The Astronaut and the Acid Head August 18, 2019 First, a short warning:     This piece is about books, with only passing references to real life, (if there is such a thing. )  First, I recommend a book by Scott Kelly:  Endurance:   A Year in Space,   A Lifetime of Discovery. This memoir was a lot better than I was expecting when I picked it off the Current Shelf at the local library.   Scott Kelly spent a year on the International Space Station.   (You might have seen the PBS documentary about it: ( https://www.pbs.org/show/year-space ).   Meanwhile his identical twin, Mark (husband of Gabby Gifford), also an astronaut, stayed on the good old Earth.    It’s a good mix of the gee-whiz tech stuff with the personal insights of an intelligent and talented man.   Please don’t be put off if you’re not particularly interested in science or space.   Actually, a second-hand recommendation might be more convincing:   Even my wife Emily, who reads 80% fiction and is n

Feb. 2, 2007 Why Jesus Loves Pusan* (Letter to a Japanese friend)  The jetfoil ferry from Kyushu arrived in Pusan a bit late. It was full, so it took more time to unload all the passengers. As soon as I got to the subway platform, a Korean man came up from behind and started talking to me in English. We boarded the crowded car together. He was a thin, energetic man of about forty, wearing glasses, carrying a traveler’s backpack like mine. He was a Christian, and he wanted to talk about Jesus Christ. I don’t know how it is in Japan, but here it’s quite common to be approached by Christians who want to spread the gospel. (The verb is “proselytize,” by the way. It’s not one you’re likely to use.) This guy, however, seemed more interested in practicing his English than spreading his religion. His speaking, alas, was better than his listening. I’d tell him something, that I was going to Masan for example, but he couldn’t or wouldn’t get it. He told me about his life and wh