It’s All Good Edition
The weather is weird (freezing yesterday, lovely and warm today). I am busy, yet work still keeps piling up. I only have five paychecks left. Body is still messed up.
But life is good. It’s important to remind yourself of the good things. I enjoy my work. I have no money worries. I have my family around me.
It’s the glass half full/half empty thing. Whatever you focus on becomes your reality. The good news is that we can consciously change our focus if we want to.
The Forum
The Forum is doing well (16,477 posts to date). Here are the latest active threads:
RetireJapan Online Conference (save the date)
The inaugural RetireJapan online conference will be held on Labor Thanksgiving Day (November 23rd). It will be free and held through Zoom. More details nearer the time. Recordings will be made available for people that can’t make it on the day (where possible) but do come and join us if you can.
I’ve started securing speakers and will have the schedule for the day ready at some point. Otanoshimi!
Board Games and Networking in Fukuoka
This event in Fukuoka seems pretty interesting. Board games and networking. I won’t make it this time but will try to if it’s held again in the future.
This week’s books
I’ve read a lot this week! Really enjoyed The Dragon’s Banker, by Scott Warren. It’s a short fantasy/banking novel (only 322 yen!) and was recommended by Patrick McKenzie on Twitter. His account is well worth following too.
Got back into Education of a Value Investor, by Guy Spier. Very readable and inspiring.
And picked up Let My People Go Surfing, by Yvon Chouinard (founder of Patagonia). Came recommended, seems interesting so far.
This week’s links
- I meet more and more people now who are all in on the S&P500. It worries me slightly: Don’t Let Asset Allocation Drift into a Naked Dream
- Not walking but cycling: more from the great Craig Mod: Electric Bike Ride Misaki
- Enjoyed Sean’s latest walking post: Nakasendō/Kiso-ji – Walking Suhara to Nagiso
- Another reason to divest tobacco? Tobacco is harming far more than just our health
- RetireJapan blog post from the past: Housing Options in Japan
- Another banger from NihonPolitics: Japan 2021 House of Representatives Election: A Preview
- A second link from Craig Mod! But this video, The Craft of “Kissa by Kissa” — Bookmaking in Japan, is beautiful.
- Really interesting thread on unintended consequences and container ports in the US (Twitter).
- One of the best crypto arguments I have seen so far: Wealth Management Money is Coming For Crypto
- This book is on my reading list: Trillions: The Rise of Passive
- New newsletter about banking issues: Community Banking and Fintech
A short one this week (I was busy!). What do you think? Anything good in there?
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#2 — I’ve looked now and then at electric bikes, never very seriously, but I suppose that day is coming. I’ll be 70 soon, and tho I ride a couple times a week, I’m certainly aware that I don’t have as much ‘gas’ as I used to. An electric would also be a good way to transition away from a car–something I’d then use more often for utility, and not just for exercise.
Just saw something on the news last week about the rise in batteries being stolen from electric bikes. Seems they need replacing after a while and it costs a lot to buy new ones so people are stealing them and selling them cheap(?) to eager buyers for about 30,000yen on Merucari.
Something to think about if you buy one of these bikes I suppose.