I'd like to say how much I enjoy The Japan Times, in particular the writing of Amy Chavez and Mark Schilling. Chavez's slice-of-life-in-Japan stories inspire both amusement and jealousy — how I wish I was there when I read about her (mis)adventures teaching, traveling, shopping, or going to the post office. The small desert town where I currently live also has only one traffic light, but unlike her island, my town always seems to be crawling with policemen. (By the way, has anyone seen her island's one cop since the birth of his child?)
Mark Schilling is the film critic I most trust, and though I have to wait three to six months between reading his reviews and seeing subtitled DVDs of most of the releases, his say-so is enough to spur a purchase. I've been reading both of them for long enough without offering any feedback that I felt it was high time I thanked them both for their work.