Afraid of the Dark

Do you know Thomas Edison was afraid of the dark? I don't know that too. I know that you all knew who Thomas Edison was but I am going to give him a brief introduction anyway.

He was an inventor, scientist, and businessman who developed numerous devices that greatly influenced life around the world. Example of his great invention includes the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb according to wikipedia.

Thomas Edison will always be remembered as the man who gave lights to everyone during the darkest hour on earth. He originated the model and implementation of electric-power generation and supply to homes, businesses and factories. It was a crucial development for a modern industrialization. In fact his many inventions were crucial to modern civilization. He was born on 11 February 1847 at 3 a.m. in Milan, Ohio. Yes! You would have guessed it right. The man was a Ding Fire Day Master, further enhanced by the fact that he was born at wee hour in morning in total darkness. It represents the image of beautiful candle. To be exact two candles, a friend star. The other Friend Star, Ding Fire, on the Year Stem also combined with the Ren Water, Direct Officer Star, to form wood. The wood in turn fed the Fire again which resulted a continuous smooth production cycle. This signified a good reputation that last forever not only for Thomas himself but also his Friend. Do you know who represented the other candle in Thomas' BaZi?

Thomas, Ding Fire, being born in the spring season indicated a strong Day Master. The season also supported the transformation of Ding Fire and Ren Water combination into wood. The wood represented Direct Resource Star to Thomas Edison. The Resource Star was played a very important role in Thomas Edison's BaZi Chart. The Star represented the mother figure and mentor to Thomas. Thomas Edison's mother played the role in home-educating him after he spent 12 weeks in formal schooling as the teacher could not stand Thomas persistence questioning. The Direct Resource Star also explained Thomas fondness in reading, studying and a thirst in acquiring knowledge. The influenced of his parents eventually lead his preference to independent self instruction rather then seeking a formal education.

The Direct Resource Star, Jia Wood in the Yin Tiger, also influenced what he did most of his life. He researched, experimented and perfected many of other people invention as well as his own like light bulb, telephone, phonograph, electric railway, iron ore separator, electric lighting, and other developing inventions. The Jia Wood also saw his creation and invention diversified into many areas which range from utilities, media, entertainment and transportation. The core value of all his invention and development was the Ding Fire, his own-self element. The Fire element represented the futuristic innovation and scientific invention. Many of Thomas invention also made living life easier. The Eating God Star, Ji Earth, found in Chou Ox and Wei Goat made him strife for perfection in his every work and his tenacious experiment over and over again until it gave result.

Besides an inventor, Thomas also proved to be a shrewd and highly competitive businessman as indicated by the hidden Seven Killings Star, Gui Water, in the Chou Ox. In some of the case where a direct competition fails to give result, Thomas opted to combine or merge with the other parties.

In the case of the light bulb, Joseph Swan, a British inventor, obtained the first patent for the same light bulb in Britain one year prior to Edison's patent date. Swan even publicly unveiled his carbon filament light bulb in New Castle, England a minimum of 10 years before Edison announced to the world that he invented the first light bulb which was a perfect version in comparison. Swan took Thomas to Court for patent infringement and he lost the suit. Thomas was forced to name Swan a partner in his British electric company. However, Edison managed to acquire all of Swans' interest later.

In working relationship, Edison had promised Nikola Tesla $50,000 if he succeeded in making improvements to his DC generation plants. Several months later, Tesla finished the work and asked for the payment, and Edison only said, "When you become a full-fledged American you will appreciate an American joke." Nikola Tesla immediately resigned thus ending their working relationship in a negative manner.

In the competition of the used DC power system produced by Thomas's power plant while his competitor, Westinghouse, the used AC system, Thomas manipulated the public opinion into thinking that the AC power was unsafe for household usage. Edison's bid for the sale of his electrical chair was a tactic to have the Westinghouse system of electricity chosen by New York government for the electric chair for execution of criminal. Edison's plan succeeded as the Westinghouse electric chair was selected over his model but he did not anticipated as Westinghouse's chair failed in the first execution. However, he succeeded as the public flocked to use the DC system. It took few years later for the public to realize the benefit of AC system.

When a great competitor, Thomson-Houston Company, emerged as another dominant electrical innovation company through a series of mergers led by Charles A. Coffin, Thomas chose to merge the two companies to form General Electric Company because as both businesses expanded and it became increasingly difficult for either company to produce complete electrical installations relying solely on their own patents and technologies.

There were few years that were of great importance in Thomas Edison life as an inventor:

In his early years, Thomas already developed hearing problems due to scarlet fever and recurring untreated middle ear infections. His hearing was further worsened by a powerful bowl struck by an angry train conductor at the side of his head. In the five element hearing come under the metal element which represented the weakest element in Thomas' BaZi as the chart was governed by the spring season. The only metal in his chart was the Xin Metal found buried inside the Chou Ox. In Thomas' BaZi chart the Chou Ox [Day Branch] actually clashed with the Wei Goat [Year Branch] activated by the Luck Pillar Xin Chou [Luck Pillar]. The Xin Metal revealed on the Stem represented his hearing deterioration during that period.

Thomas Edison leaved home to seek his fortune around the age 15 without any success as the Luck Pillar Geng Zi which combine with Chou Ox and harmed Wei Goat. In 1868 [Wu Chen], he came home penniless and found his parents in an even worse predicament [Chen Dragon and Chou Ox which was his home palace formed a destruction relationship]. First, his beloved mother was beginning to show signs of insanity while his father had just quit his job and the local bank was about to foreclose on the family home. It was a turning point in his life as Thomas immediately came to grips with the dire situation. He decided that the best thing he could do was to make some serious money. He applied and was accepted for a permanent job as a telegrapher with the relatively prestigious Western Union Company in Boston. The most important factor, however, was the fact that Boston was considered to be the hub of the scientific, educational, and cultural universe at his time like the Silicon Valley in California during the dot com era. It became the base where he learned and researched most of his pioneer projects. It opened doors and offered opportunities to this young inventor who just started the journey of his life.

In 1874 [Jia Xu] in the Luck Pillar of Ji Hai, with the money he received from the sale of an electrical engineering firm that held several of his patents, opened his first industrial research laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. In this Luck Pillar, the Hai combined with Yin Tiger to form Direct Resource Star while the Stem revealed the Ji Earth. This indicated that his research and experiment bear a successfully results. In that year the Jia Wood, Direct Resource Star, was also revealed on the stem indicating that he had further plan to expand on his research development which was non-other than starting his own laboratory. You would have noticed the Xu Dog formed the bullying punishment in his chart together with Chou Ox and Wei Goat. The bullying punishment was filtered by the Ji Hai Luck Pillar which may not be such a big deal but it rather end up in a funny way. The story was that he was so astonished with the large amount of money he received from the sales of his patents and invention that he nearly fainted. He was also convinced that no bank would honour the large cheque which was the first "real" money he had ever received for his invention. He walked around for hours in stupor and staring at it in amazement. Fearful that someone would steal the money he laid the cash out on his bed and stayed up all night, counting it over and over again in disbelief. A wise friend told him to deposit it in a bank the next day and to just forget about it for a while.

Still in the same Luck Pillar in 1877 [Ding Chou], his invention of phonograph made him famous. This achievement was so startling by the public at large as it appeared almost magical. Thus, Thomas Edison became known as "The Wizard of Menlo Park," New Jersey, where he lived. The Ding Fire, Friend Star, represented admiration from the astonishing invention [Chou Ox and Wei Goat clashed out the Friend Star].

In 1878 [Wu Yin] still in same Pillar, Thomas Edison formed the Edison Electric Light Company in New York City with several financiers, including J. P. Morgan and the members of the Vanderbilt family. The following year, Thomas Edison made the first public demonstration of his incandescent light bulb on December 31, 1879, in Menlo Park where he said, "We will make electricity so cheap that only the rich will burn candles." In 1880 [Ji Mao], Thomas Edison patented a system for electricity distribution. This two year marked the importance venture into distribution of electricity. The Wu and Ji Earth represented Thomas' products, and Mao Rabbit and Yin Tiger represented connection to every household in a wide electrical network system. Imagine the tree branching out to wide number of area.

In 1892 [Ren Chen] in the Luck Pillar of Ding You, Thomas Edison's corporation, Edison General Electric, merged with Charles A. Coffin's Thomson-Houston Company and General Electric was formed. The Luck Pillar revealed a Friend Star indicated competition as well as partnership in the same instance. It was not an easy one because the You Rooster and Chou Ox was the half combination of metal which cuts into the Intellectual Property of Thomas, the wood element. Hence, profit was earned in a highly competitive environment. The Chen Dragon which can be viewed as the competitor invention was in destruction with his, Chou Ox. The saving graced was that the Ren Water [Annual Pillar] was pulling the two Ding Fires together, hence, result in the formation General Electric as the two businessman saw the increasing difficulty to operate a large scale of electrical company with different patents and invention. In 1896 [Bing Shen] in the same Luck Pillar, General Electric was one of the original 12 companies listed on the newly formed Dow Jones Industrial Average and still remains till today with a record of 114 years. It was an acknowledgement that General Electric was a strong bluechip company. What better represents the strong financial background of General Electric with the confidence of the shareholders than the Wealth Star, Geng Metal in Shen Monkey, and the Rob Wealth Star, support of the shareholders?

In 1931 [Xin Wei] in the Gui Si Luck Pillar, Thomas was at the very first multiple unit of the electric train implemented by Lackawanna Railroad that departed from Lackawanna Terminal in Hoboken, driving the train all the way to Dover. The entire project was under Thomas Edison's guidance. The Gui Si Luck Pillar indicated his acquaintance with many high status and important people of his era with Seven Killings on top of the Rob Wealth Star. The Xin Metal indicated wealth while the Wei Goat his Eating God represented his electrical train project invention. The Wei Goat also clashed with the Chou Ox in the home palace indicated a short travel away from home by land during the implementation of electrical trained.

However, in this Luck Pillar the Gui Water clashed into his Day Master prevented the transformation of wood to take place while the Si Snake harmed the two Yin Tigers on the Hour and Month Branches which was vital resource to the candlelight, Ding Fire. It was an indication of his deteriorating health. In the same year of the electrical train implementation which was a Fan Yin to his Day Pillar, Thomas Edison passed away on 18 October 1931.

Recognizing that his death marked the end of an era in the progress of civilization, countless individuals, communities, and corporations throughout the world dimmed their lights and, or, briefly turned off their electric power in his honour on the evening of the day he was laid to rest at his beautiful estate at Glenmont, New Jersey. His legacy will continues marked by the Fire Luck cycle at the ending stage of his life which supported his Day Master. Thomas Edison, Ding Chou, represented "a shining city upon a hill." He had achieved exactly that and more.