• I took the Japanese Language Proficiency Test on Sunday and quickly learned the best way to de-stress after an exam is to pet no fewer than 20 cats. I went to Crumbs & Whiskers in Georgetown, but if you’re not in DC, here’s a fairly recent list of cat cafes in North America.

• My colleague at Forbes got an interview with Shoji Kawamori, the creator of Macross and the original design for Transformers. I found his insights on mecha design especially fascinating, since he answers questions like, “why are so many mecha human shaped?”

• Speaking of mecha, Reddit’s r/anime will be hosting a complete viewing marathon of the Gundam Universal Century. The Gundam series takes place in a multiverse with different shows taking place in different timelines, the largest of which is Universal Century—more than eight shows arguably take place there. It’s neat to see how viewers will decide the scope, since it’s pretty complicated to determine which order is best to watch them in.

• A year ago, I was interviewed on CodeNewbie about being an amateur programmer (or maybe not?) I really think this is what gave me the confidence to look for developer jobs. They’re now looking for an apprentice to train in programming languages, so if you’re thinking about pursuing a career in that but a bit shaky on your skills, this might be for you.

• I love everything Jen Dziura has to say about careers, but especially this: “Think of your career as an entity. We’re in an era where we think of corporations as entities, so think of your future success as an entity. In fact, I think it’s helpful for people to anthropomorphize it a little bit. Like: ‘That career is a really nice lady, and let’s help her out! Let’s give her what she needs to succeed!'”

• The AniTAY Beginner’s Guide To Anime. A lot of fans, including me, are guilty of using our own lingo (shoujo, senpai, visual novel, etc.) without explanation. While I’m certain the show recommendations will be controversial, the introduction to exactly what anime is and why you should care is right on the money! Thanks to Zoe for the link.

• Finally, if your New Year’s resolution is going to be to launch a website and you’re looking at paid hosting, why not use my Bluehost referral code? Since 2012, I’ve been offering free half-hour setup sessions to readers who do.

Photo credit: Janine on Flickr