tlug: Viewing japanese text: sometimes yes, sometimes no

[Stuart Luppescu <s-luppescu@example.com>]

I must admit to a primitive system for viewing Japanese email, but I don't get
much. I use a mail client (xfmail) that has no provision for double-byte
characters, so when Japanese email comes in I click on ``external viewer,''
which spawns leim-enabled emacs 20.4 with my message in it.
Sometimes this works but sometimes I can't view the text at
all. Here's an example of text I can't read (i.e., it appears as dollar signs,
punctuation, letters and numbers):

$BD+F|?7J9%K%e!<%9B.Js(B

$B!!%V%i%8%k?M$G$"$k$3$H$rM}M3$KE9$+$iDI$$=P$=$&$H$7$?$N$O?M<o(B
$B:9JL9T0Y$K$"$?$j!"F|K\$bHc=Z$7$F$$$k?M<o:9JLE1GQ>rLs$K0cH?$7(B
$B$F$$$k$H$7$F!"@example.com,8)IM>>;T85IMD.!"1R@example.com|Aw%F%l%S6I5-<T%"%J!&(B
$B%\%k%D$5$s!J#3#5!K$,!"F1;T:hD.$NJu@example.com<T!J#4#7!K$i#2?M$r(B
$BAj<j<h$j!"0V<UNA$J$I#1#5#0K|1_$NB;32Ge=~$r5a$a$?:[H=$NH=7h8@(B
$B$$EO$7$,#1#2F|!"@example.com,CO:[IM>>;YIt$G$"$C$?!#=!E/O/:[H=41$O!"F1(B

Here's some I can (it appears are Japanese text):

$B!!#97n#1F|$K#2#1?M$NL$EPO?0\=;O+F/<T$H$=$N2HB2$,:_N1FCJL5v2D$r5a$a$F=P(J
$BF,$r$7$F$+$i!"$[$\#1%17n$,7P2a$7$^$7$?!#$3$N4V!"K!L3>J!]F~9q4IM}6I$O0[(J
$BNc$H$b$$$($kB.$5$G0cH?D4::$r=*N;$7$F$7$^$$$^$7$?!##1#07n#1#2F|$^$G$KA4(J
$B0w$N2>J|LH?=@example.com=q$rDs=P$7$J$1$l$P!"<}MF$b$"$jF@$k$H=R$Y$F$$$^$9!#$7$+(J
$B$7!"0cH?D4::$O;j$C$F$N$s$S$j$+$DCz=E$K9T$o$l$F$$$^$9!#F|K\?MG[6v<T$rF@(J
$B$?L$EPO?309q?M$,:_N1FCJL5v2D$r5a$a$F=PF,$7$?>l9g$K!":G=i$N0cH?D4::$N$?(J

The weird thing is that when I view this message in emacs, both segments view
correctly, but the original of the first one doesn't. Does anyone know what's
going on?
______________________________________________________________________
Stuart Luppescu         -=-=-  University of Chicago
$(B:MJ8$HCRF`H~$NIc(B        -=-=-  s-luppescu@example.com
http://www.consortium-chicago.org/people/sl/sl.html
ICQ #21172047  AIM: psycho7070
Don't tell any big lies today.  Small ones can be just as effective.
>> Sent on 15-Oct-99 at 11:41:40 with xfmail
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Next Technical Meeting: October 9 (Sat), 13:30   place: Temple Univ.
* Linux Internationalisation Initiative (Li18nux) speaker: Akio Kido
* Japanese TrueType Fonts                     speaker: Adrian Havill
Next Technical Meeting: November 13 (Sat), 13:30 place: Temple Univ.
* Network Security                               speaker: Steve Baur
Next Nomikai:  December 17 (Fri), 19:00 Tengu TokyoEkiMae 03-3275-3691
-------------------------------------------------------------------
more info: http://www.tlug.gr.jp        Sponsor: Global Online Japan