Soft Effect by Double-Exposure = Cherry Blossom

This is yet another attempt to create an effect of  “Fire-fly floating in the air”  like image in the

Cherry blossom photo.  I think, this technique is better than Vaseline on the fish-eye lens  🙂

Cherry tree is the same one as before but after few days, it’s having more flowers.  

And the photography was done by double exposure with flashlight while changing the

focus and F-aperture.   (Hence, large halo of bokhe appeared around the center image.)

(Once, this technique was used by Minolta in their Portrait Mode by shifting the focus

during the exposure,  in order to give a soft effect )

This photo was in fact the first attempt with primary lens  (Canon EF 20 mm F2.8) ——

The trouble in double exposure while changing the focus is = the size of images also change. 

Hence, the off-focused image radially spread out of focused image.  = To compensate this,

I used the Zoom Lens (Canon EF 24~70 mm F2.8) so that, top two (it’s the same photo but just

clopped) photos, focused image and off-focused image was not exactly the same focal length.

—– it’s a nightmarish operation = to remember the same size on the view-finder,  yet still

a devil wind blow the flowers off position etc etc.  😀  😀

So, it was a fun with a lots of unpredictable elements and human-error.   

Life is a fun in deed.   Ha ha ha  😀

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Spy-Chips in a Net-Device

Past ten years or so, for my connection to the Internet, I’ve used most of the provider next

by next. = In another words, those provider gave me more trouble than a satisfying service.

The one gave me hidden charge, the another gave me double charge from their internal two

accounting system.   And another’s connection was so unreliable, or another’s setting has been

kept changing again and again which seemingly pressurised me to call their engineer to

sort out the problem with extortionately high charge. (= It’s their way to make money)

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And there seems a tendency, if the provider’s program is in the computer, it try to

connect even their device is not there, then if new device and its program try to connect,

a message appeared “Another device is using the connection, please set us as a default”

—– so that, I accustomed to remove the program of the old device.

So far it has been worked well except [Three G] = When I dis-installed / removed

their driver program, one file was stubbornly refused to go.

I thought it was a kind of their Ego to keep showing their foot print with their logo.

—– Though, few months later when I try to remove it again   (photo above)

When I clicked “Remove” a small window appeared which is in fact list of my selected documents.

=  It seems, if I remove this last remaining [Three G] file, all those files of my document could be

deleted as the elements of [Three G] file.

—– So, to avoid the risk, I had to abandon the attempt to remove [Three G] file.

= Then I realized that this must be the conspiracy which American Government,

Defense Authorities has warned, “As a risk of espionage had been

pre-programmed in the Chinese communication-chips —– Don’t use them”.

And they are quite serious = to an application of Japanese communication giant Soft Bank to

buy American communication company, American government gave a condition

“Provided, not to use Chinese equipment for the Mob-Phone Business”.

—– (If I connect my old computer to Internet, my files could be automatically

sent-out to Espionage Head quarter where tens of the thousands of their staffs

filtering millions of files from all over the world, to seek gold-dust. It is an

opportunist’s blanket theft.  To stumble good file, it would make a good sale.

Otherwise, why list of my documents needed to appear as the files of [Three G] =

I shouldn’t connect my old computer to the Net, unless I copy and remove

all of my files before-hand. —– Even though, there is no valuable file.  😀 )

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Pre-programmed spy-chip seems really existing, and it could be in your

net-device as well.

(My [Three G] Internet USB dongle was made by Huawei and the another

company the American has named was ZTE = both Chinese companies said to

be working with Chinese Army Intelligence Unit)

—– it’s another seriously rotten world.   😦

(Among the readers, any body knows about this matter, please put a comment here)

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Soft Focus Fisheye Images — Early Cherry Blossom

This Cherry opens its flowers much early than most of the others (Somei-yoshino variety),

so that, I think this is the Yama-zakura (Mountain Cherry) which is the same variety, 

I posted the photos before as [ Early Cherry Blossom ],  last year.

I wanted to photograph this flowers like fire-fly floating in the air.  Hence, use of  soft focus lens,

and a flash-light under the dim evening sky.   So, I put soft filter onto my Fish-eye lens though,

the effect was not enough. = I may need to try again with different tactics.  🙂

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Soft Focus Fisheye Image

My quest to the soft image, I tried a kind of soft  filter  onto my fish-eye lens.

= In fact, it was like a Vaseline on the lens and it was aimed to take photo of Cherry Blossom,

which you will see in the next post.

I think it wasn’t too bad.  I like double-density pinhole more though, pinhole on DSLR

wouldn’t give us wide angle image, so, this make-shift filter is a temporally alternative.

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Buddhism = Science

—————————————————————- ( Buddha 2009 )

While giving a thought to the well known established notions in the Buddhism, after

Lord Buddha’s teachings, such as “See the things in Clear eyes” “Detachment”

even “Selfless mind” then “Don’t believe, but Think yourself” and the fact that

Lord Buddha did ignore the question which was beyond our scope (unknowable),

such as what about the after-life or what is the structure of the universe.

(Stark contrast to other so-called Guru who pretend to know by telling the made-up stories.

—– Who does ever know about the next life or heaven or hell, not mention perpetual soul.)

= I realized, isn’t this, What the Science is ?    Or the attitude to be a Scientist.

When Enlightened man told the truth, he dare to tell groundless story.

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“Right thinking” meant to be nothing other than a Rational thinking.

See the things with Clear Eyes meant to be “See the FACT”, and “Think

YOURSELF” meant, it shouldn’t be any enigmatic special belief but the

Truth which can be comprehensible in anyone’s rational thinking.

As all the factual phenomenon follows the rationalism, anybody knows,

Nothing appeared from nothing.   Nothing happens without cause.

—– Based on the facts, and with the way to observe and analyse it in

strictly objective and rational way, then deduce the truth, is THE Science.

In this process, there shouldn’t be ANY bias of personal thinking, judgement,

preference or special belief = it got to be absolutely Detached from the SELF.

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Truth is independent from any person, let alone anyone’s Fantasy. =

Whether you believe or not, it’s there. —– This is the Science and what

Lord Buddha taught.   (Yet still he was aware of notoriously unreliable our

perception, he spent great deal of his teachings to deal with this matter and

found a technique to eliminates the cause by way of the practice which lead

a person’s mind to a state of  Mushin.) =(This is the core of the Buddhism)

Therefore, if there is so-called Buddhist’s teaching which say anything other than a fact

and beyond the rational comprehension, it is not his original teaching. (Only a problem was,

in this world (in the Dharma) there still be the Unknowable exists.  There is a sect called

Tantra has been trying to deal with it without any tangible answer —– If they could give

any reliable result, they could have been employed by the Pentagon or Russian KGB though,

on the history, deeply spiritual noble “Third eye” which said to be in contact with the Dharma,

still not able to predict such as Earthquake even a single occasion. = If science can’t handle nor

Buddhism can.)  So that, any fancy stories were later invention only to glorify Buddhism.

Buddhism is to Enlighten a person, beyond the personal Life and one’s Mind is out of scope.

What Lord Buddha taught was, how to get clear eyes to see the truth in the life

by get rid of the dubious belief and the delusion, by emptying the mind

(get Mushin), not to trap into yet another dogma.    Dogma is not a Science.

Truth is like a dry skeleton, it has no decoration. —– and needn’t to be. 😀

(This is why my Buddha 2009 is bare minimal skeleton and the head is a clear

void which reflects the Wheel of the Life.  And the heat keep moves its pattern

continuously = never stay the same = This shows what the Dharma is.)

___/\___

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Still Blooming = Perpetual Cherry

This is the same Cherry tree,  I’ve shown you three times before, but always out of season.

Last time, it was a month ago.   And since then it kept blooming without a brake.

In order to highlight the flowers,  this time I photographed her with flashlight.   🙂

But for the reference, the photo above, center is without flash.  And right photo is another

ordinary cherry tree which shows no sign of flower yet — may be takes another 2 weeks ?.

This tree never in full bloom still,  always some (20% ?) = so far, continuously blooming

since last October,  November.  —– Now, the end of March, its mean even Kan-zakura

(Winter Cherry) is in the end of the season.  = in other words, this tree is different from

any other variety = This is the Perpetual Type ?  🙂  — Beyond this time, I should keep

watch how this tree does in the Summer. (I should have done it in the last Summer.) 

As you might noticed,  I was totally fascinated by this Cherry tree.  😀

What caused her to keep blooming continuously ?  (It’s not weather or sunlight.  So, What ? )

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PS:  Now in the middle of April, this Cherry is in full bloom.  🙂

More photos and the comment on this post.

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What is Natural or Not-Natural

The photo here was the Pears sold in a supermarket in Beijing, China.

In a Chinese myth, there said to be a fruits shaped in a human baby which

takes ten thousands years to ripe, and anybody lucky enough to eat it

acquire 50 thousands years of life.

(This story appear in that well known “Monkey story” (西遊記) as well 🙂 )

—– So, a clever Chinese farmer created this to sell them with premium price. 🙂

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Of cause it is not natural at all.

In fact pear fruits were made to grow in a baby-shaped cast.

In an old days, Chinese had a custom to restrict the growth of the girl’s foot with tiny

shoes to make her foot small —– so, it was not a new idea in their culture.

In comparison to recover the oil from the sewerage, an idea to make money

out of cast pear is not too outrageous nor dangerous to human health.

(if we don’t question the mentality itself)

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In fact, there are many strange unnatural agricultural products exists in the world.

—– You might have seen a Pear in a bottle of alcoholic drink. = You must be

wondered how the pear was inserted in the bottle.

It was produced by a way, inserting a fruiting branch of pear-tree to

a bottle, and made a fruit to grow inside.   At least those fancy products

having novelty value. = it must be nice and a fun for a Birthday party. 😀

———- ( Banana with Seeds / Photo from Wikipedia )

Human has been created many new products in the history.

Seedless banana is the one name but few. Banana used to have a lots of seeds inside.

I’ve seen them only once in my life though, the species itself is still existing.

Seedless banana, huge Maze seeds (in comparison to such as rice, corn, Maze is huge) 

and Wild-rice which doesn’t drop to the water when harvesting, were said to

be the top three great leap in the human agricultural history which had been

achieved thousands of years ago.

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Most of those products, the creation of new variety was done by natural mutation and

the human has been selectively breeding them and they become common.

Hence, the fruits and the vegetables were becoming larger and sweeter etc.etc.

Though, with the advancement of the science,  we human is resorting many new

technique to produce a mutation of the species in artificial ways.

= many seedless varieties were created by multiplying the number of the chromosome

by use of a chemical called Colchcine from a Liliaceae Colchcum plant. = because of the

abnormality of the chromosome they become infertile = seed couldn’t be produced, so,

we no longer need to bother the seeds in the grape kind.

In fact, Broccoli, Cauliflower are a kind of cancer in the vegetable body.

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—– So, how natural you want to eat ?   As the campaigner is shouting, you might

be conscious about the manipulation of the gene = GM foods.

Yet, we have been eating many products of which gene or chromosome has been altered.

With loud campaign or obvious strangeness, we may react with emotion though, the most

unnatural phenomena is that the over-grown human population keep exploiting this planet.

This must be the trickiest and the hardest question we have to face.

(Soon or later)

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Zen in Action (2)

When I got New Window fitted in my flat, apparently builders has made a lot of mess which

has not been cleared.   Those mess, wood chips, fragments of concrete pieces etc. went into

the drain pipe and blocked the rain water then created a puddle on the balcony.

= I’ve tried to unblock the drain pipe by a 2m rod without success therefore I contacted them.

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So, I’m waiting them to come and clear the problem.

Though, I’m not expecting everything rosy and perfect.   Their men might be prepare to

deal with drain pipe blockage —– but may not anticipating the 3” deep water which could

cause a mess to my floor. => I prepared a cardboard and a door-mat on the floor.

This is the Zen in action.   (You believe or not — read further and see)

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Zen is a way to respond the situation on front.   Which is directly relevant

to our life.   Get upset or angry is very remote from the Zen.  It’s need a cool

detached mind, and never imagine or expect others do more than reasonable.

(though, drain blockage is their responsibility and it is beyond my capability).

Still, their wet boots will cause dirty foot-marks inside of my flat = is definitely my problem.

Anticipating the situation down to a detail = is the Mindfulness of the Zen.

And give an insight what those people most likely do, in real situation. 

Therefore, expecting too much is nothing but a Selfish Ego and the Greed.  

And to expect others too-much will creates only a frustration =  better not.

This is the way to have trouble-free life and the peace of mind.

= Zen is neither escape into imaginary world and indulging a useless puzzle, 

but to live a real LIFE in a better way.

Samurai Sword was created by the Psychological Vector = endless aim to get

the job done better and stronger, by one step further, which took hundred of

years to reach to the level of the strongest sword in the human history.

So, they come —– but they did most of the work from the other end of the drain pipe.   😀

= Suddenly, within few minutes, all the water has gone !

Grateful to the professionals who knows better than me. = I’m humbled.   🙂

—– You see, this is the Zen = in Action.  Peace of mind has to come from the

peace in trouble-free Life, not by escaping into imaginary green forest kind.

Neither, it is a way to curb mind-set and blur the vision, but take tangible action.

If the Zen was just sitting and talk abstract,  the Zen quality Japanese products, 

let alone  Samurai Sward were never be created. 

The reason why Zen has been misconceived in the west was, that it was taught by 

monks who got no skill to do anything but just sitting, yet able to speak in English. 

Zen is to DO and to LIVE, not for a subject for a talking shop or spiritual fantasy.

Convinced ?  —– Have a tangible nice day.

___/\___    🙂

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Boob Job = It works for Bottom as well !

This wire-mesh sculpture is called Nike after the Nike of Samothraki  hence she got no

head, and the wings which are going to be mounted on its vertical shafts (and flaps !),

haven’t been finished yet.    As this figure has been hanged from the ceiling nearly

10 years,  visitors include the builders who came to fit the windows, wondered how

I made this. —– I always made a joke it was done by Shiatsu = just push by fingers = the

more I push, her boob grow larger and larger.   😀

Wire mesh is not a soft iron.   Rather hard to shape by the finger alone though,  as this flat

is just for ordinary residents,  I can’t make a noise by hammering. 

So that, what I invented was [Boob Enhancer] = place a wire-mesh between the caps or

small bowl and give a strong pressure to form a cup.   It worked amazingly  well.   😀

For this purpose,  I bought many different size of cups — large one can be used to shape

the bottoms as well. (I haven’t figured out which one is human equivalent of  D-cup yet.  :-))

Original tool was a kind of DIY cramp,  but it was used reverse direction = instead to push, 

the bar is pulling,  hence pulling the wire-mesh inward or to see from out-side,  a boob was

pulled out from the flat chest. = Therefore it is literally Boob Enhancer.   😀 

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As I wrote in the post  Supponpon (Aluminum panel sculpture), to design and to have

appropriate tool is essential,  especially if it was for a totally new kind of technique.  

And to conceive the idea to design,  open-eyed free thinking is the must.

Cramp was already there and most of the work has been done by the manufacturer,  hence

a small modification was what all I needed. 

—– without this tool, my wire-mesh sculpture couldn’t be the same.

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Window Work

As the main cause of my recent junk-mountain trouble, the tough-guys appeared to

fit the new windows.

There is an obvious reason to be a big hulky guy —– first, to remove old window and

its frames —– with sheer brutal force.  😀    (Less than an hour, 4 windows had ripped out. )

And new double-grazed, framed windows were fitted in machine like efficiency.

(Of cause, they’ve been doing the same for hundreds of the windows.  🙂 )

So, this is it —– yet, the Door fitting,  Asbestos panel removal,  new Electric cabling

etc.  still to come.    So, I’m still in a chaos to shift the mountain right to left again.  😀

While windows were removed,  strong wind has blown through the flat which made me

feel standing chilly outside.    Though, next day,  may be thanks to double grazing,  room

temperature is two degrees  higher than before. = visible benefit is here. 

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Yet still, with funny practice, people keep higher heating while keep the window half open

= not much Energy saving.  (Because of  an Area heating system,  residents having boiling hot

water and regardless how much use of central heating,  bill is fixed = not cheap though.)

It was a legacy of the left-wing council = same ideology of Communism = expecting the people

to have rational mind and keen to work together for the common benefit. 

Unfortunately, man doesn’t behave like that.  Disintegrated society doesn’t have one Ethos.

—– Still, to make up so called positive friendly text saying that “We were born with good

nature hence we can live friendly happy world”  is easy, and may attract more reader to a Blog

though it is just an empty sweet words.    Real solution and the Enlightenment has to come

from  facing the situation straight with clear eyes —– or to know how  greedy and silly we are. 

—– Sorry, I’m a pessimist.  (I don’t see rosy world. —– that’s why Buddhists call it Samsara.) 

I need a blind or to get new curtain at least.  😀

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