Life, the universe, time, space, fate, folly, and everything else..

Fred: I have no fear of being branded "mad" (except if my Ferengi wife managed to get me classified as such, and therebye gained the ability to apply unreasonable control of my access to my children when our divorce is granted)

Fred, if I were you, I would be careful what I post to public forums such as TW.

If your wife is seeking to have you declared unfit, by reason of mental instability, to have any legal jurisdiction over your children, then the first thing she is going to have her solicitors do is print out (for presentation to the judge) what you have been writing to internet special interest groups like this one.

If, like everyone else in this forum, you are obsessed with the contraption known as the THEREMIN, that should be quite enough to prove to any reasonable individual that you are as mad as a hatter!

"If, like everyone else in this forum, you are obsessed with the contraption known as the THEREMIN, that should be quite enough to prove to any reasonable individual that you are as mad as a hatter!" - Coalport

Thanks for the warning!

However, when it comes to theremins - I think these are the least of my worries.. Even after seeing a theremin, having them demonstrated, and explaining the operation, I think the first "embedded" link most people (particularly unmusical and unscientific people) have is the "similarity" (one that I personally cannot see) between the word "pheremone" and "theremin".

Interest in pheremones is associated with interest in sex, and interest in sex (particularly if you are male) is asscociated (unless deviant or obsessive) with normal mental health.

Furthermore, being "mad as a hatter" is, by itself, not a problem - provided your "madness" presents no risk to others (particularly children) and does not diminish ones ability to responsibly look after your children.

The last time I was seriously called "mad" was by the family court judge who awarded me custody of my two young daughters (8yrs and 10yrs old) at my last divorce - He could not understand why I was willing to effectively give up my career prospects to take on the role, but as (at that time) shared custody (which is what I was requesting) was not a legal option, the judge had to decide in favour of one parent - as my ex-wife had spent the whole session arguing with  and being downright rude to the judge, and clearly showed signs of "instability", the ruling went in my favour.. This gave me the ability to effectively "allow" shared custody in practice (I think the judge may have awarded custody to me because he knew that this is what I would do - and although he was unable to grant shared custody, giving me custody effectively gave me to power to implement shared custody).

But that was 20+ years ago, I was younger and healthier - This time I must face the fact that I dont have a snowballs hope of winning custody - I wont even bother fighting for it - And, as I know from being in the position of having custody, this gives one huge power to manipulate your ex partner if you chose to use it (and if you are too stupid or wicked to see the damage this does to your children), and I know she will use it to cause me maximum pain and difficulty... Thats just how the matrix is unfolding.

Fred.

I am moving my comments from the Melodia thread
http://www.thereminworld.com/Forums/T/28684/moog-melodia?Page=2

(damn editor isnt allowing me to insert the link where I want it)

 to here, as these are not anything to do with the Melodia, but are covered by "Everything else" ;-)

"Amen Fred that's why I keep it illusive, whether you’re a performer or designer there “is” something special about keeping a mystery shrouding ones theremin work, if it is playful & productive." - Christopher.

I do not try to keep anything "illusive" or "shrouded in mystery" - And the few times that I have been forced to keep a "trade" or other secret I have found this extremely disconcerting and uncomfortable - "out of character" if you like - just not "me".

One big advantage of disclosing everything you discover, is that (provided others share your attitude) one gets critical evaluation of ones hypotheses, which can eliminate or find fault with your hypothesis far faster - therebye saving you a lot of time /effort by stopping you going too far with a naff idea..

My most wonderful moments of synergy was when I was working with a team exploring a new science - Biophysical Chemistry - We had the buzz of coming up with designs for new equipment to do new experiments - everything from producing one molicule thick films of lipids to rotating protien molicules using lazer bombardment.. Everyone needed to communicate with other engineers or doctors etc (a load of nerds in lab coats ;-) clearly about their dicipline so that others of a different dicipline could colaborate.

If there had been anything "illusive" or "shrouded in mystery" between us, progress would have been impossible - it was often extremely difficult, even with everyone communicating as best they could, to understand each others ideas - biologist, chemists, physicists, mechanical engineers, and me on electronics - all had to share our specialist knowledge to come up with practical ways to implement experiments.

When I said "there’s something sad about answering a question completely" This is not a big issue- there are plenty of questions! IMO, even if we did eventually get a "theory of everything" (and I doubt that we will) there will still be enough unknowns within such a grand theory to keep us busy for millenia - And even if we progress to the level where these unknowns are easily resolved, there is still an infinite abundance of invention and application to explore -

And at a personal level, the fact that Lev invented the theremin in the 1930's does not remove the buzz one gets from learning the art and constructing your own theremin, even if its been done thousands of times before by others.. Every individual has their own journey of discovery - it is as new for them and carries (almost) the same rewards as it did for the pioneers.

And only a few are lucky enough to truly "discover or "invent" something entirely new - realistically these days, the best one can hope for is to participate in this process - and the best way to do this, IMO, is to share ones thoughts openly with others .. They may be the ones who make the "breakthrough" but at least you are part of the process, whether you live to see it or not. The question I asked earlier on this thread regarding "where does the energy go" is this kind of thing - it may be a baloney question - but it may not be - it may lead to some thinking which leads to something, and it may not...

In the end, perhaps its all just about giving some "meaning" to life - its all a game really - but one doesnt usually walk away from a game if one is enjoying it..

Fred.

Oh well - in the process of moving my most off-topic posting, I managed to delete it.. LOL

"Note: Angel of Death is what the angel was called at Passover, assisting Moses in freeing his people. As the wind blew there was a terrifying sound!  I am disappointed when the illusions of some bands glorify the demonic. Brian Welch known as Head in the band Korn recognized this and walked away to form a new band, still hard rock driven by a great guitarist." - Christopher

  I disagree with the idea that the story of the "angel of death" has any truth in it - and I disagree with the notion that "demonic" is a word which has any specifically religous meaning - what is "demonic" to some is seen as "angelic" to others IMO. To me, "demonic" is anything which promotes hatred or bigotry or racism.. I dislike bands who are "demonic" in this sense - whether they be "satan worshipers" or "christian fundamentalists" or "islamists" or whatever.

To me, an "angel" who causes people not protected by some "secret mark" over their door, to be struck down - regardless of their personal "goodness" or "badness" - Who causes indescriminate suffering to innocent individuals - well - thats about as "demonic" as one can get.

Add to this the "fact" that this "angel" is working for an "all knowing" god, and the "secret mark" seems a bit redundant - this "god" should know who are "his people" without the need for blood - this god should be capable of instructing his angel to inflict his curse only on those who individually "deserve" it - But thats not the nature of this "god" is it ? This is a "god" who, when the Pharoh wanted to let the Hebrews leave, "hardened the heart of the Pharoh" so that he wouldnt let them leave - this then gave "god" an excuse to inflict the Egyptians with the plagues.

I always hated teachers who punished a whole class for the actions of a few individuals.. And I hate any "god" who behaves in this way - hate with a passion!

To me, the whole story reeks of "unrightiousness", injustice and immorality - "god" in this story is a vile, sadistic, dishonest, cruel, sick psychopath - his "angel of death" is a "demon", and the "devil" is, by comparison, quite benign!

If you have not done so already, you must read

GOD IS NOT GREAT: How Religion Poisons Everything

by the late and quite wonderful Christopher Hitchens.

Don't waste your time hating God. You might as well hate Santa Claus, or the Tooth Fairy. All you end up doing is raising your blood pressure over figments of human imagination and collective stupidity.

"Our house was blown away by the tornado! We prayed and prayed but the house was taken anyway. I'll fix God! You know what I'm gonna do? I ain't gonna believe in him no more!" remark made on CNN by a tornado survivor.

Fred said: “I disagree with the idea that the story of the "angel of death" has any truth in it - and I disagree with the notion that "demonic" is a word which has any specifically religious meaning - what is "demonic" to some is seen as "angelic" to others IMO. To me, "demonic" is anything which promotes hatred or bigotry or racism.. I dislike bands who are "demonic" in this sense - whether they be "satan worshipers" or "christian fundamentalists" or "islamists" or whatever”

Again Fred you are absolutely correct. My theremin angel reference was to an accepted historical story by many cultures. Though I have Hinduism influence I have great respect for the other major cultures descended from historical Abraham.

Radical fundamentalism in theology is where it all breaks down, everyone is an expert! So they burn you at the stake, cut your head off, beat you into submission, stone you or hang you from a tree. No this aint heaven. These people never found it and most never do and so will not be at the after game party. Final words which will not make sense: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

On topic: So my terrifying angel voice came out of a metal bucket and I was never able to duplicate it again. I have had many sound bytes that were above average but it seems I find out a week later as I don’t hear it in the moment. By then the setup has be torn down.  To experience the theremin voice is what I strive for. It all begins with the sine wave and a little distortion which has endless possibilities.

Christopher

"Don't waste your time hating God. You might as well hate Santa Claus, or the Tooth Fairy." - Coalport.

I agree absolutely with what you are saying - had reservations about writing what I wrote for exactly that reason..

But I thought - "I CAN legitimately hate an obscene fiction invented by man" and "hating 'god'" for me, is within this context - and only within this context... Just as I think the idea of a hell with eternal torment is the most obscene fantasy ever concieved by man, to go with his obscene god/s, and utterly hate this idea, and the promotion of this idea. (I think that teaching this idea [hell] to anyone, particularly children, should be an offence carrying a long sentance - preferably in a psychiatric unit specialising in curing or isolating persons with  dangerous mental illness, who have or are likely to cause harm to themselves or others)

Do I hate the inventors of these obscenities ? No.. They were merely acting out their part in the matrix - in order to come up with these ideas they must have been extremely unfortunate and unhappy individuals, and it was no fault of theirs... Just as I do not hate extremists, fundamentalists, islamists, racists or any other cysts.. The "choices" they are making are entirely due to their matrix of causal determinants..

But I can (and do) hate their ideas and actions, and the suffering these cause to people, and the damage they do to society, humanity, and our planet.

Fred.

"Final words which will not make sense: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” - Christopher quoting (alledged) words of Jesus

Chris - There are quite a few words that Jesus alledgedly said which dont make much sense if looked at closely - and even more (the majority in fact) which directly contradict the teachings of the church (all denominations) and / or are never (or only rarely) followed by christians..

These include: "Dont Judge, and you wont be judged! For the standards by which you judge others are the standards by which YOU will be Judged!  " -

Probably the most judgmental institution ever to exist on this planet is the christian church!

"On topic: So my terrifying angel voice came out of a metal bucket and I was never able to duplicate it again. I have had many sound bytes that were above average but it seems I find out a week later as I don’t hear it in the moment. By then the setup has be torn down.  To experience the theremin voice is what I strive for. It all begins with the sine wave and a little distortion which has endless possibilities." - Christopher

As this is the off-topic topic, being 'on topic' means you must be off topic ;-)

Yeah - I know this problem too well - Having (extremely) limited space to work, I often assemble my "evaluation" circuits on plug-in solderless breadboards, take basic measurments to confirm simulation results, and move on .. I have 4 large breadboards, but need to rip the components out of the oldest when I need to test a new circuit.... Often I realize that there was something I should have measured, but it is too late - I pulled the circuit to pieces yesterday...

Fred.

"These people never found it and most never do and so will not be at the after game party." - Christopher

Here I have my biggest problem with the notion of any "after game party" .. If it really is a "game" - a sort of Pink Floyd "welcome to the machine" type game, then we should ALL be at this "party" - We were all just playing our part - "its ok, we told you what to dream.."

And if it is all just a "game" or "dream" (and as I see it, this is the only possible way that there could be an "after game party") then everything we "define" within this "game/dream" will have absolutely no relevance when we get to "the party"..

In this "dream", I would hate the idea of sharing a drink with Adolph Hitler, George Bush, Margaret Thatcher, and Hendrik Verwoerd (to name a few off the top of my head..) - So my thinking will (if I was to indulge it) steer me towards imagining a party where these horrendous people are excluded - in this "game" they are (or were) my "opponents" or "enemies" - they are/were "evil" and I am ;-) "Righteous" .. So they cannot possibly be at the party - they dont deserve to be there!

It gets even more personal when it comes to "globally insignificant" people who have interacted adversely with me, caused me or those close to me real harm - the bullies, the thugs, the abusers - They could NEVER be tolerated at this party! Any party THEY are invited to is not a party I would want to go to.....

But .. But...BUT...  If its just a dream, if its just a game, if its just all of us playing our respective parts under the illusion that we have "free will", "responsibility", "freedom"..... And if, when we get to "the party" the illusion dissapears - Perhaps "Adolph" and "I" will get on fine, and sit down with Maggi and Ghandi and "the thug who strangled me with my school tie" to plan our next game..

Who knows...

Fred.

Added ->

Strangely, this seems to link back to the earlier discussion on being an "advaitist"..

If "I" got to this "party" what could "I" be? I could not be "Fred" because that was a dream.. all the "substance" of "Fred" could not exist without illusion - it could all have only been ENTIRELY illusion - When "I" leave this illusion, what am "I" ?

The above question leads me to the conclusion that there can be no "party" which "I" am present at - no "welcome to the machine" - The only way "I" could "be there" is if I remembered the dream and carried its illusory mechanisms with me to "the party"..... And if I did this, well - it would be a naff party, thats for sure! - Particularly if everyone else (including those "enemies" who were  vile destructive people in my dream - and who I still remember as such) were there - LOL ;-)

Perhaps we just amalgamate with "The One"* - Whatever that is.. But whatever, I am quite sure that when my final brain synapse has fired its last, I will certainly be no more - Regardless of whether I ever was or never was. The only "get out" possibly is if "I" exist in another universe and am "one" with this "duplicate" - and this other universe veers in a different 'direction' at the moment of my death in my present universe... Or if all the "me's" in all universes are actually "one" - But that hypothesis is so unlikely that it probably falls into the realms of "infinite improbability", LOL.

One big problem those who believe in heaven cant have looked at too closely - particularly those with the christian ideas of heaven ... their god couldnt even create a man who, in a perfect environment, hand made by god, didnt 'sin' before he lost his virginity ;-) ... And theres going to be a heaven where people will go through salvation, having lived their lives in a world 'saturated in sin' and these people are going to manage an eternity without ever having a 'sinful' thought or inclination or action...... Probability of that, even under the bright light of their loving creators benevolent smile all the time ?  Less than absolutely zero! - oh - and there is no redemption for sinners in heaven - so ya better be good!  LOL ;-) ... But you might just get so bored you deliberately sin so you can have more fun in the other place..... But then - just thinking this thought would probably automatically eject you to the other place, so ya better watch out..

In Hinduism reality is an illusion so you are on target again. I named one of my theremin designs The Illusion. Today I call it the enigma, small case "e" for humility. When I do theremin research it is as if there is a temple all around me in which I invite people in to visit. Some with respect take their shoes off at the entrance, others come in and defecate on the floor. It is not for me to ask why, I can accept them.

Christopher

What follows may be seen as satanic blasphemy by fundamentalist christians (and probably other fundamentalist groups as well) - I am merely floating ideas - but if you are a bible believing fundamentalist christian (or other similar group) likely to take offence at ideas which contradict your dogmas or doctrines, please do not read any further!

*>> "The One" - Whatever that is..  The only way "the One" fits in a way I can "comprehend" is if, for example, "we" are all characters in the "mind" of a "super entity" - God, if you like.. That all our expierience, thoughts etc is actually retained (or perhaps filtered for the few gems, and these retained).. That "we" are God, just as "we" are the universe..

Perhaps Jesus said it best (if one ignores the monster god people usually think Jesus was referring to when He spoke of "The Father") - "I and my Father are ONE, but The Father is greater than I" ... Paraphrase (?) : "I and the Universe are One, but the Universe is greater than I" -or- "I and THE ONE are one, but THE ONE is greater than I".

IF there is anything "more" to this life than exactly what it appears to be (a material "reality" with absolutely nothing more  than "this")  Perhaps(?) the key to it all is related to "the One" ...

Hypothesis: (well, not really worthy of the claim to be a hypothesis - but its as good as the word 'fantasy')..

There was no "big bang" - There is no physical universe - there is no "matter" - there is no "energy" - There is only "the One".

"the One" does not "know" what it is - it "came into being" as (and there are no words within this dream to explain anything well)  a "consciousness" - what "powers" this "consciousness", "where" it "is", "why" it is, "how" it is, are all eternal unknowns.

The "history" of "the One" is unknown - "it" probably "evolved" - the "thoughts" and "awareness" evolving as it "grew" until structured thinking developed, and its own thinking "language" ("in the beginning was the Word, and the Word Was With God, and THE WORD WAS GOD") occurred..

Perhaps then "its" problems really started - emotions, questions,lonelyness, emptyness - all the shit which torments us.. because WE are THE ONE! - The tales of demons and monsters and "wars in heaven" were all as "real" as we are - "God" going mad - "its" "mind" fragmenting - imagine no sensory input, billions of "years" with "intellegence" increasing.... The only way "out" being to CREATE.. "Let there be LIGHT" .. Let there be a "world" in which these "entities" formed from "imagination" could share a common "data base" - a means to create analogies or "models" with which to explore the nature of its existance, and perhaps - just perhaps - find a way to determine if there were any other "entities" "out there" like "itself" ..

This "world" had no "reality" - At the start it was flat and 'enclosed' with a 'firmament' - but this was just down to the limited data in the data-base.. As the figments of "the One" played games with "each other" and modeled the "possibilities" the "experiments" needed to modify the "data-base" - so the "world" was changed...

Jump to the "present day" - The data-base now spans a "universe" - When we "discover" something, are we really discovering it? or are we perhaps "creating" it? (as in, changing / adding to the data base, which holds our collective make-believe "reality") - Are we really looking for life outside earth - or are we perhaps trying to work out how to find any other "entities" like "the ONE" - which could "allow" the One to know how to search for "another ONE" and, if it found this, to "reconstitute" - because "it" would have found perhaps what "it" is looking for ?

- Or perhaps The One has given up this search, and gets enough from its dispersion to be "satisfied" - Or perhaps "it" is no longer aware that it is dispersed - perhaps it never realized that it was......... Perhaps anything..

Do I believe the above ? No, of course not! - The only thing I believe is that I dont believe anything.

;-)

Fred.