Tobias Harris

Thinking about it, I think today was the first time I watched cricket and understood exactly what all the various score bugs meant

New rule: if you quote Orwell you have to embrace his entire program, i.e. democratic socialism.

Into Asia #12: Japan's "Iron Lady" Japan expert Tobias Harris on Takaichi, one of the most powerful Japanese leaders in a generation

Also, I should have shared this earlier but I recorded a great conversation with Ian Buruma and Chang Che about Takaichi:

changche.substack.com/p/into-asia-...

Tamaki joins the national conference | Japan Daily Briefing Another opposition party joins the prime minister's extra-parliamentary group, while opposition frustrations within the Diet grow

The DPFP will participate in the government’s national conference on social security, but opposition frustration over Takaichi’s budget blitz is growing. Meanwhile, the rebirth of the LDP’s factions takes another step forward.

open.substack.com/pub/observin...

Coming up soon on one year of doing these posts

A bit of a meandering, unfocused entry in Viktor Klemperer's diary, first from March 1934

[3.2.34: I, “well-known” professor of Romance Languages, etc., etc., I cannot escape my troubles and will be completely destroyed if the government dismisses me...

[3.2.34 cont.] I am without hope and yet cling to any hope...The weather is becoming more springlike...Days that follow bank appointments...are always especially painful for me. I feel so humiliated and helpless. All the others around me have financial reserves...

[3.2.34 cont.] I made the acquaintance of...Meyerhof; it turned out that he is related to my Meyerhof, he said that Leonie Meyerhof-Hildeck had died in August, we talked family and he became friendly. Result: He is going to see whether he cannot get hold of a private financial backer for me...

[3.2.34 cont.] things even got to the point that Eva played Schubert. Meanwhile Blumenfeld has been halfway brought down. As a teacher at the Pedagogical Institute he has “been pensioned off.” That means he loses money but not the right to teach at academic institutions...

[3.2.34 cont.] How long shall I be forced to continue this game, how long be able to continue it?...Last Sunday a now almost customary evening at the Blumenfelds. We encouraged one another to show spirit, stoicism and skepticism; we heard beautiful Schubert gramophone records;

[Late with this one]
3.2.34: I wound up this bad semester on Wednesday...To some extent I was addressing people of like mind, I always had the feeling I was, as it were, inoculating a couple of the younger ones or turning them into carriers of infection. I never raised my arm...

I would love to know why over the last year the amount of helicopter traffic over my corner of the DC suburbs at the end of the work day has increased. (Not to mention the Osprey sightings)

Into Asia #12: Japan's "Iron Lady" Japan expert Tobias Harris on Takaichi, one of the most powerful Japanese leaders in a generation

Also, I should have shared this earlier but I recorded a great conversation with Ian Buruma and Chang Che about Takaichi:

changche.substack.com/p/into-asia-...

Tamaki joins the national conference | Japan Daily Briefing Another opposition party joins the prime minister's extra-parliamentary group, while opposition frustrations within the Diet grow

The DPFP will participate in the government’s national conference on social security, but opposition frustration over Takaichi’s budget blitz is growing. Meanwhile, the rebirth of the LDP’s factions takes another step forward.

open.substack.com/pub/observin...

My "the United States possesses huge amounts of ammunition" shirt is raising lots of questions already answered by my shirt.

I also loath the geopolitics cheat code whereby all you have to do is mention some geographic concepts and you automatically are taken seriously as a big thinker

Kaneko Ayano stans unite

bsky.app/profile/tobi...

The Hudson media people are earning their pay because this stupid argument has been everywhere

I don't think England can do it

This is @ewpod.bsky.social territory, but watching India-England I would just once want to watch baseball played cricket style (one inning, 27 outs per side).

Honestly he seems like the purest exemplar of the old line about fascism in America wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.

Tokyo eyes war's impact nervously | Japan Daily Briefing In the meantime, the budgetary process rolls forward over opposition complaints

Tokyo looks anxiously at the war’s impact on Japan’s economy, opposition parties could be shifting on the national conference but are bitter about Takaichi’s budget blitz, intelligence reforms take shape, and Akazawa heads back to Washington.

open.substack.com/pub/observin...

I think she's going to have a lot to prepare for.

Tokyo eyes war's impact nervously | Japan Daily Briefing In the meantime, the budgetary process rolls forward over opposition complaints

Tokyo looks anxiously at the war’s impact on Japan’s economy, opposition parties could be shifting on the national conference but are bitter about Takaichi’s budget blitz, intelligence reforms take shape, and Akazawa heads back to Washington.

open.substack.com/pub/observin...

Good thread here

Also, if you launch a war of choice, don't be surprised if people focus on the costs of that choice.

I will admit that I've used Claude to vibe code a tool that generates cells for my spreadsheet automatically. Took a lot of iterating but it should make the whole process easier.