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More Bombes and Trojan Horses
There are always details that are overlooked or electrical principles that are violated and getting the final integrated system to work perfectly always takes a bit of time. Often there is a flaw in a design. Sometimes there is a flaw in the paper plan. Sometimes there is a flaw in the transfer of the paper plan to reality. And it is a learning experience to work through the creative process.
The finished electrical control, fully functional, reliable, and “made use of” is the desired end result of the effort. Theory has to come first. But construction and testing in the real world is a vital part of the successful process. Some technical items do what the theory asks for but the resulting games are not popular with clients. The Vital Test is an Excited Group and a realistic work load for staff! Only then does the effort pay off.
To this point I have struggled (do you hear me – STRUGGLED!) to iron out the technical glitches, and the application challenges still lie ahead. And I look forward to the battle and the learning opportunities!
Again, an analogy and a Trojan Horse. Once you have formulated the theory and the vision, then you have to Live the completion and application and perfection of the idea. Reality testing brings your mind up to speed. The scientist tests the theory. Your mental video screen is adjusted and brought into synch with reality! If there is a misfit – back to the drawing board. If there is a fit – push on to greater understanding and achievement.
I knew what I wanted out of the modules I had built. I refused to quit before I made everything work. And when major errors or short comings in my game system became obvious (and they did), I designed circuits to solve the problems, I built them, and I debugged them, and I kept at it until everything WORKED as I wanted. I pursued a success formula in a tiny segment of life because I was on a mission. Spring is coming and when the first group hits the field I want to give them a thrill - not excuses about failure. But I am learning something far more important, and I know it. I am Living a Trojan Horse and I am going to make it a champion steed!
That’s what I learned in School today! That’s what I learned in School!
I once knew an old theology fool who produced audio tapes and in copy of the defunct WWCG style he would have a clear voiced announcer introducing him and his topic. He was skilled at talking without saying anything of substance, other than making it clear that “He was right. Everybody else was wrong. So follow me.” I remember hearing one of these tapes where the announcer stated that “Here is Joe XXX speaking on topic YYY, giving his 87th presentation in the series.” Unreal! 87 lengthy blab sessions imposed on a brain numbed captive audience, trained to sit and look passively attentive. Clearly the man had some followers who felt obligated to listen to those tapes. The clear voiced announcer seemed to be introducing God and then the little nickel plated dreamer would strut his gas filled message. His live audience would never react audibly with laughs or any other sound. They were numb and anyone who didn’t dumb down was out of there. Sad and amazing, and perhaps another analogy of situations in many other locations.
I also once knew another theology personality who was a two bit operator and had a tendency to plagiarize other people’s material. This got him into trouble before his death. But he was a marvel at condensing material. What a pity he didn’t simply acknowledge his sources and provide a type of Reader’s Digest service. He was a genius at covering huge topics in minutes – an amazing contrast to Joe XXX. And he made no effort to hog the market and take over from God. Good on him! Let’s just call him Bob TTT. But Bob TTT was great at pointing out details of life and Biblical details such that you were not likely to forget those factual observations. If someone points out the observable fact that sailing ships disappear bottom first as they sail away, you are on your way to understanding that the earth is round! There is no going back to the “flat earth” concept once that simple observation has been planted in your mind.
The photo on the left is a module that I had to build when I discovered that my original kiosk control had a glaring failing with regard to one of the games I wanted to be able to offer. Then, there were still problems with reliable/consistent function. I am not a skilled electronics technician but I do know enough to get into deep enough water to get into trouble - and lessons pour forth.
One challenge in a complex interconnected electrical system is timing of switching actions. I didn't read that - I learned that from DOING! Some interconnected switching actions must be slower or quicker than others in order for the system to function. The black cylindrical capacitor just left of center and low in the photo was added and removed the final glitch in the project. - Another analogy, which I will comment on further beside the next photo.
The two tiny components in my hand, on the left of the photo, are diodes. They are "one way" electrical valves that only let current flow one direction. They are like "one way" streets in a village and are marvels at "traffic control" in an electrical system. The item on the right is a resistor which is like a restriction valve. It lets traffic go either direction but limits volume at any given traffic speed.
Here is an analogy layer illustration. I set out to provide an exciting game for a bunch of enthusiastic young gamers but I find myself learning not only what makes games interesting but also about the mysteries of Life, urban planning, and also human relations. Read on.
The modules that I am building are more "electrical" than "electronic" in that most of the components are simply magnetically activated switches. Here we see such an electrically triggered switch that is 4 switches in one - an old school, low tech, simple little workhorse that has been sidelined in many applications by transistors. But they are reliable and easy for an amateur like myself to work with. Group a bunch of them together, interconnect them, and you can achieve marvellous things. Something that fascinates me is how the "4 pole double throw relays", the official name for them, tend to simulate a village made up of people. The little personalities interact and all sorts of "interpersonal" glitches result. Timing glitches and "feedback" issues are the main "interpersonal" problems.
When one quad switch turns on and thus is connected to other switches, often power will flow backwards through some of the connections and trigger all sorts of events that are sometimes hard to forsee, for me at least. "One way" diodes are often the solution. Sometimes flow rates of electricity are too rapid and need to be slowed down. The resistor comes to the rescue. If you need a storage tank for a bit of power or as a surge tank to slow the activation of one of the switches, a capacitor can be installed. The similarity to traffic flows in a city or village is remarkable. And the similarity to human relations is also remarkable. One person does something that has an impact on another person. Then person two impacts person three who in turn takes an action that has an effect on person one. Perhaps there is feedback from person two to person one, once person three gets connected. Make a new connection and suddenly all hell can break loose. Prudent use of diodes and timing savy is vital. Wallowing in this electrical project was like getting involved in a real life soap opera. Are you bored? There may be more happening under your nose than you realize! Again, Jim Corbett's policy statement on education comes to mind.
I do feel that this reality of analogies and layers of analogies is one reason that "DOING" things is so stimulating and productive. A lesson in one layer so often opens a door of understanding in another layer. Interaction and interconnections seem to show up between layers of reality as well as between personalities and the results are wonderful! Trojan Horses are everywhere. The Big School is a neat place to be!
The internet makes the world a truly different place than it once was. Imagine the days when communication was snail paced and the Bible wasn’t even available to the common man. Now, whatever topic you want to check out – Bingo – you have the material to look at and evaluate.
I am not out to hammer on theology arguments. The internet can provide you will endless theology information. Let me be a bit like Bob TTT and give you a super condensation of what I see as some theology basics and then I will get on to ranting on novel features that I see in The Big School. If you are one of the very few who will potentially tag along, hopefully the blog will be interesting and thought provoking.
So a list of basic viewpoints that I feel can be verified with a bit of research as well as standing still and looking around you – all of these concepts have enthusiastic advocates who can be easily accessed on the internet. Documentation ready for scanning and evaluating is at the finger tips of everyone. If you have an interest, you are in the driver’s seat. Many of the best info sources are often two bit operations and I have given a little identification thought to this topic and have posted it on a secondary page. The "thoughts" jump ahead of the main body. Not a big deal, but for clarity it is worth mentioning. (KEY 4)
1.
There is a God. He is a Big and Brilliant operator. Big. And Old. And Experienced! And we know of nothing that does not reflect his personality and history. The existence of the universe as well as our own existence are both a reflection of the Boss. Each of our Lives is not a simplistic matter – each is a rare Gift. We are each part of a highly unique club with a very ritzy and exclusive country club setting to hang out in! The earth stands out in the solar system like a gem amongst rough, battered rocks and there is no evidence of a duplicate.
There is a God. He is a Big and Brilliant operator. Big. And Old. And Experienced! And we know of nothing that does not reflect his personality and history. The existence of the universe as well as our own existence are both a reflection of the Boss. Each of our Lives is not a simplistic matter – each is a rare Gift. We are each part of a highly unique club with a very ritzy and exclusive country club setting to hang out in! The earth stands out in the solar system like a gem amongst rough, battered rocks and there is no evidence of a duplicate.2.The Bible is a unique book. It is a Cryptologic Bombe that I and many (but not all) have blundered onto. I was born into a society where the Book had status and I was born in an age where I had access to it in all its very helpful, slight variations. I understood the language it was available in – historically that has not always been the case. I feel testing of the theory of the uniqueness of the Book solidifies the fact and the number of toggle switches that are eliminated by this Super Bombe is huge. The Product (ie we humans) would be at a loss without a Manual and the Boss has delivered the Book. Other non-Biblical religions? If the Book is valid, it takes the front of the line and turns off the toggle switches of all crude “competitors”.
The Bible is a unique book. It is a Cryptologic Bombe that I and many (but not all) have blundered onto. I was born into a society where the Book had status and I was born in an age where I had access to it in all its very helpful, slight variations. I understood the language it was available in – historically that has not always been the case. I feel testing of the theory of the uniqueness of the Book solidifies the fact and the number of toggle switches that are eliminated by this Super Bombe is huge. The Product (ie we humans) would be at a loss without a Manual and the Boss has delivered the Book. Other non-Biblical religions? If the Book is valid, it takes the front of the line and turns off the toggle switches of all crude “competitors”. Where is any other “book” that predicted the coming of Alexander the Great, the coming of weapons of mass destruction, the destiny of the sons of Israel and the rise of Britain and the USA and the Russian and Chinese powerhouses, the integration of business factors that would allow a central control agent, not to mention the amazing integration between the old and new testament sections. Even the unlikely prediction that men would figure out how to delude themselves with regard to the obvious existence of a Creator God is impressive! Painting a word picture of a scene where large numbers of court jesters are seen leaping around waving two sided flags delivers a type of déjà vu experience. What are the chances that the wording on either side of the flag would be accurate? “I am wise” and “I am a fool” do not seem like a likely combination choice!
I personally blundered on the Bombe but once you have run with it, it tends to blank out the competition. And really the situation could be viewed as a “no brainer”. Imagine a car without any sort of maintenance manual or background documentation in an environment of general ignorance on automotive matters. How many theories and speculations would spring up on lubrication and maintenance and on features and their uses. But a manual provided by the designer would put most “theories” to rest and provide a fairly concise picture of how to get the most out of the car. Where is the manual for the human machine? It is not surprising that it is here and seems to have had a charmed history of stability and preservation and availability. But like so many manuals, it tends to be ignored, despite its miraculous availability.
3.A secondary Cryptologic Bombe that I referred to earlier can be summed up in a simple scripture from the Bible; (Psa 111:10) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments: I do feel that respect rather than “fear” might be a better translation to English. And commandments – laws – what is the difference? I don’t think that there is any underlying difference. Consider the amazing progress of science – the internet, the cell phone, gps, landing rockets on Mars and on speeding comets. Such performance is built on amazingly stable laws, acknowledging and working in harmony with those laws – understanding those laws. “Doing” those laws. And the “Doing” allows you to build your understanding. And that is a vital fact. God designed and built the physical platform in which physical laws exist. The physical world is not a mindless roulette wheel aberration. The platform’s structure and laws and amazing stability are totally integrated. Science has documented that platform and has worked with it. But what about a slightly different class of commandments or laws that are equally linked to the Boss? One might call them spiritual laws or commandments and they have an amazing underlying similarity to physical laws. (KEY 3*) What I specifically have in mind is the gift I had imposed on me by the WWCG – namely observance of the 7th day Sabbath and the somewhat connected Biblical Holy days. Yow – even I with my somewhat anti “religion” views cringe slightly at bringing the topic up but I got into “doing” those things so long back that it seems like forever. And I am forced to believe, based on experience, that “Doing” is a key word in this matter. It took years for the lessons of that observance system to sink in, but once they did, I marvel at the accuracy of Psa 111.10. If you want to have a hope of “understanding” where God has been in the last few million or billion years and what He is up to, those calendar linked observances are a vital Cryptologic Bombe. They snap a huge number of toggles into correct position and allow the Bombe operator to have a hope of understanding the Game Plan. Were it not for those observances I am convinced that men could not have a clue what is going on on earth and in the total universe. And most don’t have a clue because few have even heard of the observances let alone set out to “do” them. Knowledge and understanding is based on knowledge and understanding – understanding is a progression – look at the development of space science and the fledgling blundering of the early von Braun rocket efforts. That story is an amazing and inspiring story (a typical Trojan Horse experience) of an ingenious yet simplistic trial and error struggle, with brilliant and dark aspects. But “Doing & Application” is a vital rung in the ladder to progress and understanding. As singing comedian Tom Lerner said “What was it that put Americans on the moon. Well, good old American know-how, that’s what, as provided by good old Americans like Dr. Wernher von Braun!”
A secondary Cryptologic Bombe that I referred to earlier can be summed up in a simple scripture from the Bible; (Psa 111:10) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments: I do feel that respect rather than “fear” might be a better translation to English. And commandments – laws – what is the difference? I don’t think that there is any underlying difference. Consider the amazing progress of science – the internet, the cell phone, gps, landing rockets on Mars and on speeding comets. Such performance is built on amazingly stable laws, acknowledging and working in harmony with those laws – understanding those laws. “Doing” those laws. And the “Doing” allows you to build your understanding. And that is a vital fact. God designed and built the physical platform in which physical laws exist. The physical world is not a mindless roulette wheel aberration. The platform’s structure and laws and amazing stability are totally integrated. Science has documented that platform and has worked with it. But what about a slightly different class of commandments or laws that are equally linked to the Boss? One might call them spiritual laws or commandments and they have an amazing underlying similarity to physical laws. (KEY 3*) What I specifically have in mind is the gift I had imposed on me by the WWCG – namely observance of the 7th day Sabbath and the somewhat connected Biblical Holy days. Yow – even I with my somewhat anti “religion” views cringe slightly at bringing the topic up but I got into “doing” those things so long back that it seems like forever. And I am forced to believe, based on experience, that “Doing” is a key word in this matter. It took years for the lessons of that observance system to sink in, but once they did, I marvel at the accuracy of Psa 111.10. If you want to have a hope of “understanding” where God has been in the last few million or billion years and what He is up to, those calendar linked observances are a vital Cryptologic Bombe. They snap a huge number of toggles into correct position and allow the Bombe operator to have a hope of understanding the Game Plan. Were it not for those observances I am convinced that men could not have a clue what is going on on earth and in the total universe. And most don’t have a clue because few have even heard of the observances let alone set out to “do” them. Knowledge and understanding is based on knowledge and understanding – understanding is a progression – look at the development of space science and the fledgling blundering of the early von Braun rocket efforts. That story is an amazing and inspiring story (a typical Trojan Horse experience) of an ingenious yet simplistic trial and error struggle, with brilliant and dark aspects. But “Doing & Application” is a vital rung in the ladder to progress and understanding. As singing comedian Tom Lerner said “What was it that put Americans on the moon. Well, good old American know-how, that’s what, as provided by good old Americans like Dr. Wernher von Braun!” 
4.A huge blunder that I feel has been made is what I would see as a clash between “religion” and “Life”. Psa 111:10 could again be seen as a brilliant summarization. Influential religionist, somewhere along the line got it into their heads and their interacting conversations that everything we see around us is 6000 yrs old or less. Perhaps not a crazy thought at one point in history. But Life moved on and observant “doers of Life” observed that there was massive evidence that this theory was ridiculous. Many influential religionists managed to create the illusion that God had a 6000 year old albatross hung around his neck. There was a refusal to acknowledge an obvious world history that in the minds of the religionists just didn’t exist. In reaction, many smart men made the blunder of being fooled by the albatross illusion and seemingly thought that the religionists accurately represented “God”. And that if such was the case, they wanted to have nothing to do with a witless and meddling “God” who wasn’t connected to observable reality. What a circus!
A huge blunder that I feel has been made is what I would see as a clash between “religion” and “Life”. Psa 111:10 could again be seen as a brilliant summarization. Influential religionist, somewhere along the line got it into their heads and their interacting conversations that everything we see around us is 6000 yrs old or less. Perhaps not a crazy thought at one point in history. But Life moved on and observant “doers of Life” observed that there was massive evidence that this theory was ridiculous. Many influential religionists managed to create the illusion that God had a 6000 year old albatross hung around his neck. There was a refusal to acknowledge an obvious world history that in the minds of the religionists just didn’t exist. In reaction, many smart men made the blunder of being fooled by the albatross illusion and seemingly thought that the religionists accurately represented “God”. And that if such was the case, they wanted to have nothing to do with a witless and meddling “God” who wasn’t connected to observable reality. What a circus!Somehow the religionists failed to appreciate that both the Bible and everything else that we know, sprang from the same Mind. The party that was troubled by the disconnected reasoning opted for the mindless evolution** scenario. Both parties adopted fanciful orbits fired in part by a strange interaction that prevented both parties from learning and moving ahead. It could be seen as a type of spiritual carbon monoxide poisoning – an irrationally confident mindset locked up the blood supply so that Life generating oxygen couldn’t be absorbed.
There are physical laws and there are spiritual laws and “doing” both provides a guide to an understanding of Life. That understanding blends physical and spiritual laws. Psa 111:10 is a brilliant summary that dramatically boosts the credibility of the book that the statement is written in. You read that simple statement and you have to ask ‘How did anyone figure that out?”
If there is something that you don’t understand about the Bible, dig deeper. If there is something you don’t understand in the world around you, dig deeper. If there is a clash between the world around you and the Bible, dig deeper. We live in an integrated whole. The Boss is not running the show with a roulette wheel. We are in a stable environment that allows landing rockets on comets as well as putting individual lives through equally amazing trajectories. Figure out the Enigma code and you are going to gain some control over your trajectory! Blind auto pilot never fails to guide you from birth to death but “understanding” makes the trip far more productive and fulfilling! Potentially less stressful too.
There is lots of Youtube documentation on the development of rockets by the Germans before and during WWII. Wernher von Braun apparently was poor at math and physics in school, but he was an enthusiastic "doer". He was the key player who took rockets from mere toys to sophisticated machines that could reach space. Seeing documentation on the early struggles of the German rocket program, when compared to the placing of a lander on comet 67P/C-G by the Rosetta space craft, an incredible 10 years after launch, is a lesson on Living.
The early German efforts had some similarity to a comedy show. Von Braun told of a situation where a high ranking military official came to see a launch, which went up, a ways, and then came down close at hand, destroying a German military plane. The official told von Braun that it looked like progress was happening with launching. Now aiming should be worked on.
Failures were constant in the early stages and costs were staggering. The US development of the atom bomb cost less. More people died making the German rockets than the rocket weapons actually killed.
But von Braun was a "doer" and the US space program and the Rosetta project were built on his remarkable work.
Perhaps the major long term lesson to walk away with is the importance of "doing" and the principle that the world and Life are both structured in layers. Applying laws and building on the experience gleaned is a success principle. Applying and working with laws leads to increasing understanding.
Fledgling projects have some similarities to embryos. Bad genes developed and incorporated in the early stages can be seen as leading to "sickness" later in life.
The German V1 and V2 rocket program was a mix of military "vengeance" and idealistic desire to travel to the stars. Will it ultimately prove to be good or bad for mankind? GPS is a result. Amazing communication is a result. All sorts of research on earth systems and the universe are a result. Dramatic military systems are a result. The story is still unfolding and the "child" is still growing!
This gentleman, likely standing somewhere in the UK in the late 40s, is probably not too impressed with the technical brilliance of the German Rocket Program!
It is very easy to eye up “theories” that deal with this seeming log jamb of reasoning. The Bible has plenty to say about the age of the universe and historic aspects and anyone who has wallowed in the Biblical Holy Day system is primed to see the details of that history. My point is that the 6000 year hangup is related to “religion” combined with a refusal to Live and acknowledge the obvious. And I mean LIVE! Galileo being forced to deny that the earth wasn’t the center of the universe is simply an example of ongoing foolishness that afflicts the human mind to this day. Illusion trumping simple reality is itself a powerful reality.
Another huge theology point that every human needs to sort out is the issue of understanding just who God is, what He is like, what His history is like for as far back as we can detect, and what factors influence His personality and guide His current actions and plans. Is He a Really Great Guy or is He an Ogre? Is He an unpredictable, scatter brained idiot or Absolutely Brilliant? Is He a doddering old fool in an antique clunker, getting in the way, or a skilled racing driver guiding a super car around a challenging, high speed road race course?
Much mainline Christian religion is incredibly near sighted. In comparison it would be like thinking that the world began when Columbus landed in the Americas. Smell the coffee. The universe is Very old – Incredibly old. 6000 years is nothing. If you believe in God, what was He doing for all that spare time? People with their heads in the sand are no different than the light sitting under the basket. And what’s all the excitement about a mere flash of 6000 years? If you think the Bible is a hot book, then what does it have to say on the matter? Why not read The Book and think? Is there a connection between the Book and the Reality we can see and touch all around us – each day when the sun consistently rises and we get up and can see and feel and think and dream and Do! I see a clear and pointed Message from God to each of us – Think and Think Hard! Life is Real. Life is Exciting. You each have your own marvellous personal slice of the pie. Use It before it dries up and spoils!
We are all equipped with a remarkable auto pilot that gets us from birth to death without fail. I find it to be a slightly goofy mental exercise to try to visualize a situation where someone's personal autopilot failed and they got lost in the "life" process and failed to reach the same destination as everyone else. Would they just hang around - circling - blending in with the passing crowd? Did their "aging mechanism" fail? Did their autopilot glitch and at some point they started to get younger? Why do we age? And why is the current rate so predictable? Evolution** isn't the answer. What is the Boss up to? Is considering autopilot failure a goofy exercise?
