Unlike the popular vogue, I'm not a "Starbucks Basher". As it turns out, I go to Starbucks only rarely (once or twice per year, perhaps), but Fumie likes them, and in any case, I recognize that they're successful because they provide something people want.

Not being a Starbucks Basher doesn't mean that I can't gripe about what seems (at least to me) to be a unique Starbucksism. Today at a Starbucks, Fumie found a seat with Anthony while I went to place our order. The following conversation took place between me and the Starbucks Drone (SD)....

Me:A small mocha please, [...]
View full post »

Fumie has a green card (permanent-resident card), and while the CIS (new name for the INS) has its rules about who may hold it and how it may be used, yet it seems that the Customs and Border Patrol have their own make-up-as-you-go ideas about it..... but won't tell you exactly what they are.

The CIS/INS says that one can leave the US and still return using the green card so long as you return within a year. However, if you don't intend to live in the US again, you may not use the green card (must abandon it). In [...]

View full post »

A week ago, my son (2.5 yrs old) started adding an "eh" sound at the end of words with an "o" sound near the end, such as no (becomes no-eh), more (becomes mo-eh), and go (becomes go-eh). In a similar way, car becomes caweh.

He could pronounce these words perfectly before -- the wrong pronunciation started suddenly a couple of days before we came out to California (where we'll be for a month, before returning to Ohio for another month).

Very odd. I'm treating it as a phase and hoping it'll go away.

View full post »