Brahms Piano Trio Nr3 in C minor

Now, recognizing losing a little bit but certain amount of hearing ability, especially the higher range of audio, I am hastened to appreciate various kinds of music. I thought I would lose chances to experience good music in my life. I still find myself, however, coming back to the pieces familiar to me since young days. Is it due to having lost sensitivity to beauty? No. I should convince myself it is a blessing that I could enjoy such a music.

This is one of them. Piano trio Nr 3 in c minor by Brahms. Power and will for life are expressed. The first theme of the 1st movement is full of such motivation. But, as the other works of Brahms in his late years in his life, it is replaced to resignation and consolation for life. When I was young, I used to feel, in such as the 3rd movement, Brahms must have lost creativity due to his aging. Simple structure with serene accords. I believe now, however, these are expressing what he felt in his old age. I still sympathize with it now.

No need to hurry up. Enjoying such a piece as this one, I should slowly go on appreciating every moment of this time in my life. 

  

New missile defense system deployed in Senkaku Islands

Our government will develop a new missile defense system (MDS) and deploy around Senkaku islands south west of Okinawa. As well known, it is the place of a territorial issue between Japan and China. A new MDS is not only to intercept the missiles attacking our territory but also to attack the vessels possessing and launching the missiles.

Generally speaking, the efficacy of MDS has been questioned since it was first developed. It won't do with multiple warheaded missiles or with the simultaneous attack with multiple missiles. Cruise missiles flying at low flight level are hardly intercepted by MDS. The actual use of PAC2 in the Middle East has reveled its low effectiveness;9%.

In addition to the low effectiveness as well as accuracy of MDS, it could elicit endless expansion of armaments. Actually, it is causing the expansion into the universe, where there is less resistance and hesitation to use nuclear bombs due to no immediate pollution with radio active substances on the earth. The expansion of armaments into the universe demands astronomical amount of expenditures. Of course, the MDS on the earth itself costs enormous amount of money as well.

In the MDS being developed now, it is also remarkable that the system is to attack the vessels carrying the missiles. If some conflict should occurs around the area by chance, the attack to those vessels may extend it to total war. This new MDS  won't work as deterrence but accelerate the possibility of total war.

Considering of all factors related with this MDS, the effectiveness, the cost and the acceleration toward armament expansion as well as of the possibility of total war, it should be abandoned. Despite of these issues, why does the government hasten to develop it? It must be for the profit of the military-industrial complex. Our country is getting into a historically extreme aging society now, which requires much expenditure for their medical and social welfare. I am afraid they don't have any room of the national budget for war game in reality.

Off line for a couple of the past days

I have returned to the internet environment in a couple of days after I got off line due to the rooter trouble. The period of off line made me realize how much I have been dependent on the internet. No e mail nor SNS activities. It was a frustration to me but has reminded me of the days when the postal mail or telephone was the only way to get in touch with the others. Slow and composed time.

I would be in the internet from now on again. But I should remember of the old slow days from time to time. Time has flown fast since I last updated this blog. I would go on uploading new posts when I have any theme.

So that is the story here. Hot and muggy days are going on. At night, however, cool breeze is starting to blow now. Not so far from the fall here. Fifteen meters has opened to NA this morning after a few months absence of the path.

See you on line or on the air, everyone.

What I expect from a CW QSO

What I expect from a CW QSO to make it decent and enjoyable is as follows. This is what I am examing myself in usual QSOs.

1) Make the message simple and plain. CW is the least efficient communication mode as for the amount of message sent in a unit time. The message should be simple and the topics per a transmission should be limited to 2 or 3 at most. If the message is lengthy and covers more than 4 topics, it is always difficult to follow. In the condition with much QRN/QSB, each sentence should be as short as possible. Such sophisticated expressions as rhetorical question, irony or subjunctive mood are not appropriate in such situation. Expressing an idea with simple and plain sentence is a highly intellectual process, isn't it?

2) A QSO should not be a two way monologue but a real dialogue. This won't restrict what you talk about. I am always enjoying what a good friend of mine reports me how he/she is getting along. But if the QSO ends with only that, it is not what I pursue in QSOs. I hope the other to listen to what I say and to respond to it. The problem is if the eyes are directed not toward his/her own mind but toward the others. Asking "How are you doing?" in the end of a transmission is good enough.  

Nowadays, it is rather difficult for me to find anyone who would make conversation on this mode. It is a problem before this discussion. But if I could meet someone who would converse, he or she would make monologue too often. In my case, I have the problem of language. Writing down this post, I could not help feeling ashamed to present here this problem in this way. Because it is questionable that I have filled these things by myself. I would brush up myself and make decent memorable QSOs.

Massacre of handicapped people

Yesterday, 19 severely handicapped were killed and 26 were injured at a care facility for handicapped by a guy who used to work for them over there.

It is a real cruel event. An abyss of absurdity seems to open before us. It is hard for us to explain or understand why such an event has occurred at once. It is not right for anyone to try to explain or strain the reason why he has done such a thing without elucidating the problem by professionals like psychiatrists or criminologists. I would just wait for what they will unveil what made this guy execute such a cruel crime. Though I should shut up my mouth here, however, I would add a bit more that seems important to me.

The criminal seems to be a psychopath or a psychiatric patient. He declared that he would kill the handicapped people when he worked at that facility. So he was sent to a hospital by compulsory admission in this February. He turned out to take marijuana as well. In a couple of weeks, the doctor in charge has judged he could discharge. And then he has committed this horrible crime as he predicted. This might mean current compulsory admission system, which deprives the patient of his human right, has its limit in avoiding such a crime. When the person hospitalized with this system is a psychopath, it might be quite difficult to prevent from such a crime. we should not "hold out" those involved in this compulsory admission/discharge even if it is necessary to investigate how and why the guy has gone out of the hospital.

I suspect the guy has reached this idea while working in the care facility. There could be a hard working condition for him, which might make him reach such a cruel idea. But his circumstance won't excuse his conduct at all. His history of life in the past as well as his personality might be more responsible for that.

The massacre of handicapped, which he has declared at the facility and in a mail to the House of Representative chairman, is reminiscent of Nazism. In that mail to the chairman, he said he would kill 470 of handicapped for Japan as well as the world. It is an insane idea. It is also tinted with the idea of Nazism. A news says he has been following the famous ultra right wing politicians/those in the mass media in Twitter. It should be revealed if the thought of the ultra right wing has influenced on him or not.

We should still be silent before such a depth of crime until the cause/reason is elucidated.　

Aso's ridicule

The Minister of Finance Aso used to tell in a press interview that they should learn how Nazis had taken the teeth out of Weimar Constitution. When it became a problem in the mass media, he explained that his intention had been not to have our constitution done in that way. Even if his excuse was true, it was a terrible example to preserve our constitution.

In the last national election, the ruling parties have occupied more seats in the Diet than that necessary to initiate the referendum for constitutional change or addition. Even though they have not discussed on this issue in the election campaign or rather avoided discussing on it, they immediately started discussing about addition of the article of the national emergency right or the rights of necessity in the constitution.

Our present constitution already has a system to deal with the emergency situation such as serious natural disasters. The rights of necessity has been intentionally excluded from the constitution based on the reflection that the prewar and wartime governments had abused that rights.

The rights of necessity the ruling parties, exactly speaking, the Prime Minister Abe proposes have the whole administrative function of the nation belong to the Prime Minister. It assumes the limitation of the fundamental human rights. If the rights of necessity is executed with the military power, it would be the martial law itself. It is highly suspected that the rights of necessity would bring about dictatorship in our country.      

If the referendum is done in our country with the mass media on the side of the government, I am pretty sure the addition of the rights of necessity would be passed. It won't be a reform of constitution but scrapping of the present constitution.

Aso's ridicule is becoming true in our country,

Seeing one of my old friends' daughter and granddaughter

Two days ago, I have met Bob W6CYX's daughter Teresa and his granddaughter Laura here. They have traveled Tokyo, Kyoto and Hakone. In the last of their trip, they came here answering to my invitation. Bob has been one of the oldest friends in ham radio, whom I first worked in 1960s and since 1980s we have piled the QSOs up to 1249. I have visited Bob and his family at the foot of a mountain on the east side of San Jose. It has a stunning view overlooking the whole bay area. Bob has treated me with great hospitality whenever I was there. When I found those ladies at a station near by, I felt having seen someone very close to me.

We have been to Nikko and Chuzenji lake in the mountain area. The weather was unfortunately overcast and sometimes drizzly. It has made those resorts very empty of the tourists. In addition, at Chuzenji lake, we have had some sun ray breaking through thick clouds.

Laura, a student of SJSU majoring in mechanical engineering, was a quiet lovely girl who loves musicals and singing. Teresa was a lady working for a medical device company confident in her profession, raising kids and her life itself. An active and intelligent lady. She seemed to enjoy her life in the Northern California. We have talked a lot about politics, emergency medicine, bureaucracy and so forth. She is a great discusser as her father is. In her view, politicians are not believable at all even though she still believes in the free trade without the regulation by the authority. When I named it as positive anarchism, she was smiling at me. Through her profession, she seemed to know much about cardiac emergency. It was a real fun and stimulus to me to talk about those things with her, even though I have already totally retired from clinical work.

In Nikko, we have enjoyed dishes made of bean curd named Yuba. It must be new to them. They seemed to enjoy this pretty rare full course of Yuba. In the Chuzenji lake, after walking ant taking photos at the shore of the lake, we have had coffee and cake at a restaurant which belongs to the oldest hotel in the area named Kanaya Hotel. Back to the plain area, in the biggest town in this area named Utsunomiya, we have had my wife there coming from her office. My wife used to visit Bob 4 years ago and was looking forward to seeing them this time. Since she has not used English for years, she could not communicate much with them in that tongue. But she still had fun seeing them.

It seems they have had a trouble with the flight which was supposed to take them back home today. I hope the substitute flight will bring them there tomorrow. Thanks for visiting here, Teresa and Laura. Next time, I will invite you here at our home and serve my hand made dishes. Good luck with the study, Laura. Keep up your good work for the people suffering from serious heart illnesses, Teresa.