JEDC's Life's Achievements
by James Edward David Cline
Upgraded 2004 11 13. One of the exercises in a self-help process I was doing, was to list
one's life achievements up to the present, starting with 5 achievements.
I recommend it to all of you, this little exercise. My experience was to
initially think that I had made no achievements; I was something of a failure,
my overall impression of so very many life goals not reached. But keeping
on with the exercise, I grudgingly thought one thing could be considered an
achievement. Then another. With much effort 5 were listed, immediate task
done with a sigh of relief. But in a few days, I thought of something else
to add to the list. And another. My own personal definition of "achievement"
got revised little by little. And so the following list is as it stands now,
achievements listed in reverse chronological order, starting at the present
time.
Here is a photo of me in 2002, holding the book in which one of my latest technical papers, "Kinetically Supported Bridge Vehicle Lift to GEO" was published:
- Volunteering at LA County Museum of Natural History, for both the
Invertebrate Paleontology area and the Marine Biodiversity Processing Center.
Work involves a variety of tasks such as making thin section slides of fossils,
and repackaging marine specimens for long term storage in alcohol.
- A third paper on my KESTS to GEO concept was published in 2004, in ASCE's "Earth and Space 2004".
- Passed the 12 gallon blood donation level.
- Another Rose Parade decorating season, volunteer work on both the Glendale
and IHOP parade floats, in the Pasadena CA, Rose Parade on Jan 1, 2003.
- My scientific paper on KEST type technology finally was published,
as part of ASCE http://www.spaceandrobotics.org
's "SPACE 2000" conference
proceedings, titled "Kinetically Strengthened Transportation Structures."
I presented my paper at this conference held in Albuquerque NM, March 1, 2000.
See "Space 2000" conference proceedings, published by ASCE, pp 396-402, ISBN0-7844-0479-8.
(Note that this was a smaller version, 7 pages long, of the paper I
presented in 1997, my camera-ready paper "Kinetic Energy
Supported Electrically Powered Transportation Structures" at the Space
Studies Institute conference on space manufacturing, held at Princeton NJ
in May 1997, but which unfortunately was not published by SSI at that earlier
time.) - Volunteer work helping decorate Glendale's 2000 Rose Parade float,
third year doing this.
- Began employment in mid-1999 as a Sr Electronic Technician with Orbital Sciences
Corporation, Sensors Division, Pomona, CA. Work actually mostly involved
word processing for test procedures of electronic sensor equipment.
- Completed first cycle of Dan Millman's "Everyday Enlightenment" process,
from the book.
- Passed the ten-gallon (80 pints) level in donating blood to the American
Red Cross.
- Submitted abstracts for scientific papers "Proposing
Development of a Sliding Armature Energy Transfer Technology" and "Envisioning
Kinetic Transportation Structures Enabling Civilization in GEO" for presentation
at the 1999 Space Studies Institute's 1999 conference at Princeton, but both
papers were refused without reason. Exhibiting at the Poster Session was
offered me by SSI, but my personal finances are not adequate to supply the
necessary $3,000 to do the conference if no paper would be published to help
with further support of the concepts.
- Was a member of volunteer teams decorating Rose Parade floats for
the 1998 and 1999 Rose Parades in Pasadena, California. These floats were
the Glendale floats, "Tea at Grandmas" in 1998 parade, and "Days of the Verdugos"
in the 1999 News Years Day Parade.
- Employed initially as a contract employee in Sun Valley and then as
a quasi-permanent employee of CES-Landtec,
then changeover of company ownership and movement of the worksite to Colton
(I chose to commute the additional 120 miles a day instead of going back to
being unemployed), doing estimating and routine servicing of small handheld
landfill gas analyzers (for methane, carbon dioxide, and oxygen). Involves
an exhausting daily commute drive of 120 miles a day on the crowded high speed
Los Angeles freeway system. The main acheivement here perhaps is that of
staying employed at an advanced age even though my main kind of supportive
employment over the past 30 years was in the seemingly vanished field of
building breadboards and prototypes of electronic equipment. Working for
an organization that is inexplicably hostile to my home hobby creation of
innovative transportation conceptual designs is also a challenge, and surviving
that kind of low-key antagonistic situation for over a year is an achievement,
too.
- Although publication was subsequently denied, I presented my camera-ready
paper "Kinetic Energy Supported Electrically Powered
Transportation Structures" at the Space Studies Institute conference on
space manufacturing, held at Princeton NJ in May 1997. I carried through with
my presentation and conference attendance despite severe outright hostility
from proponents of conventional space transportation systems, and complaints
that I did not have advanced college degrees to be presenting such a paper.
The conference proceedings resulting merely commented that I had presented
a paper which was "too imaginative and would need to be done in a different
Universe and different economic system."
- Learned Basic 3 and 4 of the Chinese Energetic Healing process.
- 2 weeks' temporary work as a rework technician on surface mount logic
PCBAs in Redmond, WA.
- Learning Basic 1 and Basic 2 of Chinese Energetic Healing processes,
taught by Dr. Kam Yuen of Sholin West International.
- Employed 6 months as a Test Technician at Plexcom, Inc in Simi Valley, CA, testing
and repairing complex ethernet switching circuit boards involving combined
surface mount and through-hole components. (March 1996-to Sept-1996 RIF.)
- Making my own web pages here as you see them. They are improving each
day, as I learn more of the html language. My main focus is on an alternate
space program for the near future, involving large-scale
human habitation in the Earth's Clarke Belt (GEO), made possible by the
development of Kinetic Energy Supported Transportation
Structures, potentially able to bridge the gap between the earth surface
and the Clarke Belt. (1996.)
- Shifted to the Apple Macintosh world of computers, when upgrading
to finally enable my home personal computer hardware to access the internet
world wide web. Signed up for earthlink.net connection to the internet. Initially
used my new Performa to look for a job and to begin making my web pages. Began
e-mail address "jedcline@earthlink.net".
- Worked 9 years as an Electronics Technician / Sr. Engineering Tech,
for Vehicle Security Electronics in Chatsworth, CA., doing production test
and repair on analog-digital-RF devices, customer service repair, designing
and building test equipment and fixtures, preparing engineering documents
using Ventura Publisher and EE Designer software, and special testing of components.(1986
to Dec 1995)
- Combining my electronic skills and holistic interests, built and tested
research microcurrent devices as described in Hulda
R. Clark's books, and found no adverse effects observed even with daily use
for over 12 months, and major improvements to well-being did occur as described
in her book (aptly named "The Cure for All Diseases), including disappearance
of chronic sinus infection and sub-clinical discouragement feelings.(1995)
- Learned " Resonance
Balancing " holistic well-being process, as taught by Dr. Bill Eidelman
on videotape, a powerful well-being process involving special breathing at
2 sec inhale, 20-30 sec exhale (continuously for at least 20 minutes) while
hands are on body area needing benefit. This basic process has been used
for hands-on healing by nearly all religions for over the past 3,000 years,
and still works.
- Completed the 12 week course of the "Artist's Way" process from the
book.(1995) Have continued the "morning pages" and "artist date" processes
continuously since then, well worthwhile.
- Presented my concept of using "wet-launch" technology (using habitat
modules as their own fuel tanks during launch) to economically and safely
create a near-earth-normal-interior research home for 1,000 people, to the
Space Studies Institute's Space Manufacturing conference at Princeton, NJ,
in May 1995, and published as Wet-Launch of Habitat Modules
in "Space Manufacturing 10: Pathways to the High Frontier", pp.88-91,
published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. I also
prepared the original camera-ready copy for that paper on my home computer,
learning how to as I did it.
- One of an alternating team operating the sound system at the Onion
(see below).
- Did workshop writing my Spiritual Autobiography
, taken at the Onion (SUUS Church in North Hills, CA). Developed
a "story snapshot" writing technique while doing this.
(1995)
- Imaginatively conceived and wrote of an integrated space program which
would start in the present time and within a generation enable economical
exodus of humanity into high standard of living space habitation in the Clarke
Belt orbing the earth, and restoration of earth ecosystems. These KESTS to GEO Habitat Ring concepts were uploaded to
the GEnie Space and Science Library. (Dec. 1, 1988 to 1995)
- Conceived of an economical, safe way to build a research prototype
in the near future, of a true near-earth-surface-normal-interior space habitat
for 1,000 people in a balanced ecosystem in LEO. Keys to it were the sub-concepts
of constructing it on the ground first, and doing as much of the mechanical/living
system harmonious integrations there; the unmanned launch of the segments
of that wheel-like habitat using the wet-launch concept where each prefabricated
segment is designed to be also its own fuel tank during its launch, using
reuseable boosters and reuseable flyback main engines. This habitat wet-launch concept was subsequently presented
to a Space Studies Institute conference in Princeton, NJ, in May 1995, and
published as Wet-Launch of Prefab Habitat Modules in
"Space Manufacturing 10: Pathways to Space", pp.88-91, published by the American
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. I managed to prepare the camera-ready
copy for this paper on my home computer, too. This project would prove-out
the long accepted assumptions about large-scale closed cycle ecosystems in
space, necessary for the afore-mentioned massive space colonization possible
in the near future, enabling the restoration of the earthsurface ecosystem
while greatly expanding human civilization. (1989 to present 1996)
- Survived the Northridge earthquake, 6 miles from the epicenter. My
loft bed, built to survive an earthquake, was the only part of my apartment
which remained relatively intact. Chest of drawers was emptied of its drawers
and then thrown atop them, TV and VCR thrown against wall at far side of room,
for example. However, my computer's mainframe, on my childhood's relic wobbly
child's table also survived under my loft, the very wobbly legs buffering
the relatively heavy mass of the computer atop it.
- Wrote a "Parting-Grief Energy Recycling" meditation process, still
resolving the rejection by last girlfriend.
- Did the CODA (Co-Dependents Annonymous) 12-step group process. (Circa
1990)
- Initially attempting to get people to follow up on Rod Hyde's and Keith Loftstrom's concepts of space transportation
structures, I began to generalize a new class of space transportation
systems based on kinetic-energy supported transportation active structures.
This transporation system would bridge from the earth surface to as high
as the geosynchronous orbit, and provide its own power from solar energy
powered thrusters to support itself and move its payloads, once built. Could
provide and deliver large amounts of solar-energy-derived electrical power
to earth surface electrical power grids, pollution-free. Conceived of several
techniques for emplacing such structures. Linked the earthsurface with the
Clarke Belt, where primarily lunar resources would be built to provide agricultural/residential/industrial
sites for many times the present earth human population. KESTS transportation systems were the keys to this
civilization-expanding, earth-surface ecosystem balancing, megaproject. (Sept
24, 1988, to present 1996)
- Workshop on the "Way of the Peaceful Warrior", including publically
breaking a 3/4" x 11" x 11" board into two pieces, hitting it with one of
my hands in the correct way.
- Took courses in Psychosysnthesis, taught by Patrick Harbula, and attended
special psychosysnthesis organizational management meetings conducted by Dr.
John Cullen.
- Wrote and uploaded 35 files on space technology to the General Electric
GEnie Space and Science Library, 1985-1995. Done mostly with my Adam computer,
some later written and uploaded with my Asean 386 PC clone computer.
- Continuing the search for well-being, de-fragmenting (even sometimes
improving) myself, I learned and tested many holistic processes
on myself. Many meditations, guided visualizations, positive affirmations,
energy work attunements, psychosynthesis processes, kinesiological balance
workshops and exercises... Humpty Dumpty gets glued back together, piece by
piece. (1972 to present 1996)
- Learned some sophisticated energy balancing proceses, particularly
those of the Christ Light Centers' "Lovestream" series. Received certificates
of attunements of Lovestream Practitioner 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th degree; and Nature
Essences of plants and minerals (Sol Ta Triane); Radiant Touch attunement
(Tefferli Powers), through Christ Light Centers, Sonoma, CA. (to 1995) Learned
educational kinesiology processes in workshops "Brain Gym I and II" (taught
by the Pacifici group), "Edu-Kinesiology In Depth" (by Pamala Curlee and
repeating by Dr. Paul and Gail Dennison), "Vision Circles" (by Dr. Paul and
Gail Dennison), "Brain Organizational Profiles" (by Sylvia Sue Greene, 1994)
and "Repatterning" (By Jan Cole and Lana Muehling).
- Achieved my first connection with the GEnie Space and Science Library
via computer modem access at 300 baud with my Adam computer, began writing
and uploading my concepts for space transportation and
large-scale habitation. (July 7, 1988)
- Correspondence course in Metaphysics (mostly positive thinking processes
including positive affirmations), completed including certification as Metaphysical
Practitioner, and Bachelors degree in Metaphysics, through the University
of Metaphysics International, Studio City, CA.
- Volunteer staff member of Meditation Magazine, 5 years.
- Began employment as an Electronics Technician at Vehicle Security
Electronics, in Chatsworth, CA. Company hired me on basis of tested skills,
did not ask for a resume. Job lasted 9 years, although at low pay and no
insurance benefits... a 9-year-long "temporary" job.
- Somehow survived a year of unemployment folowing closure of Shugart
Corp: typically personnel offices said that they had plenty of degreed EEs
to choose from, and they assumed I wouldn't remain in a technician job since
I'd been an engineer. Did some minimum wage work delivering flowers (Conroy's),
peeling pineapples (Dole research), and putting security tags on store clothing
(Broadway).
- Testified before the National Commission on Space, on the civilian
space program for the 21st century, Technological Inspiration
at the California Academy of Science, Golden Gate Park, CA. Described
the need for international cooperation in space; five unusual forms of space
transportation; and the need for whole-brain thinking in space planning and
operations. (Nov. 14,1985.)
- My first real computers are two TI CC-40's, and an Adam Coleco computer.
- Conceived of, designed, built and used a car-top rigid camper (on
a Ford Maverick), capable of freeway travel. (1984-86) Pics of the "MavriCamper" after driving it from San Jose down
the 101 to Woodland Hills, and a pic of its insides
taken on the day I had to dissassemble it due to complants of its
odd appearance from neighborhood residents.
- Searching for ways to integrate the left and right hemispheres of
the brain, I developed a process for writing, which uses a choice-modified
step through each of the Jungian experiential function pairs. In its first
test, I wrote "Magnetic Footprints" , a unique technological
poem about the inner workings of a disk drive. In a writer's group including
high school students, they acclaimed it as a desireable way to learn such
things as automobile mechanics. (June 1984)
- Member of the "Golden Voices of San Jose" choir of the Church of Religious
Science in San Jose, CA. High point was when we opened up Asilomar conference,
getting a standing ovation from 1,000 people. (1984-85)
- Became a non-degreed 2nd level Design-Development Electronics Engineer
at Shugart Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA, in read/write/media test R/D. 1982-84;
had worked previously for two years doing the work of a development engineer
prior to receiving the title: designed, developed, built, debugged and used
specialized electronics test instrumentation. Total of 6.5 years employed
at Shugart, Sr Engineering Tech earlier part of employment, in the Advanced
Technology Department.
- Learned the wonderful "cluster writing" process from the book "Writing
the Natural Way", by Gabrielle Rico.
- Suggested a fluid-amplifier form of floppy disk drive, where the ferrite
film disk was spun like a whirligig by an airstream of a fluid amplifier in
a feedback loop, also the disk was moved radially in relationship to the
read-write heads through the air jets; position feedback was through using
track following methods. But employer Shugart/Xerox was not interested in
the concept.
- Solved a problem in another department, where a hard disk drive with
plastic cover was having rare but troublesome read errors when running for
a long time in heated environment: by placing a simple metal foil outside
where the head wires might be rubbing intermittently generating possible
electrostatic electricity, I was able to correllate voltage spikes on the
foil just prior to the read error, using digital delay dual trace scope.
(Shugart Corp., 1981?)
- Basic and advanced workshops on "Touch For Health" (taught by Katy
Waite.)
- Proposed several disk drive improvements to Shugart Corp, though none
were patented. Quickly designed, built and demonstrated, with Byron Wong,
their first track following servo, though this type was abandoned in favor
of embedded servo techniques.
- Moved to Northern California employed by Shugart Corporation, initially
as a super-tech in the newly formed Advanced Development Group headed by Dr.
Yoshi Narahara, developing floppy disk technology R and D.
- 2 years' volunteer work helping man a Crisis Hotline, working for
the Valley Hotline, primarily by doing "Active Listening" for the callers.
Preceeded by 10 weeks of training, and required monthly training meetings.
1975-1978.
- Onion Singles group, 1975-78, Sepulveda, CA.
- Began frequent volunteer blood donations to American Red Cross, especially
in Van Nuys, CA, circa 1974. (PS: have donated 84 pints so far, as of end
of 1999. JEDC).
- Searching for answers to some of life's fundamental questions, and
hoping to find a woman to replace my former wife, I explored various churches
and any associated singles groups... based on the biblical phrase "It is not
good that a man should be alone" which biblically resulted in Adam receiving
Eve as helpmeet, surely ought churches take up this Godly function of putting
men and women together? But no, the reality test suggested the various religious
organizations proclaimed effectively that it was better that an unmarried
man should be alone, and would provide no new wife. Primary religious involvements,
1972-78 were: St. Martin's In the Fields Episcopal church, Winnetka, CA;
First Baptist Church in Van Nuys; Church on the Way (Foursquare), Van Nuys;
Sepulveda Unitarian-Universalist, Sepulveda, California.
- Following 10 weeks of training as a crisis line counselor for the
Valley Hot Line, did volunteer work as a crisis hotline "listener" for two
years, 1975-78.
- Proposed a read/write disk drive head with edge pickups for track
following. (Pertec,1977)
- Co-author, with Senior Engineer Bob Abraham, of US Patent # 4,055,814 for a phase detector circuit
for a discontinuous data phase lock loop. (Patent granted Oct. 25, 1977),
assigned to Pertec Computer Corporation, Chatsworth, CA. Contributed numerous
other working designs for read-write circuitry and test equipment there,
even though employed only as a technician working in test equipment construction,
disk drive early MFM read/write development. Was employed by Pertec Computer
Corporation for 5 years as a Sr Engineering Technician. (1973-78)
- Conceived of way to computer control the construction of a concrete
structure, by using its program to scan a pair of nozzles across the construction
restrainer housing, placing either concrete or wet sand at each location scanned,
with layers being built up to form a three dimensional structure. When completed,
and time for concrete to harden had been completed, the sand would be washed
away, leaving the complex concrete structure. Steel wire could be injected
where tensile reinforcement was necessary. Built several concrete/wire art
objects using this basic sand/concrete mold concept. (circa 1975)
- Received a "soft rejection" for a "science fact" article I wrote about
my Mooncable Project concept, submitted to Analog SciFi magazine. The editor,
Stanley Schmidt, suggested I team up with outstanding writer Donald Kingsbury
to make it into a science fiction story, but my life was too difficult to
cope with increased stuff.
- Began conceptualization of a high efficiency
ground commute system , using circulating pull-bands around each block
to move lighweight motorless streamlined individually-owned vehicular shells
from street near individual's home garage, transfering via clamps to faster
through-street pull-bands, further transferring to airsledding enclosed guideways
for very high speed intercity runs; started conceptualizing when the foreign
oil shortage caused gas lines; concept is still evolving. (Concept was used
in an attempt at writing a short story, Unfinished Transportation
Story , written years later.) (1974-present)
- Began daily journal writing, following departure of wife, mid-1972-
still ongoing.
- Survived a traumatic divorice. The leggy racehorse socialite smartly
went to greener pastures; probably because I was used up, grazed out. Her
lawyer told me I did not need a lawyer, and I believed him. I would do anything
she wanted, even this. My former wife then re-married to a fine man, a pilot
for Northwest Airlines, a family friend always nearby during my marriage to
her... he gives her a much better life than I could have given her. I began
the long slow process of de-fragmenting myself. The problem is that my own
needs aren't filled. (1972-74-to present 1998)
- Employed as a contract ("Job Shop") Electronics Technician at the
Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena (La Canada), Ca, 18 months, including
breadboarding and environmentally evaluating the video amplifier and sweep
generators for orbital imaging system, built both slow-scan test systems
for the flight hardware, and helped characterize the flight camera imaging
tubes. High point was the ceremonial soldering of each of the sweep scanning
coils eventually used on the flight cameras, which eventually took pictures
(still unequaled) of the planet Mars. (But marriage counselling wasn't successful,
and so wife left me early after I got this job, so remainder of job was under
severe personal hardship conditions.)
- Conceived, calculated design parameters, and informally proposed a
space transportation concept for economically transporting
lunar material to earth orbit and earth surface use of zero-gee high
vacuum foamed steel products made at L-1. Would use
a constant-stress-crosssection fiberglass tether from the lunar surface
up through L-1 and deep enough into the earth-dominated gravitational field
to support it in place; would have superconducting electric tracks along
its length so as to transfer dynamic electrical braking energy from payload
decending on earthward side, over through L1 to lift more payload up from
lunar surface to the balance point L1. At L-1 nickle-iron would be melted
in solar furnaces and foamed at zero gee into molds into the shape of giant
re-entry gliders; the cast foamed-steel gliders would have been payload moved
down the earthward end of the giant tether by electric motor-generators,
then loosed for re-entry into atmosphere for ocean retrieval and sawing up
into material for non-flammable wood-density construction material and for
freeway crash shock absorbers. NASA advised they could
not help financially since it was proposed as a profit making project:
upon reading that, my wife divoriced me. (1971-72)
- After work and on weekends, rebuilt major sections of my Topanga Canyon
home (905 Old Topanga Canyon Road, Topanga, California: lot 7 of the original
Topanga Townsite) after January 1969's flood/landslide disaster which pushed
in a 20 foot long section of my house; took a couple years to dig out and
rebuild. The same storms also destroyed several neighboring homes and killed
one man in his home across the street, among other people killed then in the
area. Some wild difficult times, that. In this rebuilding process, using
a small gasoline powered cement mixer, I mixed and poured about 100,000 pounds
of reinforced concrete, including that in the house walls, floors and bridge
abutment and footings. Lots of wheelbarrow, pail and shovel work, moving
the 60,000 pounds of sand and gravel for the concrete, as yet only a 40 foot
long footbridge to move it upon from the streetside. Did also install a fuel-oil-burning
thermostat-controlled heater at the same time, a luxury after the years of
heating the house with a small wood-burning stove with scavenged fallen wood
from the mountainside, meanwhile the water pipes froze an average of 3 days
each year and got washed out each rainy season. The home survived as a result,
and became a financial success for subsequent owners of the property.
- At my mountain home in Topanga, California, using scavenged supplies
including used power poles, arms, hardware, and scrap 1/2" steel cable, I
designed, built and used an inverted kingpost type car-carrying bridge 40
feet long, 10 feet wide, 13 feet above the canyon bottom, designing it so
as to survive flood disaster conditions... which it did in subsequent years,
in contrast to other private bridges in the area which were rendered temporarily
unuseable by the storm. Had studied bridge building from library books for
years, so as to do this; the things I learned about fundamental material
natures and structures surely contributed to my approaches on concepts on
long space transportation structures in later years. Took several years to
build and re-build that bridge at 905 Old Topanga Canyon Road in Topanga,
CA. The bridge is still in use by current owners, 28 years later, even though
surviving with unrepaired significant damagecaused by canyon flood conditions
years after I sold it as part of the divorice proceedings. (1967-70)
- Created a concept of using downtimers recording time spent in the
4 stages of sleep each night, based on detection of the various EEG frequencies
of brainwaves characteristic of these sleep stages; the timers' concensus
output would signal a wake-up clock upon completion of the required ammount
of sleep in each stage. Would have been especially helpful for people about
to take on especially demanding tasks, such a aircraft pilots or surgeons,
since research reported in Science News etc found that when insuficient REM
sleep time was accumulated overnight, the person subsequently was less able
to cope with challenges the following day; and if deprived totally of REM
sleep for about 3 days, the person would become indistinguishable from a
clinically psychotic person. The aforementioned E-Cell could serve as the
countdown timers integrating the time spent in each sleep stage overnight.
When I proposed it to my employer, Bissett-Berman Corp, I was surprised to
find they had earlier conceived a similar concept, but did not follow through
with it... nor did they with my proposal. And as far as I know, such a device
is still not available to the public.
- Employed as a Sr Engineering Tech at Bisset-Berman Corp, in Culver
City, CA, helping develop new commercial uses for their electroplating current-integrator
device, the E-Cell. The E-Cell is a sealed container of silver nitrate, its
outer shell is pure silver, and the center electrode is plated gold; current
through the device deposits silver onto the gold electrode in exact proportion
to the current which passes through the solution regardless of the waveform;
the sum of the current can be later derived by reversing the electroplating
to remove the silver from the gold electrode with a constant current, and
the time it takes is proportional to the integral of the current which had
electroplated the silver onto the gold electrode; completion of the removal
of plated silver is signaled by a rise in impedance of the device as the
current-carrying ions are depleted, quite a fascinating device. But totalizing
devices soon became feasable digitally using ICs, taking over most of the
potential niches the E-Cell could have occupied.
- Conceived of using a phase lock loop locking on the dashed lines on
a roadway, comparing with a radio-transmitted universal clock signal, so
as to provide precise speed control and vehicle locating in an automatic
traffic guidance system. Optically read bar codes would identify identity
and position of off-ramps. Vehicles would be driven from home to a parking
lot at a freeway on-ramp, park in an open parking slot, transfer guidance
and control over to the automatic system; vehicle would be accellerated/braked
on the on-ramp to test its mechanical condition prior to insertion into the
freeway system and would be diverted back onto a surface parking lot for
repair if it did not meet the performance criteria. The vehicle would be
thusly guided through a pre-programmed sequence, to its destination off-ramp
parking lot, and bell sounded to arouse the driver if sleeping, to take over
command of the vehicle on surface streets to final destination. Found no
one interested, however. (1970?)
- Suggested putting a digital divider in a phase lock loop feedback
path, to make it a frequency multiplier, as a more accurate substitute for
a temperature tracking open loop frequency multiplier used in a wire welded
jet engine computer I had been assigned to make environmental tests on. In
response to irration at the company's lack of acknowledging my idea, this
idea was subsequently submitted by a friendly co-worker engineer to Electronic
Design News and won the idea-of-the-month award with it. The use of a digital
frequency divider has become a popular standard circuit since then, now even
incorporated in integrated circuit PLL designs. (Sr. Engineering Technician,
Teledyne CSD, El Segundo CA, 1969 or 1970)
- Suggested using paralleled liquid crystal images as optical correllators
in a vehicular automatic control system, but technology not yet able to make
such devices.
- Proposed, designed, built, tested, a reading machine for the blind,
producing distinct acoustic signatures for printed characters by optically
observing a moving slit moving across the printed field, driving interlocked
oscillators to product pleasing logarithmic step tone patterns using early
RTL integrated circuits; proposed subsequent neural simulator optical pre-processing,
all done in a 6 week project (assisted by the company librarian and machine
shop). (EHPA, Santa Monica, CA, 1967)
- Received Top Secret clearance on electro-optical ARPA projects at
EHPA, Santa Monica, CA. (October 1966)
- At EHPA, I suggested integrating the Doppler Effect to measure distances
in terms of wavelengths; and 4 of such quantities as a function of time on
a moving vehicle, enabling a feedback path for subsequent similar trips of
a vehicle. Also suggested using laser beam in two-dimensional closed path
as an optical gyroscope. None of these suggestions, from a mere research assistant,
were appreciated by highly-degreed co-workers. Although they said these things
wouldn't work, each of the concepts were created later by other companiess
and became commercial successes, but gave no credit to me. (EHPA, 1965)
- Employed at E. H. Plesset Associates, Santa Monica: various classified
R/D work in electro-optics, including early measurements and data reduction
using analog computer elements of the effect of the atmosphere on long distance
laser light transmission. Electro-OcculoGram measurements. High point of
the job was a 6-week project in which I conceived, designed, built the electronics,
and demonstrated a slit-scanning multitone visual to audio pattern reading
machine for the blind; and wrote report including follow-up research recommendations.
- Left government service for private industry, hoping to find more
acceptance of my technological creative urges; government work seemed utterly
pre-defined and uninterested in improvements or new concepts. Surely private
industry would be eager to utilize my unique innate technological creativity,
able to make much money off of my new ideas for inventions, so I thought.
- Certified in Communications Equipment, VOR and TACAN by training at
the Federal Aviation Academy in Oklahoma City, OK, 1960-62, total of 12 months
intensive 8 hr a day training in electronics.
- High point in work for the FAA: became the first sector chief of a
one-man remote facility sector, at FAA TNP VORTAC, near Twentynine Palms,
California. Maintained this 24-hr a day responsibility for 22 months. (1961-62)
- Employed by the Federal Aviation Agency as an Electronics Maintanance
Technician, 6 years.
- Conceived of an ink-jet printer, using electrostatic position control
of a moving dot of ink, analogous to an oscilloscope's electron beam, wrote
it in my journal. (1960) This was eleven years before the first reported intent
to do research on ink-jet printers, which resulted in present-day ink-jet
printers.
- Certified for CE, VOR, TACAN -- Communications Equipment, Very high
frequency OmniRange and TACtical Air Navigation equipment -- at the Federal
Aviation Agency Academy, Oklahoma City. (1960-61)
- Met and quickly married a Malibu girl, in Pacific Palisades, California
(1960). At last I had a lover, wonderful! But unknown to me at the time, our
biorhythms were 92% physical, 10% emotional, and 12% intellectual ... and
12 years of marriage relationship were eventually described exactly by that,
although I worshipped her the whole time. She went off to successfully live
the "good life", while I spent years slowly climbing out the pit of despair.
Unaware of it at the time, I was strongly afflicted by "co-dependency".
- Worked as a museum technician at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington
DC. My main task was to set up, create a procedure, and train others in the
use of a new photographic silk screen processing machine, for use in making
the museum display panel silk screens. I also sanded large blank display
panels, spray painted them in a booth; also assisted in disassembling and
cleaning one old farm wheeled device made entirely of wood, badly weathered.
However, not knowing how to date without a car, I gave up trying to find a
girlfriend there and returned to the West, after 3 months.
- Switched from a physics major to a psychology major in college (struggling
with severe tinnitus and mateless co-dependency), then dropped out of college
to go look for a wife.
- Joined Sigma Alpha Epsilon college fraternity.
- Member of rifle team, Army ROTC, NMSU. ROTC Squad Leader, second year.
- Entered co-op educational program with White Sands Missle Range, working
there 6 months alternating with 6 months of college at New Mexico State University,
as a physics major. Intent was to work my way through college, with dreams
of either nuclear or thin film research as my field-to-be. Did 2 years of
these work periods working in FM-FM radio telemetry, helping man a ground
station during rocket launches: operating instrumentation tape recorder,
calibrating chart recorders, aligning FM discriminators, climbing tower to
manually aim helical antenna at the test missle as it went through its launch
and flight. Contributed the idea and manifestation of running the audio output
from the FM receiver up to earphones on the tower, so as to be able to track
the rocket even after brenshluss (engine cutoff) which otherwise made the
vehicle's position invisible to the eye at that distance. Missles involved
were were Nike, Talos and Honest John. This was in line with my dreams of
space travel and facination with rocketry even from early childhood.
- Graduated high school with four majors: science, math, english, and
social studies.
Was second-fastest reader-with-comprehension in high school wide testing.
I think it was 750 wpm, if I recall correctly.
- During High School years, read a book a day in addition to that required
by schoolwork. These books were mostly on science fiction, general science
and philosophy.
- Took IQ test in high school, while sick with the flu, score 120.
- President of the Science Club, senior year of high school.
- I was measured 2nd fastest reader-with-comprehension in my high school
class, about 700 words per minute.
- Conceived idea of "growing" a house by planting appropriate trees
and other vegitation, forming it as they grew, molding its growth into the
shape of a house walls, floor, ceiling, rooms, and roof.
- While we were living in Mexico City, Mexico (age 12) I climbed the
Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, rode in the floating gardens of Xocimilco,
visited the monastery at (?) Leone.
- Starting with an X-acto set received at age 9, carved many balsa wood
models of aircraft and rockets/spaceships. Some were made using magazine
drawings of real aircraft; others were made from drawings I made of imaginary
aircraft and spaceships.
- Fascinated by the shapes of the Buck Rogers' spaceships in cartoon
adventures in the paper, became proficient with modelling clay making clay
replicas of those spaceships.
- Coping with frequent relocations when my father moved to new assignments
with the U.S. Civil Service, eventually I was in and out of about 16 schools,
each time losing my new friends.
- Survived being a premie at birth.
For further info or to make comments, I can be contacted by e-mail at:
jedcline@earthlink.net
Document created by James Edward David Cline. Most
recent upgrade on 19980222.
Copyright C © 1998 James Edward David Cline