Perfection

It is an interesting situation.

When we see a flower or intricate small insect we saw it is perfect.

Even though we human being is the one the most evolved and the most sophisticated creature

in this planet, still, the only one who feel “ I’m not perfect” (may be I should exclude you

in Political Correctness 😀 ) —– in general, if anyone say I’m perfect, others would boo you

and if you are believing yourself is perfect, you are likely a loner and known to be a nut. 😀

—– How come.   What went wrong ?

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In Buddhist’s term, especially from the words of Master Dogen, we should know that we

were here as a part of Dharma hence we were perfected as we are, and have to learn

[ As-it-is-ness]= to become perfect as who you are.

This is exactly what Master Kogetsu told me in the Eihei-ji temple. “ You are just a failure to

be a photographer. Couldn’t settle and became as a perfect photographer” then I replied him,

“ What’s wrong with a photographer become a seeker ? Have look,

Lord Buddha forsaken to be a Prince and joined seeker bikku, didn’t he ?” —–

Master Kogetsu was incensed with this “ How outrageous, to use a comparison to

Lord Buddha”

( Incidentally, Master Dogen was not born to be a priest. He was a sun of noble, chief minister

serving to the Emperor = wealthy enough go abroad to study 😀 )

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But, before being as a photographer, I’m a human = Even perfect Samurai is, yet a human in the

same time —– is it a contradiction ?  I don’t think so.   This is, what a man’s situation is.

On the time of Master Dogen, it was a feudal society = born to be a farmer, the person IS a

farmer, nobody else = it was not a job or profession but a fixed cast.

Today though, to be a photographer is a mere chosen job. It can be changed just like a jacket.

And a job wouldn’t define who you are. To take Master Dogen’s words in the context of the

moment, it would make sense. = On the moment when a photographer is shooting with his

camera in his hand = he got to be perfect as a photographer. (yet in the night, he could be a

boring husband) —– still, [this is a man living as him, perfect “ as-he-is-ness” ]

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When we grow up, kids are seeing  Heros, Superman or Super Robot (Gandum ?) etc, and as

we got huge brain and memory bank, we build up a kind of ideal figure and become aware

of should be standard. —- and always there is a person who can do it better — we realize

how we are not perfect.   Whether an awareness of this imperfection drives us to make it

perfect or by something another urge = it is an interesting argument, still strangely, we give

an effort to make it better or perfect. === isn’t this an obsession ?

Or, the image of Superman or who ever the ideal perfection —– isn’t it a delusion ?

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—– blessing to your ears is, it’s good to give an effort to make it perfect though, we never

achieve perfection as we are never be perfect.

I’ve met quite few Masters who can produce phenomenal perfection in his crafts etc.

—– something remarkable is, non of them said it is perfect, hence he is still trying

to achieve its perfection = it is an on-going project.

Being as an imperfect existence as it is, is what Buddhist calls [as-it-is-ness] —– and this is

the Enlightenment and that is why all the Masters found it [It’s a dog shit].

So, be relax, you may not too far from the enlightenment. 😀

( It’s mean, believing and cherishing something, such as spiritual perfection

might be in vain = it might be an illusion or delusion, even worse, could be a

fraud in your text book) 😀

___/\___

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James’ Birthday Party

My friend James had a big Birthday Party.   So, those are the snap shot of the Day.

Many guest arrived with a present and a card, and their proud cooking as well.

(I brought the materials and cooked Miso soup in there. —– and brought that

Fun Clock  🙂 )  Therefore, James had to carry out the task to open the heavily

wrapped present with joy and  the surprises.  Especially somebody brought hefty

Astro Telescope as a present, serious construction work had taken place,  with

excitements and the puzzle of  kids and the grown-ups alike  😀

Mountain of the food has been prepared by his wife and his sister and more dishes,

casseroles were brought in by the friends.  Soon, they were over flow out of the table

and on top of them, yet another BBQ was prepared in the garden. 

———- ( Kids staff  🙂 )

———- ( and here, Baby staff  😀  )

When, night fall = good number of the fire-work were shot.  

Looks pretty impressive  🙂

Then James was asked to give a speech  😀 

—— and a big chorus of ” Happy Birthday to James”  😀  😀

As the Moon rose, people had to queue  to see it in the Telescope.  I wonder now on,

is James going to watch the stars on top roof of the former Greenwich Town hall 😀

(where we are using its rooms for Wireless Network weekly meeting). 

M Party went on to pretty late night.

M The friends kept talking and drinking.

M —– I don’t know till when  🙂

M (I had to excuse to catch a bus before midnight)

M

M

M What I found in his house was this painting,

M —– said to be the Old-masters painting !

M M m m m ? !  —– Really ?

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Fun Clock for James

One of my friend James Stevens is going to have his 50^th Birthday party in this week.

James is the organizer of the OWN (Open Wireless Network) and having a workshop,

advising the people for their use of computer, network connection etc.

What remarkable about him is, this [etc] part.

He does everything about electronics = from lighting to PA, audio system to how to

organize and set-up the event. Hence, he knows everybody in the field and knows

“Who got which equipment, in where etc” = therefore, able to hire (or let the others

to hire) thence able to organize fully equipped film event, art event, about anything.

He is everywhere, in fact he is the Don.

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This remarkable character came from his fundamental open minded attitude to see

anybody and help anybody who came to him.   So that naturally he learned everything

and acquainted right people in every field.  He himself isn’t an authority of everything

but a man to know the authority who can help him = therefore he doesn’t need to be

an authority nor boss still he can solve all the issue as others follow him.

In my eyes, he is a Good Buddhist at work = helping others and make things happen !

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—– anyhow, as he said he is going to have a birthday party, I prepared a present

for him. = I made a fun clock.

(I never sold my work but just give them to the people for such occasion).

( I don’t think I need to explain about this = this is what it looks and function as it is,

that all though, if I may boast, its looks silver wire is in deed Staring silver ! )

Happy Birthday James.

___/\___

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What Photography to do with Buddhism

Someone asked me “ Why Photography in a Zen blog ?”

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The understanding of Zen is so wildly varied, let alone the understanding of the Buddhism.

It spreads from vague spiritualism to an endless peculiar practice.

A reason is that it lays in the person’s subconsciousness. Hence, the person oneself couldn’t

see it clearly, let alone the others, even the teacher.

Since, it was not clearly written down like as a Dogma, and to memorize it doesn’t mean

understood the Buddhism. (Though, some sect says, they got 100 of the rules written down

and follow them is the completion of the Buddhism.)

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My discovery of the Zen came from a peculiar practice = Disco Dancing  😀

With a peculiar mental tendencies habituated in my subconscious, I realized, this is

what people called the Zen —– Like a Pathological diagnosis, I found the symptoms all

matches to the description of the Zen of the past masters =

hence I understood, what I’m living is the Zen.

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So that, in Zen, the matter is a mental state or so-called mind-set, while the one is DOING

something. = Doing it unconsciously with the mind-set of what

Lord Buddha stated = IS the Buddhism. = Hence, able to receive all the benefit to live with

the Dharma. —– Here, it is crucial to be unconscious (=in Mushin). 

We can do a thing without thinking but not able to do thinking without thinking  😀

Try to do Mushin or talking it consciously is just a pretense or mimicry  😀

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Photography is a secondly art (it doesn’t mean second class art 🙂 ) = unlike an abstract

drawing or sculpture, unless the subject is there, its photograph couldn’t be created.

In other words, photography has to follow the existence and its moment.

That moment is the only moment. Photography is to capture and deals with this MOMENT.

As Lord Buddha stated, “Nothing stays the same and they change moment to moment”.

= Photography has to face this situation straight.

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Why and how you encounter its situation or subject was not necessary what you expected or

designed.  = To encounter it was what the Karma has worked.   You may think that

the idea to come to the garden to take picture was what you conceived and planed by yourself

alone though, without Karma has had pulled a string, you didn’t get the idea in the first place.

Whether you are aware or not this is how the system works.

And this system = the mechanism of the Dharma is what

Lord Buddha elucidated. = This is the Buddhism which is applicable even to a non-Buddhist.

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And we have to follow the subject = we didn’t create it, hence this is a secondly art =

we have to accept a humble position to be a secondly creator. Therefore, we have to see

the world with humble open eyes but at most diligent way, down to the minute details.

Once we start to see the subjects, what we are seeing is the environment or most likely

the nature. —– In fact, we are seeing the Dharma.

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When we try to capture and focus the subject, are we thinking what to eat for lunch ? =

Not only the lens, we are focusing what we need to do without any thinking but with full

attention to the subject on front of the camera whole heartedly.

This is the moment of Mushin and the Mindfulness.

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Then “Got it” = but what we got ? —– Even though we might think “I’ve got iconic image”

it is a mere reflection of the subject in the memory card, which could just disappear with a

glitch in a computer. —– And in most of the case, it wouldn’t do anything with the person’s

finance = it is nothing but a selfless, greed less act = expect no reward, still needs to put

so much effort for taking.

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—– Isn’t this Zen Buddhism ? —– If not,  What else   🙂

___/\___

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Olympic Opening

The evening before, I asked my neighbor “ Are you going to watch Olympic Opening ?”

as he got fancy satellite receiver and big screen TV.  He said, “may be, but shall we go to a pub to

see it in their big screen”. —– So, we went to a pub round the corner.

This is the first time to go into this pub since I moved to this area 11 years ago.

(As I don’t drink alcohol I rarely go to a pub, except a meeting took place in a pub).

The TV was there though, nobody was watching.  The next day’s news said nearly 27 million

people did watch the Opening program = out of 65 million in the UK = it was far less

than half of the population ! = this is the first fraud, the government and the media

have to juggle 😀  (Instead to say 40%,  27 million sound a lot to the most of the people’s brain)

So-called Democracy is based on the support of the majority = popular support

= populism.  While forcing austere measure to the people, still spending £9.5 billion =

In order to justify its spending,  government had to create an impression

“ Everybody excited and support the Olympic”.

In this populism concept, this Olympic Opening must be the most Politically

loaded and choreographed event in the recent history. (Of cause I don’t know all

the details of another Opening of such as Beijing, Soul, etc —– yet still, most others seemed

to demonstrates the power of the Nation = Government and Military. (such as exactly

synchronized mass demonstration of Martial-art play, performed by the soldiers,

and the mass game of the top beauties gathered from all over the country, kind).

Instead, London Olympic Opening avoided to go this kind, while pretending

GREEN and Politically Correct. = Hence, the people appeared there got to be looks like

just a man or girl next-door, and especially from ethnic minority.

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In this Political Correctness, there was no single Hero to light-up the

Olympic-Flame, but by the group of athletes. —– And the Flame-burner, its

head was a Copper piece brought by each country. (A girl or boy walking with Flag-bearer was

carrying looks like urinal shaped metal piece = it was for this purpose  😀 )

(In certain extent, I think it was a brilliant idea ! = Forget PC blah blah, here 😀 )

—– PS: My friend found the Info’ of the Olympic Flame in this link  —–

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/comment/the-flaming-dandelion/5040489.article#.UBaj-FBTs30.facebook

—– As the Info’ says, the Olympic Flame was built in 10 story mechanism, having more than 200 stems in

8.5m long = it can not be made with rotating shafts but be done only with linear air actuators (like a piston

cylinder to push-up) = still, more than 200 gas pipes, 10 pressurized air pipes crammed into small space,

and they  moves, while carrying combustible gas = what a task !  —– still,  I was surprised to know, it got

16 tons all together ! ? ? ?  —– couldn’t be done in 4 tones size ?

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Yet Populism has to have popular figure = David Beckham, Mr. Bean and James Bond may not

have an argument from the mass audience (along side the inventor of WWW = though how many

people knew his name, and the author of Harry Potter’s ).

And draw the Queen out of her holy residents and made her jump from a chopper

(in fact a stunt-man with Queen’s costume and her mask over his face, doubled her) must be

an Extreme-left-wing  Anarchist’s dream.

Still, it had made only eye-catching stories of the tabloid paper = not fool the population for whole. 

= The unsold empty seats are the evidence. (May needs the same measure of Beijing Olympic to

mobilize local school kids to fill the seats to COVER-UP).

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What-so-ever the COVER-UP story of this country’s history, the fundamental structure were

never touched. = Land owing system, hence the concentration of the wealth.

= Queen as the top landlord, and its status-quo of the Class-system.

Let Tory and Labor fight each other, is the traditional [Divide and Rule] tactics

of the Empire.  Top of the Government = Prime Minister is just a hired manager of the estate

= let him manage the people to keep status-quo in good order, while work hard to produce

enough revenue to run the estate.

If any left-wing dissident became a prominent figure, make him (or her) Sir

(like Bono 😀 ) and integrate into the Imperial SYSTEM.

(like the former director of Liberty, John Wadam is now a part of the establishment, and the

another member of Liberty, Shamira Chakrabarty was carrying the Olympic-flag.   😀

= Honor cost nothing still, the most powerful tool to coax the noisy dissident).

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Organizer might have thought that the approach of Politically correct Populism can give an

illusion of Democracy though, in contrary, it highlighted the deception more. = This irony is

exposed also in the history of the Industrial Revolution = “Where the industry started in this

country has gone ?” —– And the same was repeated again = the WWW was  invented by

Tim Bernard-Lee though, “Where the Industry using WWW, such as Google has gone to ?”

So, it was not the display of the Glorious Briton, but more of the sawer grape of own failures.

[]

——- So, it was an interesting program or political farce to watch. 😀

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Snap shot in Greenwich

Greenwich is a pretty small town even in an area having rather rough industrial and

naval history behind.  May be because of the reflection of the psyche of sea going people.

Unlike earth bound Army people, Naval people who knew the different world and the

navigational science had much open mind hence less bound to the old tradition.

With this reason, other than the Royal Naval College and the Royal Observatory,

the town itself doesn’t looks like an old town. = pretty smart and  posh place where no

bad tasted humberger shop in sight, despite of the millions of visiting tourists.  😀

Those dogs are  Siberian Husky, said to be a half Wolf though, it seems very well tamed 

gentle dog.  —– And to see two of them in one day in the same place was very unusual.

Seemingly, the Greenwich is having quite number of Russian population.

(Probably rich Origark.  😀 )

May be because of our far far ancestors came from the sea, we are attracted to a water,

and like to keep watching the waves.  Its mesmerizing movement is quite therapeutic.

(Its endless repeating movement vacates the brain = same as a Buddhist’s Mushin ! )

Reflection of the Cutty Sark.  One of the last Tea Clipper Cutty Sark must be the  Icon of

the British Empire.  Unless otherwise, Brits wouldn’t be bothered to restore the burnt

down ship spending hundred of million pounds.

I like this ground design.  Just a half inch deep water filling the striped shallow trench

which is giving the opportunities to the small and the grownups alike to play  🙂

Good old Telephone-box is a star these days. = though, the telephone machine itself is

not old = far from it, it is a broadband connected internet machine  🙂

And, the hottest day (so far in this year) is going to have a peaceful Sunset. 

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HUMAN CIRCUS (of Piccadilly, LONDON)

— ( To take this picture, I’ve jumped onto tarmac, click, jump-back before hit by them —– focus was

—- wrong, and having camera shake as well. Never mind, you can see the atmosphere  😀 ) )

To pick-up a Japanese visitor, I went to the Piccadilly Circus. —– like a tourist. 😀

I don’t remember when I did the same, how many years ago ? ? ?

As it is the most famous place in England, and the Olympic is coming too, there are lots of tourists

and they are enjoying a rare opportunity to have a sun. (UK having too much rain in this year =

Japan, China had too = seemingly the Global freak weather.)

—– nearly 40 years ago I was one of them.   But not as noisy as them today.   😀

I don’t think those photos needs any explanation. = So, I leave them without it.  😀

M m m m  😀

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Thought over LIGHT (and its visual effects)

You may feel strange though, there is no black and White

image in the Nature.  🙂

May be Monochrome image yes. = Pure B/W image is, in fact human

invention, in other words, it exists only in the brain, or a product of

the brain. = Simply because, there is no [no-colored light] exists =

all the light, even if it looks WHITE, it is just well balanced

mixture of the colors.

[]

So-called Color was created by the vibration of the Photon =

if you divide the distance of a Photon travels in a second in its

literally the speed of Light, by its number of frequency of the vibration = you get the wave-length.

The light-sensitive cells in our Retina called Corn cells (named from its shape) having the colored

pigment which selectively absorbe and stimulated by the particular wave-length, emits the nerve-

signal to the brain. = Hence the brain interpret those different signal created by each different light

as each different color. —– So that, when those Corn cells sending-out all the color signal evenly =

our brain think it is white and if they are less intensive than the white, the brain think it is gray.

But when the light level is very low = in the dark, the Corn cells couldn’t work well.  Instead, only

the Rod cells which doesn’t have color sensitivity, works. = hence, the visual image which lack the

color information were created in the brain = we feel (some what) B/W image. —– ghostly night

scene of grave-yard was conceived like a bluish B/W image = simply because, only the available

light source came from the stars (provided no Cine-light, or Torch-lamp there) = hence,

the Dracula film is the best in B/W = (it is closer to what actually we have seen) 😀

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As long as there is lots of light which is having all the spectrum of the light, we see

white as white and able to see a colored objects as its own color without color-shift.

Therefore, mirrors in the dressing room of a theater back-stage having many light valves fitted

around. = natural Ring light effect. = no shadow and no color-shift = it is essential for the make-up.

(still, even a white under tungsten-light is shifted to much warmer color of about 3000k)

—– yet still, it is often the case, the white is determined by its relative brightness.

Our eyes were adjusted to see the over all brightness or by the brightest object while varying the

size of the pupil.  And among the objects, see the brightest and relatively having all the spectrum

of the light as the white. = Hence, seemingly the yellow sun is so bright, we feel it is white in the sky.

In fact, all the photographers know, even a dark colored object will become

washed off white if it was over-exposed 5~7 stops more.

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In the natural environment, we are not necessary seeing the surroundings with ideal neutral light.

= not only the color-contribution of the light-source (such as Florescent light has Green cast due

to the Mercury atom) , but also the light was colored by the reflection of other object nearby.

—– May be it is the reason why we feel nicely lit image in a photo = too artificial.

While using color-corrected artificial light (Xenon discharge Solar-Light kind) or Studio-type flash

light, which is giving 5500K color temperature.   The more photographer worked to make every

corner in the scene within 2 stops of exposure difference, it become even more unnatural.

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=== So that, in this occasion, as I’m dealing with LED Ring Light, I’m experimenting

“How to design Non-ideal light source to create natural looking image”

= to make Colored Ring Light. 😀

(I’m going to show its result soon)

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PS :  If you’d like to experiment with LEDs, and try to connect different type of them parallel,

you need to connect a register to each types.   Such as; 

[3~4 Batteries (4.5V~6V) +] —> [100 ohm Register]—> [Blue or White LEDs]—>[Battery – ]

[ ———————– same  +] —> [100 ohm Register] —> [Red LEDs] —–> [same Battery – ]

[ ———————– same +] —> [100 ohm Register] —> [Green LEDs] —> [same Battery – ]

( Those Registers are to limit the current to the LEDs = may need change to such as 47 ohm =

If you connect 10 LEDs parallel, which needs 30mA, x10 of them mean, you need 300mA)

(Exact value is [Supply Voltage – Forward Voltage of LED / Resistance = Current  —– where,

Forward Voltage of Blue or White LED is 3.5V,  Red is 2V, Green or Amber are 2.5V ===

6 – 3.5 / 10o = 0.025 = 25mA  ——- As long as the Current is 50~20mA each, it would be OK)

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Make LED Ring Light (2)

While staying in my place to do some MAKE activity, still I couldn’t be house bound.

I needed to have an eye-test to make eye-glasses. (They said, it takes full one week to make it

—- Joking ! ) and I had to take my smashed camera to Canon = it was a long journey 😀

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So, I’ve been making yet another LED Ring light. This one is for 24-70mm F2.8 Lens.

I’ve shown those photos before.  A fish-tin which got right diameter has been cut and its bottom

has been cut to take 77mm filter screw (by which, it would be fixed on front of the lens.)

A Chinese room ornament which got color-changing LED light has been chosen to

make this Ring light’s outer housing. —> So, it was cut to fit fish-tin inside.

And two were Epoxy glued together. (photo middle)

And a Phenol Plastic board with copper-foil has been cut to fit inside of the housing —>

then the LEDs will be mounted to this ring. (photo right) === all those cuttings were done by

a half-round file = primitive and simple work though, it was a typical  Zen practice =

make the hand almost like a machine = no-mind (Mushin) = tool’s movement exactly match the

character / hardness of the material = Hand, Tool, Material are all in one rule = Ichijo (oneness).

To fix the Ring light on front of the Lens, instead of using its Lens-hood fixing bayonet (such as

I did on the previous Ring light for 100mm Macro Lens) was because of this lens front extends

when the Zoom was set to wide-angle (photo middle) = If the Ring light was fixed on the bayonet,

when it was zoomed to wide angle, the extended lens front would block the light in the middle.

—– And this (photo right) is the (almost) finished product.

Almost mean, I’m thinking to put power or intensity control etc.

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This LED Ring light draw 700mA current from 4xAA, N-MH Rechargeable battery

(fully charged 2500mAH battery would last more than 3 hours) through 2.2 ohm register.

= It’s mean, this Ring light has nearly 3W power = With ISO 400, and 3m distance,

the exposure would be F4 and 1/15^th Second (for average subjects).

—– not too bad for a product which cost only few pounds. (without the cost of LEDs which I got

free from another equipment —– I think 30 or so LEDs wouldn’t cost more than £10 to buy).

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Through those “Make LED Light” posts, you might be realized,

how easy to make something and it would cost so little.

On top of it, you might be amazed, how anything could be utilized from fish-tin to card-board paper.

= Just remove an idiosyncratic idea and open your eyes = anything can be done by your

hand and to be creative. (Though, never expect to succeed in the first attempt = to fail first is our

nature, still we have to start from there)  😀

Be courageous. —– And Just Do It.   It would be a fun = I’ll guaranty you.

(Zen is not requisite element to make a thing.  Though, while making it, you may learn it.  🙂 )

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Dark Matter

Gosh, this is the simulated visualization the Dark Matter.

— Dark Matter is filling the void of space such as the Ether which was conceived century ago.

Lord Buddha said to have ignored such matter, —– still, interesting isn’t it ?   😀

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The article from Gizmag = (link to the original article)

A view of the distribution of dark matter in our universe, based on the Millennium Simulation.

The simulation is based on our current ideas about the universe’s origin and evolution.

It included ten billion particles, and consumed 343,000 cpu-hours (Image: Virgo Consortium)

Dark matter filaments detected for the first time

By Brian Dodson

08:10 July 14, 2012

For the first time, a team of astronomers has “observed” a filament of dark matter connecting two

neighboring galaxy clusters. Dark matter is a type of matter that interacts only very weakly with light and itself.

It’s very nature is mysterious. Mapping the dark matter filament’s gravity was the key to the breakthrough.

The result is considered a crucial first step by scientists. It provides the first direct evidence that the universe is

filled by a lace-work of dark matter filaments, upon which

the visible matter in the universe is distributed like small beads.

[][][] (—– If you like to read full article, please go to Gizmag  🙂 )

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