Hell freezes over -- Remote work is now standard

[Taro Toporific]

No more going to the office and no more tanshin funin results in...

Japanese housewives going on a murder sprees to rid their homes of 24/7 husbands.

Telecom giant NTT to standardize remote work and end job relocations for all staff
The Japan Times | Sept. 29, 2021
NTT Corp. said Tuesday it is considering allowing all 320,000 employees of the gigantic telecom group to work remotely as standard and abolishing job relocations, in a drastic shake-up of its management style for a post-coronavirus society.
More...

NTT Corp. President Jun Sawada announces a shake-up of the firm's management and working styles

little_NTT_puke.jpg

[wagyl]

Landlords of one room mansions will be upset!

[Grumpy Gramps]

I wonder, what the finanacial balance of WFH is for the employee.

On one hand, you might need a bit more space for your office junk, maybe better internet and hardware; I guess you can't do much real work from your keitai. Also possibly marriage counselling.

OTOH, you need less money for commuting, business clothes, eating out, nomikai etc.

Are there any numbers for these somewhere?

[wagyl]

One statistic that I saw, was that sales of cigarettes dropped 16% in a year, as workers are moving to non-combustion tobacco products when at home.
Sales are 30% of what they were 25 years ago. The ban on smoking indoors will also have had an influence, and it could be argued that there is little difference in influence on those figures between a ban on smoking indoors in the workplace, and a desire not to smoke up the home.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/ ... es-plunge/

[matsuki]

This is indeed bizarre...but as Wags can certainly vouche for, there is a lot of weird stuff going on in many countries "because covid!!"

OTOH, Japan might be the outlier where the changes actually bring about more freedom for the populace.

[Coligny]

Japan is nothing less than exemplary in its handling of the situation.
Meanwhile if Macron is re-elected in 6 month I invite anyone with firearms handling training and/or government beheading experience to contact in dms. (Also, some notion of Spanish would help. Entry into Schengen space will need to be from some euro 3rd world backwater member)

[Grumpy Gramps]

Macron has quite a bit of competition, it seems. And with the move to the left in Germany, France could move a bit as well, no? That would create a Germo-(F)rancid proletarian powerhouse in Europe; unstoppable.

[Taro Toporific]

...sales of cigarettes dropped 16% in a year, as workers are moving to non-combustion tobacco products when at home.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/ ... es-plunge/

Isn't vaping a lot cheaper than cigarettes?

Also, I have noticed that many (¿most?) Tokyo men are exiled to outside to smoke when staying at home.

no-smorking.jpg

[matsuki]

Tokyo men are exiled to outside to smoke when staying at home.

no-smorking.jpg

...where the smoke wafts into the open windows of non-smokers

I don't often use my veranda but nearly every time I go out there, it's littered with cigarette butts. Not sure which side the asshole who flicks them there is on but it's a fire hazard with my wood tiles and whatnot back there.

[Coligny]

Macron has quite a bit of competition, it seems. And with the move to the left in Germany, France could move a bit as well, no? That would create a Germo-(F)rancid proletarian powerhouse in Europe; unstoppable.

Left ? Germany ?
If we were smart we’d start putting back our military base around Verdun up to the former Ligne Maginot. These fucking krauts will need to get the glass parking lot treatment pretty soon…
When there is food for everybody all is ok, but Kayser Merkel will not wait for her last can of beans before moving down south to protect her lebensraum.

[Grumpy Gramps]

I don't know, Coligny; the world wars are looooong over (won by the Russians TBH) and so is the cold war (won by the Chinese TBH). The "American empire" is about to crumble and no one wants Poland anymore. No need to indulge in nostalgia, the world has changed since the olden days and Merkel is no longer at the helm.

[Wage Slave]

And add in the fact Germany is so liberal, vegetarian, carbon free, no nukes and downright woke these days. Just monitor DW for a few days if you have any doubt. They are positively goody two shoes all the way. Anyone who took on a force de frappe enabled France would need their heads examined. Look at the scheduled actions over a few fish!

[Coligny]

Ah, yes, “the war to end all wars…”

You really think the shortages will be restricted to video cards and Audi’s unobtainium driveshafts for long ?

Mitsu took 3 weeks to get a spare radiator for a car who was built 45 minutes from my house.

We are 9 meals from anarchy

[Grumpy Gramps]

I do think that we are living in dangerous times. Water/oil/gas and other shortages and monopolisations; corporations that have more power than elected governments (thanks to secretly haggled out "Free Trade Agreements") and other stuff. It is IMO pretty possible that some stupid idiot out there starts a huge war out of frustration, or more likely because s/he thinks he can make big profits from it.

But it won't be X against Y along the old WWII/cold war lines IMO. I think, we (Europe and Asia) should get rid of the yanks as our "protecting power" and send their bases packing ASAP and they better clean up nicely after them. They're no longer here to protect us if they ever were, quite the opposite IMO. "America first" is alive and well. So they don't need us and we don't need them, no? Europe should huddle together and possibly make a deal with Russia; that would be strong! There is surely a good reason for the anglosaxon block to fear monger and try to make the Russians the bogeyman. They don't want their "colonies" to defect, they don't want a strong Asia or Europe, because that would show their own weakness.

And it seems to be obvious, not only by the blown submarine deal, that US/UK/AUD/ (CDN?) are now their own block; or should we say, the US and their little pet poodle states? Asia and Europe shouldn't try to hook up to that block, but build our own functioning co-operations to become independent of them; who wants to be a de facto colony? That alone might cause a war, because "buy American", but that's OK, the yanks should be used to lose wars by now

To cool the situation down, little kindergarten-animosities between neighbours should be put aside and friendships built, but that has never happened in history, so why should it happen now? Are we doomed? Probably.¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Wage Slave]

All makes a lot of sense but Europe doesn't show much willingness to actually pay for building and maintaining a credible, united military force. And then there's the history. Plus centuries of fighting with each other leaves a mark.

As for Asia? Well, there are real problems in establishing any kind of unity of purpose over even the most basic things which is why China can continue to get away with daylight robbery in the South China Sea.

And, I'm sorry but I don't trust Mr Putin. If the USSR had believed they could have taken the rest of Europe then they would have done so. The only thing that stopped them was NATO. If the likes of Mr Putin think they can get away with it, they will invade and annex.

[Coligny]

Buffer states.
No projection capabilities.
Heavy reliance on strategic dissuasion.
With ICBM on sea, air and land.
No aircraft carriers.
Heavy investment on coastal defense artillerie.
Heavy investment on missile defense systems.
Mass production of battletanks and offroad trucks only fit to be transported by railroads.

Care to tell me how Ivan will take over the continental US with that stufff ? Transatlantic railroad maybe.

[Wage Slave]

I don't think Ivan ever had designs on taking over the continental US any more than the US had designs on taking over continental Russia. Western Europe and USSR member Europe was and is another story. Ask a Czech. Or a Ukrainian.

[Grumpy Gramps]

The Eastern Europeans are still scared to death of Russia. Those who were repressed by the Sovjets are still alive and it is understandable that they are wary and tell their children the stories and make them scared too. It will take a few generations until the fear goes away. And Russia will have to do their part too. Putin is an opportunist and he knows exactly what he can get away with. If he would see a profit in it (or we could show him some for real), he could easily become a strong partner and Russia still is the largest country on earth with all the resources you'll ever need. But with American missiles in Europe aiming at him, no wonder he doesn't see any incentive in doing so. But IMHO he still looks much more reliable and trustworthy than the Neros and Caligulas, who currently reign the "American empire." The big question is: Who/what will follow Putin?

I can also understand that Europe doesn't want to spend an unrealistic amount of money for stupid war toys, when they can finance education, health care and R&D instead. We'll even invest in a comfy cell for the likes of Anders Breivik. All these are things that have a lot more real life value than an aircraft carrier or the waste of another % on a dysfunctional NATO. OTOH Europe really should make themselves able to carry their own weight, also militarily (hate to say that), and become as independent as possible. Asia including China is a really good bad example of the kindergarten-like behaviour that makes everyone weaker instead of stronger. China can only get away with it, because the rest of the lot is just as lousy.

[Wage Slave]

Well, I agree with you about aircraft carriers. And about spending hugely disproportionate amounts of money and R&D talent on useless military toys. However, being able to defend yourself one way or the other is the first duty of any government. Without that, there isn't much point in all the rest. I also dislike the glamourisation and fetishization of the military that goes on in the Anglo (and other) world(s) too. Japan (and perhaps Germany and Switzerland?) are far better in this regard. However, all that aside, we still need to be able to defend ourselves and I remain unconvinced that Russia offers a warm and cuddly embrace. The sheer size of their military and their actions, including the murders of dissidents at home and abroad, strongly argue the opposite. There isn't much doubt that they would have done a bit more annexing in the 70s and 80s if they had thought for a moment they could have got away with it.

[matsuki]

Just my two cents but the "America First" rhetoric and push comes from a place of watching US companies nod off into complacency and watching other countries walk all over the US without reciprocity. The point is while the US doesn't deserve exceptional treatment from other countries ('merica...FIRST!!) there are quite a few situations where other countries are openly abusing concessions and flouting international law/agreements (cough cough China) and it shouldn't be tolerated.

That alone might cause a war, because "buy American", but that's OK, the yanks should be used to lose wars by now ¯

While I realize this was a thing in the past, I'll just point out that this idea is definitely is not what it used to be and to portray it as such is dishonest. The Japanese buy more into this with made in Japan than Americans do. Take autos for example. As much as I think Tesla (a name which cannot be said by the Biden administration as long as they have the UAW cocks down their corrupt throats) will be a world dominator, the US automarket has a pretty good representation of global manufacturers. It's not closed and people aren't shamed for "not buying American." (though, unlike Tesla, most of the "American" manufacturers have outsourced so much, it's questionable calling them American)