Decision-making in uncertainty

Having been in the navy for so many years, I have become very used to making decisions in uncertainty. Being used to drawing my own conclusions from whatever (sparse) information that I may have, assessing the situation based on that understanding, and choosing a course of action that best applies to the uncertain situation.

But as a researcher in Japan, it is kind of like the total opposite. Everything must be based on known facts. Saying anything that is not 100% certain is taking a risk, and should only be spoken if that risk is actually known (quantifiable). This risk-aversion seems to be a cultural thing, I guess. So it will take a bit of taking used to, since I am very used to drawing my own conclusions based on whatever little data I may have.

Let's see how I can make the best out of both worlds.

Your Name 君の名は

The latest movie by Shinkai Makoto, "Your Name" (original Japanese title 君の名は。) is a touching story about two teenagers who switched bodies in their dreams, living each other's lives. The movie has breathtaking scenes of nature and cityscapes, painstakingly detailing places in Japan such as Tokyo station and Shinjuku.

And the story has its own twists and turns that will leave you holding your breath, waiting to see the outcome.

Most of all, it will leave you touched.

And with an important message.
We are all searching for something, but we don't know what it is. But we will know it when we see it.

Have you found what you are looking for?

Linux on Windows 10

It's here!

Now, Windows users can finally run Linux on their computers, without having to dual-boot their systems.

Linux users have Wine to run Windows within Linux, but the other way round did not exist, until now.

As someone who has been using Linux (on and off, sometimes exclusively, sometimes dual-booting with Windows), I must say I am really excited about this new feature. I don't think this will replace a standalone, full Linux install, but it does help when one has to work mainly in Windows, but once in a while pop into Linux to do some work.

Read the announcement by Microsoft here:
Bash on Ubuntu on Windows

And here is how to get Linux running in GUI mode:
How to run GUI Ubuntu Linux in Windows 10

A year

A year since moving to Japan...