B5 to A4, come in A4

For years I have been advocating the need for US-based businesses to adapt to international standards. Besides using the metric system of weights and measures, which would do wonders for international business, there is also the international system of paper and stationary.

In the American tradition of being different, the country still uses inches, pounds and letter-sized paper. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect A4 and B5 world. Those of you who have the need and/or desire to use US stationary supplies will be happy to know that there is a retail outlet in Tokyo that stocks a whole range of imported items for the home and office. Bungu Star (tel: 03-5474-2128, fax: 03-5475-5845) is located near Roppongi crossing, down the street toward the Tokyo American Club. The second floor has just about everything you would expect to find at a stateside office supply store. Besides letter- and legal-sized paper and folders, there are notebooks, packing envelopes, storage boxes, reference books, bulletin boards, fire-proof safes, postage scales, pens, pencils, and everything in between. The store also has an impressive variety of electronics that include overhead projectors, telephones, fax machines (US versions), calculators and US versions of electronic pocket computers and word processors. And all include English-language manuals. Pay them a visit and give them your business if you can. Even if you like the neatness of international standards, it is still refreshing to be able to buy a folder or a notebook without some bizarre English phrase written on the cover. "Enjoy study. It is learning interested."

Earthquake Preparedness

A few of you have written in recent weeks asking how to ready your computers and valuable data for Tokyo's "Big One." When the city of Kobe was hit back in 1995, Computing Japan went south to see how that city's higher technology fared. For the complete report, see the April 1995 issue of CJ (online at
http://www.computingjapan.com/magazine/issues/1995/apr95/apr95.html).
One brief item that I'd like to mention here is to let desktop PCs hang loose. In other words, leave as much slack as possible in the cables that connect the various components of your computer, and your computer to the power outlets. When a major earthquake hits, all the desks in the office WILL move, and there is no use hoping otherwise. As the Kobe disaster proved, PCs with generous lengths of cables and extension cords were able to follow the desks as they bounced around. Those with nice, neat wiring stayed in place while the rest of the universe was in motion. What was left was not very pretty. Remember: SPAGHETTI is SAFER.

Oh, and one more thing, DO NOT PARK A PC NEXT TO A WINDOW, especially if you are in a high-rise building. (Ever been hit by a falling PC? It isn't healthy.)

More on Y2K

I intend to write a bit about this every month until the coming millennium. Frankly, the Y2K problem is going to be a big mess here in Japan. Several experts have informed me that it will take somewhere from three to five years after the clock strikes 2000 just to clean up all the mess. In the mean time, here are two key websites to see for reliable and timely Y2K information: http://www.itaa.org (the official site of the Information Technology Association of America) and http://www.y2kjapan.com (a bilingual site that addresses issues particular to Japan).

Big Brother is alive and well

Well, if the Y2K problem, economic turmoil, military tension, climatic changes and good ol' fashioned Millennium Madness haven't gotten you down, try this. A report recently compiled for the European Parliament is out detailing the ways in which governments control their populations. The document, with the Orwellian title of An Appraisal of Technologies of Political Control, can be accessed on the web at http://jya.com/stoa-atpc.htm. I strongly urge everyone to read it. I am sure that many of you will find it one of the most disturbing documents ever seen.

Be sure to check out the part about ISDN, and how it can be used to spy on people at home. NTT has not yet gotten back to me on whether they are making use of this sinister feature, but I will print their response in a future column. If the report is no longer at the URL listed, do a search using the title. Like truth and US letter size, it's out there somewhere.

Tom is a freelance journalist based in Tokyo. You can share your A4-B5 world domination experiences with him at caldwell@gol.com.

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