Mahler unsuitable for a night cap

Insomnia has been a friend to me. It is told to be a predisposition to be dementia. I could not help worrying about it. Sometimes, sleep pill helps me as already told somewhere in this blog. On the other hand, I am unwilling to take such a med. Then, I listen to some music. Tonight, it was "Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen" by Gustav Mahler. I used to play it twice at different orchestras, once at the university and the other time much later in fifties of age. I always love the last song "Die Zwei blauen Augen". The story of broken heart at the sweetheart's wedding ends with this funeral march. Mahler has composed quite a few funeral marches in various works like this or in the 5th symphony etc. Each is quite impressive. It is well known he has been struggling with own death throughout his life. Through beauty of music, he seems to have pursued the solution of the problem of death. 

After "Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen", there was a few Lieders put in the source. One of them was "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen" after a poem by Rueckert. This piece handles directly the problem of death. It sounds like peace which we might arrive at death. I always wonder if he has found any solution or the way to it when he finished the 9th symphony, the culmination of his music activity as a composer.

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTqbTP5qy7k

Anyway, it was not a right choice for a night cap. 

After taking a pill, I may listen to Bach on headset in the darkness. 

Fall potatoes

Potatoes are grown twice in a year. Spring and fall. The fall seed potatoes should have shorter resting period than the spring ones. If the resting period is too long, it would take weeks to have them sprouted. They won't grow before it gets frosty.

This year, I have forgotten purchasing the short resting potatoes. Reluctantly, I have planted some potatoes harvested this spring. They are told to have intermediate range of the resting period. I have chosen those already budding on the surface.

In a couple of weeks, even though I was doubtful it would happen, some of them are sprouting out. Much grass compost around them. Hopefully, they may bear new potatoes by November. I am moved to see new lives are being born as expected.

 

Sweet potatoes have been harvested. Pretty big ones. In a week or so of ripening in the oom air, they will get even sweeter. 

Other winter/spring vegetables like onion, green onion, radish, broccoli chinese cabbage are being planted. The last session of weeding is also done all around the property.

It is too rainy today and not suitable for farming. I would spend the day listening to Bach's keyboard music. A peaceful fall day.

Faure's requiem again

Recently, I have been listening to Faure's requiem before going to sleep. The source is a performance by Orchestre de Paris conducted by Daniel Barenboim. It was recorded in 1974. Barenboim was around 32 years of age then.

As always told, this requiem is fairly lyrical. As if not done with the reality of death. Faure's 2nd son has told in his biographpy that Faure was not concerned about distress of death but was taking death as a blessing to get apart from the world full of anguish. It was an expression of the back side of his pessimism.

This Barenboim's performance sounds a bit different from the usual explanation of this requiem to me. Even though it is basically beautiful, I feel, it is oriented to expression of toughness in death. That impression comes from  rather slow tempo with exaggeration of bass part, especially of the organ. Solemnity due to such perormance sure betrays our preconception for this music. 

I wondered for what young Barenboim had conducted this piece in this way. It was only his 2nd recording with the orchestra. He must have had a definite motivation to choose and  perform this requiem in this way. Bringing an innovation to this music? 

All of sudden, I realized it was a year later than his wife Jacueline du Pres had turned out to have multiple sclerosis. It is a fatally destined illness. Both of them have enjoyed playing chambermusic a few years earlier with their company like Ithzak Perlman,  Pinchas Zuckerman or Zubin Mehta. It has been left as a heavenly pleasant recording somewhere. Through Barenboim getting married with dU Pres, they have spent the happiest time in their lives. But Jacqueline's illness attacked them into abyss of absurdity. It may not be wrong to assume Barenboim has put his thought at that time into this recording. 

This is not the recording I listen to. It was a bit later than that. The same orchestra conducted by Barenboim. Around 1980.

 

 

Barenboim has left remarkable achievements in music. I always admire, in addition to a lot of marvellous performances as a pianist as well as a conductor, his efforts with West Eastern Divan Orchestra to unite Israeli musicians with Palestanians. He has suffered from Parkinsonism himself and is slowly taking his exit from his career as a musician now. What is he thinking of this requiem now?

Lithium could be a new treatment for Azheimer's disease

There is no decisive blow of treatment for Alzheimer's disease yet. Monoclonal antibodies against beta amyloid have been used in clinical medicine with limited success, that is, only reducing the progress of the disease to an extent. They could cause pretty serious side effects including cerebral bleeding. So no definite choice of treatment yet.

Here is an article in Nature which could sets off  a new horizon for the treatment and/or prevention of Alzheimer's disease. Lithium could be such a medicine as it says from the standpoint of pathophysiological findings in mouse as well as of human pathological data. Lithium carbonate has been a drug for bipolar disorder for a long time. But it has only narrow width of concentration for treatment and could cause serious complication with overdose. Lithium orotate is introduced as a substitute. Lithium won't matter patent and, if lithium is proved clinically effective to prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease with double blind study, the medication of lithium won't cost so expensive as the antibody med or other forms of cutting edge drug. It would be another advantage of lithium med. 

 Aron L, et al. Lithium deficiency and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Nature. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09335-x

If lithium med is proved to be of use, hasten to publish it in the market. Millions of people must be waiting for it. John AC4CA should have been one of them since he had his wife Jackie suffering from Alzheimer's disease and was always concerned about any new treatment.

     

A new variant Nimbus positive

 Two or three days later than my wife, I have developed typical symptoms of Nimbus. Runny nose, wet cough and most strikingly severe sore throat as they say like swallowing razor blade in the throat. Yesterday, even it was a national holiday, a friend of ours, Dr. Cho has had his office running for COVID cases. My wife was correctly diagnosed for new variant of COVID by him.  My test result was also clearly positive as shown in the photo below. My wife has been prescribed 5 days of Paxlovid. As Dr. Cho told her, med for a day could be diverted to me, not having come to see him today. Of course, I would give it back to her tomorrow when consulting his office.

Ever since the pandemic started in 2020, we have been very cautious not to be infected by the virus. This new strain Nimbus has strong immunity evasion. Fortunately, as WHO says, there are no serious comlications reported in the world.  

Through this tiny experience, I have learned a few things;

As an elderly, I have felt weakness. I was not sure if it was due to my age or this contagious illness. I was surprised not to feel feverish. I was just staggering. It might be due to weakness of COVID or feverish condition 

The fight against COVID is almost endless even though the newly evolving strains are less pathogenic than the previous ones. WHO observation is encouraging to us. But there could be serious mutated strains prevailing in the future.

The super big nation has withdrawn from WHO. Was it a good decision, I wonder. It would impede the lives of the people not only in the US but also in the world. If the US supports WHO in this settings, I am sure the US will be given credit by people around the world. 

PS; I should have remarked with the result that it won't necessarily mean the pathogen was Nimbus. But our symptoms and epidemiological data in this area mean Nimbus as the pathogen.

I am also heartily grateful to Dr. Cho for his enthusiastic service for us. Even though he is not on the air any longer, he was a ham with a call sign of 7N2JZK.  

A thousand of autumns

It is my wife's 73rd birthday today. Soon, It will have been more than half a century we spent our lives together.  

 My wife's name, Chiaki, stands for a thousand of autumns in Japanese. Her parents have wanted her for a long time, it means. I know how much she has been loved by them. 

A couple of years ago, before closing her practice, at the reception room.

She has recovered from the episode of subacute thyroiditis with steroid tapered off for now. So far, she is busy attending a sport gym and caring for flowers in the garden. 

We are stepping into the last chapter of our lives. No one knows when our lives are put an end. I would do as much as I can for her in order to tell her parents when we meet in the heaven that I have tried to make her happy. 

Until that time, let's grow old together! 

Heat wave and grass mulching

As already told, the heat wave and drought have been quite harsh this year. The highest temp in a day has been over 35 deg C for a few weeks. They say even summer vegetables won't grow if the highest temp goes over 35 deg C. All the green beans have been withered. So did from 30 to 40% of sweet melons. Others have also been weakened despite of some watering once a day or so. Some professional farmers are watering their vegetables with continuous irrigation system. It is not a pratical idea for an amateur like me. 

I have tried grass mulching again. Carrots need much water until budding when sowed on soil. Home grown carrot seeds were sowed once with total failure even watered twice in a day. Then I put some grass mulch on it while watering in the same way. They were successfully germinated as this photo shows. Of course, the mulching has been taken off when buds were recognized.

The seeds of carrot are well known for being photophilic. I was afraid the mulching would have disturbed germination hiding light reaching the seeds. But it didn't matter. Seems the sunray in summer was strong enough to get through the mulching. I am happy those home grown seeds would grow to be harvested in several weeks. It is a step toward self contained farming. 

 This is the rose with grass mulching I have posted a few days ago. Putting further grass beneath its branches around, the soil has been pretty wet even in the hardest sun shine. There are new leaves grown on branches as well as some new flowers. The grass would become compost in some time and nourish the tree in the future.

On the other hand, global warming which has brought about this heatwave should be handled with as soon as possible. Before we are over the tipping point. I was convinced about it again this summer.

A pleasant encounter 4 years ago

 Looking for any own description on Langsamer Satz by Webern, in my other blog in Japanese, I found a post on a happy meeting with Paula K9IR on 20m CW in 2021. Jim W9VNE seems to have introduced this blog to her. As she said, this blog has inspired her to consider starting violin again in her upcoming retirement. She told me she had played it in her teen age days. Stories on music and cello in this blog has invited, as she said, to do so. It was a delightful surprise to me. I have, as the post says, enthusiastically mentioned about that poignant piece by Webern to her at that time. It has occupied my mind then. Ham radio has been such a pleasant hobby and through such a QSO with her, it was the most brilliant hobby to me. 

I have written about that Webern's piece twice in this blog. It was composed when he met his wife in the future and made hiking with her. He thought he would go with her hand in hand even in rainy days, that is, in the days of hardship in life. He had thought about possible unhappy days at the time of the height of happiness.  

Music such as Bach, some chamber music of Beethoven, Brahms, Faure and many more, always bring me contradictory impressions at the same time. An example is Bach's Suite in h minor. In its ouverture, we hear something joyfully festive and, at the same time, sadness. The latter accentuates the former. This double meaning in some music which sound poignant may be a universal characteristics of music. It is always even mysterious to me. Good music must be resonant to us in the deepest emotion. I might have told this story in another post in the past. Listning to this Langsamer Satz by Webern, I am convinced of this consequence music gives to our mind. I might have mentioned of the same thing in the past. How Webern has composed this piece might correspond to the essential process music elicits.  

It is a bit sad for me not to be able to go on talking about music on CW with her. Someday, I might have a chance to discuss about it on line.

I just wonder if she has started playing violin again.

Listening a few different sources of this piece, I am sure this one by Belcea String Quartet is the best. Most emotional and haunting. Even though I have already posted it on another post.

  

 

Grass mulching

It has been a harsh and blistering summer this year. Before the weather bureau declares it was the hottest summer ever, we knew it had been here. Water melons have half matured but the other half was withered. Some of pumpkins were dried as well. Ocra or paprika was failure as well. Tomatoes were decayed by the heat wave as well as attack of bugs. Egg plants were only exceptions. They have been harvested at regular interval and have been cooked with soy sauce, vinegar and sugar. 

I found this rose was wearied and was almost withered. It is my wife's territory. But I decided to give much grass mulching around it. Then, I have been pouring much water in morning. It has revived as this photo shows. The grass will be decayed and would work as compost for the rose. I realized the egg plants which survived well had been given grass mulching beneath as well. These two cases may prove that grass mulching would really work fine in such a heat wave and drought. 

 I have been practising this grass mulching for several years. This year, I have learned it was really working in the heating drought. In some cases, even live grass, so far as they won't disturb vegetables to grow, could help soil remaining humid. 

Every year, I am learning something from one to another. But I wonder how long I could carry on farming in this way. Farming longa, vita brevis. 

In order to overcome populism

This attitude in education is important. In order to overcome conspiracy which undermine our minds and to eliminate authoritarianism in politics. Both are prevailing in the present world through populism. 

I have not expected to see Bertrand Russel's words shining as a proverb of wisdom after half a century pause since my young days. His works for pacifism, especially anti nuclear arm movement, still remain unforgettable achievement to me.

Quote;

 “Education is conceived more in terms of indoctrination by most school officials than in terms of enlightenment. My own belief is that education must be subversive if it is to be meaningful. By this I mean that it must challenge all the things we take for granted, examine all accepted assumptions, tamper with every sacred cow, and instill a desire to question and doubt. Without this the mere instruction to memorise data is empty. The attempt to enforce conventional mediocrity on the young is criminal.“

— Bertrand Russell, as quoted, in Ronald William Clark, The Life of Bertrand Russell (1976), p. 423

Tariffs in effect

It is only the beginning of the inflation.

The tariffs are paid by the consumer in the importing country. Are there anyone in the US believing the opposite insisted by the president? 

 https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-import-prices-rebound-july-higher-consumer-goods-costs-2025-08-15/?link_source=ta_first_comment&taid=689f7801322c740001753519&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawMO5u1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETExeWtqUFk2VzU0REJXeVphAR6R_ov_ayUsarfnHHe-eC7hD5f6WSmSezQ3nsrkSZRJ-ahy6O2trFJ2-pZK7A_aem_kLLrAPNGUw15XGsTpXb5OQ

That huge tariffs will be spent to the tax break for rich people. I hear the government is running austerity which brings about spending cuts for social security like Medicaid. 

Of course, the huge tariffs by the US government would destroy the free trade in the world. It may cause the Great Depression in the world. In that context, the other countries than the US may suffer much from this solitary protectionism. It is, however, still the US people who will be in the greatest difficulty due to this huge tariffs. 

Do you still believe the tariffs would be paid by the exporting countries?

Two mottos

 Two mottos in my ham radio life.

One is "Tell me your story" I got from Steve KF7YRL as follows;

https://nuttycellist-unknown.blogspot.com/2013/12/tell-me-your-story.html

Meaningful conversation would fill our mind. Though it was becoming more and more difficult for me to find our such a conversational QSO, I have tried hard to make each QSO in that way. Steve's operation style was far from what I did. I wonder if he still goes on with a hand key. Already retired from an ER doctor? 

The other is not really a motto but a phrase by Jim W7ZQ which has made my mind warmed whenever I recall it. In the end of every QSO, he used to say that

"It is good to see you today. Because we have been friends since'60s"

I can't remember exactly how he said this but he meant that way. 

His obituary in this blog is here;https://nuttycellist-unknown.blogspot.com/2016/12/jim-w7zq-passed-away.html

I often remember of him with beautiful CW. Of course, it was thanks to his perfect fist. But his Collins radio, S line and 30S1, was also a reason. No click nor distortion of course. Very translucent and mellow tone. I always admired him and his CW. And when he sent the phrase shown above in the end, I always got knock out. I always have made effort to do the same thing in every QSO with others but am not confident at it at all.

If these two mottos were fulfilled in ham radio world, I would have come back to it at once.

The conspiracy theorists are terminating mRNA research in the US

The US government is withdrawing granting the research of mRNA vaccine. The size of grant being terminated is up to 500 million USD. The research on mRNA vaccine has been made since the end of the last century. It is going to bear a lot of fruits in medical science. Whatever unscientific conspiracy might insist, it is definitely a scientific fact that mRNA vaccine against COVID19 virus has saved numerous lives with slightest complication. It is hoped to work in treatments for cancer, autoimmune diseases or inheritec diseases.

This cancellation of mRNA vaccine by the US government would cause delay in medical research resulting in misfortune to the US people and even a big tragedy among them when the next pandemic occurs. The conspiracy theorists won't take any responsibility for those results. 

It is terrifying that such conspiracy theorists, without any background of medicine or related science, are handling such health issues important for the people. The basic problem is that there are some people approving the conspiracy fraud. For what do they believe in such ideas?   

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02612-9?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20250821&utm_source=nature_etoc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CONR_41586_AWA1_GL_DTEC_054CI_TOC-250821&fbclid=IwY2xjawMU0NJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFFbUp3VHBQNGQ1MVZsanhJAR4ZarOZav2N6jUkp_oJWYGP_6G4amxRkfp6vYFz5rdHkkSdw6Ru32esUWvioA_aem_BZmYutJ3sMPrP8TdHPyn9Q

Tom K5RC passed away

I have already posted it in facebook... Jim N3BB posted a sad news that Tom K5RC had died on Jun 12th. He has closed his station/home in Nevada and has moved to TX close to his family in last winter. I just wondered what had happened to him. Too soon to have this sad news now.

I just would like to add a few words of condolence to him and his family here. It was around late '80s when I became a friend of Tom. He used to be a real big gun in contest and sounded a bit difficult for me to do with then. Having more QSOs with him discussing more about ourselves and such as health issues etc, he has become one of the friendliest guys for me.

In my blog in Japanese, as the earliest post I have mentioned about him, he showed up in Dec 2006. It was regarding a QSO when he was coming home after a long driving trip to Texas on business and then to Tucson seeing his family. He was operating from mobile then. Around that time, the no code license was one of the familiar topics in the US. To my question how it has been brought in the ham radio in the US, he answered two things. One was the demand from the ham radio gear manufacturers which would yield ham radio operators without Morse Code requirement. The other was that there was no requirement of Morse Code for emergency communications. He was laughing telling me not to ask about that topic any more since he had a lot to talk about. He sounded happy having spent good holidays with his child and grandchildren. 

From my point of view, his another contribution to ham radio world was that he had let some friends run his big station, who could not operate much from home. So far as I know, 3 people could run it. Most of all, Ellen W1YL has enjoyed operating it from her apartment in Florida after she had to close down ham radio for several years. When I asked Tom how they divided the operating hours in a day, he answered Ellen was assigned to early morning hours there while the other two were asleep. That was why I often heard her operating 40m with the big Yagi and roared like a ham radio queen in our early evening hours. I always enjoyed chatting with her with a glass of beer. She was so happy being able to talk to her friends all over the world on her beloving mode. Like a real queen or rather a teenage girl so vivid and happy. I have owed much to her those days. Her remote operation has started in 2016 and ended in 2022 when Ellen passed away. Tom sometimes complained how tough it was to keep the station alive but he has made much efforts for Ellen and the others. 

He has made much achievements not only in his profession of risk management and ham radio contesting but also in such philantropic activity in ham radio society. I sure miss such a QSO with him in 2006, one in the good old days. RIP my friend, Tom.

 

Mugonkan to be revisited

A musium memorial for the young painters victimized as soldiers during WWII, Mugonkan, that stands for a wordless musium. It is located in Ueda city in Nagano. 

I have been there for 3 times since 2018. Three to four hours drive one way. Not an easy drive but still worth visiting it. 

https://nuttycellist-unknown.blogspot.com/search?q=MUGONKAN

What does it attract me so much? One reason is that the works exhibited there all silently as well as strongly appeal how they had lived and what they would leave to us. As told in another post, they are overlapped with my father who spent young days as they did and had a hope to be a painter.  I also consider of the young people in the wars in Ukraine, Gaza and so forth. Most of them are being killed before realizing their capabilities.  

This is a video clip introducing the museum. It was founded in 1997 by Seiichiro Kubota who had collected the paintings for 20 years. Getting old, he has decided to have it succeeded by the educational institution of Ritsumeikan recently. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t43WA-O6fQI

I wonder if I could revisit there some day.

Brahms violin sonatas and his pessimism

The 3 violin sonatas by Brahms have been my favorite since the university days. Recently,

I have been listening to a CD of those sonatas at night again. It takes almost an hour. But whenever I do it, I feel it is worth spending time with it.

They are a real achievement in that genre in the late romantic era. The duo of violin and piano go side by side. One of the most prominent characteristics of this work is that Brahms comes up to us and whispers an intimate idea inward to our ears. I am moved by that close feeling brought about in mind. This might be a common characteristic in his chamber music.

Those sonatas were composed in the mid to late term of his life. It's still hued with the lonliness or even the desolation. Just listen to the 3rd movement of the 1st sonata or whole the 3rd sonata, which I believe this character is most clearly demonstrated. Resisting to it with passion even though it is destined to fail. It won't give us any resolution but sure sounds like companion whispering to me in my ear.

The CD is a rendition by Hetzel, the violinist, and Deutsche, the pianist, recorded in 1992. Hetzel was the concert master of Vienna Philharmonic, one of the most famous and prestigious orchestra in the world. Unfortunately, however, in a few months after this recording, he has died due to an accident while climbing mountains. He was only 52 years of age, too young to die. This tragedy has made this recording even more precious to me. Has he guarded his hands while falling off a cliff?

The desolated feeling is able to be heard in the other music composed by Brahms throughout his life. Most remarkable in the latest years of his life like the famous clarinet quintet. However, he seemed to be liable to that kind of pessimism from his young days. The last movement of his 3rd piano quartet is such an example. When I listened to his 1st violin sonata named Riegenlied sonata after his lied, I was reminded of that piano quartet.

I have enjoyed playing that particular movement with friends in the university days. An old upright piano was set at a classroom in tiers exposed to the western sunlght through the window. Around the pianist, there were 3 string players. At that time, the melody in the beginning accompanied with same figure sounded a kind of pessimism to me. I remembered of that when I started to listen the 3rd movement of the 1st sonata, all after half a century interval.  I could not help wondering how those friends are doing now.

So that is the story of remembrance of Brahms and re-encounter to the same music.

Chicken seasoned with miso and salted rice malt

As we get older, we are apt to have the problem of sarcopenia, gradual muscle loss, which could lead to frail and fracture with falling. We need high quality meat. Processed food is handy but not very healthy. It is thought to be related with carcinogenesis.

At our home, this menu comes in handy. Chicken breast seasoned with miso and salted rice malt. It could be preserved in refrigerator for a few days. Not boring with mildly salty taste. If you are concerned about salt intake, you may use less salted rice malt.

　

 

A memory of the orchestra camp half a century ago

Maybe, I have reiterated about the university orchestra camp in this blog. It was held in the end of this month. Over half a century ago. At the valley of Shinshu surrounded with high mountains named Northern Japan Alps. 

As the season coming closer every year, I could not help remembering of that event even though it has passed a long time since that. Description and a few photos of that event just for my memoir in youth...even though I know I have done the same thing in the past.

This lake named Aokiko was close to the camp site. In the free time of the camp, some of us have made excursion there. Rowing boat and even swimming. No one was swimming other than us. As written before, until we finished swimming across the lake, we didn't know it had been so dangerous to swim there due to its big change of water temerature for a possibility that it had been forbidden to swim there.  

This place used to be commercialized with a lot of advertisements or accomodations  when the winter Olympic games were held in Nagano. After its enthusiasm was gone, it turned back to the usual tranquility. I have visited there with my wife in our honey moon period and then alone by myself for a lot of times. The photos shown in this post were taken about 10 years ago.

After swimming in the lake, we walked down to the camp place on this road. It took us an hour or so on foot. We must be pretty tired but could not be even more energitic and vivid. A lot of laughter and talks among the young fellows, some of them in swim suites. I was happy to find the area in the same way as half a century ago. Was it an illusion at taking this photo as if I could see that herd of young people were walking to the lodge?

This is the lodge we often held the camp. Despite of some modifications, the lodge remained almost the same as the orchestral camping days in '70s. Hidden by trees on the left in this photo is the hall we made rehearsal. A range of high moutains not seen by the fog on this photo is risen behind the hills  in front. In the end of this month, cool breeze ushering in early fall was blowing down from the mountains. The railway in front is named Ohito line running along the valley, the most western side of the great rit valley in Japan dividing our country east to west. Unfortunately, there are less and less passengers on it and the rail line could be abolished in the near future, I am afraid. These accomodations may undergo a change then.

This is not a credible memory but I had my cello broken during one of the camps. That might be at a camp other than this place. Anyway, I had to bring the cello to exchange to another back to Tokyo. I was not caring about what to wear etc and was wearing "geta". At the station, my friends were farewelling me singing ”Grandfather's Clock". With a substitute cello, I used to get back to the camp on a night train on the return.  Eary in the morning the day after, the train almost arriving at the station of the camping site, the valley has extened in morning mist, so serene and beautiful. I could not forget the scene.

                                                                                            

It was only a few years since I started learning cello. I could play only some parts of pieces the orchestra was practising. The pieces I used to play in the orchestra have left me precious and irreplaceable memories. One of such pieces is this; Petit Suite by Debussy. A lovely and impressionistic expression of the scene. It sure brings me back to the memory of the camping site and the lake mentioned above.

I am so grateful to have had such memories related with such a beautiful music.

I am still sometimes fascinated to drive to this area by myself. It has become, howeveer, too adventurous for me to do that any more. I would devote myself to the old memories listening to this piece.

 

Tim VK3IM passed away

Last night, I have received an e mail from Dit HS0ZQE telling Tim VK3IM passed away 3 days ago. It was an expected news but still a sad one which brought me a big loss in my mind.

I have met him first in '60s when he was VK3AZY. After a long pause of QRT for 10 years, when I came back on the radio at the dormitory of a med school hospital in 1980, I started talking to him quite often. As I wrote in the other posts regarding him, he was commuting between Mt. Eliza, a suburb of Melbourne, and Melbourne. 

On the way back home from his office, he often operated /M on his old Mazda. It was equipped with a home brew whip with a big loading coil and a top hat capacitor. I came back to the dorm after a busy day work. We started chatting on 40m CW. My antenna was only a vertical on the roof. But around or a bit after the sunset, the grey line path enabled us enjoy chatting for some time. Despite of having a kind of introverted character in a sense, he was a sociable experienced ham. He always enjoyed chatting friends world wide. It was amazing he used to work with Europe via long path on 40m or even on 80m from that tiny mobile station. I still remember his fast CW on a bit chirpy signal. That chirp was a kind of fascinating to me.

We shared old friends together such as Harry G3ATH, formerly 9V1MT in '60s, VK4CC, VK3XU and many more. We have not run out topics to talk about especially on good old days. It was an unforgettable QSO when he told me about his mother passing away. When he came home, he found her dead on a locking chair on the veranda. What a shock it was for him! We have talked for more than 3 hours, I believe. On the other time, he told me how he was washing cloths at home. He didn't have a washing machine and washed them in the bath tub. It was a fun to imagine him doing that. He used to visit Ara VK1ARA, one of my old friends in teen age days, in Canberra on a winter holidays. Ara was JA1RHL in the same town as I started radio and, later, managed a Japanese restaurant in Canberra those days. I don't know why but he could not see him in person and came home all alone. I bet he was hesitating to see him in eye ball. What a shy guy!

I might have recorded parts of our chats in the log. I should reopen those old logs. 

When he reached home in Mt. Eliza, he often told me to hold on. He used to say " I would bring the radio into the house and, together with a glass of vermouth, go into the shack. Let's carry it on!".

With him passing away now, those good old days have belong to the memories in the past, which I could never reach again any longer. In his latest years, he has suffered from cause unknown illness of pain, which he should use opiates to relieve from. Without his beloving hobby at the nursing home, what days of grief he has had to spend! Now he is free from those agonizing time on the earth. I have lost an irreplaceable companion in the journey of life. I would, however, say "you have lived a good life in your way and take good rest in heaven now". 

About 40 years ago, Tim on the bonnet of old Mazda. 

Decoration of the administrative data leads to...

When the administration intentionally sugarcoats, decorates or even hides the administrative data like labor statistics, it means the administration is destroying the country. Such administrative data is important because it is the basis to eavaluate the effects of certain administrative policy. Without the administrative data based on facts, the effects of any policy could never be evaluated. Then, the politics and administration would become a typical autocracy.

An example of such case in the history is the end of USSR. Most autocratic countries are still committing the same mistakes/faults. It is the people who would suffer most from sch administration, I am afraid. It would take a long time to recover credits from losing it with such manipulation. 

This news is really shocking to me. The USA has been a country of democracy and righteous as well as fair administration in the past. It seems, however, to undergo a drastic change toward autocracy in this respect.

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/trump-orders-firing-bls-commissioner-weak-jobs-report-rcna222531

Midsummer

It has cooled down a bit today after hectic heat wave for a few weeks. It has even rained even though only very little amount. I am still making much effort to keep the garden neat pulling out vigorously growing weeds. I should confess that I am sometimes caught by an idea to use a heribicide. Except for spots I could hardly do with weeds such as the cracks of the entrance road, I won't spray that chemical. When I finish the work sitting for an hour or two, I stand up and look around the place neatly cleaned with a kind of self satisfaction, which won't last too long.  　

Summer vegetables are growing. This is a tiny pumpkin. I have harvested the very first one today, different from this one. It will be on the table after being matured for a few weeks. Maybe, I have planted too many pumpkin seedlings. Most of the pumpkins shoud be cooked in a few months. No storage possible as you know. I must find some people who would get one or two.  

Several water melons are being ripened. Whenever seeing these water melons, I always remember of Glen NN6T, who used to grow water melon in the desert area. He always boasted what big fruits he and his wife Susan had got. Ever since those days, he got multiple cancers and passed away. Life is too short. I wonder how Susan is doing, a very affectionate and loyal wife to Glen. In several weeks, these fruits would become ripe as well. 

Whenever this crape myrtle blooms, I feel summer was going away. Looking back the album in the PC, I realize it flowers exactly in this season. Not late summer but in the height of summer every year. I just wondered why I had had such a fixed image of midsummer with this flower. Maybe, something ushering in early fall could be perceived with it. Anyway, this crape myrtle goes on flowering for some time. 

This summer has been too harsh for such flowers as this Marie Gold. They are not flourishing this year. In a few weeks, it feels the sign of early all and starts to vividly come out.

The magnolia tree is freely spreading its branches into the sky. Zelkova and Japanese Judas Tree cut down, this tree is the biggest one at our home. A home tree. As our parents used to enjoy it gorgeously blooming early in spring, we might be able to see it, even if not so many times. 

 

A trivial trouble, still serious one for me

 As wrote in the previous post, I tried to listen to Beethoven's last three sonatas in bed last night. 

Alas, in the 2nd movement of Arietta of Nr32, the most impressive movement, the CD abruptly ran abnormally. The same phrase has repeated endlessly. I asked myself if this CD had also undergone another aging issue. It is the CD of the last three piano sonatas played by Horzsowsky manufactured in Austria in 1991. A 34 year old one! So far, it is the best rendition of these sonatas for me. The cover triumphantly says it is digitally remastered. Remastering could not do with aging?! It must be no longer in production. I felt to be told to set up music distribution through the internet.

I thought I still could fight with the situation. Watching the disc surface carefully, I found  tiny dust ball there. I cleaned it away with a soft cloth. It has worked. The CD has run without any trouble this time.

I have kept the disc within the player for several days. The CD must have got that dust there. The CD case is a much safer place to keep CD, I knew now. And cleaning the surface from time to time may be necessary for uneventful playing and for the player itself as well.

This CD is really a treasure for me. I was much relieved to have it work again with such simple procedure! 

Beethoven's last piano sonatas

The heat wave is so bad that it is almost impossible for me to work while sun is high in the sky. Luckily, the weeds won't grow too fast in this hot season and I won't be hassled with them so much.   

Five days ago, it was father's 106th birthday. Working in the farm and garden in morning and early evening, I recalled of him having done the same thing here decades ago. As reiterated in this blog before, he has been deprived of his young days by the war. He was blessed, however, living with family members at this place in stead of that critical life threatening period in his young days.  

Comparing to his life, what would happen to me?, I often asked myself. It is unlikely that such as the WWII father used to endure in his young days would happen to me so far. In my young days, it was an uneventful time for myself as well as our country. I have spent such a happy young days with ham radio, music and study in medicine. However, something serious is surely approaching to us without any apparent preceding sign, I feel. With the governmental debt being increased in astronomically large amount, they are still going on military expansion. Certain proportion of mass is approving it. Not too far before it gets bankrupted. A lot of people will suffer from that. Those living on pension including myself may be confronted with difficulties soon.  

It might be a never experienced hardship, even qualitatively different, comaprable to father's time in WWII.

Thinking of such a thing and own personal failures in my life, I often could not fall asleep. My wife may say it is due to too much nap in the day time. Anyway, in such a case, I always listen to beloving music. One of them is this latest piano sonata by Beethoven. Horszowsky is weaving a relieving as well as soothing world with his warm touched piano. I often go through the last 3 sonatas at one time. They sure remind me of the last chapter of Jean Christophe by Romain Rolland. The days to be born. In my young days, it was only a time of imagination. It is becoming a reality for me for now.  

Responsibility as a perpetrator to neighbor countries in WWII

 The 80th anniversary of defeat in WWII is coming soon. There will be a lot of papers or broadcasting programs against war publicated in mass media. Most of them are based on the experiences of Japanese people as sufferers or victims in WWII. It is worth leaving their words on record for the future generation. It is, however, only one aspect of the war.

Having invaded and perpetrated to the neighbor countries, especially, China, is the other aspect of the war for us. Of course, it has done by the people one or two generations prior to us. In the continuity of history, however, we won't be free from the crime and sin our ancestors have committed in that invading war. That invasion to the neighbor countries were plotted and executed by the military leaders fanaticized in imperialistic autocracy. It is ascribed to the Showa emperor. Still, the people could never be free from the responsibility for the war. There were ten millions of people killed in China by invading Japanese military. That memory won't be vanished among people in China. 

I recently learned some Chinese captives had been vivisectioned by Japanese military for training of the newly deployed military doctors as "a normal routine". I knew of the history of horrible human experiments done in China by the Japanese 731st troop, which had been elucidated by several researchers and are well known. I was, however, shocked to know such vivisection executed as "a normal training" in the Japanese military.

When the war was finished as defeat of our country in 1945, hundreds Japanese soldiers including those involved in that war crime have been arrested and accomodated in the camps in China. Several people have testified the communist government treated them like real guests in order to have them become aware of their war crime by themselves. While the communist government has done harsh punishment/treatment to those working for Japanese military betraying Chinese people, they have treated the Japanese prisoners with compassion. Of course, the communist government intended to propagandize their idea to the prisoners as well as to Japanese people in homeland. Japanese prisoners have been released from the camps once the camp personnel acknowledged of their reflection on war crimes. Those captured in China have never sentenced to death or life imprisonment while tens or hundreds were sentenced to death in the other countries.

We should remember what our military has done in WWII and pursue the war crime responsibility in the leaders. Without that, we won't reach the real reflection on the perpetration and war crimes to the other countries during the war. It seems we have not gone through thorough pursue of the responsibility for the war. 

This is another aspect of war crime responsibility we should not forget. Without that, there would be ultra right political movements which aim at restoring regime of the imperialistic autocracy. 

Visiting the med school hospital we served residency

 Subacute thyroiditis, mostly a disease of grown ups, has been a famous entity since our med student days. Appropriately diagnosed with it by our friend doctor, my wife has undergone a typical course. They say it is caused by respiratory viral infection. In the acute phase, the patient could develop symptoms of hyperthyroidism with excessive thyroid hormone released from the damaged thyroid gland. My wife has experienced tachycardia and premature beat for the symptom ascribed to it. She may experience transient hypothyroidism later soon in the recovery phase. I am almost touched to see a typical course, rather serious one, as we used to learn in the student days, has been observed in her, of course, while I am worried about it. This entity is quite rare in pediatrics and I could not remember any case of this famous disease in my medical doctor days. I remembered that I had learned a lot from various patients regarding different illnesses when I was a resident. I recalled how I had learned as a new doctor.

Just in case of any complication etc, she was referred to the med school where we have served residency even though she feels great at present. She is waiting for the lab exam data at the hospital now. Driving with her to the hospital this morning, we have talked a lot our days of residency. It's almost half a century ago. The hospital buildings have been modified at many places. The resident house where we have spent honey moon days seems to have been demolished for now. Everything has been replaced to new buildings. Almost half a century ago since our resident days. Not dreamed we would attend this hospital as a patient.

It is in a terrible heat wave here. In half an hour, I would head to the hospital to bring her back home. May it be some interal before either of us go there as a patient again. Even if not in half a century from now!

PS; She will be on steroid medication for 3 months. The endocrinologist said her it could recur and medication should be continued and tapered off gradually. It was beyond my expectation. 

My wife's illness

It has kept me so busy for the last week that I had to care for my wife with fever and do house chores in addition to whole garden/farm work.

She has been sick with mild fever and sore throat with tender soft tisssue mass in the front of the neck. A friend doctor, Cho, another ham 7N2JZK, has given her the correct diagnosis of subacute thyroiditis a few days ago. With drip infusion of steroid, she got dramatically better today. We could not be thankful more to him than ever. 

She has had arrthythmia which turned out to be supraventricular premature contraction which is confirmed with ECG. The thyroid function was compatible with subacute thyroiditis. The acute phase reactant, CRP, was pretty high over 10.

She has been a stout lady without health issue. With her getting sick, I found how much I debted to her in daily routine. Although I have cooked dinner once a couple of days, she has done it as well and always washed dishes etc every day. Washing clothes is another chore she always has done. Most importantly, it was a big worry and stress for me she could have fallen seriously ill. I have never experienced that for almost half a century in our marriage.

Both of us are getting older. We should cherish every day being together. It is not guaranteed at all this uneventful day will go on tomorrow.

Reminiscence of Jun JA7SSB

In some ham radio clubs abroad, there seems to be a tradition to memorize old timers in the club who have passed away. Of course, those past hams are destined to be forgotten in some time. However, the recollection of them must help new comers to understand how ham radio has evolved even if they don't know those old timers in person. I believe keeping records of those old hams having passed is worth not only as reminiscence but also a history of this hobby.  In our counry, such recording is not very popular so far as I surfed around ham club sites in our country.

There must be only few who know of Jun JA7SSB for now. He was one of the pioneers in ham radio in our country in the post WWII era. He has been active on the air, especially on CW. With extensive experience and knowledge in radio communication, he has often published reviews on new radio equipment in magazines. As the obituary written by me shown below, I knew him through CW communication and FOC membership. Our friendship was never close or long lasting. He is still an unforgettable friend in ham radio. He should be remembered in ham radio. 

He has visited me at this place maybe in 1990s. He must be in late 70s of his age then. He has driven the long way from Fukushima by himself. At another occasion, when I was shocked and depressed having had a bad lightning strike to the tower and most equipments were destroyed around the same time in 1990s, he, kindly telling me the probability of direct lightning attack is pretty low, kicked me back into ham radio again. Without his encouragement, I could have gone QRT at that time.

The following is the obituary for him which I was asked to write by FOC in 2008;

 Jun was born in China in 1931. When the WWII was over, he came back to Kyoto in Japan with his family, where he was first licensed as JA3CKI in 1955. I used to hear he had been active as a SWL some years before that. He was a real pioneer in the resurrection of ham radio in Japan after WWII. His new own business has brought him up to Fukushima. He got a new call JA7SSB there.

He has been quite active in various aspects of amateur ham radio. He has published a number of articles on reviews of new equipments or on technical issues in various journals here. DXing and contesting were also his interests. He has been translating DX news from overseas into Japanese and has published them on a web site. Later, he has enjoyed leisurely chats on CW with friends all over the world. I should add his contribution to the new comers. He said he had been keeping a net for CW practice for 12 years. It has been held twice a week on VHF for the new comers in the area. He might have shed good seeds who would be good CW operators in the future.

Personally, I have become acquainted with him around 1990 a few years after I had entered the club. He was so experienced in radio communication technology and had ample knowledge of radio equipment. He won’t, however, show off them to me at all but behaved like a real old friend. I am sure he has been doing the same way to the new comers or his friends there. A few years later, he was approved to be a member of the club. Some of you might have heard him on CW with not necessarily fast but steady keying in morning or in evening.

His death came all of sudden due to a heart attack on Dec 2 2008. He has written and published a column in the local club web site on the very same day. In its last part, he said, despite of the confusion in the world, he won’t despair. Enduring the present situation, he would make effort to live better reflecting own mind and would look for a new world.

We are saddened to know we won’t hear his signal again. This great experienced ham who has always run ahead of us in various fields of ham radio will be missed by all of us.

Another performance of Brahms clarinet trio

After sunny and cruelly hot days for the past week or two, it rained this afternoon. It has spared me the routine work of sprinkling the vegetables with water. It was, however, like a sudden rain accompanied with thunder. Anyway, it must have been a blessing to the plants. Of course, the weeds I have been doing with for the days are growing even faster than the vegetables. Whack-a-mole like work with the weeds will go on until the end of Sept. or even later for me. 

By the way, I have ran across with this performance of Brahms clarinet trio. This has been one of my beloving music since young days as I wrote about in the other posts in this blog. I have listened to various renditions of thie piece by different ensembles. I still have several sources of CD for this music. This ensemble is one of the best ones for me.

It is beginning with an unforgettable impressive melody by cello. It has struck me a lot. I have never heard such a cellist weaving that melody in this way. Most exquisitely expressivo. The cellist seems to have been playing in a famous string quartet. He seems not young any longer. Together with the other two players, he must be an experienced person not only as a musician but also a human. This excellent performance might be owing to his capability almost innate but could be enriched with his life in the past. Yearning for something beautiful, or regretting or reconciling something gone away. Such experience might leave him a kind of aesthetic sense. And he would try to play cello after that. If it is right, it might be another meaning of getting old. 

 

 

Musical instrument practice will keep us young

It is getting into the muggiest season in a year here. Disliking the artificial coolness by air conditioner, I try to sleep without it and often result in unwanted wake up at midnight or ery early in the morning. And I should turn on the air conditioner then. 

A lot of unpleasant and unhappy news are continuously coming in. Tramp tariff won't only devastate the economy and people's lives in the US but also do wrong to the other countries like Japan. The government debt of the US has risen astronomically high and the US government has almost given up redeeming the government bond. USD is losing its value against the other major currencies around the world. The tariff rise won't cover the deficit at all. The tariff is the tax which the US corporations/people should pay. It is a domestic problem in the US. But if USD loses its key currency status in the world and the US government bond should not be creditted, it would give rise to formiddable confusion in the world economy.

  

Okay, enough about unpleasant topics of politics...

A recent good news to me is that practising musical instruments will keep us young.

A research group in Kyoto University has followed up elderly groups, one starting practising musical instruments and the other not practising for 4 years. The practising group has shown no decrease of the grey matter in right Putamen while the non pratising has shown decrease of the grey matter in the same region. The bilateral cerebellar function respnsible for linguistic working memory is better preserved in the practising group while it is reduced in the non practising group.     

Music instrument training in elderly seems to work at least some of our brain function against aging. There are a lot of anti aging procedures. Music activity is involved in a lot of aspects in brain function, sensory, motor and memory/cognition. Practising musicl instruments is surely expected to keep us young as this scientific report says.

It has made me wonder if I should restart cello all after 3 years of absence. If tendonitis of both arms is settled down, I may do it again. 

Even though there is no scientific evidence that pounding brass is comparable to music, sending beautiful CW may keep us young as well. Too much extention of thoughts?

Stay cooled, everyone!

Vaccine elimination would cause over 6000 deaths in the US in a year

Recently, an expert of vaccination has quit CDC. 

She was disappointed at dissmissal of the membrs of ACIP, Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices by HHS Secretary RFK Jr. They were mostly replaced to anti vaxxers or those unwilling for immunization. ACIP and their statement on vaccination have been the hallmark for immunization not ony in the US but also in the world. Whenever new vaccine or immunization protocol was published, I tried to see what they were saying about it. Having them replaced even to anti vaxxers is nothing but a nightmare for those involved in immunization all over the world. I could fully understand what this researcher has felt at it

Here.

This is a paper predicting what disaster vaccine elimination brings forth.  This is not a fake or conspiracy but a scientific prediction. More than 6000, mainly children, would be killed by preventable diseases in the US. Even not being fatal, a lot of cases would suffer from the sequelae throughout their lives. Infectious diseases spread immediately to the other parts of the world, where even more people suffer from it. 

Here.

Conspiracy theorists or demagogue won't take responsibility for the result. 

Our home and vegetables in summer

It will be the summer solstice tomorrow. It has been like mid summer here for the last several days. Hot, sunny and wet. Dazzling sunray all around. Quite aberrant weather. We used to have this kind of weather in the last part of July to mid August only for 3 to 4 weeks. Global warming sure comes on here.

When I was crazy for ham radio, around this time in a year, it was the time of summer withers, of course, on the propagation. It seems to become literally summer withers season for now. 

Ume trees and a magnolia tree are so vivid and grown thick. 

The summer vegetable I first think of is tomato. I have planted several plants of tomato together with bitter melon. The latter is told to get rid of insects which aspirate and ruin tomato fruits. I won't use any insecticides and hope this companionship may work well. Already several fruits are borne even though still green.

                                                                                            

Another summer vegetable is okra. Very strong against heat wave. It may produce fruits until fall. A seedling growing on the ground. There are several more growing. Whenever I talked of okla to Ellen W1YL in this season, her reaction was just as if she got bored with such as okla. She used to tell me she and her OM Bob used to have tomatoes canned in summer when they were in the New England state. A lovely memory.

A pumpkin plant is growing. Already a small fruit on a branch. I am planning to plant more seeds in order to get them matured in the end of fall. They say it is the winter solstice pumpkin. 

There are a lot of summer vegetables growing at present such as egg plants, paprika, sweet melon or carrot. No pesticide nor herbcide is given to the farm. Only compost and small amount of organic fertilizers like rice bran are used. Of course, some are bitten and eaten by bugs. Weeds around vegetables could be food for those bugs as well. More seeds are planted than necessary to compensate the possible loss. Grass mulching would become natural compost and enrich the soil in years.

Marie gold is a stout flower living long until the beginning of fall. As well known, It will suppress the growth of nematodes. That effect of this flower is beneficial for such as tomato.

 

All of them will keep me busy. If you see an old guy sitting on a tiny chair on the ground and concentrated on caring for the vegetables and cutting unnecessary weeds, it is me.  

Fascism looming

Leberation has posted an appeal against rising fascism around the world. It is by 400 intellectuals from all over the world. I have read it in Japanese. 

Here.

https://www.liberation.fr/idees-et-debats/tribunes/400-intellectuels-internationaux-signent-un-manifeste-contre-le-fascisme-nous-appelons-toutes-celles-et-ceux-qui-croient-en-la-democratie-a-agir-20250613_SDZAU6AS65BQBJLM2OLQBEJELE/

The fascism is against the peace and democracy, which human has gained through the devastating world wars. It is dependent on the populism. Economical inequality among people and among countries has brought about despair and hatred. They would applaud and fanatically support the leaders of autocratic dictatorship as if waited for a messiah. Those leaders are always the rich themselves or those closely linked to oligarchs.

The problem of this modern fascism is that it's augmented and proliferated by the internet social media. Fakes, conspiracies or anti scientific discourses in favor of the fascists are echoing in that media and often amplify themselves. They won't care if it is right or even real. They tend to deny the intellectuals or the authorities. It would be a tragedy that those blindly worshipping the fascists would be exploited or even victimized. 

It may be a difficult question how to do with this fascism grown in this modern era. Economical disparity brought by the neoliberal economy and enormous indebtedness of the most developed countries are the background of this populism. We should start with the present disparity. 

The fascism often aims at war. War could be the origin of their profit and the origin to fascinate and bundle up people. The next world war could be the end of human civilization.

Be careful. Fascism is looming us before we get aware of it.