When I submit all kinds of academic papers or some kinds of conference papers, I have to be checked by reviewers.
Three reviews (Name and affiliation not disclosed) check my paper. If they do not pass this, my paper will not be accepted.
Last week, my paper for an international conference was accepted, and I felt relieved. However, after reading the comments on the reviews,? I am confused now.
The summary of each review is,? the first reviewer said "I found some defects and I complained about it, however, I reluctantly accept it", and the second, "Excellent. Nothing to complain about it" and the third reviewer was a middle of the first and the second.
"Which review can I believe?"
I am in trouble now.
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Because now I am given a chance to "Camera Ready" I can modify my paper just one time.
If I try to adapt for a severe review, I have to make extensive revisions. However, the value of my paper is going to be worse with the revisions.
In addition, I want to modify all English in whole my paper.
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By the way, I have not believed in "outsourcing of English check by native" since the incident.
The reason was written in this diary.
Recently I have used a free spell check service on the net, and recently I asked my wife to join me in the paid service.
I have never been such a net English checker service, so I cannot compare other services. However, this is "really good".
The free version has been useful, but this paid version provides the following services.
- Corrects definite and indefinite articles (a, the), etc.
- Corrects verbs of subtle usage (e.g., "occur" and "happen") and prepositions (e.g., "for," "to," and "on").
- Suggest correcting the position of the adverb.
The most I moved is
- Suggest a dynamic phrase change from the active to the passive.
In the paid version, I can select the modification policy ( I chose "Academic"), so I am relieved.
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The following was the chat with my wife.
Wife: "How much?"
Me: "144 dollars"
Wife: "20,000 yen a month..."
Me: "No. It is "a year". In addition, I can get 45% off the first year..."
Wife: "Why not join it soon"
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Well, in my case, I use this service every day, so it pays enough.
However, I will continue to use and write my content with bullshit English.
At least about spell check, I will rely on this service.
Whenever I read columns about current topics, I always think that
"Why doesn't this writer make figures or tables and add them in his/her column?"
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Now I tried to research some columns and noticed that this tends to be the case in economic and political news.
Significantly, senior editorialists, so-called "heavyweights" in the field who have ignored the figures and tables, should be blamed.
Even if they don't know how to use Excel or Powerpoint, it is no problem. I will say, "Try it with handwritten."
Or, instead, handwritten is better.
Because it conveys their opinions to the readers.
The reason we use Excel or Powerpoint is to save time.
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You can read more about why I heavily use, or rather abuse, charts, and tables here.
Recently, when I watch animations on TV,
-- Can't we even "relax" without being reborn in "another world"?
Sometimes I agree with my opinion.
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Today, I went to college through four houses round trip and heard a student's 15-minute English seminar presentation, and left for home (because 5 out of 6 students canceled their English presentations)
I went home repeatedly chanting in my mind, 'This is another world, this is another world, this is another world, this is another world....'
I should not impose the common sense and values of senior working adults as corporate enslaved people on young people's learning centers.
After all, once they become business persons, it takes less than a month to complete the brainwashing of their company.
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"-- However, now, the world is yours. Until then, enjoy it to the fullest."
Excerpt from "The Tragedy of Shibuya Station" by Mr.Ebata's Small Talk
As an IT engineer, the crush of USB memory and HDD makes me change a new system or device.
We can argue about Japan, a disaster-prone country from the same scope.
However, both logic doesn't include "screams, roars, and repentance."
Finally, even if accidents are good in the long term, both system and natural disasters lead to hell quickly.
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The other day, my USB memory was crushed.
The problem was that the USB memory stored "my private schedule management file."
Well, it could not be helped.
If I would pay for it, the data would be saved. However, the cost was too expensive.
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I regretted managing my schedule with USB memory, so I have already started researching Web-mindmap. However,
"It would be embarrassing if these leaked out."
Thinking of such vital data, I am researching the service seriously.
Against the information leaking, some cloud service providers have morbid measures, but other providers have only monkey-like controls.
However, any cloud is located in a remote environment. Finally, I have to decide whether I make a contract boldly.
Or, we have to accept any crush after doing what we could do, for both system disasters and natural disasters.
I had a colleague who was a terrific engineer who would mumble, 'I wish I had something like this,' and two weeks later, he would make it and bring it to me.
(I'm sure I've told this story many times, but I couldn't find it again in my past diaries this time.)
He is one of Ebata's certified "geniuses" who always can say, "I've done it," and then show it to me.
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I make a proposal, consult with my boss, select team members, apply for a budget, set a schedule, manage progress, complete, and test, and during that period, a great deal of money and time is spent. Then -- the "ideal" of my initial proposal is gone and lost.
I have seen many processes since I was a business person.
Still, I know how amazing "I've done it" is from the bottom of my heart.
I laughed as the executives presented his result to the public as if their results were.
What I learned from the genius is
"What I learned from the genius: "If you have time to make proposal material, do it yourself without saying."
In other words, that is that.
"If you can't make it alone, you should prepare for half of your failure."
I have insisted on "private technical skills" and spent my weekend and long holidays making things myself.
However, there are some things that cannot be done by "individual power," but I think that is something to think ribosome things cannot help where I can do it by "individual power".
That's aside.
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From the viewpoint of our nation's economy, marriages are complex, and childbirth and childcare are hopeless. I know it well.
"Nobody can get married logically."
The result was my final answer from static data and numbers.
If there is something beyond the logic, it might be,
"I've done."
The ultimate weapon of "I've done" might be the last straw to make society, relatives, and the couple accept the marriage.
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What kicks our back against the sense of stagnation of society or individuals is just "I've done," I think.
My wife and I have already shared the recognition of the thought.
Therefore, if my daughter says,
"I've done."
I will reply to her
"Well done!"
I have already prepared for the time.
Eating lunch alone in the restroom is called "Benjyo meishi(Lunch in the Toilet)".
I thought it was about children being bullied and ostracized, but upon proper investigation, it seems that it is not just that.
"Active use of restrooms to eat in comfortable enclosed spaces"
I am a little surprised that there seems to be a point of view that.
That is, 'I was not a minority'.
However, I have never experimented to eat a lunch in restroom, so I could not be joined.
I am a "solitary Ebata" who believes that "eating alone while reading a book is delicious," and I have always avoided eating in groups, so there is no need to eat in the bathroom in the first place.
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I used to think that "Benjyo meshi" was "an act to avoid being recognized by others as being alone".
Of course, there's a point of view that--
It is a relief to know that there are a good number of people who want to "get away from the hassle of relationships and enjoy a leisurely meal.
Well, the arrogant senior woman, the bosses who only brag, and the subordinates who keep silent without providing any stories -- it's disgusting, isn't it?
However, if my boss invites me out to lunch, as expected, I cannot refuse.
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"Do you think you have even 1/100th of the value of this book? " There are surprisingly few people to whom you can say that to their face.
I hear many people are sick this time of year, and I am also sick now.
In my case, insomnia, toothache, and allergies occur in a constant cycle, but now, allergies are coming.
I feel uncomfortable because of the vague itches of my body.
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So I went to the nearby clinic for my checkup.
Dr.: "It could be house dust. Let me give you some medicines that don't make you sleepy.
Ebata: "Don't worry. I am insomnia, so any medicine that makes me sleepy is welcome".
In fact, I have never been sleepy to take medicines that make me sleepy with side effects.
Sometimes, stabilizers may not work either, I will 'win' over sleeping pills if I am unlucky.
Therefore I want to shout
"Show me the medicine that will defeat me"
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The other day, I purchased a big plastic bag from Amazon.com, put my bed mat into the bag, and ran hot air from the futon dryer for 5 hours straight.
I think I have vacuumed the bed mats after the "dust mite massacre", but the allergies have not yet subsided.
I have been trying to thoroughly clean my room over the past weekend.
The reason I make my room clean is not for cleaning and sanitation but for against allergies.
When Windows 95 came out and the Internet became always-on (well, if you're asking, "What's an always-on connection?" please ignore me), I set up a PC and connect to the Internet.
However, my parents didn't use the PC.
So I also installed the net game of "Go" and "Shogi" for my father.
However, I had never seen my father put the PC's start button, opened the game apps, and play the games.
Finally, my parents had never touched IT in their life.
The lesson I took from this is the fact of
"We cannot enjoy ourselves with anything others recommend"
Looking at the above, this seems to be philosophical but it is trivial in the real.
For example, in my case, I was recommended and tried, and finally, it was in vain about "Games".
The failure case of "Maid Cafe" was written in this diary(in the latter half).
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Maybe, nobody will control their entertainment except for themselves.
Even if they are my parents, partner, and children.
I know your frustration about "it can be to have something so convenient and fun".
However, it cannot be helped. Let you give up.
Because we don't have what we want to do basically.
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In that sense, people who have curiosity are stronger against this era of rapid change.
On the other hand, even if you have curiosity, you could not enthuse the object because the operations(preparations, procedures, and processes) are too difficult.
Especially, in the case of IT, I can say that 'the presence of at least one IT-savvy person in the family determines whether or not the curiosity lives or dies'.
Well, in my parents' case, "even if there were an IT-savvy(me), it was not enough"
"Don't worry. I am wearing" is, as you may know, the famous line of the Japanese comedian who is now highly respected in the UK.
Watching the video clip, I busted in laugh for a long time.
When I watched the video, I thought that
This line is not allowed by TOEIC Part 1, however, it is allowed in the U.K.
(1) "wear" shows the state of wearing pants, so the progressive tense is not used.
(2) "wear" is a transitive verb, so the object "pants" is necessary.
If you don't pay attention to that, you lose the score of junior high and high school, Eiken, and TOEIC.
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About this line, in my case,
- "Don't worry. I have worn the pants"
- "Don't worry. I wear the underwear"
- "Don't worry. I wear my pants"
It was about five years after I started the English diary that I began to worry about "which one would be best".
It took me five years, but I finally got to the point where I cared about transitive verbs, progressive forms, and the definite article.
However, I have never had any trouble with those issues.
by not only "in dairy conversation" but also "in business".
Therefore,
So I have claimed that "Don't worry. I am using (English)" again and again, and showed you ten policies about Japanese English.
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Not to get the score on English tests, but to use English, I continued that
(Step 1) Use bullshit English "every day" anyway → (Step 2) Return to basics only when I have trouble with bullshit → (Step 3) Continue to use bullshit English "every day" while gradually adding basics
as a "dairy English".
I repeat it, there is no problem thinking as
"Basics" are "forgotten items" that you return to retrieve when you need them.
"If you think "Basics are the most important for studying English" and spend your time to "Basic English" in your life, it is O.K. However you should not push it on others."
I want to push that on you.
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After 10 years of my bullshit English diary, I have decided to join the paid plan of "grammary for Chrome" (currently in the process).
The $144 per year is a bit of a pain for me, but it's a small price to pay considering that they will be correcting my English diary every day.
My future English teacher will be IT technology & AI technology.
No more English teachers.
Today I attended a plenary seminar at the university.
Japanese students seemed to have a hard time with their English presentations and Q&A sessions.
(I am also struggling in my English class.)
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When I reflect on my past 30 years ago, I remember that
"I didn't use a millimeter of English in my graduate (masters) program"
I only remember writing about 10 lines in an English abstract.
Considering these factors, the English environment for today's students is becoming more demanding.
I think it is admirable that they are giving presentations in English in an auditorium where half (or more?) of the seminar students are international students.
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But in our time, there was no Deepl (translation engine), no ChatGPT (generative AI), no SNS, no email, and no internet to begin with.
Literature research is mainly in Japanese, and I feel that English papers were simply carried around.
I am thinking that each era has its own advantages and disadvantages, and that if they are offset, it would be a even or something like that.
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Well, as a senior, I can tell you,
"A helpful tip for handling the English language is to maintain a relaxed approach"
Besides the meaning of "lazy," "lazy" also means "uninterrupted".
Please consider "creating your own 'daily life mechanism'".
In my experience, the one thing that fails is 'subscribing to an English newspaper or Newsweek'.
Please don't forget.