dg meets world

Just ran across this enlightening article:

ENOUGH with the masks already! インフル予防効果のビミョーなマスク着用は不要 (by Adamu, May 15th, 2009).

DEAR JAPAN - YOU DO NOT NEED TO WEAR MASKS IF YOU ARE NOT SICK OR PARTICULARLY AT RISK FOR SWINE FLU!!
In Japanese for clarity:

日本の皆様へ：豚インフルエンザを予防するには、マスク着用の効果は低いのである。これはＷＨＯの発表でも明らかであり、日本の各メディアでマスクの推薦は、十分な裏づけがあるとは言えないだろう。

[...]

English translation:

People of Japan: Sanitary masks have little effect in preventing swine flu. This is clear from WHO reports and indicates that the Japanese media’s recommendations to wear masks do not have sufficient basis in fact. [...]

Like I said many times before: stop overreacting! It’s not helping the issue!

You are just being used!

Worst of all is the uncritical recommendation of masks by the Japanese media (as can be currently seen on the Asahi.com front page), flying in the face of WHO recommendations. Considering that the pharmaceutical companies (who make the masks) are ubiquitous advertisers in the media conglomerates (this blogger caught a documentary with one drug company executive laughing his ass off at how easy it is to sell masks), it is probably difficult to push back if it’s suggested that masks are the answer.

And here is another thing.

My girlfriend just wrote me about another stupid thing. Apparently the university where she is working just canceled their participation in the annual NAFSA (homepage) which is held in the USA. Of course, swine flu is the reason behind this idiotic decision.

I bet my life that right now, if they could, they would reestablish 鎖国 (sakoku, lit. locked country, or chained country), ie lock up the country, so no one can get in or out. And all those who trespass regardless will be shot. There, problem solved.

BTW: Here is a nice little list of things the Japanese paranoids have done so far. And it provides the prove that one can catch the flu even without going abroad.

Those unlucky enough to enter the country on a plane containing a flu carrying passenger will be forced to undergo 7 days of quarantine if they happen to be seated within a risky distance of the flu carrier.

Oh, and we have racism, too!

Josai International University had to cancel an academic conference because it was feared that its international guests would cause flu infections.

And I just have to comment on this one!

A panel of experts believes the virus may already be spreading throughout Japan. Those who may already be infected may not show symptoms for several days, and when they do, they will have likely spread it to other unsuspecting victims.

TOLD YOU!

But, the most perverted thing is that they started “to kill” everybody who does not follow mass hysteria!

Three high school students and a teacher from Osaka who were the first people in Japan confirmed to have the new flu have become the target of malicious phone calls and e-mails, local board of education and municipal officials said Friday.

[...]

“A few people called us to express their sympathy for the students, but the majority of the calls were spiteful,” said a spokesman in the city’s crisis-management division, adding that many were critical of the patients for not wearing protective masks during their stay in Canada.

[...]

“One of the schools has been receiving 20 to 30 calls of complaint a day,” the spokesman said, noting some of the comments were too horrible to repeat.

“Many people (who called the schools) criticized the students and teacher without really understanding their situation,” he said.

(via Japan Times)

QED: People are stupid.

PS: Here are some German information about the whole flu mess.

Update: A shopping area was not very crowded, and many of the people shopping were wearing masks.

Hilarious!

via Reddit: This is called the “PenisTron”. There are 24 magnets. A fascinating insight into the mind of an inventor.

I think I want one. Or maybe not.

My girlfriend sent me this link to an interesting article.

In fact, I found it so interesting I thought I might give it a try and translate it. Took me roughly 2h30mins. Yeah, I am not the fastest, but that may be because I am a rookie.

在日中国人が見た「日本の会社の8不思議」—中国ブログ

2009年05月07日05時41分 / 提供：Record China

在日中国人が見た「日本の会社の8不思議」—中国ブログ

[3日、日本企業で数年間働いた経験のある中国人が自身のブログに「日本の会社の8不思議」を紹介。外国人から見た日本の会社員の不思議な実態を詳細に記している。写真は05年四川省成都市で開かれた「中日友好都市フェスティバル」。]

2009年5月3日、日本在住の中国人が書いたブログ記事が中国各紙に転載されて話題になっている。
ブログの作者は北京出身のシステムエンジニア。数年前から日本で暮らし、日本の会社で働いている。彼は自分の職場で不思議に思ったことを「日本の会社の8不思議」と名づけて紹介している。

1つ目は、女性社員が若いこと。20代がほとんどで、30代はごく少数だ。

2つ目は、男性の天下であること。給料も出世のスピードも男性が圧倒的に有利である。

3つ目は、社員が会社のしきたりや決まりを厳守すること。朝礼や合宿、社歌斉唱などは当たり前で、これをしなければ社員とは認められない。

4つ目は、英語が聞き取れず話せない社員が多い。でも英語の文章は書けるし、読めるのだ。

5つ目は、コーヒーをやたらに飲むこと。

6つ目は、髪の毛を七三分けにして、ダークスーツを着ること。皆同じ人に見えて誰が誰だかわからない。

7つ目は、社員同士の飲み会が多く、しかもほとんど割り勘なこと。

8つ目は、「心のままに従い、道を外すことがない」こと。

礼儀正しいのも、規則を守るのも、その場の空気を読むのも、出しゃばらないことも日本人にとってはすべて当然のこととして身についているのだ。
これら8つの不思議について、日本には「寿退社」や「カタカナ英語」があることや、ストレス発散のためにタバコやコーヒーが手放せないこと、個人よりも集団を大切にする民族であることなど、1つ1つに詳しい説明を加えている。

via Livedoor ニュース

And here is my attempt at a translation. Thanks to my girlfriend for some corrections and proofreading

The 8 mysteries of Japanese companies as seen by a Chinese living in Japan - A Chinese blog

(Text under the photo)
[May 3rd. A Chinese guy who has the experience of working at a Japanese business for several years published "The 8 mysteries of Japanese companies" in his own blog. The mysterious reality of Japanese employees as seen by a foreigner is written in all its details. The picture shows the opening of the Chinese-Japanese city-friendship festival 2005 in Chengdu, the captial of the Sichuan province.]

May 3rd 2009. A blog article written by a Chinese guy living in Japan was published in every Chinese newspaper and became a hot topic of conversation. The author of the blog is a system engineer from Bejing (Peking). He lived in Japan for many years now and works at Japanese company. He named the facts he introduces, which are what he thinks is mysterious at his own workplace, “The 8 mysteries of Japanese companies”.

#1: Female employees are young. Most of them are in their twenties and only very few are in their thirties.

#2: It’s a guy’s world. Guys have the overwhelming advantage at both payment and the speed of their career.

#3: Employees have to strictly observe and follow the rules and traditions of the company. The morning meeting and training, the overnight training, the unison singing and so on are taken for granted and you won’t find a single employee who doesn’t follow those rules.

#4: There are lot of employees who can not understand or speak English. But they can read and write English texts.

#5: They excessively drink coffee.

#6: They have their hair parted on the side and wear a dark suit. Because everybody looks the same you don’t know who is who.

#7: There are many nights out drinking with fellow employee, besides they often split the cost evenly.

#8: “Follow what the heart tells them to do and do not overreact, or stay low profile no matter what”.

For Japanese people it is natural to be accustomed to all those things like to be polite, to follow the rules, to act with others, or not to try and stand out by acting differently*.

About those 8 mysteries one by one a detailed explanation is added, like in Japan there are “leaving the company because of a happy event**“, “Katakana English” or that they can not leave cigarettes or coffee alone because of stress, or that people value the group more than the individual***, and so on.

Bold: I had some problems with #8 and the terms でしゃばらない and 寿退社, but thanks to my girlfriend, I think I solved it.

* I translated it with “to be able to read the atmosphere and to be unobtrusive” but IMHO my girlfriend’s suggestion reads way smoother.

** means, espescially for the women, the following: “Quitting for marriage and become house wife - the ultimate goal many girl dream of, or the main reason to work after the college”. But, that is, quite frankly, way to long so I left my original translation in there.

Actually *** should read “They see so much value of being/doing the job as a group and individuality is not widely permitted or welcomed.” according to my girlfriend, but I leave it as is, because it reads smoother than the correction while still carrying (nearly) the same message. But that’s probably just my opinion.

Please post corrections or improvements in the comments. Thank you.

And here, for your entertainment, the computer translation:

Chinese residents saw “eight wonders of the Japanese company” - China Blog

3, 2007, in his blog a few years experience working with Chinese companies in Japan, “the company’s eight wonders of Japan” in Japanese. Has written extensively about the strange situation of foreign companies from Japan. 05 photos are held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, “China-Japan Friendship Festival City”.

2009 May 3, has been reprinted in newspapers talking about the China blog written by a Chinese living in Japan. Author of the blog is a systems engineer from Beijing. Lived in Japan for several years, companies are working in Japan. I wondered that he was in his office, “the company’s eight wonders of Japan” have been named and introduced.

First, that young woman. Almost 20 teenagers, a few 30s.

Second, that the world of men. The overwhelming advantage of the speed of advancement and salary men.

Third, to adhere to the conventions and rules of the company’s employees. Morning meeting and training, and in unison singing is natural, and that employees should not be permitted.

Fourth, many employees do not speak English but聞KI取REZU. But the write English sentences, they can read.

Fifth, drinking coffee frequently.

Second six, divided by the 37’s hair, wearing dark suits. I do not know who is who people look alike.

7 It is, among many party members and most of that split.

Eighth, “Follow the left heart, there is no way to remove the”.

It’s polite, and keeping the rules, and also the atmosphere that is unobtrusive for the Japanese to learn about it all as a matter of course.
For eight of these wonders, in Japan, “left Longevity” and “katakana English” and that it not be able to do for cigarettes and coffee, stress, and make the most of the ethnic group rather than individuals, One has to add a description.

provided by Google Translation Service