Allan comments

If you don't mind, can you tell us what was replaced with what, in terms of food choices

So I have managed to successfully cut out bread, pasta, ramen, and white rice.

I eat porridge for breakfast. This keeps me going for most of the day. It's a great standby and a bag of oats from Gyomu Super is 100 yen for 500 grams - crazy cheap

Lunch is the same as I would usually eat with rice but without rice! Plus additional boiled eggs, steamed chicken, and chikuwa another great high-protein standby

For dinner, I just eat the same as I would usually really but with potatoes or cauliflower rice. I always make extra potatoes much to my wife's annoyance. Cauliflower rice is available from Gyomu Super. It's popular and sells out quickly.

Cutting out these carbs has been the best thing I've done for my health along with giving up smoking.

I recently stopped eating wheat products because I was having problems with my digestive system. I have now recovered and as I side effect I have also lost weight. I don't feel hungry anymore so I need to eat much less. I also have more energy. I think we really need to review the place of refined carbohydrates in our diets. In my experience, they were causing me to feel hungry when I wasn't resulting in my overeating.

In Japan, I find these are useful and I always read them via the translation. With clothes, I wish people would put their measurements rather than just say how well it fits

Maybe similar to what happened in Afghanistan against the Mujahideen. A long protracted war with continued fierce resistance from the Ukrainians. Eventually a change in leadership in Russia and a withdrawal.

Here is a simple exercise in logic:

Who wants NATO to get into the war directly, Ukraine or Russia?

Would blowing up Europe's largest nuclear power plant get NATO involved or keep it out?

Your assertion is incorrect. In this conflict, Russia's actions resemble those of a terrorist state. By committing numerous war crimes, they aim to sow fear among the Ukrainian people. This strategy lacks logic, ultimately leading to their defeat. Furthermore, their attempt to destroy the Power Plant in order to hinder any counteroffensive reflects their irrationality and misguided thinking. Anyone who considers this a mere conspiracy is, at best, ignorant and, at worst, complicit in Russia's assault on a sovereign nation.

Unfortunately this is again down to education. Vaccines are safe and essential to a healthy society - we have seen how much disruption is caused without one. And in a way it is not your choice the same as stopping at a red light is not your choice. You do it for the safety of others. Unfortunately SNS has lead to a massive dumbing down of the general popuation. I feel sorry for the poor doctors and national health services that have to deal with this level of ignorance.

As others have already said holding the games in the middle of a pandemic is extremely foolish and dangerous. Whatsmore other than perhaps some athletes I am sure no one is interested. Perhaps this is just an act for the insurance companies with the government and committee holding on for countries to withdraw so the decision becomes a forced one.

Well done. It's good to see a leader taking decisive steps - unlike some I could mention. I hope all the New Zealanders reading this are doing okay.

People now realize what a caustic and unpleasant places social network sites can be. Unfortunately other than heavily policing them, which is unworkable, there are very few solutions. It might be better just to get off them altogether. I have just deleted my Facebook and Instagram accounts not because they were nasty, but because they were just utterly pointless. I feel better and I have suddenly gained a lot of free time. Getting out of these worthless places may just be the best answer.

I loved this iconic scene from the movie, and the music fits perfectly. As I understand it the controversy was that Gary Glitter would be receiving royalties from the movie. However, this is not the case.

This is good news for all involved. The employers will also benefit from having foreign employees who will bring a breath of fresh air in Japanese companies. I teach at a university and have foreign students in my classes (mostly Chinese). They are generally more motivated, harder working and more communicative than their Japanese peers, and are a pleasure to have in class.

I do get what they are saying but I am not sure it is necessary to say it. Most people understand there is a difference. There is a kind of continuum from film as art such as Raging Bull and Apocalypse Now through to film as pure entertainment such as in the Marvel Universe. Both are equally entertaining but in different ways. Interestingly the new Joker movie from DC comics but pays homage to Scorsese and harkens back to the days of more aesthetic movie making.

A female James Bond completely misses the point and shows a complete lack of creativity. How about another Lisbeth Salander or Lorraine Broughton??

What Kyoto desperately needs is a service like this for driving etiquette. Having lived in several parts of Japan I can safely say Kyoto has by far the worst driving manners of any city I have lived in. The drivers are rude, aggressive and just downright dangerous, with speeding, texting and running red lights the norm. Use this system to remind Japanese drivers of road etiquette and we might do something useful like save lives.

Great news for the fans. It was heartwarming to see their excitement and surprise.

I saw a woman in our university convenience store shoplift a bar of chocolate. She was older and looked like an office worker or professor. She bent down, picked up two chocolate bars, dropped one into her bag which was open on the floor next to her, and the other she took to the register. It seemed very practiced. I was kind of in shock and even though I had seen her clearly I still didn't say anything to anyone...just in case I was mistaken in some way. This is the problem..its going to take absolute certainty before you stop someone. This is the same with train gropers. I have seen many men pushed up against women unnecessarily, where they have plenty of space around them. But is that enough to call someone out? There are many problems with this proposal.

Interesting. I read that Asians have a much higher propensity for diabetes regardless of where they live. (Apparently 60% of the worlds diabetic population is Asian) I wonder then if this is connected to height rather than other genetic factors.

GB will shortly be deciding the Tokyo places in Lausanne, I hope the selectors have the common sense to ignore this result. It was a 'test run' after all.

That's a wonderful shot. Captures her joy really well.

I had a quick wander around Higashiyama this afternoon. At least half of the tourists were school kids on orgainsed school trips. They came from all over Japan (I answered my fair share of interview questions). I wonder if it might be an idea to discourage schools from organising trips over peak periods? Or perhaps encourage them to explore less popular but equally important areas. It is a more viable solution than discouraging tourists and would help to ease the congestion.

One of the greatest bands of all time and a massive influence on the development of rock. If you have not heard much of their music check out the live album How the West Was Won. It was recorded in 1972 when they were at their peak - it is absolutely sublime.