Farming, season, SNS involved political movements

It is surprising that November is almost going away. It was the day of the earliest sunset here yesterday. In 3 weeks, it will be the wintersolistice. Not too far from starting spring. Before that, there are a lot of things to do. One of the tasks is preparing the greetings for the end of the year. Time is sure passing so fast that I am not really ready to do that. Despite of the mannerism, I would do it in a week or two.

I have harvested a half of potatoes planted in September. Not so prolific but sufficient for cooking until next harvest in June next year. Some of the potatoes will be used as seed in March. Over one hundred onions have been planted. I have built a farming bed with only pretty large amount of rice straw and dried grass plowed into the soil. The organic farming theory says chemical fertilizer would inactivate mychorrhizal fungi around the roots of plants/vegetables, which are essential for the latter growth. Too much nutrients would cause diseases/infections/infestations to the plants. Very interesting world. It is a bit too late for this old amateur farmer to practise it but never too late, I believe.  

The other day, CNN News said the young people in the US are apt to believe in the "Influencers" in the internet while neglecting mass media etc. They might not read books on politics/economics, either. Most of the Influencers are right winged. Consequently, young people should own the same kind of view regarding society and politics, I am afraid.

The same thing is going on in our country. The young generation approves the conservative right wing. Sometimes, even ultra right winged faction. They always criticize social welfare and blame those poor people who need social security. It comes from their firm belief in self-responsibility theory. They tend to sympathize the Influencers who assert on certain problems in the society, which actually require us deliberation and could never be concluded so easily. They tend to believe in conspiracy theory but not science or any academic considerations. 

The self-responsibility based pattern of thinking is identical to or comes from the neoliberalism. Survival of the fittest view. It is causing most of the disparities in the world. Yes, those young people have been born and grown up in the world the neoliberalism has ruled since around 2000 or earlier. Their tendency to simplify the problems in the society and to assert about them has an affinity to fascism. 

Thus, we are living in the era of post neoliberalism. The neoliberalism has left a large economical disparities among people as well as countries. It may bring us chaotic situation and, in the worst case, even another world war, I am afraid. I would tell young people that the self-responsibility theory would harm them but also the society/world. This situation is linked with the internet which echos among the same kind of people. Certain SNS is apt to be occupied by some politicians ambitious for dictatorship or politics oriented business owner/executive. It is highly challenging to the democracy, I am afraid

So that's the story at present. I should have fixed the photo uploading system with this computer. Or should I replace this old computer to a new one? Without uploading capability of photos, I am not very motivated to renew this blog. No, I won't put an end to it, though. Sorry for long winded address on politics/society. 

A very happy Thanksgiving to you all.  

The 46th anniversary

 It is our wedding anniversary for the 46th. I could hardly believe it has been that long since those days.

At the campus of the med school where we had the residency.

Repeatedly uploaded here.

Have we had any hope for future? Possibly, no. Just getting used to normal routine as doctors. Have spent the days of training. Everything was new to us. We owe much to the senior doctors or the patients themselves. Most of senior ones have already passed away. I should have said words of thanks to some of them. 

Most of all, I should thank my wife for her efforts as a wife, a mother and a specialist in psychiatry. It is more than an abstract idea of gratitude but memories of concrete facts. I firmly believe it is the time when I should support her. Who knows I, myself, could be the one who should be cared for by her.     

I don't know how long we could go on living this countryside. Maybe, until either of us could not drive a car or get seriously ill. For tht time being, I hope this days of Indian summer blessed with good health may continue.

Preparing special curry and rice with a piece of cake, a humble dinner, we would congratulate today. Forty six years have passed. 

Hatred to Microsoft and the earliest memory in my life

My camera is not recognized by the PC when I try to import pictures into it. I am trying to fix it with no success yet. When I inadvertently introduced the application of One Drive of Microsoft, everything seems to have started malunctioning. Deleting One Drive is not easy and could cause problems with previously imported pictures. Damn Microsoft!!

That's why I have not uploaded some new photos yet. When the problem is fixed, a number of posts will be up here.

This is a picture painted by a Russianm, Ivan Shishkin, in late 19th century. Already uploaded it in facebook. It sure reminded me of the sanatorium, which used to exist at this place. I was born and spent early childhood, and later latter half of my life. Among pine trees, there were small cottages for tuberculosis patients. My aunt has established it in the WWII in based on belief in Christianity when tuberculosis was not treatable and a fatal illness. Poor patients have gathered that sanatorium from all over the country. No effective medicine and no doctor at the facility. A few doctors used to visit there in certain interval. Maybe, I have already mentioned about it before.

My parents have known each other there and married when my father has come from the service in the military. We, three of siblings, were born there. My very first memory in my life is the hymn sung by the patients and the staff in acapella coming through the pine trees. It was breezy as well. Otherwise, only doves were sometimes singing. A very quiet and serene place.

At age 4 or 5 years, I have moved to Tokyo together with the rest of the family. The life in Tokyo is totally another story. I still fondly recall the life spent among the pine trees. It is literally the base of my life.

I have forgotten to mention why I wanted to upload this painting with my own memory. As I often wrote, I had been working in the farm garden in the most hours in the daytime, if not long enough like a real farmer. I know our children or any others won't be able to keep this property when I ceased working here in the near future. It was a kind of anxiety for me. However, now recalling of this pine tree forest, I am sure this place is destined to back to such a forest. Hopefully, it would be so peaceful and comfortable to visitors as it used to be, if any. Beyond my life, of course, it is of no use to worry as for own property or anything belonging to me in this world. 

A pine tree forest with gentle breeze coming through. Only doves singing in deep voice are echoing... Imagining of that, I am again captured by peaceulness. This painting has lead me to that consciousness. 

 

 

Harrell playing Arpeggione sonata

Lynn Harrell at a recital in Tokyo. It might be, judging from the stage and reflective board on the back, at the small hall of Tokyo Bunkakaikan in Ueno around 1980. A video of a program by NHK, possibly.

I have never listened to him in his young days. A true virtuoso. He played effortlessly such a difficult piece as Arpeggione sonata by Schubert. That piece should be played like a humming piece sung at a downtown street in Wien. His cello sounds like that.

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

Tokyo Bunkakaikan is an old concert halls facility which is close to my mother school. It is located at a corner of Ueno park next to the Ueno station. The park was a walk place for me in student days. I used to attend there for a various concerts then. In my jr. high days, I was a regular member of Tokyo Philharmonic with my father for a while. It was in '60s. Still a lot of fond memories. Harrell, seemingly warm hearted person, has died 4 years ago. I seldom visit that concert hall and even Tokyo now. Time has passed.

GAZA 2035 project

I have heard that, if Trump takes the seat of POTUS, his son would be involved in the development of Gaza, nearly 90% destroyed and more than 30K Palestenians killed, into a resort area. I felt nauseous at it. Does this news mean that?

 

 https://www.thenation.com/article/world/gaza-2035-aec-neom-saudi/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGSJD5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHfAt8tA-p9JHV_L5ULRY0Fc9KhCnCBK3uHUcRmJ6ule_GLp8b6FK5XU3Xg_aem_V0EqF33t8T0rJgTDwsrJVQ

I don't think such a project would come true. It would become a cause of further and more massive conflict. 

I still recall that a lot of industries in the US have been involved in the reconstruction in Afghan and Iraq after war. The biggest one was a division of Halliburton which was managed by the former vice president of Bush administration, Dick Cheney. 

The US still exports arms to Israel. I heard that it had been amounted up to 20 billion  USD. I know it has all started by the Hamas attack last fall. But Israeli counterattack has reached the level of ethnic cleansing as this report says. Endorsement and support to Israel by the US seem to aggravate the situation. If some faction of the US should be involved in this horrible project in the Middle East, it would leave incurable injury in the area and the faith in the US might fall down on the ground, I am afraid.