Japan’s Mischievous Raccoon Dog and Cultural Icon I love tanuki. If you don’t know what a tanuki is—and most people outside Japan don’t—hold on to your hat. Native to Japan, the tanuki (Nyctereutes viverrinus), often called a Japanese raccoon dog, is neither a raccoon nor a dog. In fact, tanuki are members of the canid family, making them closer relatives of foxes, wolves, coyotes, and jackals. Their raccoon-like appearance and distinctive facial markings often cause confusio

Written in 2013 First of all, say the title out loud. It is an absolute joy to have spilling from your mouth. Debunk the Bunk. It’s just fun to say. Okay, that’s out of the way. I read an article from Reuters Online that the British royal family has a new website with a page that is wholly used to debunk various swirling and titillating myths about Prince Charles. Apparently, the Prince of Wales does not consume seven eggs for breakfast every day. Tragic. It got me wonderin

...one of those incomprehensible and difficult parent nights.

I’m just wondering if a morning brain dump is a habit I can make happen. Sometimes, after waking up, I am so tired it seems nearly impossible to make anything happen. And I simply don’t understand that. I just spent hours on end doing nothing but sleeping. I have awoken without any form of artificial waking devices. Clearly it was a body decision to get out of bed. It was not an “imposed” beginning to the day. And yet, my body clearly thinks that what my body just did—wake up