The Monday Read: Finding a New Path

Take a step to the side and breathe

I took this photo in Surrey by taking a couple of steps off a rather busy road.

I think there might be some kind of metaphor there.

RetireJapan TV

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YouTube

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The Forum

Speaking of which, the Forum is doing well (40,499 posts so far). The forum rules are here. In essence, they are:

1. Be nice
2. Ask any question you like
3. Only answer questions when you have relevant knowledge or experience

Here are the latest active threads:

This week’s books

I am still on my Terry Pratchett binge! Bought all of his Discworld books on Kindle and am currently reading Feet of Clay (19/41).

I finished Gary Stevenson’s book The Trading Game. Really enjoyed it, he’s a good writer as well as being a fantastic communicator on YouTube. Seems parts of the book are a bit exaggerated, but it was a fun read (and the last bit being set in Tokyo was a nice surprise). Very much recommend.

This week’s links

1. Okay, that is kind of cool (if a bit ridiculous): BYD cars to come with DJI drones for road overflight and vehicle recording
2. I love this idea but never managed to make it work: Micro-retirement: has gen Z found a brilliant fix for burnout?
3. Our manshon is okay for now, but this is definitely a concern for the future: Time Bombs
4. I probably need to do some research into annuities available in Japan: I’m 68 and last week I spent £189,000 on an annuity to protect me from inflation for life
5. The latest Berkshire letter
6. This was very helpful: How Should Your Allocation Change with Age?
7. This looks useful but it’s too expensive. Hope to see more lighter EVs in the future: Japan’s AIM to Launch a “Micro-Convertible” EV Hatchback in August 2025
8. What does this mean for the yen going forward? Ishiba Handling of Nippon Steel Shows Tokyo’s “Placate Trump” Posture
9. Yes: Managing Life is About Managing Friction
10. I spent some time in Beijing in the late 90s, and it was nothing like this: Walking Beijing
11. We drove this last year, not sure I would want to cycle it: Pedaling Through Paradise
12. Which one is best though? Why market cap investing still works
13. These are all in Tokyo, dammit: The fake Chipotle
14. Sounds good to me: Tokyo Has a Revenue Hole. Plug It With Tourists
15. I enjoyed this explanation of investing: It’s Not the Cards You Are Dealt, It’s How You Play Them
16. Fantastic overview (but ignore the ETF vs mutual fund advice as it refers to the US not Japan): Perspectives on Market Downturns
17. This was great: Neither Elon Musk Nor Anybody Else Will Ever Colonize Mars

What do you think? Anything interesting in there?

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