Blackstar comments

I've been doing this for decades at home, but with real food. That is, steaming or gently stir frying fresh ingredients and adding them to miso soup at suitable moments (getting the hang of the timing is important), then simmering on a very low flame once you've got the veges 90% cooked. Easy peasy, and most delicious. Ideal hangover breakfast, and at other times as well, obviously.

Your imagination is your limit. Chop a generous amount of garlic into mince of some sort (plus maybe rosemary with chicken mince, for example), stir fry before adding the veges, fry a little longer, and you're heading more into a miso ramen-like taste, which can never be bad.

Making it up as you go along is not the hallmark of competent administrations.

Clueless bunch of imbecilic yes-men/women assembled to kiss the ring (which one?) of the orange toad. Hang your head in shame, Trump voters.

@Blacklabel

If you refuse to allow to compare any one year to any other year, you can’t say anything has a “trend”.

Obviously most people, even children from around 10 years old, would understand that you need to look at a more complete set of data than 2 years. As you surely know, the trend over the past 10-15 years is stunning and totally unmistakable when (if) you look at it. Barring some kind of miraculous tech innovation, and/or the arrival of a couple of great world leaders, we're almost certainly ....ed, in other words.

@Ian, Taiwan

"As we stand here today closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before, political elites and warmongers are carelessly fomenting fear and tensions between nuclear powers," she said. "Perhaps it's because they are confident that they will have access to nuclear shelters for themselves and for their families that regular people won't have access to."

Clearly she's trying to push the blame onto China & Russia. But what has that numbskull Hegseth just been doing, touring through the region trying to ramp up the escalation to a war footing with China? Yeah, that's right, "carelessly fomenting fear and tensions".

But America made much more trouble than China until now, in many countries.

That's because you completely ignore the results of countries that have gone communist.

Okay, let's take an example there. America caused immense suffering in Vietnam. The effects of Agent Orange & unexploded bombs continue to this day. A totally unnecessary act of military adventurism born out of a simplistic reading of the world.

After heroically holding their ground against all odds, those "nasty" Vietnamese communists have gone on to live a peaceful existence in the following 50 years, and continue to be an increasingly prosperous and valued member of the ASEAN community.

Musk must be trying to ween himself off his various drug habits. That might explain his sudden "lapse" into truthfulness.

Too many people dead this year alone from umbrellas.

Well said. What we really need is proper organization. Citizens should be required to obtain five-year licenses to carry umbrellas, and also to attend lectures (including videos of tragic umbrella-related incidents) to have them renewed.

Ozzy is in terrible health, battling various issues besides Parkinson's (as if that wasn't bad enough). He'll be in a chair for a few songs, barely able to add anything to the army of back up singers putting flesh on the bones of the songs. If that's your idea of 25 quid well spent, I can't agree with you.

A medal for ...? Hanging around and smiling. What a shining light.

As others have hinted at, unless they can get a place at one of the top few J-unis they'd be much better off elsewhere (for educational purposes).

As the darkness deepens in the US, the message for everyone around the world (students or otherwise) is clear. Stay the hell away from the place. Don't buy their goods. Have nothing to do with them. Apologies to the good-hearted Americans stuck there, but it's up to you to get off your backsides and kick back hard at the authoritarian coup.

You should stay under your rock.

@itsonlyrocknroll

In what kind of fantasy world do countries have to spend equal amounts of money on each other's goods & services? Maybe country A offers many affordable, useful products but country B doesn't quite match up in that way.

Why should country A be forced to buy items that are overpriced, of dubious quality, or unwanted for other reasons just to reach the same figure that country B spends?

It's a simple question. Give me a simple answer please.

@englisc aspyrgend

I agree mostly, but am not sure how much you know about China.

"Since China began to open up and reform its economy in 1978, GDP growth has averaged over 9 percent a year, and almost 800 million people have lifted themselves out of poverty. There have also been significant improvements in access to health, education, and other services over the same period.

China is now an upper-middle-income country." 

*https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/china/overview#:~:text=China%20is%20now%20an%20upper,)%20poverty%20line%2C%20in%202021.*

Compare that to the growing spread of crumbling ruins in ghost towns across the US, tent cities galore etc.

I mean Apple Macs of course, in case there's any confusion there.

Most will negotiate at some point and time, the world has gotten rich enough off of us, it's time to collect, long overdue.

You might find that the world can do without your products. Besides Macs, off the top of my head I can't think of any American product I would miss. Other countries can produce their own junk food thanks very much, when push comes to shove.

@tora

Come on, a bit of an exaggeration there bro. 

No it's not. He's already been talking in the press about how it could be made to happen.

Try to keep up.

@tora

That US national debt is so far out of control there needs to be a new paradigm. And at least Trump is taking charge, unlike Biden who spent like there was no tomorrow. And why shouldn't America be allowed to have proper jobs again?

Yes, debt is out of control. Agreed. So do tax cuts to the rich sound like a good idea to you?? This is Trump's main goal. Trickle-down economics under Reagan/Thatcher was proven by real world events to be a failed ideology. What makes anyone (except Trump's fans in the 1% club) think this is a great idea in 2025?

Biden did NOT spend like there was no tomorrow. The US economy was doing better than any other in the world at the end of his term. That received very little coverage during the election campaign or was just overlooked because it wasn't "exciting" enough for media discussion. Check a few reliable, real news sources and you will find this to be true.

There needs to be a new paradigm? Yeah. I'm with you on that too. Here's one. How about reducing the massive amount of money spent on what is already far and away the most formidable military on the planet? How about continuing the efforts Democrats made to encourage green industries (which MUST be the way of the future... fossil fuels are finite, not to mention destroying our environment, our future etc.).

@The_Beagle

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the US has been in decline for many years (as is to be expected considering where they were in 1945). But things have gone well beyond a "natural correction". Basically China is kicking Yankee butt these days. That's how it is.

How are things with the latest AI? China suddenly comes up with a model as good as the American one at a tiny fraction of the cost. Electric cars? China has developed charging technology that's made using their cars as convenient and practical as any gas guzzler. Jerk-off Musk's clunky units look like Homer Simpson-designed mobiles in comparison. This is what comes of endless tax cuts to the rich rather than focusing on providing encouragement to talented individuals from less privileged backgrounds.

@The_Beagle

In return, other countries were supposed to gradually liberalize their economies, buy American goods, and play by the rules. But they never did.

Instead, they took our postwar deal —designed to help them— and ran with it. They piled up tariffs, non-tariff barriers, VAT taxes, and trade cheats while the U.S. kept its markets wide open.

You want to believe this, but the facts are different. Rather than the widespread "cheating" etc. you ignorantly whine about, the US actually accepted minor disparities in trade arrangements here & there in exchange for multiple countries falling in line behind it, offering their land and resources in support of the US empire against the Soviet empire. It was a win-win.

Yes, the EU got a pretty good deal out of US nuclear protection, but Germany was the designated battleground should the Soviets do something stupid. And who automatically sent in troops to help the US in their crazy wars in Iraq & Afghanistan? Yeah, the Europeans (& Australia). Not because they were 100% convinced it was a good idea, but because they were committed to a team game. Those days are over. Americans will come to curse the day they were stupid enough to give this scum a second term (& 3rd, & 4th terms, if he lives that long, because free & fair elections will no longer be allowed).

However, while he plays a key role in decision-making and technical reviews, most of the detailed engineering work is done by specialized teams.

Thanks. You said it yourself. Example:  **He has personally tested and provided feedback on Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system. *... = The guy gets in the car, goes for a spin, and tells his engineers how he felt about the experience. *

You seem a little gullible when it comes to advertising/PR spin. Going back 50-odd years advertisers latched onto the idea of deceptive language to fool the docile public. "University tests showed that..." is an example of this kind of tactic. In actual fact, shady companies could park a bus on university grounds for an hour or so, run a couple of meaningless "tests" vaguely related to a product and claim the prestige of "university" tests. This is clearly what's going on here in many of the points in your long list of the amazing jerk off's "accomplishments".

*The Reciprocal tariffs are coming*

Oh yeah? So what are the tariffs that you believe Japan is currently applying?

@HopeSpringsEternal

EU is falling apart, high taxes, high regulations and high tariffs. No wonder the EU is not growing and is politically re-aligning rapidly to the right. Socialism not working!

I know that trying to educate you is a waste of time, but I'll give it a shot anyway. NO ... the EU is not falling apart. Your tiny mind is being led astray by the garbage you listen to in your little disinformation bubble. On the contrary, your buffoon in the White House is making the EU come together more strongly than ever. (Open your eyes and ears!)

The countries of the EU are governed by parties mostly mildly left or mildly right (Italy and of course Hungary being exceptions)... a mixture, in other words. Socialism has hardly existed anywhere on the planet at government level for the past 50 years.

The countries in the EU that are the most socially conscious, although not outright socialists, are the Scandinavians. And guess who tops the list of the happiest countries in the world, year after year.... Yeah, them!

@H

that's why to Japanese people every foreigner is seen as rude or I'll mannered. But those same foreigners in countries with less strict etiquette rules will not be seen as rude.

Every foreigner is seen as rude? Think before you type, and try to avoid stereotyping and generalisations. Just some friendly advice.

@HopeSpringsEternal

"DJT" won because tens of millions of voters are stuck in disinformation bubbles, getting their "news" only from factcheck-free social media and blatant propaganda outlets (Fox), not having the faintest idea about what's really going on. One example: during the campaign the orange chimp said the economy was a mess. In reality, it was doing very well. That was then... Now, we have the moronic trade wars bringing on the Trumpcession.

Oh, and don't forget the festering misogyny and racism that still exist in the U.S. A woman? ... with dark skin?... to be elected to the highest office in the U.S.? No, that won't happen in any of our lifetimes. The Democrats really were "dreaming" on that score.

I refuse to pay ¥500 for a cabbage. You can buy a pack of six exceedingly good cakes for that price.

Cabbage Vs cakes. That's a strange comparison. No one in their right mind would pay 500 for a cabbage, agreed. But shop around and you can find good deals. Get to know when local supermarkets put discounted products on their "wagons" and you'll find something healthy to eat at somewhat reasonable prices.

I still don't accept this "junk food is cheaper than real food" argument. It's not. Just make a bit of an effort, and whip up a stir fry with discounted vegetables. It's cheaper for sure. Frequent a number of local supermarkets by bicycle, not just the closest one (if you live in a country town that may be difficult, but I assume most posters live in large cities).

It's not a bubble tea-level fad, but I would still argue that ramen is still a fad.

The most ridiculous comment I've read so far today, and there's always stiff competition. That's like saying hot dogs and hamburgers are a fad in the U.S. No, ramen is not a fad.

Everything costs more these days. Trump is making sure that prices will continue to go up. Those who can afford to pay 1,000 yen for the good stuff will continue to do so. Those who can't will still find a way sometimes. Udon is udon, ramen is ramen. They're different. To you they might both be bowls of noodles in soup, basically the same thing thing. No, they're not.

Seems a dead man walking, like LOTS of politicians now in office, especially ones who're deemed part of the 'problems' rather than driving towards needed 'solutions'!

Solutions. By which you mean "final solutions". Authoritarianism. No thanks. Keep dreaming.

Not that a Trump-like figure could arise in Japan (judging by political outcomes, the Japanese are relatively sane compared to Americans), but if one did Ishiba would be favoured every day over the week over a buffoon of that type.

Yes, he's quite useless, but at least not disastrous to his country and the world.

Food containing vast amounts of sugar.

City dwelling SE Asian kids are well overweight.

And MacDonalds is healthy? Young Americans and Australians are generally slim?? (Answers: "No", and "No" of course). What is your point?

"As Trump careers uncontrollably towards the 100-day mark, his approval ratings slide. He is already less popular than Joe Biden was at a similar stage. His honeymoon is history. Before November’s election, he claimed, falsely, that America was in an unprecedented mess. Such exaggeration is what Merton, who coined the phrase, called a “self-fulfilling prophecy”. Now, unintentionally, it’s coming true."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/15/honeymoon-is-over-trump-ukraine-war-tariffs

@fxgai

You really have no clue, do you.

Paying for a tax cut is also a nonsense.

A tax cut is not spending.

Even lunatic Doge types would accept that governments need to spend quite a lot of money to keep essential programs running. If less is coming in through taxes, it has to come from somewhere else.

I remember that time Paul Krugman said that Trump’s election was gonna crash the economy…

And he's being proven right.

The chimp fanboys at the top of the comments try to save face by saying that a correction is no big deal, but assume that this is the end of the story. You ain't seen nothing yet kids! Things are gonna get way worse, unless the years of subsisting on MacDonalds etc. mercifully bring about the removal of this insane individual from our mortal coil very soon.