Net Revolution

　
　
Net Revolution
　
　

Kato, I tried to turn on the microwave oven, but it won't come on.



You know what? 　The internet is down.



You mean the microwave oven is part of the internet?



Oh, yeah! 　Everything is now. 　It'll come on.



You've got toast.

So, Kato...you think we're living in the age of the Net revolution, don't you?



Oh, yeah...you're telling me, Diane. 　As in the above joke, the Net will instruct the toaster to make your toast and let you know when it's done.

So, the Net has changed our way of life, hasn't it?

Yes, the Net revolution is the 6th revolution in the history of human beings.

Oh...? What's the first revolution?

Of course, the first revolution is the use of fire.





Only human beings can make use of fire. No other animal can cook their food on fire.



I see...and what about the 2nd revolution?



　　Ugaritic script



The creation of the first alphabet. The Ugaritic script is a cuneiform (wedge-shaped) abjad used from around 1400 BCE for Ugaritic, which is an extinct Northwest Semitic language. The script was discovered in Ugarit---modern Ras Shamra, Syria---in 1928. It has 31 letters.



So, it has more letters than the present English alphabet.

Yeah, that's right. Clay tablets written in Ugaritic provide the earliest evidence of both the West and South Semitic orders of the alphabet, which gave rise to the alphabetic orders of the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin alphabets.

I see. So, the English alphabet comes from the Latin, doesn't it?

That's right.

What about the third revolution?

The invention of coinage---money.





Some say that the East Indians invented coinage between the 6th and 5th century BC. Others consider coins to have originated ca. 600-550 BC in Anatolia, which is modern-day Turkey. Yet, some scholars say that the oldest coins were minted by the ancient greeks---the Aegina people or by Pheidon king of Argos sometime between 700 BC and 550 BC.



Wow! Kato, you're so knowlegeable.

Well, I've learned from the wikipedia. He, he, he, he, he...

So, the ancient people used coins to facilitate commerce and exchanges, I assume.

That's right. Exchanging goods is so cumbersome. So, coins were invented, and have been used to the present day.

I see. 　Tell me the fourth revolution, Kato.





The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg, who was the first European to use movable type printing, in around 1439.



So, many books were produced, I guess.

Yeah, that's right. The printing technologies spread quickly, and news and books began to travel across Europe much faster than before. It fed the growing Renaissance, and since it greatly facilitated scientific publishing, it was a major catalyst for the later scientific revolution.

That's great. Kato, I know the fifth revolution.

Oh, yeah?

It must be the Industrial Revolution caused by the invention of steam engines.





You've got it, Diane! While working as an instrument maker at the University of Glasgow, Watt became interested in the technology of steam engines. He realised that contemporary engine designs wasted a great deal of energy by repeatedly cooling and re-heating the cylinder. Watt introduced a design enhancement, the separate condenser, which avoided this waste of energy and radically improved the power, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of steam engines.



And this revolution has led to automation and mass production, hasn't it?

You're telling me, Diane. After the Industrial Revolution, machines produce a variety of goods cheaply and, in turn, brings up the present-day mass-producing and mass-consuming society.

I see. And finally here comes the sixth revolution---the Net Revolution.

You've got it, Diane.





You see, Diane...in the age of internet, people living thousand miles apart can communicate each other as if they lived next door.



Do you really mean it?

Yes, of course, I do.

Any proof?

Oh, yeah. Look at the screen image below:



■http://blog.livedoor.jp/barclay1720/



This is the screen image captured on April 25, 2011.



Is this your blog?

Yes, it is. Look at the green bar on the left-side column.

　　　Live Traffic Feed　　　

The list shows the recent ten visitors on my blog at the time.

Only ten visitors?

If you want to see more, then click the following bar in the above list:

　　　Real-time view Menu　　　

When you click the above bar, you'll see the following detailed list:





Wow!...there are so many visitors from various countries.



That's right. The above visitors came to my blog from 11:29 AM to 1:38 PM on April 24, Vancouver Time---approximately for two hours.

The visitor on the top of the above list is you, Kato?

Yeah, that's right. Under me is another Canadian visitor from Tronto. You can also see an American visitor from St.Louis, Missouri.

The flag seen under the American visitor is of France, isn't it?

No, it isn't. It is the flag of Thailand. The visitor came from City of Zapote in the state of Alajuela. Under this visitor is another Amerivan visitor from Bridgeport, Connecticut.

I see a visitor from Seoul of Korea.

Maybe, the above Korean visitor is learning the Japanese. You can see the French flag under the Korean visitor. The last visitor of the above list came from Liverpool of Britain.

Are you saying, Kato, some American and British visitors came to read your blog written in Japanese?

I can't tell for sure, but probably those American and British visitors are Japanese, who are family members of diplomats or Japanese employees working for the Japanese trading firms over there. In any case, my blog is located in the server in Japan while I'm writing articles for that blog from Vancouver, Canada. And visitors come from all over the world. The above list is only for two hours. Daine, do you know what I mean?

What is it?

Well, as soon as I've written an article, people from all over the world could read it. Let's suppose, Johannes Gutenberg printed a book some 500 years ago. It would probably take at least a year or two for the book to reach Japan or Canada. But now, as you see, people from all over the world could read this article in a jiffy after posting it on my blog. This is why I call this the Net Revolution.

So, you've got toast as well on the Net, haven't you?

Yes, you're telling me, Diane.

【Himiko's Monologue】



Kato and Diane talked about the Net Revolution.
As you see, we're living in the age of the internet.
Apparently, English is supposed to be the language for everybody.
However, non-English speakers sometimes create a funny joke without knowing it.

Here are some hilarious jokes:

FUNNY ENGLISH NOTICES

AROUND THE WORLD!



Here are some signs and notices written in English that were discovered throughout the world.

---

In a hotel in Athens:



Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11 A.M. daily.

---

In a Yugoslavian hotel:

The flattening of underwear with pleasure is the job of the chambermaid.

---

In a Japanese hotel:

You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid.

---

In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from a Russian Orthodox monastery:



You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists, and writers are buried daily except Thursday.

---

Outside a Hong Kong tailor shop:



Ladies may have a fit upstairs.

---

In a Bangkok dry cleaner's:



Drop your trousers here for best results.

---

In a Rhodes tailor shop:

Order your summers suit. Because is big rush we will execute customers in strict rotation.

---

A sign posted in Germany's Black forest:

It is strictly forbidden on our black forest camping site that people of different sex, for instance, men and women, live together in one tent unless they are married with each other for that purpose.

---

In a Zurich hotel:

Because of the impropriety of entertaining guests of the opposite sex in the bedroom, it is suggested that the lobby be used for this purpose.

---

In an advertisement by a Hong Kong dentist:

Teeth extracted by the latest Methodists.

---

In a Rome laundry:



Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon having a good time.

---

In a Czechoslovakian tourist agency:

Take one of our horse-driven city tours - we guarantee no miscarriages.

---

Advertisement for donkey rides in Thailand:



Would you like to ride on your own ass?

---

In a Bangkok temple:

It is forbidden to enter a woman even a foreigner if dressed as a man.

---

In a Tokyo bar:

Special cocktails for the ladies with nuts.

---

In a Copenhagen airline ticket office:

We take your bags and send them in all directions.

---

In a Norwegian cocktail lounge:

Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar.

---

In a Budapest zoo:



Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food, give it to the guard on duty.

---

In the office of a Roman doctor:

Specialist in women and other diseases.

---

From a Japanese information booklet about using a hotel air conditioner:

Cooles and Heates: If you want just condition of warm in your room, please control yourself.

---

From a brochure of a car rental firm in Tokyo:



When passenger of foot heave in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage then tootle him with vigor.

---

Two signs from a Majorcan shop entrance:

- English well talking.
- Here speeching American.

Oh, well..., laughing with hilarious jokes is one thing; romance is another.

Come to think of it, I've never met a decent man in my net life.
How come I'm always a loner?
I wish I could meet a nice gentleman at the library in my town as Kato met Diane.
Well, they say, there is a way where there is a will.

Have a nice day!
Bye bye ...

■"Cleopatra"

■"Queen Nefertiti"

■"Catherine de Medici"

■"Catherine the Great"



■"Mata Hari"

■"Sidonie Colette"



■"Marilyn Monroe"

■"Hello Diane!"

■"I wish you were there!"

■"Jane Eyre"



■"Jane Eyre Again"

■"Jane Eyre in Vancouver"

■"Jane Eyre Special"

■"Love & Death of Cleopatra"

■"Nice Story"



■"Scrumdiddlyumptious"

■"Spiritual Work or What?"

■"What a coincidence!"



■"Wind and Water"

■"Yoga and Happiness"

■"You're in a good shape"



■"Hellelujah!"

■"Ecclesiophobia"

■"Uncorruptible"

■"Net Travel & Jane"

■"Net Love"

■"Complicated Love"

■"Electra Compled"



ィ～ハァ～♪～!

メチャ面白い、

ためになる関連記事




■　『きれいになったと感じさせる

下着・ランジェリーを見つけませんか？』

■　『ちょっと変わった　新しい古代日本史』

■　『面白くて楽しいレンゲ物語』



■　『カナダのバーナビーと軽井沢に

別荘を持つことを夢見る小百合さんの物語』

■　『今すぐに役立つホットな情報』

■　『　○　笑う者には福が来る　○　』



■『夢とロマンの横浜散歩』

■『愛とロマンの小包』

■『下つきだねって言われて…』



■『銀幕の愛』

■『パリの空の下で』

■『夢の中華パン』

■『愛の進化論』



■『漫画家と平和（２０１１年３月６日）』

■『漫画家の壁（２０１１年３月１０日）』

■『漫画家と奴隷（２０１１年３月１２日）』



■『畳の上の水練（２０１１年３月１５日）』

■『パール判事とゴーマン（２０１１年３月１８日）』

■『軍隊のない国（２０１１年３月２１日）』

■『士風と「葉隠」（２０１１年３月２３日）』

■『アナクロニズム（２０１１年３月２７日）』




こんにちは。ジューンです。

ネットをサーフィンするのもよいですけれど、

たまにはネットから離れて

のんびりと映画を見るのも癒しになりますわ。

わたしは寅さんの映画が好きです。

嫌いな人に言わせると、

“あんなワンパターンの映画のどこがいいの？”

と言います。

でも、そのリフレーンがいいのですよね。

歌でも同じ言葉やリズムの繰り返しが

イヤではなく、むしろ快く響く事ってありますよね。

寅さん映画のテーマの繰り返しは

例えて言えば、歌のリフレーンのように快く響きます。

『男はつらいよ』

40周年記念プロモーション映像



基本的には人情喜劇なんですよね。

寅さんという「非日常」を登場させることによって、

社会や家庭、人間が持っている普遍的な悩みを

浮き彫りにさせ、家族のあり方や人間の生き方を

考えさせてくれるのですよね。

そう思いませんか？

自分の恋は成就しなくとも、

結果的に周りを幸せにする寅さんは、

ピエロとして描かれています。

寅さんという自由人は、

平凡な人にも幸せな気分を味合わせてくれるような

化学で言う“触媒（しょくばい）”ですよね。

自分は変わらないのに相手が変わって行く

“幸せの触媒”です。



ところで、愛とロマンに満ちた

レンゲさんのお話をまとめて

『レンゲ物語』を作りました。

もし、レンゲさんの記事をまとめて読みたいならば、

次のリンクをクリックしてくださいね。

■『愛とロマンのレンゲ物語』



とにかく、今日も一日楽しく愉快に

ネットサーフィンしましょうね。

じゃあね。