oreoreda comments

Surely it's "Take your political life one day at a time?" Oh, and keep wasting electricity, you idiots.

sabiwabi: exactly. For those who are not aware of the fraud and the political motivations behind the case, the late Paul Foot's "Lockerbie: Flight from Justice" report is a good place to start. The 'evidence' used to convict Al-Megrahi would have shamed even a Japanese court.

Osechi is not supposed to be especially tasty as historically, from the days before household refrigeration, it is a 'hozonshoku' food that does not spoil (hence the sweetness and lack of fatty or raw foods) over several days, since during the festive period markets and shops were closed. Personally I find it pretty foul as most of the dishes taste the same after a few mouthfuls (sweet/starchy/soy saucey). Traditionally osechi was made at home, but these days as many Japanese can't cook for themselves beyond reheating packaged food, they buy their osechi. Now sadly it has become a status symbol ("Where did you buy your osechi this year? Oh really? We got ours from Matsuzakaya &c.").

Sneezers, snifflers, bargers, loud music players, starers, cyclists who ignore the law, smokers in eateries or the street; most of these have been named already here. The smell of ojisan in a packed train brings tears to my eyes, although it's not entirely their fault (although they could wash, themselves and their clothes, more often). Once I almost was physically sick when an ojisan sitting opposite me on the train removed his shoes, then socks, and dug his toenail cheese out with his fingernails and after each toe, brought his fingers to his nose to relish the smell.

Good