Wizard Mule (a little story)

It’s about time. It’s about space.
It’s about saving our human race.

After arriving at the Asheville SpaceTimeNexus,

my partner and I were briefed on our next mission.

And then we set out through the gateway, each on our own path.

We trusted that the plan would come together.

We work together separately. Some say we have a magical connection.

The details will always be more than classified, in fact there is no other record of this.
I was to pose as a communications officer on a space freighter en-route to Alpha Centauri and to modify some software cargo before it arrived at the inter-galactic wormhole transfer station there. Highly sensitive software is never delivered over any network, only by trusted couriers. In this case the courier is a new quantum computer, my target.

I got the job; radios, computers… Nothing new here.

I’ve handled communications gear most of this lifetime.

Tricky thing about traveling at nearly light speed, one ages considerably.

The process is reversed when (and if) one returns. By the time I arrived at the wormhole portal, I had successfully made some access changes in the software cargo that this freighter was to deliver to the ITC (more on that later).

Arriving at the portal undetected (these are kind of like a truck stop, or a big airport), I gained access to the ITC Timeship as a wizard trying to get a deadhead return trip home. From that position I was able to then further modify some code in that ship’s new quantum computer, again avoiding detection.

This next part was challenging, as I had to split myself into multiple coherent instances to make the changes simultaneously without raising alarms. What may seem like a lifetime flurry of activity, is actually less than the blink of an eye to any outside observer. Think of creating a brief wormhole in a quantum computer, and then erasing any trace in only a few zeptoseconds . .

Not trivial. Do NOT try this at home.

I didn’t learn how to do this by staying at a Holiday Inn.

( BUT, I have stayed at hundreds of HI over these current decades.

Who knows what lingering effects may persist.)

 

Thoughts on being a wizard : Not just anyone can become a wizard.

It is not practical to be a wizard in every lifespan,

As even us wizards need a break now and then.

Somehow over time, it does become a burden – rather than a blessing.

Be careful what you wish for.

I was ready to go home after this trip.

 

SO. Once the mission objective was met.
I created my own ship to get me home before I woke up.

So, what was that mission ?

In a time-traveling future, it can be dangerous to meddle with the past.
There will exist a secret society tasked with gently nudging future events and preventing nefarious individuals from destroying development in emerging civilizations. Several of these dark forces have taken over the Inter-Galactic Transport Cartel (ITC).  Think of an earthly Highway Department stealing farmland to build a new exit ramp or a beltway shortcut.

They feel that they can blast a wormhole through any (relatively) unoccupied location in 3-D space necessary to create new 4-D off-ramp / shortcut, regardless of whether or not any sustainable form of life/intelligence may exist in that path. In their short-sighted view, they had diminished the importance of our little solar system, and ignored the gravitational impact of future wormhole traffic on our little sun. Potentially our sun might break apart (explode) before our civilization figures out how to travel beyond our solar system, to find alternate habitable planets in other solar systems.

By diddling the database in the new ITC quantum computer, we successfully slightly modified the timing and location of that new wormhole bypass to avoid our insignificant solar system. Other forces (on this planet even) can easily bring about the collapse of our civilization, but that is beyond the scope of our mission. We do what we have to do.

My partner can tell his own story I’m sure – about endless meetings, software analysis, and regression testing to ensure that our changes would go undetected (and that the outcome would be positive). I leave that to him.

I only delivered a product, a mule you might say.
As long as I can wake up in my own bed the next morning,
and stay    @~    (that is a computer shortcut for “at home”).

But, I live to continue breathing, retired or not. Best life I’ve ever had.
Just playing with my ham radio stuff, like it was somewhere in the future.

/;^)

Christmas Card 2023

Seasonal greetings from our “Happy Place“. Rapidly approaching our 70s, we had gotten tired of living in the city, cooped up in a 1000 SqFt condo. SO, back in the spring we sold that place and bought a real home in rural Caldwell County NC. We now have twice as much space to enjoy our ‘stuff’ – Alan has a room full of radios, computers, and electronic music toys & Sharon has a room with her sewing, jewelry, and potion oils.
We also have ALL the joys of yard work again. /;^)

We are 1/2 mile from a landing on Lake Hickory, of the Catawba River in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is so beautiful here. We chose to not splash this all over Facebook, as we spend less time on there now. We did most of our own packing and moving, and it has taken several months to (mostly) recover. This should keep us busy for a while.

We are happy and healthy, and wish the same for you and yours.
Check Alan’s blog for future updates : https://wb5rmg.wordpress.com

Our new address is : 5016 Hurricane Hill Road, Granite Falls, NC 28630
Please visit if/when you can – write or call if you can’t.

Autumnal Equinox 2023

Autumnal Equinox again, every year about this time.

Fall is my favorite season for so many reasons.
Summertime heat just wears me out as I am older now,
and I only have so much sweat left to release.
Wintertime cold bites into my bones,
and I nearly hibernate at times to conserve.
I don’t always enjoy switching the HVAC from
late afternoon cooling to early morning heat,
but I am always thankful that I can.

The equinox is such a perfect balance point.
Tree leaves fall so that new ones can develop.
Hummingbirds fly south to stay warm,
and, so that they can return here in the spring.
The night-time is the same duration as the day-time.
I often reflect on balance in my own life during the equinox.
Sometimes I even understand and appreciate how I got here.
Nothing short of a miracle, I continue to be amazed.

Recently reviewing and collecting some of my favorite photos,
I rediscovered this one from my last solo camping trip in Colorado, 1990.
My favorite area to explore was where the north and south forks
of the South Platte River join near Foxton, in the Pike National Forest.

After 6 years of living on the southern edge of Metro Denver,
it was time to return to the kinder/gentler mountains I grew up with.
I find it interesting on so many levels, to look at this photo today.
But I’ll not go into all that detail just now (you can thank me later).
Somehow I knew that one day in the future,
I would want to see this and re-live that moment.

What I find interesting today, is that I am now twice as old,
but I still see myself as that guy in the photo…
Sittin up on top of Raleigh Peak, all by myself, proud as a peacock.
Nobody around for miles, I was on top of the world, MY world.
1990 was a major turning point in my life,
and I had no idea how the rest of my life was going to play out.
I never could have imagined what the next 33 years brought.
And I am extremely grateful for every breath I drew to get here.

But then I get up in the mornings, and see that old guy in the mirror.
(and think, “damn – I guess someday I’ll be that old too” …)
   (“can that really be me .?.” )
Until then, I’ll just keep on thinking I’m that 35 year old kid,
sitting up on top of Raleigh Peak, solo camping in Colorado.
Such an opportunity I had, to live near and enjoy the Rocky Mountains.
I’m very thankful and blessed to now live in my Blue Ridge home.
This was not always an easy trip, but always a meaningful trip.

Yall, check your balance on this equinox.
Find meaning in everything you do.
Try to enjoy every aspect of where you are right now,
and appreciate how you got here. /;^)

Christmas in April

Several weeks back, I received a message from one of my favorite teachers. He said that Christmas was coming in April, and that we should get together soon.
<PUSHD>

Something he had seen on-line practically called my name he said. He ordered one and it had just arrived from Switzerland. It was in kit form and that we would have to put it together and make it work. We made a plan for him to come visit for a long weekend, and we would assemble this electronic computing machine.

I call it a machine because it has mechanical switches, 30 actually – SPST (single-pole, single-throw in electronics jargon). It also has two knobs for rotary encoders, and a power switch. In the old days of computers, we used SPST switches to record ones and zeros – both for specifying an address in memory and loading that address with data. Older computers had tiny incandescent bulbs for indicators, but inexpensive and long-lasting LEDs soon took on that role. And they look way much cooler.

PiDP-11/70 front panel

However, that describes the front panel only – as the rest of the original computer hardware took up multiple cabinets, multiple racks, sometimes a whole room full of equipment. This particular computer’s  ‘engine‘ is actually only a few square inches, and is considerably more powerful than the one it is simulating.

The Raspberry Pi engine

I say simulating, as one of the programs that this new Raspberry Pi hardware can run is a program that can simulate the entire software environment of the world-renown PDP-11/70. This particular setup is known as the PiDP-11.The PDP-11 line of computers was manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) starting in the 1960s, and swept the world as a ‘super-minicomputer’.

This is a nice history of the PDP-11 :
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/03/a-brief-tour-of-the-pdp-11-the-most-influential-minicomputer-of-all-time/

So, let me <POP> the stack back to the mystery teacher at the top of the page. Some of you may know him as Dave Sieg, my (only slightly older) brother. (The older we get, the smaller the difference in age…) However much as our Father taught me about how things work, my brother started me into electronics at the tender age of 2 by introducing me to his robot, and he continues to enlighten me, and I try to reciprocate. I always enjoy sharing with him things I have learned.

“Meet my robot, don’t be scared.”

We spent a lot of time together in college at Ole Miss in the 70s, and collaborated on many projects. He was more focused on video (television) and I was more focused on computers (mostly hardware, but some software). After we left Mississippi we were both involved in ham radio, and sometimes we could chat between California and North Carolina or Denver (for free). So for 10 years he did research & development into computer graphics for movies and advertising (in Hollywood CA), while I traveled the country maintaining big computer systems for DEC – based first in NC, but then transferring to Denver CO.

In 1990 we gave up the big city life and returned to our hometown Kingsport TN. David had established ZFx, Inc and invited me to work with him (and help maintain the computers). We started Tricon.Net in 1994, one of the first regional internet providers. As a crucial step forward in my education, he started me on a path to learn about using and maintaining UNIX computers. That single concept kept me employed until my retirement in 2016, after working for a few defense contractors, and finally 10 years supporting the ISS with NASA.

My brother has known me longer than anyone still living, and I am thankful that we can still collaborate and enjoy each others company. David & I still teach each other tips & tricks about this versatile computer environment. Kindof like last month when we got together to build this kit, and actually made it work. I love you more than I can express; Thank You David.<RET>

Soldering diodes and LEDs

All switches soldered, ready to test

Returning to the story at hand, we put this thing together one weekend, and had a great time. It works.!. I love it. I can’t count the hundreds of PDP-11/70s I’ve ever worked on during the decade of my life I devoted to DEC. Currently my PiDP-11 is running the default idled program, and makes a neat desktop appliance with many blinky-lights. However, I can set a number in the switch register, and press the address rotary encoder and the simulation can change to any of the PDP-11 operating systems (DOS-11, RT-11, RSTS-7, RSX11mplus, or any of several early UNIX systems). It can even support serial ports for your VT-100s.!.

Choose your favorite PDP-11/70 operating environment

One can even enter Octal program code from the switch register, if you remember any of your assembly language programming.

A short video from Dave to show the ‘idled‘ program in operation.
(this link is to my SomeNet.NET webserver, I can’t upload video here with a free account)
http://wb5rmg.somenet.net/PiDP-11_1.mov

Here is the detail on the PiDP-11:
https://obsolescence.wixsite.com/obsolescence/pidp-11

If this appeals to you at all, make an inquiry.
The web site claims over 3000 kits sold, so get in line – might need wait a bit.
If the PDP-11/70 meant anything to you, this kit might be what you’ve been missing.
/;^)