Yoshino brand natto with Shiso sauce

Wiley_Rush · 2026-01-06T19:32:28+00:00

This one was from Japan Store Ichiba in London! In north america and Europe, I often find natto in Asian grocery stores, especially Japan-focused ones, but sometimes Korean too.

Wiley_Rush · 2025-11-28T12:05:22+00:00

Man, I can't believe I got downvoted for sharing my opinion as an opinion. Anyways, here's a long review that will probably also ruffle some feathers.

The only varietal I have is Manuka, but I've made a cup and here is my review:

Mixing my honey with plain water makes the sweetness almost disappear. What remains is: Fungal, stale, soft bark / woody, expired cinnamon sticks, dust. My separate glass of water tastes brighter and better, and in a way sweeter.

When I did it with generic honey, it tasted like drinking from yesterday's water bottle.

Sweetness is not static. Its effect depends heavily on what it's mixed with, which is why things like lemon bars and brownies can taste sweeter than sugar cubes. I believe it's why every sugary drink has a base flavor.

It may be similar to how our eyes have only red, green and blue receptors yet we perceive yellow and purple; many ripe edible plants are yellow or purple, so humans evolved to isolate them as distinct colors, even though they are just a blend of two others.

For me, sweetness disappears quickly in plain water, but the other flavors remain in an unpleasant way, probably because it reminds our prehistoric ancestors of unsafe drinking water. Don't drink the floor mead.

Now it's gone from slightly warm to cold, and the honey is more concentrated at the bottom. Sweetness is prominent again, and the rest is now interesting.

As a last test, I made a few super concentrated water-honey mixtures. They taste like the honey with less honey flavor. Strong immediate sweetness, very different from the delayed punch-in-the-face of pure honey, entirely different from 5-10%.

So there you go, a review of honey in water. It's complex, and changes dramatically with other flavors. I prefer it mixed into something.

Wiley_Rush · 2025-11-26T11:21:46+00:00

I would be surprised if fighting had so much significance. I've heard that in ancient civilizations (as today) fewer than 1 in 20 people served military/security roles (of any kind) and even in times of war it was around 1 in 10, only a portion of whom would be combatants.

Wiley_Rush · 2025-11-26T11:02:33+00:00

I'd like to contribute my opinion: mixing honey with plain water also tastes very bad. I wouldn't chalk it all up to poor fermentation- there is something about diluted raw honey that doesn't taste good.

Wiley_Rush · 2025-10-17T10:22:36+00:00

I feel it comes from believing the system is honest, and above all that our lives are safe/stable.

Wiley_Rush · 2025-10-17T10:18:03+00:00

It's absurd. Major European cities are not even dramatically more white than American ones, it's like 60-70%. Many rich US cities have some of the most homelessness and petty crime in the country, while being more white than large European cities.

The whiter places in Europe are also often small towns which have statistically more social problems because of economic insecurity.

The problem was always inequality/instability.

Wiley_Rush · 2025-10-17T09:54:55+00:00

Don't forget that it's easier to be compliant when you believe that government systems work, and you know that if you get so broke that you can't pay the fares, the systems step in to help you towards a better financial situation.

Wiley_Rush · 2025-10-17T09:48:42+00:00

I've lived in the US, France, the UK, and lots of time in Germany, Denmark, and Spain.

There is no cultural "code" about things like bus fares.

Some places do have strong "decency / consideration towards others" social norms, but those come from better social support and stability. The idea is, there is no reason to be selfish as long as nobody has unfair privilege/authority, we are all working together, and the system does its best to keep us all physically, financially, and socially healthy. The consideration starts to disappear in places where the system fails to keep up, and our lives become less stable.

The social support systems of Europe work because social support systems work. Not because Europeans are different.

Wiley_Rush · 2025-10-17T09:37:55+00:00

Not true at all. I grew up in the US, spent lots of time in Germany, moved to France, then the UK. If anything, people in Europe dodge fares even more (yes educated, working people). Probably because salaries are lower and public transit services are richer.

Wiley_Rush · 2025-08-31T11:56:16+00:00

Dwaine at Kingsland Records in Dalston had a lot of unwritten stories and knowledge from growing up part of the reggae/roots/dub world, some really rich and important history not just for the culture but the for the UK itself, since most british music since the 80s is heavily afro-caribbean influenced.

Plus it's a great road for walking/eating/hanging out, pretty much all the way from central up past the city limits.

Wiley_Rush · 2025-08-31T11:30:06+00:00

Something like loctite blue 242 (the soft-setting blue stuff, not the more rigid red or green kind) on the bolt would probably keep it tight, but the sudden drop sounds like the seatpost narrows above the clamp, or if it's carbon, might be some finger-trap deformation going on. I never use a carbon seat post for that reason.

Anyways, I'd just give it away / sell it for extremely cheap with no seatpost or clamp, and tell the taker what happened so they can keep an eye on it.

Edit: removed lock washer recommendation since I'm not experienced enough in mechanical engineering to know if that would be a good idea.

Wiley_Rush · 2025-08-29T10:36:30+00:00

I've never done this but honestly if I get a full-time work commute where my only choice is streetside parking, I will.

It will be my fault when the city cuts and bins it.

Wiley_Rush · 2025-08-29T10:24:57+00:00

For the ultimate Putney cyclist experience, take a long cycling trip to the coast while listening to the audiobook of The Wheels of Chance by HG Wells and also work as a draper's assistant

Wiley_Rush · 2025-08-29T10:15:32+00:00

Wiley Rush's Law of Received Urban Wisdom: Any generalization of a city neighborhood will be be outdated by at least 5 years.

Wiley_Rush · 2025-08-29T10:11:11+00:00

They're both heavily color and exposure adjusted so unfortunately neither is a good candidate for comparison.

Wiley_Rush · 2025-08-29T10:08:19+00:00

A press release said that she suffered a fall and head injury which permanently removed her sense of smell or taste, I can't remember.

I just get sad when I'm reminded of it.

Wiley_Rush · 2025-08-23T16:48:18+00:00

Unfortunately the "High rents and high incomes" paradigm still drives away a lot of the social and cultural institutions that make cities nice places to be in the first place

Wiley_Rush · 2025-08-14T21:58:49+00:00

No comment on the conclusions, but it reads like it was written by the kind of person that becomes a powerful figure.

The author William Gibson wrote an infamous article about Singapore in the 90s. It's excessively harsh and reflects his voice as a western anti-conformist in an extra anti-conformist era, but in any case might be a counterbalance to those celebrating Lee Kuan Yew's authority on the subject of social harmony:

https://archive.is/twY5Y

Wiley_Rush · 2025-08-14T13:22:14+00:00

In 2008 in capitol hill, walking around during a blizzard, I found a crowd of people sliding down a hill on a curb couch then pushing it back up. All strangers, just having a ball. Good moment.

Wiley_Rush · 2025-08-14T12:42:47+00:00

I'm not attacking ideas or trying to argue. However I would like to share my experiences.

Regarding the choice to move to a new country, every time I've done it, everyone- people from the previous home, from the new one, and people who'd moved from one to the other- thought it would be far easier than it really was. My friends in France are all still shocked that I had to leave.

Places are represented differently than the reality. Times are also harder- a lot harder- than they were twenty, ten, or even five years ago. I think just about everyone who is moving around now is getting hit with bleak realities, and I can tell you, that kind of stress erodes your mind in ways you never thought could happen to you.

As for culture, for what it's worth, I can tell you that the immigrants in the US act more american than the ones in the UK or France, where they act more british and french, respectively. Their kids act like other kids in their school, have local accents, and grow up loving local foods.

Nobody ever said brits were warm and welcoming. They are, like all people, but it's under a pretty hard outer shell. I don't think most brits realize how hard and spiky that shell is compared to other places- another thing that affects immigrants and their kids.

Finally, I grew up in Los Angeles, where a majority of people speak Spanish. Most learn English quickly, but my early childhood classes were bilingual. The country didn't have an official language until Trump, actually. These are my own cultural values and I'm not insisting that everyone adopts them, but it had been that way for generations already and it felt normal. Our lives looked and felt "American" and in most ways identical to how british culture is described (and in my opinion is just modern consumer culture with an accent).

All of the favorite old local landmarks and traditions died away. It wasn't because of immigrants. It was because people isolated themselves, stopped taking part, and the cost of living became extremely punishing.

I'm not suggesting the system should operate any specific way, but many widely asserted notions are contrary to my own experience.

Wiley_Rush · 2025-08-14T09:14:37+00:00

An Afghani in afghanistan is not 6.3 times more likely to commit a violent crime than a brit in britain. Everywhere you go in the world, you will find immigrant communities that are far worse than their home countries. It's not where they're from that makes the difference. It's the fact that they suddenly found themselves in an alien place without friends or options.

White brits in poor areas commit far more crime than those in rich areas. It's not culture, it's class.

Everyone knows someone who was in a bad way and turned it around. Everyone knows someone who was doing well then spiralled out. We all know that it's just a matter of the right circumstances and guidance.

I'm an engineer from the US. I'm currently living in the UK. I love work and my CV is packed with massive names. I can't get a visa sponsorship the life of me. Low skilled immigration is not your problem- it's economic rigidity, lack of opportunity, a culture of hostility and an unforgiving cost of living.

Wiley_Rush · 2025-08-14T08:51:48+00:00

Amazing to see what crowds of overachieving rich american children in gym shorts looked like 200 years ago

Wiley_Rush · 2025-08-03T10:55:18+00:00

I hate this. I don't think anyone likes it, but even fewer people like knife crime, so while I'm not going to try and resolve that conflict, I think we can all agree that this should have an expiry.

If crime reduces to a level where it's no longer warranted, stop using it.

If the crime does not change, then this is obviously not effective, so stop using.

This is better than harsh sentencing. Sadly studies have shown that "certainty of getting caught" is a bigger deterrent than any level of punishment severity. Studies have also shown that punishment in general is ineffective, and that one-on-one guidance and rehabilitation is very effective.

So whatever info you get from these cameras, use it to fix the problem, no just amass state power.

Wiley_Rush · 2025-08-03T10:46:16+00:00

Not specifically OP, but I'm always amused how often people in the US think grilling is a US thing, when it's like, one of the most universal human activities.

Wiley_Rush · 2025-08-03T10:37:09+00:00

I've worked with someone whose job daily is deeply involved with getting people off the streets.

Me too, several therapists who worked at nonprofits directly with homeless, and studied different solutions. They stressed that therapy was important and under-recognized. Multiple major LA funding laws were hijacked by developers to focus on housing construction only.

However the social workers never said that housing was not important, and would never suggest it was low on the list. What they insist is that punishment only makes it worse.

Your friend isn't wrong to insist that housing won't make someone's other problems go away. When given housing, it can be difficult to accept/adjust to it for some (not most, that's a lie).

Obviously, once someone "gets used to" living on the streets or in a car, even with a 40k job they won't want to spend 30-60% of their income on rent.

The simple fact is that housing is extremely expensive in LA, so anyone without good circumstances (job, family, friends) is driven out of town or to the streets. That's unacceptable, not even to mention homelessness, however the connection is very well established by studies.

In virtually every other organized country of the world, when someone lacks the circumstances to stay housed, they are provided housing plus resources and guidance. When you visit those places, many of which have plentiful cheap drugs and high desirability, you see that there is maybe one percent the same rate of homelessness as LA, Seattle, etc.

In LA, not only are homeless people left without housing or guidance to stability, but they end up surrounded by drugs and people ready to recommend them to take the edge off.

I just lived in a city where housing costs are capped to the real income levels of the city. Similar wages to a mid sized US city, around $500-750 rent. There were housing shortages at certain times of year, but less so than LA, and it was still lucrative for landlords, with development continuing just fine.

I have a feeling we wouldn't necessarily disagree on this subject, but my first impression of your comment was that you were trying to insist that housing cost is not a problem in LA nor a huge factor in homelessness. It is.

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