By Dave Steve Sedona, AZ — There is a new preprint on arXiv, Can LLMs make trade-offs involving stipulated pain and pleasure states?, stating that, “Pleasure and pain play an important role in human decision making by providing a common currency for resolving motivational conflicts. While Large Language Models (LLMs) can generate detailed descriptions of pleasure and pain experiences, it is an open question whether LLMs can recreate the motivational force of pleasure and pain in choice scenarios – a question which may bear on debates about LLM sentience, understood as the capacity for valenced experiential states. We probed this question…
Author: Tommy Acosta
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Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of “Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story”, showing Jan. 31-Feb. 6 at the Mary D. Fisher and Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatres. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl_av7J1ggY This star-studded tribute brings into focus the dazzling, complex period of Liza Minnelli’s life starting in the 1970s, just after the tragic death of her mother Judy Garland — as she confronts a range of personal and professional challenges on the way to becoming a bona fide legend. Over these years, Liza seeks out extraordinary mentors: Kay Thompson, Fred Ebb, Charles Aznavour,…
… we are a pretty cool species and we have been able to find ways to extend our natural capabilities to do things that only creatures in nature are able to do naturally and one of the really important things is flight … who hasn’t dreamed of flying without contraptions of one kind or another? I still do! So I thought it would be kind of fun to match photos of those who do it every day with we humans in the devices we have invented to enable us to do the same … well kinda! In the photos above…
Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to join theatres around the world to present the global premiere of “Green and Gold”, showing Jan. 31-Feb. 6 at the Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVJrEdqkfNY Foreclosure looms over Wisconsin dairy farmer Buck (Craig T. Nelson). With mounting debt and the land his family has cultivated for four generations at risk, Buck refuses to give up his legacy without a fight. Buck’s granddaughter (Madison Lawlor) works alongside him but dreams of a career in music. Her aspirations are fanned by an emerging friendship with a famous musician (Brandon Sklenar), but chasing…
By Bear Howard Bear Howard Chronicles Sedona, AZ — Today’s inauguration of former President Donald Trump is, by many accounts, a troubling moment in American history. Trump has declared that he won by a landslide and, therefore, claims to have a mandate from the voters to act as he pleases. However, the numbers tell a very different story. Trump received only 49.80% of the popular vote—hardly a landslide, and certainly not a mandate. Furthermore, when considering the entire U.S. population of 334 million, his share of the vote represents just 23%. In contrast, President Joe Biden received over 81 million…
Safety neurons: World model tensors for general AI alignment By Dave Steve There is a recent feature in The Transmitter, Most neurons in mouse cortex defy functional categories, stating that, “The majority of cells in the cerebral cortex are unspecialized. Cells in the visual cortex that selectively fire in response to an object moving in one direction or another, or neurons in the prefrontal cortex that tune in to confidence and reward and fire only when rats make decisions. Neuropixels recordings reveal that much of the mouse cerebral cortex comprises non-selective neurons. Everywhere except in the primary sensory areas, the neuronal firing…
Sedona, AZ — Yes, it’s true. Evil does lurk in the hearts of humankind. Like those who profit from the degradation, misery, sorrow, and suffering of others. And those who make money from the use and production of weapons and other things that kill. Those who purposely cause wars to maintain their blood-soaked profits. Those who take pleasure in giving pain and hurting others. Those who persecute people of different sexual orientation. Those who rape, kill, plunder, set people on fire, destroy homes and livelihoods, or injure others for pleasure. Those who profit from producing foods that cause cancer and…
By Craig Swanson The KSB website has a page dedicated to helping residents of the Verde Valley prepare for a wildland fire: www.keepsedonabeautiful.org/fire. We encourage you to visit this page and prepare yourself to act quickly and safely should you need to evacuate due to fire. The page has a wealth of information on topics like: Understanding the emergency response plans for jurisdictions in the Verde Valley Making your property Fire Safe How to sign up for emergency notifications What to include in your Go Bag should you need to evacuate And more… Prepare ahead of time to stay safe!
By Amaya Gayle Gregory It is beyond wondrous to live inside a paradox. We all do, whether we realize it or not. We feel real, seemingly separated from each other by time and space, and yet we aren’t. We are both and neither simultaneously, maybe that’s why we don’t like uncertainty, why we fight for answers, need to find the right one. We are the ultimate uncertainty. When we are willing to stop and observe, something that most often occurs only when we have no choice but to, we can see the flimsiness of our solidity, the lack of impermanence…
… thanks to my friend Mary who allowed us in to shoot some horses this afternoon at her Horse Mesa Ranch in Jacks Canyon. I’ve never done any riding to speak of but I love horses and had plenty of time to interact with Mira, above, a part quarter horse owned by Buck the ranch manager and Chauvet a 3/4 Gypsy Cob horse owned by Sandy Byland of Sedona … Sedona Mystique Boutique. It was a true delight to be out there … just starting to go through the photos and I like these two … still nearly a thousand photos to go…
Sedona News – In September 2024, the U.S. Forest Service announced a budget shortfall on the order of $750 million. One of the remediation measures enacted by the agency was a national suspension of hiring seasonal workers. In the Red Rock Ranger District of the Coconino National Forest, its 411-miles of non-motorized recreational trails are maintained by a 16-member seasonal crew, along with support from the Friends of the Forest members and citizens at public volunteer days. The seasonal crew is comprised of trained workers who are resident in the Red Rock Ranger District from October through the end of…
Verde Valley News – The Coconino National Forest is working to improve the power grid for many Red Rock Ranger District residents by taking the next steps in its APS McGuireville to Oak Creek 69kV Transmission Line Project. The McGuireville to Oak Creek Transmission Line Project will construct a new 13.7-mile transmission line between the communities of McGuireville and Oak Creek, which will connect existing lines into a looped system. The Coconino National Forest has published a Final Environmental Assessment and Draft Decision and has initiated a public objection process for the project. “This decision will strengthen the electric grid throughout the…
Verde Valley News – Dr. Rodolfo Martinez Morales, the University of Arizona’s Extension Director for Santa Cruz County, will discuss Regenerative Agriculture and its potential to increase sustainability as part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’s free “Munch & Learn” program, Thursday January 30, from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m., on Yavapai College’s Verde Valley Campus. As the UA Extension Director in Santa Cruz County, Dr. Morales is developing a strategy to integrate regenerative agriculture with ecological restoration to enhance small-scale farming. His January 30 topic will be “Regenerative Agriculture as a Strategy for Ecological Restoration and Sustainable Landscapes.” He is…
Sedona News – The city of Sedona invites business owners in brick-and-mortar locations within the city limits to renew their annual Business License by Jan. 31, 2025 online, which costs $35. Notifications were sent out via email to the email address on file in November 2024. Business owners are encouraged to check their spam folder and if they have not received a notification, call or email the City Clerk’s Office at 928-203-5113 or cityclerksdept@sedonaaz.gov. If renewal applications are not submitted and approved by Jan. 31, 2025, a $5 late fee will begin to accrue monthly on Feb. 1, 2025. New…
By Rabbi Alicia Magal The JCSVV offers soul-enriching services, programs, and classes, all listed on the synagogue website, jcsvv.org. Visitors are welcome to attend services after a security check. Those who cannot attend in person can access the service through zoom. Erev Shabbat services begin at 5:30 pm on Friday, January 24, 2025, led by Rabbi Alicia Magal. The Torah portion for this week is Va’eira (Exodus 6:2–9:35), in which Moses approaches Pharaoh and demands in the name of God, “Let My people go!” Pharaoh refuses, and the first seven of ten plagues are visited upon Egypt. the oneg refreshments…