = 0;
As you can see this class overrides a few methods :
- Initialization, in which we'll do whatever we need to do to initialize our Action, in this case we store the CharacterJump ability for future use.
- PerformAction : this will be called everytime our character is in the state this Action is in. In this case we'll just call our Jump method, that in turns calls the CharacterJump ability's JumpStart method if our conditions are met.
- OnEnterState : everytime we'll go back to the state that contains this Action, we'll want to reset our current number of jumps.
- AIDecisionDetectTargetLine : will return true if any object on its TargetLayer layermask enters its line of sight. It will also set the Brain's Target to that object. You can choose to have it in ray mode, in which case its line of sight will be an actual line (a raycast), or have it be wider (in which case it'll use a spherecast). You can also specify an offset for the ray's origin, and an obstacle layer mask that will block it.
- AIDecisionTargetRadius : will return true if an object on its TargetLayer layermask is within its specified radius, false otherwise. It will also set the Brain's Target to that object.
- AIDecisionDistanceToTarget : will return true if the current Brain's Target is within the specified range, false otherwise.
- AIDecisionGrounded : will return true if the character is grounded, false otherwise.
- AIDecisionHealth : will return true if the specified Health conditions are met. You can have it be lower, strictly lower, equal, higher or strictly higher than the specified value.
- AIDecisionHit : returns true if the Character got hit this frame, or after the specified number of hits has been reached.
- AIDecisionNextFrame : will return true when entering the state this Decision is on.
- AIDecisionTargetFacingAI : will return true if the Brain's current target is facing this character. Yes, it's quite specific to Ghosts. But hey now you can use it too!
- AIDecisionTargetIsNull : will return true if for some reason the target has become null
- AIDecisionTimeInState : will return true after the specified duration (in seconds) has passed since the Brain has been in the state this decision is in. Use it to do something X seconds after having done something else.
- AIDecisionTimeSinceStart : will return true after the specified duration (in seconds) has passed since the level was loaded.
And just like Actions, it's very easy to create your own Decisions.


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Update on Lawsuits
We will provide updates as available.
Stand Up To Harvard response to Harvard's decision to drop discriminatory sanctions policy:
June 29, 2020
Dani Weatherford, CEO of the National Panhellenic Conference, and Judson Horras, CEO of the North American Interfraternity Conference, released the following joint statement on Harvard's decision to drop its sanctions policy:
While we believe the discriminatory nature of Harvard's policy was apparent long ago, we are nonetheless gratified to see that Harvard will no longer seek to enforce such an unlawful policy.
Our focus has always been on the freedom of association rights of students and on the particularly acute harm that this policy has done to women's-only organizations on Harvard's campus. Today's announcement from the university is nothing short of an admission that their policy was misguided and openly discriminatory based on sex. This should serve as a lesson to Harvard and other universities—students are free to associate with other students without regard to their gender, and targeting single-sex student organizations is illegal and wrong.
While we are pleased that this policy will no longer hang over Harvard students, we are also painfully aware that its effects will linger – particularly for women's-only organizations that were decimated by this policy.
Preliminary or Permanent Injunction sought in case against Harvard's Discriminatory Policy
June 29, 2020
Today, plaintiffs in the federal case challenging Harvard's sanctions policy that punishes students for joining single-sex social organizations filed a motion for a preliminary or permanent injunction. Under the U.S. Supreme Court's recent landmark civil rights decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Harvard's policy unquestionably constitutes unlawful sex discrimination in violation of Title IX. Additionally, internal Harvard documents produced in the case demonstrate that Harvard's policy was motivated by impermissible sex stereotypes and anti-male bias, also in violation of Title IX.
Both federal and state courts previously rejected Harvard's efforts to dismiss the challenges to its discriminatory policy.
Dani Weatherford, CEO of the National Panhellenic Conference, and Judson Horras, CEO of the North American Interfraternity Conference, released the following joint statement in support of the motion:
"The recent Supreme Court decision in the Bostock case confirms what we have always known—Harvard's policy punishing students for belonging to single-sex organizations is unlawful sex discrimination, through and through. Rather than continue devoting time and money to an obviously losing litigation effort, Harvard should withdraw its discriminatory policy and work cooperatively with student organizations to plan for a safe return to campus this fall.
"Harvard's discriminatory policy has done enough harm already. It has decimated Harvard women's groups and created a culture of fear and distrust. Harvard should stop discriminating against its students on the basis of sex, immediately."
DOWNLOAD: PDF of Motion, Internal Harvard Documents supporting motion
Second court rejects Harvard efforts to dismiss challenges to discriminatory policy
January 16, 2020
A state court judge has denied Harvard's motion to dismiss sororities' legal challenge to Harvard's policy punishing students who participate in single-sex organizations.
"This decision recognizes what we've long known to be true: that sorority members have rights to freedom of association and should be free from sex discrimination," said Emma Quinn-Judge of Zalkind Duncan & Bernstein LLP, a lawyer for the plaintiffs in the state case.
"Yet again, a court has thoroughly rejected Harvard's arguments and concluded that there's more than sufficient evidence that Harvard interfered with the constitutionally protected rights of its female students," said Quinn-Judge. "Not only did the court reaffirm that these plaintiff sororities deserve the chance to fight for their members' rights in court, but the ruling emphasized that Harvard's policy has had a disproportionate impact on women. Two courts have now concluded that Harvard's policy may be discriminatory and unlawful. Harvard should listen to the courts and stop taking opportunities away from its students."
Additionally, Dani Weatherford, CEO of the National Panhellenic Conference, Judson Horras, CEO of the North American Interfraternity Conference, released the following joint statement in response to Judge Linda E. Giles' decision to reject Harvard's motion to dismiss a state lawsuit challenging its policy of inflicting sanctions on students who are members of single-sex groups:
"For a second time, a court has found what is obvious to nearly anyone who's looked at this case: There is considerable evidence that Harvard's policies have violated the rights of its students and done unique harm to women's spaces in particular.
"It is now long-past time for Harvard to repeal this discriminatory policy. Instead of enforcing a policy that tramples students' rights at Harvard, we hope the university will join us in productive dialogue about building a healthy and more inclusive campus culture.
"While we remain confident that the facts of this case remain on the side of the students we represent, we know that we can build a stronger culture if we work together as partners."
DOWNLOAD: PDF of Ruling
Federal District Judge Denies Harvard's Motion to Dismiss
Sororities, fraternities, students in response to Harvard motion: You can't dismiss us or our rights
March 22, 2019
BOSTON – Today, sororities, fraternities and students respond to Harvard's motions to dismiss a pair of lawsuits challenging the university sanctions policy that punishes students who join off-campus, single-sex social organizations. The lawsuits describe how Harvard used a campaign of threats and intimidation to scare students into abandoning their fundamental rights to free association and to live free of sex discrimination.
"Students do not give up their constitutional rights when they enroll at Harvard or on any other campus," said Carole Jones, Chairman of the National Panhellenic Conference which works with 26 international sororities, including the sorority plaintiffs.
Harvard's sanctions policy denies women who join women's clubs and men who join men's clubs the opportunity to hold on-campus leadership roles or to apply for prestigious post-graduate fellowships that require an institutional endorsement.
"Harvard ignores the devastating impact its actions have had on women's spaces and women's single-sex organizations, which unlike similar male organizations, have been nearly destroyed. Their response has brushed off these very reasonable concerns as 'incidental,'" Jones said.
Regardless of Harvard's ever-shifting justifications for the sanctions policy, Harvard now punishes students for their associations with other students of the same sex based on sexist stereotypes. Such a policy violates the most basic tenet of Title IX, that schools not discriminate against students "on the basis of sex."
"I find it baffling that Harvard boasts that its students are among the brightest minds in the world, yet administrators won't trust them to make decisions about how they choose to associate with one another," said Judson Horras, the President and CEO of the North American Interfraternity Conference which works with 66 international men's fraternities, including the fraternity plaintiffs.
Harvard Still Doesn't Get it
February 17, 2019
Harvard Responds
When we launched this campaign, we didn't know how Harvard would respond. Well, now we do.
And rather than listen to thousands who've stood up to protect student rights, Harvard is digging in. Last week, Harvard's attorneys filed a motion to dismiss our lawsuits challenging their misguided policies.
It is clearer than ever that Harvard does not care about the effect its policy has had on student rights. They are blind – or indifferent – to its destructive effect on women's spaces and women's organizations. They continue to punish student leaders for fraternity and sorority membership. By filing this motion to dismiss, Harvard is demonstrating just how hard they're willing to fight to ensure that their discriminatory policy will be allowed to stand.
Harvard's response to our campaign only reinforces the importance of the work to come in the weeks and months ahead. We're inspired by your voice and ask for your continued support as we continue this critical fight.
Want more frequent updates? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
In Case You Missed It
You've been hard at work making you voices heard. And the media are taking notice. Don't miss the latest writing about the stakes of this campaign and why it's critical that we continue to stand up to Harvard.
- "When students form their own organizations on their own time, with their own money and away from campus, and aren't breaking any laws, the only way to put it is bluntly: Their social lives are none of Harvard's business." —Los Angeles Times editorial board
- "Can sexual assault be the justification for a forced closure of sororities? Alternatively, does a policy that forces the closure of female-only spaces really combat sexual assault? The answer is no, and the notion that such a conclusion may be defended is ridiculous." —Harvard Crimson, editorial by editor Noah Dasanaike
- "The fallout from [Harvard's policy] has been largely on women." —Tulsa World, editorial by writer Ginnie Graham
- Want to read more? Don't miss all the latest news and commentary at standuptoharvard.org.
The months ahead will be critical as we continue this campaign and we're so grateful that you're standing with us.
Thank you for your continued support,
Sororities, Fraternities, Students File Federal and State Suits that Challenge Harvard's Ban on Single-Sex Organizations
December 3, 2018 CAMBRIDGE, MASS.— Today, sororities, fraternities and students filed a pair of lawsuits challenging a Harvard sanctions policy that punishes students who join off-campus, single-sex social organizations. The lawsuits describe how Harvard used a campaign of threats and intimidation to scare students into abandoning their fundamental rights to free association and to live free of sex discrimination.
- Read the complaint filed in federal court here.
- Read the complaint filed in Massachusetts court here.
In the federal suit, a broad coalition of students and women's and men's organizations impacted by Harvard's sanctions—two international sororities, two international fraternities, a Cambridge fraternity chapter, and three current Harvard students—assert that through the sanctions policy, the President and Fellows of Harvard College have interfered with students' right to be free of sex discrimination, as guaranteed by Title IX and the U.S. Constitution.
In the suit filed in Massachusetts court, three women's organizations—an international sorority, one of its chapters, and a sorority housing corporation—assert that Harvard has interfered with student's rights to free association and equal treatment based on sex, both of which are protected by the Massachusetts Constitution. Alleging violations of the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act, the suit seeks to bring a stop to Harvard's sanctions by calling for an injunction prohibiting the University from continuing to unlawfully punish students.
"As a result of this policy, almost all of the once vibrant sororities and women's final clubs open to Harvard women have either closed or had to renounce their proud status as women's social organizations," said Renee Zainer, International President of Alpha Phi, a plaintiff organization in the state case. "Together, we are standing up to Harvard on behalf of all students, because they have the right to shape their own leadership and social paths. Harvard simply can't erase the spaces students value for support and opportunity."
Title IX has long recognized the important role single-sex organizations can play in student development, which is why it includes special protections for fraternities and sororities. Yet Harvard's sanctions policy discriminates on the basis of sex and restricts the sex of people with whom students may associate, dictating punishments based on gender stereotypes.
"Sororities, fraternities and students sued Harvard today because its sanctions policy is discriminatory and unlawful," said R. Stanton Jones of Arnold & Porter, a lawyer for the plaintiffs in the federal case. "The disregard of students' basic freedoms and the destruction of the women's groups is indefensible. Harvard should get out of the business of trying to dictate who students spend their time with off campus."
Both complaints recount Harvard's campaign of threats and coercion in unveiling and implementing the sanctions policy and document the particular devastation the policy has wrought on all-women's social organizations despite their proven value. Harvard undergraduates have been deterred from joining sororities, and the private, off-campus spaces sororities used for their communities sit empty.
"Harvard has eliminated the range of opportunities available to female students—and with it, spaces that were empowering for women," said Emma Quinn-Judge of Zalkind Duncan & Bernstein LLP, a lawyer for the plaintiffs in the Massachusetts case. "Harvard's sanctions policy discriminates on the basis of sex and punishes students because they associate with people of their own sex."
The plaintiffs and lawsuits have a breadth of support from nearly 100 single-sex organizations, including the 26 sororities of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), the 66 fraternities of the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), and the organizations in the Cambridge Coalition. Learn more at standuptoharvard.org.
"It is baffling that Harvard boasts that its students are among the brightest minds in the world, yet administrators won't trust them to make decisions about how they choose to associate with one another," said Judson Horras, the President and CEO of the North American Interfraternity Conference, which works with 66 international men's fraternities, including the fraternity plaintiffs. "Harvard ignores the proven value of single-sex experiences, despite the fact that Drew Faust, the Harvard President who put the sanctions into place, benefitted from attending an all-women's academy and college, and current President Lawrence Bacow has publicly praised the value of his own fraternity experience."
The plaintiffs in the Massachusetts suit are women's organizations whose missions are to create opportunities, resources and sustainable networks for women:
- Alpha Phi, an international sorority headquartered in Evanston, Illinois, with 171 chapters and more than 250,000 members throughout its existence;
- Alpha Phi – Iota Tau, the local chapter of Alpha Phi in Cambridge;
- Delta Gamma Fraternity Management Corporation, an Ohio non-for-profit corporation that supports the chapters of Delta Gamma international sorority.
The plaintiffs in the federal suit are representative of those negatively impacted by Harvard's sanctions:
- Kappa Alpha Theta, an international sorority headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, with 147 chapters and over 250,000 members;
- Kappa Kappa Gamma, an international sorority headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, with 144 chapters and more than 280,000 members;
- Sigma Chi, an international men's fraternity headquartered in Evanston, Illinois, with 236 chapters and more than 340,000 members;
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon, an international men's fraternity headquartered in Evanston, Illinois, with 221 chapters and over 340,000 members;
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon – Massachusetts Gamma, the local chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon in Cambridge;
- Three current Harvard students who are members of men's organizations.


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Adopt A Pet At Nationwide Adoption Weekend November eleven
Pets Alive is a no-kill animal rescue, situated in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains, about 1 half of hours from New York City. Pets Alive works with the Office of the Aging to offer senior pets to senior citizens. No need to make a reservation, just be right here at Pets Alive, 363 Derby Highway, Middletown, NY by 12:00 PM able to discover ways to safely interact with the animals at Pets Alive!
These days there are even beauty parlors for pets as well which assist in complete grooming and cleansing of the canines. Not solely do our pets exude warmth and unconditional love, however they take us out of ourselves with a tender nudge for attention, or a cheerful bark inviting us to play Frisbee out in the fresh air. Phrases and conditions of this supply are topic to vary at the sole discretion of PetSmart.
Although, you can journey with a checked pet from Japan to Los Angeles (LAX), pets usually are not allowed as checked baggage to Japan. PONs adapt properly to different situations, and are popular as pets dogs for house dwellers of their native Poland. American Eagle doesn't accept pets as checked baggage for Precedence Parcel Service between San Juan (SJU) and St. Kitts (SKB). It has a wide range of colors, starting from black and white, brown black, white and others blue. A clothing and shoe recycling program is a enjoyable and straightforward method to assist others plus fundraise for Pets Alive on the identical time!
Assist Pets Alive every time you shop on-line and search the online by downloading the GoodSearch Pets Alive toolbar or use the iGive toolbar We get 2 cents for every search you make. Greater than a dozen places are ready for us, and we are limited SOLELY because of our want for extra volunteers for this program.
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What a summer! We have enjoyed some magnificent weather and this, combined with good seas, has really allowed everyone to enjoy the benefits of the Sunshine Coast.
The fishing scene has been great with strong runs of big pelagics like spotty and Spanish mackerel, mahi mahi, cobia, wahoo, sailfish and marlin running on the shallow inner reef systems and way out beyond the Barwon Banks. The inner areas such as the Gneerings have really fired allowing small boat owners to get amongst some prize fish.
I have seen snapper (in the middle of summer), sweetlip, cod, kingfish, cobia pearl perch and mackerel all taken around these areas over the past couple of months on dead and live baits. Some of the better mackerel have been taken on shallow running lures and for those who use the downriggers, you have the advantage of putting your baits and lures right under the fish's nose, which is a great help.
The baitfish have been around in big numbers, which has helped bring in the bigger species and to keep the reefies around. I have noticed that it is about 8am before the bait started to really school up and later in the day you can target the big schools of bait knowing that some monsters are in amongst them filling up.
The wider reefs such as the Barwon Banks, which is situated approx 41km east from Mooloolaba, also ran hot with big bull mahi mahi, cobia, wahoo, marlin, tuna (including yellowfin) and a host of other big fish species. Now is the time to get out on the rocky areas or smaller reef patches to target gold spot wrasse, parrot and Maori cod or hit the wire weed beds for pearl perch. Wide Caloundra is one of the better spots to target. Fishing around the Caloundra 5 and 7 mile has produced some good size cod and parrot with a mixture of reefies amongst them. Make sure if you are going to anchor that you set up a good, consistent berley trail and keep it up while the fish are biting.
Overall there is a wide selection of fishing opportunities at this time of year so plan your trip outside well and don't forget that live bait is always better.
Fishing the estuaries around Mooloolaba and Maroochydore have produced plenty of trevally, bream and whiting of late, particularly around the rocks walls at the mouth of the Mooloolaba Bar and along the wall at La Balsa Park. The jetties around the trawlers and long liners provide plenty of entertainment particularly at night on the making tide for big bream and trevally. Live prawns or fresh squid are a couple of the gun baits if you can get them.
The Pumicestone Passage has had a fair run of queenies, trevally, mangrove jack and flathead mostly centred around the Caloundra Bar area. The deeper channel holds all types of species but it is important to pick your times carefully and fish either side of the run when the water is at its slowest point but still just moving. You will find it difficult to fish at full run and once you need to anchor your line down with more than 8oz of lead then it really becomes a hit and miss affair with the fish.
The whiting should be the target species this month and, together with early season sea mullet, will keep fresh fish on the table. The crabs have been on and off, and with only scattered rain it is difficult to see that changing in a hurry. We caught two nice muddies down the southern end of the Passage but they had very little meat in them and were returned to the water to fight another day. There is a stack of gar, mullet, hardiheads and sprat available within the Passage for use as live bait and you will find these useful when fishing off the Boardwalk or the deep water areas. You will often catch bull sharks on your live baits and believe me there are plenty around at the moment.
Next full moon will be time to really tackle the squid. Set out to Old Womans Island or have a squid jig attached to your rig when fishing the bottom outside because they are around.
This month try fishing the back canals around Kawana and Minyama for early mulloway and trevally and work the bridge pylons with your soft plastics for bream and tarwhine. There are ample opportunities to fish around the area as a land-based angler. It only takes a little time to get around and target areas that would be worth throwing a line in. If you have not got a telescopic rod then invest in one and throw it in the car. There is something about being able to pull up anywhere and cast a line in within 5 minutes to test the waters.
The beach scene has been a little unpredictable but there are certainly plenty of bull sharks and rays around. Tarwhine and average size bream have been taken in the holes at high tide along the Wurtulla Strip with dart making up the numbers. The sad thing about the dart as we have mentioned before is that they take your bait so quickly and often it is before you are able to get your line tight, so be prepared.
The other alternative is to use tougher baits like mullet strips or flesh from other fish and even fresh squid to give your-self a better chance. A slice of pilchard tail is also a bait that will last and normally it will attract most fish. Again use berley when you are at the beach and keep it going until you are finished your session.
Late season big Spaniards, cobia and amberjack should be a target for this month along with the reef species I have mention. Spend some time trolling around Currimundi Reef and Brays Rock for these species if you have the time because it is great fun. Look to the beaches and estuaries to get your whiting and bream over the coming month as there will be plenty around.Reads: 1028


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Daily Archives: June 4, 2010
Torturer In Chief Rears His Ugly Head
This week former Decider in Chief, George W. Bush admitted (finally) that his administration ordered the illegal torture of detainees. On Wednesday, while speaking at the Economic Club of Grand Rapids, he said he has no regrets about authorizing the controversial waterboarding technique to interrogate terrorist suspects and wouldn't hesitate to do so again. His exact words?
Yeah, we waterboarded Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, I'd do it again to save lives.
Problem number one with Bush's assertion is that the waterboarding of Mohammed did not save any lives. Indeed, it likely only produced misinformation. As the Los Angeles Times reported last summer, the torture only resulted in misinformation:
Self-proclaimed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed told U.S. military officials that he had lied to the CIA after being abused, according to documents made public Monday. The claim is likely to intensify the debate over whether harsh interrogation techniques generated accurate information.
Mohammed made the assertion during hearings at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where he was transferred in 2006 after being held at secret CIA sites since his capture in 2003.
"I make up stories," Mohammed said, describing in broken English an interrogation probably administered by the CIA concerning the whereabouts of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. "Where is he? I don't know. Then, he torture me," Mohammed said of his interrogator. "Then I said, 'Yes, he is in this area.' "
Mohammed also appeared to say that he had fingered people he did not know as being Al Qaeda members in order to avoid abusive treatment. Although there is no way to corroborate his statements, Mohammed is one of the militants whom the CIA repeatedly subjected to the simulated-drowning technique known as waterboarding. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-cia-detainee16-2009jun16,0,316330.story
Problem number two with Bush's assertion is that he directly contradicted his previous assurances to the American people that "We do not torture". If Bush is trying to conclude that waterboarding is not torture, he is wrong. U.S. Code section 2340 defines torture as follows:
(1) "torture" means an act committed by a person acting under the color of law specifically intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering (other than pain or suffering incidental to lawful sanctions) upon another person within his custody or physical control;(2) "severe mental pain or suffering" means the prolonged mental harm caused by or resulting from—(B) the administration or application, or threatened administration or application, of mind-altering substances or other procedures calculated to disrupt profoundly the senses or the personality;
immobilizing the victim on his or her back with the head inclined downwards, and then pouring water over the face and into the breathing passages. By forced suffocation and inhalation of water, the subject experiences drowning and is caused to believe they are about to die. {See,White, Josh (November 8, 2007). "Waterboarding Is Torture, Says Ex-Navy Instructor". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/08/AR2007110802150.html. Retrieved on December 17, 2007.}
Conservative columnist, Christopher Hitchens voluntarily experienced waterboarding twice in 2008. He lasted 12 seconds the first time and 19 seconds on the next attempt. Of the experience, he said,
There is a common misconception that waterboarding simulates the sensation of drowning, but you are to all intents and purposes actually drowning.if waterboarding does not constitute torture, then there is no such thing as torture. Believe me. It's torture. {SeeHitchens, Christopher (August 2008). "Believe Me, It's Torture". Vanity Fair. http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/08/hitchens200808. Retrieved on April 17, 2009.
It is also worth noting that both John McCain and Mike Huckabee defined waterboarding as torture during their respective 2008 campaigns. It seems obvious that McCain knows a little bit about the subject of torture.
It would appear obvious from a reading of both definitions and from Hitchen's description that waterboarding is torture. Furthermore, the United States has a past record of prosecuting water torture as a war crime. In 1947, a Japanese civilian who had served in the Japanese military as an interpreter was convicted for, among other things, committing water torture. The alleged water torture was specified as consisting of "forcing water into {the} mouths and noses" of two prisoners. http://www.2008electionprocon.org/pdf/asano_case.pdf . Sounds a lot like waterboarding, doesn't it? So, let's not let former Bush administration officials and Fox News sycophants get away with denying that it is torture and it is illegal.
Next, we must deal with the justification for waterboarding on the basis that it yielded valuable intelligence. Forget it. This is a red herring of an argument. If waterboarding is torture and therefore a criminal act, it matters not what valuable information was gleemed therefrom. The United States is a nation of laws. As an example, consider this scenario. Larceny is an illegal criminal act. Inasmuch as the U.S. Government's computer systems seem to get hacked on a near daily basis, it would be quite valuable for the government to acquire a more sophisticated security system. It would be illegal, however for the government to acquire such a system by means of simply stealing it from say Microsoft. Indeed, the United States justice system would prevent or redress just such an action.
OK then, now that we're finished with that, let's have some fun with a song parody…
F Troop link: http://www.televisiontunes.com/F_Troop.html
(sung to the television theme of "F Troop")
The dawn of the Iraq War was near
When coincidentally
Cheney and Bush got the limits pushed
And commenced torturous brutality.
The methods employed often maimed and killed
Which pleased Cheney's vicious group.
The waterboard trick both chilled and thrilled
Nobody was appalled they were called Bush Troop.
With testicle bites and really bright lights
Their victims sure took a lickin'
From draft dodging war hawks
Who are just chickens.
When killing and maiming get them down
They know their morale can't droop.
As long as they own old D.C. Town
They are sure to resume with a bang and a boom
Bush Troop.


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A few of my recent favorites…
1. This post from Like Real Life, one of my favorite mommy blogs (though dangitall, there has to be a less condescending term for a blog that is mostly about parenting and written by a mother).
"It is not all a pleasure, although there are many moments of pleasure. It is not all fun even though there are plenty of fun moments. It's that all those moments, whether a pleasure or a pain add up to something. It's an exhausted, messy kind of happiness, like finally crawling up the stairs to bed at night and seeing them sleeping, breathing slowly, their soft little fingers twitching in a dream."
This speaks to me as a parent, and just as a person. All our moments add up to something. They add up to a life.
2. This Side Table. I have no idea why I love this, but I do. It won't go with anything in my house, but I don't think I care. (There is a good chance I just used my husband's credit card to order it. It was on sale! Merry Christmas to me!)
3. These customized library totes for kids by SixpencePress. Because I am a big dork. I'm contemplating getting these for my 3 dumplings for Christmas. We love books. And we love our library. They'll be psyched about getting a personalized tote bag instead of a My Little Pony, or 2.5 foot tall Imaginext Ultra T-Rex, right? Who needs toys when you've got totes?!
4. My final favorite is this quote by Charlie Chaplin:
You need power only when you want to do something harmful. Otherwise, love is enough to get everything done.
You tell 'em, Charlie.
(As always, links are for your convenience. None of them are affiliate links.)


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Government policies for working families have gone backwards over the last three years.
It is becoming increasingly hard for new mums to afford time off with their babies and to afford childcare when they return to work.
This Federal Election, parents will be looking at how each party will help their family - especially with paid parental leave (PPL), the rising cost of childcare and ensuring all schools have the resources they need for our kids to thrive.
After three years of inaction and broken promises on PPL and childcare, we aren't asking for much from our leaders - we just want to be heading in the right direction.
We want our representatives to step up with a credible plan to help mums have enough time with their newborn babies and eventually return to work without having to struggle with skyrocketing childcare costs.
Ultimately, when we go to vote - we will support politicians who support our families. Every person who signs up to our pledge helps us build a unified front that can show the candidates running for office we mean business.
That's why I'm calling for fairer parenting policies this election.


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Under the general direction of the Board of Directors and specific supervision by the President of the Board of Directors, the CEO serves as the association's chief executive officer, assists the Board of Directors in development of the organization's mission, goals, strategic objectives and related policies and maintains primary responsibility for their implementation, is responsible for general and active management of the business of the association and its subsidiaries in accordance with the adopted policies, direction and instruction of the Board of Directors, Executive Committee or the duly authorized representative of either.
College graduate, with emphasis on management, accounting, lobbying, fund development and human relations. Experience in association management.
Skilled oral and written communications; understanding of the legislative process and government relations; understanding of group dynamics; budgeting and financial management skills; human relation skills, organization skills, resource allocation skills, understanding of public relations and media skills, marketing skills, ability to travel; have access to an automobile.
It is understood that because this is an exempt staff position, overtime and/or compensatory time will not be paid or accrued.
WHCA/WiCAL is an equal opportunity employer.


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Hailee Steinfeld Crushes It With 'Most Girls' At Macy's 4th Of July Celebration
Preach it! Hailee Steinfeld helped celebrate America's birthday with a killer performance of 'Most Girls' at the annual Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular on NBC. We've got the video, right here.
So amazing! Hailee Steinfeld has one of our favorite jams of the summer with her hit "Most Girls" and it was only fitting that she helped celebrate the season's best holiday by performing it at the 41st annual Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular. The NBC tradition had the 20-year-old on for the very first time as she wowed the audience in a super patriotic outfit. Her red, white and blue color blocked cropped sweater showed off her perfectly toned abs, while her matching white mini-skirt featured our country's flag colors in stripes. We just LOVE her empowering anthem and she was surrounded by female dancers onstage with the iconic Empire State Building right behind her. She returned later in the show to perform her mega-hit "Starving" where she got to show off some super sexy moves.
The Oscar nominated actress has been all over the place promoting her song and amping up her singing career. She performed her massive hit on ABC's Dancing with the Stars on May 23, as well as the Radio Disney Awards along with her other song "Starving." She's totally focused on music these days, with only one film role lined up and that isn't until 2018. No wonder she's hustling up big gigs like the Macy's Fireworks Spectacular to help get as wide an audience as possible.
Fortunately Hailee was able to pre-tape the performance which left her free to spend the holiday with friends and family and unlike in years past, there was no massive holiday bash at BFF Taylor Swift's Rhode Island house this year. It's still thrilling that Hailee was able to help get us all stoked for the massive fireworks show, which is the biggest in the nation. Five barges along the Hudson River will launch 60,000 canisters to light up the New York City skyline in such a spectacular way.
HollywoodLifers, what did you think of Hailee's performance at the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular? Is "Most Girls" one of your favorite jams of the summer?


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My name is Kim Sølve. I was born in 1978 and live in Oslo, Norway.
The relentless rain this summer has given me time to catch up on some things I should have done a long time ago. Most importantly establishing this blog. It's main purpose is to be a source of information about the various projects I'm involved in, especially Swarms and K100, which together with my visual artworks make up Unreality. I also plan to use it to shed some "unlight" on my other outlets of inner turmoil, such as M, Delirium Bound, Blitzkrieg Baby, Pronounced "sex" and my daytime occupation as art director at Trine + Kim Design Studio.
I've been making music since I was 14. I had been escaping dysfunctionality by immersing myself in music since kindergarten, but it was in the throws of my teenage love affair with Black Metal that I began writing music in 1992/93. However, I soon strayed off the Black Metal path when I started to feel that norms and rules were increasingly being worshiped at the cost of individualism, musical open-mindedness and sincerity. Since then I have been making music relentlessly, always working but never sharing anything outside a small circle of close friends.
In late 2007 I fell ill, and spent several months in a state of confusion and depression, struggling with panic disorders. When things were at their darkest and just seemed to keep getting darker, I realized that my only way out of the pit I seemed to be digging for myself was to start completing and releasing my personal work, as it seemed to be the only way I could feel complete, the only way to achieve a necessary sense of closure.
I began releasing my music last summer, in 2008, with Swarms' "The silver hour" (on Vendlus) in July and Pronounced "sex" "XXX" (on Interregnum) in August.
Pronounced "sex" is my cooperation with Zweizz (Fleurety, Umoral, MAZ, ex-DHG). The track "Earthquake from behind" was used in Bruce LaBruce's erotic zombie flick "OTTO; or, up with dead people". "XXX" can be ordered from Interregnum, but there are not many copies left so be quick if you want one.
Here's a selection of what some other people have said about "XXX":
"The seven tracks of this album are vast spaces with black corridors, synth ambient washes and unstable and disquieting atmospheres." Source unknown.
"(...) the two core members of Pronounced Sex have recorded, manipulated and restructured a wonderful collection of single- or maximum double-layer noise drones, that refresh the mind with the sort of ambience found in "Eraserhead" or steel factories late at night when it has closed down for the day." Monochrom
"En af mine kammerater fortalte mig engang om en film, som han kun havde set halvdelen af, fordi den var for uhyggelig. Den foregår nede i en kæmpe grotte, hvor en gruppe naive piger går nervøse rundt, fordi de ikke kan finde ud igen. Selvom man ikke ser monsteret, ved man, at det er det, der dræber pigerne en for en. Sådan lyder XXX. Uhyggeligt." Undertoner.dk
"If either William Burroughs or HP Lovecraft hadn't turned their hands to the written word and had taken up music instead, this is how their strange missives from inhuman dimensions most probably would have sounded. (...) Make no mistake, this is a deeply disturbing and terrifying album, one which plumbs Stygian depths that very few other dark ambient albums get down to." Heathen Harvest
"Musikken er kraftfull og kresen; det er ingen bruk av lettvint sjokktaktikk eller utbrukte virkemidler. Dessuten låter det fortreffelig - denne må spilles høyt." Lyd fra baksiden
"That part of the album has been used as the soundtrack for underground zombie-flicks makes sense, since the atmospheres invites the listener into soundscapes of creepy darkness." Earlabs
Swarms' first album, "The silver hour" was classified by some as dark ambient. Here's some review quotes.
" (...) And I think that is where this project derives its power from, a power to both scare and unsettle. Certainly there's a slow but icy-cold undercurrent of malice rippling through the whole, like some underground stream bubbling gently but freezingly through the hidden places of this world." Heathen Harvest
"The expression is extremely dark turning associations towards classics such as Lustmord's "The place where the black stars hang" (Soleilmoon, 1994) and Inade's "Aldebaran" (Cold Spring, 1996)." Earlabs
Didrik Söderlind did an interview with me for Knokkelklang about "The silver hour", and I was also interviewed by Olivier Cote here. "The silver hour" can be ordered from Vendlus (US), Malignant Records (US), Nuit Et Brouillard (FR) or Cyclic Law (CAN).
There's a lot more in the pipeline; years' worth of intense nighttime production. First and foremost there's my solo venture K100, I'll be releasing the debut "The feral silence" on a new, exciting Canadian label this year. This is the sister album to Swarms' "The silver hour".
Following that will be the calmer and more subtle K100 albums "Vault of apparitions" and "Sea mirror", both albums are in the final stages of mixing after being in the making for 7 years. They're both being mixed by my close associate Petter Berntsen. Neither of these two releases have any labels or dates tied to them yet. I am very much open to hearing from any parties that might be interested in working with K100/Unreality.
Then there's a new album coming from Swarms — my cooperation with Bjeima (Yurei, The Ghost Conspiracy, M, Delirium Bound, Konstriktor, ex-Rex), Petter Berntsen (M, Virus, Audiopain, Denture) and Qeriq (—). We have been composing music for modern ballet performances for some time now. This album, still untitled, is partly based on commissioned work from the last 5 years. If you have "The Silver Hour" the upcoming material will be both a surprise and a natural continuation. Perpetual mutation.
Outside the circle of Unreality things are also on the move:
My Blitzkrieg Baby has grown into such a monster since its birth in 2001 and has now agreed with prime industrial/whatnot label Neuropa (Toroidh, Der Feuerkreiner, etc.) to release "Misantropicana", the first in a series of albums of absolute negativity and disbelief in mankind. Wrapping up a Blitzkrieg Baby album is not unlike how I picture it would feel to have a cancer tumor removed. If the tumor had the shape of a pig. Release date is not set.
This year M will also finish recording our debut "M plays tuxedo classics", 17 years after the band was founded. It's been a long time coming. The line-up consists of Bjeima, Petter Berntsen, Member 01 (The Konsortium, ex-Rex) and me. It might be worth the wait.
Then there's Delirium Bound. The god-faced dogs have been locked up in the basement for too long and are foaming at the mouth. Thrash metal? Perhaps. We will release our debut "Delirium, dissonance and death" as soon as recording is finished. Only vocals left now. We are thankful to all the labels that have shown interest in Delirium Bound in the last 12 months, but we have decided to do things a bit differently on this one. More to be revealed later.


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1. Re: Install Gatein to existing server WildFlykenfinni Jul 28, 2013 9:40 PM (in response to mechtatel)1 of 1 people found this helpful
Unfortunately GateIn does not currently work on any version of Wildfly.
There will possibly be community availability of Wildfly integration in the future, but there is no timeline for it.
2. Re: Install Gatein to existing server WildFlychampagne Jan 3, 2016 11:01 PM (in response to kenfinni)
Hi Ken,
Is there any plan of integrating GateIn Portal with WildFly AS in community?
3. Re: Install Gatein to existing server WildFlytheute Jan 4, 2016 4:05 AM (in response to champagne)
GateIn is an opensource project so in theory anyone could do it, but just so you know, the project is no longer actively developed by Red Hat employees and we don't plan any new release with WildFly support.
4. Re: Install Gatein to existing server WildFlychampagne Jan 6, 2016 4:11 AM (in response to mechtatel)
Oh, it's a bad news.
So GateIn has been given up by RH?
What kind of portal container is available to WilfFly AS, LifeRay or something else?
5. Re: Install Gatein to existing server WildFlychampagne Jan 6, 2016 4:30 AM (in response to mechtatel)
I have tried for more than 8 weeks to integrate GateIn 3.9.x-SNAPSHOT with WildFly AS 10.0.0.CR4, but failed.
I changed some source codes and then packaged GateIn Portal with WildFly AS.
Now WildFly AS can startup successfully with all required applications deployed, but when I try to open the homepage of GateIn Portal, the following errors occur:
2015-12-18 16:43:28,899 DEBUG [portal:ApplicationResourceResolver] (default task-1) Try to extract resource resolver for the url: system:/groovy/portal/webui/application/UIPortlet.gtmpl
2015-12-18 16:43:28,900 INFO [portal:UIPortlet] (default task-1) Could not find portlet with ID : local./redirect-portlet.SiteRedirectPortlet
2015-12-18 16:43:28,912 ERROR [portal:UIPortletLifecycle] (default task-1) Portlet render threw an exception: org.exoplatform.services.portletcontainer.PortletContainerException: org.gatein.pc.api.NoSuchPortletException: No such portlet /redirect-portlet.SiteRedirectPortlet
Caused by: org.gatein.pc.api.NoSuchPortletException: No such portlet /redirect-portlet.SiteRedirectPortlet
I am sure, the portlet of SiteRedirectPortlet is in redirect-portlet.war which is deployed on WildFly AS.
For this error, it seems that the default portal container can't know what portlets in other war applications have been deployed.
Is that the fault of GateIn WCI? How could I to start/stop a WebAppContext in GateIn WCI on WildFly AS?
6. Re: Install Gatein to existing server WildFlytheute Jan 6, 2016 4:33 AM (in response to champagne)
The needs for portals such as GateIn is diminishing with newer frameworks and approaches.
For instance we realized that people liked GateIn for the user management part (and integration with LDAP...), so for that we have a project called Keycloak now (you'll find ex GateIn-developers there), also some aspects are well served with solutions like an MBaaS (like FeedHenry), in most parts those solutions don't have to be used for mobile only solutions.
For all the UI integration, the world is moving from a server side solution (the problem that the portlet spec was solving) to a client side solution, it willl be even easier once the Web Components specification will be implemented in all browsers.
So instead of embracing a whole solution and be constrained users pick and choose the parts they like and are 100% free to deliver the UI they want (all portals have restrictions).
Unless you are looking for ready-to-go applications to build your "portal" (such as email, forum, calendar, WCM...), in that case Liferay and eXo have their own solution (which happen to be based on the same portlet specification) that you can extend with your own portlets. But I don't know if any of the two works with WildFly yet, this is definitely another constraint of such solutions as you depend on the supported platforms.
7. Re: Install Gatein to existing server WildFlychampagne Jan 7, 2016 8:39 PM (in response to theute)
Thanks your reply, Thomas.
I am working to upgrade a part of traditional system from JBoss AS 4.2/JBoss Portal 2.6 to WildFly AS/Portal.
It's a complicate legacy system. We hope to upgrade application server and portal container only, so I am trying to find a portal container workable on WildFly AS.
I have worked on GateIn Portal for a few weeks, it's a hard work without knowing much about GateIn Portal details.


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Dear Parents,
This is the time of year when many of you and other local parents are thinking about new schools for their children. My daughter Esther works at a 3-18 school so for the parents only one decision has to be made. It is harder in Guildford with very many good schools, both state and independent. I am very busy holding meetings at both schools for prospective parents as well as advising year 6 parents about suitable secondary schools.
Talking about our school to new parents is always a pleasant thing to do. It gives me a chance to concentrate on what really matters and what is the HTPD difference to other good schools. We are all aware of what a serious and well thought out decision this is for parents. To entrust your precious child to the care and teaching of a particular school is a very big deal.
Last night we held an open meeting for new parents about Holy Trinity. It featured many of our teachers speaking about their role or year group. It was a very exciting meeting. Teachers are so enthusiastic about their subject as well as the topic, cross-curricular, child-centred and creative approach. We were able to talk about how children learnt, what wider experiences were open to them and the importance of the basic learning tools. Parents seemed pleased by our approach and strategies for success. Please be ambassadors for our school in your neighbourhood. In my annual appraisal report to governors I wrote that the job of headteacher was a great challenge, but that I was supported by four great teams; the children, the staff, the governors and the parents. Thank you so much for all you do to make our school really good.
With best wishes, Richard
Events for next week
Monday 2 December – Thursday 4 December : Christmas productions week
Friday 6 December
As we have always done there will be an optional late start on Friday morning where the children need to be delivered to the Chapel for the advent celebration. All children need to be in to school by 1030.
It is also our Christmas Lunch on Friday, if you have not done so already please remember to return your completed slip to the office.
Future dates for your diary
Tuesday 10 December : Invaders' Market
Wednesday 11 December : Year 5 visit Neasden Temple
Thursday 12 December : Tudor Fayre
Christmas Production
All children need to be in school by 6:30 on the evenings that they are performing. Parents are welcome at that time too for pre performance drinks as there will be no interval. It is expected that the children can be collected by 8pm. Please remember your Santa hat!
Reminder for Christmas Production Tickets
There will be performances of our Christmas production as below:
Monday 2 December – Shackleton & Nightingale at 1.45pm (dress rehearsal, audience welcome) and 7.00pm
Tuesday 3 December – Shackleton & Nightingale at 7.00pm
Wednesday 4 December – Keller & Mandela at 1.45pm (dress rehearsal, audience welcome) and 7.00pm
Thursday 5 December – Keller & Mandela at 7.00pm.
Following additional ticket request fulfillment we still have tickets available for Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday evening.
Great results for the Year 5 boys football teams with two wins against St. Joseph's last week. We are fortunate to have Vicky Elcome from the FA working alongside us in our football rotation this term with all year groups. Vicky will also be joining Julia at Pewley in the New Year.
We will be having our house football tournament week commencing 9 December when the whole school will be taking part during afternoon PE sessions.
Our year 4 netballers enjoyed their first school netball matches yesterday at Rydes Hill and came away with lots of learning and a great sense of excitement playing against another school.
Pop Lacrosse
We have Jenny Simpson, who is the lacrosse coach at Surrey Sports Park coming into Holy Trinity on Thursday 12 December after school to run a taster pop lacrosse session. The session will run from 3.20 to 4.30pm. Please could you let Gillian know if your child is interested in attending as we do need to manage numbers and let Jenny know how many children she will be coaching. It will be on a first come, first serve basis.
Well done to all of the girls who attended the Manor House cross-country on Sunday. It was a lovely crisp morning for running and a good competition. Congratulations to Ayla Darcy who got a bronze medal and the U9 team who came second overall. Great running also by the U11 team who got three runners in the top 10. Thanks also to all of our parents and supporters for giving up their Sunday morning to come along and cheer on all of our runners.
Christmas Fair – Tonight 6-8pm
We look forward to seeing you all tonight at the fair. Please walk if possible, if you do have to drive, please park in the lower playground. Access is via the playground doors. Thank you to everyone who has helped and who is helping tonight.
We are really excited to be able to offer the following for Auction at the fair tonight.
A trip to Eagle Radio for 4 young people (to be supervised by at least one adult)
The hour long session will include:
• Tour of Eagle Radio including the studios
• Meet the Eagle Radio presenters
• A bespoke radio session where attendees will be able to record radio!
Please bring your cheque book along!
Christmas Puddings – will be on sale tonight.
Christmas Play
We are looking for people to help serve drinks at the Christmas Play. The kids are to be dropped off at 6.30pm and the play starts at 7pm, so it will only be a half an hour slot. There is no interval this year so it will be the only opportunity to serve drinks. If you are able to help with set up a bit earlier that would be great too. Please contact Kirsty Stemp and advise which evening you can help on 07720 271242 or email@example.com if you are able to help.
Northbrook Wrapping
Orders have been delivered and should be on their way home, please check with your child.
Christmas Shopping with Easyfundraising You can raise money for the school when you shop online (and not just at Christmas!) For full details and to sign up visit www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/htscguildford Easy fundraising is an entirely free service that allows people to shop directly at their favourite store via the links on the easyfundraising.org.uk website and earn a cash back donation to their school cause once a purchase is made. Donated earnings can be anywhere up to 15%, depending on the retailer and the product that was purchased. There are thousands of stores that are already participating with leading high street brands such as Amazon, WH Smith, M&S etc., making it one of the most effortless fundraising ideas for schools.
Dates for the Diary
Year 3&4 Cake Sale Friday 13 December.
Found: We have a pair of Clark's boys' black shoes in the office. We also have 1 boys' black shoe, size 6.
Lost: Archie Jones in 4S is missing a navy sweatshirt (name on collar) and a navy HT cagoule, also named. Please check your uniform just in case.
Mannativity – The Baby with no Bed – St Catherine's School Theatre, Bramley. December 21st 11.30am and 4.30pm. Tickets £3.50 available from mannaacademy.moonfruit.com Please support this event all proceeds to HMSA and POTS UK Charities.