Fun with Japanese

Glico has recently revived a nostalgic dairy/yogurt type drink from the 1970's when it was perfectly understandable to have product names that make English speakers giggle, gag or otherwise recoil in shock. If you've been to Japan you've surely seen Pocari Sweat or Calpis. (now marketed in North America under the more consumption friendly 'Pocari Drink' and 'Calpico', respectively).

Here it is:


You'll notice the product strategically opts for no English lettering - that's for nostalgia, of course, for the days before Japan was 'international'.

It is also because the product is called 'Pinesu'. Which in pronunciation terms sounds like 'pee-nis'.

Electrifying!

I have a confession to make: I am trying to give up smoking. Patch hasn't worked, and I am a bit shy about seeing the doc for prescriptions. So I browsed the net (as usual) to find good alternative means and here is what I found: Electric Cigarettes!

(sources: AKIBA KEIZAI SHINBUN & Thanko Rare Mono Shop)

(It's just vapor, not smoke so it's harmless. 0mg nicotine and tar. Good for quitting the smoke!)

This stuff is totally radical: It encourages you to be a poser, be provocative, and anti-social in an office environment. I mean, who smokes at his/her desk these days and why you wanna have USB-electrified gadget at the desk?!

(source: Thanko Rare Mono Shop, Subtitling by ICE9)

I really like the scientific substantiations of the pseudo-smoking experience: the tip lights as you inhale, and water vapor would come out of your mouth accordingly. Plus, you get to choose between tobacco flavor & mint flavor (like charcoal and menthol choice in the real world) with the cartridges; genuine Japanese inventions!!