I have met an old friend of mine, Bill, N4AR on 20m this morning. I have introduced him in a previous post in this blog. Here.
He told me he had finally retired 8 months ago. It was a hard time for him to leave his patients. He has worked hard as a cardiologist for decades. No wonder his patients were sad to farewell to him as well. I could sympathize, or I should say, shared his sense of loss in his situation. Because I have had it almost 4 years ago.
Doctor-patient relationship is or should be based on the purest form of human relationship. It is not to give any knowledge or skill of medical procedure at the cost they determine for that. Without faith in each other, that relationship is hardly achievable. It may sound a kind of ideological thought. But, in reality, the relationship should be in faith and sympathy as human being. Sympathy may sound like a paternalism but could be replaced to a german word, Mitleiden. It is a cooperative work and process between a patient and a doctor. It is the characteristics of this profession which attracts many young people who would be a doctor. Even though the socioeconomical situation makes it hard to maintain such a relationship in the real medical practise, I believe, most doctors are struggling for that. I thought Bill had been one of such doctors. I would say to him he has lived a wonderful life as a doctor and it is the time for him to step out a new stage in his life.
As told before, his big antennas were all destroyed by an ice storm several years ago. He was going to rebuild them soon. It might not be an easy work for him to put them up again. I advised him to count his age twice before climbing on the tower. I still look forward hearing his big signal on 40m early at night here. He used to tell me he would quit radio and go for the round at the inpatient ward when we finished a QSO on 40m in his morning hours. From now on, he won't tell me that way but would tell he would enjoy riding horse etc.
12/31/2015
12/30/2015
In the end of this year
It has been some time since I made the last post. Sipping a small glass of beer, I would write a bit how I have been doing.
We have had a quiet peaceful Christmas here. No guests etc. Humble dishes I prepared and a small cake I bought at a super market were on the table. My wife came into the New Year holidays today and kindly prepared dinner for me. For the sake of her honor, she used to cook from time to time before I started cooking. Not so bad a chef but just not fond of cooking.
This year, I have learned that we are based on the history in the past. It sounds like a too natural thing. But I am afraid we are liable to forget this truth quite often. In Japan, the revisionists are trying to lead our country back to the regime before and during the WWII. At the end of WWII, a couple of systems were preserved in our country, which should have been greatly changed. One is the emperor system and the other the bureaucracy. Some people based on these systems seem to try to return to the ancient regime, which was turned out to be total fault in the history.
The other event on going right now that seems to be related with the recent history is the conflicts in the Middle East. It seems to have originated from the artificial borders among the countries which were determined by the western countries after WWI. Together with the dibersity of the religions, this artificial borderlines seem to have caused the present mess there. The western countries are responsible for the refugees in this respect. The military commitment by the developed countries in the more recent years has given rise to the Muslim extremists as well.
We are inexorably bound to the history in this way. We should learn more of the history and try to find a way to resolve the problem however complicated and tough it might be.
There have never been a year when I felt there was absolute decline in number of the CW operators enjoying conversational QSOs. Calling CQ on various bands always has turned out to be failure throughout the year. People explain this fact from the prevailing texting through the internet, the decrease of the number of CW operators and so forth. I must add to those causes that the CW operators are getting older and are unable to make QSO in dialogue. Aged people including myself are apt to make monologues. It also make QSOs less interesting, I should say. I think it is the critical period which determine if conversational CW could survive or not. It is crucially important to have younger hams join this category of ham radio. We are asked if we are enjoying conversational QSOs by ourselves. If we are not, how could young hams be interested in it? I will fully enjoy this category of enjoyment in ham radio, even if my CQ will be to no avail.
I feel I could make progress with cello a bit even at this old age. I started practicing it using a tuner. I realized what a terrible scale I was on with it. The tuner, even if ti is only the well tempered scale, gives good lessons for the right scale. Returning to the basic training, I am enjoying to brush it up. Due to my vision problem with cataracts, I had to take off from the ensemble. Fortunately, the piano trio partners kindly told me they would wait for my surgery, which is planned next month. I would start the ensemble again soon next year. Music, especially in ensemble, seems something profoundly related with our lives. It is similar to gardening for me in a sense.
Well, that's about it. Beer is almost run out. I would say good night to you. Thanks for visiting this blog even though it won't give you anything valuable or informative. Your concern will encourage me to go on this blog. I appreciate it very much.
Have a very happy new year!
We have had a quiet peaceful Christmas here. No guests etc. Humble dishes I prepared and a small cake I bought at a super market were on the table. My wife came into the New Year holidays today and kindly prepared dinner for me. For the sake of her honor, she used to cook from time to time before I started cooking. Not so bad a chef but just not fond of cooking.
This year, I have learned that we are based on the history in the past. It sounds like a too natural thing. But I am afraid we are liable to forget this truth quite often. In Japan, the revisionists are trying to lead our country back to the regime before and during the WWII. At the end of WWII, a couple of systems were preserved in our country, which should have been greatly changed. One is the emperor system and the other the bureaucracy. Some people based on these systems seem to try to return to the ancient regime, which was turned out to be total fault in the history.
The other event on going right now that seems to be related with the recent history is the conflicts in the Middle East. It seems to have originated from the artificial borders among the countries which were determined by the western countries after WWI. Together with the dibersity of the religions, this artificial borderlines seem to have caused the present mess there. The western countries are responsible for the refugees in this respect. The military commitment by the developed countries in the more recent years has given rise to the Muslim extremists as well.
We are inexorably bound to the history in this way. We should learn more of the history and try to find a way to resolve the problem however complicated and tough it might be.
There have never been a year when I felt there was absolute decline in number of the CW operators enjoying conversational QSOs. Calling CQ on various bands always has turned out to be failure throughout the year. People explain this fact from the prevailing texting through the internet, the decrease of the number of CW operators and so forth. I must add to those causes that the CW operators are getting older and are unable to make QSO in dialogue. Aged people including myself are apt to make monologues. It also make QSOs less interesting, I should say. I think it is the critical period which determine if conversational CW could survive or not. It is crucially important to have younger hams join this category of ham radio. We are asked if we are enjoying conversational QSOs by ourselves. If we are not, how could young hams be interested in it? I will fully enjoy this category of enjoyment in ham radio, even if my CQ will be to no avail.
I feel I could make progress with cello a bit even at this old age. I started practicing it using a tuner. I realized what a terrible scale I was on with it. The tuner, even if ti is only the well tempered scale, gives good lessons for the right scale. Returning to the basic training, I am enjoying to brush it up. Due to my vision problem with cataracts, I had to take off from the ensemble. Fortunately, the piano trio partners kindly told me they would wait for my surgery, which is planned next month. I would start the ensemble again soon next year. Music, especially in ensemble, seems something profoundly related with our lives. It is similar to gardening for me in a sense.
Well, that's about it. Beer is almost run out. I would say good night to you. Thanks for visiting this blog even though it won't give you anything valuable or informative. Your concern will encourage me to go on this blog. I appreciate it very much.
Have a very happy new year!
12/18/2015
The terrorism won't be ceased by military power
News tells us the UN has determined to apply more sanctions to IS. It seems they will do military attack on them. Those terrorists should be punished, I understand.
But if they won't make efforts to pursue and solve the causes why such a radicalism has been given rise to there, it sounds quite inconsistent to me. Where is the funds coming to them from?
How do they purchase the weapons? I know the situation is complicated in the Middle East. But we should remember the diplomacy of the developed countries immediately after the WWi and WWII are responsible for an arbitrary boundaries among the peoples as the borders which have caused the conflicts ever since. It should also be not forgotten that the military intervention to Afghanistan and then to Iraq and Syria by the developed countries has left the Muslim extremists.
From this standpoint, the attack by unmanned aircrafts should be stopped. It eventually causes victims in the civilians. For those civilians in the Middle East, it is comparable to the terrorism by Muslim extremists.
Terrorism would penetrate through the borders. They will threaten our lives and try to mess them. It is their aim to separate people each other with anger and fear. It is impossible to eradicate terrorists with the ordinary weapons which they rely on for the nation to nation war. Imagine the situation when those terrorists get the portable nuclear bomb fot self suicide attack. They may utilize the chemical weapons as well. It will be a nightmare. The chain of hatred and fears should be cut at present.
But if they won't make efforts to pursue and solve the causes why such a radicalism has been given rise to there, it sounds quite inconsistent to me. Where is the funds coming to them from?
How do they purchase the weapons? I know the situation is complicated in the Middle East. But we should remember the diplomacy of the developed countries immediately after the WWi and WWII are responsible for an arbitrary boundaries among the peoples as the borders which have caused the conflicts ever since. It should also be not forgotten that the military intervention to Afghanistan and then to Iraq and Syria by the developed countries has left the Muslim extremists.
From this standpoint, the attack by unmanned aircrafts should be stopped. It eventually causes victims in the civilians. For those civilians in the Middle East, it is comparable to the terrorism by Muslim extremists.
Terrorism would penetrate through the borders. They will threaten our lives and try to mess them. It is their aim to separate people each other with anger and fear. It is impossible to eradicate terrorists with the ordinary weapons which they rely on for the nation to nation war. Imagine the situation when those terrorists get the portable nuclear bomb fot self suicide attack. They may utilize the chemical weapons as well. It will be a nightmare. The chain of hatred and fears should be cut at present.
What paddle is the best?
What is the ideal paddle for CW operators? I think the following conditions are the requisites for that. In a word, it should be like our own fist. The only thing we require it to return quickly, even quicker than our fist. Anyway, this is my dogmatic opinion on the ideal paddle.
1)Weight of the paddle.
Whole weight should be heavy enough not to be moved with manipulation. On the other hand, more importantly, the moving system should be light enough as if we won't feel we are handling a paddle. It should be like a part of our body. It should have some tactile sensation that tells us we touch the finger pieces.
With these description, you might wonder if the touch keyer could be the best. The touch keyer has two problems. One is the rebound sensation at the touch portion. Even though I have never used it, it could jolt or rebound to keying, I am afraid. The other point is that it could be difficult to send QRQ compared with the ideal paddle. Thanks to the spring/magnetic return tension, the lever of a paddle might return quicker than our own fingers. It might be a problem when the sending exceeds certain speed.
With these description, you might wonder if the touch keyer could be the best. The touch keyer has two problems. One is the rebound sensation at the touch portion. Even though I have never used it, it could jolt or rebound to keying, I am afraid. The other point is that it could be difficult to send QRQ compared with the ideal paddle. Thanks to the spring/magnetic return tension, the lever of a paddle might return quicker than our own fingers. It might be a problem when the sending exceeds certain speed.
2)Tension of the lever(s)
The tension is to move back the levers to the rest position. When we hit the finger piece for dash or dot, the tension should be minimum. On the other hand, it should enable the lever return the rest position as quick as possible. For this purpose, magnetic seems superior to spring. The magnetic for tension won't cast no weight so that the lever could move without any inertia. The tension spring that is very light as well as powerful for the size may be comparable to magnetic. So far, I have never used a paddle with tension spring better as for the quickness of return than magnetic tension.
3)Feel of keying
We have various impressions of feeling in sending. It is partly a subjective finding. It is often difficult to describe that feeling with a paddle. Assuming this difficulty, if we would describe the feel of keying, it would be the best that the paddle feels like a part of our body. Such a paddle is hardly available, though.
Actually, we often have the sensation of rebound for the keying feel. As soon as we hit the finger piece and the contacts are touched each other, we could feel some vibration feeling at the finger piece. In my view, it is an unnecessary vibration of the lever due to the relative small weight of the non moving parts comapred with that of the moving parts. The latter should be big enough to absorb the unnecessary vibration of the moving parts. John, K1JD, expressed this sensation as jolted. He thinks it is due to the non linearity of magnetic tension, which I could hardly agree with. I believe it is a problem of absorbing the unnecessary vibration of the moing system.
~~~
So far, the products of Begali seem to be highly estimated as for those characteristics. But there are different opinions as for the keying feel. John recommends me Stelath model while the others, like Bruce K6ZB, tells me Leonessa is the best. Atsu JE1TRV is using Sculpture.
Maybe, before choosing one of them, I should visit Begali to test each by myself. Or I should go on with my Mercury paddle compromising the keying feel. Never ending dream for an ideal paddle.
The tension is to move back the levers to the rest position. When we hit the finger piece for dash or dot, the tension should be minimum. On the other hand, it should enable the lever return the rest position as quick as possible. For this purpose, magnetic seems superior to spring. The magnetic for tension won't cast no weight so that the lever could move without any inertia. The tension spring that is very light as well as powerful for the size may be comparable to magnetic. So far, I have never used a paddle with tension spring better as for the quickness of return than magnetic tension.
3)Feel of keying
We have various impressions of feeling in sending. It is partly a subjective finding. It is often difficult to describe that feeling with a paddle. Assuming this difficulty, if we would describe the feel of keying, it would be the best that the paddle feels like a part of our body. Such a paddle is hardly available, though.
Actually, we often have the sensation of rebound for the keying feel. As soon as we hit the finger piece and the contacts are touched each other, we could feel some vibration feeling at the finger piece. In my view, it is an unnecessary vibration of the lever due to the relative small weight of the non moving parts comapred with that of the moving parts. The latter should be big enough to absorb the unnecessary vibration of the moving parts. John, K1JD, expressed this sensation as jolted. He thinks it is due to the non linearity of magnetic tension, which I could hardly agree with. I believe it is a problem of absorbing the unnecessary vibration of the moing system.
~~~
So far, the products of Begali seem to be highly estimated as for those characteristics. But there are different opinions as for the keying feel. John recommends me Stelath model while the others, like Bruce K6ZB, tells me Leonessa is the best. Atsu JE1TRV is using Sculpture.
Maybe, before choosing one of them, I should visit Begali to test each by myself. Or I should go on with my Mercury paddle compromising the keying feel. Never ending dream for an ideal paddle.
Pork wrapping apple and sweet potato
This is the main dish for dinner tonight. Stick shaped apple and sweet potato are wrapped by sliced pork. The soup is tomato. Seaoned with red wine, soy sauce, consomme and salt pepper. Laurel leaves are added. Cooked for half an hour. Pretty good.
12/17/2015
Tsugaru-samisen
Tsugaru-samisen performance. This genre of samisen used to be played by visually handicapped people, oppressed in the society, in Tsugaru area, the most northern area in Honshu Island. In snowy field, they have wandered in order to get a chance to perform samisen. It was for living.
Couldn't you hear an elegy in this performance? When I first listened to it, I was struck feeling there was some sense buried in our consciousness carried on from our ancestors.
This piece is an original work composed by a modern samisen player. Performance style is typical for Tsugaru-samisen.
Couldn't you hear an elegy in this performance? When I first listened to it, I was struck feeling there was some sense buried in our consciousness carried on from our ancestors.
This piece is an original work composed by a modern samisen player. Performance style is typical for Tsugaru-samisen.
12/16/2015
Piano Quintet by Shostakovitch
This music starts with a movement adopting counterpoint which sounds like a magnificient architecture. The slow movement expresses most harrowing sentiment. I have never listened such a beautiful music. The counterpoint technique is again used in most impressive way. The last movement pokes our surprise. It is a light touched music. What has Shostakovitch thought when he put such a movement for the last? Has he tried to balance the too grave emotion throughout the movements prior to it or had any political meaning as he has often confromted to?
In this ensemble, Jansen, the most famous performer among them, is playing the 2nd violin part. It is unusual. Of course, the 2nd violin occupies the important position in this chamber music. But she could have played the 1st violin. Nevertheless, all members, including Jansen, seem to enjoy playing this piece. Jansen sometimes smiles at the other players during playing it. It must be a fun for them to play it, not just a work. They show how enjoyable it is to play chamber music together. As the tiltle of this video tells, they must be personally good friends as well as good company performers.
Enjoy this!
12/13/2015
A blessing in our life
Last night, I ran across with Larry W7CB. I have seen him a few times for the past several months after a long hiatus. He used to be a school principal long time ago and now 87 years old, if I remember it right. He excused on his fist for poor sending. But he did very well and, if it is not rude to him to mention about his reception ability, he has become very competent at it compared with the old days in 80s. He was always careful of what I had thought on any topic. No way two way monologues. It was a fun for me to spend sometime with him.
He told me he could not sleep so that he watched the band, that is 40 meters, for any DX. I hoped my CW would sound like a cradle song to him. I asked him how he would spend Christmas. His answer was moving me a lot. He would have a big family members getting together at his home. Fourteen grandkids and 8 great grandkids. Including their parents, there must be over 30 people coming to stay with Larry and his wife. His wife will prepare cookies and cakes for them. An old cat, Pete, will welcome them as well. They will bring sleep bags and sleep on the floor.
What a fun time they will have there! Imagining of the scenary there on upcoming Christmas, at first, I was smiling but, in a few seconds, tears came up on my eyes. Is it only a characteristic of elderly to be moved easily? I don't think so. It will be a great blessing to Larry and his wife to have such a big family and to have them attend the celebration at his home. Larry and his wife have loved them so much that they have delivered something important in life to them all. That may be why all the members are gathering now. They have achieved one of the most important things in our life and have been rewarded in this way.
When I told him what I had felt hearing his plan for Christmas, he also seemed to be happy and told me he would tell about it to his wife. He quit the radio then.
I wished them from the bottom of my heart all the best for this season.
He told me he could not sleep so that he watched the band, that is 40 meters, for any DX. I hoped my CW would sound like a cradle song to him. I asked him how he would spend Christmas. His answer was moving me a lot. He would have a big family members getting together at his home. Fourteen grandkids and 8 great grandkids. Including their parents, there must be over 30 people coming to stay with Larry and his wife. His wife will prepare cookies and cakes for them. An old cat, Pete, will welcome them as well. They will bring sleep bags and sleep on the floor.
What a fun time they will have there! Imagining of the scenary there on upcoming Christmas, at first, I was smiling but, in a few seconds, tears came up on my eyes. Is it only a characteristic of elderly to be moved easily? I don't think so. It will be a great blessing to Larry and his wife to have such a big family and to have them attend the celebration at his home. Larry and his wife have loved them so much that they have delivered something important in life to them all. That may be why all the members are gathering now. They have achieved one of the most important things in our life and have been rewarded in this way.
When I told him what I had felt hearing his plan for Christmas, he also seemed to be happy and told me he would tell about it to his wife. He quit the radio then.
I wished them from the bottom of my heart all the best for this season.
12/11/2015
Sukiyaki
Sukiyaki is one of the feast dishes at our home. A friend of mine has given us good beef for Sukiyaki as the year end present today. I decided to prepare that for the dinner. Very simple. Sliced beef cooked at first then the other materials are added to the pan. Seasoning is the mixture of soy sauce, sugar and sweetened sake.
All family members have enjoyed such a feast dish together. All around the dish on the table are my wife and myself now. Time has passed. I must thank for having meal together at present.
My wife will bisit her parents in Shikoku this week end. Father in law told her he was looking forward seeing her. My wife seems a bit more cheerful and active than usual.
Ii will have simple meal this week end.
12/10/2015
Three dogmata
Three dogmata of mine these days;
1)Those putting enough spaces between words are proficient operators. On the contrary, I will finish QSO as soon as possible if the guy who makes less spaces. We read the sentences on CW based on each word. So the spaces between words are crucial in undersanding what they say on CW. Good operators try to send CW which is readable to them. If they could do that, it proves their proficiency on CW.
2)Those who could enjoy dialogue are intelligent and deserve to talk to. Monologue speaker always has some defect in intelligence. I will quit QSO with such monologue speakers. Unfortunately, aging brings this character to us. All we could do is to be aware of it and to try to listen more to the others. I still like listening to elderly speaking on their unique experiences.
3)There is a clear distinction between the pleasure contests give us and that conversation does. They are exclusive each other nowadays individual wise as well as the whole population wise. It may be because of the aging in ham population and the internet media prevailing everywhere. So the ragchew lovers are becoming the minority of the minorities.
Me? It is impossible for me to judge subjectively on that question.
These are still my own dogmata. Not more than that.
1)Those putting enough spaces between words are proficient operators. On the contrary, I will finish QSO as soon as possible if the guy who makes less spaces. We read the sentences on CW based on each word. So the spaces between words are crucial in undersanding what they say on CW. Good operators try to send CW which is readable to them. If they could do that, it proves their proficiency on CW.
2)Those who could enjoy dialogue are intelligent and deserve to talk to. Monologue speaker always has some defect in intelligence. I will quit QSO with such monologue speakers. Unfortunately, aging brings this character to us. All we could do is to be aware of it and to try to listen more to the others. I still like listening to elderly speaking on their unique experiences.
3)There is a clear distinction between the pleasure contests give us and that conversation does. They are exclusive each other nowadays individual wise as well as the whole population wise. It may be because of the aging in ham population and the internet media prevailing everywhere. So the ragchew lovers are becoming the minority of the minorities.
Me? It is impossible for me to judge subjectively on that question.
These are still my own dogmata. Not more than that.
12/08/2015
A letter from an old patient
I have received a postal mail from a guy. I could not recall him at once. KI in initial. Who was he?
He told I had taken care of him for bronchial asthma at my clinic from his elemntary school to college days for years until I told him he had grown up enough from that illness and had no necessity for follow up. It was a few years before I closed clinic when he left my clinic.
I clearly recalled of him, his mother and his younger sister. A bright boy. He was always cheerful at the outpatient clinic. He went to a college nearby. In his mid teen days, he seemed to go through the rebellious age but still got in touch with me. The college he went to was a school where the students are trained for professional speciality in engineering for 5 years from age 15 to 19 years. I had been to a school of the same system in Tokyo before going to the medical university in Tokyo. I felt even closer to him since he entered that shcool. I might have double imaged myself on him. In the first 2 years, he was immersed in rock and roll music, so that he was precarious at his study and was on the edge of drop out from the school.
His mail told he had been given some advice by me, which helped him a lot. I can't recall what i have told him then. I was crazy for ham radio at the school as well and was almost dropping out as well. From that experience, I might have advised him something, maybe. For the last 2 or 3 years in the school, he has been in the top 10 among all the students as for the study. He has succeeded in the entrance exasm to JR Tokai. It is the rail way company of the bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka. He has been assigned to various projects in the company where he has been treated as an engineer comparable to the colleagues of 4 year university graduates and even of the postgraduates there.
He thanked to me for caring for him and giving him the advice, as I told, which I totally forgot of! Anyway, his letter has brought tears in my eyes. He has ended the letter proposing me to have meal together some time. Oh, yes, it will be my pleasure. With such a letter from him, I felt rewarded in my life. My heart was full of gratitude to it.
He told I had taken care of him for bronchial asthma at my clinic from his elemntary school to college days for years until I told him he had grown up enough from that illness and had no necessity for follow up. It was a few years before I closed clinic when he left my clinic.
I clearly recalled of him, his mother and his younger sister. A bright boy. He was always cheerful at the outpatient clinic. He went to a college nearby. In his mid teen days, he seemed to go through the rebellious age but still got in touch with me. The college he went to was a school where the students are trained for professional speciality in engineering for 5 years from age 15 to 19 years. I had been to a school of the same system in Tokyo before going to the medical university in Tokyo. I felt even closer to him since he entered that shcool. I might have double imaged myself on him. In the first 2 years, he was immersed in rock and roll music, so that he was precarious at his study and was on the edge of drop out from the school.
His mail told he had been given some advice by me, which helped him a lot. I can't recall what i have told him then. I was crazy for ham radio at the school as well and was almost dropping out as well. From that experience, I might have advised him something, maybe. For the last 2 or 3 years in the school, he has been in the top 10 among all the students as for the study. He has succeeded in the entrance exasm to JR Tokai. It is the rail way company of the bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka. He has been assigned to various projects in the company where he has been treated as an engineer comparable to the colleagues of 4 year university graduates and even of the postgraduates there.
He thanked to me for caring for him and giving him the advice, as I told, which I totally forgot of! Anyway, his letter has brought tears in my eyes. He has ended the letter proposing me to have meal together some time. Oh, yes, it will be my pleasure. With such a letter from him, I felt rewarded in my life. My heart was full of gratitude to it.
12/06/2015
Fried tomato
As announced before!, I have harvested and fried green tomatoes yesterday. Courtesy to Terry WA4AMG. It has lacked much sweet this time but was still sour fresh and a bit sweet. My wife has brought some to a friend family of ours together fried shrimp, mackerel, smelt and sweet potato. They seemed very pleasant to have this present. For return, they have given some veggies to my wife.
12/04/2015
Our garden in early winter
In the garden, I found some cluster amaryllis are blooming. It may be due to the Indian Summer for the past few weeks. They are supposed to come out early in fall.
The petals are kind of shrunken due to the low temperature. It gets frosty in the morning here.
PS; After having uploaded this post, I asked my wife, a bit better gardener than me, about this flower. She answered me it was "Diamond lilly", which ought to come out in this season. It might be planted by my father. Apology and correction!
Winter has surely started here. Magnolia tree has had a half of its leaves fallen. It might get ready for beautiful flowers early in next spring.
Poor tomatoes are going to die soon. In 2 or 3 days, I will harvest these immature fruits and try to fry them.
I have cleaned the dead Cosmos and Mary gold in the garden. Seeds have been taken. They will revive in the garden next spring. A couple of apple trees have been planted. It seems we should care for them to be grown to be abundant with good apples. When could we crop them? As my parents left the plum tree for us, I wonder if anyone will enjoy the fruits from these trees in years.
12/03/2015
Fishing efficiency
Since I have fewer callers nowadays, I am always experimenting to achieve more efficient way of calling CQ. Of course, I also watch the bands carefully as well. Hearing nothing, I start to throw fishhook with a bait. Various kind of baits are available. In my experience, each bait has more efficiency in this order.
1)Hand key nearly equal to bug key or side swiper
2)Electronic keyer manually sent
3)Electronic keyer automatically sent, that is, memory keyer
It seems our ears love something fluctuating. It might be related with the variable heart beat. Some people may say it is a memory in uterus of the maternal heart beat.
I know 1) is most efficient as a bait. But it makes me tired and bored. I often compromise with 2) category. i put an accent before giving my call. That is putting a small pause before my call. It may give an alert to listener that something important will be sent.
I must admit I sometimes surf the internet while sending CQ, because I have too few callers on the band. In category 2), I am apt to repeat CQ for many times without being conscious of that. Even worse, I forget calling CQ with category 3) and realize that transmission has been on due to the quietness. I should apologize to the callers in such occasion if any.
Anyway, I have scarcely considered of the efficiency of the bait some years ago. From now on, however, I need to make tricks to augment the efficiency of each bait. As if fishing on a lake where very few fish is in.
1)Hand key nearly equal to bug key or side swiper
2)Electronic keyer manually sent
3)Electronic keyer automatically sent, that is, memory keyer
It seems our ears love something fluctuating. It might be related with the variable heart beat. Some people may say it is a memory in uterus of the maternal heart beat.
I know 1) is most efficient as a bait. But it makes me tired and bored. I often compromise with 2) category. i put an accent before giving my call. That is putting a small pause before my call. It may give an alert to listener that something important will be sent.
I must admit I sometimes surf the internet while sending CQ, because I have too few callers on the band. In category 2), I am apt to repeat CQ for many times without being conscious of that. Even worse, I forget calling CQ with category 3) and realize that transmission has been on due to the quietness. I should apologize to the callers in such occasion if any.
Anyway, I have scarcely considered of the efficiency of the bait some years ago. From now on, however, I need to make tricks to augment the efficiency of each bait. As if fishing on a lake where very few fish is in.
12/02/2015
We should advocate CW to young new comers
I have posted twice in the reflector of FOC yesterday. It was regarding the difference between contesting/DXing and ragchewing. Ragchewing should be described as ordinary conversational communication on CW. Based on the article I introduced here, I would like to say these two genres of CW activities are handled at different areas in the brain, if partly overlapped, so that the resulting pleasure or sense of rewarding must be different each other.
Even if we should admit of the diversity of the way how to enjoy CW, we should be aware of this distinction in CW operation. Judging from the overall activity in each genre, I should say contesting/DXing is occupying the most portion in the club activity. Some members have endorsed me either on the reflector or by personal mail. But it seemed those having priority in contesting/DXing were the majority in the participants of the club.
We should learn how different they are each other if they use CW for the tool. Understanding it, we should know which we stand on. It will cause quite a big difference which standpoint we are on. It may determine the ethos of the club.
This morning, while talking to a member in the West Coast on 15m, who told me the new members would get inactive for ordinary QSOs but get on only for contests, I realized it was the problem of aging. When we get older, we won't be interested in the others. Aged people won't have the inner energy or lose some kind of intelligence to understand the others. It should not be blamed. It is a natural course of human being. Due to the indifference to the others, they may not communicate to understand each other. But they just enjoy CW as a tool for the games.
Otherwise, it is quite difficult for me to understand the trend for contesting/DXing prevailing in the world of CW. We should advocate CW to the younger new comers or CW may vanish sooner or later. FOC is not an exception even if it has the calling to maintain and convey this mode for real communication among people to the next generation.
11/27/2015
In the season with the height of the band conditions
Yesterday afternoon, around 06Z, forty meters was open to the East Coast. Surprisingly, the path to there was even better than that to the West Coast. In the bottom of the sun spot cycle, I have heard this band had been open to the North America all day long. I am often amazed thinking that the hams who established the World Wide CW contest have chosen this time in a year for this one of the oldest and most major contests in the world. It is the time when the bands could blast.
The only problem was that there had been no East Coasts calling me except for some of the skimmers there.
There were a number of statessides on 15 meters this morning. Everyone seemed cheerful and happy. They have had or were going to have the Thanksgiving dinner with their company. Dick K4XU have told me he had plowed even 30cm of snow on the driveway, which had taken him 90 minutes. He quit radio telling me there was odor of cooked turkey from somewhere. John W7KCN has had a dinner party with 10 family members there. He is an 88 year old ham and is still very sharp in memory and keying. It was a fun to hear from him. Bill K1YT has called me at the moment when the path was almost over. Fast QSB has made it a bit difficult to read him. But slowing down the speed helped me a little. I am sure he has had a nice dinner also with his family. He has reminded me of my trip to his home in Stow Mass almost a quarter century ago. It was in the end of Oct. In the declining condition, I have called CQ for several times. The band has turned quiet again when I turned off the gear.
Every friend kindly visiting this blog, have a pleasant holiday season. See you often on the air.
The only problem was that there had been no East Coasts calling me except for some of the skimmers there.
There were a number of statessides on 15 meters this morning. Everyone seemed cheerful and happy. They have had or were going to have the Thanksgiving dinner with their company. Dick K4XU have told me he had plowed even 30cm of snow on the driveway, which had taken him 90 minutes. He quit radio telling me there was odor of cooked turkey from somewhere. John W7KCN has had a dinner party with 10 family members there. He is an 88 year old ham and is still very sharp in memory and keying. It was a fun to hear from him. Bill K1YT has called me at the moment when the path was almost over. Fast QSB has made it a bit difficult to read him. But slowing down the speed helped me a little. I am sure he has had a nice dinner also with his family. He has reminded me of my trip to his home in Stow Mass almost a quarter century ago. It was in the end of Oct. In the declining condition, I have called CQ for several times. The band has turned quiet again when I turned off the gear.
Every friend kindly visiting this blog, have a pleasant holiday season. See you often on the air.
The meaning of the modern music
I have been wondering what has brought the modern classical music in the world. I mean the music of atonality. They say one reason was the will to get out of the heavy romanticism which has covered the world of music since the end of 19th century. I could understand the composers in that age have felt almost suffocated with the expanded emotions in the late romanticism in music. The modern music composers might need to get into the atonality as a new achievement in music. It could be a drive which has lead composers to new style of music in their age.
In addition to all of those motivations, I guess, it was the expression of the era trend of thoughts those days. It was just before they got into the era of total war. They have had to endure the pain and agony of total war twice very soon. As artists sensitive to the trend those days, they must have felt that era preceding to the other people. In late romantic music, there used to be such a composer who had preempted that trend of anxiety and fear for the death. One example was Mahler. But such attempt by late romantic composers has not succeeded in it and was followed by the modern music composers, who have done thoroughly, if it was successful or not.
This quartet by Schoenberg is deemed the watershed dividing those two eras. Each motifs sound very beautiful with faint feeling of tonality. When the soprano enters in the music, the atonality dominates it. It may express the anxiety of existence in the era trend. It appeals to our mind even after over a century since it has been composed.
In addition to all of those motivations, I guess, it was the expression of the era trend of thoughts those days. It was just before they got into the era of total war. They have had to endure the pain and agony of total war twice very soon. As artists sensitive to the trend those days, they must have felt that era preceding to the other people. In late romantic music, there used to be such a composer who had preempted that trend of anxiety and fear for the death. One example was Mahler. But such attempt by late romantic composers has not succeeded in it and was followed by the modern music composers, who have done thoroughly, if it was successful or not.
This quartet by Schoenberg is deemed the watershed dividing those two eras. Each motifs sound very beautiful with faint feeling of tonality. When the soprano enters in the music, the atonality dominates it. It may express the anxiety of existence in the era trend. It appeals to our mind even after over a century since it has been composed.
11/20/2015
ex JG1FDX story
We will have the 38th anniversary in a couple of days. The time has passed quite fast. The longer marriage we have had, the more we know each other. Even though I don't know what she thinks of that, it is not bad to get older together.
We were the class mates at the med school. She is 3 years younger than I am since I entered the school after finishing a college. We have started our honey moon life at a dorm of the med school where we served our residency. Hectic days. I should have been more helpful to her raising our elder son those days.
I have uploaded this photo before. At the campus of the med school. We were young. We were expecting our 1st baby. How hopeful we were for our future!
We were the class mates at the med school. She is 3 years younger than I am since I entered the school after finishing a college. We have started our honey moon life at a dorm of the med school where we served our residency. Hectic days. I should have been more helpful to her raising our elder son those days.
I have uploaded this photo before. At the campus of the med school. We were young. We were expecting our 1st baby. How hopeful we were for our future!
We have moved here, that is, my birth place in several years. I felt we need some place to be settled down. I must confess a place for bigger antenna was necessary for me. My parents have moved here and have helped us to raise 3 children.
It was the time without cell phone. She has taken a ham radio ticket to get in touch with me through radio. She got her call as JG1FDX. Only on phone. She was too shy to talk to people unknown to her. We used UHF FM to get in touch. When our daughter was learning violin at a class near to my wife's hospital years ago, I have brought her with violin to a place half way to the class. She was waiting for us there. We couldn't do that without that UHF.
One time, I borrowed her car. I happened to turn on the cassete tape recorder on the car. Surprisingly, Morse code practise tape was running there. Yes, she was practising Morse code in secret. I asked her why she had wanted to master code. Her answer was that she would beat me in Morse code technique. I think it was half what she had thought. She is a girl who would learn something continuously. She might find learning Morse code was a good object for her to master. Since her project turned out public to me, she gave it up thoroughly. Her ticket with the suffix, "Fanatic Doctore XYL", has been expired then.
As written earlier in this blog, she has enjoyed our trip to Seattle and San Jose 3 years ago meeting many friends of ham radio. Someday, I would take her for a trip to the US or the other parts of the world to see old friends of mine. She won't say no to me, hopefully.
As I fully retired last year, I have become a full time house husband and have been trying to help her. She says she would downsize her work load soon. Introducing her old patients to other reliable doctors and getting ready financially for the retirement of the staff, she should gradually fade off at her job soon. I wish we could spend peaceful time for the rest of our lives.
Congratulations to us on our anniversary!
11/17/2015
Perception of Morse code and understanding its message are involved in different processes in brain
It has been one of the main interests for me to know how
Morse code is perceived and understood by us. We are doing
that process without being conscious of them when we operate
on this mode. But It might help us to train ourselves for
communication on this mode and convince it is worth spending
our lives learning codes and communicating with this mode.
I have spent attention about how the modern brain physiology
on this issue with scientific words. There have been a few studies
published on this theme. This article with its abstract shown below is
one of them recently published and suggestive in our understanding
of this issue..
Morse code is perceived and understood by us. We are doing
that process without being conscious of them when we operate
on this mode. But It might help us to train ourselves for
communication on this mode and convince it is worth spending
our lives learning codes and communicating with this mode.
I have spent attention about how the modern brain physiology
on this issue with scientific words. There have been a few studies
published on this theme. This article with its abstract shown below is
one of them recently published and suggestive in our understanding
of this issue..
Quote;
Hum Brain Mapp. 2015 Nov;36(11):4512-28. doi: 10.1002/hbm.22939. Epub 2015 Aug 25.
From perceptual to lexico-semantic analysis-cortical plasticity enabling new levels of processing.
Schlaffke L1, Rüther NN2, Heba S1, Haag LM1, Schultz T3, Rosengarth K4, Tegenthoff M1, Bellebaum C2,5, Schmidt-Wilcke T1.
Abstract
the studies involve skills and/or knowledge already present when performing the task.
In this study we specifically sought to identify neural correlates of an evolving skill that
allows the transition from perceptual to a lexico-semantic stimulus analysis. Eighteen
in trains of three letters while brain activity was
attended to the stimulus length (perceptual analysis), or evaluated its meaning
distinguishing words from nonwords (lexico-semantic analysis). Perceptual and lexico-semantic
analyses shared a mutual network comprising the left premotor cortex, the supplementary
motor area (SMA) and the inferior parietal lobule (IPL). Perceptual analysis was associated
with a strong brain activation in the SMA and the superior temporal gyrus bilaterally (STG),
which remained unaltered from pre and post training. In the lexico-semantic analysis post
learning, study participants showed additional activation in the left inferior frontal cortex (IFC)
and in the left occipitotemporal cortex (OTC), regions known to be critically involved in lexical
motor area (SMA) and the inferior parietal lobule (IPL). Perceptual analysis was associated
with a strong brain activation in the SMA and the superior temporal gyrus bilaterally (STG),
which remained unaltered from pre and post training. In the lexico-semantic analysis post
learning, study participants showed additional activation in the left inferior frontal cortex (IFC)
and in the left occipitotemporal cortex (OTC), regions known to be critically involved in lexical
processing. Our data provide evidence for cortical plasticity evolving with a learning process
enabling the transition from perceptual to lexico-semantic stimulus analysis. Importantly,
the activation pattern remains task-related LOP and is thus the result of a decision process
as to which LOP to engage in. Hum Brain Mapp 36:4512-4528, 2015. © 2015 The Authors.
Human Brain Mapping Published byWiley Periodicals, Inc.
enabling the transition from perceptual to lexico-semantic stimulus analysis. Importantly,
the activation pattern remains task-related LOP and is thus the result of a decision process
as to which LOP to engage in. Hum Brain Mapp 36:4512-4528, 2015. © 2015 The Authors.
Human Brain Mapping Published byWiley Periodicals, Inc.
© 2015 The Authors. Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
KEYWORDS:
cortical plasticity; fMRI; learning; levels of processing; perception
Unquote.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~
The function, either definite or speculative, of the brain areas quoted in this article are as foolows.
SMA
the postural stabilization of the body, the coordination of both sides of the body such as during bimanual action, the control of movements that
are internally generated rather than triggered by sensory events, and the
control of sequences of movements.
IPL
the perception of emotions in facial stimuli,[2] and interpretation of
sensory information. The Inferior parietal lobule is concerned with language,
sensory information. The Inferior parietal lobule is concerned with language,
STG
auditory processing, including language
~~~ ~~~ ~~~
It seems to me that both perceptual and understanding process are involved
in the same areas, that is, lt premotor cortex, SMA and IPL. On the other
hand, lt IFC and OTC, known to be the areas of lexical processing, are activated
in uderstanding process after training.
It is beyond my knowledge discussing what the difference of the areas activated in
each process means. What I could say from this article is as follows;
It is amazing that Morse code perception/understanding in brain could be a topic
in this field of science. While it is our concern how they describe about it in scientific
terms, the researchers must take this learning process as one of the scientific
epistemological findings. The communication mode composed of the simplest symbols,
that is, dashes and dots, must be a good tool for that purpose.
Perception of Morse code and understanding its message are handled, partly, at the
same areas in brain. On the other hand, the latter seems to involve in the higher
lexicological center. As the other report indicated that reading Morse code is
comparable to reading printed matters, understanding its message must be a highly
intellectual process.
Further discussion to try to correspond each process to the actual operation of CW
mode is a quite personal speculation of mine. DXing or contesting should be
involved in the perception process or, at least, some extension of its process. Each
operation handles only exchanges of meaningless symbols. Understanding
messages is the essence of ordinary QSOs. Through the system of symbols of
Morse code, we understand what the others mean in their message. This process
should be handled by the lexicological center in brain. This study seems to tell us we
should discriminate these two aspects of CW operation. It means a lot to us. I will
discuss about this discrimination from this perspective in another post.
PS; Sorry for the irregular fonts in this post. It seems a kind of bug in the blog format,
which I could not do with at all.
11/15/2015
How to do with the terrorism
It was a horrible disaster that so many innocent people were killed by the terrorists in Paris yesterday. Such a terrorism should not be permitted by any means. The terrorists who had executed it should be punished.
On the other hand, we should learn that terrorism could never be eradicated by arms. It is the lesson we have had from the recent history in the Middle East. We should accept people with the other ideologies or religions. We should start from this standpoint.
It is not by arms but the other ways we should do with terrorism. There must be any arm merchants or any military who give or sell them the arms. Certain financial sources might let them buy the arms. Without any income, they won't be able to recruit and train their military as well as terrorists. We should keep our eye on these sources to them. It should be banned to support them financially as well as military wise.
I could not help suspecting there are some people gaining profits from the proxy war in the developing countries like the Middle East. For example, there are strong evidences that the US has supported the extremists like Al Qaida in Afghanistan as well as ISIS in Syria.
The war in the Middle East has given rise to the extremist group by itself. ISIS is told to be established by the remnants of Barth Party in Iraq in the regime of Hussein. The object of this Iraq war was denied with no genocidal weapon found there. The aerial bombing they have deen continuously doing there are causing victims of civilians. The families of those victims would become another terrorists in the future. There has been a chain of terror and hatred over there. We should it.
In Facebook, a friend of mine, Dan, K2YWE, has linked to a site with an excellent and moving article. Here it is. Please read it. I could not read it without tears. i fully approve what the author wrote there.
The fight against terrorism should not be based on the arms but on the action toward its causes.
On the other hand, we should learn that terrorism could never be eradicated by arms. It is the lesson we have had from the recent history in the Middle East. We should accept people with the other ideologies or religions. We should start from this standpoint.
It is not by arms but the other ways we should do with terrorism. There must be any arm merchants or any military who give or sell them the arms. Certain financial sources might let them buy the arms. Without any income, they won't be able to recruit and train their military as well as terrorists. We should keep our eye on these sources to them. It should be banned to support them financially as well as military wise.
I could not help suspecting there are some people gaining profits from the proxy war in the developing countries like the Middle East. For example, there are strong evidences that the US has supported the extremists like Al Qaida in Afghanistan as well as ISIS in Syria.
The war in the Middle East has given rise to the extremist group by itself. ISIS is told to be established by the remnants of Barth Party in Iraq in the regime of Hussein. The object of this Iraq war was denied with no genocidal weapon found there. The aerial bombing they have deen continuously doing there are causing victims of civilians. The families of those victims would become another terrorists in the future. There has been a chain of terror and hatred over there. We should it.
In Facebook, a friend of mine, Dan, K2YWE, has linked to a site with an excellent and moving article. Here it is. Please read it. I could not read it without tears. i fully approve what the author wrote there.
The fight against terrorism should not be based on the arms but on the action toward its causes.
11/06/2015
A short story
Fiftenn meters has been in the best shape for the past days. On the quiet band, stations from the East Coast have called me in a chain.
Jack W4TJE gave me a call with a big signal from VA. When I heard him using stacked Yagis, I asked him if he was a contester. He answered no and hated contests. His main concern seemed to be DXing. I told him I had lost interests in DXing in addition to contests years ago. And I also told him I enjoy listening others telling me their stories now.
He would like to tell me a short story. Regretting his having spent his young days on SSB, he would be a CW operator for now. Since he is already a perfect CW operator, it might mean he would concentrate on CW activities from now.
I answered he had come along the right track of a ham. Soon he would enjoy only ragchewing on CW.
What good cinditions and what a nice small talk on CW!
Saimyouji, an old temple in this area
A Nikon has come out of a closet. It is a single lens reflex camera for beginner. I bought it a few years ago and put into somewhere after having used it for only a few times. I have ever heard there could be mold growing within the lens, so that I would know if it still takes photo. I went to a temple near by, where I took Joe AJ2Y in his visit here, with a hope I could see fall colors in the woods. I would take some photos with this Nikon.
The temple is in Mashiko town next to our city, which is famous for pottery products. I went there through a range of small mountains. As I told in the previous post on a trip to a hot spa site, we have a few ranges of small mountains running in this area, continuing to the Abukuma mountains in Fukushima.
It was 2 or 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Very few traffic on the range trail. It ran south to north. Looking to the west from there, I could see another range. Our home is located further west over this range. It was hazy over the mountains. Some leaves were tinted colorful, if not all. It looked like early evening already. Not too cold yet, though. A few people were taking walk with their dog on the trail.
There was the panel to explain how this temple was built and existed. I don't think there have been so many tourists visiting here. It is far away from the famous resort Nikko and takes a couple of hours to visit here. Partly due to plain week day today, there were very few people. An old couple was sitting on steps to the temple buildings and talking leisurely something like that time was passing so fast. Their being itself made me feel time was going slowly as well as satisfactorily.
Anyway, it says this temple named Saimyouji, has the origin in the 8th century. Having been destroyed or fired, the present buildings were completed in the 18th century. I know nothing more than what this panel said. As I told elsewhere, there are many temples even in such a countryside as here. I am kind of proud that our ancient people have been believing in Bhuddism. Or it means they have lived harsh lives where they should rely on a religion. This is a proof they have lived very close to the religion.
The precincts of the temple was not large. It was still built on the range of small mountains. There were a lot of broadleaf trees there. They may turn yellow soon.
The temple buildings were located at a higher place. We should walk up the steps, fairly steep, made of stones.
The main gate building. A gorgeous building with thatched roof.
A close up of the building. It is an exquisite wooden structure. I wondered from where the carpenters building these buildings came from. It might be to display the power of the ruling person here to the people. But I still would think their belief in Buddhism, or their wish to be relieved of this world with full of worries and anxieties. So the appearance and atmosphere of this old temple makes us feel relieved as well as soothed.
The main building located in the depth of the temple. With the metal roof and so forth, it looked like more modern.
A water supply place at a corner.
The sun was sinking. Some trees on a side of mountains looked colorful overlooking from the precincts.
It was not only due to getting dark that the photos were out of focus. Actually, while taking these photos, I had this camera acting up with the sign of ERR on the display. I had to initialize it once. I should learn how to use it. It is like my FT2000.
Going down to the city, I bought food for dinner and ran back home,
11/04/2015
Health care system is a common overhead capital
American health giants could end up running crucial parts of the service in a move which could prove to be irreversible
American health giants could end up running crucial sections of the NHS, under a deal planned by Tory ministers to let them bid on huge government contracts.
David Cameron’s team insist the plans have “immense potential”.
But campaigners say it means that if a future government tries to wrest back control of the health service from multinationals, it would face being sued by profiteering firms.
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement is currently being negotiated by the EU and the US.
Ministers believe the removal of trade barriers in a host of industries under the deal would boost the UK economy by £10billion a year.
Health Minister Earl Howe said the NHS should not be excluded from it, claiming it could help British medical and pharmaceutical firms.
He said: “It would be highly unwise and detrimental in our view to exclude health.”
But campaigning group 38 Degrees warned the trade deal would put the NHS at risk from profiteering US firms.
The group’s executive director David Babbs said: “It would open up Britain to the US health industry. How could that be anything but bad news for our NHS?”
And Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail warned the shake-up could lead to legal challenges over NHS contracts by US health firms if a future government tried to take privatised health services back under public control.
She said: “The Government had no mandate to privatise our health service – they certainly don’t have a mandate to make it irreversible. We say to Cameron, use your veto.”
Earl Howe accused critics of “scaremongering” about the agreement and denied the Government was planning wholesale privatisation of the NHS.
More than 175,000 people have signed a petition calling on Business Secretary Vince Cable to “fix or scrap” the trade deal.
Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham says the NHS must be exempt from an agreement that threatens its future.
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