As the United States closes schools and colleges because of the spread of the 2020 coronavirus, you might suddenly find yourself with a lot of free time. It’s rare to have such free time, so take advantage of it! I’m a bit of a workaholic, so I look forward to (maybe) having more time to…
Category: Finds and Ramblings
I’m Switching to Linux
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of advertising. Well, when I learned that Microsoft has added several advertising-focused systems into Windows 10 (unlike Linux), I wasn’t pleased. I also learned that Microsoft acts as a hyper-user, which lets them undo anything you set up. So blocking and removing those advertising systems is a…
The Lost Era of Movie Rentals
As I was growing up, I looked forward to Saturdays. That was the special day when my family drove to the local movie rental store. We’d stock up on movies, and I’d rent a Super Nintendo game. The best part? They weren’t due back until Monday at 6pm! Of course, this was a big event…
Reminances of a Bibliophile
Before I got into anime, before I got into studying Japanese culture, I was a book lover. I grew up ravenous, reading every book in my school library’s science and fantasy sections. Few experiences in life match the musty, ancient scent of a book old enough to be a great-great grandparent. The touch of paper–how…
Midnight Diner: Tokyo
One night as I scrolled through Netflix, I stumbled across Midnight Diner: Tokyo, a half hour show that focuses on, well, a midnight diner. The tiny eatery sits in one of the many narrow alleyways of Tokyo, well off the neon main streets. As you may suspect, some interesting characters appear in the late, late…
The Unsolved Murder of Akio Kashiwagi
Akio Kashiwagi was a whale. No, he didn’t perform tricks at Sea World. Casinos call super-elite high rollers whales. How high did he roll? He would bet $200,000 a hand at baccarat tables. When he visited Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino, he would wager $14 million an hour (Johnston, 1990). Kashigawa worked as a Tokyo…