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Recent Posts: M Thomas Apple Author Page
AI scammers — stealing our work then trying to trick us again for PR
“As a science fiction author, I’ve always loved hearing from fans of my fiction,” [US based author Jason Sanford] tells the Guardian. “But now when someone emails saying they loved one of my stories, my first thought is that this is yet another scammer setting me up for the kill.” https://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2026/mar/12/ai-book-scams-publishing-fraud?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other Yet another reason I […]
“Don’t worry about it” — Van Allen A to burn up tonight
“For the average person, it will be a nice light in the sky if you get lucky and, otherwise, don’t worry about it,” Dr. McDowell said. “We have much more scary re-entries that happen. Occasionally, there is a 20-ton Chinese rocket stage that comes down. Those are much scarier for me.” https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/10/science/space/nasa-satellite-earth-re-entry.html?unlocked_article_code=1.SVA.dk5d.09lMgapDCbYq&smid=nytcore-ios-share OK, granted that the odds […]
Dear Diary – October 5, 2003
I feel as if I have two personalities, one which speaks English and one which speaks Japanese. The one which speaks English can never get past being a high school geek. The one which speaks Japanese cannot get past being a “strange foreigner.” The only time I feel comfortable now is when I am teaching. […]
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Category Archives: Japan
Taking Leave: The Book
When men don’t help raise their own children, when men insist that women raise children and stay at home for life, society as a whole suffers. Continue reading
Posted in gender roles, Japan, Japanese politics, Japanese society, media
Tagged child care, child-raising, gender equality, Japanese kids, women's issues
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Sleep, perchance to…
One of the biggest differences since we moved into a house is the sleeping arrangements. When our oldest daughter was a baby, we were living in an apartment with a traditional Japanese straw mat (tatami) room and no bed. So … Continue reading
Posted in gender roles, Japan, parenting, roles
Tagged child-raising, cultural differences, Japan, parents
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Organic dining with kids
I owe my love of organic gardening to my father, who started growing his own vegetables on the Methodist Church property behind our apartment in the “oil crisis” of the early 1970s. From him, I learned how to compost, properly … Continue reading