2012/01/31 (Tue) Went to bed at 0:00. Slept from around 0:30-7:20 (7.5 hrs). 0:23, an electric shock to my head. At 0:28, electric shocks to head a few times. Had a straight more-than-7 hour sleep for the first time in months. Felt good in the morning. Did household in the morning. Because I did not have feel that the next door neighbor was going to bother me, I thought of staying and working at home all day today, but remembering the experiences in the past that being bothered in the end when I decide to stay home, I went out.
Did more than the whole week’s job that can be done without PC at the fast food restaurant, where I stayed from around 13:30 to a little past 21:00. I was going to leave after staying there for four hours, but the atmosphere became very good, people talking comfortably, and stayed another four hours, although most people were gone one hour later.
Bought a vegetable, made a copy, and came home around 21:30.
Trying to go to bed as early as possible.
2012年1月30日月曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/30 Went to bed at 0:40 Slept from 1:00-4:30 + 6:30-9:00 + 98:30-11:00 (3.5 + 2.5 + 1.5 hrs). When going to sleep, no strange sound was heard but my ears hurt, so I wore earmuffs. 4:27, woke up to an air-conditioner-like noise. I took off the earmuffs and three seconds later the noise stopped. Took stomach medicine and wore the earmuffs again and went to sleep. 5:09, a car-engine noise woke me up. I took off the earmuffs and the noise stopped. 5:35, an electric shock. 5:38, a rather big fit of my upper body. 6:04, en electric shock to my head and a noise Goh from below. After this till probably 6:30, incessant electric attacks. 9:25, en electric shock and flashes in my eyes. Incessant electric attacks for about 30 minutes after that.
Unlike other days, the construction site was not noisy today, although people were working there, and I slept in to 11:00. (This reminds me of Mondays in the autumn and early winter last year…)
I have a 5 o’clock class at Shibuya today. I’m going to drop by the fast food restaurant at my station on my way as usual.
Left the office around 19:00, came back to my station around 20:00, stayed at the fast food restaurant till 22:00, bought food at the supermarket, and came home a little before 22:30.
Trying to go to bed before 0:00
Unlike other days, the construction site was not noisy today, although people were working there, and I slept in to 11:00. (This reminds me of Mondays in the autumn and early winter last year…)
I have a 5 o’clock class at Shibuya today. I’m going to drop by the fast food restaurant at my station on my way as usual.
Left the office around 19:00, came back to my station around 20:00, stayed at the fast food restaurant till 22:00, bought food at the supermarket, and came home a little before 22:30.
Trying to go to bed before 0:00
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
Slept from 2:00-6:00 + 9:00-9:30 (4 + 0.5 hrs). Went to bed at 1:30. Electric shocks till I fell asleep around 2:00. 1:33, an electric shock to head. 6:11, game sound form the next room. 7:54, electric shock to head. 8:54, blinking flashes in my eyes. Woke up by the alarm. Eyes were flashy.
Left for TOEIC a little before 11:00. Came back from TOEIC to my station around 4:30. Stayed at the fast food restaurant and worked from a little before 17:00 to probably 18:30. Tried to sleep twice but could not. Bought food and came home around 19:00.
Left for TOEIC a little before 11:00. Came back from TOEIC to my station around 4:30. Stayed at the fast food restaurant and worked from a little before 17:00 to probably 18:30. Tried to sleep twice but could not. Bought food and came home around 19:00.
2012年1月28日土曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/28 (Sat) Slept from 1:30-4:00 + 6:00-7:00 + 8:00-9:30 (2.5 + 1 + 1.5 hrs). Went to bed a little before 1:00. Wanted to read but did not in order to sleep earlier. Incessant strong electric attacks to my head (shooting sensations) till I fall asleep probably around 1:30. At 4:00, game/car-like noise and stomachache woke me up. Both of them stopped around 4:30. But a car-blast loudly continued. 6:02, Strong beam-like sensation from my right ear to left ear. 8:17, a quick electric noise which sounded like Nintendo, like that of level-up, in the top right region in my head. 9:35, a big fit of my whole body woke me up.
Between 6:00 and 7:30, there was a loud noise on my balcony and later I found that the dish on which I had put food for crows last night had fallen down to the parking lot and broke into pieces. The food had gone. I do not know what happened. Probably the crows pushed the dish off the balcony for some reason. They usually take only the food away. Maybe the food was frozen to the dish.
Worked at Yotsuya from 13:30 to 18:55. Left school around 19:30. Had a stomachache and bought medicine on my way back. Stayed at the fast food restaurant from 20:40-21:20. Did grocery shopping and came home a little before 22:00.
I take TOEIC tomorrow. Trying to go to bed early.
Between 6:00 and 7:30, there was a loud noise on my balcony and later I found that the dish on which I had put food for crows last night had fallen down to the parking lot and broke into pieces. The food had gone. I do not know what happened. Probably the crows pushed the dish off the balcony for some reason. They usually take only the food away. Maybe the food was frozen to the dish.
Worked at Yotsuya from 13:30 to 18:55. Left school around 19:30. Had a stomachache and bought medicine on my way back. Stayed at the fast food restaurant from 20:40-21:20. Did grocery shopping and came home a little before 22:00.
I take TOEIC tomorrow. Trying to go to bed early.
2012年1月27日金曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/27 (Fri) Slept from 1:50-2:40 + 5:30-9:20 (1 + 4 hrs). 1:19, electric shock to head. 1:34, a fit of left ankle. 1:45, a fit to the right knee and an electric shock to head accompanied by a sound Goh from below the floor. Woke up around 2:40 because of stomachache, which lasted for a few hours and subsided after massage to my ears. 4:30, the game/car-like noise. A car-blast-like noise around 5:40 and I wore earmuffs. A while later, the car-blast noise louder and could be head through earmuffs. When I took them off, the noise stopped. Hot milk made me sleep.
Headache when I woke up, but stopped in a few hours.
Worked at home all day. There was a middle aged male voice, very loud and vulgar, in a strange tone of satisfaction, coming from the construction site opposite my apartment all day. This is rare these days, so I’m just recording it.
I thought of going to the fast food restaurant late in the afternoon, but had a stomachache again and gave up. I got well when I took a bath.
I’ve found ear massage good for tired eardrums as well as for stomachache…maybe it works for the same thing.
Headache when I woke up, but stopped in a few hours.
Worked at home all day. There was a middle aged male voice, very loud and vulgar, in a strange tone of satisfaction, coming from the construction site opposite my apartment all day. This is rare these days, so I’m just recording it.
I thought of going to the fast food restaurant late in the afternoon, but had a stomachache again and gave up. I got well when I took a bath.
I’ve found ear massage good for tired eardrums as well as for stomachache…maybe it works for the same thing.
2012年1月26日木曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/26 (Thu) Slept from 1:10-5:40 + 9:00-10:20 (4.5 + 1.5 hrs). At 1:04, a big fit of my lower body. Around 5:40, a car-blast that sounded like the game/car-like noise which often bother me lasted for about 20 minutes, not loud but annoying. At 7:40 a fit of my hand. At 8:58, blinking flashes in my eyes, which were closed, woke me up. I shifted my head to a lower place on my mattress, and in 10 minutes or so the blinking stopped. A big fit of my stomach followed a while later. At 10:20, Big fits of my body twice woke me up.
Downloading was as fast as before all day today even before the NTT person came. I felt as if the sluggish state of the past one month had been a nightmare. No problem was found in my computer. The NTT person changed the routers and the splitters, and the speed became 300 mbps faster. But it seemed that the difference was not the critical factor. Anyway, I have no problem in downloading anymore, now.
Downloading was as fast as before all day today even before the NTT person came. I felt as if the sluggish state of the past one month had been a nightmare. No problem was found in my computer. The NTT person changed the routers and the splitters, and the speed became 300 mbps faster. But it seemed that the difference was not the critical factor. Anyway, I have no problem in downloading anymore, now.
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/25 (Wed) Slept from 2:30-5:30 + 7:30-11:00 (3 + 2.5 hrs). A few fits when going to sleep both times (2:30 & 7:30). Game/car-like noise around 5:30.
Funny feeling when I was washing dish cloth, doing English pronunciation training (13:40-14:00), and using PC (14:00-14:50). After using PC I felt the noises in my head loud and wavy. Eye fatigue all day.
Called NTT and found my ADSL line is as slow as “1 mega” according to the person who checked the line. They will send someone to my place tomorrow afternoon to see what is wrong. After the phone with the NTT, a YouTube video (TYT news) was being downloaded as fast as before for a while (20 minutes or so), then the speed became slow again.
Went to the fast food restaurant to work on my students essays. Stayed there from 16:00 to 19:30 or 20:00. I tried to sleep for 30 minutes but couldn’t sleep. Had a slight fit in both legs.
I felt funny in the head twice. I felt as if some pulse was hitting my head and looked around each time. ―I also had the funny feeling on Monday, during the class. I was in Room A, reading the sample essay with my students and the pulse like feeling started coming to my head from behind. I moved to the spot in front of the door and the feeling stopped.―
Funny feeling when I was washing dish cloth, doing English pronunciation training (13:40-14:00), and using PC (14:00-14:50). After using PC I felt the noises in my head loud and wavy. Eye fatigue all day.
Called NTT and found my ADSL line is as slow as “1 mega” according to the person who checked the line. They will send someone to my place tomorrow afternoon to see what is wrong. After the phone with the NTT, a YouTube video (TYT news) was being downloaded as fast as before for a while (20 minutes or so), then the speed became slow again.
Went to the fast food restaurant to work on my students essays. Stayed there from 16:00 to 19:30 or 20:00. I tried to sleep for 30 minutes but couldn’t sleep. Had a slight fit in both legs.
I felt funny in the head twice. I felt as if some pulse was hitting my head and looked around each time. ―I also had the funny feeling on Monday, during the class. I was in Room A, reading the sample essay with my students and the pulse like feeling started coming to my head from behind. I moved to the spot in front of the door and the feeling stopped.―
2012年1月25日水曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/24 (Tue) Slept from 1:40-5:00 + 7:30-10:10 (3.5 + 2.5 hrs). Went to bed around 1:00 and tried to sleep around 1:30. Electric shocks and fits when trying to sleep both times. Game/car-like noise when I woke up around 5:00. Crows did not wake me up. When I was lying thinking about crows early in the morning, I heard one of them make a call meaning there was food, and I fell asleep relieved…
I know it is bad to feed birds. I will stop feeding them … as long as they do not ask me to. But they will anyway… :)
Went to Chofu and had a private lesson (17:30-18:50). Next week, I don’t have a class on Tuesday. Next class is on February 7th (17:30-18:50).
Left the school a little past 19:00. Came back to my station a little past 20:00. Stayed at the fast food restaurant from 20:15 to 22:00. Bought some food and came home around 22:30.
〉I know it is bad to feed birds. I will stop feeding them … as long as they do not ask me to. But they will anyway… :)
Seriously, I will (stop feeding birds) at night and early in the morning.
--- On my way back, when I was on the train for Shinjuku at Chofu station, it was delayed. After the announcement was made, I yawned several times. A high school boy looked shocked to see me yawn. Sorry, if I offended you. It’s not just because I am always really very sleepy because of more than 5 years of sleep deprivation―I sometimes get worried to imagine what if the first thing I would do to see f is to fall asleep because of relief…Well, anyway, another reason is that my yawning when train delays might have become my habit. Because it seems to have been going on for more than 8 years that―although I try not to take it personally―when I’m in a rush (like when I leave home earlier because I want to talk to f before work) or I’m using a different line at a different time on a different day, the train is delayed, very often, more often than can be taken as coincidence. So, I have gotten this habit of yawning when the train delays when I want to get to my destination quickly. I also sometimes yawn when I see someone enjoying harassing me. Meanness is boring… Anyway, the delay was only 4 minutes and I made up for it by rushing up escalators twice, once hopping on to the second step. ;) ---
I know it is bad to feed birds. I will stop feeding them … as long as they do not ask me to. But they will anyway… :)
Went to Chofu and had a private lesson (17:30-18:50). Next week, I don’t have a class on Tuesday. Next class is on February 7th (17:30-18:50).
Left the school a little past 19:00. Came back to my station a little past 20:00. Stayed at the fast food restaurant from 20:15 to 22:00. Bought some food and came home around 22:30.
〉I know it is bad to feed birds. I will stop feeding them … as long as they do not ask me to. But they will anyway… :)
Seriously, I will (stop feeding birds) at night and early in the morning.
--- On my way back, when I was on the train for Shinjuku at Chofu station, it was delayed. After the announcement was made, I yawned several times. A high school boy looked shocked to see me yawn. Sorry, if I offended you. It’s not just because I am always really very sleepy because of more than 5 years of sleep deprivation―I sometimes get worried to imagine what if the first thing I would do to see f is to fall asleep because of relief…Well, anyway, another reason is that my yawning when train delays might have become my habit. Because it seems to have been going on for more than 8 years that―although I try not to take it personally―when I’m in a rush (like when I leave home earlier because I want to talk to f before work) or I’m using a different line at a different time on a different day, the train is delayed, very often, more often than can be taken as coincidence. So, I have gotten this habit of yawning when the train delays when I want to get to my destination quickly. I also sometimes yawn when I see someone enjoying harassing me. Meanness is boring… Anyway, the delay was only 4 minutes and I made up for it by rushing up escalators twice, once hopping on to the second step. ;) ---
2012年1月24日火曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/23 (Mon)
I might be assigned to substitute and have a class (19:00- 19:50) after the 5 o’clock class today.
Went to bed a little before 0:30. Slept from 1:00-7:00 + 8:30-10:00 (6 + 1.5 hrs). Electric shocks to my head around 0:50. At 1:03, a shock and fit to my knee accompanied by huff. Pain in the back of my ears when woke up around 7:00. At 8:20, a fit to my lower body and a huff. At 8:28, a fit of my ankles.
No strange feelings now (15:02).
Had a class at Shibuya in the evening. I did not have the substitution class in the end. Came back to my station probably around 20:15. Stayed at the fast food restaurant till a little past 21:00. Bought some food and came home around 21:30.
I might be woken up early by crows tomorrow because it is snowing. Since I fed them on a morning of heavy snow two years ago, they seem to have taken it for granted that I supply food on a snowy day.
It’s 0:34. Trying to go to bed as soon as possible.
To f,
It’s cold! Take care… :)
I might be assigned to substitute and have a class (19:00- 19:50) after the 5 o’clock class today.
Went to bed a little before 0:30. Slept from 1:00-7:00 + 8:30-10:00 (6 + 1.5 hrs). Electric shocks to my head around 0:50. At 1:03, a shock and fit to my knee accompanied by huff. Pain in the back of my ears when woke up around 7:00. At 8:20, a fit to my lower body and a huff. At 8:28, a fit of my ankles.
No strange feelings now (15:02).
Had a class at Shibuya in the evening. I did not have the substitution class in the end. Came back to my station probably around 20:15. Stayed at the fast food restaurant till a little past 21:00. Bought some food and came home around 21:30.
I might be woken up early by crows tomorrow because it is snowing. Since I fed them on a morning of heavy snow two years ago, they seem to have taken it for granted that I supply food on a snowy day.
It’s 0:34. Trying to go to bed as soon as possible.
To f,
It’s cold! Take care… :)
2012年1月23日月曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/23 (Mon)
I might be assigned to substitute and have a class (19:00- 19:50) after the 5 o’clock class today.
(The rest is on the record dated 24th. http://junglecrowsister.blogspot.com/2012/01/supersonicelectronic-weapon_24.html There are two records dated 24th but the rest of the record of the 23rd is the first one. I made the record late at night on the 23rd but the time I put it on the web was already early hours of the 24th.)
I might be assigned to substitute and have a class (19:00- 19:50) after the 5 o’clock class today.
(The rest is on the record dated 24th. http://junglecrowsister.blogspot.com/2012/01/supersonicelectronic-weapon_24.html There are two records dated 24th but the rest of the record of the 23rd is the first one. I made the record late at night on the 23rd but the time I put it on the web was already early hours of the 24th.)
2012年1月22日日曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/22 (Sun) Slept from 2:00-6:30 + 8:00-10:00 (4.5 + 2 hrs). Electric shocks when going to sleep. Also, a varieties of shocks and fits that persisted when trying to sleep again, one of which caused a fit of my head. When I woke/woke up around 10:00, a game-like noises was rather loud. Teeth felt funny, eyes flashy, noises in my head a little loud and wavy, and feeling of after-concussion after I got up.
It is now a little before 16:00. I’ll go to the fast food restaurant to get some sleep. I have been working till now but my brain does not work well. Swallowing things feels strange and I’m very sleepy. I think my sleep will be disturbed tonight again. So, I think I cannot help.
Slept for about 30 minutes (17:30-17:55) at the fast food restaurant. A weak shock in my head when I woke up. Worked till 20:00, bought food and medicine and got home around 20:30.
It is now a little before 16:00. I’ll go to the fast food restaurant to get some sleep. I have been working till now but my brain does not work well. Swallowing things feels strange and I’m very sleepy. I think my sleep will be disturbed tonight again. So, I think I cannot help.
Slept for about 30 minutes (17:30-17:55) at the fast food restaurant. A weak shock in my head when I woke up. Worked till 20:00, bought food and medicine and got home around 20:30.
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/21 (Sat) Slept from 3:00-4:48 + 6:30-9:38 (2 + 3.5 hrs). Around 2:49, A shock to my head. At 4:48, A big fit of my right leg which shook my whole body. At 4:51, A fit of my left fingers, which were placed under my face. At 4:57, noises in my head were loud and wavy, which became suddenly quiet at 5:01.
Worked at Yotsuya from 13:30-19:10. Left the school around 19:30, came back to my station around 20:45, stayed at the fast food restaurant till around 21:30. Came home a little before 22:00. Now typing this around 0:42. Trying to go to bed as soon as possible though I might read…
Worked at Yotsuya from 13:30-19:10. Left the school around 19:30, came back to my station around 20:45, stayed at the fast food restaurant till around 21:30. Came home a little before 22:00. Now typing this around 0:42. Trying to go to bed as soon as possible though I might read…
2012年1月20日金曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/20 (Fri) Slept from 3:00-7:30 + 7:30-8:30 + 8:30-9:21 + 9:21-10:26 (4.5 + 1 + 1 + 1 hrs). Went to bed a little before 0:30 but incessant electric attacks to head prevented me from going to sleep. At 0:45 A big fit of my butt which shook the whole back of my body. At 1:00, I gave up trying to sleep early and got up, when a sound of somebody moving came from behind the wall of the next room. Surfed on the Net without purpose and drank hot milk and tried to sleep again around 2:00, when a noise which went Won Won Won Won continued for a while. It was loud when I was lying but when I got up it was hardly recognizable. At 2:29, beam-like sensation in my ear and a fit of my left hand, which was placed under my body had a fit. At the same time, a sound Gohn came from below. After that beam-lake sensations came several times. At 2:44, my upper body had a big fit. At 7:30 and 8:30, my head had a big fit. At 9:21, my right foot had a rather big fit. At 10:26, I woke up with either an attack or the sound from the construction site.
When cooking breakfast, I had a funny feeling in my head and teeth.
Now it’s a little before 14:00, I’m going to leave around 15:00 for the 19:00 lesson in Chofu It is a little bit early but I want to escape rush hour, and it’s snowing anyway…
---To f,
I hope you are fine, wishing you health and good luck. :)
When cooking breakfast, I had a funny feeling in my head and teeth.
Now it’s a little before 14:00, I’m going to leave around 15:00 for the 19:00 lesson in Chofu It is a little bit early but I want to escape rush hour, and it’s snowing anyway…
---To f,
I hope you are fine, wishing you health and good luck. :)
2012年1月19日木曜日
Class Supplement, TOEFL Essay, One single object that represents your culture - partly rewritten -
Writing Topic
There will be an exhibition in which every country in the world is represented by one single object. What would you choose to send in order to represent your country in the exhibition? Why would you choose that object to send to the exhibition?
☆Let’s think
For example, tea ceremony is not an object but a cultural activity while a huge teacup used in tea ceremonies is an object. Sushi is rather a food than an object. You cannot place a sushi in a showcase at an exhibition because it is perishable. A sushi replica which is placed in the window of a sushi-bar is an object that could represent Japan. A Toyota car or a Nintendo game machine is a single object that probably symbolizes Japan because those machines are the cream of our world-famous high-technology and Japanese culture.
A copy of The Tale of Genji cannot be the answer because its physical aspect, an object made of paper and ink, hardly has Japanese properties even though the content is a famous Japanese story that is considered to be the first novel in the world. Manga or anime is not an object but a form of Japanese pop culture or art.
Now, if carefully put, a copy of manga could be an object that represents Japan. It is true that its essence is the content, which is intangible and so is not an object, but still a copy of manga is really Japanese. Its physical characteristics and its existence itself reflect Japanese culture. The neat appearance of manga－the glossy cover and elaborate print－and its drawings, originating from Ukiyo-e woodprint, which can depict nuances of feelings are uniquely Japanese. The contents are not simple superhero stories but those which tell you or share with you something about life, people, or small things that count in daily life. Also, manga is full of word play, trivia, and other devices which show Japanese common sense, general knowledge, and tradition. Moreover, putting so much energy into producing just a comic book shows a tendency to be meticulous about rather nonessential or transient things for daily use, as seen in our treatment with other things like cell-phones with many functions and Japanese gardens, one of whose features is patterns on the sand. Last but not least, the fact that the word manga has become an English word shows that it cannot be replaced with the word comic and that its existence itself reflects some distinctive part of Japanese culture.
☆Ideas and expressions
♦industry: high technology, craftsmanship
→ related objects: Toyota car , Sony Walkman, Nintendo game machine, Asimo
♦history and geography: isolated itself until 1868, militaristic/warlike, an island county
→ related objects: katana, tools to take fingerprints of foreigners at the airport
♦culture: the samurai culture, group-oriented, sensitive about feelings, polite, neat/well-organized, (extremely) punctual, well-disciplined, obsession with cleanliness, extremely aesthetic, detail-loving
→ related objects: katana, a large bowl for tea ceremony, high-tech toilet, a manga comic book, cell phone, kimono, furoshiki, kotatsu foot-warmer, miniature food replica, a lunch box set
Shuriken, Hina dool, Japanese sweet, Japanese stationery
その物が象徴する日本の特徴と共通する特徴を持つ他の事物例
☆The structure of the introduction
Perhaps writing a good essay introduction is most difficult for writing-test takers and the least energy should be spent on it during the TOEFL iBT essay writing, where you have to brainstorm, work on the structure, and develop each paragraph well, while minding your English, in 30 minutes. Therefore, making it a habit to begin an essay with the main idea and the summary of the body is the best and the most that most of us could do. However, if you have some time to spend on the first paragraph to make it more impressive, following its basic structure would be a good idea. Here is the basic structure of the introduction:
The basic structure of an essay introduction:
The hook: The first sentence which is put in a way to make the reader interested in your essay.
The explanation: The explanation of the background of the hook.
The main idea: The sentence which introduces what you want to say in the essay.
Examples:
a. ≪simile or metaphor≫
The hook: The impact of the computer is like that of electricity.
The explanation: Supply of electricity has totally changed all people’s lives, from dark to light, from tiresome to easy, or from unthinkable to possible, and opened a new era.
The main idea: Computers also have transformed the world dramatically into the one where we can no longer live without them, different lifestyles and new things are created, and more democratic society is possible.
b. ≪quote≫
The hook: Mark Twain said, “It’s easy to quit smoking. I’ve done it hundreds of times.”
The explanation: This shows that it is almost impossible for many smokers to quit smoking.
The main idea: To ban tobacco is to make many of these poor tobacco-addicts, including such great authors as Mark Twain, criminals. Thus, I am opposed to making smoking illegal.
c. ≪enigma or Zen≫
The hook: A heavy smoker’s family loses him twice.
The explanation: Long before he dies of a disease which seems to be related to this unhealthy habit of his, when they realize that they are helpless in making him quit smoking, they start a silent but desperate mourning of his early death. It is the same sadness that they share with families of drug addicts. It is the sadness to see him die day by day.
The main idea: Still, this is actually a minor aspect of the tragedy of tobacco. Even though it might be difficult to put in practice because of smokers’ feelings and economic circumstances, cigarettes should be made illegal to protect younger generations and to solve the problem of second-hand smoke.
d. ≪satire≫
The hook: No one would remember anymore that there was a best seller entitled “Japan as Number One” only three decades ago.
The explanation: Not only had we made a rapid recovery from the defeat of WWII, we had become the second biggest economy in the world, but now we are in decline.
The main idea: To represent the past and present of my country, I would send a SONY Walkman to an exhibition where every country in the world is represented by one single object.
e. ≪joke≫
The hook: An English man once told me that he had thought Toyota was a British company for a long time.
The explanation: It is true that you see Toyota cars not only in England but everywhere on this planet.
The main idea: I would send a Toyota car as an object to represent my country Japan.
Your introduction:
The hook:
The explanation:
The main idea:
☆Essay for ideas and expressions
The underground dwarf world that appears in Scandinavian mythology always reminds me of my country Japan. It is the realm of small, cunning creatures that make magic items. If I were to choose one single object that symbolizes my country, I would choose a katana, Japanese sword. I think katana represents well-known characteristics of Japan: craftsmanship, the samurai culture, and the history of battles.
Katana is said to be the sharpest sword in the world and collectors find aesthetic pleasure in it, and this indicates our intense devotion to craftsmanship and beauty. Many people find perfectionism and love of details in things we make from traditional handicrafts to cutting-edge industrial products to Mom’s handmade daily lunch whose colorful, delicately-shaped ingredients are neatly arranged in a little lunch box. Our punctual transportation systems and stores with well-disciplined clerks who offer attentive services also seem to owe their origin in this tendency.
While carrying katana was made illegal long ago, the samurai-warrior culture is still dominant in Japan. Samurai dramas are popular. Business magazines often feature famous Japanese warlords and warriors to learn lessons from their deeds or tactics. Also, many katana-related expressions are alive in our language. To describe a sharp person, we use a more direct expression, “kireru,” cuts well. Crisp beer is “kire ga ii,” or cuts in a nice way. Shin-ken, which is usually used to mean being serious, also means real, not wooden, katana. Lay-off is “kubi-kiri,” cutting heads off and taking a drastic measure is “itto-ryodan,” cutting in half with a long sword. These and many other katana-related expressions are used in our everyday life, by both men and women, young and old. It seems that we are always wielding katana, in metaphor of course.
Katana reminds people of our warlike past. Most of our history is warlords' history. Also, it is a historical fact that Japanese invaded other countries, torturing and killing their civilians. Those who brutally killed women and children with military katana along with guns were not abnormal individuals but average Japanese, who later went home and spent the rest of their lives as gentle workers and family lovers. This fact shows that we can become ice-cold like a katana in certain situations. Although we are not the only people that have committed atrocities, it is more significant that we are one of them.
I do not think all the main features of Japan can be represented by a katana, which is a weapon and therefore has few elements to represent virtues of a people. However, I think our world-famous characteristics, “both militaristic and aesthetic” (Ruth Benedict, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: patterns of Japanese culture), are symbolized by a katana, which is a top-class artwork and relentlessly sharp.
There will be an exhibition in which every country in the world is represented by one single object. What would you choose to send in order to represent your country in the exhibition? Why would you choose that object to send to the exhibition?
☆Let’s think
For example, tea ceremony is not an object but a cultural activity while a huge teacup used in tea ceremonies is an object. Sushi is rather a food than an object. You cannot place a sushi in a showcase at an exhibition because it is perishable. A sushi replica which is placed in the window of a sushi-bar is an object that could represent Japan. A Toyota car or a Nintendo game machine is a single object that probably symbolizes Japan because those machines are the cream of our world-famous high-technology and Japanese culture.
A copy of The Tale of Genji cannot be the answer because its physical aspect, an object made of paper and ink, hardly has Japanese properties even though the content is a famous Japanese story that is considered to be the first novel in the world. Manga or anime is not an object but a form of Japanese pop culture or art.
Now, if carefully put, a copy of manga could be an object that represents Japan. It is true that its essence is the content, which is intangible and so is not an object, but still a copy of manga is really Japanese. Its physical characteristics and its existence itself reflect Japanese culture. The neat appearance of manga－the glossy cover and elaborate print－and its drawings, originating from Ukiyo-e woodprint, which can depict nuances of feelings are uniquely Japanese. The contents are not simple superhero stories but those which tell you or share with you something about life, people, or small things that count in daily life. Also, manga is full of word play, trivia, and other devices which show Japanese common sense, general knowledge, and tradition. Moreover, putting so much energy into producing just a comic book shows a tendency to be meticulous about rather nonessential or transient things for daily use, as seen in our treatment with other things like cell-phones with many functions and Japanese gardens, one of whose features is patterns on the sand. Last but not least, the fact that the word manga has become an English word shows that it cannot be replaced with the word comic and that its existence itself reflects some distinctive part of Japanese culture.
☆Ideas and expressions
♦industry: high technology, craftsmanship
→ related objects: Toyota car , Sony Walkman, Nintendo game machine, Asimo
♦history and geography: isolated itself until 1868, militaristic/warlike, an island county
→ related objects: katana, tools to take fingerprints of foreigners at the airport
♦culture: the samurai culture, group-oriented, sensitive about feelings, polite, neat/well-organized, (extremely) punctual, well-disciplined, obsession with cleanliness, extremely aesthetic, detail-loving
→ related objects: katana, a large bowl for tea ceremony, high-tech toilet, a manga comic book, cell phone, kimono, furoshiki, kotatsu foot-warmer, miniature food replica, a lunch box set
Shuriken, Hina dool, Japanese sweet, Japanese stationery
その物が象徴する日本の特徴と共通する特徴を持つ他の事物例
☆The structure of the introduction
Perhaps writing a good essay introduction is most difficult for writing-test takers and the least energy should be spent on it during the TOEFL iBT essay writing, where you have to brainstorm, work on the structure, and develop each paragraph well, while minding your English, in 30 minutes. Therefore, making it a habit to begin an essay with the main idea and the summary of the body is the best and the most that most of us could do. However, if you have some time to spend on the first paragraph to make it more impressive, following its basic structure would be a good idea. Here is the basic structure of the introduction:
The basic structure of an essay introduction:
The hook: The first sentence which is put in a way to make the reader interested in your essay.
The explanation: The explanation of the background of the hook.
The main idea: The sentence which introduces what you want to say in the essay.
Examples:
a. ≪simile or metaphor≫
The hook: The impact of the computer is like that of electricity.
The explanation: Supply of electricity has totally changed all people’s lives, from dark to light, from tiresome to easy, or from unthinkable to possible, and opened a new era.
The main idea: Computers also have transformed the world dramatically into the one where we can no longer live without them, different lifestyles and new things are created, and more democratic society is possible.
b. ≪quote≫
The hook: Mark Twain said, “It’s easy to quit smoking. I’ve done it hundreds of times.”
The explanation: This shows that it is almost impossible for many smokers to quit smoking.
The main idea: To ban tobacco is to make many of these poor tobacco-addicts, including such great authors as Mark Twain, criminals. Thus, I am opposed to making smoking illegal.
c. ≪enigma or Zen≫
The hook: A heavy smoker’s family loses him twice.
The explanation: Long before he dies of a disease which seems to be related to this unhealthy habit of his, when they realize that they are helpless in making him quit smoking, they start a silent but desperate mourning of his early death. It is the same sadness that they share with families of drug addicts. It is the sadness to see him die day by day.
The main idea: Still, this is actually a minor aspect of the tragedy of tobacco. Even though it might be difficult to put in practice because of smokers’ feelings and economic circumstances, cigarettes should be made illegal to protect younger generations and to solve the problem of second-hand smoke.
d. ≪satire≫
The hook: No one would remember anymore that there was a best seller entitled “Japan as Number One” only three decades ago.
The explanation: Not only had we made a rapid recovery from the defeat of WWII, we had become the second biggest economy in the world, but now we are in decline.
The main idea: To represent the past and present of my country, I would send a SONY Walkman to an exhibition where every country in the world is represented by one single object.
e. ≪joke≫
The hook: An English man once told me that he had thought Toyota was a British company for a long time.
The explanation: It is true that you see Toyota cars not only in England but everywhere on this planet.
The main idea: I would send a Toyota car as an object to represent my country Japan.
Your introduction:
The hook:
The explanation:
The main idea:
☆Essay for ideas and expressions
The underground dwarf world that appears in Scandinavian mythology always reminds me of my country Japan. It is the realm of small, cunning creatures that make magic items. If I were to choose one single object that symbolizes my country, I would choose a katana, Japanese sword. I think katana represents well-known characteristics of Japan: craftsmanship, the samurai culture, and the history of battles.
Katana is said to be the sharpest sword in the world and collectors find aesthetic pleasure in it, and this indicates our intense devotion to craftsmanship and beauty. Many people find perfectionism and love of details in things we make from traditional handicrafts to cutting-edge industrial products to Mom’s handmade daily lunch whose colorful, delicately-shaped ingredients are neatly arranged in a little lunch box. Our punctual transportation systems and stores with well-disciplined clerks who offer attentive services also seem to owe their origin in this tendency.
While carrying katana was made illegal long ago, the samurai-warrior culture is still dominant in Japan. Samurai dramas are popular. Business magazines often feature famous Japanese warlords and warriors to learn lessons from their deeds or tactics. Also, many katana-related expressions are alive in our language. To describe a sharp person, we use a more direct expression, “kireru,” cuts well. Crisp beer is “kire ga ii,” or cuts in a nice way. Shin-ken, which is usually used to mean being serious, also means real, not wooden, katana. Lay-off is “kubi-kiri,” cutting heads off and taking a drastic measure is “itto-ryodan,” cutting in half with a long sword. These and many other katana-related expressions are used in our everyday life, by both men and women, young and old. It seems that we are always wielding katana, in metaphor of course.
Katana reminds people of our warlike past. Most of our history is warlords' history. Also, it is a historical fact that Japanese invaded other countries, torturing and killing their civilians. Those who brutally killed women and children with military katana along with guns were not abnormal individuals but average Japanese, who later went home and spent the rest of their lives as gentle workers and family lovers. This fact shows that we can become ice-cold like a katana in certain situations. Although we are not the only people that have committed atrocities, it is more significant that we are one of them.
I do not think all the main features of Japan can be represented by a katana, which is a weapon and therefore has few elements to represent virtues of a people. However, I think our world-famous characteristics, “both militaristic and aesthetic” (Ruth Benedict, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: patterns of Japanese culture), are symbolized by a katana, which is a top-class artwork and relentlessly sharp.
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/19 (Thu) Slept from 1:00-7:00 + 7:10-8:40 (6 +1.5 hrs). I do not remember being attacked when going to sleep after reading Michael Moore’s book (I couldn’t stop…too intriguing) At 7:06, a noise which sounded like a chair being moved on a wooden floor came from right below my foot. At 8:37, a big fit which swayed my head front to back woke me up. Between 8:37 and 9:05, when I was awake lying on my mattress came beam-like sensations between ears came several times. At, 9:05, the same kind of chair-moving noise came from the nest room.
Did household work and now typing this record (at 13:40). I’m going out to the next station area to get a coffee pot. When I turned around bundled-up in my small kitchen, I accidentally touched my glass coffee pot placed on a low shelf and caused it to have a dive on to a one-coin-shop mug which was innocently stronger than it last night. I made coffee using a cooking pot this morning but because of its heavy weight it did not work well. I want to walk around for exercise anyway. :)
Came home from the next station with a new coffee pot and one-coin goods around 18:00.
Worked on class supplements till now (22:35). I’ll eat and go to bed as soon as possible.
The hours of tomorrow’s class in Chofu has been changed from 18:00-19:20 to 19:00-20:20, so probably I would not be able to be back at my station to drop by the fast food restaurant.
Did household work and now typing this record (at 13:40). I’m going out to the next station area to get a coffee pot. When I turned around bundled-up in my small kitchen, I accidentally touched my glass coffee pot placed on a low shelf and caused it to have a dive on to a one-coin-shop mug which was innocently stronger than it last night. I made coffee using a cooking pot this morning but because of its heavy weight it did not work well. I want to walk around for exercise anyway. :)
Came home from the next station with a new coffee pot and one-coin goods around 18:00.
Worked on class supplements till now (22:35). I’ll eat and go to bed as soon as possible.
The hours of tomorrow’s class in Chofu has been changed from 18:00-19:20 to 19:00-20:20, so probably I would not be able to be back at my station to drop by the fast food restaurant.
2012年1月18日水曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/18 (Wed) Slept from 2:30-4:30 + 6:00-9:00 + 9:00-9:40 (2 + 3 + 0.5 hrs).Went to bed around 2:00 and incessant electric shocks to my head came several times. Woke up with a fit to of my head around 4:30. Lay in bed but couldn’t sleep till around 6:00. At 9:04, my feet had a big fit. At 9:47, when I was drowsing sitting on my mattress, my upper body had a big fit. After this, I got up.
Worked on class supplements on my PC at home by day. I was ready to leave if I felt funny in the head, but I did not feel it.
In the evening, I tried taking a nap but was not able to sleep a second. Right after I went to bed at 18:00, I got a fit in my right foot and later a beam-like sensation in my head. It was at 18:11 that I gave up and got up.
Went out for grocery shopping to the station supermarket after that, came back, cooked, took a bath, and writing this now at 22:51. I’ll eat dinner after finishing this and go to bed before midnight.
Although usually my face is made of rubber, I feel numb, adding that, feels as if the center of my head had become a wood as dense as a baseball bat today, and I’m very sleepy. If I cannot sleep well tonight again, I’ll go to the fast food shop at the station and try to take a nap there tomorrow.
Mentally, I’m fine.
Wishing people who are taking entrance exams, taking final exams, or writing thesis and people who have been kindly nice to me these days health and good luck. :)
Worked on class supplements on my PC at home by day. I was ready to leave if I felt funny in the head, but I did not feel it.
In the evening, I tried taking a nap but was not able to sleep a second. Right after I went to bed at 18:00, I got a fit in my right foot and later a beam-like sensation in my head. It was at 18:11 that I gave up and got up.
Went out for grocery shopping to the station supermarket after that, came back, cooked, took a bath, and writing this now at 22:51. I’ll eat dinner after finishing this and go to bed before midnight.
Although usually my face is made of rubber, I feel numb, adding that, feels as if the center of my head had become a wood as dense as a baseball bat today, and I’m very sleepy. If I cannot sleep well tonight again, I’ll go to the fast food shop at the station and try to take a nap there tomorrow.
Mentally, I’m fine.
Wishing people who are taking entrance exams, taking final exams, or writing thesis and people who have been kindly nice to me these days health and good luck. :)
Class Supplement, TOEFL Essay, Is watching TV a useful or enjoyable way of spending time? - partly rewritten -
Writing Topic
Some people think watching television is enjoyable and educational, while others think it is a complete waste of time to watch television. Do you think watching TV is a useful or enjoyable way of spending time?
☆Let’s think
“A” useful or enjoyable way of spending time means that, although it is not “the” best, it is as useful or enjoyable as activities that are considered good. What are useful and enjoyable ways of spending time? What do you usually do when you have some free time and try not to waste it? Do you read, listen to music, watch a movie, work out, do something creative like painting, or hang around with your family or friends? Is watching TV as worth spending your precious time on as other choices?
☆Ideas and Expressions
♦Waste of Time
1. not a good information source anymore: The amount of information provided by TV for a particular length of time is smaller compared to that of newspapers, magazines, books, and the Internet, which provide detailed information and allow you to skip advertisements. You passively receive the information the TV station has selected according to ratings, popularity votes, which are not always good or right. Information on the Internet is now updated by the minute. Also, there are more informative, thought-provoking, and even enjoyable independent online news shows and information sites. Besides, social media such as WikiLeaks, Twitter, and Facebook often outshine any media in terms of providing truth and latest developments of an important event
2. passive: Not interactive, TV watching requires little creativity, so it dulls your mind.
3. mind-numbing: TV can make you narrow-minded or brainwashed because it is sponsored by corporations, which can manipulate the content and put emphasis on advertisements. For example, you might develop desire for needless goods or come to follow fashion trends obsessively, not aware of what is really going on in the world.
♦Useful or Enjoyable
1. Some special programs such as live broadcasts of sporting events, documentaries, and language programs are hardly available elsewhere. e.g. language program, documentary
2. Popular TV programs or ads provide conversation pieces, which are good icebreakers.
3. One good thing about TV watching is that it allows you to learn things that you did not intend to. By keeping TV on or zapping channels, you can come across interesting people, useful information, or moving stories. It is like taking a walk in an unfamiliar neighborhood and find a lovely garden or sitting among strangers and hear an eye-opening story. The Internet, which is made to be used to search for specific information of your choice, allows this to happen less often.
4. As long as you keep an eye on how you use it, TV can be an inexpensive, handy tool for fun.
☆One-paragraph essay
Sample
【Main Idea = Outline】
In moderation, watching TV is useful and enjoyable.
【Good/Bad point 1】
TV-watching is useful for spending time with others because it is inclusive.
【Good/Bad point 2】
Technology has made TV a home theater.
【Counterargument & Counter-counterargument】
Although most programs are boring at best, some are good or educational and are only on TV. Also, while it is true that TV is addictive and you could waste your precious time, just as alcohol and gambling are enjoyable unless you indulge yourself in them too much, watching TV can be enjoyable for most people.
【Conclusion = Wrap-up】
TV can provide a good time if used wisely.
Your one paragraph essay
【Main Idea = Outline】
【Good/Bad point 1】
【Good/Bad point 2】
【Counterargument & Counter-counterargument】
【Conclusion = Wrap-up】
☆Paragraph development
Sample
【Main Idea】 TV-watching is useful for spending time with others because it is inclusive.
【Explanation】 Unlike the Internet, where each click reflects the taste of the user―a gamer and a non-gamer cannot spend an hour together in front of a computer, for instance―you can usually share the content of TV with others and with anyone.
【Detail / Example】 You can enjoy an evening with your family or friends watching a news program, a music show, a drama, or a sporting event, exchanging thoughts and feelings.
【More Specific Detail / Example】 TV is especially useful when you spend time with someone you know little about. You do not have to worry about likes and dislikes of the stranger once you have chosen a popular program, and in time you can pick up a conversation piece from the content of the program, say, the latest costume of a popular singer or a succor game result.
【Counterargument & Counter-counterargument】If the person says that the only program he watches is FoxNews, you could just watch that ultra-right-wing news show with him and learn what kind of people the Right are.
【Conclusion】 TV is a good medium for relationship-building.
Note: Start with a short and simple sentence and elaborate on the idea in the next one: a simple main idea (topic sentence) and a longer explanation, and a simple example and a more specific example or two. Of course starting with the main idea with expressions for transition like “Another good thing about having a TV set in your room is that” or “Last but not the least” is a good idea and these expressions can sometimes be long and complicated, but the core of the main idea should be short and simple so that you can make the point clearly. Very often, we lose our point by being particular about details at the beginning of the paragraph, so, if you are not the type that can produce a perfect work just by typing what comes up to your mind, I would recommend making it simple first and focus on the details later. A main idea (topic sentence) is the pillar of the paragraph to which you attach other parts (details). Making it straight and firm would be safe in an academic test writing.
Now let’s practice paragraph development.
Choose one of the reasons you have come up with, make it the main idea, and develop it using the following form. As this is a sketch of a part of your real essay, use simple words and sentences for supporting details and focus on the logic and ideas.
【Main Idea】
【Explanation】
【Detail / Example】
【More Specific Detail / Example】
【Counterargument & Counter-counterargument】
【Conclusion】
Some people think watching television is enjoyable and educational, while others think it is a complete waste of time to watch television. Do you think watching TV is a useful or enjoyable way of spending time?
☆Let’s think
“A” useful or enjoyable way of spending time means that, although it is not “the” best, it is as useful or enjoyable as activities that are considered good. What are useful and enjoyable ways of spending time? What do you usually do when you have some free time and try not to waste it? Do you read, listen to music, watch a movie, work out, do something creative like painting, or hang around with your family or friends? Is watching TV as worth spending your precious time on as other choices?
☆Ideas and Expressions
♦Waste of Time
1. not a good information source anymore: The amount of information provided by TV for a particular length of time is smaller compared to that of newspapers, magazines, books, and the Internet, which provide detailed information and allow you to skip advertisements. You passively receive the information the TV station has selected according to ratings, popularity votes, which are not always good or right. Information on the Internet is now updated by the minute. Also, there are more informative, thought-provoking, and even enjoyable independent online news shows and information sites. Besides, social media such as WikiLeaks, Twitter, and Facebook often outshine any media in terms of providing truth and latest developments of an important event
2. passive: Not interactive, TV watching requires little creativity, so it dulls your mind.
3. mind-numbing: TV can make you narrow-minded or brainwashed because it is sponsored by corporations, which can manipulate the content and put emphasis on advertisements. For example, you might develop desire for needless goods or come to follow fashion trends obsessively, not aware of what is really going on in the world.
♦Useful or Enjoyable
1. Some special programs such as live broadcasts of sporting events, documentaries, and language programs are hardly available elsewhere. e.g. language program, documentary
2. Popular TV programs or ads provide conversation pieces, which are good icebreakers.
3. One good thing about TV watching is that it allows you to learn things that you did not intend to. By keeping TV on or zapping channels, you can come across interesting people, useful information, or moving stories. It is like taking a walk in an unfamiliar neighborhood and find a lovely garden or sitting among strangers and hear an eye-opening story. The Internet, which is made to be used to search for specific information of your choice, allows this to happen less often.
4. As long as you keep an eye on how you use it, TV can be an inexpensive, handy tool for fun.
☆One-paragraph essay
Sample
【Main Idea = Outline】
In moderation, watching TV is useful and enjoyable.
【Good/Bad point 1】
TV-watching is useful for spending time with others because it is inclusive.
【Good/Bad point 2】
Technology has made TV a home theater.
【Counterargument & Counter-counterargument】
Although most programs are boring at best, some are good or educational and are only on TV. Also, while it is true that TV is addictive and you could waste your precious time, just as alcohol and gambling are enjoyable unless you indulge yourself in them too much, watching TV can be enjoyable for most people.
【Conclusion = Wrap-up】
TV can provide a good time if used wisely.
Your one paragraph essay
【Main Idea = Outline】
【Good/Bad point 1】
【Good/Bad point 2】
【Counterargument & Counter-counterargument】
【Conclusion = Wrap-up】
☆Paragraph development
Sample
【Main Idea】 TV-watching is useful for spending time with others because it is inclusive.
【Explanation】 Unlike the Internet, where each click reflects the taste of the user―a gamer and a non-gamer cannot spend an hour together in front of a computer, for instance―you can usually share the content of TV with others and with anyone.
【Detail / Example】 You can enjoy an evening with your family or friends watching a news program, a music show, a drama, or a sporting event, exchanging thoughts and feelings.
【More Specific Detail / Example】 TV is especially useful when you spend time with someone you know little about. You do not have to worry about likes and dislikes of the stranger once you have chosen a popular program, and in time you can pick up a conversation piece from the content of the program, say, the latest costume of a popular singer or a succor game result.
【Counterargument & Counter-counterargument】If the person says that the only program he watches is FoxNews, you could just watch that ultra-right-wing news show with him and learn what kind of people the Right are.
【Conclusion】 TV is a good medium for relationship-building.
Note: Start with a short and simple sentence and elaborate on the idea in the next one: a simple main idea (topic sentence) and a longer explanation, and a simple example and a more specific example or two. Of course starting with the main idea with expressions for transition like “Another good thing about having a TV set in your room is that” or “Last but not the least” is a good idea and these expressions can sometimes be long and complicated, but the core of the main idea should be short and simple so that you can make the point clearly. Very often, we lose our point by being particular about details at the beginning of the paragraph, so, if you are not the type that can produce a perfect work just by typing what comes up to your mind, I would recommend making it simple first and focus on the details later. A main idea (topic sentence) is the pillar of the paragraph to which you attach other parts (details). Making it straight and firm would be safe in an academic test writing.
Now let’s practice paragraph development.
Choose one of the reasons you have come up with, make it the main idea, and develop it using the following form. As this is a sketch of a part of your real essay, use simple words and sentences for supporting details and focus on the logic and ideas.
【Main Idea】
【Explanation】
【Detail / Example】
【More Specific Detail / Example】
【Counterargument & Counter-counterargument】
【Conclusion】
2012年1月17日火曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/17 (Tue) Slept from 1:00-2:30 +2:40-4:40 +8:00-9:20-10:30 (1.5 + 2 + 1.5 + 1 hrs.) For a reason I do not know, YouTube downloading was as fast as before last night ― today, as sluggish as these says, so I spent 30 more minutes in front of my PC before going to bed. Boiler-like noise from outside when I went to bed around 0:30. Also, alarm clock sound from 202 and incessant electric attacks to my head and flashy eyes till I fell asleep probably around 1:00. When I woke up around 4:40, noises in my head were loud and wavy. Around 6:00, A big it to my hip, the side under my body and a beam-like sensation in the ear which was the side under my head. At 6:13, a beam-like sensation in the ear which was the upper side and accompanied a sound Goh from the next room. At 6:18, the ear which was the under side of my head had a beam-like sensation. At 6:20, my right hand, placed under my body had a fit. After that till 6:20, my right ear, which was under my head, had beam-like sensations twice.
I gave up trying to sleep, read Michael Moore’s book till around 7:30, and tried to sleep again. Around I think there were attacks till I fell asleep again around 8:00 though I was too tired to take notes. Around 9:20, my right leg and a very big fit and I woke up. After waking up around 10:30, I was lying with my eyes closed and my legs had a very big fit. It was like something exploded in my legs.
Feeling of after-concussion till several hours after getting up, but got better in the evening.
Went to Chofu for a 5 o’clock private lesson, which starts 17:30 from nest week, came back to my station around 20:00, stayed at the fast food shop till 21:50, and came home.
I feel fine now. :)
I gave up trying to sleep, read Michael Moore’s book till around 7:30, and tried to sleep again. Around I think there were attacks till I fell asleep again around 8:00 though I was too tired to take notes. Around 9:20, my right leg and a very big fit and I woke up. After waking up around 10:30, I was lying with my eyes closed and my legs had a very big fit. It was like something exploded in my legs.
Feeling of after-concussion till several hours after getting up, but got better in the evening.
Went to Chofu for a 5 o’clock private lesson, which starts 17:30 from nest week, came back to my station around 20:00, stayed at the fast food shop till 21:50, and came home.
I feel fine now. :)
2012年1月16日月曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/16 (Mon) Slept from 1:30-4:30-6:30-9:30 (3 + 2 + 3 hrs). I do not remember being attacked although I woke up twice in between. Noises in my head were normal when I woke up.
Had a 5 o’clock class at Shibuya and worked on students’ essays at the fast food restaurant at my station from around 20::00-21:00. Bought eggs and yogurt and came home.
When I was walking down stairs to take out recycling things after coming home, a man who looked like in his 30s, middle height, middle weight, rather long straight hair, egg-shaped face, came through the gate and reached the door of the Room 101, one below mine. He noticed I was watching and bowed, saying something. I bowed but did not say anything, since I have been suspecting those electric shocks come not only from the next room (202) but also from the room below (101). He soon went into the room. I took out the plastic bottles and came home. I couldn’t see his face. (I became near-sighted and astigmatic about eight years ago and my eyesight changes depending on my condition.)
Had a headache all day, bought and took a cold medicine before going into the restaurant and feel better now (22:17). Trying to go to bed before midnight.
Had a 5 o’clock class at Shibuya and worked on students’ essays at the fast food restaurant at my station from around 20::00-21:00. Bought eggs and yogurt and came home.
When I was walking down stairs to take out recycling things after coming home, a man who looked like in his 30s, middle height, middle weight, rather long straight hair, egg-shaped face, came through the gate and reached the door of the Room 101, one below mine. He noticed I was watching and bowed, saying something. I bowed but did not say anything, since I have been suspecting those electric shocks come not only from the next room (202) but also from the room below (101). He soon went into the room. I took out the plastic bottles and came home. I couldn’t see his face. (I became near-sighted and astigmatic about eight years ago and my eyesight changes depending on my condition.)
Had a headache all day, bought and took a cold medicine before going into the restaurant and feel better now (22:17). Trying to go to bed before midnight.
2012年1月15日日曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/15 (Sun) Slept from 1:00-4:00 +6:00-8:00 (3 + 2 hrs). Went to bed and did not read but was not able to go to sleep because of attacks. (0:59 - On after another came electric shocks accompanied by the sound Goh and zapping noise in my head. Woke up with loud and wavy noise in my head and flashy eyes, which subsided 10minutes after I shifted the place of my body. A big fit of my right leg and my butt at 5:17. A big fit of my hand placed under my body lying face under at 5:35. A fit of my right shoulder at 5:39. The sound Goh came together from below. At 5:45, a beam-like sensation between ears, whose holes I had put light bulbs, when I my hole head was under futon. After waking up again, I was half asleep sitting, when a dry noise someone moved came from behind the wall of the next room. Then someone sounded like moving toward the front door. I thought of trying to sleep again, but I had a feeling that someone else was still behind the wall, and gave up the idea and got up.
I thought of staying home and do my job at home, but gave up the idea because when I was practicing speaking English and sitting in front of my mirror between 14:00-14:40, I got funny feelings in my head. I also had a feeling that I heard someone behind the wall say, “Aho (idiot),” and made foot step noises when I was leaving home.
Marked essays and prepared for classes at the fast food restaurant at the station from 15:00-19:30. Slept for about 30 minutes probably between 15:55 and 16:30, during which I had beam-like sensations lightly twice and had a rather big fit of my right shoulder, which woke me up, once.
Did grocery shopping, came home, worked on class supplement, and finished writing this record now (21:33). I’ll try to go to bed early.
I thought of staying home and do my job at home, but gave up the idea because when I was practicing speaking English and sitting in front of my mirror between 14:00-14:40, I got funny feelings in my head. I also had a feeling that I heard someone behind the wall say, “Aho (idiot),” and made foot step noises when I was leaving home.
Marked essays and prepared for classes at the fast food restaurant at the station from 15:00-19:30. Slept for about 30 minutes probably between 15:55 and 16:30, during which I had beam-like sensations lightly twice and had a rather big fit of my right shoulder, which woke me up, once.
Did grocery shopping, came home, worked on class supplement, and finished writing this record now (21:33). I’ll try to go to bed early.
2012年1月14日土曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/14 (Sat) Slept from 2:00-5:30 (3.5 hrs). Awake till 2:00 not because of attacks but because of reading. I read to make my eyes tired but the book (Michael Moore’s autobiographical stories) was too intriguing to stop. A small zap and shock in my ear when going to sleep. Loud and wavy noises in my head woke me up around 5:30. After that I was not unable to sleep till around 8:00 and then prevented from sleeping till 10:00. Around 8:30, noises in my head became louder and wavy. Around 9:51, rather strong shocks to head accompanied by zapping sensation and a noise Goh that seemed to come from below came twice.
Had lessons at Yotusya from 13:30 to 18:55. Left school around 19:15. Came back to my station around 20:30 and stayed at the fast food restaurant till a little past 22:00.
Very sleepy.
Had lessons at Yotusya from 13:30 to 18:55. Left school around 19:15. Came back to my station around 20:30 and stayed at the fast food restaurant till a little past 22:00.
Very sleepy.
2012年1月13日金曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/13 (Fri) Slept from 1:00-5:00 + 6:30-10:00 (4 + 3.5 hrs). Forgot to put an LED in my ear hole. A very big fit of the whole body right after I started to try to go to sleep. Noises in my head were loud and wavy and eyes were flashy when I woke up around 5:00. Noises in my head became quiet 20 minutes after I shifted my head to a different point on my bed. When I was lying on my bed awake after waking up again around 10:00, a zap came to my head and my left leg had a rather big fit.
Around 14:00, before going out, I was working on my class supplement and had stated concentrating, and the moment I got to the second paper, a whisper or chuckle that seemed mocking, sounding like “Aho” or “Baka” came from behind the wall next to where I was sitting (a table with the PC screen). Maybe I was imagining. I don’t know.
Prepared for tomorrow’s classes at the fast food shop from 14:00-5:30, took copies, and went home.
Opened my PC after I came back. Ate late lunch and worked for another 2.5 hrs.
Got brighter mini light bulbs to put into my ear holes.
Trying to go to bed early because tomorrow’s class starts a little earlier than other classes (13:30).
--- To f,
When you have time, please come see me at the fast food restaurant (Lotteria) at my station (Aoto). I'll be sure to go there after work (on Mon, Tue, Fri, and Sat) and stay there at least till 21:00. :)
Around 14:00, before going out, I was working on my class supplement and had stated concentrating, and the moment I got to the second paper, a whisper or chuckle that seemed mocking, sounding like “Aho” or “Baka” came from behind the wall next to where I was sitting (a table with the PC screen). Maybe I was imagining. I don’t know.
Prepared for tomorrow’s classes at the fast food shop from 14:00-5:30, took copies, and went home.
Opened my PC after I came back. Ate late lunch and worked for another 2.5 hrs.
Got brighter mini light bulbs to put into my ear holes.
Trying to go to bed early because tomorrow’s class starts a little earlier than other classes (13:30).
--- To f,
When you have time, please come see me at the fast food restaurant (Lotteria) at my station (Aoto). I'll be sure to go there after work (on Mon, Tue, Fri, and Sat) and stay there at least till 21:00. :)
2012年1月12日木曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/12 (Thu) Slept from 1:00-5:00 + 6:00-9:30 (4 + 3.5 hrs). Electric shocks accompanied by the sound Goh hit my ears and head. When I was trying to sleep again after I woke up around 5:00, electric alarm clock went off repeatedly, probably in the room below, so I wore earmuffs. When I woke up, noises in my head were loud and wavy. A faint game/car-like noise.
Studied at the fast food restaurant from around 15:00 to 18:30. Dropped by the station ice cream shop. There is a lady, who seems to be in her sixties, I like and I sometimes go see her face, especially during winter and when the place is not crowded.
In the evening, I worked on PC, mainly rewriting one of my essays for a class supplement related a topic concerning a research center for either business or agriculture.
Studied at the fast food restaurant from around 15:00 to 18:30. Dropped by the station ice cream shop. There is a lady, who seems to be in her sixties, I like and I sometimes go see her face, especially during winter and when the place is not crowded.
In the evening, I worked on PC, mainly rewriting one of my essays for a class supplement related a topic concerning a research center for either business or agriculture.
2012年1月11日水曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/11 (Wed) Slept from 3:00-7:30 (4.5 hrs) Although I went to bed around 2:30, attacks kept me awake till around 3:00. Noises in my head were loud and wavy when I woke up around 7:30. I shifted my head to another point and in 20 minutes the noises became a little quieter and less wavy. I stayed in bed trying to sleep again but electric shocks, which seemed to come from below, and fits kept me awake. I got up around 9:30.
I’m trying to go to bed early today. Going to bed after 2:00 is not good for health. I have been thinking the attacks will keep me awake till late and have got this habit of sitting up late, but maybe it is good to give it a try. For this purpose, I did not take a nap. Very sleepy all day. I kept yawning especially after 18:00. It’s past 22:30 now. I’ll eat and go to bed before 0:00.
I’m trying to go to bed early today. Going to bed after 2:00 is not good for health. I have been thinking the attacks will keep me awake till late and have got this habit of sitting up late, but maybe it is good to give it a try. For this purpose, I did not take a nap. Very sleepy all day. I kept yawning especially after 18:00. It’s past 22:30 now. I’ll eat and go to bed before 0:00.
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/10 (Tue) Slept from 3:00-6:13 + 8:30-10:30 (3 + 2 hrs). Went to bed around 2:00 but kept awake by electric shocks. One of them caused a fit of my left leg (around 2:20). Strong shocks to my head several times. Between 6:13 and around 8:30, electric shocks. Around 8:00 a big shock and fit to my left leg. Also, a loud female cough near the next house when I was trying to sleep again.
I had had the impression that I was going to have a class in Chofu because it seemed so through the procedure of having a trial last month and being informed that the student had signed near the end of the month, but it turned out that the private lesson was going to start next Tuesday, and another on Friday.
Worked on my students’ essays at the fast food shop from around 17:30 to 21:00. Today, many other people were working there and making louder noises than mine. I don’t think I have to fix my noise-making habit anymore. :)
To f,
Yesterday, on my way from work, I saw a person who looked like you near my station. A tall, slim person with the same hair-cut as you had last summer. He was standing with his male friend near a corner in front of my station, looking at his phone. Although I could see his silhouette clearly, I couldn’t see his face as he was in the dark. I passed him once, and returned because he stunningly resembled you. When I was approaching him he looked at me a second－again I couldn’t see his face, turned to his mate, and probably said something. His mate, who seemed to be a really nice person, replied by saying, “気になるからでしょ。’Cause you caught her attention, you know.” When I went really close, he made a funny gesture, which in retrospect looked like that of C-3PO in Star Wars, with his back facing me, making his friend laugh and do the same, and I just passed them. After walking 20 meters or so, I looked back, the two were looking, and he stepped back into the dark. And I left.
One thing that he was different from you was that he lacked your voice. He kept silent all the time. It is surprising that a person who looked exactly like you was 10% f without your voice. I miss your voice.
--- I’m not going to write about how I feel about your face and character in front of other people―blogging is talking about part of your secret openly―for the same reason that I am not going to give the look to a stranger, right? :)
I had had the impression that I was going to have a class in Chofu because it seemed so through the procedure of having a trial last month and being informed that the student had signed near the end of the month, but it turned out that the private lesson was going to start next Tuesday, and another on Friday.
Worked on my students’ essays at the fast food shop from around 17:30 to 21:00. Today, many other people were working there and making louder noises than mine. I don’t think I have to fix my noise-making habit anymore. :)
To f,
Yesterday, on my way from work, I saw a person who looked like you near my station. A tall, slim person with the same hair-cut as you had last summer. He was standing with his male friend near a corner in front of my station, looking at his phone. Although I could see his silhouette clearly, I couldn’t see his face as he was in the dark. I passed him once, and returned because he stunningly resembled you. When I was approaching him he looked at me a second－again I couldn’t see his face, turned to his mate, and probably said something. His mate, who seemed to be a really nice person, replied by saying, “気になるからでしょ。’Cause you caught her attention, you know.” When I went really close, he made a funny gesture, which in retrospect looked like that of C-3PO in Star Wars, with his back facing me, making his friend laugh and do the same, and I just passed them. After walking 20 meters or so, I looked back, the two were looking, and he stepped back into the dark. And I left.
One thing that he was different from you was that he lacked your voice. He kept silent all the time. It is surprising that a person who looked exactly like you was 10% f without your voice. I miss your voice.
--- I’m not going to write about how I feel about your face and character in front of other people―blogging is talking about part of your secret openly―for the same reason that I am not going to give the look to a stranger, right? :)
2012年1月10日火曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/09 (Mon) Slept from 2:00-7:00 + 9:30-10:40 (5 + 1.3 hrs) Electric shocks for 30 minutes before going to sleep around 2:00. Loud noises in my head woke me up around 7:00. after that incessant shocks and fits till fall asleep again around 9:30. I woke up around 10:40 when a delivery man rang the bell. The details are as follows. I was sitting with my upper body bent, face down, and when I was about to fall asleep, rather strong electric shock came to my head. around 8:00, electric shocks. At 8:15, The whole back got a strong fit. A sound Goh accompanied. It seemed to come from below the floor. At 8:34, A big fit of my left shoulder and left leg. At 8:40, a big fit of my whole body. At 8:40, a fit of my right leg. At 8:43, a big fit of my left shoulder. At 8:45, a dry hard noise that something moved behind the wall in the next room and at the same time, I felt a beam-like sensation in my head and heard a zipping noise. At 9:22,a fit of my whole body.
Went to Shibuya for a class that started at 17:00. When I arrived the office a little before 16:30, “Cold as Ice (Foreigner)” was on the stereo set. I could not manage time well and the class took 27 minutes longer. I left school around 19:10. Took Hanzomon-line and was on it until it reached Kudanshita, when I realized that I had left a file I kept essays of my students. I got back to the school, picked up the file, and came back to my station. It was already past 20:30. I did grocery shopping and went home.
Went to Shibuya for a class that started at 17:00. When I arrived the office a little before 16:30, “Cold as Ice (Foreigner)” was on the stereo set. I could not manage time well and the class took 27 minutes longer. I left school around 19:10. Took Hanzomon-line and was on it until it reached Kudanshita, when I realized that I had left a file I kept essays of my students. I got back to the school, picked up the file, and came back to my station. It was already past 20:30. I did grocery shopping and went home.
2012年1月8日日曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/08 (Sun) Slept from 2:00-5:00 +7:00-9:30 + 17:55-18:25 (3 + 2.5 + 1 nap hrs). I do not remember if there were electric attacks when I went to bed. When I woke up around 5:00 and drowsed till 5:30, noises in my head were loud and wavy and the game/car-like noise was faintly heard, and somewhere between the houses, a mobile phone beeped in the next room and noises in my head became quiet and the game/car-like noise stopped. When I was going to sleep again around 7:00, electric shocks and fits occurred. When I got up around 9:30, noises in my head were loud and wavy.
While I was proof reading an essay one of my students wrote in front of my PC for about, the funny feeling in my teeth started. I sat there for about 20 minutes. After concentrating for a while, I noticed the feeling. (Now while I am typing this record, the funny feeling started.)
I went to the fast food shop at the station and stayed there from around 17:00 to 20:30. I took a nap between 17:55-18:25. No fits occurred, although once I felt a beam-like feeling in my head when a young woman made a noise with her shoe when she stood up. I slept well and felt good after the nap. I worked on my students essays.
I realized I make noises when I handle things, like when I flip a sheet of paper or put a pen on the table, especially when I am concentrating. I should be careful not to make noises. This habit might make me sound angry or irritated.
While I was proof reading an essay one of my students wrote in front of my PC for about, the funny feeling in my teeth started. I sat there for about 20 minutes. After concentrating for a while, I noticed the feeling. (Now while I am typing this record, the funny feeling started.)
I went to the fast food shop at the station and stayed there from around 17:00 to 20:30. I took a nap between 17:55-18:25. No fits occurred, although once I felt a beam-like feeling in my head when a young woman made a noise with her shoe when she stood up. I slept well and felt good after the nap. I worked on my students essays.
I realized I make noises when I handle things, like when I flip a sheet of paper or put a pen on the table, especially when I am concentrating. I should be careful not to make noises. This habit might make me sound angry or irritated.
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/07 (Sat) Slept from 2:30-8:00 + 9:30-11:30 (5.5 + 2 hrs). Electric shock attacks when going to sleep from 2:00 to around 2:30. Noises in my head were loud when I woke up around 8:00. When I was trying to sleep again, my eyes were flashy. When my eyes were closed, I felt like I was on a train which is passing an iron bridge in the strong sunshine in the west. I was woken up again by the Bible people. I felt as if I had had a concussion. The feeling lasted all day.
Yesterday, I felt dizzy during class. I found that it had to do with an isotonic drink I had before the class. I had the same dizziness this morning when I had the same drink. It’s thicker than the same kind of drink I usually have.
I have not been able to read on the train because I feel dizzy this week.
Had a 5 o’clock class at Shibuya. Came back to my town, stayed and worked on yesterday’s writing class essays till a little past 9 and came home.
My internet downloading has been sluggish again over the past several days.
To f,
My accounts are full of negative records, but I am all right. I have been feeling fine these days. :)
I hope you are fine, too…
Yesterday, I felt dizzy during class. I found that it had to do with an isotonic drink I had before the class. I had the same dizziness this morning when I had the same drink. It’s thicker than the same kind of drink I usually have.
I have not been able to read on the train because I feel dizzy this week.
Had a 5 o’clock class at Shibuya. Came back to my town, stayed and worked on yesterday’s writing class essays till a little past 9 and came home.
My internet downloading has been sluggish again over the past several days.
To f,
My accounts are full of negative records, but I am all right. I have been feeling fine these days. :)
I hope you are fine, too…
2012年1月7日土曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/06 (Fri) Slept from 2:30-6:00 + 8:30-10:00 (3.5 + 1.5 hrs). Very incessant, persistent attacks came about every 10 seconds. Some of them made me huff with voice. The game/car-like noise woke me up around 6:00. Noises in my head were loud, too. While trying to sleep again, electric attacks came again. One of them made my left leg have a big fit more than 2 times. Also, shocks came to my head. Both of them seemed to come from down stairs. The noise that went Goh accompanied the shocks. When I woke up around 10:00, noises in my head were loud. I felt dizzy and when I closed eyes I saw blinking lights all day.
Dropped by the fast food shop at my station on my way home and came home a little before 22:00.
Dropped by the fast food shop at my station on my way home and came home a little before 22:00.
2012年1月6日金曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/04 (Wed) Slept from 2:30-6:00 + drowsing from 8:30-10:30 (3.5 + 1 hrs). Very strong shock when going to sleep around 2:30. One of them made my jaw shot making a noise, and another made me huff. When I woke up around 6:00, the game/car-like noise was heard and the noises in my head were loud. Again, very strong shocks with the same effects came every time I was about to fall asleep between 8:30-10:30. I think I slept at most 1 hour during those hours. I was woken up by a strong shock that felt like I was slummed in the head around 10:30. After I got up, I felt dizzy and was not able to walk straight.
On my way to work, at either Mitsukoshimae or Otemachi on Hanzomon line, several males in dark suits in their 50s or 60s got on, their toes first pointed to my direction but moved the other way, probably “reading the air” in Japanese or realizing other passengers were not interested in me, and sat on the seats closest to me, on both sides, as they exert the aura of tycoons. I was sitting on a small seat at the end and reading my textbook. Then at the next station, an old couple got on. They came to the seat I was on and the woman sat the far end from me. I kept sitting knowing the old man was going to sit next to me and thinking it might be impolite to jump away as usual treating him like a demon, but when his butt came close, I could see it was saying, “I’m gonna touch her!” and so I jumped off the seat. Maybe I was too sensitive, but I trust my past 10 years of experience of harassments. Actually, more than 25 years in terms of old male sexual harassments on the train. I can tell who is going to act dirty. After escaping, I stood next to the seat. On the other side were those strange tycoons on both sides and walking between them meant unpleasant experience. I looked up at the railway map, and heard the man who sat on the seat I had been sitting say, “Dameda-na, (Not gonaa make it.)” I looked at the doors, which were still open. I could feel tycoons looking at me. Then the old man coughed. I jumped out of the car a little before the doors shut and went into the following car, where on both sides of the doors males in suits hanging and where no other people than those men were standing and there were many vacant seats. I did not swear nor did I get upset.
I got to school around 3:30, much earlier than the class and there were no seats. Actually, There were two vacant seats, one next to the short-sleeve teacher , who was in a jacket today, and the other the one in the middle of the three big desks, on which a few pieces of paper were placed－later I found them to be just scratch paper and no one seemed to be using the desk and the paper stayed there till the time I left the office after finishing my class. (The desk was vacant yesterday, too. But a person who often stares at my bust was sitting near the desk.) I went out and prepared for the class at McDonald’s.
When I was walking in crowded MacDonald’s to leave there, two young men appeared in front of me. One of them looked at me, half smile, and said to the other man, “Gonna challenge again?（また挑戦するの？）” “No, no time left…（いや、もう時間がない…）” said the other man. The words of the second man were faint, so I might have caught them wrong. They might have been talking about a college boxing fight or something, but just because they talked looking at me ― I think the other man was looking at me, too ― it just stuck to my mind.
I taught the 5 o’clock class and came back to my station, stayed at the fast food shop till 21:00, and went home.
--- To f,
Correction:
Since I wrote about “fun chat” yesterday, it came up to me that one expression in my past update was inaccurate, so let me correct it. The expression was in the passage dated 2011/12/06. I put the passage after the correction and the expression is in bold italic letters. The correction is as follows.
Wrong: a harmless fun chat
Correct: a harmless fun chat with a hint of my openly secret affection for the person
;)
Note: I showed I enjoy having fun chat with no intention with anyone in my previous update, but this does not mean that I always say what I said to you to anyone. I hope you remember our talk on that day of early July. I wanted to make you pleased and used the expression, “It’s a secret,” to you in front of everyone, to make myself sound funny, explaining why I needed to use the computer you were using by confessing my lapse of forgetting my schedule in the afternoon and not having brought some printouts I needed for the evening class. I do not usually talk like that. I had never and have never used the expression to anyone but you and I promise I won’t. That one is only solely for you. :）
I guess I used up my brain power by that one that day and as I say in the passage I seemed to be boring, at best, after that. Or probably I lack some wiring in my brain, in other words, heart. I’m working on it…Though it might be late…if so, I’m sorry…
“I’m writing to you under the moon, waiting for the sun to rise …” :)
2011/12/06 (Tue)
The thing that makes me angry, about myself, is that I have hurt someone and that I failed to make myself happy even for a short second, because of this lack of alertness and sensitivity to the finest feelings due to sleep deprivation and the attacks. Of course I am rather insensitive to or slow to understand some kind of feelings of others but not, I think, to the degree that I was this summer:
Early this summer, someone said that he wouldn’t be able to sleep, after having a harmless fun chat, and I took it literally and gave him advice to sleep well while noticing and wondering about his expression changing from a gentle smile to that of witnessing a monster or something. I did not realize or thought of the possibility of the implication of the expression till November, even though I had heard the expression used to mean something other than a fit of insomnia and even though I myself used the expression for that usage in this blog in late summer, which also I had forgotten until recently. (My memories are so fragmented. It is amazing that I am still barely functioning at work) This was also probably because I have been alien to love and affection directed to me, even at a level of possibility, for a long long time. Humiliation and violence are the main things everyone has been giving to me until really recently. I should have been all the happier with the gentleness of his words after all the hell I had experienced and as I had been kind of attracted by him. When I think about this I have a feeling of loss and when I think about how the man felt about my reaction I feel desperate. Most of the time when I act insensitive, there is some fault or two on the other side, but he had nothing to blame.
2012/01/05 (Thu) Slept from 3:00-7:30 (4.5 hrs). Although I went to bed around 2:30, strong electric shocks kept me awake. They caused big fits of my legs once. They also caused fits of my head and hands. ]woke up to the game/car-like noise around 7:30. Noises in my head were loud and with my eyes closed I saw geometric patterns waving. I tried to get some more sleep but drill noise at the construction side on the opposite side of the street soon started and I gave up. I have a strange feeling in my head. The feeling you have when you failed yawning continues.
It’s past 13:00. I will go to the fast food shop and try to take a nap and study. I’ll add the rest of the record after coming home.
I studied at the fast food shop from around 17:30to 21:00. I took a nap for 20 minutes. Neither fits nor electric shocks occurred.
On my way to work, at either Mitsukoshimae or Otemachi on Hanzomon line, several males in dark suits in their 50s or 60s got on, their toes first pointed to my direction but moved the other way, probably “reading the air” in Japanese or realizing other passengers were not interested in me, and sat on the seats closest to me, on both sides, as they exert the aura of tycoons. I was sitting on a small seat at the end and reading my textbook. Then at the next station, an old couple got on. They came to the seat I was on and the woman sat the far end from me. I kept sitting knowing the old man was going to sit next to me and thinking it might be impolite to jump away as usual treating him like a demon, but when his butt came close, I could see it was saying, “I’m gonna touch her!” and so I jumped off the seat. Maybe I was too sensitive, but I trust my past 10 years of experience of harassments. Actually, more than 25 years in terms of old male sexual harassments on the train. I can tell who is going to act dirty. After escaping, I stood next to the seat. On the other side were those strange tycoons on both sides and walking between them meant unpleasant experience. I looked up at the railway map, and heard the man who sat on the seat I had been sitting say, “Dameda-na, (Not gonaa make it.)” I looked at the doors, which were still open. I could feel tycoons looking at me. Then the old man coughed. I jumped out of the car a little before the doors shut and went into the following car, where on both sides of the doors males in suits hanging and where no other people than those men were standing and there were many vacant seats. I did not swear nor did I get upset.
I got to school around 3:30, much earlier than the class and there were no seats. Actually, There were two vacant seats, one next to the short-sleeve teacher , who was in a jacket today, and the other the one in the middle of the three big desks, on which a few pieces of paper were placed－later I found them to be just scratch paper and no one seemed to be using the desk and the paper stayed there till the time I left the office after finishing my class. (The desk was vacant yesterday, too. But a person who often stares at my bust was sitting near the desk.) I went out and prepared for the class at McDonald’s.
When I was walking in crowded MacDonald’s to leave there, two young men appeared in front of me. One of them looked at me, half smile, and said to the other man, “Gonna challenge again?（また挑戦するの？）” “No, no time left…（いや、もう時間がない…）” said the other man. The words of the second man were faint, so I might have caught them wrong. They might have been talking about a college boxing fight or something, but just because they talked looking at me ― I think the other man was looking at me, too ― it just stuck to my mind.
I taught the 5 o’clock class and came back to my station, stayed at the fast food shop till 21:00, and went home.
--- To f,
Correction:
Since I wrote about “fun chat” yesterday, it came up to me that one expression in my past update was inaccurate, so let me correct it. The expression was in the passage dated 2011/12/06. I put the passage after the correction and the expression is in bold italic letters. The correction is as follows.
Wrong: a harmless fun chat
Correct: a harmless fun chat with a hint of my openly secret affection for the person
;)
Note: I showed I enjoy having fun chat with no intention with anyone in my previous update, but this does not mean that I always say what I said to you to anyone. I hope you remember our talk on that day of early July. I wanted to make you pleased and used the expression, “It’s a secret,” to you in front of everyone, to make myself sound funny, explaining why I needed to use the computer you were using by confessing my lapse of forgetting my schedule in the afternoon and not having brought some printouts I needed for the evening class. I do not usually talk like that. I had never and have never used the expression to anyone but you and I promise I won’t. That one is only solely for you. :）
I guess I used up my brain power by that one that day and as I say in the passage I seemed to be boring, at best, after that. Or probably I lack some wiring in my brain, in other words, heart. I’m working on it…Though it might be late…if so, I’m sorry…
“I’m writing to you under the moon, waiting for the sun to rise …” :)
2011/12/06 (Tue)
The thing that makes me angry, about myself, is that I have hurt someone and that I failed to make myself happy even for a short second, because of this lack of alertness and sensitivity to the finest feelings due to sleep deprivation and the attacks. Of course I am rather insensitive to or slow to understand some kind of feelings of others but not, I think, to the degree that I was this summer:
Early this summer, someone said that he wouldn’t be able to sleep, after having a harmless fun chat, and I took it literally and gave him advice to sleep well while noticing and wondering about his expression changing from a gentle smile to that of witnessing a monster or something. I did not realize or thought of the possibility of the implication of the expression till November, even though I had heard the expression used to mean something other than a fit of insomnia and even though I myself used the expression for that usage in this blog in late summer, which also I had forgotten until recently. (My memories are so fragmented. It is amazing that I am still barely functioning at work) This was also probably because I have been alien to love and affection directed to me, even at a level of possibility, for a long long time. Humiliation and violence are the main things everyone has been giving to me until really recently. I should have been all the happier with the gentleness of his words after all the hell I had experienced and as I had been kind of attracted by him. When I think about this I have a feeling of loss and when I think about how the man felt about my reaction I feel desperate. Most of the time when I act insensitive, there is some fault or two on the other side, but he had nothing to blame.
2012/01/05 (Thu) Slept from 3:00-7:30 (4.5 hrs). Although I went to bed around 2:30, strong electric shocks kept me awake. They caused big fits of my legs once. They also caused fits of my head and hands. ]woke up to the game/car-like noise around 7:30. Noises in my head were loud and with my eyes closed I saw geometric patterns waving. I tried to get some more sleep but drill noise at the construction side on the opposite side of the street soon started and I gave up. I have a strange feeling in my head. The feeling you have when you failed yawning continues.
It’s past 13:00. I will go to the fast food shop and try to take a nap and study. I’ll add the rest of the record after coming home.
I studied at the fast food shop from around 17:30to 21:00. I took a nap for 20 minutes. Neither fits nor electric shocks occurred.
2012年1月5日木曜日
Class Supplement, TOEFL Essay, How computers affected our life -partly rewritten-
Writing Topic
Many people feel that computers have been the biggest change in human life in recent decades. How do you think computers have affected the world we live in?
☆Let’s think
The expression in the first sentence “the biggest change in human life” means a large scale of impact on our lives like those of typography, electricity, or penicillin that brought fundamental changes in man’s life. The first sentence, therefore, means that the influence of computers on human life is comparable to these revolutionary changes.
The question starts with the word “How.” This word is about scales and characteristics. Thus this question is not about right/wrong but about quality and quantity. Although of course good/bad effects can be included in the list of changes caused by computers, you do not have to decide whether the development of the computer-based world is good or not.
☆Note
Computers are not only desktop/laptop computers but also those embedded in other machines: cell-phones, electric dictionaries, elevators, ATM, industrial robots, etc.
☆Hints for points
Examples of changes:
♦Study: paper dictionary → electric dictionary research at the library → on the web (e.g. Wikipedia)
♦Business: making documents by hand → on word-processing and spreadsheet applications in computers R&D/production/distribution by humans → computer networks and robots
♦Travel: making arrangements through travel agents → buying tickets and making hotel reservations directly on line
♦Lifestyle: household work → machines with computers shopping at the mall / information search through magazines / visit to the ward office for official documents → online
♦Communication: letter → e-mail/text international phone call → Skype fixed phone → mobile phone direct (face-to-face or on the phone) → indirect (through mails/texts/ social networking services)
♦Entertainment: board game → video game CD → iPod handmade animation → CG video shop → YouTube fre download
♦Medicine: much faster research and development equipment with built-in computers such as hospital facilities and artificial arms and legs treatments of patients in remote areas through the Internet
The characteristic of the changes brought by computers:
faster/more efficient, more accurate, better designed, more entertaining, compact, interactive, more open/inclusive/democratic/decentralized (e.g. more information is available to the public and more people can participate), global, much larger scale (e.g. Pentagon Paper – 4000 pages of documents → WikiLeaks leak by Bradley Manning – hundreds of thousands of documents and a video in a memory stick and some CDs), more dependent on technology (spell-checkers, navigators), change of thought (e.g. communication only by e-mails/texts, concept of friends through SNS, sharing the same culture worldwide on YouTube)
☆Essays for ideas and expressions
1) Barron’s How to Prepare for the TOEFL Essay
Almost everything these days is done with the help of a computer. Computers make communication much more convenient. They make many tasks of daily life easier. They help many people do their jobs better. Overall, computers have made life easier and more convenient for everybody.
Through the Internet, computers make communication much more convenient. E-mail makes it possible to communicate with people instantly at any time of day. This is important for both our work and our personal lives. The Internet makes it possible to find out the latest news right away―even if it is news that happens someplace far away. The Internet makes it possible to get almost any kind of information from any place quickly, right in your own home or office.
Although we may not realize it, computers make many daily tasks easier. Checkout lines at stores move faster because a computer scans the prices. The bank manages your account more easily because of computers. The weatherman reports the weather more accurately with the help of computers. A computer is involved in almost everything we do, or that is done for us.
Most people these days do their jobs with the help of a computer. Architects use computer programs to help them design buildings. Teachers use computers to write their lessons and get information for their classes. Pilots use computers to help them fly planes. With the help of computers, people can do complicated jobs more easily.
We are living in the computer age. We can now do more things and do them more easily than we could before. Our personal and professional lives have improved because of computers.
2)
The impact of the computer is like that of electricity. Supply of electricity has totally changed all people’s lives, from dark to light, from tiresome to easy, or from unthinkable to possible, and opened a new era. Computers also have transformed the world dramatically into the one where we can no longer live without them, different lifestyles and new things are created, and more democratic society is possible.
Just like electricity, computers have become ubiquitous and indispensable. They are in almost all kinds of machines such as cell-phones, TVs, elevators, cash machines, factory robots, medical equipment, and air traffic control systems. A day would not pass without them. Also, the computer has become part of infrastructure. The Internet connects the world and facilitates business, communication and many other activities. No organization can function well, totally cut off from the Internet.
The computer has changed how things are done and has created new things. It facilitates faster, more accurate, and better designed jobs from calculation and document-making to trading to spaceship building. Household work is not an ordeal anymore thanks to electric appliances with built-in computers. As the computer evolves, scientific research and development is exponentially expedited and art and entertainment create things that did not exist in the pre-computer age. The World Wide Web has globalized everyday communication. People can now receive and, more importantly, send out information across the world.
The computer has given people chances to change systems for the better, into more decentralized and transparent ones. In business, small business owners can now sell their products directly to consumers online, thus reshaping the distribution channels. In politics, employees who happen to find concealed information that the general public should know such as war crimes or corruptions can reveal it through whistle-blowing websites such as WikiLeaks by sending massive amounts of raw data anonymously, and people who are more informed now owing to such leaks can organize nationwide demonstrations with worldwide supports to stand up against corrupt leaders using social networking services such as Twitter and Facebook.
I think it can be said that many more people’s lives have become more colorful and freer than before since Windows 95 made it possible for most businesses and ordinary citizens to make use of personal computers and fiber-optic cables connected continents. Although there are concerns about problems related to computer use and occasional nostalgia for life before computers, the computer keeps breaking new ground and benefitting people. It is a phenomenon of the scale that involves all the people on this planet whether they have it or not and whether they like it or not.
☆One-paragraph essay
Sample
【Main Idea = Outline】 ≪The characteristic of the changes brought by computers≫
We can no longer live without computers.
【First notable change】
Computers have become ubiquitous and indispensable.
e.g. cell-phones, TVs, elevators, business, communication, …
【Second notable change】
The computer has changed how things are done and has created new things.
e. g. faster and better jobs, R & D, interactive communication, …
【Third notable change】The computer has given people chances to change systems into more decentralized and transparent ones. e.g. direct transaction, social media, …
【Conclusion = Wrap-up】 ≪How you think computers affected our lives≫
People’s lives have become more colorful and freer than before.
Your one paragraph essay
【Main Idea = Outline】 ≪The characteristic of the changes brought by computers≫
【First notable change】
【Second notable change】
【Third notable change】
【Conclusion = Wrap-up】 ≪How you think computers affected our lives≫
☆Paragraph development
A paragraph of the body of an essay often develops its main idea as follows:
【Main Idea】Computers have made people’s lives easier and lighter.
【Explanation】 They have made it possible to do activities more efficiently.
【Detail / Example】 They have made it possible to do activities more efficiently, for instance.
【More Specific Detail / Example】Computers embedded in appliances support our cleaning, washing, and cooking. The Internet enables students to do research faster and more extensively, and various applications help make documents and charts, calculate, or manage schedule.
【Counterargument & Counter-counterargument】】It is true that not all people benefit from computers and there are many drawbacks in life with computers. Still less than only 30 % of the world population actually have computers. Only rich countries benefit from computer technology to the full, and climate change and much of environmental destruction have been accelerated by the technology made possible by computers. However, it is also true that people in poor countries are indirectly helped by the computer. For example, even people in remote areas in Africa and Asia now have cell-phones, supply of goods has been expedited by computers, and Arab Spring would not have been possible without WWW.
【Conclusion】 Both directly and indirectly, computers have been powerfully supporting lives of people all over the world.
Your test paragraph development
Now let’s practice paragraph development. Choose one of the points you have come up with, make it the main idea, and develop it using the following form. As this is a tentative part of your real essay, use simple words and sentences for supporting details and focus on the logic and ideas.
【Main Idea】
【Explanation】
【Detail / Example】
【More Specific Detail / Example】
【Counterargument & Counter-counterargument】
【Conclusion】
Many people feel that computers have been the biggest change in human life in recent decades. How do you think computers have affected the world we live in?
☆Let’s think
The expression in the first sentence “the biggest change in human life” means a large scale of impact on our lives like those of typography, electricity, or penicillin that brought fundamental changes in man’s life. The first sentence, therefore, means that the influence of computers on human life is comparable to these revolutionary changes.
The question starts with the word “How.” This word is about scales and characteristics. Thus this question is not about right/wrong but about quality and quantity. Although of course good/bad effects can be included in the list of changes caused by computers, you do not have to decide whether the development of the computer-based world is good or not.
☆Note
Computers are not only desktop/laptop computers but also those embedded in other machines: cell-phones, electric dictionaries, elevators, ATM, industrial robots, etc.
☆Hints for points
Examples of changes:
♦Study: paper dictionary → electric dictionary research at the library → on the web (e.g. Wikipedia)
♦Business: making documents by hand → on word-processing and spreadsheet applications in computers R&D/production/distribution by humans → computer networks and robots
♦Travel: making arrangements through travel agents → buying tickets and making hotel reservations directly on line
♦Lifestyle: household work → machines with computers shopping at the mall / information search through magazines / visit to the ward office for official documents → online
♦Communication: letter → e-mail/text international phone call → Skype fixed phone → mobile phone direct (face-to-face or on the phone) → indirect (through mails/texts/ social networking services)
♦Entertainment: board game → video game CD → iPod handmade animation → CG video shop → YouTube fre download
♦Medicine: much faster research and development equipment with built-in computers such as hospital facilities and artificial arms and legs treatments of patients in remote areas through the Internet
The characteristic of the changes brought by computers:
faster/more efficient, more accurate, better designed, more entertaining, compact, interactive, more open/inclusive/democratic/decentralized (e.g. more information is available to the public and more people can participate), global, much larger scale (e.g. Pentagon Paper – 4000 pages of documents → WikiLeaks leak by Bradley Manning – hundreds of thousands of documents and a video in a memory stick and some CDs), more dependent on technology (spell-checkers, navigators), change of thought (e.g. communication only by e-mails/texts, concept of friends through SNS, sharing the same culture worldwide on YouTube)
☆Essays for ideas and expressions
1) Barron’s How to Prepare for the TOEFL Essay
Almost everything these days is done with the help of a computer. Computers make communication much more convenient. They make many tasks of daily life easier. They help many people do their jobs better. Overall, computers have made life easier and more convenient for everybody.
Through the Internet, computers make communication much more convenient. E-mail makes it possible to communicate with people instantly at any time of day. This is important for both our work and our personal lives. The Internet makes it possible to find out the latest news right away―even if it is news that happens someplace far away. The Internet makes it possible to get almost any kind of information from any place quickly, right in your own home or office.
Although we may not realize it, computers make many daily tasks easier. Checkout lines at stores move faster because a computer scans the prices. The bank manages your account more easily because of computers. The weatherman reports the weather more accurately with the help of computers. A computer is involved in almost everything we do, or that is done for us.
Most people these days do their jobs with the help of a computer. Architects use computer programs to help them design buildings. Teachers use computers to write their lessons and get information for their classes. Pilots use computers to help them fly planes. With the help of computers, people can do complicated jobs more easily.
We are living in the computer age. We can now do more things and do them more easily than we could before. Our personal and professional lives have improved because of computers.
2)
The impact of the computer is like that of electricity. Supply of electricity has totally changed all people’s lives, from dark to light, from tiresome to easy, or from unthinkable to possible, and opened a new era. Computers also have transformed the world dramatically into the one where we can no longer live without them, different lifestyles and new things are created, and more democratic society is possible.
Just like electricity, computers have become ubiquitous and indispensable. They are in almost all kinds of machines such as cell-phones, TVs, elevators, cash machines, factory robots, medical equipment, and air traffic control systems. A day would not pass without them. Also, the computer has become part of infrastructure. The Internet connects the world and facilitates business, communication and many other activities. No organization can function well, totally cut off from the Internet.
The computer has changed how things are done and has created new things. It facilitates faster, more accurate, and better designed jobs from calculation and document-making to trading to spaceship building. Household work is not an ordeal anymore thanks to electric appliances with built-in computers. As the computer evolves, scientific research and development is exponentially expedited and art and entertainment create things that did not exist in the pre-computer age. The World Wide Web has globalized everyday communication. People can now receive and, more importantly, send out information across the world.
The computer has given people chances to change systems for the better, into more decentralized and transparent ones. In business, small business owners can now sell their products directly to consumers online, thus reshaping the distribution channels. In politics, employees who happen to find concealed information that the general public should know such as war crimes or corruptions can reveal it through whistle-blowing websites such as WikiLeaks by sending massive amounts of raw data anonymously, and people who are more informed now owing to such leaks can organize nationwide demonstrations with worldwide supports to stand up against corrupt leaders using social networking services such as Twitter and Facebook.
I think it can be said that many more people’s lives have become more colorful and freer than before since Windows 95 made it possible for most businesses and ordinary citizens to make use of personal computers and fiber-optic cables connected continents. Although there are concerns about problems related to computer use and occasional nostalgia for life before computers, the computer keeps breaking new ground and benefitting people. It is a phenomenon of the scale that involves all the people on this planet whether they have it or not and whether they like it or not.
☆One-paragraph essay
Sample
【Main Idea = Outline】 ≪The characteristic of the changes brought by computers≫
We can no longer live without computers.
【First notable change】
Computers have become ubiquitous and indispensable.
e.g. cell-phones, TVs, elevators, business, communication, …
【Second notable change】
The computer has changed how things are done and has created new things.
e. g. faster and better jobs, R & D, interactive communication, …
【Third notable change】The computer has given people chances to change systems into more decentralized and transparent ones. e.g. direct transaction, social media, …
【Conclusion = Wrap-up】 ≪How you think computers affected our lives≫
People’s lives have become more colorful and freer than before.
Your one paragraph essay
【Main Idea = Outline】 ≪The characteristic of the changes brought by computers≫
【First notable change】
【Second notable change】
【Third notable change】
【Conclusion = Wrap-up】 ≪How you think computers affected our lives≫
☆Paragraph development
A paragraph of the body of an essay often develops its main idea as follows:
【Main Idea】Computers have made people’s lives easier and lighter.
【Explanation】 They have made it possible to do activities more efficiently.
【Detail / Example】 They have made it possible to do activities more efficiently, for instance.
【More Specific Detail / Example】Computers embedded in appliances support our cleaning, washing, and cooking. The Internet enables students to do research faster and more extensively, and various applications help make documents and charts, calculate, or manage schedule.
【Counterargument & Counter-counterargument】】It is true that not all people benefit from computers and there are many drawbacks in life with computers. Still less than only 30 % of the world population actually have computers. Only rich countries benefit from computer technology to the full, and climate change and much of environmental destruction have been accelerated by the technology made possible by computers. However, it is also true that people in poor countries are indirectly helped by the computer. For example, even people in remote areas in Africa and Asia now have cell-phones, supply of goods has been expedited by computers, and Arab Spring would not have been possible without WWW.
【Conclusion】 Both directly and indirectly, computers have been powerfully supporting lives of people all over the world.
Your test paragraph development
Now let’s practice paragraph development. Choose one of the points you have come up with, make it the main idea, and develop it using the following form. As this is a tentative part of your real essay, use simple words and sentences for supporting details and focus on the logic and ideas.
【Main Idea】
【Explanation】
【Detail / Example】
【More Specific Detail / Example】
【Counterargument & Counter-counterargument】
【Conclusion】
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/04 (Wed) Slept from 2:30-6:00 + drowsing from 8:30-10:30 (3.5 + 1 hrs). Very strong shock when going to sleep around 2:30. One of them made my jaw shot making a noise, and another made me huff. When I woke up around 6:00, the game/car-like noise was heard and the noises in my head were loud. Again, very strong shocks with the same effects came every time I was about to fall asleep between 8:30-10:30. I think I slept at most 1 hour during those hours. I was woken up by a strong shock that felt like I was slummed in the head around 10:30. After I got up, I felt dizzy and was not able to walk straight.
On my way to work, at either Mitsukoshimae or Otemachi on Hanzomon line, several males in dark suits in their 50s or 60s got on, their toes first pointed to my direction but moved the other way, probably “reading the air” in Japanese or realizing other passengers were not interested in me, and sat on the seats closest to me, on both sides, as they exert the aura of the tycoons. I was sitting on the small seat at the end and reading my textbook. Then at the next station, an old couple got on. They came toward me and the woman sat the far end from me. I kept sitting knowing the old man was going to sit next to me and thinking it might be impolite to jump away as usual treating him like a demon, but when his butt came close, I could see his but was saying, “I’m gonna touch her”,” and so I jumped off the seat. Maybe I was too sensitive, but I trust my past 10 years of experience of harassments. Actually, more than 25 years in terms of old male sexual harassments on the train. I can tell who is going to act dirty. After escaping, I stood next to the seat. The other side were those strange tycoons on both sides and walking between them meant unpleasant experience. I looked up at the railway map, and heard the man who sat in the seat I had been sitting say, “Dameda-na, (Not gonaa make it.)” I looked at the door which was still open. I could feel tycoons looking at me. Then the old man coughed. I jumped out of the car a little before the doors shut and went into the following car, where on both sides of the doors males in suits hanging down and where no other people than them were standing and there were many vacant seats. I did not swear nor did I get upset.
I got to school around 3:30, much earlier than the class and there were no seats. Actually, There were two vacant seats, one next to the short-sleeved teacher, who was in a jacket today, and the other the one in the middle of the three big desks, on which a few pieces of paper were placed－later I found the paper just scratch paper and no one seemed to be using the desk and the paper stayed there till the time I left the office after finishing my class. (The desk was vacant yesterday, too. But a person who often stares at my bust was sitting near the desk.) I went out and prepared for the class at McDonald’s. I taught the 5 o’clock class and came back to my station, stayed at the fast food shop till 21:00, and went home.
2012/01/05 (Thu) Slept from 3:00-7:30 (4.5 hrs). Although I went to bed around 2:30, strong electric shocks kept me awake. They caused big fits of my legs once. They also caused fits of my head and hands. ]woke up to the game/car-like noise around 7:30. Noises in my head were loud and with my eyes closed I saw geometric patterns waving. I tried to get some more sleep but drill noise at the construction side on the opposite side of the street soon started and I gave up. I have a strange feeling in my head. The feeling you have when you failed yawning continues.
It’s past 13:00. I will go to the fast food shop and try to take a nap and study. I’ll add the rest of the record after coming home.
I studied at the fast food shop from around 17:30to 21:00. I took a nap for 20 minutes. Neither fits nor electric shocks occurred.
On my way to work, at either Mitsukoshimae or Otemachi on Hanzomon line, several males in dark suits in their 50s or 60s got on, their toes first pointed to my direction but moved the other way, probably “reading the air” in Japanese or realizing other passengers were not interested in me, and sat on the seats closest to me, on both sides, as they exert the aura of the tycoons. I was sitting on the small seat at the end and reading my textbook. Then at the next station, an old couple got on. They came toward me and the woman sat the far end from me. I kept sitting knowing the old man was going to sit next to me and thinking it might be impolite to jump away as usual treating him like a demon, but when his butt came close, I could see his but was saying, “I’m gonna touch her”,” and so I jumped off the seat. Maybe I was too sensitive, but I trust my past 10 years of experience of harassments. Actually, more than 25 years in terms of old male sexual harassments on the train. I can tell who is going to act dirty. After escaping, I stood next to the seat. The other side were those strange tycoons on both sides and walking between them meant unpleasant experience. I looked up at the railway map, and heard the man who sat in the seat I had been sitting say, “Dameda-na, (Not gonaa make it.)” I looked at the door which was still open. I could feel tycoons looking at me. Then the old man coughed. I jumped out of the car a little before the doors shut and went into the following car, where on both sides of the doors males in suits hanging down and where no other people than them were standing and there were many vacant seats. I did not swear nor did I get upset.
I got to school around 3:30, much earlier than the class and there were no seats. Actually, There were two vacant seats, one next to the short-sleeved teacher, who was in a jacket today, and the other the one in the middle of the three big desks, on which a few pieces of paper were placed－later I found the paper just scratch paper and no one seemed to be using the desk and the paper stayed there till the time I left the office after finishing my class. (The desk was vacant yesterday, too. But a person who often stares at my bust was sitting near the desk.) I went out and prepared for the class at McDonald’s. I taught the 5 o’clock class and came back to my station, stayed at the fast food shop till 21:00, and went home.
2012/01/05 (Thu) Slept from 3:00-7:30 (4.5 hrs). Although I went to bed around 2:30, strong electric shocks kept me awake. They caused big fits of my legs once. They also caused fits of my head and hands. ]woke up to the game/car-like noise around 7:30. Noises in my head were loud and with my eyes closed I saw geometric patterns waving. I tried to get some more sleep but drill noise at the construction side on the opposite side of the street soon started and I gave up. I have a strange feeling in my head. The feeling you have when you failed yawning continues.
It’s past 13:00. I will go to the fast food shop and try to take a nap and study. I’ll add the rest of the record after coming home.
I studied at the fast food shop from around 17:30to 21:00. I took a nap for 20 minutes. Neither fits nor electric shocks occurred.
2012年1月3日火曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/03 (Tue) Slept from 2:30-6:00+ 8:00-10:30 (3.5 + 2.5 hrs). Electric shocks to my head when I was going to sleep. When I woke up around 6:00, the game/car-like noise was heard and the noises in my head were very loud. Electric shocks when trying to sleep again. After waking up around 10:30, I sat on my bed with my upper body front down facing down, then electric shocks and fits came to my hands (placed under my chest), left shoulder (the side facing the next room), and head. I felt I heard very faint chuckles from the next room at the same time when I got the fit on the head. After I got up, I felt dizzy for a while.
Went to Shibuya branch for a class starting at 17:00. Came back to my station right after that and stayed at the fast food restaurant till around 21:20. Now I feel fine.
A female teacher was saying she got mails from strangers on her mobile especially on New Year’s Day.
I remember looking away from an innocent passers-by (a tall young male who looked honest and gentle) at the corner down from Shibuya branch. I’m sorry. I did not mean anything. I just look away if someone sees my face. Before, and still now sometimes, I had to look away to protect myself from vicious stare or hate glare. Now it has become a habit.
(I noticed a male teacher, who usually wears a jacket, wearing a short sleeved T-shirt, when I took a seat near him -― he was wearing a jacket when he left for his class. I couldn’t help saying, “Looks cool (in the sense of temperature).涼しそうですね。” He was making a Popeye pose with both arms …”It’s January..,（1月なんですけど、）” said I. That teacher knows I often enjoy light conversation with no intention and I know he always talks like that. We used to work at Chofu around the same hours on the same day several years ago. Nothing more than a co-worker for each other. Or is it bad to enjoy a light talk with a person whom I have no special affection for? I guess it depends on the other person’s character, habit, and other properties and the situation. He’s Ok. He always speaks like that to anybody.
Light talk reminds me of another old coworker. He is now in Osaka and was at Shibuya branch this autumn for a workshop or something. Before he went to Osaka, he was the manager at Yotsuya and I have been working at the branch since the time before he came to the branch. On the last day at Yotsuya, right after he was told the transfer, he greeted me and after that, after I told him what I know about the area where his new office is located-― things like the atmosphere and so on, he did what no one has done to me. He apologized. He said that he was sorry for everything. He had not done so much bad things to me compared to other people. Moreover, when he started working at this school (at Funabashi branch), I had already experienced enough harassment, and was hostile enough to him, and so I kind of took his sort of harassments for granted. Anyway, I reciprocated his apology and made a farewell at that time, and forgot him. I took a glimpse of him once several months later at Shibuya, but for some reason I did not talk to him probably because of the atmosphere in the office then. And then one evening of last autumn, I spotted him in the office and I shouted, “Nice to see you again! なつかしい！” I was surprised at my reaction. His apology had sunk in my mind and he had transformed into a reliable old comrade inside me in the last two years. After the class, we had a nice short chat and said farewell again. That’s it. I know he has been happily married. And above all, I know some people who do not even have to apologize to me because they have never harassed me in the first place. Of course you are one of them, one of the reasons that I like you, f. :)
I think that day was the day before I saw you last, f. On the day I saw you last, I tried to greet you in an uplifted mood because of the event above. I had noticed that even though I was short of sleep, I could have a normal conversation. Unfortunately, you seemed to be busy and we couldn’t talk. Will I be able to say “Nice to see you again” pure and simple when I see you again? I don’t know. I am not angry about you and miss you. I do not know why I am not honest in front of you. Maybe it is better to forget you for a while like the case of that ex-coworker, and then everything will be fixed in me and I will be able to act natural and funny again in front of you, I guess, and I hope so.)
Went to Shibuya branch for a class starting at 17:00. Came back to my station right after that and stayed at the fast food restaurant till around 21:20. Now I feel fine.
A female teacher was saying she got mails from strangers on her mobile especially on New Year’s Day.
I remember looking away from an innocent passers-by (a tall young male who looked honest and gentle) at the corner down from Shibuya branch. I’m sorry. I did not mean anything. I just look away if someone sees my face. Before, and still now sometimes, I had to look away to protect myself from vicious stare or hate glare. Now it has become a habit.
(I noticed a male teacher, who usually wears a jacket, wearing a short sleeved T-shirt, when I took a seat near him -― he was wearing a jacket when he left for his class. I couldn’t help saying, “Looks cool (in the sense of temperature).涼しそうですね。” He was making a Popeye pose with both arms …”It’s January..,（1月なんですけど、）” said I. That teacher knows I often enjoy light conversation with no intention and I know he always talks like that. We used to work at Chofu around the same hours on the same day several years ago. Nothing more than a co-worker for each other. Or is it bad to enjoy a light talk with a person whom I have no special affection for? I guess it depends on the other person’s character, habit, and other properties and the situation. He’s Ok. He always speaks like that to anybody.
Light talk reminds me of another old coworker. He is now in Osaka and was at Shibuya branch this autumn for a workshop or something. Before he went to Osaka, he was the manager at Yotsuya and I have been working at the branch since the time before he came to the branch. On the last day at Yotsuya, right after he was told the transfer, he greeted me and after that, after I told him what I know about the area where his new office is located-― things like the atmosphere and so on, he did what no one has done to me. He apologized. He said that he was sorry for everything. He had not done so much bad things to me compared to other people. Moreover, when he started working at this school (at Funabashi branch), I had already experienced enough harassment, and was hostile enough to him, and so I kind of took his sort of harassments for granted. Anyway, I reciprocated his apology and made a farewell at that time, and forgot him. I took a glimpse of him once several months later at Shibuya, but for some reason I did not talk to him probably because of the atmosphere in the office then. And then one evening of last autumn, I spotted him in the office and I shouted, “Nice to see you again! なつかしい！” I was surprised at my reaction. His apology had sunk in my mind and he had transformed into a reliable old comrade inside me in the last two years. After the class, we had a nice short chat and said farewell again. That’s it. I know he has been happily married. And above all, I know some people who do not even have to apologize to me because they have never harassed me in the first place. Of course you are one of them, one of the reasons that I like you, f. :)
I think that day was the day before I saw you last, f. On the day I saw you last, I tried to greet you in an uplifted mood because of the event above. I had noticed that even though I was short of sleep, I could have a normal conversation. Unfortunately, you seemed to be busy and we couldn’t talk. Will I be able to say “Nice to see you again” pure and simple when I see you again? I don’t know. I am not angry about you and miss you. I do not know why I am not honest in front of you. Maybe it is better to forget you for a while like the case of that ex-coworker, and then everything will be fixed in me and I will be able to act natural and funny again in front of you, I guess, and I hope so.)
2012年1月2日月曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/02 (Mon) Slept from 2:30-6:00-10:30 (3.5 + 4.5 hrs) with a short interval around 6:00. Electric shocks, some of which rather strong, to my head when I was going to sleep around 2:30. Game/car-like noises around 6:00. They were not loud but hurt my eardrums. I remember covering my ears. When I woke up around d10:30, I could also hear the game/car-like noises.
While I was working on my PC, my head felt funny for 10 minutes or so, but after working for several hours, I did not have the after-concussion sensation.
I intended to go to the fast food shop today, but I it became late while I was writing an essay for my teaching material, which I have included in the previous update of this blog right now, and I kind of feel reluctant to go to a food shop on the second of January because I did not take a bath last night, partly because of a custom of my family. I do not think I go there today. I’ll just eat late lunch and study at home.
I just now noticed that nearly thirty messages from people I don’t know had been in my mobile. (around 22:30) They seemed to be responding to an ad on a seedy dating site. All messages were in Japanese. I deleted them all. I have informed no one of the mail address. I sent a picture of a jungle crow from my computer to my mobile early summer last year twice. I have sent no messages using the address. One hunch I have about this is that the address is easy to guess or can match one of the addresses on address lists probably automatically generated by computers.
Good news is that my internet connection is good today. Downloading is going as fast as before.
--- To f,
I hope everything is going well for you, f. :)
While I was working on my PC, my head felt funny for 10 minutes or so, but after working for several hours, I did not have the after-concussion sensation.
I intended to go to the fast food shop today, but I it became late while I was writing an essay for my teaching material, which I have included in the previous update of this blog right now, and I kind of feel reluctant to go to a food shop on the second of January because I did not take a bath last night, partly because of a custom of my family. I do not think I go there today. I’ll just eat late lunch and study at home.
I just now noticed that nearly thirty messages from people I don’t know had been in my mobile. (around 22:30) They seemed to be responding to an ad on a seedy dating site. All messages were in Japanese. I deleted them all. I have informed no one of the mail address. I sent a picture of a jungle crow from my computer to my mobile early summer last year twice. I have sent no messages using the address. One hunch I have about this is that the address is easy to guess or can match one of the addresses on address lists probably automatically generated by computers.
Good news is that my internet connection is good today. Downloading is going as fast as before.
--- To f,
I hope everything is going well for you, f. :)
Class Supplement, TOEFL Essay, Research on business or agriculture? -partly rewritten-
Writing Topic
Imagine a university is planning to build a new research center in your country, but it has not been decided whether to create a center for business research or agricultural (faming) research. Which of the two sorts of research centers would you prefer to be built in your country?
☆Ideas and Expressions
♦Business
1. Japan has been one of the biggest economies in the world for a long time mainly due to our strong competitiveness in products. In other words, we have not been good at sales and marketing very much. Now that many manufacturers of other countries outshine ours, it is about time for us to learn more seriously about business. Market research on specific demands of each country, for instance, will help diversify our exports and stabilize export earnings.
2. With enough wealth and technology to help reduce the damage of global warming and environmental destruction, developed countries are expected to shift to a sustainable economy or environmentally friendly economy. To restructure our economy, we need to do more research on related areas such as evaluation of eco-friendly technology businesses.
3. The low food self-sufficiency (40%) is not necessarily dangerous in this globalized economy. Countries import food from each other. Also, Japan has already been heavily industrialized and adding just another agricultural research center cannot change its economic structure. Moreover, the level of our agricultural research is very high. People come from all over the world to learn from our agriculture and we send experts to countries suffering from food shortage to help develop their farming.
♦Agriculture
1. Japanese agriculture is at crises in general. The age-old problems of Japanese agriculture are very little farmland (90% of the land is mountains and forests), decreasing numbers of farmers and farmhouses, aging, and weakening functions of farming societies caused by industrialization especially after WWII. In addition, traditional sustainable agriculture has been destroyed by the introduction of factory style farming, or single crop farming, which, for example, requires importing more than thousand tons of feed grains and contaminates rivers with large amounts of cattle feces. Now that restrictions on agribusiness have been lifted and if we join Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), which will perish small farmers, this trend might be accelerated.
2. Research on our low self-sufficiency (40 %) is necessary. The self-sufficiency of our staple food, rice, is 100% while most of the feed grains for meat production such as wheat and corn are imported. Since these crops will be in great demand for bio-fuel and to avoid food crises, research on more sustainable and self-sufficient protein production is necessary. In addition, because small farmers cannot make a living, the number of farmhouses is decreasing, and now 30% of all farmhouses produce only for their use, not for sale, causing concern about food shortage in case of emergency. It is true that the problem of low self-sufficiency is the problem of business (deflation making people give up farming) and politics (prioritizing business rather than agriculture), but approaches to improve the situation by those who are involved in farming would be effective and innovative.
3. We have not eliminated hunger-related deaths in poor countries, yet. Also, population increase, global warming, and environmental destruction could cause food crises in the near future. Developed countries are required to make more contribution to research concerning food security such as irrigation, plants more resistant to climate change, or genetically modified crops. We can live up to this expectation by continuing to offer our high-level agricultural techniques and technologies. For example, plant factories, invented and developed in Japan, can produce edible plants without soil all through the year. We can not only sell their produce but also export the factories and their software, which can help vitalize our economy. In addition, one alternative energy resource receiving particular attention is biomass-energy, which is our specialty.
☆Essay for ideas and expressions
Just a few years ago, the terms green or fair trade meant nothing more than opportunities for corporate image improvement to most huge corporations and never meant calls for total restructuring of the economic system, or more precisely so they pretended to interpret them. They had succeeded in propaganda to make middle class believe that all are going all right. However, climate change has started biting, middle-class people are now having difficulty in making ends meet, and the mass protests across the globe do not go unnoticed anymore. Studies for new economic systems on both international and domestic levels are essential to earnestly tackle fundamental problems of our times. Therefore, I would prefer a new business research center to be built if a university is planning to build a new research center in my country, Japan.
Researches on alternative economic systems are crucial. It is now clear that capitalism or free market system is harmful to everyone including those who have enjoyed its benefits. It has exploited the resources and people in the third world. It has widened the gap between the rich and the poor worldwide. Especially in the USA, the leading capitalist country, the gap reached the 1 to 99 ratio. It has also destroyed the environment, whose deterioration now threatens all life on earth. Ideas for more natural and humane economic activities, which ordinary people as well as conscientious intellectuals have conceived probably since the onset of industrialization, should be crystallized. One of the examples of such effort is a system called employee ownership or democratization of corporations. Democratized companies will reflect public consensus and make more sensible decisions. They might encourage governments to promote real fair trade: fair transactions not just between companies but between countries. They would certainly stop outsourcing, which is good for domestic workers. Also, they may well support sustainable economy, which is good for the environment. Public awareness on the environmental issues is quite high. For instance, 70 % of US citizens now support green energy.
In the torrent of economic globalization, Japan, which is in deficit for the first time in 31 years, is at the crossroads. Joining Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) will lead it to totally American type economy, which has just proved to be a failure in terms of the welfare of all people. Obviously the disadvantaged, who are already suffering enough, will suffer more. Also, even if Japan survives as a country, taking advantage of its position as a developed country, the problem of morality will remain, for free trade works at the expense of the weaker. It is inevitable for us to put more pressure on poor people in developing countries. Moreover, it has become clear that the corruption of the domestic economic system has already passed the point of meltdown. The misconduct in relation to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant symbolizes that Japan has not been so much a protective economy as it has been believed. Japanese people were made to accept nuclear power plants through sophisticated advertisements of Japanese mass media backed up by US energy industry and US and Japanese governments. The industry neglected design upgrade despite awareness and warnings. After the disaster, the electric company and the government did not disclose crucial information, and the government did not take enough measures to protect the residents in the area, and probably the whole population in the eastern part of Japan. The irresponsible economic leaders teaming up with political leaders could make the last 50 years of Japanese prosperity, where most people, rich or poor, enjoyed fundamental human rights and basic happiness of life, just a transient good moment of its history.
It might be true that competition promotes evolution of technology and systems, but the current system does not have a safety net strong enough to protect those who have lost in competition and those who are disadvantaged from the beginning. Governments are manipulated by lobbyists from large corporations, so that channeling money to rescue the weak gets harder and harder. Also, the stock market, a world-scale casino for the rich, does not have a structure to give it decency to clean up its own mess. When crises occur, public money is used to make up for the loss and the return is not sufficient when those rescued start gaining profits again―unemployment rates won’t go down despite record profits of those companies for instance. This system keeps siphoning large amounts of money from the poor to the rich.
Suggestions on plans for rapid and less painful shift to the new economic system are what university should make now to build a society that protects dignity and human nature of everyone and protects the environment.
Imagine a university is planning to build a new research center in your country, but it has not been decided whether to create a center for business research or agricultural (faming) research. Which of the two sorts of research centers would you prefer to be built in your country?
☆Ideas and Expressions
♦Business
1. Japan has been one of the biggest economies in the world for a long time mainly due to our strong competitiveness in products. In other words, we have not been good at sales and marketing very much. Now that many manufacturers of other countries outshine ours, it is about time for us to learn more seriously about business. Market research on specific demands of each country, for instance, will help diversify our exports and stabilize export earnings.
2. With enough wealth and technology to help reduce the damage of global warming and environmental destruction, developed countries are expected to shift to a sustainable economy or environmentally friendly economy. To restructure our economy, we need to do more research on related areas such as evaluation of eco-friendly technology businesses.
3. The low food self-sufficiency (40%) is not necessarily dangerous in this globalized economy. Countries import food from each other. Also, Japan has already been heavily industrialized and adding just another agricultural research center cannot change its economic structure. Moreover, the level of our agricultural research is very high. People come from all over the world to learn from our agriculture and we send experts to countries suffering from food shortage to help develop their farming.
♦Agriculture
1. Japanese agriculture is at crises in general. The age-old problems of Japanese agriculture are very little farmland (90% of the land is mountains and forests), decreasing numbers of farmers and farmhouses, aging, and weakening functions of farming societies caused by industrialization especially after WWII. In addition, traditional sustainable agriculture has been destroyed by the introduction of factory style farming, or single crop farming, which, for example, requires importing more than thousand tons of feed grains and contaminates rivers with large amounts of cattle feces. Now that restrictions on agribusiness have been lifted and if we join Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), which will perish small farmers, this trend might be accelerated.
2. Research on our low self-sufficiency (40 %) is necessary. The self-sufficiency of our staple food, rice, is 100% while most of the feed grains for meat production such as wheat and corn are imported. Since these crops will be in great demand for bio-fuel and to avoid food crises, research on more sustainable and self-sufficient protein production is necessary. In addition, because small farmers cannot make a living, the number of farmhouses is decreasing, and now 30% of all farmhouses produce only for their use, not for sale, causing concern about food shortage in case of emergency. It is true that the problem of low self-sufficiency is the problem of business (deflation making people give up farming) and politics (prioritizing business rather than agriculture), but approaches to improve the situation by those who are involved in farming would be effective and innovative.
3. We have not eliminated hunger-related deaths in poor countries, yet. Also, population increase, global warming, and environmental destruction could cause food crises in the near future. Developed countries are required to make more contribution to research concerning food security such as irrigation, plants more resistant to climate change, or genetically modified crops. We can live up to this expectation by continuing to offer our high-level agricultural techniques and technologies. For example, plant factories, invented and developed in Japan, can produce edible plants without soil all through the year. We can not only sell their produce but also export the factories and their software, which can help vitalize our economy. In addition, one alternative energy resource receiving particular attention is biomass-energy, which is our specialty.
☆Essay for ideas and expressions
Just a few years ago, the terms green or fair trade meant nothing more than opportunities for corporate image improvement to most huge corporations and never meant calls for total restructuring of the economic system, or more precisely so they pretended to interpret them. They had succeeded in propaganda to make middle class believe that all are going all right. However, climate change has started biting, middle-class people are now having difficulty in making ends meet, and the mass protests across the globe do not go unnoticed anymore. Studies for new economic systems on both international and domestic levels are essential to earnestly tackle fundamental problems of our times. Therefore, I would prefer a new business research center to be built if a university is planning to build a new research center in my country, Japan.
Researches on alternative economic systems are crucial. It is now clear that capitalism or free market system is harmful to everyone including those who have enjoyed its benefits. It has exploited the resources and people in the third world. It has widened the gap between the rich and the poor worldwide. Especially in the USA, the leading capitalist country, the gap reached the 1 to 99 ratio. It has also destroyed the environment, whose deterioration now threatens all life on earth. Ideas for more natural and humane economic activities, which ordinary people as well as conscientious intellectuals have conceived probably since the onset of industrialization, should be crystallized. One of the examples of such effort is a system called employee ownership or democratization of corporations. Democratized companies will reflect public consensus and make more sensible decisions. They might encourage governments to promote real fair trade: fair transactions not just between companies but between countries. They would certainly stop outsourcing, which is good for domestic workers. Also, they may well support sustainable economy, which is good for the environment. Public awareness on the environmental issues is quite high. For instance, 70 % of US citizens now support green energy.
In the torrent of economic globalization, Japan, which is in deficit for the first time in 31 years, is at the crossroads. Joining Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) will lead it to totally American type economy, which has just proved to be a failure in terms of the welfare of all people. Obviously the disadvantaged, who are already suffering enough, will suffer more. Also, even if Japan survives as a country, taking advantage of its position as a developed country, the problem of morality will remain, for free trade works at the expense of the weaker. It is inevitable for us to put more pressure on poor people in developing countries. Moreover, it has become clear that the corruption of the domestic economic system has already passed the point of meltdown. The misconduct in relation to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant symbolizes that Japan has not been so much a protective economy as it has been believed. Japanese people were made to accept nuclear power plants through sophisticated advertisements of Japanese mass media backed up by US energy industry and US and Japanese governments. The industry neglected design upgrade despite awareness and warnings. After the disaster, the electric company and the government did not disclose crucial information, and the government did not take enough measures to protect the residents in the area, and probably the whole population in the eastern part of Japan. The irresponsible economic leaders teaming up with political leaders could make the last 50 years of Japanese prosperity, where most people, rich or poor, enjoyed fundamental human rights and basic happiness of life, just a transient good moment of its history.
It might be true that competition promotes evolution of technology and systems, but the current system does not have a safety net strong enough to protect those who have lost in competition and those who are disadvantaged from the beginning. Governments are manipulated by lobbyists from large corporations, so that channeling money to rescue the weak gets harder and harder. Also, the stock market, a world-scale casino for the rich, does not have a structure to give it decency to clean up its own mess. When crises occur, public money is used to make up for the loss and the return is not sufficient when those rescued start gaining profits again―unemployment rates won’t go down despite record profits of those companies for instance. This system keeps siphoning large amounts of money from the poor to the rich.
Suggestions on plans for rapid and less painful shift to the new economic system are what university should make now to build a society that protects dignity and human nature of everyone and protects the environment.
2012年1月1日日曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2012/01/01 (Sun) Slept from 3:30-8:30 + 9:00-11:30 (5 + 2.5hrs) The feeling of after-concussion after watching YouTube videos from 0:00 to 3:00. Electric shocks accompanied by Goh noises, which caused fits including one twitching the right side of my upper lip, while I was going to sleep. Woke up around 8:30 and the noises in my head were very loud and wavy. I noticed one of the globes (the left one) , which I wear to keep my hands out of my futon while I am sleeping because fits often occur when they are in my futon, had been off. I put it on and tried to sleep again with my front down, and fits came to my left arm and then to my left fingers. When I woke up again, eyes were blinking and noises in my head were loud.
Spent all day sitting in front of my PC. After concentrating on class material making, I felt the noises in my head were loud and wavy, the same state as I experience at night. I also have a slight feeling of concussion. During the houses, I felt mobile vibrations from the next room. (I was wearing earmuffs, so I did not hear the noise but I had heard it over the past few days a few times. The sound and the vibration come from the spot right behind the wall where I sit in front of my PC whenever I am sitting there.
I’ll probably go to the fast food shop tomorrow. I enjoy studying there. The day after tomorrow, I have my first lesson of this year at Shibuya.
Spent all day sitting in front of my PC. After concentrating on class material making, I felt the noises in my head were loud and wavy, the same state as I experience at night. I also have a slight feeling of concussion. During the houses, I felt mobile vibrations from the next room. (I was wearing earmuffs, so I did not hear the noise but I had heard it over the past few days a few times. The sound and the vibration come from the spot right behind the wall where I sit in front of my PC whenever I am sitting there.
I’ll probably go to the fast food shop tomorrow. I enjoy studying there. The day after tomorrow, I have my first lesson of this year at Shibuya.
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