Here we go again. . .
Back during “oil shock” in the 1970s, the Japanese government came up with the idea that energy could be saved if men would wear these funny-looking short-sleeved safari suits. A couple of government bigwigs appeared on news programs and in newspaper photographs wearing the suits, but that is about as far as they got.
Now Environment Minister Yuriko Koike (who, apparently, is qualified for her job based on a BA in Sociology from Cairo University and a stint as an economic newsreader babe on a Tokyo TV station) is at it again, claiming that Japan can start reducing greenhouse gas emissions as required under the Kyoto protocol if office workers would remove their neckties and jackets during the summer months.
“The move is meant to show (the government’s) resolve to achieve Japan’s target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 6 percent” as pledged in the Kyoto Protocol, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda explained.
The previous day, the Environment Ministry dubbed this the “Cool Biz” initiative, with the name selected by a nine-member panel out of some 3,200 that were submitted by the general public.
Right now, Japan’s only efforts at reaching the greenhouse gas levels set for it have been totally cosmetic: no neckties, silly slogans, committees made up of celebrities, etc. No doubt the inevitable failure of these empty gestures will be followed by energy taxes and other government intervention that very well may end up sticking a fork in the dead duck that is the Japanese economy.
The Kyoto Agreement is and was a joke. Japan should hang their head in shame for hosting the conference that became this abortion. The city of Kyoto should change its name out of sheer embarrassment.
May 4th, 2005 at 10:55 pmWhile I agree that in general this proposal for reducing greenhouse emissions is going to be ridiculiously uneffective, I can see that not wearing warm clothing during the summer months my result in less use of air conditioning units, thus conserving some energy. This only of course if the office workers actually turn down the air, which is doubtful.
May 6th, 2005 at 7:32 amI am in favor of any measure that will reduce the need to report for work wearing a necktie.
May 6th, 2005 at 3:01 pmI wrote a little more on Japanese business dressing habits: http://ibasho.blogspot.com/2005/05/fourteen-years-in-noose.html
May 25th, 2005 at 4:30 amForcing businessmen to take off their ties is a stupid idea. Maybe they should go to work barefoot, as well? It doesn’t help with global warming - what a silly stunt!
June 14th, 2005 at 12:10 amProgram on the emergence of civilization.
“14 species of large animals capable of domesitcation in the history of mankind.
None from the sub-Saharan African continent.
13 from Europe, Asia and northern Africa.”
Favor.
And disfavor.
They point out Africans’ attempts to domesticate the elephant and zebra, the latter being an animal they illustrate that had utmost importance for it’s applicability in transformation from a hunting/gathering to agrarian-based civilization.
The roots of racism are not of this earth.
Austrailia, aboriginals:::No domesticable animals.
The North American continent had none. Now 99% of that population is gone.
Organizational Heirarchy
Heirarchical order, from top to bottom:
1. MUCK - perhaps have experienced multiple universal contractions (have seen multiple big bangs), creator of the artificial intelligence humans ignorantly refer to as “god”
2. Perhaps some mid-level alien management –
3. Mafia (evil) aliens - runs day-to-day operations here and perhaps elsewhere (”On planets where they approved evil.”)
Then we come to terrestrial management:
4. Chinese/egyptians - this may be separated into the eastern and western worlds
5. Romans - they answer to the egyptians
6. Mafia - the real-world interface that constantly turns over generationally so as to reinforce the widely-held notion of mortality
7. Jews, corporation, women, politician - Evidence exisits to suggest mafia management over all these groups.
Survival of the favored.
Movies foreshadowing catastrophy
1986 James Bond View to a Kill – 1989 San Fransisco Loma Prieta earthquake.
Journal: 10 composition books + 39 megs of text files
September 2nd, 2005 at 4:54 pm