Platinum Clubhouse - November 2004 Newsletter

Editorial

Carmel, Breda, and Patrick are back from America and had a great time and are ready to go with their Action Plans for the next Accreditation. Speaking of the Action Plans, We are having the first Action Plan Meeting on Tuesday 2nd November at 11am. These meetings will continue every Tuesday after that, We would like as many members as possible to attend and assist us in putting the Action Plans in place. The Social Calendar has been made up for November and December, you will see them on the front of this issue We have also booked the Town House Hotel in Naas for the Christmas Dinner which will be on the 17th December, We will have a lovely dinner with all the trimmings, So get booked in as soon as you can. We look forward to as many as possible.

In the following couple of years after the Drogheda shock, Kildare managed to reach a couple of Leinster final deciders for the first time I think since 1978 and the opposition was to be Dublin, just as it was in ‘78. As it happens I can only remember one of these games vividly

I was fortunate enough to have gained a prime seat from which to view the game, dead smack in the middle of the stadium, adjacent to the half way line in the upper tier of the Cusack Stand. Despite it being the last week of July, the weather was rainy, windswept and cold. Even all of that couldn’t dampen my spirit and anticipation.

Little did I know Dublin were to play with the aid of a considerable wind in the first half. What unfolded in front of me, from the moment the ball was thrown in to the sound of the final whistle, almost defies belief. It is etched in my memory forever. Never in my life have I been so bored, bemused and tortured. If ever the word attrition applied to a football match, this was it. Even allowing for the conditions this was the most aimless and depressing spectacle I have ever witnessed, considering the occasion and what was at stake. Numbly looking on from peanut heaven as “the Yanks” would call it, I gaped as the standard dived with every passing minute. To say the game was low scoring would be a vast understatement and if memory serves me correct I think the score at half-time was Dublin 0-3 Kildare 0-2. Now whether these scores came from play or frees, I cant remember, such was the state of shock to my system. I consoled myself, only thirty five minutes to go and I’ll be free.

The all-whites were to play with the aid of the gale in the second half. Long odds on a victory for them with the Bookies I thought to myself. As it transpired it was not to be. The game continued on in the same vein as it had in the opening half when Dublin substitute Johnny Barr kicked over a point close to the end, I was finally put out of my misery. The final score read Dublin 0-11 Kildare 0-7. After that it was a very long time before I went to watch a game again.

Shopping Spree Thursday 18th of Nov (Clubhouse will be open this day)
Dublin 9-4

‘Please ring a few days in advance if you are interested in any of these socials’

Artificial Intelligence and Piagetians Theory

Artificial Intelligence and Piagetians Theory. What do they have in common. The object of this essay is to examine the similarities, broadly speaking, between two views of what intelligence is, and to see what cognitive scientists have to learn from Piaget and other Piagetians. Piagetians theory concerns the development of intelligence in the early years of the child, from sensorimotor intelligence to concrete intelligence to formal thought.

Piaget defined intelligence as “equilibration, within two poles of assimilation and accommodation”. What does this mean? The dictionary definition of equilibration is “a state in which opposing forces or tendencies neutralise each other”. For our purposes, it is enough to regard assimilation as perception, and accommodation as thought. For Piaget, equilibration is a never-ending process of interaction with the environment, where the scope of equilibrium grows ever larger and more powerful thus enabling the organism to grow and flourish in the world. The only alternative is decay and death. Logic comes about through action, he claims. For Piaget, equilibration is a process, dynamic but stable. AI programs, too, are processes, which Professor Margaret Boden describes as “movies of the mind”.
The second concept, which both camps have in common, is representation. Much is made of representation in AI, and in his theorising, Piaget also uses the concept of representation concerning assimilation and accommodation. Indeed, Piagetians can learn a lot from cognitive scientists about problem-solving and finding the correct type of representation in finding solutions. Piaget describes accommodation as finding novel structures (abstract representations) in problem-solving.

The third concept, which the two views of intelligence share in common, is structure. Piaget’s schemata and Minsky’s frames are broadly similar. The dictionary definition of schemata is a : kind of standard-template, which the mind forms from past experiences, and by which new experiences can be evaluated to a certain extent. In AI, frames are knowledge structures with explicit symbols that allow the interpretation of stereotyped experiences.

Artificial intelligence, too, has a definition of what constitutes intelligence. Newell and Simon’s definition is that ; symbol-manipulation is both necessary and sufficient for intelligence;. The strong symbol system hypothesis relies heavily on having a rich, compositional, recursive system of symbols, the essence of which is structure. Thus, we can see that if equilibrium with the environment is the goal of all Intelligent agents, then symbol-manipulation is the means by which equilibration is to be achieved.

Gladiator Review:
Very action packed. From the very start the plot was complicated but very watchable. The actor, Russell Crowe, was superb in the lead role and the acting was great. The violent parts wee tastefully done and the film constantly left you on the edge on your seat in anticipation of what was going to happen next. I would rate this film 9/10 and would recommend anyone who likes a good action movie to watch it.

Armageddon Review:
Bruce Willis was very good in his part as the best oil driller money could buy. The basic plot was Bruce Willis drilled on every terrain earth could offer so NASA’s administration sent for him and asked if he would go in to space to drill a hole, drop a few nuclear warheads down the hole he drilled together with his crew. Action all the way as they met disaster after disaster and you are left in suspense as they try to save the planet. I would give this film 8/10.

Music Hint: When your cassette player chews a tape, simply cut out the damaged part and join the free ends with a bit of sticky tape. You will have only lost a small piece.

A true follower of God is a priest
So reading Gods bible word of truth
As for apostles of last supper feast
Makes me give my thought for youth.

Preaching the word of God to everyone
Is the duty that he portrays
Preparation until the soul is gone
So begins mankind’s happy days.

A man of faith in every way
Preparing for heavenly peace
It is of his heart to pray
To make all evil finally cease.

Yet, he is just an ordinary man
With a voice to speak his mind
He tries to do best he can
For a more close and peaceful mankind.

O Father I say to you my friend
May your message be true to all
So the word of god will never end
In your voice I hear Gods call.

Saint Dymphna was born in the seventh century. Her father, Damon, a chieftain of great wealth and power, was pagan. Her mother was a very beautiful and devout Christian.

Dymphna was 14 when her mother died. Damon is said to have been afflicted with a mental illness, brought on by his grief. He sent messengers throughout his own and other lands to find some woman of noble birth, resembling his wife who would be willing to marry him. When none could be found his evil advisors told him to marry his own daughter. Dymphna fled from her castle together with St Gerebran, her confessor, and two friends.

Damon found them in Belgium. He gave orders that the Priest’s head be cut off. Then he tried to persuade his daughter to return to Ireland with him. When she refused, he drew his sword and struck off her head. She was then only fifteen years of age.

Dymphna received the crown of martyrdom in defence of her purity about the year 620. She is the patron of those suffering from nervous and mental afflictions. Many miracles have taken place at her shrine, built on the where she was buried in Gheel, Belgium. Her feast is celebrated on May 15.

Birthday Wishes to: Gary, Robert, Declan, Brid, Kevin, Daniel, Margaret, Alan, Eileen, Simon & Dara