This is my old buddy Jason Lees, in a photo taken a couple months ago when we stayed with him and his wife and daughter for a couple weeks at their house in Bali. We first met in 2005, right here in Zhongdien, China, after being introduced by another old friend, Eric Mortensen, about whom … Continue reading Power Forward →

Everyone knows that life is shit. Life is just enduring suffering, managing despair, and grimly soldiering through day after bleak day. We are born stupid and foolish, and eventually we die feeble and terrified. The existence of even the luckiest among us is a parade of indignities through a hellscape of pain and misery. But … Continue reading The Duck Stop →

Guys, not gonna lie: pretty proud of what I accomplished this day. I showed a lot of grit and determination, and, let's just go ahead and call it what it is: toughness. Just pure, raw man-toughness. And endurance. Due to the toughness. This is Phong Nha National Park, central Vietnam. In the mid 90s, 150% … Continue reading The I in “Inspirational” →

This is a picture of two Vietnamese ladies picking up peanuts. I know, dear reader, you're thinking, Ben! What in the actual fuck? How on earth did those peanuts get on that floor? Peanuts do not belong on floors! Now see here, you're saying, I don't know how they do it in the Socialist Republic … Continue reading Rat Tale →

Traveling is fun. We get to see a lot of different places. We’ve been to Fiji, Australia, Japan, and Vietnam. Vietnam is similar to Fiji because it’s hot. Australia was also hot. Vietnam is like the opposite of Japan. It’s hot. Japan is much cleaner and quieter. The trains and the people are quieter in … Continue reading Guest Blogger – Decker! →

Black-eared Kite (Widespread and very cool bird. All zones, all elevations: downtown Sapporo to mountain ridge tops) White-tailed sea eagle (flying over river in Niseko) Brown-eared bulbul (inv.) Cormorant (Kyoto in river) Gull Bohemian waxwing (Miune tour) Tit (probably coal or willow) Barn swallow Eurasian nuthatch Brown dipper Eurasian tree sparrow Eurasian widgeon Mallard Green … Continue reading Birds of Japan →

I love Japan, but I don't know if I like Japan. Of course, I love skiing powder and eating ramen and sushi and mountains and forests and amazing space-age toilets and rivers and ancient buddhist temples and cheap ski areas and safety and order and good cheap whiskey and so there’s all that, we’ll just … Continue reading Hot Tubs > Onsens →

Many American kids are like tiny Trumps - narcissistic and lacking impulse control.  The kids in Japan, for the most part, seem very well-mannered, are not annoying and do not expect to be indulged. In theory, I'm into it. My kids' friends nicknamed me The Funkiller, and I own it. But the Japanese approach has … Continue reading Toddlers of Stone →

OK! Let's check in on the status of the competition between this blog and Earth to Jules. Which, in my opinion is not really that great of a blog, but let's see what the people have to say! Earth to Jules vs. Earth to Ben Total Views: 553-227 Total Visitors: 118-47 Total Comments: 43-5 Total … Continue reading Very Preliminary Results →