Wednesday February 15, 2012

presto345's past comments

  • 1

    presto345

    NEITHER parent are native of AMERICA.

    I agree with all the points you make here, Chris. Simply awarding custody by a US court to a man who is not even American, seems strange. Why did the man file for divorce? What lies behind all this? How does/did Garcia substantiate his accusations of brain washing? We haven't got a clue, so going a little easy on the mother might be in order.

    Posted in: American father wins custody of daughter taken to Japan

  • 0

    presto345

    smithinjapan: The temple is not allowed to ban visits by specific groups of people, that would be discrimination, which while widespread IS illegal in Japan. Interesting though that the police is encouraging this behavior. (The discriminated group in this case is people who are suspected to be criminals but haven't been proven so yet, or ex-cons who have served their time. I have no love for the Yakuza, but unless we follow the law ourselves, how can we demand that others do?).

    Discrimination or no discrimination. Does not matter. The Yamaguchi-gumi accepted the so-called ban in respect for the temple. Here they wish to keep a low profile, I suppose.

    Posted in: Shiga temple bans visits by gangsters

  • -1

    presto345

    It will argue it is unconstitutional for the government to remove its trademarks and other intellectual property without compensation.

    It will be interesting to see how these court proceedings will go. The government will probably argue they are within their rights and responsibility to take any measures to limit the distribution of products that have been proven to be a health hazard, not only to the users but also to those involuntarily exposed to them.

    the individual should be mature enough what is right or wrong for their health. [angloootaku]

    Should. But he/she isn't. And the unacceptable health care costs of billions proves it. The measures of the Australian government may seem extreme, but I side with them in no longer allowing tobacco companies to have a free hand in marketing products that destroy people's health, raking in huge profits while the country spends huge amounts of money on tobacco related diseases.

    Posted in: Philip Morris sues Australian gov't over cigarette pack law

  • 0

    presto345

    I thought Dutch sounded ugly, but Finnish ...

    Excuse me? And your lingo is? - :-)

    Posted in: Finnair

  • -4

    presto345

    The imposed fine is really arbitrary. And the vessel should have been confiscated.

    Posted in: Japan releases Chinese fishing boat captain after fining him Y300,000

  • 0

    presto345

    for the information of foreign tourists : it will cost Y147 (inclusive of tax).

    Also in the supermarkets??

    Posted in: Aloe & yogurt premium rich

  • 0

    presto345

    I've made it clear before. New strict regulations are totally useless. The government, the NPA, local authorities have done absolutely nothing for more than half a century to make clear to cyclists the laws and the rules of the road. Virtually nothing to enforce the laws, nothing to inject common sense into road users. Cyclists must not mix with pedestrians, nor with motorized traffic. A country that managed to construct the first safe efficient high speed rail system in the world at tremendous cost and a motorway network in a relatively short time, also at high cost, should now seriously begin construction of dedicated cycling roads. Pretending to do something by introducing more rules will have zero result.

    As a motorist (car, mostly), pedestrian and former cyclist, what I find the most disturbing and dangerous is the cyclist running against the traffic. I once stopped a young female cyclist who was coming at me on the wrong side of the road. But confronting these people is (also) totally useless. She informed me there were no rules. [kimatte nai, she quipped] I quit riding a bike soon after that, and many more incidents prior to that one. Once, driving my car,I h it a young man, a student, riding a bike, coming from my left at a considerable speed on the sidewalk. His made-in-China bike did not like the shock. The boy was OK. I paid him 20000 on the spot to prevent a hassle. This is the price one pays for living in a lovely country like Japan and I realize no country is perfect.

    Posted in: Cyclists feel under siege with new rules

  • 0

    presto345

    I always wonder about the Japanese food and "you are what you eat"? Since many Japanese eat plenty of combini bentos and often eat out at cheap family restaurants, does that mean that they are like such meals?

    You see what is visible to you, which is a fraction of what really lies beyond.

    Posted in: Reasons to be cheerful: 1, 2, 3

  • 0

    presto345

    Indeed, Japan has very high public hygiene standards. Much higher than the other developed nations. But...what do you think of people keeping bags of stinky garbage in their tiny apartment for days, sometimes for weeks? Why not just put a container outside with a lock so cats or drunks won't pick the garbage until the garbage truck comes? So it is OK to keep all these bacteria in close proximity to your elderly parents or little children , but not OK to be away from them on the street in a tightly closed container, which would block the smell? Obviously cleaningness is only superficial.

    Trash collection in Japan, regrettably, is still, even now in the 21st century, in a primitive stage. Trash containers are only in place by private contractors for the industry. Citizens just pile up their bags on designated days on corners, to be ravaged by crows and other predators, before the 'organized' crews drive by in their stinking vehicles. In many places, though, the local communities have built their own cages or bought small containers for the residents to lock away their trash. Recyclable trash is hunted by a horde of private, illegal collectors in ancient, noisy, polluting vehicles. Complaints to the city, wards, are useless. These kinds of things remind me I am living in an Asian country.

    Posted in: Reasons to be cheerful: 1, 2, 3

  • 3

    presto345

    I was told that the health screening was compulsory. It that case it's nothing to cheer about. It's Orwellian intrusion into people's personal space. Especially now since they measure your waist and if you don't meet their guidelines they tell you what you can and cannot eat. Not even the Soviet Union went that far.

    It's not compulsory. Orwellian and Soviet Union? Come on, save your energy and us the misplaced sensation. And no one tells you what you can or cannot eat. They just give well-meant friendly advice.

    Posted in: Reasons to be cheerful: 1, 2, 3

  • 0

    presto345

    Tomatoes taken in any form, fresh, cooked, grilled, steamed, boiled, etc. etc. are a healthy supplement to one's diet and the ketchup/catsup is part of that too. You may like it or not like it, but that does not change the facts. There are those who season everything with ketchup, like the personnel in the Canadian navy, I was once told by a retired officer. The taste of the food was so poor they seasoned everything with 'navy gravy' (ketchup).

    In Belgium and the Netherlands people eat their fried potatoes with a 'patate frites' mayonnaise based sauce which the North Americans find ridiculous. And vice verse. Actually both sauces are quite good. Tomato ketchup with egg is delicious too. And whose business is it anyway how one seasons their food?

    Posted in: Jun Komori says she'd like to have a baby next year

  • 0

    presto345

    Maybe, this guy is due a refund?

    He did not mention that, apparently, and that is a different matter entirely.

    Posted in: Man arrested for threatening TEPCO employees after not paying bill

  • 1

    presto345

    Celery doesn't need any cooking......wash, shake dry, dip in salt or fill the groove with cream cheese.

    Cook it when using in soups and stews, but otherwise raw is perfect: lots of enzymes. Be cautious with the salt and use yogurt cheese instead of cream cheese (cut down on the calories!) Just my suggestion :-)

    Posted in: Celery most disliked vegetable among adults: survey

  • 0

    presto345

    Celery might not be for everyone, but if you know how to prep and cook it properly, it can add a lot of flavor to foods.

    Exactly. The reason people dislike certain vegetables is because they had a bad start in their youth: their mothers did not know how to cook.

    Posted in: Celery most disliked vegetable among adults: survey

  • 1

    presto345

    Unfortunately Greece will be seen as a nation who is not only led by an irrational, incompetent leader, but also as a nation of people who don't seem to understand that they cannot continue to get a free ride, that they will have to make sacrifices to fulfill their obligations.

    Posted in: Greek government in chaos with debt deal in doubt

  • 3

    presto345

    I just shake my head in disbelief and wonder what they will come up with next.

    Posted in: If you had a baby with an AKB48 member, what would your child look like?

  • 1

    presto345

    I think this is the most revealing topic I have read on JT so far. People responding to Makoto and telling about their personal lives. Very interesting. I agree with what some posters have pointed out: an international / interracial marriage is not very different from a marriage with someone inside your own sphere, continent, country, whatever. The success rate, the satisfaction, the gain, happiness, depends on what you are willing and able to put into it. E.g., how far does your love really stretch? Will it go beyond your preconceived perceptions, ideas, expectations, of what you have seen, experienced in your own environment? Are you able to give more than you wish in return? If you can translate, what you think is love, into understanding, respect, empathy, to give, and the will to share a life with someone, even if that someone is from a totally different background, something that happens all the time even within one's own region, chances are you are going to make it.

    Posted in: International marriages

  • 0

    presto345

    As long as the government does not embark on a wide dedicated cycle lane construction plan, the NPA will get nowhere with their 'tough' unenforced/unenforceable regulations.

    Posted in: Police to get tough on sidewalk cyclists

  • -1

    presto345

    Drug trafficking is a serious crime, but to take a life for that is barbaric, harsh, medieval. Sad story.

    Posted in: Japanese woman sentenced to death in Malaysia for drug smuggling

  • 1

    presto345

    When I first came to Japan the quality of the chocolate was enough to make a girl wanna go home. Now it's a lot better (devastatingly so!) but still takes second place to UK chocolate (Cadbury's, Hotel Chocolat & Terry's) and Swiss Lindt.

    Oohh! Now I have to disagree. Cringing when seeing the word Cadbury! No need to reply, but did you discover Lotte, Meiji, Furuya, for example? If you did and did not appreciate them, then, well, of course, the saying stands, there's no arguing about taste, something that has come up before in discussions you took part in. Which is not meant as criticism. Visiting a large supermarket you see row after row stuffed with different kinds of chocolate, in bags or bars. There are enough kinds to provide something new for weeks, months, almost years, Try something new and review/revise your Cadbury image. If nothing changes, it will also indicate something about the rest of your diet - or is it the brain that sets the perimeters?

    Posted in: Chocolate captivating Japan's confectionery world

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