Happy New Year

CSGnet Archive CSG2003
1

[From Rick Marken (2003.01.01.0150)]

I can't believe I'm up at this hour. But it does give me a chance to see if
this will be archived as the first post of 2003.

Again, have a happy, productive and peaceful 2003.

Best regards

Rick

2

I can’t believe I’m up at this
hour. But it does give me a chance to see if

this will be archived as the first post of 2003.

Again, have a happy, productive and peaceful 2003.
[From Bill Powers (2003.01.01.0753 mdt)]

Rick Marken (2003.01.01.0150)]

I echo the sentiment.

Best [regards to everyone]

Bill P.

3

Yes, Bobbie and I send each and all (as we cast nets and test specimens)
of you a joyous new year (already less than new for some).
More than being up, it is remark(en)able that we are controlling (for) PCT
and CSG at this important transitional time.
My previous sentence raises a lay* and technical question. Is it OK in popular
usage as well as technical usage to say “controlling for something” as well
as “controlling something”?
Hope to see you all at CSG2003 in LA!
*I particularly mean the 3rd use of lay as an adjective:
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French lai, from Late Latin
laicus, from Greek laikos of the people, from laos people
1 : of or relating to the laity : not ecclesiastical
2 : of or relating to members of a religious house occupied
with domestic or manual work <a lay brother>
3 : not of a particular profession <the lay public>;
also : lacking extensive knowledge of a particular subject

Richard Marken MindReadings.com wrote:

··· 
 --
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
LLOYD KLINEDINST - BARBARA A. BOLLMANN
10 DOVER LANE - VILLA RIDGE, MO 63089-2001
HomeVoice: (636) 742-4039 - FAX: (636) 742-4039
Lloyd Mobile: (314)-609-5571 - Bobbie Mobile: (314)-799-3323
email: website: email: website:

lloydk@klinedinst.comhttp://www.klinedinst.combbollmann@bbollmann.comhttp://www.bbollmann.com

4

Lloys
Klinedinst(2003.01.01);
[From Bill Powers (2003.01.01.1232 MST)]

My previous sentence raises a lay* and technical
question. Is it OK in popular usage as >well as technical usage to say
“controlling for something” as well as “controlling
something”?

I’ve always understood a clear distinction between the two ways of
putting it. “Controlling” is used when you are successfully
holding something in a reference state. Controlling for a reference
state explains what you’re doing by saying what the intended outcome is,
but without claiming success, yet. A bowler can say “I’m controlling
for a perfect game,” a golfer “I’m controlling today just for
getting all my drives in the fairway.” So “I’m controlling for
X” means “My goal is to achieve X, and that explains my actions
even when I don’t succeed.”

Best,

Bill P.

···
5

[From Bruce Gregory (2003.01.011457)]

Bill Powers (2003.01.01.1232 MST)

I've always understood a clear distinction between the two ways of
putting it. "Controlling" is used when you are successfully holding
something in a reference state. Controlling _for_ a reference state
explains what you're doing by saying what the intended outcome is, but
without claiming success, yet. A bowler can say "I'm controlling for a
perfect game," a golfer "I'm controlling today just for getting all my
drives in the fairway." So "I'm controlling for X" means "My goal is to
achieve X, and that explains my actions even when I don't succeed."

Needless to say, this distinction is consistent with a baseball
pitcher's "control." In less formal terms, we are "trying" when we are
"controlling for". The pitcher is always trying to put the ball where he
wants it to go ("controlling for") but he demonstrates control (in the
vernacular) when his efforts are successful.

6

[From Dick Robertson,2003.1.1.1602CST]

"Richard Marken MindReadings.com" wrote:

[From Rick Marken (2002.12.31.1120)]

I'd like to wish all the members of CSGNet a very happy, healthy and
productive New Year.

from me too.

···

Best Dick R

7

Needless to say, this distinction
is consistent with a baseball

pitcher’s “control.” In less formal terms, we are
“trying” when we are

“controlling for”. The pitcher is always trying to put the ball
where he

wants it to go (“controlling for”) but he demonstrates control
(in the

vernacular) when his efforts are successful.
[From Bill Powers (2003.01.01.1508 MDT)]

Bruce Gregory (2003.01.011457)–

Yes, clearly put and more succinctly than my effort.

Best,

Bill P.

8

Happy New Year to all, and something of a New Year resolution:

The project which has eaten up the greater part of my working hours over
the last three years, and a good many of my non-working hours as well,
has just ended. That's ViSiCAST, a large EU-funded project to create
computer-generated deaf signing avatars for the web or other media.
(http://visicast.sys.uea.ac.uk/) My contribution to it has been the
development of algorithms for generating signing animations from a
semi-abstract description of the gestures. There's a small amount of
PCT involved, in that I use a very simplified biocontrol model to
generate realistic movements from one posture to another. I produced a
paper on it last year for a conference
(http://www.sys.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/visicast/RK-GW2001/). There is a
follow-on project to ViSiCAST, although that is more to do with
technology exploitation than basic research, and my role in that will be
limited to providing consultancy for the software I wrote.

The ending of ViSiCAST is good news, for me, in that I will at last have
time to pick up on my other research interests, including the six-legged
robot simulation that I demonstrated at the PCT meetings at
Kroechlendorff and Boston, and which I've let lie dormant ever since.
And pay more attention to CSGNET.

I also intend working on extending my synthetic animation work by taking
the opportunity to improve on the use of control models for animation,
and to reconsider what is required of a gesture notation system,
especially for applications mre general than sign language. There is
already software around to animate Labanotation, a widely used ballet
notation, but all of it merely generates linear interpolations. Their
use is limited to teaching Labanotation students how to read the
notation. I'd like to generate realistic balletic movements. To what
extent control models can help remains to be seen. It's all control, of
course, but what is a ballet dancer controlling?

-- Richard Kennaway

9

time to pick up on my other
research interests, including the six-legged

robot simulation that I demonstrated at the PCT meetings at

Kroechlendorff and Boston, and which I’ve let lie dormant ever
since.

And pay more attention to CSGNET.

I also intend working on extending my synthetic animation work by
taking

the opportunity to improve on the use of control models for
animation,

and to reconsider what is required of a gesture notation system,

especially for applications mre general than sign language. There
is

already software around to animate Labanotation, a widely used
ballet

notation, but all of it merely generates linear interpolations.
Their

use is limited to teaching Labanotation students how to read the

notation. I’d like to generate realistic balletic movements. To
what

extent control models can help remains to be seen. It’s all
control, of

course, but what is a ballet dancer
controlling?
[From Bill Powers (2003.01.02.1155 MST)]

Richard Kennaway (21003.01.02) –

The ending of ViSiCAST is good news, for me, in that I will at last
have

Wonderful-sounding projects, Richard. Among other things, the
last-mentioned one will require solving a much simpler problem, which
maybe you should tackle first: devising a control system for a biped so
it can stand up and balance, and of course then take a step without
falling over. I still believe that there is a way to simulate forward
dynamics in a jointed system that doesn’t involve all the complications
of the “correct” differential equations. Every force on an
object can be reduced to a single force through the center of mass (or
gyration) plus a couple. If we only want to simulate the response of a
jointed body to torques and forces, why can’t we do this directly instead
of starting with potential and kinetic energy and then taking the inverse
of the solution?

I suspect that Bruce Abbott, who has been feeling poorly, will be getting
back to his physical bug model pretty soon (i.e., in the Spring). I hope
we can count on your consultations, at the usual fee.

Best,

Bill P.

10

I also intend working on extending my synthetic animation work by taking
the opportunity to improve on the use of control models for animation,
and to reconsider what is required of a gesture notation system,
especially for applications mre general than sign language. There is
already software around to animate Labanotation, a widely used ballet
notation, but all of it merely generates linear interpolations. Their
use is limited to teaching Labanotation students how to read the
notation. I'd like to generate realistic balletic movements. To what
extent control models can help remains to be seen. It's all control, of
course, but what is a ballet dancer controlling?

Richard, My daughter spent three years studying Laban notation and another
system. I think a choreographer is controlling for an imagined image of
bodily motion to music. I also vaguely remember that very sophisticated
software was developed at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver quite a few
years ago. I'll try to get a website.
Good luck on your new project and congratulations on the one you just
finished.
David

···

From: David Wolsk O2/01/03 11:46 am pst

----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Kennaway" <jrk@SYS.UEA.AC.UK>
To: <CSGNET@listserv.uiuc.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, January 01, 2003 3:46 PM

11

[From Rick Marken (990101.1220)]

Happy New Year Perceptual Control Theorists!

For me 1998 has been the year of the center fielder; it's the
year when I learned about how baseball outfielders catch fly balls
(by controlling optical velicity) and wrote a paper about it to
boot. Of course, just my luck, 1998 also turned out to be the
year of the home run hitter (my son has a ball that was signed to
him by Mark McGuire when Mark was a rookie on the A's; unfortunatly,
it doesn't quite insure my son's retirement -- yes, I checked) so,
of course, people were more interested in the balls that the
fielders _could not_ catch. Ah well. PCT just can't get a break;-)

I don't know what I'm going to waste my time on in 1999, though
I'm sure it will have something to do with testing perceptual
control theory. Any (polite:-)) suggestions would be most welcome.

Again, have a healthy and happy New Year.

Best

Rick

···

--

Richard S. Marken Phone or Fax: 310 474-0313
Life Learning Associates e-mail: rmarken@earthlink.net
http://home.earthlink.net/~rmarken/

12

[From Dick Robertson,990103.0713CST]

Richard Marken wrote:

[From Rick Marken (990101.1220)]

Happy New Year Perceptual Control Theorists!

For me 1998 has been the year of the center fielder; it's the
year when I learned about how baseball outfielders catch fly balls
(by controlling optical velicity) and wrote a paper about it to
boot.

I don't know what I'm going to waste my time on in 1999, though
I'm sure it will have something to do with testing perceptual
control theory. Any (polite:-)) suggestions would be most welcome.

Any chance you could put your 3 level hierarchy on lotus 123 platform?

···

Again, have a healthy and happy New Year, to all from me too

Best, Dick R.

13

[From Rick Marken (990104.0750)]

Dick Robertson (990103.0713CST) --

Any chance you could put your 3 level hierarchy on lotus 123
platform?

There is a version of the spreadsheet hierarchy called
"PC version". It's at the bottom of the page at:

http://home.earthlink.net/~rmarken/demos.html

It's a zipped Excel file. When it's unzipped it will run
as an Excel spreadsheet on a PC. I _think_ it will also run
in Lotus 123 but I'm not sure. I might have to convert it
to a different file format.

I don't have Lotus 123 available anywhere nearby. But I'd
be happy to try to make the spreadsheet work in Lotus. Let
me know if you can download the PC version and unzip it. If
so, then let me know what happens if you try to read it into
Lotus. If you have problems, I'd be happy to try to send you
a version of the spreadsheet (via person e-mail) in different
formats that might work in Lotus.

Have a happy New Year

Best

Rick

···

--
Richard S. Marken Phone or Fax: 310 474-0313
Life Learning Associates e-mail: rmarken@earthlink.net
http://home.earthlink.net/~rmarken

14

[From Dick Robertson,990105.0932CST]

Richard Marken wrote:

[From Rick Marken (990104.0750)]
Dick Robertson (990103.0713CST) –

Any chance you could put your 3 level hierarchy on lotus 123

platform?

There is a version of the spreadsheet hierarchy called

“PC version”. It’s at the bottom of the page at:

http://home.earthlink.net/~rmarken/demos.html

It’s a zipped Excel file. When it’s unzipped it will run

as an Excel spreadsheet on a PC. I think it will also run

in Lotus 123 but I’m not sure. I might have to convert it

to a different file format.

I don’t have Lotus 123 available anywhere nearby. But I’d

be happy to try to make the spreadsheet work in Lotus. Let

me know if you can download the PC version and unzip it. If

so, then let me know what happens if you try to read it into

Lotus. If you have problems, I’d be happy to try to send you

a version of the spreadsheet (via person e-mail) in different

formats that might work in Lotus.

Have a happy New Year

Best Rick

Thanks, Rick. I will try to download it. Netscape is offering
my NetZip 6. for the plug-ins to run it. I am a little scared of
that because the last time I had NetZip it kept interferring with my email.
So I had to unload it. I had bought their package by thenl, but never
installed it because of having had all those problems. But I will
try again and see what happens.
Best, Dick

···

15

[From Bill Powers (990105.1017 MST)]

Dick Robertson,990105.0932CST]

Dick, look for "unzip" on Yahoo and download it. It's free, and it works.

Best,

Bill P.

Richard Marken wrote: [From Rick

···

Marken (990104.0750)] Dick Robertson (990103.0713CST) -- > Any chance you
could put your 3 level hierarchy on lotus 123

platform? There is a version of the spreadsheet hierarchy called

"PC version". It's at the bottom of the page at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~rmarken/demos.html It's a zipped Excel file.
When it's unzipped it will run
as an Excel spreadsheet on a PC. I _think_ it will also run
in Lotus 123 but I'm not sure. I might have to convert it
to a different file format. I don't have Lotus 123 available anywhere
nearby. But I'd
be happy to try to make the spreadsheet work in Lotus. Let
me know if you can download the PC version and unzip it. If
so, then let me know what happens if you try to read it into
Lotus. If you have problems, I'd be happy to try to send you
a version of the spreadsheet (via person e-mail) in different
formats that might work in Lotus. Have a happy New Year Rick
      But I will try again and see what happens. Best, Dick

16

<[Bill Leach 950101.17:58 EST(EDT)]

[Rick Marken (941231.1915)]

Also... Happy New Year to all!!

My New Year's resolution? Why, to be an even bigger pain in the net
next year than I was this year;-)

Oh good! At least we know it will not be a boring net then :slight_smile:

-bill

17

[From Rick Marken (2002.12.31.1120)]

I'd like to wish all the members of CSGNet a very happy, healthy and
productive New Year.

Best regards

Rick

18

[From Rick Marken (2005.12.31.0940 PST)]

I suppose this is a little late for those just to the left of the dateline but "Happy New Year" to all. I hope 2006 brings you health, happiness and wisdom.

Best regards

Rick

···

---
Richard S. Marken Consulting
marken@mindreadings.com
Home 310 474-0313
Cell 310 729-1400

19

[From Kenny Kitzke (2005.12.31.1115 EST)]

<Rick Marken (2005.12.31.0940 PST)>

<I hope 2006 brings you health,
happiness and wisdom.>

Ditto to all on CSGNet.

I am very excited about the Conference being in China in 2006. I’ll be posting some reminders as 2006 gets going.

Want a little brain teaser for the eve (even before people are drunk)? Ask them if they know who first declared January 1 to be New Year’s Day? Even better, why? And what other days have been used to start a year; even as recently as 200 years ago? When does the Chinese New Year start?

[For those who want something else to do than to watch football (USA) bowl games.]

20

[From Bryan Thalhammer (2005.12.31.1325 CST)]

Happy New Year!, !Feliz Ano Nuevo!, and in a few weeks, Gongxi focoi (PRC) =
Congratulations and be prosperous! Uisui pingon (PRC) = Everlasting peace
year after year!

Three languages? My point: My little nephew Michael is beginning to get to
the point where he needs to learn another language or forever lose the
ability to hear and speak it well as a semi-native speaker. I almost never
buy the kid toys, except that they make him think or learn things he
wouldn't learn in today's public schools. For his birthday this past Dec 28,
I sent him Spanish and Chinese kids phrase books. I hope that at least one
of these gifties takes root! In addition, I will be quizzing him on what he
is learning in Maths, History, Civics and humanities classes. Maybe....

(My implied New Year's wishes are that no American kid would ever again be
bored, intimidated or stymied by bad Math, Statistics or Science teachers,
and that every American kid would be able to get past our provincial
dependence on English, instead speaking of the future also in Spanish,
Chinese, Hindustani or Arabic (Four of the five of the most widely spoken
languages in the world <http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0775272.html>), and
the corrolary, that every American kid will again be enthralled by History,
Civics, and the Humanities--any and all of which will be a matter of
survival of our Country these days!)

Good New Year's Day reading suggestion:

Enriquez, Juan (2005). The Untied States Of America, polarization,
fracturing, and our future. New York: Crown. ISBN: 0307237524.

--Bryan

PS: Happy New Year when??? The New Year really is an arbitrary demarcation
between two major growing seasons in a hemisphere (e.g., the Northern
Hemisphere), where a good dividing time is bewteen shortly after the winter
solstice when the day is visibly starting to get longer and before the time
when dedicating the fields for the next planting season takes place. March 1
*was* the New Year of Rome and of the Republic of Venice until 1797. Easter
replaced the traditional European celebration of New Year from late February
to mid-April. The adoption of the Gregorian calendar led eventually to the
*adoption* of January 1 as New Year's Day in all countries using that
calendar. Chinese New Year *occurs* every year at a new moon during the
winter. The exact date can fall anytime between 21 January and 21 February
inclusive, on the Gregorian Calendar. Ah, but in the Southern Hemisphere the
New Year of the Incas *is* on June 21. In other places, the new year ranges
all over the planetary, solar and lunar calendars, for various reasons,
including climate and tradition. For example, July 26 *is* the Gregorian
date that marks the Mayan New Year. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year>