Last Remain of Flowers —– of this year ?

When I was a bit younger and in business, there was a phrase “4 o’clock irritation”.

= before closing time, something could still be done —– otherwise, became too late,  

so, what has been done, haven’t been done etc ETC ! —– You know what I mean  😀

—– And coming to the time 4 o’clock in my life, I have to do the stock-taking.

= And in the same context (Useless thinking in Buddhist’s term  😀 ) see the nature

and feel  “Oh, you still giving your effort” — but with sigh.

Don’t think.  Just see as they are.

Some might have done the work.  More than enough or just — what ever

it was a given opportunity and only an opportunity.

(What a bloody hell, Xmas is next month —- I thought,

Xmas was yesterday !)  😀  😀

[]

Parakeet

This Parakeet  is a bird originated from the centre of the Africa to Indian

Subcontinent, but said to be spread many area in the western Europe as well,

while adapting to live in the urbanized human environment. 

Someone said it started more than 50 years ago though, I heard the story

about 15~20 years ago as the birds increased its population enormously

and becoming a pest (in the west London ).  —– Yesterday, when me and

my friend who bought a DSLR (and more lens) having a shooting session

in a park, he pointed me this bird since they spread east of London as well.

(He is a guy who bought 800 mm lens to shoot birds photo though, he

didn’t bring it on this occasion = Too big and heavy !)

This morning (well nearly mid-day, still much earlier than yesterday) 

I went back the same place to shoot the bird with 500 mm lens though,

not many of them today.  (The park-keeper told me, that they are more

active when the sun is going to set. = after 4:00, like yesterday —– but

I wanted to have the direction of the sun-light from the side.    🙂 )

Anyhow, I have to comeback again and again to get one nice photo.  😀

(By the way, the photo above, a bird eating Acorn = Using just the beak,

still able to open an Acorn shell and eat only its carnal then drop

the empty shell —– What a skill !  = You may try to eat a packet of KitKat,

while holding it on your mouth (of cause without using your hand)

leaving only empty packaging. —– I’m not asking you to fly, but just eat

sweets = even a bird can do.  Why not a man.  😀  😀 ) 

[]

Autumn Color

I popped out to the Greenwich with my friend who just bought DSLR this week

for a sort of photo session.  He has been watching YouTube Tuitorial viz kind of

“How to make a good photo” and “How to use DSLR”, though, they are still a

theory or knowledge. = Same as a Buddhist’s idea, it takes enough practice to

sink into a level of spontaneity. = Look into view-finder and see the Matter is

such as That “Depth of Field” what a viz told him. —– Anticipate, if the depth

changed what would be looks like then. —– Then own control starts.

Anyone can learn good composition / framing from the sample “To make Post Card

like scene to Post Card like Picture” though, to make “Nothing Special image to

Interesting Photo” need to have a good photographic talent. —– Exaggerate or

enhance the color would make a photo something looks nice though, its saturated

color gives irritation to the eyes too. = Here is the “Middle way” = the level of

saturation which our brain thinks !!! is always too much to our subconscious, since

our subconscious follow what is natural.    (Photos here are over saturated  🙂 )

Are you convinced ?  —– Take Middle way.  

(Looks unusual doesn’t necessary mean Special.

= in most of the case, it is just odd.  🙂

[]

Buddha’s Hesitation

Regardless, whether it showed real historical facts or not, still a kind of life history of

Lord Buddha has been well established and well known. = So, everybody knows his young

name, Siddhartha Gautama and a story, after he got his enlightenment, he became Buddha.

—– But, how about a story, that after he found the truth and reached to his enlightenment,

yet he said to have hesitated whether should he tell what he found to the others or just

remain quiet and wait to see own Nirvana, because the truth what he found was

too difficult to make others to understand.

[]

But the supreme God of the Universe, Brahman was frightened of this, if

Lord Buddha keeps the secret of  Truth in him and takes it to his grave, the man kind will

loose only the chance to learn it to save whole man kind from their sufferings, for ever.  

(—– Don’t ask me how Brahman did become aware of this —– If Brahman had such

Super natural power to know everything happening in the world, why he didn’t teach

such wisdom to the man, instead to bother the idea of yet another mortals.)

—– Anyhow, Brahman said to have come and begged to

Lord Buddha to teach the truth. —– So, what was that very Truth ? ? ?

(which would save the man, though too difficult to be understood by the man.)

[]

Many hundreds years after

Lord Buddha’s death, the new trend of Mahayana Buddhism created thousands of

enlightened Buddha and Bodhisattva —- during 2000 years history, they must be hundreds

of the thousands altogether.   If there are such number of the enlightened Buddha and

Bodhisattva, among them, at least some of them must had a very bright brain and clearly

aware what made him to get enlightened —– So, has any of them ever elucidated what the

supreme truth was —– Yet still, there was NON at all.

Only something related to this was, that the Zen Masters found it was the Dog Shit.

[]

Mahayana Scriptures says, the supreme wisdom is

“Panya-Paramita” “Anutra Samyak-SamBodhi” —– So, What ?

= WAS this “Supreme wisdom”  the one which gave a headache to

Lord Buddha for how to explain and make others to understand ?    If so, did any

one of those mass-produced Buddha ever got eternal life thanks to this secret Truth ?

Or this wisdom ever made any country free from the war ?    Nothing !    

No such wisdom, called Panya-Paramita had substance.

(Don’t make an excuse, by yet another Heaven’s story such as “Maitreya will tell it in future” )

[]

Looking through all the teachings in the Buddhism, there is No super-natural mambo-jumbo.

= Everything is easily comprehendable to normal brain, if not some of them are a bit harsh

or not very easy to keep-up, still, it is hard to imagine if there was any

“Hard to comprehend enigmatic issue” was ever existed on top of those,

especially considering  that No abstracts or Metaphysical illusion was in the

Lord Buddha’s teachings —– BUT if it was the notion of Selflessness, it was not only against

the common belief then, but also it would be very tricky matter to explain therefore,  this

trickiness would best match the trouble as a possibility, in his starting point. 

Assuming, —– if it was not a kind of fancy idea with magical power,

but simply the notion of Selflessness.  

—– The idea of Selflessness would make a perfect answer to the problem which the people

had been facing then. = Their fear to be trapped in the endless cycle of death and rebirth.  

(= It was a belief of New religion in the Brahmanism then = Hinduism now.)  

Against this, the answer of  “There couldn’t be such rebirth, because there is

NO soul or the Self remain after the death, which

could reincarnate to the next life”  was a perfect explanation. ——– But the trouble to

Lord Buddha was,  as the Self isn’t existing, there couldn’t be its notion, nor the word “Self”

= He couldn’t explain the phenomenon of the Selflessness without using the word “Self”.

(If he use the word “Self”, in effect it was the recognition of the existence of the “Self”).

Even worse, the phenomenon of the Selflessness is, not only in the depth of

Subconsciousness, but such notion or the word Subconsciousness itself wasn’t existing then.

—– until he found the way “Just let the people DO the things where Selflessness naturally

occur, which makes them to learn it by themselves, without needs of verbal explanation”

= So, with this solution,

Lord Buddha started to teach.  =  (Therefore, this was the origin of all the Buddhist’s

tradition such as “Selflessness”   “Without thinking = Mushin”  

“Without Word = but Direct Transmission”   “Learn through the Practice”)

Lord Buddha didn’t need to have a push from Brahman to start his teachings in deed !

(Still, making-up of such fancy story highlights the fact, that the original teachings has

been completely mixed-up with Hinduism then.)

___/\___

[]

Exists or Not-exists ? —– Where is the SELF ?

Probably the most fundamental matter in the Buddhism is the Selflessness / Mushin.

—– though, this matter questions the credibility of the one who observes its existence, it is

nothing like a scientific objective proof of existence, it’s far more complicated or confused.

[]

Therefore, here, the most funniest paradox in the human culture comes in.

If you deny the existence of the Self, you can not argue or even put the matter on the table.

= because, its notion itself isn’t exists, there is no word to describe it.

= how to starts arguments ?

—– If the society has no system of personal possession, everything belongs to everybody, so,

there couldn’t be a notion of “theft” let alone the very word “theft”. 

If the Self is not exists, no word of SELF, let alone SELFLESS could ever exists.

So, without the notion of Self, how to argue about whether it exists or not.    😀

[]

Lord Buddha’s teachings were described as “Explain unexplainable” “Describe indescribable”.

In definition, Selflessness couldn’t be taught.   Selflessness itself is exists though, you can’t

detect or noticed, let alone capture it in objective observation nor describe it in the words.

Because, to notice “it is there”, it’s mean the observer, who was separated from the subject

= independent self is already THERE ! = You are the established EGO.

[]

So, Lord Buddha just gave an instruction what to do, but never explained why or what was

the intention.   (Like, just let Kisa Gotami to run about, or Churi Pantac to sweep the garden.)

—– While doing it, they will get used with its work or practice, hence became able to do it

without conscious = Selfless —– this was what the teachings were intended though,

it shouldn’t be objectively noticed or talked about. = the matter is, JUST DO IT.

[]

Once it was talked about, it became a NOTION and a WORD, it became independent

existence called knowledge.   Once the notion and the words “I’m cutting Lemon” was

established, “I” who cut the Lemon became THE Existence. —– but, you supposed to cut

a Lemon in Mushin, without the Self.   Without such conscious, Just Cut a Lemon, slice

by slice —– your knife, the lemon, your action were all fused in one, with the Dharma

= this is the state of Ichijo / Oneness. —– BUT, once the observant eyes started to see the

situation objectively and started to give a thought or two, the Observer and Be-observed

alienated = the harmony to be in the Ichijo has broken.

[]

In the Vimalakirti Sutra, when he was asked about what is this Oneness, he answered with

NO word (= and the silence hit the people like roaring thunder !) In fact this was exactly what

Lord Buddha did when he was asked about “after life”.

Oneness (Ichijo / Fuji) could exists if no Self was there.   And as NO self exists, of cause, there

couldn’t be any possibility of After-life or Reincarnation, and no such notion or word to

describe it could exist.   Hence, just a silence = Strongest denial !

(If he was to explain, “There is no Reincarnation because No-Self” it’s effectively recognize

the existence of the Self by the use of the Notion and the word “Self”.  

—– It is the same situation, if the one says “I’m sitting in silence”    😀 )

[]

It seems that the author of Vimalakirti Sutra did know what the mind of Selfless, as the

descriptions were spot on though, I’m not sure about the other Mahayana Sutra, and the

author (compiler ?) such as Nagarjuna —– he seemed to have written them from the

knowledge just heard from others.   They were the scripture for the sake of the arguments

and those arguments, theoretical explanation seemed nothing to do with

actual Selflessness and the Void.

—– Selflessness is everywhere, as you are reading this blog without noticing that your eyes

have been following the lines. = as everybody has born with Dharma, everybody has

Selflessness yet, masking it with the useless thinking and the Ego which has been kept you

away from getting enlightened.

May be just forget those words, Selflessness, Void kind of thinkings, and just take a walk

may open your eyes much clearer.

___/\___

[]

Hart Mantra — True or False ?

So called Hart Mantra (Sutra) / 般若心経 might be the most well-known Buddhist’s scripture among it’s 3,000 books, except to the followers of the Pure-land sect. (Pure-land sect prohibits their followers to read this scripture !)

[]So, other than the Pure-land sect, all the Buddhist are accepting the teachings written in this Sutra —– are they ?    

Its scripture said that “When all-seen Bodhisattva / 観自在菩薩, (suppose to be         

Lord Buddha himself though, Bodhisattva is the one yet to be Enlightened = can not to be a Buddha) practising Supreme Wisdom / Panya-Paramita / 般若波羅蜜多, found that the 5 aggregates (effectively everything) are Void, therefore resolved all the (cause of) sufferings, (thence told to) Shariputra that “The existences (Form) are no different from the non-existence (Void) —– which is the teachings of the Voidness in the existences and the Voidness in our own perception, therefore the Voidness of our own existence = hence No-self.

—– sound not much wrong in the Mahayana Buddhism’s context. —– (If we could ignore the silly ignorance in this scripture such as “Bodhisattva who haven’t reached Enlightenment yet still able to have all-seen power and teach one of the senior disciple, Shariputra who has been reached Enlightenment already”)   

Shariputra was not the earliest original disciples.   He joined the sangha long after Lord Buddha started teaching.   If this Sutra has any historical significance, it showed that Lord Buddha found the Voidness long after he started teaching. —– It couldn’t be true at all !   Such fundamentals in the teachings, should have had sorted out on the beginning.   Because, that must be his Enlightenment.

The main question what Lord Buddha had to find an answer was, to explain to the people who has been frightened by the idea of being trapped in the endless cycle of rebirth / reincarnation, even to reborn to a beast (= new trend of Vedic belief or beginning of the Hinduism) by showing them “There couldn’t be any possibility of rebirth, because the Self / Atoman (which Vedic teachings said) is not exists”. As he found the answer in the theory of Karma (Moment to moment inter-dependency of the existences) that the permanent Self couldn’t be existed. So, he started teaching of those truths. —– otherwise, what was he teaching before he found this Voidness ?

[]Further more, historian found a funny origin of this Hart Sutra (+Mantra), that this sutra has been written (or compiled) in China in 7^th century and then translated back to Sanskrit, therefore, we better not to take its contents as in its face value but to see it as a theoretical metaphor.

—– Of cause, many fantastic story in the Mahayana scripture are nothing to do with original teachings. —– Use your common sense,

Lord Buddha wouldn’t have said any fantasy as he rejected useless thinking as a delusion.  Naturally, he never showed a miracle or magic kind and prohibited such practice to the followers. = its mean, that the scripture which contained “Mantra” (or Dharani — which supposed to have a magical power ) is not the Buddhism at all.  You know this is why

Lord Buddha taught “Don’t believe what others said or you read, but find it out by yourself”

Blind Buddhists are worse than an ignorant, because he believes that he knew something. 😀

The matter in the Buddhism is, not about to know the words such as Voidness or Selflessness, but actually being Selfless.   Actually being Selfless mean, when you read those few lines in here,  just now (or few seconds ago ?) you didn’t aware that YOU are reading this. —– so, without having any conscious of the SELF (who supposed to read this), how you could manage to read this?      WHO the person reading this blog minutes ago ? = YOU have to sort it out by your self, —– When you were convinced that you don’t need to have your SELF-conscious to DO the things, you ARE most likely found yourself detached from the Ego, Greed, Fear, Lust etc. too, exactly the same practice which

Lord Buddha started to teach  2,500 years ago.  

___/\___

[]

PS: If you were confused of “Mantra” or “Sutra” —– The main body of scripture is the Sutra.  And last line of the words “Jate Jate, Para-Jate ~ ~ ~ Bodhi-suwaka” is the Mantra, which supposed to have magical power hence never translated but chant as they are.    Though, the meaning is = (as those words are infact common with ordinary Hindi today = since I noticed while listening Asian Radio here.) = Go Go, Go more, You Go Further, To be Enlightened.

—– Para is same as in  “Para-mount”, Bodhi is same as in  “Bodhi-sattva”.   🙂

* Beliefe of magical power in the words = Mantra / Dharani  is a practice of Tantra sect.  Nothing to do with

Lord Buddha’s teachings.  =  Last quarter of this Heart Mantra is praising and promoting  the “Power of the Panya Paramita Mantra” though, such notion is all in the mind or only imaginary existence.   (If there is any power, why India need to spend so much money for their military weapon.) 

All the products of imagination are nothing but the Delusion. It’s not the Buddhism. So, those scriptures are the evidence how the Chinese author was ignorant to the original teachings. —–

Lord Buddha left the last words”never idolize and worship me” = so, why needs to worship mere scripture written by a person who even didn’t know the teachings ! 

[]

Toy for a Grown-up / Rhythm Indicator

This electronic device is —– I may say, Rhythm-Indicator !

When I was a Disco-King (you believe or not 😀 ) often people (other keen dancer) asked

me a question about the way I dance, which is completely free movement hence virtually

no pattern still exactly follow and synchronizing with the Rhythm —– I needed to explain

what the Rhythm is.

Since I’ve been almost a fixture of the club, I also made enormous observation of the

people’s dance movement.    Among the many funny discovery, the most interesting

phenomenon was, that some of the people dance with the song, not with rhythm beat,

therefore it looks odd and off the rhythm still,  the person was not aware of it but

pretty much enjoying the dance  (in fact nothing wrong with it ! )

And another discovery was that the Spanish moves a moment later than the beat.  (It is

common with the Flamenco Dance, the movement occur not at the tense moment of the

beat, but the moment when its highest tension collapsed ! ! ! )

[]

Anyhow, to talk about the Rhythm in the noisiest environment, it’s easier to show it visual.

So, I made this Rhythm-Indicator  (but only for a Rock beat)   which shows the emphasis of

the 8 beat in red, amber, green, small green LEDs.   And I explained, the movement what

the Rhythm demands, not what I want to move. = So, the movement was the exact reflection

of the music in each moment, not a pattern in fashion  (such as in a film) or choreographed

planed movement. —–  Funny things even among the keen dancer was, that they dance

what they want = regardless the different music, still repeat the same movement !

(= What is the point to have different music.   😀 )

My indicator shows 8 beat, strong, weak so on, and having BPM (speed) controller, and a

Selector for x2 and ½ speed.   The Reset button was to synchronize with rhythm cycle. —– so,

in operation, reset to the first base drum, and adjust the speed to match the music =

Red LED to come coincided with every base drum of following cycle.

Voila’ the rhythm of the music was visually indicated.

—– To put the circuit and the batteries in a thin cosmetic case, I needed to curve the inside

to make a bit more space.    (It was long before SMD components or Lithium battery.)

[]

Though, even in the same music, same song, the speed is not constant and the pattern and the

use of percussion is changing. (that’s the way to make a music more dynamic and exciting).

—– So, inevitably, I had to design more elaborated system such as automatically pick-up the

base drum and synchronize the LED to the Rhythm cycle.

But instead to develop Rhythm-Indicator Mk-II, I changed the direction to design the

Sound-reactive Disco Pendant. = It was a by-product of the Base Drum synchronizing circuit.

—– I’ll show you those Sound-reactive LED Pendant in the coming posts.

[]

Cat’s Story / Haori-chan

When the time to give a birth came, the pregnant Mother-cat come and rub her head and body

against my leg.   That is their expression of “I beg you” —– I spread a bath towel on the sofa

and lightly give a massage to her tummy.   Then she start to push out the kitten next by next.

So, I take each kitten to her face for her to lick the new-born.

But some time (1 in 5~6), a still-born kitten came out.   Once, there was a very hard deliver of

over-grown kitten.   Only the head came out, I knew the trouble, and I pulled it hard.

When the whole body came out, the Mother-cat screamed.

That kitten was pretty big —- may be over 400g but I couldn’t save him.

Among the 3^rd litter, Haori (of cause, named later) was the most miserable kitten.

In fact, she was yet another (almost) still born.   I just took minuscule odds and revived her.

= As in the most of the case, kitten seemed to have drowned by the amniotic fluid, I shook

the body, head down to drain the water, and insert a small paper stick made out of toilet

tissue to the nose of kitten, for sucking out the water further.    And massage the body in

a warm water while blowing the air into the nose several times. —– in minute or two, three,

the kitten started to move. = Voila’ one life was saved.

(— Sound, and looks may awful treatment though, I’m not intended to play “Tender Buddhist

posture”, —– if the matter was to drain the water, I needed to use centrifugal force, hence

shake the kitten’s body in Karate speed —– To drain the water from a drowned human by

putting the hand into the throat, it neither be a nice picture, nor revive a person in hypothermia

in the mountain, it is more of the battle field operation than a “hart warming tender story” =

What-so-ever, my practice was very effective and altogether 4 out of 6 kittens has been saved =

this is the fact.  

Life is not for talking an imaginary sweet story, but just go through hard act.     Just Do.

Revived though, Haori was still the smallest and weakest, hence couldn’t compete with other

5 kittens on the milk-sucking battle.    I’ve tried as many times as possible, by taking other

stronger kittens off from tits and gave it to Haori, still, it was not enough, and needed to give

her supplement but, ordinary cow’s milk caused her diarrhoea and needed to buy special

“Kitten formulated Milk”.

On top of those trouble her eyes had infection and having eye-glue stacked on her eye lids.

When Mother-cat try to clean her eyes, she chew-off the dried eye-glue, but in the same time

her whiskers had been chewed-off as well.

(Poor Haori-chan, photo left ! / Photo right, Haori and Pino)

[]

A month past, when all the kittens started to change to the solid food, I trained Haori to eat

Kitten-milk-powder mixed with cream-cheese. Then cheese mixed with cat’s food but Haori

refused to eat cat’s food. —– (One theory said, that the baby (kitten) acquired the taste

(= what to eat) through the minute chemical in the Mother’s milk —– like Haori, who couldn’t

have enough milk from the Mother, hadn’t developed the taste for cat’s food.)  Therefore,  I

had to feed her frozen Coley Fish (lightly boiled) mixed with cheese. —– sound very special

treatment though, nothing special to Haori herself.   It was her norm and she just grown-up

to an ordinary cat.  (She didn’t grow Golden Fleece.  🙂 )

She behaved more or less the same to other cat but not so interactive, just sitting and 

watching out of window or me. = only not ordinary was what she was eating.

And because of her expensive diet, she couldn’t be adapted by others.

In addition, another cat, once adapted by other family had came back, because she, Pino was

a too clever trouble-maker.   Such as to jump to a door handle and open it etc. she was the

expert to open and sneak into anywhere, hence made a lots of mischievous.   (= get inside but

couldn’t open it from the inside then shit there, kind of trouble. 🙂 )

(— Though, I could anticipate what she is going to do, hence such as to make the things on the

shelf to fall easily, she instantly learn and never attempt it again.

So, those two, Haori and Pino were the cats lived with me longest, and left many wired stories.

[]   

Cat’s Story / Cat with Moustache / Cat’s Mind

Animal’s body-color or their pattern of fur never change —– that was what I believed too,

until I saw one of my kitten had grown his Moustache.   😀

Kitten here (photo, left ) was in his 3rd days in this world, and as a very very young boy, he

didn’t show his Moustache yet. —– then less than a week, a faint sign of it started to appear.

I thought he licked something black and got his nose smeared but it wasn’t. (photo, right)

—– And a month later, he was a well grown young cat with well trimmed Moustache.

He was one of kittens born with other 5 (though, one was stillborn and 3 were adapted by

the friends) and only a kitten remained in the family, he was given a name “Den-suke”

(a famouse Japanese comedian with his trade-mark Moustache = Japanese equivalent

of Chary Chaplin) and became an apple in my eye.

Though, I might have given too much attention, he seemed to become mother’s boy.

Unlike his father, “Kaka” who was quite an out-venturing Macho type —– but Den-suke

prefer to stay with somebody and playing / disturbing each other if not sleeping or

cosmetic-licking.   🙂

[]

As I wrote in the other Cat’s Story(s) before, I don’t believe common stereo-typical cat’s

character. —– If a cat became to a rather solitary animal, it was the reflection of how that cat

was grown-up in its environment.   If a cat was left only as an animal in a house and having

only the social interaction, fed twice a day —– what else other than a solitary animal he (she)

could became.  In contrast, if a cat was grown-up with a lots of interaction from the Mother cats

and the owner who behave (in certain extents 😀 ) like another Dominant cat, naturally the cat

become like a “Social animal”.   Remember, even in the feline family, Lion lives in a group and

having quite complex “Social” activity with Rules and Psychological games etc. —– so, we can’t

tell what genetic trait a particular cat got.   At least I can say, all of my cats were more or less

behaved like a dog = respond to each name and come and play (or disturb me 🙂 ) by their will.

Nurture play a big role in the cat’s character and behavioural pattern !

[]

But to grown-up with those social environment while acquiring behavioural pattern like a

pecking-order imprinted into the brain, if a situation change, such as when new kittens were

born, and not only the Mother’s nursing care but also my attention has to go those helpless

small creatures.     That was the situation what the Father, who used to be the Star, could not

comprehend at all. —– It was the same situation, when a human male and female couple got 

new arrival of their baby.   (Husband who used to receive whole attention of the wife, was

suddenly abandoned alone in a middle of nowhere, without having any idea what to do. 🙂 )

[]

To the Tom-cat, those new born kittens were nothing but the other small animals, no different

from mice = therefore, he started to handle (or play) with kittens as if they were the mice.

And neither had a notion of Fatherhood or Recognition of “His baby” he couldn’t understand

why he was smacked when he tried to play with kittens. = To his eyes, I just became a tyrant

who blandish a terror. —– Cats can understand each phenomenon only on its apparence but

not able to connect it to a secondary implication behind, therefore he only thought that he

was smacked because the Boss got bad day, not because he did wrong.

[]

So, he took a strongest weapon he could use against the Tyrant —— spread his diarrhoea

all over my pillow ! ! !  —– ( I was so impressed with his ingenuity.   A brain which couldn’t

process secondary implication, still able to have such creativity.   I wondered

how he managed to make a connection, “Shit on the Pillow will best annoy the Boss !”

—– Amazing isn’t it ?  ! —— Ha ha ha.  😀 )

So I say, I’ve learned enough and greatly deepened my understanding toward the

simple, emotion-based mind,  while living with cats.   😀

—– And three months later Den-suke had to face the same situation as

next litter of kittens were born.   (So, he became to rotten / fallen Apple ! ) 

[]

Battery Story

Battery is an animal among the electric devices because of it is an electro-chemical device

which is using “on-going chemical reaction”inside, therefore it comes with all sorts of

unpleasant temperament.   Despite their name dry-battery, they are hardly dry solid thing

but contain half wet compound.   Such as a common Zinc-Carbon battery, its inside of

Zinc-can  was filled with black Manganese-oxide which was wetted by the electrolytic

chemical, Ammonium-chloride, and while producing electric energy, they produce hydrogen

gas as well.  (Its pressure causes leak, and it could even explode = when they explode,

popped-up cap break the battery case. ! ) 

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Even though the battery was evolved into Hi-tech age and instead of humble Zinc, Lithium

is in fashion, still it is the same “electro-chemical device” so that, very fancy activity of the

chemical, such as crystallization cover the electrode etc. could be happening inside etc.

Not only the product (battery) is animal, to produce it is really a messy business.  This is the

reason why, most of them were produced in the country where environmental, health-safety

regulation is not strict.   (Such as to refine Zinc, its process need to use Cadmium which was

washed out to the river, hence in China, Cadmium contaminated rice, food in general is the 

serious but hidden problem)  —– Imagine, when the battery was mas-produced, somewhere

rather low-standard factory, how about the purity of the chemical, or how minute but crucial

additive such as a rare-earth material was evenly mixed = some got more and others got non.

= It is easy to see that why each individual battery is never the same.

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The trouble of the inconsistency of the battery become really a big problem in case of

rechargeable battery, especially when it was used in numbers such as 4xAA batteries

in a camera or a flash-light.

The situation is exactly the same in case of rechargeable lithium battery-pack, of which

in most of the case, battery-pack contains 2 lithium cells.  —– After ten of the charge cycles

the difference of each battery started to show-up. 

In case with the  4xAA, and if you are

using a charger which is charging each

individual cell (Individual type has

4 separate LED indicators), you must be

noticed that not all of them become Full in

the same time = some of them takes longer

to be fully charged.  

This is the inevitable fate of the battery =

some loose the original capacity much sooner

than others. ( So, I can say, the reliability is exactly what we have paid.

=  What you can get from a set is, what the worst one gives, not their nominal capacity. :-D)

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When the battery has this character, and if you charge them all together, while roughly checking 

the time such as 5 hours, 7 hours kind, or worse  until they become very hot, you are destroying

them. —– When one battery lost the capacity (such as 2500mAH drop to 2000mAH) that battery

become FULL much earlier than others and became hot.   Still if you didn’t noticed and keep

charging, it will be over-charged and makes that battery further deteriorate. — (So, which is the

safest way to charge them.  = Use the charge current  1/10th of the Capacity x 15 hours =

If it was 2500mAH Battery —- 2500 x 1/10 = 250mA current for 15 hours.  = Standard Charge !  )

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Even worse situation is, such as 4xAA were

used in an equipment, when the one which

lost the capacity became empty, its polarity

reverse (Yes, + became to – , same as you put it

wrong-way) then other batteries’ energy was

sucked by this empty battery ! —– Of cause,

it devastates that empty battery further =

in fact, kill-off. ( With the same reason, a

battery-pack of rechargeable tool never last

more than a year or two.  

And when we need replacement pack, the same type may no longer in the market.  

That is why the professionals only use such as Makita or DeWalt who keep selling the old type

many years. We never seen the same type again among the cheap Chinese tools.)

This worst situation may not occur in a case of latest DSLR because the camera monitor the

condition of the battery, yet still in its battery-pack, one of lithium cell has deteriorated earlier

than the other = So, when I disassembled old battery-pack which lost capacity and no longer

usable for the camera, I found the one of the cell was still usable = I reconstructed an usable

battery-pack out of 2 old packs. (Think about, it worth £50 ! —– though, I wouldn’t recommend

you to try the same. Unlike a simple battery-pack of rechargeable tool, lithium camera battery

has an additional safety device connected between two cells, hence a bit trickier to work-out,

and any mistake could cause expensive damage to the camera.)

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So that, when I buy Ni-MH battery, I buy 2 or 3 sets in the same time, and use them in rotation.

And time to time check their capacity to select best 4, which got same capacity to make a set.

To check the capacity, discharge each individual

battery through 1 ohm register and measure

the time how long it takes the voltage to drop

to o.8 V. —– But for most of the people, this

method is too awkward = So, my advice is,

Buy an “individual charge type rapid-charger”

and check the charging time, when one reached

Full, write the time on the battery, —– if the one

become Full, much faster than others, reject

that one. (It’s mean you need to keep a spare,

ready to replace with it. —– In long run, this tactics is cheaper and even if it is the second class,

there always a spare-set is in hand.)  —– More easier method is = check the voltage of each

battery with Battery-checker before charge them, (Unlike an ordinary test meter,  Battery

Checker measure the voltage while drawing the current, hence it shows the condition At-work)

and mark bad apple (s) and make a selection of  “Good 4s” and “Bad 4s”   😀

—– Yes, battery is really a necessary evil.   Unfortunately I still need them —- a lots.

——————————————-

Photo above is a battery pack which was dead.    Five  AAA type batteries inside,

3 were completely dead. —– Anyhow, I replaced all 5 batteries with new set.  

It is possible to do like this though, I wouldn’t recommend you to do this.

—– Without a use of Spot-welder, it need to use the soldering = the heat of

soldering would melt the insulating washer and would cause chemical leak and

cause much more expensive damage to the camera than the cost of battery.  😦  

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