Long Time Expat In Japan
Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life (hereafter S2S)by Arthur C. Brooks The title is a mouthful. It was something of a turnoff, to be honest. It reminded me of the self help books that I want no part of. Books that aim to help you squeeze … Continue reading Second Half of Life
Megathreats by Nouriel Roubini Roubini, an economist and professor, is best known for predicting (in 2006) the financial meltdown of 2008. As a result of that prediction, he's been nicknamed, "Dr. Doom." After reading this book, his nickname is well-deserved. Megathreats explores the economic and geopolitical risks and challenges facing the world in the 21st … Continue reading Megathreats
Long time no see. My posts have been very negative in the last year, all two of them. I should apologize, but the world is what it is. In my last post I wrote about how the stock market will crash. It is unfortunately in the middle of doing that. This time, I worry about … Continue reading Not a Bluff
On a completely separate note, I updated my Apple Podcast app recently. I really dislike the changes they made. OK, maybe I’m old and I resist change, but it seems like Apple sometimes just changes stuff, not for the better, just because. Nearly every time I manually download a podcast, the app mixes the title … Continue reading Podcasts
Today is kind of a lonely day. It is the beginning of the rainy season. The skies are a uniform grey. The temperature is just a little too warm. It’s wet, because of the constant misting that starts just after Golden Week. It transports me, reminds me of the first time I lived here and … Continue reading What’s Making Me Nostalgic
I've been living in Japan, this time, since 2006. A time of change to say the least. I say "this time" because there was another time (duh), in the 1990's. But that’s another story. Being outside your home country means you miss a lot of things. In both senses of the word. I miss home. … Continue reading Late to the Party
I just watched It's Kind of a Funny Story, a movie from like ten years ago. I'd never seen it. That's part of living abroad sometimes, you just miss stuff. It was, if you've never seen it, a story about a teenager who is suicidal, but learns to deal with his problems. He learns to … Continue reading Epilogue
A little background. I got a new job (same company, new place). I needed a small apartment for M-F because it’s so far away. For my move I asked for the service where they pack and unpack your stuff. Mostly it’s just the dishes I didn’t want to wrap, and the books I didn’t want … Continue reading On Why I’m a Jerk
I had a cup of coffee at the Starbucks near the station with my two girls. They’re the best. On the walk back the youngest spots some signs in shop windows and says “Is Father’s Day tomorrow?” And I’m like, “Yeah, I guess it is.” The oldest says, “Wow, somehow I thought it was next … Continue reading My Dad’s Arm
There’s a dampening field on my mood. It’s called a face mask. A face mask numbs the muscles in my face. How does that sci-fi line go? “In space, no one can hear you scream.” In a mask, no one can see you feel. Sure, there are practical reasons. It itches. It scratches. It’s heavy … Continue reading Barriers
B.S. Donovan 