And now for something completely different

I've been adding lots of new sites to the sidebars here, so if you're only reading the same few blogs every day, why not experiment a little?

There are links to bloggers focused on Japan ("Kamen Riders") and overseas ("Easy Riders").

There are liberal bloggers ("Rival Racers") and conservatives ("Club Leaders", "Prospects").

I've added Jewish bloggers ("Riding Chai") who won Jewish and Israeli Blog Awards, and Muslim bloggers ("Mecca-nics" -- get it? mechanics!) who won Brass Crescent blog awards.

It should go without saying that I don't agree with all of them. No one could. But they all make a good faith effort to write stuff that's engaging, honest, and challenging. (Either that, or they linked to me and I'm returning the favor. Or both.)

One blogger I've discovered recently (his site has been around for years, but he's new to me) is Gen Kanai, who appears to be some kind of crazy-smart Japanese-English bilingual computer scientist and mechanical engineer here in Tokyo. Plus he's also a biker who's ridden across the U.S. and written an interesting analysis of alternative front suspension systems for motorcycles. Cool.

So, break out of your blogosphere rut and try reading something new, even if -- especially if -- it goes against your grain. It's a refreshing change, and an even better long-term habit. The purpose isn't to change your mind, but to challenge it. Enjoy.