Monthly Archives: April 2015

New Site: AuthorsSupportingAuthors.

Thanks to Ronavan for setting this up. Kevin

It occurred to me that Indie Authors need to work together. We all need support in Book Launches and knowledge. Even finding critique groups, beta-readers. You name it we need it. For a dedicate site for that I createdhttps://authorssupportingauthors.wordpress.com/.

The site will be for authors to go to and join and help each other. The idea is to even coordinate book launches so members of the site do not compete with each other on the same dates.

The first need for Book Launch support is there now. Go check it out.

The site is new and will be undergoing cosmetic changes, but we need a place to support each other. We’re writers. We are accustomed to change.

https://twitter.com/RonovanWrites

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ronovan-Writes/630347477034132

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+RonovanWrites/about

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Teaching Computers How Not To Forget Is The Answer To Building Artificial Intelligence

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An article in The Atlantic which argues the achievement of artificial intelligence is impossible until we can teach computers how not to forget. Humans learn new skills while retaining old ones. Computers in contrast tend to forget easily.

To me one of the major factors (perhaps the most significant factor of all) which separates human intelligence from that of computers is that we humans are conscious beings who understand the reasons for our actions. Of course there are those who behave in ways which demonstrate crass stupidity but this does not, in my view invalidate my contention that we are different from machines in that we possess the ability to comprehend. Computers and robots can learn and their ability to do so is increasing. However they can not, unlike humans comprehend the reason for such learning. They are not self-aware.

Even if we can teach a computer not to forget will this lead to true artificial intelligence? In my admittedly unscientific view (my degree is in history and politics, not science) the answer is no for to have true intelligence one requires consciousness and the ability to comprehend/analyse one’s own actions.

For the article please visit http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/04/teaching-a-computer-not-to-forget/389727/?utm_source=SFTwitter

The Daydreamer Challenge – Day 1

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I am participating in the Daydreamer Challenge which is being run by Caitlin the Tean Daydreamer, (https://theteendaydreamer.wordpress.com/). For day 1 Caitlain asks that participants choose 1 of 3 topics. My choice is the beach. However, being tired I have cheated and reproduced below a post which first appeared on my blog in 2014, (apologies Caitlin, at this time of night my brain seeks the land of nod, hence my reposting of an earlier article rather than something new).

“I see you, bare feet leaving traces in the damp sand.

Lost in beauty, you watch the gulls as they wheel and cry.

The salt sea caresses your sun kissed skin.

The birds continue to scream overhead.

The sceen overpowers, your tears mingle and are lost in the great atlantic.

In my dreams I glimpse you, a girl walking along the beach”.

(for the original post please visit, http://newauthoronline.com/2014/10/24/beach/).

Pretty Girls Are Gravestones By Amber Skye Forbes

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Amber Skye Forbes has written a powerful poem entitled “Pretty Girls Are Gravestones”, (https://amberskyeforbes.wordpress.com/2015/04/05/poetry-saturday-pretty-girls-are-gravestones/). In her poem Amber attacks the objectification of “pretty girls” by men. I found Amber’s use of the ornament analogy striking, (girls are placed in cabinets for men to admire).

I was struck by the poet’s use of the word “vile” to describe men. This led me to ask the writer whether she did, in fact hold that all men are “vile”. Amber responded as follows,

“I don’t feel that way at all about men in general, although this poem was written due to my personal trauma. I hope the men who read this don’t see it as

an attack on them, but they are able to come to their own conclusions about what I could mean. I know what I mean, but it doesn’t matter what I mean. What

matters is others’ interpretations of what I mean. So it’s deliberate that I make it seem like it’s all men. Yet, the true beauty of poetry lies in its

pleasures and usefulness readers glean from it”.

I agree absolutely with Amber. What matters ultimately is not what the poet meant but how readers themselves construe their work. Once a poem or, indeed any composition is available either online and/or in print it is beyond the control of it’s creator and is subject to whatever interpretation readers choose to put upon it. (I made the same point as Amber in my guest post for The Story Reading Ape’s Blog which can be found here, (http://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2015/02/01/read-about-author-kevin-morris-explaining-his-poetry/).

Little Assassins

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What happens when science fiction becomes reality? An interesting post which raises ethical issues. Kevin

A Philosopher's Blog


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Small. Silent. Deadly. The perfect assassin or security system for the budget conscious. Send a few after your enemy. Have a few lurking about in security areas. Make your enemies afraid. Why drop a bundle on a bug, when you can have a Tarantula?

-Adrek Robotics Mini-Cyberform Model A-2 “Tarantula” sales blurb, Chromebook Volume 3.

The idea of remote controlled (or autonomous) mechanical assassins is an old one in science fiction. The first time I read about such a device was in Frank Herbert’s Dune: he came up with the idea for a lethal, remote-operated drone known as a hunter seeker. This nasty machine would be guided to a target and kill her with a poison needle. This idea stuck with me and, when I was making Ramen noodle money writing game material, I came up with (and sold) the idea for three remote…

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Book Heaven

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Sounds like a veritable bibliophile’s paradise, (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3026248/New-York-s-Library-Hotel-inspired-Dewey-Decimal-system.html).

The Best Definitions from Ambrose Bierce’s ‘Devil’s Dictionary’

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Some wonderful quotes here. Among my favourites are, “Egotist, n. A person of low taste, more interested in himself than in me”. and, “Lawyer, n. One skilled in circumvention of the law”.

Interesting Literature

The funniest and wittiest quotes from Ambrose Bierce’s comic masterpiece, The Devil’s Dictionary

We’ve read the whole of Ambrose Bierce’s wonderful The Devil’s Dictionary and, below, have distilled the book into 25 of the very best entries in this classic lexicon. The only stipulation we set ourselves was that the quotes we selected had to be short and pithy – preferably no longer than one sentence – to ensure maximum quotability. We hope you enjoy our selection.

Admiration,n. Our polite recognition of another’s resemblance to ourselves.

Barometer,n. An ingenious instrument which indicates what kind of weather we are having.

Clairvoyant,n. A person, commonly a woman, who has the power of seeing that which is invisible to her patron – namely, that he is a blockhead.

Comfort,n. A state of mind produced by contemplation of a neighbor’s uneasiness.

Consult, v. To seek another’s approval of a…

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Ogre

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The clock ticks.

Upstairs an ogre sleeps.

Paralysed by fear, a child sits waiting for the monster to awake.

Hands of terror traverse the clock’s face.

A creak. The child glances fearfully upwards, praying for deliverance.

Happy Easter!

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Happy Easter to everyone. Currently there is no sun in the environs of Upper Norwood. Perhaps he will graciously consent to put in an appearance later today. Well at least it isn’t cold!

Have a wonderful Easter one and all.

Kevin

PS; as I was about to post this, the sun has indeed sailed into view and is currently shining on the walls of the room which I dignify with the name of study or, to put it another way – my spare bedroom!

Should Self-Published Authors Forget Print On Demand?

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A post arguing that authors who self-publish should forget print on Demand. According to the writer, the quality of Createspace books is poor (he goes so far as to say that this does, perhaps mean that if authors still wish to use POD they might consider the much maligned “vanity” publishing model. For the post please see, http://www.derekhaines.ch/justpublishing/where-self-publishers-will-continue-to-lose-out/.

I would be interested in hearing the views of anyone who has published with Createspace or anyone who has read a book produced by them regarding the contention of the article.

Kevin