Poltergeist

While checking the Net, I heard a sudden banging noise from the

kitchen.= Bang, gang kind.  What ?   Is it a Poltergeist ? ? ?   

The sound was  nothing like a sound-effect =  very real and I never

imagined that there could be any supernatural phonomenon here.

I looked arround and located the cause to the inside of the cupboard, 

and found a tin of beans was fallen and hitting a glass next.  It seems

the tin has been swollen by its internal pressure, so that the bottom

of the tin was popped up, and the tin jumped. —– The reason why

the tin has been expanded so much was that the beans inside has been

rotten (I guess) and the pressure of the gas produced by the bacteria

came to the explosive level.

= It’s mean, the beanz has not been properly heated up or the content

has been contaminated by a dirt during the process in the Heinz factory.

.

I don’t normally eat the beans, neither potato (baked, chips even crisps

except Spanish omelets) — so, the reason why I bought this tin was a joke

= I used the beans to make a sweet.    Then the other tin bought together

stayed in the cupboard for many years left  forgotten. 

Now I learned, a tinned food could still get rotten. (or am I too lazy ?) 

😀

* * *

 You might be noticed, the popping noise of the can was throughly

explained through the rational causation here. = No supernatural

mambo jumbo or dubious fantasy at all. —– This was the way how

Lord Buddha taught the people, and a kind of the matter he couldn’t

see any rationality neither find a rational explanation, he completely

ignore the question itself (such as the matter related to the Atoman /

Self or the matter about abstract notion like an infinity or universe =

since, such as the Atoman / Self which is not exists in the first place

couldn’t be seen as a subject = We can not talk about the subject which

is not exists.  Neither the subject which couldn’t be definable = such as

a subject we only imagining and nobody know what really it is, couldn’t

be a subject of discussion.) —– It’s mean, all the glorious fantasy in

the Mahayana scripture is just a decoration for the sale. 

.

 

 

 

 

 

Zen or just a Miser ?

Have you guessed it ?   This is nothing but a washing-up Sponge. 

Still, why it is here – was – did you noticed, it has been stitched up. 

I think, it came from a Pound-shop = four of them for a pound.

It has been used to wipe water arround kitchen sink or wipe the

bottom of a pan after washed etc.  (Inside will be left dry itself.)

Still after while it has been teared and broken.  So, I stitched up

its tear and kept using it. = It is not bad enough to bin.  (Even

though, I have new one left in stock.)

— it is a normal practice on my life. But, I never preached others to 

do the same or even suggested (it’s their business.) – Is it too stingy ?   

Or is this an attachment to a possession?   Kind of greed for 25 pence ?

If I may say, this IS my Mindfulness to the humble sponge.

And as I do, this IS Zen. 

If you think otherwise, your understanding of Zen IS wrong.

___/\___

.

PS :

There could be two completely opposing views here.

* The mind, stack to the sponge could talk about Zen ?

* Or, the mind which couldn’t even pay attention to a sponge

could talk about Zen ? —– the answer IS, — What is Zen ? 

(Clinging the imaginary idea of Zen is remotest to the Zen.)   

Don’t talk, don’t think, just do.  = (that was, what

Lord Buddha taught.)

.

Beaulieu 8mm Cine Camera

— (Beaulieu 2008s / my Homemade lens on a Nikon to C adapter attached. 

— And the contact pin of the battery was connected to the 4AA cell battery)

One of the regular attendance of the WW Greenwich (SPC.org),

Gordon used be a busy cinematographer, even worked for Japanese

NHK before.    Naturally, he got many  professional cine camera but

all of them are film camera. —– and, he got stock-pile of such

as the Kodak Super 8mm Film even now. 

So, he wanted to create something fancy footage using even fancier

100 years old Lens. 

A French Beaulieu was a well-known cine camera manufacturer

together with, Arriflex, Bolex, Michell etc.    And one of his camera

Beaulieu 2008s is a servo-controled Super 8 cine camera —– though,

electric camera needs a power, but this camera’s (made 1968) special

battery is dead. —– So, he needed my help. 

The information through the Net, < say yes to analog ! >,

I found this camera’s motor has a feed-back generator and

a symmetrically powered Servo-amp = It’s needs + 0 – power,

hence 3 contacts in the battery chamber. (photo above left) 

I tested the camera while connecting the battery just by the

3 crocodile cables. = It’s worked perfect. (after 20~30 years ? !) 

When we deal with this kind of project, we need to see what IS

the main priority ? — To maintain the originality of the “antique”

— or just get a function. 

Neither Gordon or me got a romantic dream to the antic camera

but see it just as a tool. = So, I told him “Just have a 4AA cell

external battery case and connect it by 3 cables soldered to the

contact in the battery chamber”. (forget the nice appearance.  😀 )

So, the battery (as they can be accommodated in the camera’s

battery chamber = Photo above middle) was half sticking out

of the camera, — still, this was the easiest adaptation.

= As long as it is fit to the purpose, just use it. Why not ?

So, Gordon is going to have a test shoot with 100 years old

Ensign Anastigmat Lens ! — Though, now-a-day, to have

a 8mm cine film processed and digitized etc is an awkward,

expensive and time-consuming business = I can not promise

when I can report and show the results here.

Good luck Gordon.

.

 

Funki Porcini @ NFT

Last night my friend, multi talented (video, music) artist,

Funki Porcini showed his new works at the National Film

Theater, Southbank, London.

First, B/W film was shown, which was a re-discovered, revived silent

Soviet-Russian film titled “My Grandmother” —–Funki put the

sound (today’s housy sounds) and made the film even more crazy.  😀

And showed some of his work, then the latest one

“Conservative Apocalypse”  (you better watch it)

He reviled some secrets behind, on frame by frame.

The end of the show, with a big applause, he was surrounded

by the audiences, or the questions, then we moved to the bar.

—– then I realized it was almost midnight.   Still it was quite

a worthwhile mind-boggling evening.

.

Ox’cart and the Fate

I found a Buddhist story in a Japanese website, a collection of small episode which was said to be told by Lord Buddha = “There was an ox’cart carrying heavy goods. The ox, who draw the cart everyday fed up the work, got an idea, if there was no cart there couldn’t be any work.

So, on a bend of the road, ox sped-up and the last moment,he sway and made the cart smashed onto a rock.   As the cart was smashed broken, no more work on that day.  Then few days later, the owner brought a new cart made by heavy iron. So that, the ox had to draw even heavier lord”— in this episode

Lord Buddha taught that if anybody does silly things, it would boomerang back onto the next life. —– interesting story though,I don’t think this story was genuine at all even if it was in the Mahayana scripture.

—— The reason was

1) Lord Buddha wouldn’t have said “Next Life” since his stance was Anatoman (No- Atoman = No perpetual soul/self) therefore there couldn’t be Next Life.

2) I don’t believe that there could be a cart made-up by iron exists which was affordable to a man of ox’cart in India, 2500 years ago.

3) Of cause, ox isn’t such clever. (Sorry, Mr Ox.   😀 ) This story must be a fake by a script-writer of much much later period when the idea of Hindu = Atoman and their belief of Reincarnation was mixed up into Buddhism. Obviously, as the Buddhist’s Sanga (follower’s community) had

NO CAST system, the idea of Reincarnation was not existed there.

How do you think ?

Ensign Lens Portraits

At WW gathering in Greenwich, while testing Ensign’s Anastigmat

lens on Gordon’s 8mm cine camera, I did some portraits shots

of the people there.

100-year-old lens was stuck on a bellows, on Canon 5D Mk-III.

(150mm F7.7 lens, focusing on a bellows wasn’t very easy)

— still, the camera like this makes the people smile.

Mike and John

James, Gordon and Paul

Mike, Albert and Roman

The hands (what else ?) 

Those pictures were the clopped cemter image of the 3″x4″ of

the image size, the quality was good. (Just like most of the lens)

(But as the image of this lens was too ordinary, it has no point to

chose this lens while an ordinary lens gives full auto and F2.8. 

😀 )

.

Ensign !

Oh my goodness, after 43 years, Britten leave the bunch of Europe.

—– After 43 years mean, a year before I came here, Brit joined EC.

It was just after the oil shock and the time Britten was in a doldrums. 

(Before North-sea Oil boom)

Still, something amazed me of this country then was that as the law 

was changed, the gay couple became eligible to have a council housing

like a married couple. (otherwise, single man was almost impossible

to get it in the priority queue = single mother, disabled, married with

children —- has higher priority) (Though, I didn’t know whether it

was due to the European regulation or trend of the human right issue)

.

Ensign is a national flag on the (battle) ship, so it symbolize somewhat

patriotic though I’m not talking about the politics here —– but

an old camera called Ensign made by the Houghtons, England.

Ensign Anastigmat Lens 6″ (?) F7.7

( A fog on the photo above was caused by a fungi and no coated lens)

Yet this is just a mediocre old camera made around 1910s and the

lens was a common anastigmat lens.  Nothing special or remarkable.

(If the lens was giving visibly too distinctive image, no one would

buy such camera.   😀 )

My friend Gordon wanted to use this lens to shoot on his

8mm cine camera. (so, I was asked to modify it to C-mount fitting)

The camera got the same design of the then trendy (!) folding camera

of a quarter plate size (4″x3″ = its contact print would make a post card).

The photo above left showed yet another old camera of the same era,

which I have talked about before.

The name of the lens Anastigmat mean, Ana (non) Stigmat (optical

aberration showing  cross-shaped ghost image) and designed to

eliminate not only Stigmat but also the other aberrations as well.

 (only in the certain level — just able to produce good enough

image = like the photo on top)

Strangely this lens doesn’t say what focal length — still, the maximum

F-aperture seemed to be F7.7 and the diameter of the lens is about

19~20mm —> 20 x 7.7 = 150mm —– and the 150mm lens for 4″x3″ 

size will make about 45° angle of view = good for full length portrait shot

on 2m distance.

.

To dismount the lens (together with shutter unit) it needs to use

caliper like tool from the back of the lens. (Photo above right)

Lens (and shutter together) was stacked on front of the bellows,

and 150mm lens for 35mm camera is a good telephoto lens.

—– but mind you, here only the center of the lens

= best part was used.

So, the image quality is not too bad other than the foggy halation

caused by the fungi.   But, neither the pleasing softness was there

— just an ordinary image.

.

People might have a false dream toward the old lens which could

create an archaic nostalgic image though, most of them would

make just ordinary image  only with foggy halation, caused by the

non-coated surface reflection if not a fungi. 

Because the visible difference on the image was created by the

uncorrected aberration which has to be (more or less) corrected 

except the very old primitive design such as the Petzbarl lens of

the Dageleo type era.     And, even if the lens happen to have an

aberration, it’s not apparent on the cropped center of the image. 

In fact, the false impression of the nostalgic image was made by 

the low resolution of the old film / plate, it may not be replicated

on a modern DSLR.

(Old film’s latitude was much narrower = shadow details lost but

with the halation inside of film emulsion, edge of the dark part

was eaten and together with the halation on the lens surface

made the image looks rather soft = created the image like a copy

of an old cinema frame = this is the reality of nostalgic image.)

c.

(Dirty) Battle on the Net

With a stereotypical crèche, we are implanted a myth that we are

bombarded by too much information in the net environment. 

And we can find ANY info’ by just clicking. 

—– DO you believe this ? —– As a matter of fact I did too.  

So, as my tablet as a mobile photo book, I’ve been explaining to

the new friends what I’m doing and told them “If you are

interested in, just read the blog itself.  And to find my blog, the

easiest way is just google < yoshi, Zappa> you can see this fish-eye

photo of Zappa and the links to my blog on top of the google page”

= So far it was a good instruction — I thought till few weeks ago. 

Then I met the same man and he said “I couldn’t find your blog”

— ? ? ?   = We realized that, (as he was using a browser  MS’s

Internet Explorer and its search engine Bing) on IE  the information

related to Google were completely missing. 

= On Bing, you can NOT find any WordPress blog, such as a search

term, not only <yoshi, Zappa> even <yoshizen blog> NO information

of my blog coming up there at all. (even after 10th pages)

Since I don’t like bullying MS (with their monopoly), I’ve been using

Fire Fox from the start, therefore I was not aware this trouble. 

(You can test this easily = You see the Search box in the Tool Bar 

on top of screen.   When you move the Arrow there, The choice of 

Search Engine, Yahoo, Bing etc will appears = Try each of them

with the Same Search Term)  

Obviously, MS is so desperate when facing their fortune is

slipping away = try to destruct Google in any mean.

(They haven’t reached the Point “If you can’t beat, join them” yet.)

It’s an ugly battle going on.

(Incidentally, I found that to search through the browser Opera was

not recognized by the WordPress = the count of the reading of the post

was not appeared to the WP statistics. — I have no idea why.

= I noticed this, when a man told me that he has read through all the

“Photography post” which got enormous number — still, nothing

appeared on the WP stats count.    Then I found he was using Opera.)

(Later, I tested the Opera my self while downloading it to my PC and

found = its depend on the condition when it was downloaded = sometime

work, other time not — try download again and check the function)

= It seems, strange battle is also going on behind the scene.  😀

(There must be the heavy negotiation of license, money etc etc) 

.

Prince William on Gay Magazine

After the discussion, HRH The Duke of Cambridge made the following statement:

“No one should be bullied for their sexuality or any other reason and no one

should have to put up with the kind of hate that these young people have endured

in their lives. The young gay, lesbian and transgender individuals I met through

Attitude are truly brave to speak out and to give hope to people who are going

through terrible bullying right now. Their sense of strength and optimism should

give us all encouragement to stand up to bullying wherever we see it.

What I would say to any young person reading this who’s being bullied for their

sexuality: don’t put up with it – speak to a trusted adult, a friend, a teacher,

Childline, Diana Award or some other service and get the help you need.

You should be proud of the person you are and you have nothing to be ashamed of.”

Attitude editor Matthew Todd says: “During my time as editor of Attitude I have met

parents whose child has taken or lost their life after being bullied for being LGBT+

or just perceived to be LGBT. I am very happy that the future King of the

United Kingdom agrees this must stop and I would urge parents in particular to

raise their voices in their communities to ensure that every school protects

– really protects – all children.”

This issue of Attitude magazine went to press on Wednesday 8 June, just days

before the devastating shooting in Orlando which saw 49 LGBT+ people lose their lives.

Attitude sends our most heartfelt condolences to those affected by this atrocity.

Around the world, LGBT+ people experience hatred and violence every day.

Such violence does not exist in a vacuum but snowballs from intolerance and bullying

that begins in classrooms, too often comes from politicians or religious leaders and

is often not treated with respect by the media.

——————————————–

(You may see the original article here)

http://attitude.co.uk/making-history-prince-william-appears-on-the-cover-of-attitude/

.

Being a photographer (or used to be) I have/had many friend who was

happened to be a gay.   Most of them were such as a hair stylist, designer

etc who was working in the creative industry —– but on the business,

(I mean photo shootings) no such things are the matter I neither care.

(Still I appreciate their gentle attitude and the care for the details.)

.

I myself is a so-called straight = only had relation with opposite sex

but, almost 30 years I haven’t touched a woman (only a shake hand).

(I would say “Enough is enough, no more thanks” = fundamentally,

sexual relation was designed to be quite unfairly = pleasure, the woman

can get, is comparable to have a trouble to have 10 months pregnancy

 

and the child-birth.  In comparison, a man’s pleasure is to release a shot,

still receive a blame etc etc of trouble. = What is the point to have one.)

Though, in the society, “If a man doesn’t have a woman he must be a gay”

= It seems, the people couldn’t think the third way.

.

When I was a regular of the Club, Fridge, Brixton, London where they

had “Escape from Samsara” every Friday — I was there for 5 and a half

years as I had free entry and the free drinks — since I was the best dancer.)

The club also had the gay-night = “Love Muscle” on Saturday night (but I

didn’t like the atmosphere = I stack to Samsara.)  Still time to time gay man

came to Samsara.  Though they are the very flashy people (wearing SM

string costume, exposing their bottom kind) I didn’t care at all, (it’s their

business, not mine)  When I was in the club (in fact in any club) I was there

for dancing, not for socializing, I didn’t speak with the cloud but only to staffs

(so, some of the people mistook me to an under-cover drug police, security,

even the real owner of the club !)  Then one night, a man with a SM costume

hugged me from behind and shake his thing onto me.  I twisted his arms 

and throw him out.  A member of the Samsara organizer, took the man inside

again saying “I’m a gay since I was 16” “I don’t care it’s your business”

“I have the exactly the same right, no to be harassed by the gay”  “OK, if you

don’t like I stop to come here — see what would happen”  — after I stop to

go Fridge club, strangely, every Friday was rainy, and the club floor became

empty.  6 months later Samsara bankrupted and a year later, Fridge was sold.

.

So, I don’t care who ever, what so ever your sexual orientation kind = leave 

me alone and I’ll leave you alone = Don’t expect me to treat you special.

 

Everybody born with their own Karma = So, everybody is different — AND

while finding somewhat common, we ARE living together by the “Majority”

consensus = Minority IS always there. Behind of 51% Majority, 49% of almost

the same size of the Minority is there.  If the Minority is asking the same right,

what is the point to have the Democracy.  The system was designed and

working when each part was functioning in cohesion.  To keep in coherent,

the part or person has to compromise otherwise the system disintegrates.

It must be the headache, when the each part of the system behaving

differently (out of cohesion) still asking  the same right and the same

treatment of the perfectly functioning system. (System is in debt already

— still the person “speaking” friendly words while living above the system

looks nice — to the untrained eyes.)

.

Fortune-line and the Bully

Many years ago, when one of my friend visited this country with

her friend’s daughter, I met them over a lunch. While having a

casual conversation such as the cultural shift in Japan, generation

gap kind of talking, I found a bit of odds in this young (yet over 25)

woman’s talk — I asked to see her palm.   Bang!

“Oh, what a stubborn woman!”   “Oh yes that’s who I am”

— My friend (my generation) said with surprise, “I didn’t noticed it.

You never behave in such a way” —– Probably before the senior,

young woman must behaved well, while

covering-up her hidden character which she must be well aware.

[]

The reason how I could see her true nature was, that she got

very strong so-called Fortune-line in the centre of her both palm.

—– Together with over 50 years of my own observations, what I

found about this line was, not necessary the success and the fortune,

still at least the urge of dominance and its assertion of own way was

quite prominent = simply, very bossy strong character.

In theory, this character could be an effective asset to push the

business or project to succeed but, the life is not such simple.

Want to dominate IS what the person WISH, though others to

accept it and to support, IS the another matter.

Whether the others follow and support the person should be clear

on the other lines, which was called Sun-line under the Ring finger.

One or two vertical lines started from the bottom of finger indicates

the person’s virtues respected by the others.

Without this respect, the dominance is just by the force (money,

position etc) therefore it was only superficial hence empty.

[]

Reading of line is always in relation to the other lines.

Between the Thumb and the Pointing finger, if the

Intelligence (Brain) line and the Life-line doesn’t start together,

the person got a different mind-set of what he/she was born to be

(= like believing to be other or want more.)   So that, when it happens

together with strong Fortune-line, it likely causes

the tension even trouble in the daily life.

(Try to dominate though, not necessary having such power or

influence let alone the leadership, yet still having a delusion or

dream of that “I can” — and harass the others who don’t follow

= is nothing but a trouble maker.)

[]

It is the remotest situation to my life, therefore far beyond my

imagination though, there was a news (time to time) that a young

mama committed suicide after receiving the harassment / bullying

from the mom’s group of a children’s nursery.

Living in the same area and taking the same aged children to the

nursery mean the moms are belong to about the same cluster,

more or less the same financial, social position (otherwise lives

much posh area and chose posh nursery or even having own

child-minder) = so, everybody is the same kind of “person” — yet

still, or because of that, somebody among the group try mount

the others and assert “I’m the boss”.

(It seems, the bullying among the children, mounting among the

social group, job front etc are almost the “Norm” in the human

society, regardless whether it is acceptable or not.)

[]

—-If anybody try to get rid of such Ego, Zen Buddhism could help

though, Zen couldn’t stop the others indulging the pleasure of bully.

It is the Irony = “Try better in Bully !” “Show you my power !” —–

So, when you encounter such situation, have look the palm of the Bully.

How rampant the Fortune-line is, and the Brain-line and the Life-line

were separated. = People behave as they were born to be.

That’s what the Karma meant = Parents, DNA, Family/Social

environment, Way of grown-up — but

NOT because the so-called previous life. (because, no such things exists)

= The palm lines were the reflection of how the Brain developed and

organized = and it was according to the DNA received from both parents.

(and the Fox-Gene’s rather chancy behaviour)

—– Human being is a fancy creature !

(though, I have not learnt of animal palm line yet =

Chimp might be having as fancy life as ours. = Bullying Chimp.  😀 )

.