Afghanistan and Dr. Nakamura

 There was a Japanese, Tetsu Nakamura, who worked as a doctor as well as a constructor of irrigation facility in Afghanistan. He was deployed there for medical aid from JOCS, Japan Overseas Christian Medical Cooperative Service, until 2019, when he was killed by a hostage kidnapper group there. He found it was necessary for the Afghani to have irrigation facility for life without the influence of frequent drought on the farming. Away from medical service, he constructed a canal in an area, which worked well for the people. That construction has been well appreciated by the people there. His life is described in WikiPedia; here.

He once told that Taliban, which has been deemed as a Muslim fundamentalists, had not conducted politics of terror for the people in reality. For example, they have allowed the schools for women to run and had not charged too much taxes on people. He seemed to be on the side of Taliban and to believe it was not bad to let them govern the country. He, a Christian, was welcomed and could work freely. His life tells us, respecting the people's life style, religion and ideas is essential for us to do with them. They are living in the society of tribes under the influence Muslim for centuries. It should be remembered.

The US and UN allied forces are withdrawing from Afghanistan. Spending over 80 trillions and having the victims of hundreds of thousand people, the war will have been ceased with Taliban's victory. It might be difficult for us to tell what war it has been at present. But the US should have negotiated to hand over Bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaida, having lead the tragic attack to World Center buildings and to kill thousands of people in 2001, with the Taliban government. Without military action. If they should have supported Afghani with the money spent in the war for people's welfare there, the situation was drastically changed. Forcing certain ideology different from their own to such developing countries like Afghanistan and trying to hold hegemony there won't be successful as this event tells to us.　 

What would Dr. Nakamura say at ceasing the war for 20 years in Afghanistan? 

A sign of early fall and Brahms

 Several days ago, a couple of typhoons have passed by here. It has left a bit cooler atmosphere in morning and evening than in midsummer. A gentle wind stroking my face has surprised me a lot late in the afternoon. It sure told fall had come close to us now.

The egg plants in the garden farm have been bearing a lot of them this summer. I was surprised to see them grow slow simultaneously. The biological clock in them was faithfully marking the passage of time. The tomatoes are growing slowly for now. In my optimistic view, they might have gone on growing and bearing fruits much longer. 

Harvesting a lot of egg plants, I have cooked them with sweetened miso.

It was so fresh that the picture became cloudy with hot vapor from the dish. In order to activate the weakened egg plants, I have cut a few branches of each plant and have put some fertilizer. Hopefully, they might produce some more for a month or two.

It is the season to listen to Brahms as I have already told before. Clarinet quintet was one of his works which he had composed in the very last chapter of his life. As reiterated, it is a song of passion for life which is eventually overcome with resignation. Isn't it the same as my own life? That is why it attracts me so much. 

Two violins starts singing a theme in unison in three note minor chord. It sounds like wandering somewhere or breezing in fall hill. Very impressive. In my personal memory, this theme brings me back to a day when I listened to it played by a quartet in a orchestra camp. It was held at foothills early in fall, exactly, in the end of this month. It has stroke me intensely. I still remember how it sounded. The theme will be recalled in the end of the last movement as if remembering of young days. This variation in the last movement could not be listened to without tears in the eyes.

I have listened to this performance by Wlach and Wiener Konzerthaus String Quartet quite often ever since. I have not dreamed of listening it at this age in my life in this way.

Sorry I might have uploaded the same thing with the same clip. But anyway, it is the music for me to listen to in this season. It might be because of the cold lager I have had tonight. 

The very first message Samuel Morse has sent with Morse code

Recently, I learned what Samuel Morse had sent through the land line for the very first message to the receiver far away. It was a phrase from Numbers of the Old Testament. 

It says;

 

23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

This was described in the story of Balak and Balaam in this one of the Pentateuch. There must be temptation to the Israeli from the heathens around them. It emphasizes that Israeli people after having wandered for the land of promise in the wilderness since Exodus, believed in God's words firmly, but not enchantment nor divination. It was a message to have the people united under the same belief for Yahweh, wasn't it?  

They say a daughter of Morse's friend has chosen this scripture. Whatever it may mean, I am sure, they intended to express their motivation and willingness to deliver the message through this new way of communication. It is not such as non scientific thing but an invention based on findings of physics. It must be an intense message they would communicate with this method from then.

Morse code communication has worked well as the main stream of communication world wide. It has conveyed numerous messages whether for commercial use or for ham radio fun. Since the other more efficient and reliable modes of communication have been invented and used mainly in commercial communication, Morse code was destined to be carried on only in the field of ham radio now. Unfortunately, it seems they are forgetting about Morse's intention and will to bring this mode of communication in the world. It was not for exchanging meaningless thing but conversing something meaningful just like the story of Numbers. 

In order to have Morse code live long, shouldn't we recall of the episode at the very beginning of communication on it? When we converse with it, the simplest mode of communication, we could feel being rewarded with it. It is comparable to listening to music. We should experience this pleasure in communication and deliver it to the next generation. Morse code itself is the origin of pleasure in communication.

Rob KD7H

I have known Rob KD7H since '80s. Late in '80, he and his wife Denise have come to JA7 area working as an English teacher. Getting a 7J call, he was quite active and seemed to get acquaintance with many hams there near Sendai. We were talking about meeting in eye ball sometime during his stay. But no chance for us. In our trip to Seattle in 2012, where he lived near to, I have met a lot of his friends but not him yet.

He, a great calligrapher with a fountain pen, has sent me a wonderful hand written letter. A classical old fashioned style. He let me know how he and his family are doing now. Sorry to hear he is still on rehab. for the hip surgery. But it is an illness bound for recovery even if not so fast as he would. It might be not too long before he will be a grandfather. I always share his thoughts of liberalism and respect his ethical way of life being with those handicapped and marginalized people in the society.

This is the envelope of the letter he sent to me. It says the photo is honoring fire fighters in Washington in 1974. A beautiful and impressive photo.

This is Rob back in '80s. A stout young guy. Now both of us have lost some hairs on head and have added white things there. Let's live healthy and meaningful lives together.  

 

Midsummer

It's in real midsummer here. It is hard to stay working outside for longer than an hour. I am still enjoying doing with weeds, flowers and vegetables in morning/early evening. Luckily, the weeds are growing slower nowadays due to the heat. I mow the grass with an electric mower my wife has given me for a birthday present this year. Does she want me to work even more?

The flower bed next to the gate. There is a grass place, or exactly, a weeds place ahead of the hedge next to the flower bed. A few trees of apple and of plum. Vegetables like pumpkin, corn and tomatoes are growing among them. It's a small farm but big enough for this old man. 

Mary gold is flourishing at a corner of the garden. There are a few more clusters of this flower. They live pretty long and please us until the beginning of fall. The seeds will be taken from them then.

Tomatoes are in the heyday at present. Fresh fruits are harvested almost everyday. 

Mowing the lawn under an apple tree the other day, I felt something hitting the mower blade. It was an apple fallen on the ground. The outlook was not very gorgeous but the cut surface was fresh with juice oozing out. I thought the tree was too young to bear a fruit. But it seems ready to do so. In addition to these apple trees and plum trees, I would plant some fig trees there. There might be a lot of fruits enjoyable some day... maybe, the next generation....

 

Abandoned people

Yesterday, our Prime Minister has announced that only those COVID19 patients, most severe and complicated with other precedent chronic illnesses, could be hospitalized and other patients should be cared at home.

The minister of HLW today tightened the condition of hospitalization saying those with precedent illnesses should be excluded from hospitalization.

The patients with moderate severity should stay at home cared by family members. According to the definition of moderate severity by MHLW, it includes respiratory insufficiency requiring oxygen administration. 

Respiratory failure due to pneumonia is a real harsh condition for a patient. Within the range of a few hours, COVID19 could deteriorate to fatal condition with cytokine storm. The patient could fall fatally sick. How could the family members care for such a patient. The anxiety he/she has due to respitatory failure and expectation of that aggravation is above our imagination.

What The PM and the Minister of HLW told is that the medical system won't function any longer and they will be abandoned by the government. 

There is a sharp rise of trajectory of the infected cases. The situation is getting worse day by day. The vaccination is not progressed compared with the other developed countries. It seems not to be the gamechanger as well. 

Some people try to convince themselves that the mortality rate is still so low that it won't be a serious issue. They don't know the increase of the dead cases follow that of severe cases. They also omit the problem of long COVID, which is developed by 30 to 50% of the patients irrespective of their severity. The latter is increasing steadily since the end of last month. The others are enjoying the Olympic game not paying attention to this critical situation. They seem as if drunken with "this circus". The government won't discontinue the Olympic games even though there are about 20 infected cases found in the personnel. Even though the Olympic games would work as a deteriorating factor to the pandemic.

The people is abandoned here while most of them are not aware of that.

What will happen next to our country? What a mess! 

Two old friends gone silent key

 Two old friends in ham radio have passed one after another recently. Both of them were active from mobile.

I have met Ed K8RD quite often on 40m in his morning hours. It was from '90s to '00s. He was commuting to Santa Barbara. I was imagining him driving along the beautiful beach there. It is the place I have been when visiting Merle K6DC. Remembering of the scenery there, each QSO was really pleasant. His CW was always correct and neat. It's been too long since we talked on the radio to remember each QSO. However, it was unforgettable that he would move to Arizona once retired. He must have wanted to be settled down there and to operate radio as much as he wanted. No chance for me to hear from his new QTH. But he has sometimes operated radio from his car or from certain club station. He was planning to attend the FOC gathering in Seattle in 2012 but his wife's accident has prevented him from coming there.

The other guy was Red K5ALU. He was also a mobile operation CW man. I can't remember when we started talking on CW. Maybe, in '90s. The conditions were terrific and easy to work those days. He always called me on 20m. His CW was fast and piquant as if his pickup truck pulling that big trailer was running through breeze. At the FOC gathering 2012, I had pleasure to see him and his wife Linda. Honestly speaking, his southern accent was a bit hard for me to understand. But he kindly proposed to bring both me and my wife to the luncheon restaurant at a pier. He has made an adventurous trip to Alaska with a couple of friends after that. It seemed he had lost his wife in a tragic way. When I heard he had given up struggling against cancer a few months ago, I was sure this day came so soon. He seemed to be surrounded with his family members and ham friends until the last day.  

Sorry to have them passed away in succession. But I believe they are free from all worries and anxieties in this world for now. Thinking of that, I wish them rest in peace with their most beloving ones in the heaven.  

Red and his pickup. A big mobile whip was set somewhere in the rear. He has driven around all the US on this car tugging a big trailer for his business. A cheerful and kind person. 

At our age, it is inevitable to lose those friends, rather not to add new friends. Unavoidable thing in our lives. That is why each moment being with friends is so precious and be treasured in our lives. 

RIP, good friends of mine, Ed and Red.