An unforgettable ham radio friend Steve KW7Q

A few days ago, I received a short note from Steve KW7Q. It was an update on himself and inquiry about me. It's been a couple of years since he retired from Colo State Univ. As I wrote about it somewhere before, we used to enjoy chatting on 40m CW in early '80s. He was finishing the postgraduate school majoring in atmospheric science in Seattle while I was starting career as a pediatrician. My old log says we have had a lot of QSOs those days. His call was WA0UIR/7 then. When we met again after a long hiatus several years ago, I could not recognize him at once. Knowing of his previous call, memories of QSOs with him vividly came back. His "rushing" and smooth CW. I could not help smiling hearing his keying in the same manner as those days.

He has got a position at the university mentioned above. In the field of his profession, he seemed to have achieved a great sucess in research. He was awarded for honor of American Meteorogical Society. I didn't know Colo State University was the mecca of that science field in the world.   

https://www.atmos.colostate.edu/2021/09/american-meteorological-society-honors-steven-rutledge-melissa-burt-and-richard-johnson/

I am sure he had ground away at his research. Or he might have enjoyed all his career as a researcher judging from his enthusiasm in ham radio. He might have spent the same energy for his research as for ham radio. At retirement, as he told, he got a beam at home at last, which he had never had in his ham radio journey. He was always running a small set up with some wire antenna wherever he might be. A couple of years ago, he has joined FOC while I quit it almost at the same time. It was a shame we could not enjoy its membership together. But I am sure he will do credit the club for his enthusiasm and activity. 

Recalling of my own life, I wonder what achievement I have done in my life. Maybe, nothing comparable to his achievement. If I had to choose, the kids I have cared for and their smiles must be the only reward for me. Again, I am deeply impressed at how long time has flown for us. I wish him fruitful and healthy retirement from now on. Don't forget riding bicycle as he used to. As they say, "Exerecise may be the single most potent medical intervention ever known." 

Measles

Regarding measles outbreak going on in TX and vaccination, this site should be worth reading through. Very informative and easy to understand. 

It is noteworthy the outbreak has occurred in the area most unvaccinated. It is regrettable it may spread world wide anytime.

 https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/a-child-is-dead-from-measles

During the course of the infection, the patient could be immunocompromised and could get infected with some bacteria leading to serious complication.

In addition to her description, when an infant gets infected, he/she would suffer from a fatal neurodegenerative disease named SSPE in several years or later. No effective treatment. It occurs only with a few cases in 100,000 patients. Not so many but still notable for pediatric field. I have seen a few patients in my resident days and know how miserable it is to children. IT IS PREVENTABLE with vaccine.  

If your children should get ill with measles, I am afraid, the top of HHS won't save them or take responsibility for that by himself.

Prof. Isoyama's 7th anniversary and encountering a few people related with him

It was 10 years ago today when I travelled to Toyama for a concert of Matthew's Passion by the local orchestra and choir. It was the only chance for me to listen to Prof. Isoyama giving us a short lecture. I knew that concert in his blog and decided to go there at once. I often visited his blog and enjoyed his erudition in music, especially, Bach's works. He was a man of good sense of humor. 

 http://nuttycellist-unknown.blogspot.com/2015/02/a-concert-of-matthews-passion-in-toyama.html

It was Feb 22 of 7 years ago when he died due to fatal trauma on head fallen on an icy street. As I wrote before, it was right after completing his book on Johannes Passion. Even though his passing was an abrupt happening to us, he had lived a completed life. 

I might have mentioned about it before but remember he was an alumni of a high school in Nagano which a good friend of mine, a proficient pianist, graduated from. About 20 years or so ago, she has invited me to play Cantiqua de Jean Racine by Faure et al at an orchestra organized by the alumni of the orchestra. It seemed to be a commemoration of the orchestra. It was the time when I had regularly enjoyed chamber ensemble with her and other company in Tokyo. 

Prof. Isoyama was another graduate of that high school a bit older than my friend. He must be interested in classical music by that time and could be probably involved in the orchestra. I have learned about this story later than that chance of performance. I felt the world was small and we have been united by some means.  The cellist guy at the seat of the same row was a professor in music at certain university, maybe, vocal or other instrument. A very humble person. He must not be very happy to play the program next to me, an amateur cellist, but never showed disgusted look to me there.

Whether I like it or not, I should often mention those who had passed away in this blog. I am living such a chapter in the journey of life for now. Only thankful for every encounter with the people.

Inpatient sick children

At pediatric inpatient ward in a big hospital like a university facility, sick children are living tiring lives. They could hardly make friends there. They sure need friends to share pleasant things together and to grow together. Their parents or family members are visiting them only for a few hours late in the afternoon. In such a facility, the patient kids are always suffering from serious and/or long lasting diseases and it is inevitable that they should live in that way. 

What a pleasure it is for them to have an unusual event like having a singer visiting there! The guest sings some well known songs in solo or together with them. This is a singer named Hitoto Yoh visiting the inpatient ward at Nagoya University; the photos courtesy by Nagoya University. She has been not only a famous singer but also a poet/actress. Her bio says she has done volunteer activity for sick or handicapped children since her young days. 

Her countenance is fascinating. So are their audience children's. I was deeply moved by them all. 

I have spent several years as a resident and later a staff at two different medical school hospitals. I know it was meaningless and boring to children to spend days or weeks at the inpatient ward, where only the monitor of vital signs or respirators making beep noise endlessly at regular interval. Otherwise some crying. I could imagine what joy these children must have had at this event. In my experience, I also have played cello or string quartet with med students in the inpatient ward at such as Christmas event etc those days. I don't know how the children and their family members have enjoyed it. They have quietely listened to us then. The photos shown above have reminded me of that.

I often remember of the patients in the charge of me. I could not recall most of their names. I still own a file of resume of the patients I took care of those days. When I read them, their faces come back to my mind. I only wish they have recovered fully and are spending happy lives. Most of them must be around 40 years of age or so by now. The only defect of pediatrician as a career is that we could hardly know how the patients are spending their lives. It doesn't belong to us anyway.

 

 

Toru Takemitsu's 29th anniversary

The older I get year by year, the more I realize of the fact that life goes with death side by side. I may die anytime. Prepare for that. In such an attitude, everything I experience everyday would look brilliant and fascinating to me. 

The song I quoted in this post for Takemitsu's 22nd anniversary sounds not only a dirge but a song spiritually supportive to those destined to die in the future even if the lyrics doesn't say that. 

https://nuttycellist-unknown.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-22nd-anniversary-of-tohru-takemitsu.html

It is his 29th anniversary today. Far long, I have lived since I heard of his death.

Most basic thing among people

I am still almost addicted with Faure's nocturne. This No 11 in f sharp minor is most poignant and moving one. It is titled by Faure as "à la mémoire de Noémi Lalo". Noemi is told to be his friend's wife.

I don't know why but always feel relieved as well as soothed at this piece. It is a typical elegy still providing us with calmness. 

I am only ingnorant of musicology and am not capable of analyzing compositions. But they say some of Faure's works are based on Gregorian mode which he has been trained at Ecole Niedermeyer in his young days. And, as I recently heard from a musicologist, certain old Japanese mode has something common with Gregorian. I got inspird that there had been some mode in music common all over the world. Music must be originally born imitating sounds of nature and putting our emotion to them. It could be brought birth at various places in the history but that progress may not be so different in the beginning everywhere. The idea of similarity of modes in music has lead me to such a fanciful thought.

If this idea is right, why are people still fighting or even killing each other in the world? They emphasize the difference of races or cultures as the reason. They insist owning certain land on the globe, which only a few previous generations of their ancestors have had. When we leave this earth, what does it mean to own some land or resource in the world? We should return to the most basic emotion we share as mankind.  

What's going on in the world

It was an awful news that Trump would negotiate on cessation of the invasion to Ukraine by Russia in disregard of Ukraine. Trump seems unconcerned about Budapest memorandum which detrmined the security of Ukraine between Ukraine and the other related countires. While Trump said the US won't commit the peace keeping after cessation of the war, he requires the right for the rare-earth elements in the eastern part of Ukraine.

The vice president of the US told the leaders in Europe that the biggest security threat was not military aggression by Russia or China but their suppression of free speech. Free speech in his context includes blocking ultra right parties like AfD in Germany from governments. 

The chief prosecutor of International Criminal Court has been designated to be an objective for sanctions by the US government. Likelily, it was due to the determination of Putin as well as Netanyafu for war criminal by ICC. Trump seems to believe Putin has never committed war crime at all. 

 

These news seem to mean the Trump administration would cooperate with the other dictatoship in the world and approve their invasivions abroad. It may extend to illegal invasion to Greenland or Panama by the US. It will be an era of new imperialism. Those dictators have forgotten or neglected the history leading to the democracy and the international law ensuring the frame of democracy. 

Thinking the situation in this way, I feel almost cramped and depressed. What will the next generation experience in this world? It would be the world of "1984" by George Orwell. Dictators with power only rule and there is no ethics or moral in the international society. 

I don't believe this regime won't last too long. But destruction of the administration in the US and the international society would be serious and takes a long time and energy to recover, I am afraid.