text:
Q: Serialize Model after removing First off, I'm a garbage C# developer, so don't flame me, but below is what I'm trying to do and a code example of what I'm trying but isn't working.
Goal: Take a model, serialize it into json, write that json to a file on disk.
Model:
namespace My.Dope.Model
{
    [Serializable]
    public class Theme
    {
        [DisplayName("Company Name: ")]
        public string CompanyName { get; set; }

        [DisplayName("Slogan: ")]
        public string Slogan { get; set; }

        [DisplayName("Primary Color: ")]
        public string PrimaryColor { get; set; }

        [DisplayName("Large Logo: ")]
        public HttpPostedFileBase LargeLogo { get; set; }

        [DisplayName("Small Logo: ")]
        public HttpPostedFileBase SmallLogo { get; set; }
    }
}

Some code to maybe serialize it and save it to disk:
using (StreamWriter file = File.CreateText(@"D:\test_theme_json.txt"))
                {
                    JsonSerializer serializer = new JsonSerializer();
                    //serialize object directly into file stream
                    serializer.Serialize(file, theme);
                }

Error:

Unable to serialize the session state. In 'StateServer' and 'SQLServer' mode, ASP.NET will serialize the session state objects, and as a result non-serializable objects or MarshalByRef objects are not permitted. The same restriction applies if similar serialization is done by the custom session state store in 'Custom' mode.

I think it's because of the HttpPostedFileBase items in the model, but I actually don't need those serialized into the JSON file. How can I remove those items, and turn the rest of the model into a .json file that gets saved to the disk?
Thanks for your help!

A:
I actually don't need those serialized into the JSON file

In JSON.NET there is a [JsonIgnore] attribute that you can decorate properties with.
Related: Newtonsoft ignore attributes?

A: To serialize and write it to a file, just do this:
string json = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(theme);
System.IO.File.WriteAllText("yourfile.json", json);


Italian, Francesco Molinari, has finally created a separation between the leader and the chasers at the 2019 Masters but if today's third round is anything to go by then the gap of two shots between Molinari and Tiger Woods and Tony Finau is hardly one for comfort.
The rounds of 64 today by Finau, Webb Simpson and Patrick Cantlay provide an indication as to just how far back we might need to go to identify a potential winner on day four although with the prospect of bad weather dominating the final round then any such considerations may well be pure folly.
So bad is the weather forecast for tomorrow that tournament officials have made the call to bring tees times forward by some five hours, play to be staged in three-balls and both the 1st and 10th tees used to ensure play is finished on schedule.
The possibility of play extending into Monday is one that provides all sorts of logistical complications for the folk at Augusta National and the need to get the championship finished on time is paramount.
Molinari began day three as one of the joint leaders and while it took him six holes to record his first birdie, that he finished the day with just one bogey in his opening 54 holes told the story of his outstanding play and course management throughout the opening three rounds.
A stunning and brave par save from the front bunker at the last, highlighted the manner in which Molinari has gone about his business, his breakthrough victory at last year's Open Championship along with many other fine finishes around that time elevating his status in the eyes of the golfing world and more importantly in his own.
When asked about playing with Tiger Woods in tomorrow's final round, Molinari was quick to point out that there were many others still in the mix.
As he so often is, Woods has been the talk for much of the week and today he created even more chatter with a round of 67 to get within 2 shots of the lead and he, along with Molinari and Finau, will play in the final group tomorrow.
Woods began with a bogey when he pulled his tee shot at the 5th but he bounced back with a birdie at the 6th and was on his way. Five further birdies would come his way and the Tiger Woods roars from the crowds reverberated around Augusta National in a way not heard for some time.
Delightful pitches from short of and behind the green at the par 5 13th and 15th holes respectively moved him within one of the lead and another at the 16th kept him in touch with Molinari who was playing four groups behind and making his own share of birdies.
Finau had been out 90 minutes ahead of the final group and after racing to the turn in 6 under 30, he had the lead at that point. The momentum would slow a little with only two birdies on the way home but at 11 under and just two back he has the chance to win a first Masters in just his second attempt.
Finau recorded a final round of 66 in last year's Masters when finishing in a share 10th. If he was to go anywhere near such brilliance tomorrow, then a breakthrough major is not beyond him.
Brooks Koepka is on his own in 4th place at 10 under and three from the lead as he looks to add a third different and 4th major title to his already outstanding golfing CV.
An eagle after what was a stunning drive and just a short iron approach at the 15th had him on the verge of the lead and although he missed realistic birdie opportunities over the final three holes he is very much in the mix for what promises to be a final day shootout of epic proportions.
Adam Scott and Jason Day finished at 7 and 6 under respectively Scott, in particular, suffering one of his more frustrating days on the greens (and there have been plenty of them) with a series of missed putts from inside ten feet.
The quality of Scott's ball striking might still offer a chance tomorrow if he is able to convert just a few of the many opportunities he is creating but six shots from the lead he will need something special tomorrow and a lot of help from those ahead of him.
Cameron Smith was round in 69 to be at 3 under and in 25th place while Marc Leishman is another shot back in 31st position.


Motherboard's article, "New Tool Automatically Finds and Hacks Vulnerable Internet-Connected Devices" provides a good quick snapshot of the situation. The gem link is the GitHub link to the source though.
The description of the tool, AutoSploit, according to Motherboard, is, "AutoSploit on the other hand, combines Shodan, a sort-of search engine for internet-connected devices, and Metasploit, a well-known penetration testing tool for executing of exploits." Now, do you remember the best quote of the article?


If you have never been to Mid-America you owe it to yourself to check out the racing action.
If you don't believe us, check out the list of Professional riders that have ridden at Mid-America or read our Reviews page.
We know that our spectators and riders come out to see racing and that is what you will see at Mid-America.
Track prep starts early in the week which means that the amount of maintenance required on race night is minimal.
Please see the schedule page for exact start times for each event.
Is signing up for the newsletter just too hard? Well, Text JOINMIDAM to 22828 to signup from your phone.
*Everybody entering the pits must sign a release.
In the event of a rainout, please see Jim for a pass for the next event.


MicroTechPoint and RainmakerForce collaborate to move you forward faster and to help you drive sales predictably.
We'd love to hear from you. Use the form below to contact us with any questions or comments you may have.


text:
Maintaining the Beauty of the Land: Mitigating the Scars Left Behind by Wild Pigs
By Jim Cathey Josh Helcel Brittany Wegner Long Acres Ranch, wild pigs
Maintaining the natural beauty of Long Acres Ranch is an ever-evolving task, and as many land and natural resource managers would say, an immersive experience. Some days end with a handshake with mother nature, but others leave a day's worth of work in front of us. Some jobs only reveal themselves at the next sunrise. For the ranch, my purpose is to ensure we create opportunities for guests and students, young and old, for exploration so that they may witness the grandiose affect that nature can have on our basic comprehension of wildlife and open space.
In contrast, a part of my role is to come face-to-face with the often frustrating challenges of ranch management. In other settings, we would refer to this as conflict resolution, but in the wild, we're pressed to consider the constant interconnectivity of nature; where one solution is enacted, another variable assumes it's position.
More specifically, while travelling through the ranch, one readily observes the areas along the roads, in parking areas, pastures and tree lines where wild pigs (Sus scrofa) have rooted the ground into an uneven, disheveled mess. Such damage, apart from being unsightly, is not ideal to drive or walk over and Scouts would never pitch a tent over such uneven ground. So, just like invasive Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) must be controlled, invasive wild pigs must also be constantly managed to reduce their numerous negative impacts. While my experience in removing these animals has included plenty of trial and error, this article provides a short accounting of what I've experienced thus far.
My name is Scott Lightle, and I assist the Long Acres Ranch manager October Smith in nature-based educational programming as a part of our partnership with the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute; but above all, we work to meet the mission of the Henderson-Wessendorff Foundation to support and encourage people to lead more productive and satisfying lives, to experience and enhance their spirituality and well-being, and to preserve and celebrate nature.
A Short Version of a Long History of Preserving Long Acres Ranch
Tucked away in the Ft. Bend County near Richmond, TX, sits a beautiful, privately-owned property called Long Acres Ranch. Historically managed as farm and ranch land and surrounded by about 2.5 miles of the Brazos River on three sides, the 768-acre ranch has a rich history. This land was initially owned by Jane Long, one of the original 300 members to settle in Texas, also known as the "Old Three Hundred". Long eventually sold pieces of her property, and one such piece was purchased as a homestead in 1939 by Joe A. Wessendorff and his wife, Jane Johnson Wessendorff.
Joe Clyde, Joe A.'s son, married Loise Douglas Henderson in 1947 and eventually inherited the land from his parents. Joe Clyde would later record the Circle 7 brand in Ft. Bend County used to identify the cattle on the property. After the passing of Joe Clyde in 2006 and Loise in 2008, the land was bequeathed to the Henderson-Wessendorff Foundation.
Figure 1. The Circle 7 brand (pictured above), has long been associated with the historic Long Acres Ranch.
Tools of the Trade for Managing Wild Pigs
Upon arrival at Long Acres Ranch I was fortunate to have access to two large corral style traps, both with animal activated head gates. Each trap is constructed of 4 hog panels that are each 16' long and 5' feet tall with 4" mesh. Juvenile wild pigs can often escape through mesh paneling larger than 4", and while adult wild pigs are certainly capable, most will not attempt to jump barriers 5' or higher (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Corral traps constructed of 5' paneling with 4" mesh will prevent juvenile wild pigs from escaping and will deter most adults from attempting to jump out of the enclosure.
T-posts were spaced approximately every 4' around the perimeter fencing. The trap head gates use mechanical trigger systems that utilize a cable running from the trap gate to a tractor tire. Along with the pen-built traps, we also have on the property about a half-dozen smaller box traps. I use trail cameras at my larger traps to monitor activity in the traps throughout the pre-baiting process, and to observe clues involving animal interactions at the trap gate. Game cameras provide valuable information on the number, type, and feeding patterns of wild pigs frequenting a trap site. Perhaps most importantly, they allow me to know when an entire sounder of animals is routinely visiting my trap sites. Each trap has a broadcast feeder used to dispense corn, in or near the trap. I set the timer on these broadcast feeders to go off for 5 seconds at 8 p.m., 2 a.m. and again at 6 a.m. These times are consistently matched to observed wild pig activity on my trail cameras. The goal for each capture was to train a sounder to enter the trap through pre-baiting before setting the traps to catch.
Trials and Errors
Being patient was a difficult challenge, as my former experiences in wild pig control were more active and mostly involved opportunistic hunting. What I've found is that more passive control efforts like trapping take a lot of patience, study, thought, observing and planning. My initial baiting efforts didn't receive much activity for months. I learned that successfully baiting wild pigs can be largely dependent on natural food abundance available in their environment. Essentially, when the pigs have too many food items available, they may not be interested in what you're putting on the table, so to speak. Early trail camera images revealed that most of the bait went to non-target animals such as racoons, crows and white-tailed deer. After a few weeks of no wild pig activity, I experimented with souring the bait by adding a packet of yeast, a cup of sugar, and gelatin mix into a 5-gallon bucket of shelled corn covered by water. I took some of this foul-smelling mix and placed it into the center of the trap, in and around the tire trigger in hopes that a sounder of wild pigs would be enticed into the trap. This bait, as pungent as it was, didn't seem to draw wild pigs due to the high availability of other food resources on the landscape (Figure 3). While this was a learning experience, I would suggest only setting corral traps to catch after patterning a sounder (active times and location of wild pigs) and pre-baiting the trap. This reduces non-target species interference and it focuses on the catching the entire sounder rather than only part of the herd.
Figure 3. When resource availability is high, even the use of strong smelling baits such as fermented corn may not be enough to entice wild pigs to enter a trap.
Finally, a break through
Seasonal progression finally changed the landscape from a lush green, active environment to a view of a forest of bare trees and a scrubby understory that finally turned loose of its leaves. This is when the wild pigs seemed to shift their attention to the traps. Our game cameras were showing increased trap site visitation by wild pigs, and after verifying that a sounder of 7 were entering the traps two evenings in a row, the trap was finally set to catch. The next morning, I got a call from one of our ranch hands. He informed me that we were able to drop the gate on all 7 wild pigs, and that we had successfully captured our first big haul. This success has encouraged me that trapping can be a viable tool in the management toolbox at Long Acres Ranch and taught me not only how to pre-bait and target an entire sounder of wild pigs, but perhaps, most importantly, the benefits of focusing my trapping efforts during times of low resource availability (Figure 4).
Figure 4. – These wild pigs removed from Long Acres Ranch are part of continued wild pig control efforts to maintain the beauty of Long Acres Ranch.
Wild pigs are versatile, hardy, smart animals that will demand that we stay ahead of them as much as possible with our management practices. My next step is to begin scouting the property for wild pig trails to identify the next best placement for new traps. Instead of placing traps only where the pigs are causing damage, I will set up feeders and cameras along suspected wild pig trails between bedding and feeding areas. Once I have confirmed wild pig presence using game cameras, I will then start building the trap around the feeder, section by section, to reduce alarming the animals. Once I have the next sounder freely moving in and out of the traps, I will set the trigger and wait for the next group to move in and be captured. Wild pig control is often a methodical process instead of an event, and we now look forward to refining and repeating it as many times as it takes to help maintain the beauty of Long Acres Ranch.
The Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute grants permission for authors, readers and third parties to reproduce and republish materials from its blogs, publications and online products through permission requests to NRI Communications at nri@tamu.edu. This includes the use of figures, maps, photography and video media. If you have questions about permissions, please contact Brittany Wegner.
Jim Cathey
Dr. Jim Cathey is an associate director for the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute. Jim is a regional and national expert in wildlife management, Extension outreach and programming, feral hog management and conservatio…
Josh Helcel
Josh Helcel is a project coordinator with the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute (NRI). He specializes in educational programming and providing technical assistance to landowners and others seeking to control expanding…
Brittany Wegner
As a program manager for partnerships for the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, Brittany builds strategies and works with our Institute partners to grow recognition for our research and products while building on fun…
Wild pig control outrea…
Long Acres Ranch wild pigs

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A thing that is created by someone or some process is a product that is offered for sale. Promoting, selling and distribution of a service or product in an industrial process is marketing. To conduct business is done by an institution that is a company. The common thing that people do is product marketing. Marketing companies mostly do a product.
Product marketing helps in boosting the sales of the product. Companies that do the product marketing helps people know the product. The product marketing that is offered by companies is done online. Anything that one needs to advertise can be done by product marketing company. The people can get the service of product marketing company at affordable prices.
The product marketing company helps the individuals and the society at large. Companies that offer the product marketing helps people build confidence and awareness.
The client meets the manufacturer products, and also he or she can comment on the product by the help of product marketing companies. The teamwork is done by the product marketing company that makes people come together.
The Company that does the product marketing helps people get tips on how to market their product. It is easy for people to get the product marketing company because they are located everywhere and have some hotline numbers.
The sales that are made from the product makes people benefit from the product marketing company that what research shows. The product marketing company helps in reaching a number of individuals and all age groups.
The digital companies that offer product marketing helps people shop online from where they are making work easy. The product marketing company reduces the stress that people have while doing marketing of a product.
The product marketing company helps in making people earn a living from the advertisement that they make. The adverts that are made by the product marketing company help the country by the income.


text:
A statistical comparison: How much better is Notre Dame's defense than last year's?
By Douglas FarmerDec 6, 2018, 6:00 AM EST
If Wednesday was spent comparing Notre Dame's offense to those of the previous most-successful teams under Brian Kelly, then it only makes sense to spend Thursday looking at how the 2018 Irish defense rates against those from 2012, a historic unit; 2015, a team pushed by its offense; and 2017, presumably the most similar.
Of course, all those defenses had ebbs and flows, including last season's November debacles. That is part of the game, and applies this year, as well. Though largely healthy, Notre Dame is currently worn out from a lack of depth at many positions (pretty much everywhere except defensive end) and the natural beating of a football season.
"I think our defense could get better in a lot of ways," Irish junior cornerback Julian Love said Sunday. "The main component to that is rest and recovery. We've been grinding all season, and a lot of guys have been playing a lot of snaps."
Love then specifically mentioned linebackers Te'von Coney and Drue Tranquill — the latter sitting right next to him and about to discuss his litany of injuries — as having played nearly every snap.
Even worn down, this defense shines in relation to its predecessors. Again, the five easily-understood yet quite-telling stats under consideration:
Yards allowed per play (YaPP): Pretty obvious as to why, right?
Yards allowed per pass attempt (YaPA): This essentially combines completion percentage and explosive plays into one metric, a quick measure of a team's passing efficiency.
Rush attempts per game against (RPGa): In other words, an opposing offense's confidence in its ground game and ability to dictate the game with it.
Third-down conversion rate allowed (3D % a): The ability to sustain a drive.
Turnovers forced (TF): Again, pretty obvious, right?
YaPP YaPA RPGa 3D % a TF
2012 4.78 5.98 27.85 36.52 % 23 (16 int.)
2015 5.57 6.85 36.23 35.11 % 14 (9 int.)
Given its state the previous season, last year's defense was much-improved and well-regarded. Even in a vaccuum , it deserved that praise. And that makes this season's showing that much more impressive. It obviously helped to return seven full-time starters, two part-timers (cornerback Troy Pride, defensive end Khalid Kareem) and a division-one starter elsewhere (safety Alohi Gilman). Only senior rover Asmar Bilal was truly new to starting, and he has become a reliable commodity, not a question mark.
Returning that inventory does not diminish the accomplishment of dropping the average yards allowed per play by half a yard (10 percent, if wanting to look at it that way). The Irish have improved in every one of these categories save third-down conversion rate allowed, not the end of the world for a unit okay giving up long drives if they are forced to be methodical, mundane and, as often as not, misfiring in the red zone. Opponents have turned 33 red-zone trips into just 18 touchdowns, a 54.5 percent conversion rate and No. 35 in the country, similar to last season's 52.1 percent (24-46) at No. 25.
Looking further back, Notre Dame's defense in 2015 was a worthwhile one, but it hardly belongs in the same conversation as the rest of these. Its failure to force more turnovers led to the Irish having a negative-6 turnover differential (plus-8 in 2012; plus-3 in 2017; plus-5 in 2018). Even its raw scoring numbers show how much those 10-2 Irish needed their offense, giving up 24.1 points per game (12.77 in 2012; 21.5 in 2017; 17.25 in 2018).
And 2012, well, not much needs to be said about that defense. The rush attempts per game against figure stands out; Notre Dame opponents wanted no part of running into Lou Nix, Manti Te'o and Co.
Not that they very much want to now, either. Aside from the defense that led to national championship game appearance, 33.67 oppoisng rush attempts per game is the lowest of Kelly's nine-year tenure. To give further context: Only once has it risen higher than 38.54, unsurprisingly the nadir of 2016 at 42.92.
Which only goes to show how far this defense has come, even from that oh-so-close 2015 season.


St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia, more Western-looking than Moscow and with a more vibrant intellectual life. The 'Silver Age', spanning about 1890-1920, was an exceptionally dynamic cultural era in Russian history with a real sense of change and emancipation in an unsettled political atmosphere.
Ouspensky was a member of the Russian Theosophical Society for much of the 1909-1915 period. He was listed on the editorial board of the society's journal. He lectured at their meetings and was widely regarded as one of their most prominent members.
He started to publish his own writings, Fourth Dimension (1910) followed by Tertium Organum (1912). Much of what later went into A New Model of the Universe (1931) was also written and in part published during this time. He published his novel Kinemadrama (1915) based on the concept of recurrence, later published in English as Strange Life of Ivan Osokin (1947).
He seems to have lived by his pen with a very modest life style; he just had a single rented room.
The addresses of apartment blocks where he lived have been discovered from police and other archival documents, and his involvement in café society is known from the account of Anna Butkovsky-Hewitt. His attendance at the 'Stray Dog' café brought him into contact with many of the leading intellectuals, writers and artists.
His search for the truth covered a wide area, but he was looking for something that would offer a practical way forward; by 1913 he was simply looking for the 'miraculous'. He travelled to India and Ceylon looking for esoteric schools. On his return he gave public lectures in St. Petersburg and Moscow; synopses of these have been found.


Dallas Wedding DJ's Near You.
Our Award-Winning Wedding DJs will engage your guests by creating a fun and memorable environment for your wedding day.
A photo booth is one of the most popular ways to capture memories.
We are excited to unveil our unique and customizeable rehearsal dinner packages.


text:
<?php

namespace Okatea\Install\Extensions\Config;

use Okatea\Install\Controller as BaseController;
use Okatea\Tao\Html\Escaper;
use Okatea\Tao\Misc\Utilities;

class Controller extends BaseController
{

	public function page()
	{
		$this->okt->startLanguages();

		# locales
		$this->okt['l10nInstall']->loadFile($this->okt['locales_path'] . '/%s/admin/site');
		$this->okt['l10nInstall']->loadFile($this->okt['locales_path'] . '/%s/admin/advanced');

		$aValues = [
			'title' => $this->okt['config']->title,
			'desc' => $this->okt['config']->desc,
			'email' => $this->okt['config']->email
		];

		$aValues['app_path'] = str_replace('install', '', dirname($this->okt['request']->getRequestUri()));
		$aValues['domain'] = $this->okt['request']->getHttpHost();

		if ($this->okt['request']->request->has('sended'))
		{
			$p_title = $this->okt['request']->request->get('p_title', []);

			foreach ($p_title as $sLanguageCode => $sTitle)
			{
				if (empty($sTitle))
				{
					if ($this->okt['languages']->hasUniqueLanguage()) {
						$this->okt->error->set(__('c_a_config_please_enter_website_title'));
					}
					else {
						$this->okt->error->set(sprintf(__('c_a_config_please_enter_website_title_in_%s'), $this->okt['languages']->getList()[$sLanguageCode]['title']));
					}
				}
			}

			$p_email_to = $this->okt['request']->request->get('p_email_to');
			if (empty($p_email_to))
			{
				$this->okt->error->set(__('c_a_config_please_enter_email_to'));
			}
			elseif (!Utilities::isEmail($p_email_to))
			{
				$this->okt->error->set(sprintf(__('c_c_error_invalid_email'), Escaper::html($p_email_to)));
			}

			$p_email_from = $this->okt['request']->request->get('p_email_from');
			if (empty($p_email_from))
			{
				$this->okt->error->set(__('c_a_config_please_enter_email_from'));
			}
			elseif (!Utilities::isEmail($p_email_from))
			{
				$this->okt->error->set(sprintf(__('c_c_error_invalid_email'), Escaper::html($p_email_from)));
			}

			$aValues = [
				'title' 	=> $p_title,
				'desc' 		=> $this->okt['request']->request->get('p_desc', []),
				'email' => array(
					'to' => $p_email_to,
					'from' => $p_email_from,
					'name' => $this->okt['request']->request->get('p_email_name'),
					'transport' => 'mail',
					'smtp' => [
						'host' => '',
						'port' => 25,
						'username' => '',
						'password' => ''
					],
					'sendmail' => ''
				),
				'app_path' 	=> Utilities::formatAppPath($this->okt['request']->request->get('p_app_path', '/')),
				'domain' 	=> Utilities::formatAppPath($this->okt['request']->request->get('p_domain', ''), false, false)
			];

			# save configuration
			if (!$this->okt['flashMessages']->hasError())
			{
				$this->okt['config']->write($aValues);

				return $this->redirect($this->generateUrl($this->okt->stepper->getNextStep()));
			}
		}

		return $this->render('Config/Template', [
			'title' => __('i_config_title'),
			'aValues' => $aValues
		]);
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Culiseta littleri är en tvåvingeart som först beskrevs av Taylor 1914.  Culiseta littleri ingår i släktet Culiseta och familjen stickmyggor. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Stickmyggor
littleri

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Who is this for? staff who are responsible for setting up and using communication and collaborative tools on Moodle.
Moodle roles required: Some aspects can be carried out by non-editing teachers but for the most part you will need to have Teacher (Editor) access see Moodle roles at LSE.
Guidance on the use of collaborative tools such as the Moodle wiki, Etherpad Lite and OU blog is also included here.
Don't be patronising or sarcastic. It comes across about ten times worse online.
Learn to let go – don't keep harping on about the same thing, or harking back to previous arguments. It is rarely productive, and you always end up going round in circles.
If someone else's post offends you, don't fight back online. It can be easy to sound rude without meaning to, especially if English is not your native language. However, if you really are troubled by the post, don't respond – take it to your lecturer instead.
When starting a new topic, make the subject line clear and informative. It makes the topic easy to find.
Try to write full sentences and avoid text-speak or slang.
If asking a question, provide as much information as possible, what you've already considered, where you've already read etc.
Read what's already there before posting. You may be repeating what others have already said or asked.
Make timely posts. However don't rush to post as students need to be given time to develop their ideas.
Make sure everyone is clear on the purpose of each forum and be ready to intervene in a timely fashion if students start posting in the wrong place. Moodle provides a way of moving threads to different forums.
Do this whenever possible to provide a less intimidating environment and maximise participation.
An icebreaker at the outset can serve the dual purpose of familiarising them with the mechanics of forums as well as helping them to bond with their peers.
You can do this by using email digests, or controlling how you receive messages.
In the Settings block click on My profile settings, then Edit Profile.
Go to Email digest type and choose Complete. You will now get just one email per forum per day, at about 2am, containing all of the previous day's forum postings.
Also under My profile settings, click on Messaging. This gives you a range of options for controlling whether or not you receive different messages as emails or not.


text:
Council of 100 takes back invitation to hear Charlie Crist speak
Crist blames Gov. Rick Scott
Greg Fox
Former Gov. Charlie Crist is blaming Republican Gov. Rick Scott for being uninvited to speak at the Council of 100 policy advisory group's meeting.
Former Gov. Charlie Crist is blaming Republican Gov. Rick Scott for being uninvited to speak at the Council of 100 policy advisory group's meeting. Crist was originally scheduled to speak to the group in Orlando on Thursday, but was taken off the agenda on Tuesday night.A Ritz Carlton staffer didn't let WESH 2's Greg Fox into the Florida Council of 100 event."I just think it's kind of sad and petty to be honest with you," Crist said.The Crist campaign alleges Scott told the group to cancel Crist's speech, because Scott was speaking at the same event before Crist. Crist said he would have been fine to be in the same room with Scott."I'm a big boy. I can handle it, but apparently Rick Scott can't, and I think that was the reason I was asked not to speak," Crist said. "I don't think he wants to hear the vision I have for Florida's future."Reporters tried to ask Scott if he pushed to keep Crist out.Top video: Bear cubs rescued after mom's break-in"You'll see a great change and a great difference between the two of us," Scott said. "Somebody that talks a lot and somebody that gets things done."The Council of 100's Chairman Steven Halverson emailed WESH 2's Greg Fox and said, "We did not want our policy meetings to become a political event so we asked Governor Crist to not address the group.""48 hours before you are scheduled to speak you get uninvited-- it's rude," Crist said.Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.Also see: FBI: Man used neighbor's Wi-Fi to download child porn
Crist was originally scheduled to speak to the group in Orlando on Thursday, but was taken off the agenda on Tuesday night.
A Ritz Carlton staffer didn't let WESH 2's Greg Fox into the Florida Council of 100 event.
Charlie Crist pledges more money for education if elected
Crist leads Scott in new Quinnipiac poll
"I just think it's kind of sad and petty to be honest with you," Crist said.
The Crist campaign alleges Scott told the group to cancel Crist's speech, because Scott was speaking at the same event before Crist.
Crist said he would have been fine to be in the same room with Scott.
"I'm a big boy. I can handle it, but apparently Rick Scott can't, and I think that was the reason I was asked not to speak," Crist said. "I don't think he wants to hear the vision I have for Florida's future."
Reporters tried to ask Scott if he pushed to keep Crist out.
Top video: Bear cubs rescued after mom's break-in
"You'll see a great change and a great difference between the two of us," Scott said. "Somebody that talks a lot and somebody that gets things done."
The Council of 100's Chairman Steven Halverson emailed WESH 2's Greg Fox and said, "We did not want our policy meetings to become a political event so we asked Governor Crist to not address the group."
"48 hours before you are scheduled to speak you get uninvited-- it's rude," Crist said.
Also see: FBI: Man used neighbor's Wi-Fi to download child porn


"Mad Hungry" host Lucinda Scala Quinn developed this easy recipe exclusively for "The Martha Stewart Show" season premiere, with input from her bacon-loving sons.
1. Lightly coat a medium skillet with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray and heat over high heat. Place 1 tortilla on a work surface and sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Top with 1/4 of the bacon and 1 tablespoon jalapenos; top with a second tortilla.
2. Carefully transfer to skillet and cook until bottom tortilla is browned and cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Turn and continue cooking until browned and filling is hot, about 2 minutes more. Transfer quesadilla to a cutting board and repeat process with remaining tortilla, cheese, bacon, and jalapenos.
3. Cut quesadillas into wedges and serve immediately with sour cream.


text:
Eurofins Scientific to Acquire EAG Labs
Eurofins Scientific has announced an agreement to acquire EAG Laboratories to expand its reach in North America.
On Sept. 18, 2017, Eurofins Scientific, a life sciences company specializing in analytical testing, announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire EAG Laboratories, a scientific services company specializing in analytical and testing services to the agrochemical and pharmaceutical industries, from Odyssey Investment Partners. The transaction is expected to close within a few months following this announcement, subject to the fulfillment of customary closing conditions.
This acquisition by Eurofins Scientific is the latest move in a recent series of transitions for EAG Labs. In July 2015, EAG (Evans Analytical Group), a scientific services company that serves technology- and life-science-related industries, acquired Analytical Bio-Chemistry Laboratories (ABC Laboratories), which it later rebranded as EAG Labs in July 2016. With this acquisition, Eurofins Scientific aims to expand its reach in North America.
"We are extremely pleased to welcome EAG and its talented teams to the Eurofins Group. EAG's competencies, reputation for scientific excellence, and footprint further strengthen Eurofins' global offering in the highly attractive biopharmaceutical and agroscience testing markets with perfect geographic complementarity," said Dr. Gilles Martin, Eurofins CEO, in a company press release. "In addition, EAG provides Eurofins with an entirely new business line and growth market in material sciences. We look forward to strengthening their portfolio and operating footprint by providing access to the full range of services and capabilities of the Group."
Source: Eurofins
Asimov and Center for Breakthrough Medicines Collaborate for Viral Vector Production
Advaxis, Ayala Pharmaceuticals Complete Merger


text:
Tag: Georgia health insurance
Governor Kemp's Georgia health insurance changes get the federal nod
October 21, 2020 October 20, 2020 G. Turner
The state will become the first in the country to offer federally subsidized plans only through private brokers. The Georgia health insurance system will make the state the first one in the country to offer its residents fully subsidized plans exclusively through private brokers. This will occur as a result of a new plan under approval by the Trump administration. Another portion of this plan will offer Medicaid to certain adults in the lowest income bracket. This new Georgia health insurance rule will mean that able-bodied adults will have access…
Health Coverage Health Care Reform Latest Insurance News Articles
Georgia insurance exchange will not include UnitedHealthcare
April 14, 2016 April 13, 2016 H. Cutner
Officials in the state have said that the health insurer will not be selling its plans over the marketplace for 2017. Georgia officials have now stated that UnitedHealthcare will no longer be selling its health plans over the state's insurance exchange after this year, and the insurer has now become the only one that has said it won't be continuing forward on the marketplace. The insurance department in the state has said that UnitedHealthcare is the only one no longer selling on the exchange. In the state, over 500,000 residents…
Insurance News Articles Health Care Reform Health Coverage Insurance Industry News Latest Insurance News Articles
Health insurance premiums see modest rise in Georgia
March 20, 2015 March 19, 2015 Marc
State's insurance rates remain steady despite fears of major increases The cost of coverage from Georgia's health insurance exchange have remained steady, according to a study from the Urban Institute. Many had feared that premiums for policies sold through the state's exchange would increase at a rapid pace, but this has not been the case. The exchange sells plans in Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum categories, with each tier offering their own level of coverage benefits, with Platinum being considered the most comprehensive. Silver tier plans are, by far, the…
Health Coverage Insurance News Articles Latest Insurance News Articles News for Agents News for Consumers
Aetna backs out of Georgia health insurance exchange
August 8, 2013 August 7, 2013 Marc
Aetna and Coventry pull out of state health insurance exchange Aetna, one of the largest health insurance providers in the U.S., has dropped out of Georgia's health insurance exchange. The insurer is also taking its recently acquired subsidiary, Coventry, out of the state's insurance exchange as well. With the two companies leaving the exchange, five insurers remain to offer coverage through the state's exchange program. While the insurers will not be participating in the exchange, they will still be offering coverage beyond the confines of the program. Federal law seeds…
Business Insurance Financial News Health Care Reform Health Coverage Insurance Industry News Insurance News Articles Latest Insurance News Articles News for Agents News for Consumers
Hospitals move to form their own health insurance company in Georgia
May 31, 2013 May 30, 2013 Logan B.
Health insurance concerns spur hospitals to take drastic step Small businesses are not the only ones that have been voicing concerns over the Affordable Care Act in the U.S. The federal health care law has been raising worries among hospitals throughout the country, many of which claim the Affordable Care Act will have a drastic and problematic impact on health care and health insurance. In Atlanta, Georgia, two hospitals are beginning to work together in order to circumvent the problems they foresee regarding the Affordable Care Act. New health insurance…
Health care reforms hit a wall with the Georgia Governor
Gov. Nathan Deal has rejected the opportunity to have a state-run insurance exchange. Governor Nathan Deal of Georgia has made the insurance news announcement regarding the health care reforms in the state, and that they will not be building or implementing their own health plan exchange to comply with the Affordable Care Act. The governor has said that lack of flexibility, unknown costs and lack of state control made his decision. Though the Supreme Court said that states could opt out of the expansion of their Medicaid programs, they upheld…
Health Care Reform Health Coverage Insurance News Articles Latest Insurance News Articles Political News
Pre existing condition health insurance reduces HIV drug wait list
June 20, 2012 April 30, 2013
Plan cuts the waiting time significantly. Georgia's wait list statistics in January was the longest in the country for individuals who needed government pre existing condition health insurance drug assistance for HIV. Back then, there were 1,348 people in the state who wanted to enroll in the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. Today, despite the fact that less than six months have passed, the wait list for ADAP has been reduced to about a third of its previous length, at 490 people (as of June 7, 2012). The program is designed…
Health Care Reform Health Coverage Insurance News Articles Latest Insurance News Articles


The owner of Galloway Grill is an entrepreneur with a lot of passion for his restaurant. When Galloway Grill moved to its current railroad-side location, we helped him renew this former tavern and pool room's brand to fit its new location and friendly saloon style. We added just enough distress so that the feel is rustic but not run down, reflecting the restaurant's "come as you are" attitude. The distressed restaurant branding is paired with the perfect color palette to remind customers that they're taking part in Springfield's history when they sit down to a meal at Galloway Grill.


text:
Here's Everything We Know About TXT's Soobin, So Far
BigHit Entertainment broke the internet when they revealed the first member of their new boy group TXT, Yeonjun. Now the second member in the lineup, Soonbin, is gaining fans at the speed of light. Not much has been revealed about him, but here's what we've learned so far.
1. He is the second TXT member to be revealed to the public
BigHit Entertainment Unveils The Second Member Of New Boy Group TXT
72 nail-biting hours after Yeonjun was revealed, the world was introduced to the second member of the group, Soobin.
In his teaser, Soobin is portrayed as a carefree spirit with a bright smile and a bright personality to match it.
2. His age
In a press release, BigHit Entertainment revealed that Soobin is a 00 liner, which would make him 18-19 years old, depending on when his birthday is.
Right now, netizens believe that his birthday may be on January 14, 2000. If this is true, it means he turned 19 on his debut day!
3. His height
Rumor Has It That TXT's Soobin Is Taller Than RM, And Netizens Can't Handle It
At 181 cm/5'11", RM is the tallest member of BTS, but he may no longer be the tallest idol at BigHit Entertainment. Soobin is believed to stand at 184 cm tall or 6 foot tall!
4. His position
Although his position hasn't officially been revealed yet, netizens' research says that he is the leader of TXT and a member of the rap line.
5. He was always good looking
Predebut photos of Soobin prove that he was always a visual king…
…even before he became a rookie idol.
As a child, he was absolutely adorable.
Just look at that sweet face!
6. He has validated netizens' theories
Korean Netizens Dig Up Photos And Info On Rumored TXT Members
When BigHit Entertainment revealed TXT's first member, Korean netizen-detectives spent the next 24-hours scouring the internet for more information about Yeonjun and the rest of TXT. Netizens ended up compiling a list of rumored members, and placed them in the order of "who will be revealed next".
Soobin was listed as the second rumored member on this and he ended up being the second official member to be revealed. If Soobin is part of TXT, maybe the rest of the rumored members are too?
7. His flower
So far, each of the TXT members has been pictured with a different kind of yellow flower in TXT's teaser pictures. Soobin's yellow rose could symbolize his role in TXT in some way, or tie into TXT's mysterious concept.
8. He has celebrity "twins"
Netizens Have Already Discovered TXT Soobin's Long Lost Twin
Soobin's handsome visuals have been reminded netizens of some famous faces, including at least one BTS member's.
9. Fans already support him!
Fans may not know much about Soobin yet, but they've already opened their hearts to him…
A post shared by TOMORROW X TOGETHER OFFICIAL (@txt_bighit) on Jan 14, 2019 at 12:01am PST
…and can't wait to see his talents shine!
For more, check out everything we've learned about Yeonjun (so far).
Here's Everything We Know About TXT's Yeonjun, So Far
Previous: TWICE's Mobile Game Is the Most Downloaded App in Japan
Next: 'Aquaman' Becomes the First DCEU Movie to Gross $1 Billion


text:
Why Kingston Council bosses say they don't want political boundaries to change
A big decision is expected in the next 12 months
Calum RutterLocal Democracy Reporter
Kingston Council, where change is on the horizon (Image: Kingston Council)
The political map in Kingston could be about to change.
It's because officials are preparing to launch a review into the number of councillors.
But local council bosses have other ideas.
They want to keep things exactly as they are.
However, the planned boundary review will take place during the next 12 months, and Kingston Council is drawing up its initial response.
Here's what they want... and why
An email sent to local political parties, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, ahead of a meeting on Thursday, February 21, reveals its draft suggestion - asking to maintain the existing 48 councillors.
The review, by The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE), will seek to ensure that each councillor represents roughly the same number of people - and will look at changing the number of elected members in the process.
But the council thinks the current number of councillors is the "optimum".
The growing population will mean that this number certainly should not be reduced in the near future.
Any reduction would, the document argues, affect existing councillors' workloads and personal lives.
And it would exclude many people (for example, people who work longer hours or young people) from seeking election.
Why we 'can't cope with more houses in Kingston'
The decision will affect the way communities are represented at the council, which looks after services like schools and social care, and makes decisions on things like planning.
At the moment there are 16 wards, each represented by three councillors who were voted in at the local elections in May 2018.
LGBCE is yet to reveal any of its recommendations.
Quentin Baker, assistant director of law and governance at Kingston Council, said the authority welcomes the review.
He also said it will be "essential" that residents get involved with the consultation, which will include the public in two stages: one beginning on April 23, and one in the autumn.
Get WhatsApp news alerts to your phone
We've set up a new WhatsApp group so you can receive the latest London headlines straight to your phone.
To receive one message a day with the main headlines, as well as breaking news alerts, send one of the following to 07900 342671 on WhatsApp, depending on where you want to receive news from:
CENTRAL LONDON NEWS
NORTH LONDON NEWS
EAST LONDON NEWS
Then add the number to your phone contacts book as 'MyLondon'. You must do this or you will not receive the messages.
You will receive one message a day. You can reply with the word STOP at any time.
Your phone number won't be shared with other members of the group.


text:
Red God
Wei Baqun and His Peasant Revolution in Southern China, 1894-1932
Xiaorong Han - Author
SUNY series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture
The career of communist revolutionary Wei Baqun, one of China's "three great peasant leaders" and man of the southern frontier.
Robin Hood–style revolutionary Wei Baqun is often described as one of China's "three great peasant leaders," alongside Mao Zedong and Peng Pai. In his home county of Donglan, where he started organizing peasants in the early 1920s, Wei Baqun came to be considered a demigod after his death—a communist revolutionary with supernatural powers. So much legend has grown up around this fascinating figure that it is difficult to know the truth from the tale. Presenting Wei Baqun's life in light of interactions between his local community and the Chinese nation, Red God is organized around the journeys he made from his multiethnic frontier county to major cities where he picked up ideas, methods, and contacts, and around the three revolts he launched back home. Xiaorong Han explores the congruencies and conflicts of local, regional, and national forces at play during Wei Baqun's lifetime while examining his role as a link between his Zhuang people and the Han majority, between the village and the city, and between the periphery and the center.
"...Red God must count as one of the best English-language studies we have of an early local peasant movement that became connected to the Chinese Communist movement after 1927." — Pacific Affairs
"This account of the short life of a charismatic revolutionary is very well written and based on thorough research in Guangxi archives and other Chinese-language materials. A valuable addition to scholarship on revolution and regional politics in twentieth-century China … Essential." — CHOICE
Xiaorong Han is Professor Associate Professor of History at Lingnan University, Hong Kong. He is the author of Chinese Discourses on the Peasant, 1900–1949, also published by SUNY Press.
1. Frontier Youth: 1894–1914
2. First Journey: 1914–1921
3. First Revolt: 1921–1924
4. Second Journey: 1924–1925
5. Second Revolt: 1925–1929
6. Third Revolt: Integration of the Local and National Revolutions, 1929–1930
7. Defeat: The Ecology and Culture of the Revolution, 1930–1932
8. Red God as a Mediating and Unifying Agent
Glossary of Chinese Names and Terms
4-5383-5/4-5384-2(NE/EM/MC)
Japanese Aesthetics and Culture
Wearing Cultural Styles in Japan
Neo-Confucian Ecological Humanism
Rewriting Early Chinese Texts
Language, Ontology, and Political Philosophy in China
Ancient Sichuan and the Unification of China
Between History and Philosophy
Lao-tzu and the Tao-te-ching
The Dynamics of Cultural Counterpoint in Asian Studies
The Chinese and Opium under the Republic


HomeZoologyWhat you should know about the infamous, yet fascinating, Black Mamba!
Everyone in Africa, and even around the world, know of the Black Mamba. It is a feared and notorious creature, but few people actually know the truth about these remarkable animals! Here are some things you should know, that may make you think differently about them.
I work with snakes full-time, and I often have the privilege of working with these majestic animals on a regular basis. There's actually nothing I love more than getting called to remove one from someone's home! So the below is from my experiences with them.
The Black Mambas reputation is highly over-exaggerated. Fear and a misunderstanding contribute to this poor reputation, which is not deserved. A good few people have some sort of horror story, which often put these snakes in an evil light. Stories of them chasing down people, whether they're walking in the bush or on horse-back, are not uncommon, nor are stories describing them as vicious killers. Black Mambas do possess some characteristics which could lead to these stories, but that doesn't mean this makes them true. They really are unique and awe-inspiring, here's why.
Black Mambas are Africa's largest venomous species of snake. There are stories of them reaching maximum lengths of 4m long, but those would be exceptional specimens! Adults average 2.2m-2.5m in length, and they also get quite thick. Often when people call me to remove one, they describe it to me to be as thick as gutter-pipe. What also happens, is people call me for a big python, and it turns out to be a 2.5m mamba. It's a big and impressive snake!
The thick body of a large Black Mamba is most certainly not fat, it's pure muscle. Black Mambas are incredibly powerful animals, despite the fact that they don't even constrict their prey like a python. They need this strength for their active lifestyle. They actively hunt down prey rather than ambushing it. So they spend a lot of time climbing trees, and they also need strength for male combat during the breeding season. To give you an idea of their strength, it takes at least four people to hold down a large mamba for measuring, even then it's hard to get an accurate length. The heaviest mamba that I have captured weighed 4kg- a heavy mamba!
Black Mambas are known to be one of the most aggressive snakes in the world. So when people see any dark-coloured snake, they think of the mamba and fear for their life! Black Mambas are not aggressive, they're just very nervous and shy. They do not charge attack people, in fact I find that they're almost more scared of people than any other snake. To see one in the wild, up close, would be really lucky. At best, you usually just get a glimpse of them disappearing into thicker bush or down a hole. They are very alert snakes, with excellent-working senses, so they usually sense you coming a long way away. They will always flee rather than fight, and are usually quick to disappear. In fact, they disappear very quickly, as they're known to be one of the fastest snakes in the world! They won't be faster than the average human, and reach speeds of around 12km per hour.
If cornered, Black Mambas still do not charge at you, contrary to popular belief. A cornered mamba will sit and hold its ground. It will give you all the warning in the world to back off! It will either sit, waiting for you to leave it alone, after which it can retreat. Or, should you foolishly choose to attempt to come closer to kill it, it will lash out as soon as you're within striking distance, so don't do that!
The Black Mambas defensive display is very intimidating, and this is probably the cause for many over-exaggerated stories. Their defensive tactic isn't to give you nightmares, it's just to put you off coming closer, which usually works. If a mamba is surprised at close proximity, it can raise the front third (if not more) of its body off the ground, and spread a narrow hood like a cobra. This makes it look even more impressive! To cap that off, if you're too close, it will show you where it gets its name from – the inside of its mouth.
The inside of their mouth is pitch black, where the name Black Mamba comes from. You'll notice the body isn't actually black, it's a grey/brown colour. When a Black Mamba gapes at you, it is indeed an intimidating sight and it doesn't look friendly! So mission accomplished for the mamba, as you'll back off at this point. They practise this tactic whenever they feel threatened.
Should someone discover a mamba in the house, at close proximity, they often don't bother with the whole hood display. Opening up their mouth and pulling their scary face is often the easiest and most effective thing for them to do.
Black Mambas are remarkably intelligent, and they're actually creatures of habit. When threatened, they almost seem to calculate quickly what their next, safest move is.
They will often take up residence in a particular area, where there is plenty of food and good shelter. They will have a hide-out where they come to rest in the evening, or to retreat to when threatened. They'll also have a favourite basking spot, and often bask at the same time every day. I remember visiting a reserve near Durban, and a ranger told me where he often sees a mamba at 09:00am. I went back the next day at 09:00, and there was the mamba!
I once got in between a basking mamba, and its hide-out. It was at the top of a flight of stairs, with the hide-out being at the bottom. By the top of the stairs was a busy road. When I approached from below, and got too close, it shot down straight at me. I tell people to freeze should a snake be near them, but I ran off of course! However, I could see that the mamba was focused on getting to its hide-out, and not me. It wasn't showing signs of aggression, and I believe if I froze it would have moved straight past. I wasn't brave enough to take that chance.
One characteristic of the mamba that you have every right to fear, is their bite. Before antivenom was created, a full envenomation by a Black Mamba was thought to be 100% fatal.
Black Mambas have a potent, and fast acting, neurotoxic venom, which they inject with their front-fixed fangs. Symptoms include excessive sweating, slurred speech, drooping eyelids – it basically just shuts you down. It ends up paralysing patients, causing respiratory failure. Now isn't that just a lovely thought?
Well, the chances of you being bitten by a Black Mamba are next to none, unless you choose to harass one. Recently, a man almost lost his life to the bite of a mamba, as he was bitten while trying to beat one with a stick – a fantastic example of why you should leave them alone. Accidents do happen of course, and people who surprise a mamba could become very unlucky.
Fortunately, there is a polyvalent antivenom available, which can save a life. The best thing to do if someone is bitten by a mamba, is to transport the patient promptly to hospital (a pressure bandage will buy precious time). If one can get to a hospital within an hour, chances of survival are very high.
Sadly, mamba and dog conflict occurs on a regular basis here in South Africa. It's not either one of the animal's fault. Dogs see a mamba and attack, out of instinct and probably to defend their owner. Black Mambas are often left with no choice other than to defend themselves. It happens so often, where three or four dogs corner a mamba in a yard, injure or kill the snake, but soon pass away themselves, due to the fast acting venom. Unfortunately there's not much one can do to prevent this.
Let us remember, that venom of the mamba isn't intended for us humans, or to kill animals for fun. It's just for killing their prey. Black Mambas feed predominately on rodents, but also take young dassies, birds and lizards (as youngsters). If you breed rabbits, guinea pigs, pigeons or birds, then you're basically inviting a mamba for a free and easy meal. They are also known to eat kittens.
They must be one of nature's best pest-controllers. I have often removed unwanted resident mambas, but despite being unwanted by the people, they often acknowledge that their rat problem has disappeared. I guess it's safer for the mamba to be away from people, for both parties.
So as you can see, Black Mambas serve a purpose on this planet, like all wildlife. They help maintain a healthy ecosystem by keeping certain animal numbers in check, and are also food for other animals (especially when they're juveniles). One other reason why these snakes deserve to be protected!
Black Mambas are simply awesome animals. They truly are one of the icons of Africa. They really are awe-inspiring, and demand a lot of respect, not fear! It's one of my favourite animals, and I just think that they're amazing. I love them, and I hope more people can do too.
To follow what I do, you can like my Facebook page 'KwaZulu-Natal Amphibian & Reptile Conservation', or visit my website and check out the blog.
4 Comments on What you should know about the infamous, yet fascinating, Black Mamba!
I just love your stories, Nick. Specially those of the Black Mamba's. Keep it going!
Excellent article – many of the characteristics of the Black Mamba seem to apply to most snakes in their choice of escape over confrontation if an escape route is possible. I wish snakes in general were given the respect and credit which is their due! It would mean more lives (both snake, human and pet) would result!
The Indian Army (Special Operations Group) is extremely fascinated with these snakes and has begun to breed them in large numbers in special facilities on the Kiltan island of the Laskhadweep archipelago off India's South Western coast.
This is a special operations no go zone and is directly under the Defense ministry.
Here Indian Soldiers also arrive for training courses and practice snake handling techniques and there is also a venom extraction center on the island.


The January 2018 deadline is quickly approaching for asset managers to calculate and deliver the new fee data required by MiFID II for their investment products. At the same time, advisory firms are determining how to source this data and how they'll report it to their clients, particularly in pre-sale conversations.
Financial firms throughout Europe are rethinking their advice processes as they approach the January 2018 implementation deadline for MiFID II. The directive requires all advisers to make sure that the portfolios and advice they offer are suitable to investors' needs.


Tip: Click on the The God of High School 376 manga image to go to the next page. You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between pages.
The God of High School 376 released! You are now reading The God of High School 376 online. If you are bored from The God of High School manga, you can try surprise me link at top of page or select another manga like The God of High School 376 from our huge manga list. The God of High School 376 released in manga panda fastest, recommend your friends to read The God of High School 376 now! Tags: read The God of High School 376 english, The God of High School 376 raw manga, The God of High School 376 online, The God of High School 376 chap, The God of High School 376 chapter, The God of High School 376 high quality, The God of High School 376 manga scan. Best regards; mangapanda: #1 resource for The God of High School Scans Online.


Introducing the Brand-X Ascend Dropper Seatpost shifter style lever kit.
The ergonomic shifter style remote lever is designed to go where your front shifter would normally sit. This means that this kit is ideally suited for those using a 1x chain ring set up, without a front derailleur.


Exeter Presbyterian Church is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a denomination dedicated to the Scriptures, the Reformed Faith and the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. We hope our website will be a resource to you.
 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore.  And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him  and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was.  And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.


text:
>Foreign Politicians
>Prime Minister Raymond Poincare (France)
Prime Minister Raymond Poincare (France) Autographs, Memorabilia & Collectibles
About this Signer
PRIME MINISTER RAYMOND POINCARE (FRANCE)
Biography | show moreshow less
Raymond Poincaré (1860-1934), French Premier and Foreign Minister in 1912, served as President of France from 1913-1920. After World War I, Poincaré called for harsh punishment of Germany and for adequate guarantees of French security. He regarded the Treaty of Versailles as too lenient. Poincare returned to power as Prime Minister in 1922, serving until 1924. He once again was brought back to power in 1926 and served as both Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. France enjoyed economic prosperity during this term of office and he was a popular leader until ill health forced him to resign in July 1929.
Sort by Name (A-Z) Lowest Price Highest Price
Gift Category
Hollywood & Celebrities
$5000 and higher
PRIME MINISTER RAYMOND POINCARE (FRANCE) - AUTOGRAPH 11/1929 - HFSID 23900
RAYMOND POINCARÉ President of France during World War I signs an index card. Signature: "R Poincaré/Paris 9ber 29", 5x3 index card. Raymond Poincaré, French Premier and Foreign Minister in 1912, served as President of France from 1913-1920. read more...
PRIME MINISTER RAYMOND POINCARE (FRANCE) - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 06/17/1909 - HFSID 280948
RAYMOND POINCARÉ He signs a handwritten 1909 letter to a friend. Autograph Letter signed: "Poincaré, 3 pages (front and verso; integral leaf), 4½x7. Paris, 1909 July 17. read more...
RAYMOND POINCARÉ During his final term as French Prime Minister, he responds to comment on the fourth volume of his memoirs. Autograph Letter signed: "Poincaré" as President of the Council of Ministers, 1 page, 5½x3¾. No place, 1927 October 4. read more...
PRIME MINISTER RAYMOND POINCARE (FRANCE) - AUTOGRAPH NOTE SIGNED 1906 - HFSID 23899
RAYMOND POINCARÉ President of France during World War I. ALS: "R. Poincaré", 1p, 4½x7. 26, Avenue des Champs-Elysées (Paris), 1906 October 5. In French, not translated. He will meet the recipient the next day between 6:30 and 7 o'clock. read more...
PRIME MINISTER RAYMOND POINCARE (FRANCE) - BOOK PLATE SIGNED - HFSID 23901
RAYMOND POINCARÉ. Signed Bookplate: "Poincaré". Red Cross book plate, 3½x4½, copyright 1918. Raymond Poincaré was President of France during World War I (1913-1920). read more...


text:
Ingka Group
Ingka Group/
Pia Heidenmark Cook featured in "Conversations for Tomorrow", discussing actions needed for a more sustainable future
Fri, Mar 19, 2021 16:57 CET Report this content
Read original
In the first edition of Capgemini's new quarterly magazine "Conversations for Tomorrow", Pia Heidenmark Cook, Chief Sustainability Officer, Ingka Group, joins a wide range of experts and leaders to talk about why sustainability means collective action, bolder leadership and smarter technologies. The theme of the first issue is sustainability, and the magazine offers critical insights to address the major societal and economic challenges of a more sustainable future.
In a discussion piece, Pia Heidenmark Cook talks to Capgemini Research Institute about embedding sustainability objectives across countries and functions, and how the right governance framework can support sustainability initiatives. She discusses the three pillars of the IKEA Sustainability Strategy – People & Planet Positive, how to meet customer expectations and how to tackle the challenges faced within the organisation.
Pia emphasises circularity as a key enabler of becoming climate positive. Ingka Group is committed to the Paris Climate Agreement and to limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, by adopting emission targets. Becoming circular helps reduce the environmental footprint in products, raw materials and other parts of the supply chain, responsible for most of the IKEA environmental footprint. By 2030, all IKEA home furnishing products will be made of only renewable and recycled materials.
"We've come a long way and we're proud of the changes we've implemented and the progress we've made – for our business, our customers and our planet. But there's still so much more we can and will do. We have a huge responsibility – and opportunity – to be a part of tackling the climate crisis. But we can't do it alone. Governments must step up and make a difference. Brands and companies like us, have to take a stand for the things we care about. And as individuals we have the power to contribute to real change in our daily lives. That's why I'm really happy to be part of this magazine, and together with great experts and leaders from corporates, none-profits, governments, innovators and academia share our perspectives on what we can all do in our respective areas to contribute to a more sustainable future", says Pia Heidenmark Cook, Chief Sustainability Officer, Ingka Group.
The full magazine, including discussions with Pia, an article by Frans Timmermans, the European Commission's executive vice president of the European Green Deal, and many more can be found here.
For further information, journalists and media professionals can contact us at press.office@ingka.com or by calling +46 70 993 6376
Ingka Group (Ingka Holding B.V. and its controlled entities) is one of 12 different groups of companies that own and operate IKEA retail under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Ingka Group has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres. Ingka Group is a strategic partner in the IKEA franchise system, operating 379 IKEA stores in 32 countries. These IKEA stores had 706 million visits during FY20 and 3.6 billion visits to IKEA.com. Ingka Group operates business under the IKEA vision - to create a better everyday life for the many people by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible can afford it.
Privacy statement | Cookies | About | Content Policy | Contact
©Cision Privacy statement Cookies About Content Policy Contact


TJ Walker has been coaching and training people on their presentation skills for 30 years. He is able to give you the same high quality training that he gives in person to CEOs, Fortune 500 executives, and Presidents of countries. You can now receive the training at a tiny fraction of the normal fee for in-person training.
This course is for CEOs, CFOs, investor relations executives and PR executives who will be involved with creating and delivering IPO roadshow presentations.


text:
Semantic analysis of a sentence. Reflections about the meaning of the meaning and the Artificial Intelligence
Analysis of the meaning of a sentence, based on the knowledge base of an operational thinking machine. Reflections about the meaning and artificial intelligence
First published at bgit.net and the e-zine "Sacred Computer"
Оригиналът на български:
http://artificial-mind.blogspot.com/2008/02/2004.html
Анализ на смисъла на изречение въз основа на базата знания на действаща мислеща машина. Мисли за смисъла и изкуствената мисъл.
Една от основополагащите ми статии от тийнейджърските ми години. Тази е от късните, продължава с два дълги коментари, добавки, включващи и размисли върху принципи на ученето с подкрепление (reinforcement learning)
Included in "Unverse and Mind 4": a search of the meaning (http://eim.hit.bg/razum, in Bulgarian only yet)
Finally I started to translate my old articles, including my teenage Theory of Mind and Universe - all were milestones of my AGI research. I wrote this particular one as a 19-year old freshman in Computer Science at Plovdiv University. Being kind of too serious back then, this is my favourite picture from the time... :-P
Tosh in 2004
Natural Language Processing, NLP.
An example of a search through the linguistic knowledge base of the author.
Many different meanings of "meaning" defined for different uses.
Quasi-formal semantic analysis - from words to chunks (expressions) to clauses to complex sentences. A search for relations, links.
Criticism of the usage of short ambiguous sentences as a way to explain the "impossibility" of creation of an AI and machine translation; the lacking context is filled by human imagination and could be filled with machine's imagination. A discussion about the artificial prunning of the set of interpretations that humans are doing when translating or interpreting, and the implicit denial of expecting unknown meanings.
Thought experiment of how a 3-year old toddler interprets unknown sentence (tme flies) and how does it searches for a meaning and maps meanings to his senses. Told as a real story, what he knows, what he experiences and what he would experience if...
The style in not really academic, there are some dialogues, discussions with a virtual opponent, when this is appropriate to display human biases.
Continues with long comments with additions about reinforcement learning and other topics (to be translated and linked)
Part 1 (и български):(This Post) Semantic analysis of a sentence. Reflections about the meaning of the meaning and the Artificial Intelligence
Some of the conclusions:
More complex (smarter) the system – More Meaningless the Meaning
Because the interpretation depends more on the system.
"What is possible to be done with" is yet another meaning of the concept of "meaning".
Happy reading and enjoy the story of the little Johny and the flies that are flying around the watch... ;)
BEGIN...
This article starts with the definition of "meaning" of a friend of mine, Ilian Georgiev, we shared thoughts an year ago.
Meaning/Sense (Ilian Georgiev's definition):
Meaning of a sentence (a thought) is a function that searches for controversy between the knowledge base of the evaluator (the one who thinks) and the thought being analyzed. All elements from the knowledge base and their connections are juxtaposed with the new thought, the one that is analyzed. If any of the elements of the thought has a connection with another element, and the connection cannot be found in the knowledge base, then the sentence is classified as a non-sense (has an error).
Using this definition, let's search for the meaning of a weird sentence, that I made up don't know how. I'll use also a made-up semi-formal syntax of NLP analysis, that you'll grasp on-the-fly.
(The original paper is in Bulgarian, and the author is not a native English speaker; it is possible that there are some mistakes in some of the senses used.)
SENTENCE = "The cat drank the stone and flew out under the uphill."
ИЗРЕЧЕНИЕ == "Котката изпи камъка и литна под нанагорнището."
SENTENCE == SENTENCE_1 + SENTECNE_2 (clauses)
SENTENCE_1 == "The cat drank the stone"
- Agent_1 == The cat
- Action == drank
- Object == the stone
SENTENCE_2 == "Литна под нанагорнището".
- Agent + Preposition + Object --
- Agent_2 == Agent_1
- Preposition == under
- Object == the uphill
Basic syntactic parsing check passes. Moving to the Semantic Analysis.
This is a quasi-formal sample semantic analysis, using author's personal linguistic knowledge base An improvised approach
1. Word-by-word semantic analysis
"Котката изпи камъка и литна под нанагорнището."
The cat drank the stone and flew out under the uphill.
Do I know what does mean:
-- the cat --
:: YES, a defined "cat", I know what "cat" means
-- drank --
:: YES, pass tense of the verb "to drink"
-- the stone --
:: YES, Noun, ...
-- и --
:: YES, Conjuction
-- flew out --
:: YES, Verb, past tense
-- under --
:: YES, Preposition
-- the uphill --
:: YES, Noun
This stage passes, connections are found in the knowledge base.
2. Chunks, Expressions, Multi-word Semantic Analysis
2.1. Two words, except cases where the first word is Noun and the second is a Conjunction.
– the cat drank ...- YES (AGENT + VERB)
-- (Someone) drank the stone - YES (AGENT + VERB + NOUN/OBJECT)
-- and flew out -- YES (CONJUNCTION + VERB)
-- flew out under -- YES (VERB + PREPOSITION)
-- under the uphill -- YES (PREPOSITION + NOUN/OBJECT)
Passed.
3. Semantic analysis of the clauses and the whole sentence.
Let's analyze all the clauses, this would give clues for the meaning of earlier clauses and the whole sentence.
"The cat drank the stone"
Is "the cat" linked to the verb "to drink"?
What are the links?
- Usually "to drink" is linked with objects, which are linked to liquidity or semi-liquidity of a substance. In general, in the definition of an object, that is linked to the verb "to drink", usually there's a morpheme or semantics of liquidity.
"Liquid" is linked to:
1. Flow
3. Stream down
4. Roll down
5. Trickle down
6. Pour out
7. Pour into
8. Infuse
"To Drink" is linked specifically with:
1. To drink + water.
2. To drink + juice.
3. To drink + tea.
4. To drink + cold tea.
5. To drink + alcohol.
6 To drink + beer.
7. To drink + wine.
8. To drink + scotch.
9. To drink + vodka.
10. To drink soup.
The examples are checked easier if they are put down in a unified way: Verb + Object/Noun for quick comparisons. I don't know whether to check the general concepts/meanings first (like liquidity), or after all specific cases are checked first (as colocations, like "drink vodka").
"Drink" is used in some other cases, where the object is not a liquid.
1. Drink some poison.
2. Take a pill. (Take == Drink)
3. Take a medecine. (Take == Drink)
In this cases the object is:
1. On the surface of a liquid.
2. Floats in a liquid.
3. Dropped in a liquid.
4. Sunk in a liquid.
5. Absorbed in a liquid.
The most common meaning of "to drink" is linked with an AGENT which is a living being. Living beings have a throat, where the drunk object passes. The liquid assists the object to pass through the throat, when the object is not a liquid itself.
I recall an idiom (Bulgarian, this is a literal translation)
"A duck has drunk his sense."
So, what about the linkage between "to drink" and the object "stone"?
Stone has direct links to verbs as "to throw" and "to crack" and similar, "to kick" and others.
Direct links are examples of usage which I have ever encountered in texts or speeches.
"Stone" can play different roles: AGENT (subject) or an object, that clarifies/specifies an ACTION, done by another AGENT.
Is it possible to drink a stone?
One can assume also, that if something is said, then this is a special kind of stone.
If a meaning should be found in any price, it is possible for the searcher to invent meaning that matches the given sentence. It is possible also to add additional sense, using experience, so that the sentence that is "meaningless" up to now to get its explanation. This point will be discussed again later.
STONE, without a preposition
1. Kick a stone
2. Throw a stone
3. Push a stone.
4.... Lift, Roll, Hit, Crack, Break, Catch, Leave, Heat, ….
Etc... but "To drink a stone" is lacking.
However, this doesn't make the sentence meaningless, yet, because it was found above, that "drink" could be linked to objects which are not liquid, and in this sense, "to drink something" is a reference to "to swallow something" (to pass it through the throat)
Drink == Swallow
Therefore: "The cat drank the stone" == "The cat swallowed the stone"
Therefore this clause makes sense according to my KB.
Next clause:
"...flew out under the uphill"
Cat + fly?...
No basic connections...
Cat + jump, scratch, bite, drink, eat, … push, walk, run, fall, hide, pull, climb, jump over, hit, meaow, stalk, ...
"Jump", "Jump over" and "fall" captured my attention:
"Jump" is an action where the AGENT reaches to a state, where its body doesn't touch the ground.
It is the same for "Fly". Therefore, "to jump" partially covers the meaning of "to fly".
Besides, I know examples of "flying" where to fly is used with the sens of "to jump" - directly or implicitly suggested by the context.
"Air Jordan" (in Bulgarian - "Въздушният Майкъл Джордан.")
The basketball plyyer Michael Jordan jumps and stays in the air for long enough to impress people more than the typical jumpers, this has caused his jumps to be linked with the morpheme "air", which is used in words for flying (airplane, airforce).
Therefore "(the cat) flew below the uphill" can be interpreted as:
(the cat) jumped below the uphill.
Now, is it possible "jump" to be used with "below". Can you jump below?
To..
- Jump over s.t.
- Jump into
- Jump out
No "jump below", but it doesn't mean that this expression is meaningless. (Actually there is jump below something, but say, not jump below the uphill)
"Jump" has other meanings, like: doing something faster than usual, or moving fast.
So... "[The cat] flew below the uphill" may mean:
[The cat] jumped below the uphill?
Is it possible to jump below an uphill? Why not?
Uphill is an object, it can be located in а mountain, but we can imagine it to be any other object, over which somebody can move "up", walking on. This "uphill" object can be made of wood or metal and can have a hollow inside, where a cat can hide.
The cat jumped under the thing, that had an uphill over itself...
The whole sentence can turn to:
"The uphill had a hollow inside. The cat swallowed the stone and jumped below it.
The additional clause fills up the uncertainty in the scenario.
Another interpretation, based on "to fall" could turn:
"...flew below the uphill" to "..felt below the uphill".
Also, "below the uphill" may mean below the part of the uphill, that is steep, i.e. just before the uphill starts to climb.
Then: "The cat swallowed the stone and felt below the uphill."
This gives a rise of another interpretation – stone is often linked with "heavy". There is a proverb (Bulgarian) "Hang a stone on my neck".
Then: "The cat was climbing the uphill, but it swallowed the heavy stone - it threw it down below the uphill..."
While the cat was climbing the uphill, weird little balls felt down from the sky. They seemed like meet balls and smelled the same way. The poor cat was tired of hunger and the hard walk, and she bit one of the sky meet balls. A moment after she was frightened – the meet ball appeared to be as heavy as a stone. The cat was rolling down, until she stopped on the flat land under the uphill.
When searching for a meaning in very short pieces of information, such as single sentences, it is expected for the mind to invent, to imagine in order to fill up what is unknown with probable sets of circumstances. If the source doesn't deny, we can invent any plausible imagined circumstances.
Short sentences as a way to deny creation of AI
Actually, one very rarely meets single sentences in the reality, out of context to constraint and direct translation or interpretation of the meaning. However, short "nonsenses" – which one cannot interpret unambiguously or are often used to disprove the possibility of creation of an AI. Let's check out a classic from the NLP.
"It's so hard to translate to another language!"
How would we translate it in Bulgarian? "Времето лети" (Vremeto leti - The time is flying) or "Времеви мухи" (Vremevi muhi - Flies which are related to time)
Or another way - "time" doesn't mean only "time", and "flies" doesn't mean only the little flying bug. These are just the first two items that came up to my mind!
The search was obviously had been pruned up to two items, two possible interpretations.
This kind of unconscious pruning, limitation of the number of variants, will be discussed below.
Virtual Colleague: "The time is flying" is the correct translation. There's neither such an expression as "flies, related to time", nor any other.
Author: Why do you think so?
V.Colleague: The other translations doesn't make any sense. Me myself, I would translate it that way, I think I'm good enough in English. Check out my personal web page.
Author: And why would you translate it that way?
Colleague: Because... I haven't heard of an expression meaning "flies, related to time"...
Author: Therefore you have excluded the possibility to hear a new sentence, where this expression is used in a meaning that was unknown for you before?
Colleague: Well, I think so...
Author: Who did tell you that sentence?
Colleague: I'm not quite sure... You? But... Well... It is possible that this is an idiom. Can you explain it to me? Maybe this is a special kind of flies? Or more likely... (What a SF fan I am not to guess this one!) Flies through time! Time travel!
The ambiguity is caused by the lack of a criterion for pruning. Until the moment when an action is executed – an action caused by the input data, which are said to be ambiguous – the ambiguity is not an issue. The system can remember the whole sentence, word-by-word and until the moment of action, a decisive single action, it is known that all interpretations are possible.
And when the action should be done, e.g. a robot to capture the right cube or the middle cylinder – then the system should use an additional feature in order to disambiguate, to choose. However, since the input is not decisive, but ambiguous, then turning any of the interpretations to action is not a "mistake", regarding the input.
Perhaps the Natural Language, or as the author calls it – The Language of Mind – allows ambiguity, because there are many "correct" possibilities. There are many cases, where each of the possible solutions/interpretations is "right" in the sense that the device (human) who took the decision continues to function after executing in effect, for real, an action, caused by the given interpretation.
So, if a given system continues to function – according to a given definition of "functions", e.g. its heart continues to work at least for so-and-so long period after executing the given action – then this action was "right", i.e. this action is assumed to have had followed laws that don't lead to malfunction.
More complex control units have larger space of correct decisions, they have wider "freedom", i.e. possibilities for future actions, after which they will continue to function right.
(see … @ qyote "Conception for the Universal Predetermination", a.k.a. "The Universe-Computer" or "The Mind and Universe")
По-сложните управляващи устройства (виж "Схващане за всеобщата предопределеност": http://eim.hit.bg/razum).
I think that everything makes sense, colleagues.
One can always find meaning/sense, i.e. a connection between items. The meaning is the connection between things. (The relations between things)
The easiest thing to do is to redraw an already known, drawn line, and this is what is done initially when one is doing a semantic check – whether precomputed links/connections/relations with the given expression do exist. If such links do exist, they are saw like "gray lines", which mind can darken, one can do it when given a piece of paper with gray lines and is being told to draw lines without thinking a lot or planning. This is what the virtual colleague did above, he rejected the possibility that "time flies" has meanings, that are yet unknown to him, and need to be computed, "drawn" in his memory.
Let's overview a case with the same sample expression in another case.
Time Flies...
A three year-old little native English speaker – Johny. He knows, that "a fly" means the flying bug (something little, black, that is flying and when it land on your face it's !!! гъделичка and you're trying to let it go by waving your hands.
Johny knows how to create a multiple of fly – flies, but he doesn't know that "a fly" means also "a fly of an airplane". For Johny, "time" means just "a watch". Johny knows, that "a clock" and "a watch" have similar meanings – something circular, with a long things, that are rotating... and the longer things are rotating faster than the shorter and the thicker; the thicker ones sometimes appear not to move at all, but after you have played for a while with your toy cars and look to them – they seemed to be at another place...
All the times when Johny has heard talks about time, he has seen clocks or watches.
Johny has heard his father saying "I don't have time, we have to hurry up!" and when his father has told that, he has looked to his watch.
That way, the conception of "time" is linked to the image of "watch", when hearing time, he sees a watch, no abstract concepts. Johny himself doesn't have a watch.
Now let's assume that we put on our hand a big and shiny colourful watch and go to play with Johny on the playground. What he is going to do, if we tell him "Time flies!" and he hears this for the first time in his life?
Colleague: Perhaps he will look to our shiny watch and will search for flies around it...
Author: Exactly! Can you imagine what he would do if we didn't have a watch on our wrist?
Colleague: Maybe he would look to our hand, searching for a watch and flies... If he has remembered the pattern of watches being on the left wrist, he may first check there, or he may check both...
The images Johny has for "time" and "flies" are recalled, and Johny searches the expression of these images in the environment, accessible by his senses. The specific mean is not important.
The machine needs an external environment, where to search for meaning and senses – MATCHES of images, names, features, coincidences, patterns.
Author: What Johny is going to do, after realizing that there are no flies around the watch, or even there is not a watch?
Colleague: It depends what behavioral models have been developed so far. He could remember the expression "time flies" as an image that represent what he has thought then - "flies which are flying around a watch", but not to do anything further; Johny could wait, expect to face usage of this expression in an environment, which is richer of details and features, so that he would be able to extract or approve the meaning.
Details, specific cases are what limits the space of search, the domain. Details are forces for pruning...
Author: Johny may also not make any conclusion, but just taking the expression as a non-sense so he wouldn't remember it. Also, he can ask us immediately:
- What does "time flies" mean?
The machine should also be able to do like that, as we do, it will need teachers and supervisors, while it develops.
Our explanations and the degree of trust he has to what we explain to him will determine how the child is going to limit the space of search, but also how he will expand the space, by adding possibilities which he didn't thought of before.
If one explains to Johny, that "time flies" means "time is never enough", the child may remember this explanation as a whole sentence, without interpretation. Just a reference, a link: "time flies" redirects to "time is never enough" and then he would search for a meaning for the new sentence.
On the other hand, one can also explain to Johny, that "flies" means also "to fly", to move like birds or like Superman or so (recall that he didn't know the verb; it's strange not to know it, but that's the assumption), but not explaining him about the abstract concept of time.
In this case, Johny could keep linking "time" to "watch" and may start to imagine "time flies" as "the watch flies". He may look around, searching for a watch that is flying – generally, this is a search of features, input data/senses which could confirm the link that was made. Or... just anytime he hears "time flies" Johny would imagine a flying watch and would ask himself "Whether the flying watches have wings or they are magically flying?"
Imagination is a the point here. When searching for a meaning, we should be able to imagine, to fantasize. That means, one kind of inputs/senses to cause other kinds of inputs/senses. The primary may be "real", taken from raw data from the reality, linked to what the machine or human takes for "Reality"; while the secondary input/sense could be imagined, fantasized, unreal.
Talking about reality, humans usually take for "real" input channels such as vision, hearing, touch, taste, smell; when he is receiving data at the maximum possible rate (max resolution, raw data).
Vision is a primary sensory input, when we're sensing images, where we can recognize individual pixels. Letters, numbers and any symbols come from a secondary sensory input, because from the primary sensory input, containing raw pixels, each one containing an independent value, are extracted data with a smaller size (in raw bits) – letters, digits, geometric shapes etc.
In order a system to find a meaning and make sense of things, it is very useful the system to have at least two different kinds of sensory inputs, and each of them to be able to invoke, to link to the other one. The images and relations between images (e.g. motion); sounds and relations between them can "generate" words: interpretations, which are described with smaller quantity of bits.
When Johny hears "a watch", he can imagine, somehow to see the image of the watch and what is possible to be done with it.
"What is possible to be done with" is yet another meaning of the concept of "meaning". There is no sense in meaning, if you can't do anything with it.
Actually, everything "makes sense", or "has a meaning", in the sense that it causes something to be done. It is so, because even the so called "non-procedural knowledge/data" are only "non-procedural", non-active, in the sense that they are not causing a type of action that is formally defined as "procedural". In a computer, an information processing system, any data cause actions. Data defines what happens in the machine's "mind". For example, the descriptive data of a page of text determines what exactly the machine is supposed to do, while it's CPU is reading the data from the memory, processes it, displays it, prints the page.
The meaning is the action, that the "thing" which is evaluated invokes/causes/turns, and this meaning can be different, depending how deep we are searching and more – how and what.
How and What we do the search is more dependent on our past experience, than on the short input being evaluated.
Finally... Let's assume that the meaning of a message/sentence is an action to be taken, assuming that it was caused by the meaning that was found (if another meaning was found, another action would be taken).
Higher the complexity of the system, higher the weight of memories/experience in the decision how and what to search, therefore – what could be found. It's a paradox, but:
More complex the system – More Meaningless the Meaning
Smarter the system – Meaningless the meaning
Because the system - the Artificial Intelligence or human - can more freely search and find meaning – links between the items, things, phenomenons, events, messages, memories, objects, images, sounds or whatever.
Continues with long comments after the article, about reinforcement learning and other topics... (to be published, when translated)
Labels: Analysis , Articles , Artificial Intelligence , NLP , Изкуствен интелект , Изкуствен разум , Обработка на естествен език
▼ Jan 14 ( 1 )
Semantic analysis of a sentence. Reflections about...


In this week's video from Panna, mixologist extraordinaire Jim Meehan demonstrates theright way to shake a cocktail. Practice your technique with these bright and boozy shaken drinks.
In this week's video from Panna, mixologist extraordinaire Jim Meehan demonstrates the right way to shake a cocktail. Practice your technique with these bright and boozy shaken drinks.
This classic drink is made with just three ingredients: white rum, fresh lime juice and simple syrup.
Simple, clean and refreshing, this honey-sweetened Prohibition-era cocktail is like a winter toddy that's been given a spring makeover.
The Paloma is a classic Mexican cocktail made with lime juice, tequila and grapefruit soda. This version is made with smoky mezcal, fresh grapefruit juice and Cocchi Americano.
This riff on a Southside includes crisp celery for a bright, vegetal flavor.
Strega, a saffron-colored Sicilian liqueur infused with 70-odd herbs and spices, gives this cocktail a brilliant color and delicious, herbaceous flavor.
Cocktail historians trace this cocktail back to 1732, when Philadelphia's Schuylkill Fishing Club began every meeting with this potent drink.
This smoky-bittersweet cocktail is a delicious new way to drink mezcal.
The perfect drink for Campari lovers who are tired of negronis, this cocktail is made with Campari, vodka and limoncello.
Instead of the usual grenadine, this take on a Gin Daisy calls for spicy, herbal yellow Chartreuse.
This wine-tail is made with white wine, pomegranate juice, gin and floral St-Germain.