The Moon of 15th August

As I said, in the old Moon calender 15th August is always full moon. So, to have a full moon tonight was just a coincidence and I found her behind a tree at rather late 22:00.

—– I took the pictures of the full moon many times, using Tamron SP 500 mm lens. But I didn’t want to do the same on this time, so took a picture of her with a kind of ordinary lens = Leiz Elmarit P 50 mm F 2.8 projection lens (costed me £1) modified to use on the Nikon Z camera, because, it was not a very sexy image with fuzzy lens. —– And after I open a photo on a PC screen, I noticed that there was a reflection of my room on the window glass = Oh, no, I should have put light off. How careless I was. The moon of 15th August has gone and we never have another chance for re-take. (Next full moon is not the 15th August one) We have only one life.

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Hibiscus

When you hear the name Hibiscus, you may imagine a red flower in a travel brochure of tropical island. Yet still, a kind of flowers belong to Hibiscus group = in the Malvaceae family is amazingly common and flowering everywhere.

This is a Hollyhocks. (seems to be Althaea rosea)

—– incidentally, this plant is a sister of Marshmallow (Yes, that soft white sweets) = the sweets used to be made using a sap from the roots of the Marshmallow.

And this one seems Hibiscus synacus.

But this one seems to be a very different garden valiety though, still pretty like a Hibiscus.

And you may remember this small flower in a grass patch, like a weed desperately clinging to the ground. Still, this one belongs to the Hibiscus family.

It’s somewhat interesting to think about that what sort of the fate or history pushed this plant to cling and survived on a rather poor dry ground ? —– Was that only a niche she found ? (We all knows, life is hard — she must be a rather lucky one, as she has achieved to make a flower at least !) —– by the way, did you know that the Hibiscus plant is Cannivorous = in the night, their stigma catch and strangulates a small insct and suck their body fluid out. = That’s what I heard, but not know the truth.

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Scarlet Pimpernel (’19)

Photo above were taken by the NZ-B lens.

I might have put as many posts of Scarlet Pinpernel after Cherry flowers. = I got a soft spot to this flower since I was very young. Easy reading villain’s novels kind is quite popular among the Japanese young boys (along side the robot comics) so, they are from Maurice Leblanc’s Arsene Rupin to even Alexander Duma or Scarlet Pinpernel. Still, Until I came to the west, I never seen this flower. —– So, the first sudden encounter was rather shock to me, especially it was the most unexpected kind of the place like an unassumed corner of the grass patch.

The photos here, the left was taken by a homemade, so-called Yashica-Macro and the right was by NZ-B lens.

Scarlet Pinpernel is a strang flower. Even if I got their seeds (very tiny) they never germinates from its seeds. Neither they came out the same place next year. —– How they were planted there = who put the seeds there is totally in a mystery ?

And they are very sensitive to the weather / humedity = when it was hot and dry, they close their flowers. = to see, fully open flowers, you got to see them on the morning.

The size of this flower is about 7 mm, in other words, to take picture of this flower filling a ful-frame needs to have a magnification of x3~x5. The photo above, left was the homemade lens called NZ-B, covering infinity to x0.6 on the Nikon Z7 body. And the right was called Yashica-Macro, originated from a broken Yashica-Kyocera compact camera, (the lens barrel and a part of the lens were used) having a magnification of about x3. (The draw back of those homemade lens is, they can be used as a manual focus lens though, they don’t have iris = always fully open. = focused point is very shallow. —– don’t worry, I got number of ordinally macro lens as well. 😀 )

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NZ – B – lens

I wrote about NZ lens more than a year ago. Since then I haven’t go out with that lens often. Big bright lens is too big to carry in my pocket.

So, only the front element was recycled then. But, how about many other lenses ? In that 18~200 mm Nikon Zoom lens, there were 3 more groups of glasses were used. = When I tested, I found that the third group was fit to the purpose straight. = easy to make-up as a usable optics — I mean, for my purpose. (Left top is USM / Silentwave motor and the D was the diverging lens I used for an experiment “Retrofocus” as the front element.)

So, the third group glass together with its sliding barrel was just glued to the Nikon-Z mount ring. In this structure, the movement of the glass makes a focus from infinity to x0.6.

As you might have guest, this lens wouldn’t give any clear sharp image. = still, may suit for some subject. Wait and see. 😀 ( I’m serious)

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Sony lens myth (3)

Some time ago, I wrote about the strange behaviour of the Sony 30 mm F3.5 Macro lens when it was mounted on the other camera. (Sony lens moves their focus while the lens was not mounted on their Sony camera, = even without having connected to the power.

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In fact, I’ve written about the Chinese made NEX-NZ lens mount adaptor, in a postscript in the Homemade NEX-NZ adaptor post.

While testing this Chinese adaptor with Sony / Zeiss 55 mm 1.8 lens on Nikon Z7 camera, I noticed that this lens behaves same as to 30 mm F3.5 lens.

Those 6 photos above are the continuous shot showing how this 55 mm lens moves its focus when the camera was aimed to the outside. The lens moves its focus from Close to infinity then to very close again, obstructing anybody’s attempt to use the lens anywhere else of the Sony camera.

—– It is quite natural that the camera Co, hate other made lens used on their camera, but why they need to block their lens used / tested on the another camera ? — Is that because the lens needed to be used with their own correction program such as Chromatic, Distortion correction built into their image procesor ?

As I wrote it before, the most interesting question is, what kind of device or mechanism made such function works. —– the focus motor might be a silent stepper motor kind (but it makes some noise) though, what sort of the power back-up system maks its function keep working, —– how it retains the power without having the trouble of re-charge ? ? ? ? — small battery or super capacitor kind ? (Sony didn’t give any answer for those inquiry. — and I haven’t disassembled and checked inside of the lens yet.)

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Mindfulness sleeping ?

I found a net post where someone talking about Mindfulness sleeping —– what ?

Mindfulness is a misconceived idea somewhat related to Zen Buddhism. As it was invented in the west, there was no equivalent Japanese notion let alone Chinese or Indian idea. ( Hindu or Tantric practice has something similar, as their belief stands on the existence of the Atman = Perpetual mind — Buddhism stands on the belief of No existence of Atman = Anatman, hence Mushin and No Reincarnation)

So, it is bizarre enough to say “Mindfulness”in the context of Zen. To talk Mindfulness Sleeping is utter nuts. Such a silly notion could obstruct the sleeping but never able to make the person fallen asleep. —– There seems to be several technics such as to imagine your whole body top to bottom and scanning down next by next. —– You might be familiar with counting a sheep jumping over the hedge. (One sheep, two sheep — thousand one sheep — 😀 ) If you have any thought in your mind, it would just distract you to fall asleep. You are wondering around its thinking all night.

When I got into the bed I’ll be asleep within a few minutes. But if got something to think about, I get up again and sit before the keyboard and start drafting the idea. Unless otherwise, I’ll be fallen asleep = You might say how ? —– When you got into the bed = What you see for the last moment. = It might be a tangled bedding fabric over the pillow, or it could be a side lamp next to the bed. —– Whatsoever none of them is worthwhile to think about. —– yet still, when you close your eyes, the image remained in your eyes while the color or brightness reversed. Such an image has no value or meaning at all, so, it wouldn’t bother your brain either. And its image would sink down or dissolved away. When the brain found nothing to do, you just fell asleep.

Zen would teach you, don’t be bothered by a silly idea. Just close your eyes, it is enough to make you asleep. (When all about Zen is “Void” or Mushin (Mind of No-mind) who invented such a silly idea “Mindfulness” to focus particular image or thinking.) 😀 (It seems that the tendency of the Hinduism which want to theorize everything, couldn’t accept “No answer / nothing” = that’s why Buddhism was so revolutionary.)

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My Dictionary

This is my English dictionary which I’ve been using for the past 60 years. My brother gave it to me when I passed the hi-school enrollment. —– Since then this one served for me to know the meaning of the word, and check spelling etc.

(I’m changing the cover after 18 years of use.)

(It seemed people surprised to find that me not having Oxford = What’s wrong ?) —– They surprised me not to take drug, no alchol, no TV, no smartphone, no smoke, no woman, even not gay, yet still eat meat = and disassemble expensive camera = what’s wrong. (it’s not your business ) =

If I follow the way of the other people, I didn’t need to come to the Zen !

Inside, a small note was left that I got it 1960 when I was 15 years old. (15 years old boy started to use it 60 years ago and after 60 years still using it exactry the same way. = this was the reason why people don’t argue with Zennist.) 😀

I don’t think I’m proud to use one dictionary for all through life. In fact, there was a time that I was using SONY electronic dictionary which was very useful and convenient though, as it was based on the mini-disc memory system, mechanical instability hindered its use. = when it works it was brilliant but the trouble was, it didn’t work when I needed the most. —– and on the end of its life, it left the last epitaph “Please insert the disc correctly”. = Maybe I should have tried to get another Electronic Dictionary but it didn’t happen (no Akihabara in London, and I was not using Amazon then. = So, that was what it should have been and has bee as it was. —– In compalison, people struggling to get new one unnecessarily)

(I guess, maybe other people are using app dictionary kind on smartphone but that was what I hate most = I hate Google spy on my mail, eBay trace my type, taste etc etc Why they don’t leave me alone ? —– For them, I’m only a subject to squeeze out a profit and for me, they are only a necessary evil)

And awhile ago, I got a Thesaurus from Lidl for a whopping £1.5, my writing got a great sophistication and the eloquence. ( Ha ha ha 😀 )

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Walkthrough south of Themes

Photo taken by 110 Petax 24 mm on Nikon Z7

Photo taken by a homemade so-called ZM-2 lens on Nikon Z7

By ZM-2

I don’t know what this building for ?

Remain to be vulga might be a tradition of this area.

Where ever, whatsoever, at least we can see the sky. Thanks goodness.

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German Realism

There was an almost ending exhibition tytled “Magic Realism” at the Tate Modern.

But I’m not guiding you or work as a catalog —– you better find them.

It seemed, there was only one Paul Klee = counter part of Joan Milo ?

(Only this photo was taken by 110 Pentax 24 mm lens)

(And like all other photos, this one was taken by a home made so-called ZM-2 lens)

Human history has two drastic experiments, one was the Chinese Cultural Revolution, which destroyed all the culture and killed a population of 40 million for the sake of Chiarman Mao’s greed for power. And the other was the Weimar German Republic till the birth of Nazis when all the “Idea” was developed and tested in Art as well.

All the human issue, wemen’s issue was also discussed and argued.

I don’t know why when those hidden desire was unleashed, why they become to grotesque Hentai Images. Was that the face of hidden reality ?

But the most cynical irony was, even the most well designed democratic system couldn’t save the burden and the poverty from the war reparations, and push the country to even more disastrous rise of the Nazis. After all, all those distorted faces showed their pain. They were not a happy people. This true reflection was what the Realism mean.

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Southwark’s Built-in System of Harassment

I’m using a garage to store the junk etc. Then this time, the Southwark Council suddenly started to bully over its payment after 6 years of no problem.

In order to get the garage, since the charge have to be paied by Direct Debit, I gave my Bank details and they programed it into the system. —– As you can see, the DD has been made every 15th day of the month, until this Pay-day the balance would be accumulated to nearly -£100. But, this method was what they designed and applied. They are programing the system contrary to ther own rule which says “Pay in Advance”. —– Then they started to bully about it, saying that the payment has to be made in advance = Pay £100 now as it is in arrear. (In fact, they are the one who was not following the rule = not program to collect the Direct Debit for advance payment —– yet, to force them to change may need a Judicial Review which I did take in the High Court once before as a litigant in person.)

But this is not just a money game but their very tactics and the system to trap and harass the people. They are keeping this weapon against all the people who is using the regular Direct Debit Payment to the Council. = One day, anybody could become a target of their harassment with a pretext of “Your Payment is in an arrear”. How dirty. Is this the way to manage the public authority whos Leader is holding the Honour of OBE from the Queen ?

Why they started this fuss at this moment is, —– they or someone in the Council wants to intimidate me. In order to suppress the criminal scandal of which a Council officer asked me to hand my art piece while saying a fire safety and an eviction. Such serious matter has to go to the Ombudsman if not the Police. (I’m watching the best solution = there is no time limit for Ombudsman or Police — Local Government Ombudsman directed me to take this case to Housing Ombudsman.)

As the officer in question is well aware that there is no escape against the voice recorded evidence = desperately need to take any sorts of intimidation = hence creating and leaving even more evidence.

(So, the locals warned me the danger of phisical attack by the hired criminals. = As long as this officer remains in this area, intimidation would continue) For the sake of such occasion, the Council is keeping the trap as the useful tactics, and demonstrated its use such as this time = You know, how dirty and rotten those people are. — (Those tactics were invented by the “Strategic Group” in the center of the Council —– I heard it from anarchist / hacker friend who used to work for them)

(They are believing such a tactics would work — but not to me — Once I did stand against the President of the High Court with one and half hour of speach based on a hefty Skelton Argument etc.etc. ——- On top of an ex-climber, I’m doing the Zen, not talking or thinking.)

Procure a Bribe or Extortion ?

Following this story (extract from the letter to the Leader of the Council) ~~~

 ~ ~ ~ Because of the matter seems to be potentially explosive, I decided to write direct to you. The matter is a behavior of one of your staff Ms. N * * * * resident officer of  * * * Estate.

This woman started to visit me a year ago.   Since I’m not a British (Japanese / Ex-Journalist), live in this country since 1975 alone, (and now I’m * * years old) she might be worrying about what could happen when I die. So, asking me my emergency contact again and again (more than 5 times while all of my relatives are in Japan therefore no point to repeat the same question if not a cynical joke mocking me “know your lonely death” ) —– (You can check her past entry to her tablet or the report to her so-called manager)

~ ~ ~  Yesterday (21^st August 2018) she came again and made the same question with a pretext of a tenancy check. And asking me, if I found where to put my Art pieces, and said “Give me some” then started to mention that the fire and safety check would order to dispose my things as a fire hazard or obstruction to fire-escape, as I’m having a lot of half-finished sculptures or the material for those work. (On top of that, as I am a well-known photographer / camera critics, I got many cameras / collection of vintage cameras etc as well. )

Here the serious question is, is it your normal practice the council officer ask the tenant to give away the possessions under the threat of “Fire check” while hinting an eviction ?

Isn’t this nothing but an extortion ? Or asking a bribery isn’t it ? ~ ~ ~

(It seemed that the Leader of the Council handed the matter to the Strategic Director of Housing — and from him to the senior (or manager) of above mentioned Ms.N**** )

So the man came to my place to talk about Ms.N’s “Give me” matter though he only managed to say an useless character reference “She is not a kind of woman to say like that.” = Of course she wouldn’t ask him a bribe = He is her boss, not a tenant.  The trouble was this man was a kind of person telling me that the dead room plant was caused by me kept open the window. (and exposed the plant to the outside sub-zero air ! = What an ability this man got to fabricate a story, what an imagination ! = If it was the case, the temperature indicator could have gone down to a single digit and able to make my freezing story far more dramatic. —– While using costly electric heater against the Central Heating shut down when London had a snow, who needed to open the window ! )

When I mentioned that the conversation has been sound recorded.  He said it’s not legal to record without a permission. — Yes, same as a security camera, we can make a recording in our home unless it was made somebody else’s private moment like in the toilet.   As those council officers visit was a part of their official business, they can not claim a privacy.   Anyway, the officer’s words of Procurement of Bribery is in the public interest.  (in fact a criminal evidence) 

And what this man could utter was the same intimidation, the Fire and Safety check against my possessions.   (I’ve been having the same amount of possessions since I moved in here 17 years ago —– they only started to fuss about after Ms.N visited here a year ago = seemingly as a seer pretext of harassment. = And here it was used as a red herring. = The matter is not the safety issue but the Council Staff asking a bribe. )

—– So, seemingly the battle goes on. (I wonder how they can argue and escape from this situation ? —– But as a matter of fact, the Council may not able to suck a rotten apple because of a resistance from their Trade Union ( = They would say, it is nothing wrong to receive a present like between a good friend = why she has to be singled out ?.   And the council boss may not lose his pension because of this, anyway.)   Further more, even if the fire safety chief ordered me to remove my possession, they wouldn’t take costly Court action to enforce it.  And neither me needs to follow.  = So, on the surface, the battle may just goes on and rotten situation would just carry on = It’s a farce.       

—— I really wonder, isn’t any honest, decent people working in here ?  (Or is this an inherent culture in the south of  Themes ? —– as some cynics said = this is a home-grown Banana Republic where a bribe is the local currency.  

So, this is what goes on behind. And what went on behind the intimidation over the payment for the Garage.

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