The Email Signature

I’ll be the first to admit that I placed a premium on my own email signature, likely more so than anybody else who happened to see mine. And when I trace its importance, I recognize that it stemmed from a mixture of jealousy, panic, and the greater chicanery of productivity. I did a lot, yes, but I also made it seem like I did a lot, and now that my affiliations are about to change, I’m trying to critically reflect on how something as throwaway as an email signature participates in these quiet regimes of competitiveness. 

“But the cake is already baked! I can’t make it gluten-free now!” —Reflecting on Open Educational Principles in Grad School

I had a steep learning curve when I started my doctorate. Back then, it wasn’t just a case of imposter syndrome. It was a lack of theoretical training. So I did what any desperate student does in course-based panic: I Googled, Wikipedia-ed, and YouTubed my way through other people’s content until I had an “ish” understanding of these theorists and their ideas. 

My biggest mistake? Not sharing my learning with others, especially since my experience is not unique.

3.11 + 10y = Fukushima revisited

In 2013, I spoke with families and farmers trying to navigate a post-Fukushima food system. In honor of the 10-year anniversary of the nuclear disaster and the mess thereafter, I’m sharing their stories that I’d compiled into an unpublished academic paper.

Woven Into Each Other

Japanese kioke (lit. trans. wood oke) barrels are unique in that they are held together by bamboo hoops called taga. No glue, no nails. Just meters of bamboo that are intricately cut, angled, and woven to make sure that everything seamlessly maintains a circular shape. Over centuries of practicing, woven bamboo became the answer to the practical problem of creating salt-based seasonings in a humid climate. With metal, rust would creep into the fermented products. So how are these practices maintained today?

Sky’s Yours Today

Since I was a child, I found immense calm from listening to radio chatter of air traffic controllers. Fast forward to today, and I still find it to be calming. I’ve been using it as ambient noise for timed writing sessions while I write my dissertation. While under COVID-lockdown, I hear something unsuspecting…