If dogs could speak...

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Computer Addiction
If you think you are wasting your life away on the computer, meet Kentaro Shimada and Tai-Yang Hsu.

Shimada is a 33-year old Japanese who is jobless and homeless, but instead of seeking shelter under bridges or moving to California like most people, last year he visited an Internet cafe in Nagaoka in Niigata Prefecture. And decided to move in. These cafes are somewhat common in Japan and many other Asian countries. They are open around the clock and offer customers access to computers and DVD and video game players. And of course coffee and simple food like spaghetti and cucumber pizza. Kinda like Denny's but with computers and edible food. If you miss the last train of the night or just can't wait to read the latest edition of my blog, that's the place to go.

But, I digress. Shimada got himself a booth at the coffee shop and made it his home sweet home from August to the end of the September. During that time he ran up a tab of over 520,000 yen -- or 4500 American presidents if you prefer. No matter how you count it, that's a heck of a lot of soy sauce ramen for one person. After the two-month extended stay, Shimada tried to leave without paying, but was promptly arrested and thrown in jail where the food is free, but apparently there is no Internet.

Now on to Mr Hsu. He is a 37-year old Taiwanese with a better strategy to avoid paying. Hsu was unemployed like Shimada, but he had a home in Taipei until his wife kicked him out following an argument. So like men everywhere who are banned from home he got on the Internet, at RS Cyber Cafe in Tamsui just outside Taipei. There he spent his time smoking, eating instant noodles, playing video games and surfing porn. OK maybe he didn't surf porn but he did search my blog for fluffy French poodles and Floo-Bees vendors. Other than that, for three months he lived the dream life of every man, free and totally unburdened. Then one day last week he complained of breathing difficulties and soon after succumbed to a heart attack.

So if you are not spending every waking hour of every day on the computer at an Internet coffee shop, reading weird news and inconsequential dog diaries while slurping ramen, you have nothing to worry about. You are not a complete computer junkie yet.
- posted by Woofwoof @ 6:20 AM

Comments:

Now I am worried. I look forward to your blog every weekend. I haven't gone to a cyber cafe yet though.

# posted by

Anonymous : 11 June, 2006 14:00

Heart attack (taking notes) that's how to avoid the mortgage. Seems a bit intense, but, hey, it's something to shoot for.

# posted by

John : 12 June, 2006 22:52

wow! i thot that my peepol spent too much time on the pooter but i guess it izznt so bad as those guys. thanks for sharing the story!

# posted by

Ivy : 14 June, 2006 16:05

Connecticut,
Reading my blog is nothing like being a computer junkie. It's called doggie education.

John,
Eating ramen for a few months straight definitely will help.

Ivy,
Hi! I have to remind people to get off the computer so we can blog and look for squirrel recipes.

# posted by

Woofwoof : 17 June, 2006 07:33

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