February comes in with links

"February always finds you folding ..."
-- The Weakerthans

Fret not. Like a fish in the $1/$2 No Limit Hold 'Em game, I'm not folding. It is February, though, and the advance of seasons brings fresh projects, excitement, news and challenges. All of the above are happening here at the first of the month, so this will be a short post: more link-y, less think-y.

* First, a word of explanation: I have a new book project that I'm very excited about. Details to come; I hope to have firm news by July, at which point I can tell you what it's about. The Okinawa book is still my dominant focus, but since the money runs out in August, I feel the need to set up my next step.

As many of you know, my goal has always been to do a book a year for a living and be a full-time writer. Hopefully, this is a step toward that.

* Chalmers Johnson, the Asia scholar who is among Okinawa's most passionate advocates, has published the third book of his Empire trilogy. He summarizes the book for the Asia Times here. He answers questions at TPM Cafe here.

* Women's rights advocates protested in Tokyo over Japan's plans to increase its defense capability. Naturally, the famous 1995 rape of a schoolgirl in Okinawa is cited as an example of what they're upset about.