Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Searchlights for the Soul

I often feel the presence of the Creator when I drive to play ping-pong and afterwards.  I always tune my radio to stations that preach the gospel and I, from time to time, heard amazing messages that astonish me in a special way.  (Strictly speaking, our feeling should not be the measure of God's presence, for which the reason is obvious.)  Pastor Lance Sparks among many other pastors impresses me greatly when I listen to his preaching.  Yesterday (Monday) I heard "The Talents, Part 1" of the "Searchlights for the Soul" series.  I would also like my friends and teachers (せんせい 先生 sensei) to listen to it and see what you think.  It is interesting that one can interpret Jesus' parables many different ways, perhaps the way you want it to be.  I heard people who are into making money (and into stocks, even) often cite this parable to support their zeal for doing investments.
Ping-pong talk:
After 40+ years of hard studying and playing, I am coming to play it "almost" right.  For people of no talent, there is no alternative except hard work.


"Searchlights for the Soul" series
http://www.ccc-online.org/resources/audio_searchlights.php

A ministry of Christ Community Church with Pastor Lance Sparks
http://www.livingword-online.org/

To listen to audio series click here "Searchlights for the Soul" series

Friday, May 17, 2013

中醫同學3才の写真 Oriental Medicine Classmate's 3 Years Old Picture

Picture taken in year 1999 compared to her 3 years old photo taken in 花蓮Hualien, the east coast of Taiwan.
About year1999 Soutb Baylo University 中醫實習照片acupuncture internship black and white photo (Nikon FE2) 。(對面即 across the street is Fullerton Sarang Church,正在興建under construction) 彭麗 Peng Li
Old Fashion Version

 彭麗3才の写真/3嵗照片 Peng Li 3 Years Old
 
Old Fashion Version
負片Negative Version
 

Friday, April 12, 2013

His Master's Voice

全世界最發燒的 とてもフィーバーである lo-fi  
With 3 feet (not a coincidence to be TRINITY) positioned closer to each other, the console can vibrate more freely (with less constraint) to deliver natural sound.  

Late 60s RCA VICTROLA 'New Vista' - 2013 New Look (2013-01-09)

RCA VICTROLA 'New Vista' with original 4 feet widely spaced apart  (2010-07-15)

Chinese made 12AX7 sounded as beautiful as Telefunken tubes.

Jolida vacuum tube CD player with a custom made pine top (2010-07-15)
Holes drilled through the top are to 'vent' some of the sound wave.  This makes the hi-fi unit sing.  The best analogy is steaming dumplings using a bamboo steamer versus a metal steamer.  The metal steamer is prone to trap water droplets that spoil the dumplings.

Custom wiring, all new electrolytic capacitors and 1% precision resistors (2010-07-15)

An accident (spring break 2012) occurred while relocating console feet .  Two power transistors and a 5 watt 1.2 ohm resistor, part of the amplifier push-pull circuit, were damaged.  In the early renovating stage, short-circuiting transistor legs also happened, resulting in the failure of 2 power transistors, one 5 watt 1.2 ohm resistor and the left channel speaker.  Past failure experience helped the salvage efforts.  However, it was really that the Lord gave me one more chance to bring the console back to life.  God gives second chances.  They say so.

New speaker (made in Spain) replacing the original left channel speaker (2010-07-16) 

Original right channel speaker (2010-07-16)


台灣山進 Taiwan Sangean Internet Radio, standing on 3 custom made pine cone feet (2011-06-16)

Comment on high fidelity (hi-fi) 

High cost and impressive cosmetics has little to do with the ability of  audio electronics to convey  the  stunning musical event  being sought after by the music loving audiophile.  Too often people are fooled into hearing through their wallets.  If a music system fails to  allow the listener to be overwhelmed by the the naturalness and emotional impact  of what it conveys, money may have been wasted .  Also, through any audio electronics; what is heard is only a facsimile  of the "live"  or studio event .  Presenting the most realistic, convincing, and enjoyable illusion  or facsimile is the key.  Only the best synergy of music system elements will yield  musically impactful  results.   By the way, much of the audio industry is banking on your dissatisfaction with what your music system presents.  Purchasing their expensive offering will get you "there".  Not necessarily! (4-11-2013)
 Mike M.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

我的生命旅程 My Life Journey 私の人生の旅

台灣彰化銀行經理 日式房子住宅 (彰化中學 高中二年級)
Japanese house occupied by Taiwan Changhua Bank CEO 
Changhua High School Junior 1965
Tatami たたみ 畳 is visible.  
That was how I studied in my high school days.
Haha, chiropractor will never approve that posture. 
台大新鮮人一九六七 Taita freshman 1967
Photo by classmate 吳桂林 Wu Kue-lin using a Pentax


陽明山台大招待所 (台大化工 大四) 
National Taiwan University (Taita) Guest House on Taipei Yangming Mountain 
Taita Chemical Engineering Senior 1969
Rockwell International Atomics International Division, Canoga Park 
Process Instrumentation Engineer 1976 
McDonnell Douglas (Flight Control Systems Analyst) 1986

Parade of Beauty and Talent - Taita Graduation 1970

55 台大化工女生畢業典禮 Graduation of Class of 55 Taita Chemical Engineering (Girls) 1970

Graduation of Class of 55 Taita Chemical Engineering (Boys) 1970

Friday, April 5, 2013

許可 Xu Ke (Taiwan Shu K'o or Shu Keh) (Japan シュィ・クゥ)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FooB1P3l7kM
二胡リサイタル 2012.06.30東京文化会館小ホール
12:30 HAMABE NO UTA 浜辺の歌

No exaggeration.  His 'HAMABE NO UTA' is the closest to the singing versions.  It is as beautiful as that played by the master cellists (below):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTIZ2yLp6eI
M,マレシャル チェロ独奏

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jtszPCUhI8&list=UUu31HWYGr1xqlBjnps3zs9A&index=10
Julian Lloyd Webber w/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

A brief story of
許可Xu Ke's musical adventure:

As a kid, Xu Ke joined a prestigious Nanjing Little Red Flower ensemble 南京小紅花, except he had to play the 3-string plucked instrument 三弦 because there were too many erhu players.  Xu said when he was studying at the Central Conservatory of Music 中央音樂學院 (1977-1982), he participated in the violin, cello, piano and conducting master classes (1978 Seiji Ozwa and 1979 Issac Stern visiting Beijing)even though the authority thinks those majoring in the erhu just work on the Chinese music and instruments.  He went with a Chinese music orchestra to work in Sheng-jun深圳 (1985), but he played the electric keyboard.  (At the time, I was corresponding with a 瀋陽音樂學院 Sheng-Yang Conservatory of Music graduate, who played the harp in the orchestra.  She wrote in a letter that there was an erhu player with the name of 許可.)  Xu Ke decided he might as well worked at the night club.  Then he mad a bundle.  With the money, he launched an erhu recital in Beijing and it was a success.  He was invited to the home of 劉天華Liu Tian-hua's nephew and was suggested also by Liu's daughter he would be the ideal successor of Liu Ten-hua.  He went abroad to study in Japan (東京芸術大学 Tokyo University of the Arts 1988).  He figured, at its worst, he could still make a living by playing the electric keyboard (he was wrong on this).  He played Chinese music in the 1st recital his friends helped organize and was deeply disappointed to find folks in the front row fell asleep, waking up only to applaud when the song was over.  That was the end of the erhu classic for him.  Meanwhile he noticed Japanese were into (fond of) western classical music and he would give it a try.  One (and the decisive one) opportunity came when a Japanese composer, producer and critic, who was friendly to China, asked him what he could play during a radio station broadcast.  He played the fast movement of  流浪者之歌Sarasate Zigeunerweisen.  So much impressed, the Japanese producer told him he would play precisely that song the next year with Tokyo Symphony orchestra (1990).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O8dzcEhXvo
Documentary of Xu Ke (erhu) in Shanghai 許可(二胡奏者)の上海における音楽ドキュメンタリー番組 Part II

The rest is history.


 

許可(シュィ・クゥ) 胡弓のメロディー
東洋のゆらぎと西洋のメロディーの邂逅
BMG Japan 2001 June 20