Very true,
Post hoc ergo propter hoc is neither sound as evidence nor argument. But …[\quote]
One does not exclude the other, Hasaf.
Very true, I seem to have forgotten
magic effects. After all, I observed the problem. I changed one thing only in order to see what was happening at each step. The problem went away.
In my pride I ascribed the result of a single change to the change. I should have remembered that I, or any individual, cannot effect any change. That change is the prevue of the many gods. If I could only remember which of the gods I prayed to as I added that first bit of grease to the end of the cylinders, then we would know how the chain fires were stopped.
By the way, in my curiosity, after I solved the chain fires, I did load with no grease or wadding. The chain fires returned.
That being said, I recognize that the act of spreading the grease on the ends of the cylinders did, and does, bring pleasure to the gods. It is clear to me now that the chain fires that came from not adding grease had nothing to do with the nature of the grease. Instead, the grease served as a form of a sacrifice, and this sacrifice did please the gods. When I added no grease they angrily smote my pistol as a sign of their displeasure.
is anyone buying any of this?
Even today the gods did smile upon my sacrifice. I was trying to completely disassemble an S & S coupler on a bicycle. Frankly I was making no headway (this is something that is not normally done). Then my probe slipped and I pierced my own finger. This drew blood. The gods must have seen the blood and been pleased because once I finished wiping the blood off my finger I saw what I had missed and the rest of the coupler removals went well (this bike actually had six couplers).
It had nothing to do with my stepping away to scrub my hand and returning and looking at the problem with a fresh mindset. To think that would be pride, we should remember
the lesson of Arachne. Instead I should recognize that the small sacrifice had pleased the gods.
This same lesson should readily be applied to addressing the issues of chain fires. Please the gods and all will be well. All that is not well stems from pride and a failure to please the gods.