Long Time Expat In Japan
I just started a new job, same company, different location. The new location is closer to home, only about 12 miles away. About 9 of those miles are on a cycling path along a river. This is rare in Japan, and I count myself lucky. Most roads are not much wider than a US city … Continue reading Cycling in the Dark
I'm sure you've heard about getting outside of your comfort zone. It's where you learn, stretch, grow. I've often thought of Bilbo's famous quote when I hear it, "I feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread." That's the stretch part. But where is the grow part? It might have something … Continue reading Comfy Chairs
image thanks to amazon.com Books Review (more than one) The Odd Thomas Sequels by Dean Koontz Odd Thomas is a great character. The original story was well crafted. It took the reader in unexpected directions. This is partly because the character and the world was new. That's what makes origin stories so fun, and sequels … Continue reading Odd Thomas Sequels
Book Review - sort of The Godwulf Manuscript By Robert B. Parker Published 1973 Fair warning - this is not a typical book review; it is subjective as hell, more remembrance than review. I've written before about my relationship with reading. Like any love story, there are both struggles and fond memories. Robert B. Parker … Continue reading Book Review – The Godwulf Manuscript
In February I was really pleased to say that I was, again, not last. As you can see below, I'm plugging along well enough. The first is kanji. https://bsdonovan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/janfebkanji.jpg Then here is my pen submission. I must admit, I'm kind of struggling here, but still not last. https://bsdonovan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/janfebpen.jpg But below is the really exciting part. … Continue reading Level up!
My good friend, Christian Storms told me about a job he had down in Kagoshima. He's doing a corporate about some research on volcanoes and ash. The research is related to the volcano eruption in Iceland that grounded airplanes in Europe back in 2010. He invited me to do some drone shots for the project, … Continue reading Volcano Eruption in Sakurajima
Book Review The Shallows By Nicholas Carr Some good books get you thinking, they set you to talking and discussing. Other good books transport you. Still others are tomes of knowledge. A good friend of mine and I have been conversing about reading a bit lately. I have a complicated history with reading. My friend's … Continue reading Book Review – The Shallows
I’ve always had a complicated relationship with reading. I’m not a fast reader. I only read between 350 and 400 words a minute. The average college student reads 450. Many of my good friends are much faster. I admit to some feelings of inferiority. Some of my fondest memories of reading are C.S. Lewis. Until … Continue reading Reading
Many years ago, when I was a college student, and barely conscious - I was not a party animal, just self centered - I studied Comparative Literature. Comp Lit was where I could basically take classes in film, science fiction, vampire fiction, foreign languages, almost anything liberal arts related, and it would count toward graduation. … Continue reading Blogs are Commonplace Books
Image from Mr. Nimoy's Twitter Like many of you, I was saddened to hear of Leonard Nimoy's passing. While he will be remembered for his many achievements, the one for which I will remember him the most is as Spock, ambassador to a brighter future. Star Trek was before it's time in many ways. The … Continue reading Change is the Essential Process of All Existence
B.S. Donovan 
