This is a test of the use of LibSyn PDF upload/download capability.
I decided to use one of my old articles from a magazine which is no longer published, but should be.
Computer Language Magazine was a good magazine (and I not saying that just because they published some of my articles.)
I chose this particular article because its sort of relevant to what I'm going through on my day job.
People are still struggling to adequately describe on-line, interactive systems for design, implementation and testing.
Rovira diagrams are one means of describing a system's behavior, using dialog syntax diagrams, from the screen "in", without getting bogged down in the actual implementation details. (It just focuses on the system's behavior.)
There are two main reasons the technique is called Rovira Diagrams:
- Larry O'Brien, the editor of that magazine, was a distant friend,
- the abbreviation of dialog syntax diagrams (DSD) was identical to Data Structure Diagrams and Larry felt it would be confusing, so they're named after "moi" (There are lots of techniques named after their formulators: Bachman Diagrams etc. :-).
Back in 1983, I was given the task by my boss at the time, (a hospital IS administrator in Montreal, Quebec Canada,) of finding out how a Hospital Care System system had been implemented.
It was a mess as only IBM could have delivered it. It consisted of pieces of PL/I, Assembler, CICS macroes, some Cobol, as well as something that was IBM's answer to the Holy Grail, their Application Development System, a.k.a. ADS. (IBM later gave up on that particular, or should I say peculiar, version of their ADS. Later still, they tried using Smalltalk and then Java as their ADS. The search continues...*)
To complete the dog's breakfast, it was an online system which the hospital relied upon for their customer care application. It absolutely needed to be documented.
I was the, and I quote, "genius they kept locked in a back room", in another part of the hospital, (occasionally humorously referred to as the "Psych Ward," [it may very well have once been]) and I would occasionally get these "interesting" problems tossed my way.
Given my previous experience at computer languages, (I excelled at formal languages and automata and I had created a recursive descent Pascal compiler for a Keronics Point/Four machine,) I came up with a syntax to describe the interactive dialogs between human and machine.
Because of the mess of the actual implementation and of the functionality of 327x terminals, where light pens could be used as well as cursor position and single character input could be used to trigger some functionality, a feature of the syntax was that it DIDN'T rely on triggers, instead relegating them to something unimportant for the overall functioning and description of the system/application.
A few years later, for the January 1990 issue of Computer Language Magazine, I was asked by Larry O'Brien of "Computer Language Magazine" to come up with a visual representation of the dialog syntax language that I had created.
That gave rise to something he called "Rovira Diagrams."
A few years later, in January 1994, Medical Devices & Diagnostic Industry magazine ran an article by Ken Niehoff on "Using Rovira Diagrams To Specify the User Interface" (I believe they still have reprints they can send you by fax.)
Basically, it repeated my article and stated that I had come up with a good idea, with an example of how they were using it themselves.
*) And it will likely continue, since language (even computer languages) are perennially evolving things.
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THE WET CELL: OVERCOMING MS
By Maybritt Hansen
When I was 37, I learned that I had multiple sclerosis, a degenerative disease of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) whose cause is unknown. MS destroys the myelin sheath covering of the nerves. When myelin is destroyed, nerve impulses are not transmitted from the brain to other parts of the body. Thus, brain functions, motor skills, and organ functioning become impaired and often permanently damaged. MS is also a disease of the immune system. Each person with MS has unique symptoms, depending on the parts of the brain that are damaged. My symptoms included tingling, numbness, blurred and double vision, slurred speech, muscle weakness, poor coordination, muscle spasms, bladder and colon dysfunction, loss of balance, mental difficulties, severe foot pain, and paralysis. MS often appears as severe exacerbations of varying combinations of neurological symptoms, followed by complete or partial remissions. It can, however, take the course of a slow progression, accompanied by mounting, permanent disability. Because of the deterioration of the immune system, chronic problems with infections often occur.
It is estimated that 300,000 - 350,000 Americans suffer from this crippling disease. Approximately 10,000 new victims are diagnosed each year, most often people in their 20's or 30's.
Doctors discovered my condition after I had been hospitalized following a mysterious rise in my blood pressure and a series of tiny strokes. When I left the hospital in a wheelchair, I realized that my prognosis for leading an active life was less than encouraging. I was devastated by the events that had transformed me from a successful professional into a marginally functional invalid. I also knew little about the Edgar Cayce readings or their recommendation of an unconventional device called the wet cell appliance.
Today, however, I know what the remarkable wet cell is capable of doing. I have been using it regularly for four months, and the progress in my condition is so remarkable that I again lead an active professional and social life. Few people know I have any neurological irregularities at all. The Cayce appliance wasn't the only thing I used, but from the time I began using it, my progress accelerated noticeably.
My health problems did not begin with MS. Most of my adult life has been spent trying to cope with serious medical problems by relying on conventional prescriptions. My health reached a crisis stage in my early 30's following a complete hysterectomy. My mood swings, confusion, memory lapses, and numbness were explained as post-surgery conditions. My loss of balance and occasional falls were chalked up to my own carelessness. The trouble with this diagnosis was that my blood pressure kept rising instead of stabilizing. This resulted in a succession of minor strokes and the discovery that I was suffering from two neurological diseases, MS and an ailment of the small blood vessels.
When I was released from the hospital, extensive physical therapy, speech therapy, and prednisone were the prescribed pathways to my rehabilitation. Physical therapy consisted of heat, massage, and activities designed to rebuild strength and coordination in my right hand, arm, and leg. The therapy was beneficial. I was able to abandon my wheelchair after six weeks and soon regained some ability to speak and write. In three months I was able to return to work on a limited basis. I was, however, unable to perform simple housekeeping tasks, lift pots, or prepare food. I also suffered from severe fatigue, a frequent symptom of MS. Left brain skills, particularly math, remained quite difficult.
Four months after abandoning my wheelchair, I experienced another major exacerbation of MS that again significantly impaired my speech and motor skills. I experienced great difficulty walking, maintaining balance, speaking, and using my hands. My vision was impaired. I was able to work only part-time and had energy for nothing else. My husband assumed all of the housekeeping duties, as I did not have the strength to lift a book or remove a jar lid. I resumed taking prednisone, an adrenal corticosteroid intermittently for a year and a half. I was concerned, however, about the dangerous side-effects, which include high blood pressure (which I already had), ulcers, suppression of hormone activity, and diabetes. The exacerbations I subsequently suffered became less severe, but they also became much more frequent. This pattern signaled a dangerous trend toward escalating, permanent disability. When my pain intensified beyond what was expected for MS, there was further speculation that I might additionally have lupus, another disease of the immune system. Prednisone is also a standard treatment for lupus.
While in Virginia Beach one day, I purchased a book at the A.R.E. bookstore on MS. I read that prednisone, which I knew was not prescribed to cure MS but merely to lessen the severity of the symptoms, also weakens the immune system, ultimately contributing to the progression of the disease. At this point, I knew that I must search for an alternate treatment. That same day, I researched a few Cayce readings on MS and learned that they recommend an apparatus called the wet cell appliance. However, the nature of the device was unclear to me.
If I had continued doing what my doctors knew to recommend, I would likely be permanently in a wheelchair and unable to work. Fortunately, I was led to natural healing alternatives that had a miraculous effect. I began by using flower essences, gem elixirs, herbs, amino acids, and other supplements. The flower essences and gem elixirs were particularly important because they address the vibrational nature of the body. They also were a prelude to the vibrational basis of the wet cell.
After taking the herbs and supplements for a year, my condition stabilized and even improved in some respects. I regained fluent speech and functioned normally in my professional life. Balance and coordination were good for the most part, and vision was almost normal. I was also able to eliminate the blood pressure medication and prednisone. However, my gait continued to be slow. Weakness was discernible on my left side, and considerable weakness remained on my right side.
When I learned that mercury fillings have been linked to MS and other diseases of the immune system, I had my mercury dental fillings replaced. Although mercury fillings are banned in Sweden, the American Dental Association insists that they are not harmful.
Then I met someone who had worked with the wet cell appliance. This person advised me in the use of the appliance, and I felt strongly guided to take this new step in my healing process, for Cayce had recommended the wet cell specifically to rebuild the central nervous system. I purchased an appliance and began using it at home.
The wet cell battery is designed to introduce various vibrations into the physical body via a solution jar. Gold, silver, and camphor were the three solutions I used with my appliance. Gold is a rejuvenating vibration, silver is a nerve stimulant, and camphor stimulates the lymphatic system.
I anticipated the process would be tedious because the Cayce readings indicated that usually several months are needed for noticeable healing to take place. But I experienced very positive sensations immediately. With each use of the appliance, I grew more excited about the sense of well-being I was experiencing. I noticed much stronger vibrational sensations in my right side, the weakest side.
Eventually, there were sensations of tightening, as a wound tightens when it heals. I found increasing strength in both sides, particularly the right side. I began walking at a much quicker pace with increased energy and stamina. I soon was able to walk daily on the beach for an hour or more. I began doing housework and other manual tasks that had previously made me feel worse.
Gradually, other improvements appeared. The damage to my colon began reversing, and I was able to exclude many of the herbs I had been taking for cleansing and elimination. Bladder functioning was better. My appetite improved. I required less sleep. The pain in my feet subsided as did chronic vaginal yeast infections. My arthritic swelling was gone, and I no longer needed to take aspirin and feldene for inflammation. I eliminated drixoral and antibiotics for chronic sinus infections. My spine even seemed to be experiencing some readjustment. The last drug to be excluded was parafon forte, a muscle relaxant taken for pain, muscle spasms, and muscle solidity.
In a matter of weeks, I experienced phenomenal progress. Mental functioning was again normal, including math skills. I then was convinced that my healing would be complete. To further release toxins and repair my damaged colon, I had a number of high colonics.
After using the wet cell for four months, my health has virtually returned to normal. I now have only slight traces of muscle weakness that are noticeable only to me.
Could others experience the same dramatic healing from the wet cell in such a short time? A number of factors account for my remarkable rate of recovery.
First, I believe that the year I spent taking herbs and supplements for cleansing and regeneration played a critical role in my rapid response to the wet cell. While I have not eaten meat in 20 years, I also began to eat a much stricter diet, eliminating fats, chemicals, salt, sugar, and processed foods. I also drank plenty of distilled water.
Second, I'm sure that the vibrational therapies of flower essences and gem elixirs were also extremely important in preparing me for the vibrational healing from the wet cell. My body was primed in a very thorough way for the phenomenal rejuvenating vibrations that this appliance introduced into my system.
An apparent result of taking the flower essences and gem elixirs has been my ability to see auras, including my own. When I was on the wet cell, my aura changed in color and form, depending on the solution used. I usually saw the greatest projection of light from the parts of my body that required the most regeneration. I saw the vibrations of the wet cell concentrating on the parts of my body that needed them the most. That's how I knew it was working.
After weeks of using the wet cell, I began to see much more detail within my own and others' auras. Today that ability has developed beyond any level I had previously imagined, beyond the confines of time and space. I see auras without being in the presence of that person, in photographs, and across time. I am convinced that the wet cell is responsible for the enhancement of this marvelous gift.
Third, I know that my positive, receptive attitude was also necessary for the healing that I have received. Now I know what Cayce meant by "The mind is the builder." I truly desired healing and believed that it would be mine. The wet cell then supplied the needed vibrations to take my healing to this miraculous final stage.
I consider it amazing that I have had such a profound experience with one of Cayce's appliances even though I knew so little about the Cayce readings. I have since learned considerably more about Cayce's teachings. I found that Cayce recommended the wet cell 958 times for a wide range of physical ailments, including arthritis, diabetes,heart disease, leukemia, and Parkinson's disease, to name a few.
For many years, people have been wondering about the utility and viability of this battery. Finally, it appears that there is exciting promise in this appliance. If the wet cell worked for me, it can work for anyone who truly wants to be well. I also consider the emotional and spiritual healing a wonderful, unexpected bonus.
Reprint by permission from Venture Inward Magazine, Virginia Beach, VA.
Brought to you by Cayce.com
Title this comment "THE WET TOWEL: OVERCOMING BS"
by Charles-A. Rovira
I normally wouldn't let this comment through, but its got something to do with MS (and the gullibility of people.)
I let this spam pass, this once, because I'm going to make a point.
This is so obviously marketing spiel of the worse type. It manages to say: "wet cells (whatever the fuck they are,) are my savior"(1) while managing to say nothing.
Strike that. Bringing Edgar Cayce's name into it tells me that they're selling snake oil.
The entire comment manages to build on truth (though its so dated that it underestimates the number of MSers by 25%) and attempts to build on anecdotal 'evidence' as if one thing followed from the other.
This error in logic is classic.
The only "vibration" I get from this article is a bad one.
I accept nothing "on faith" and Cayce has been so thoroughly debunked that I'd sooner buy Kool-Aid from Jim Jones.
Until they come up with some chain of causality as evidence that it works, it doesn't work. They're selling bull-shit and they'll blame you when it doesn't work.
(1) The article (so stiltedly pseudo-conversational in tone) focuses on something but never gets into it while using language where the words manage to all be "unactionable".
What is this mysterious appliance?
If you can't describe it and tell me how it works, then keep your appliance and I'll keep my money (and spend it on something that might help me instead of on empty promises.)
"Venture Inward" magazine strikes me as an act of arboricide dedicated to unsupported claims, unverifiable facts and other bull-shit after making true (and out of date) statements about some disease.
This is reprehensible. People who do this kind of crap, this wanton slaughter of defenseless trees, making a buck off of people's hope and the placebo effect just disgust me.
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