JETAA NY Newsletter: Bringing Power Back to the People One Call at a Time — Shaun Dakin’s (Shimane-ken, 1989-91) Fight Against Intrusive Political Calls
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Interview by Stacy Smith (CIR Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03)
Although JET Alum Shaun Dakin (ALT, Shimane 1989-91) grew up overseas, his first time in Asia was living in Japan. He spent two years there, an experience that would go on to shape his future as well as that of his family. Shaun shared with the JETAA Newsletter the unlikely connection between his time as an English teacher on JET and the non-profit organization National Political Do Not Contact Registry (StopPoliticalCalls.org) opposing political robocalls,where he is CEO.
Q: What led you to join the JET Program?
A: My reasons for going on JET were adventure and the chance to live in Asia. I grew up in Africa and Europe (Libya, Kenya, Nigeria and the U.K.) and was looking to get to Asia to experience something I never had before. JET was a hot thing to do so I did it.
Q: Is what you do now related to your time in Japan?
A: Not directly, though the skills I picked up while on JET certainly helped me throughout my life. The program taught me how to have self confidence in a new environment, as well as how to write. When I was there I actually had to write letters to friends to keep in touch (there was no e-mail at the time), and Read More
Rise of the West: JET Alum Michael Auslin article on the conservative movement
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JET alum Michael Auslin (Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and former Professor of Japanese History at Yale University) has a new article titled Rise of the West offering some suggestions for the conservative movement as it contemplates its future direction.
JET alum Michael Auslin (Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and former Professor of Japanese History at Yale University) will be speaking on the future of the U.S.-Japanese Alliance together with Christopher Griffin, defense policy adviser to Sen. Joseph Lieberman, on November 20 at the American Enterprise Institute.
Securing Freedom: A Report on the Future of the U.S.-Japanese Alliance
You can find this online at: http://www.aei.org/event1840
“In a new report entitled Securing Freedom: The U.S.-Japanese Alliance in a New Era, AEI’s Michael Auslin and Christopher Griffin, defense policy adviser to Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-D-Conn.), demonstrate that the United States and Japan should reorient their alliance to support political and economic liberalization. These reforms would in turn create bulwarks against authoritarian expansion and ensure that democracy, free markets, and transparent security policies become the animating principles of politics in Asia.” Read More
It turns out there’s Beppu Hot Springs Master in the JET alumni community. Meet translator/interpreter Joel Dechant, currently a resident of Fukuoka but soon moving to Seattle, WA. Never heard of a Hot Springs Master? Watch this video of him from Japanese TV. (See all 4 clips with explanation on JapanProbe.com.)
Roger Ebert – Alone in the Kitchen with a Rice Cooker?
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A reminder to contact me if you’re interested in writing an essay on the “Alone in the Kitchen with a Rice Cooker” theme about cooking for yourself (or eating by yourself) in Japan.
And an interesting (and unsolicited) take on the theme in a recent blog from, of all people, film critic Roger Ebert. (Includes a reference to Zojirushi, the current employer of Fukuoka-ken JET alum and previous “Translator’s Challenge” winner Sharon Tatro.)
La-la-la-la-la O-ba-ma & Japanese Songwriting
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Obama-shi, Japan is so happy about the US election, they’ve come up with a song and video about it. Meanwhile, have you ever written a song in Japanese (or partly in Japanese)? Let me know and I’ll post it, or perhaps we can collaborate with other JET alums to come up with a tune and/or record it. Just email me at stevenwaseda at-mark jetwit dotto com.
NPR Talks to Roland Kelts About Haruki Murakami
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Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99) just got back to Tokyo and shared this NPR clip about Haruki Murakami which includes some comments from Roland. Have a listen.
New Bankruptcy Comic Strip by JET Alum Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94)
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Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) (i.e., the guy who does this JetWit site) has launched a new comic strip about bankruptcy lawyers called Bankruptcy Bill. The first two strips are viewable at bankruptcybill.wordpress.com. Also, The Deal’s Bankruptcy Insider ran a nice item on the cartoon in this week’s issue (subscription required).
Daily Yomiuri Column by Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99)
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There’s a new Daily Yomiuri column out today by Japanamerica author Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99). In his periodic column (“Soft Power/Hard Truths”), he comments on American perceptions of Japan and of foreigners, touching on his recent on-stage interview with Haruki Murakami in San Francisco as well as the recent matchup of the Rays’ Akinori Iwamura against the Red Sox Hideki Okajima.
This is a little off-topic, but I suppose I can justify it on the basis that celebrities doing commercials in Japan are cultural ambassadors just like JETs.
I had no idea that Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, Ben Stiller and some of the others had ever done commercials in Japan. Click here to see the Top 21 from The Popcorn Trick. Thanks to Alexei Esikoff (Fukushima-ken, 2001-02) for making me aware of the existence of this vital site.
Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) snapped this photo of Iron Chef Morimoto holding the Summer 2008 “Sports” Issue of the JETAA NY Newsletter a few weeks ago at a signing event at the Anime Festival at the Javits Center in NYC. Major props to Justin for the foresight and planning to get this shot.
