ccowden

No, because we are not talking about them. Start a thread about those problems if you would like. If not, then try to make posts that are slightly more constuctiove to the discussion at hand.

Me too! And I went through every last page to make sure I made and educated decision on the porn/art debate.

IT'S ATTITUDE!!!!!!!!! I don't know how much clearer I can be. It is America catering to the problem. It is accepting it as not a problem. It is not practicing self-control. It is what we are being taught. It is what is made available to us. To change this problem, we all need to put our foot down and stop what is happening. Everywhere you turn, it is becoming easier and easier to lead an unhealthy lifestyle and easier and easier to be obese and fit in. We have to stop that. We are accepting it, not fighting it, contrary to what people want to believe. It starts with yourself. We all have to change this. Fuck the diets, it is personal choices that cause this, and America doing everything we can to make sure it doesn't go away.

I am NONE of these things. It is some of the people on here who have made me into those things, as well as being called other names and personally attacked. It is funny how the discussion is brought up and the opinions are voiced, and it always gets turned into this. I have been attacked and judged, been called an "asshole", and made to look "vicious, demeaning and begrading." All by the same people who criticize ME for judging others. I have done nothing but bring the topic up for discussion and said it is a problem. I have never said I hate fat people or been how it is being portrayed. In fact, I have been the opposite. Just because I feel that there is a problem where some feel there is not and may have a different opinion about where that problem lies and how to fix it, does that really give you the right to attack me? I am not attacking "fat people" or being hateful in ANY way. I am simply attacking the problem, much like I would attack the problem of drugs in America. This is a joke! You people want solutions, yet you just want to attack the people who have different views on the problem.

Yet, at the same time, the market for larger clothes, shoes, furniture, caskets, wheelchairs, hospital beds, toilets, doorways, bathtubs, stretchers, etc, gets larger and larger as well, at an alarming rate. Did you read ANY of my post? And while those diet companies get rich off the obese, the companies and businesses who offer larger food portions, bigger drinks, more fast food places, drive thru everythings, endless choices of candy bars, tons of junk food, get rich right along with them. It's not about helping the obese for these diet companies, it's about making money off them without really helping them with their struggle.

Guess I am just an asshole then.

What about a photo like this: http://www.shutterpoint.com/Photos-ViewPhoto.cfm?id=132519 I mean, there is nothing particularly inventive about it, yet it has an artsy appeal to it without feeling pornographic, but it also just a black & white of a topless girl.

Well then, if you don't know me and you didn't take the time to read all my posts and understand my views, then why call me an asshole. If you DID take te time to read my posts, you would know that I APPLAUD the people who truly are struggling with obesity and trying to do something about it. I AM compassionate to the people who have health issues or genetics that contribute. I have personally fought being obese and had fallen into a very unhealthy lifestyle earlier in life. I have gone through the struggle with my mom and stood by her side and supported and helped her through her struggle with obesity. There ARE plenty of obese people in this country who have said "Fuck it." There ARE plenty of obese people who don't care and don't want to change, who also have the attitude that society needs to adapt to them and accommodate them. It is those people whom I am talking about and whom I have the problem with. Obesity is a problem in America, and we ALL need to get ahold of it. It just continues to get worse. And THAT is not arguable.

Did you just seriously call me an asshole? I don't think you really took the time to understand what I was saying OR the time to know mw well enough to call me an asshole. But that's fine.

Um ok. No one had mentioned anything about age or gender on here, so you go right ahead and make it into something it isn't.

But how do you determine what is trashy or art? Just like art is in the eye of the beholder, isn't also trashy? I mean, Playboy photos aren't really what I would consider trashy, but most would still call it porn.

Ooops, guess I responded at the same time.

I don't think it was supposed to be a comparison in that way. I think his point is that SOME obese people just give up because they think it is just too hard of a struggle to fight, when there are people who have fought through something much harder. Yes, his comparrison is two different types of struggles, but you could also compare the struggle with obesity in daily life with the struggle of someone living with cancer and fighting for their life. A person with cancer will fight for every last minute of their precious gift of life, yet someone who is obese will throw it away.

http://www.shutterpoint.com/Photos-BrowseCat.cfm?cat_id=19 Scroll down to the bottom to turn filter off. What do you think? What's the difference? Where is the line?

Yeah, that's a pretty bad analogy. For that analogy to work, he would have to say, "Fuck it, I am not going to train or work hard to become a World Class skydiver because it takes too much effort, and it is much easier to just say this is who I am and I am happy being a mediocre skydiver." Then he would have to bitch about how he is not being respected in the same way that World Class skydivers are and blame the rest of the skydiving community for his not being able to compete at the World's Meet, and also demand that there be new rules changes that allow him to compete because he has a right to, even though he can blame no one but himself for not being up to par. THEN that analogy would work.

Oh yeah, oops. Well then, this thread should be about OUR issue!

Who cares how many, Kristi. OUR picture made it in!!! Thanks Iwan!

Freaking funny shit! It is amazing how worked up people get about whether someone is a freeflyer or a bellyflyer or a wingsuiter or a CRW dog or whatever. Let's see, we all buy a jump ticket and pay the money so we can dress in our cool gear and goof off while falling towards the earth. Is it REALLY any more complicated than that? If you like to freefly, cool. If you like to do RW, fine. If you just want to stare at the horizon the whole way down and do nothing, have at it. It's great to get passionate about a discipline, but if you really think you are cooler because you do something that someone else can't, then you're an idiot. Like Trent said, if you want to be a badass flyer, then learn to be proficient at all of it. Then you can actually back up the shit that is running out of your mouth. If you can only do one discipline well, then shut your mouth until you CAN back it up how good of a flyer you are. But better yet, quit worrying about how COOL you are and just enjoy what you do and be supportive of what others do. I think most will agree, the ones who are the best flyers are also the most humble. The ones who run their mouth aren't half as hot shit as the think they are. Oh, and as far as what is cool to wear and what is not. I got news for ya.... we only look cool in our freefly gear to ourselves. Pretty much to everyone else in the world, we look like idiots.

Oh man! All is right with the world again, now that both Alana AND Justi are back!

Yay! Welcome back Alana! Great to hear you are doing great and happy as ever! Can't wait to see you again! Here is your nephew.

I'm a dick.

Excellent points! When I was watching my mom having trouble catching her breath, getting up from sitting, having knee surgery, and hurting herself, I felt compassion and wanted to help her. I didn't want my mom to have a poor quality of life or die early because of something she can change. I got on her case sometimes and stated my opinions and she sometimes would get mad and say i wasn't accepting her for who she was. And she was right. I wasn't going to accept it. But it wasn't because of who she was. it was because of how she was hurting herself, and I couldn't just stand by and watch her do it. When you see a friend who is doing drugs and killing themselves with the problem, you don't pat them on the back and say it's ok. You do everything in your power to help them. Being compassionate and being enabling are two entirely different things. And a person who has a problem and wants to change it and a person who thinks it is everyone elses problem to deal with their choices, are two entirely different people. The easy way out is never the best way when you have a problem, and the easy way out with obesity is to just say this is who I am and you need to accept it because I have. Drug addicts will say the same thing. My opinions are not formed from hatred or prejudice. They come from seeing a problem and not accepting it and speaking out against it. But it is much easier for people to label it as hatred and prejudice than to see it for what it is and take the first difficult steps to changing their lifestyle.

This is exactly the attitude I have. I absolutely applaud those who choose to recognize the problem obesity has become for them for many reasons and then choose to do something about it. I tried to be very clear that it is NOT all obese or overweight people I have a problem with, it is the ones who DON'T care and make it clear that they don't care and basically say fuck it because they know the rest of America will accommodate them and HAVE to put up with them because it is a right they have. But someone always need to make it seem that this attitude blankets ALL obese people and that you "hate fat people" if you voice these opinions. When I got out of the Army and settled back into civilian life back in the early 90s, I started a very unhealthy lifestyle simply because I didn't care anymore. I drank heavily, probably to the point of what I would consider to be an alcoholic, I began smoking, I ate junk and alot of it, and I sat around like a lazy fat ass. I got up to 215lbs, which is about 35lbs overweight for me. Then one day I looked in the mirror and realized what I was doing to myself. I couldn't walk up the stairs without losing my breath, I had to buy new clothes to fit me, and I overall felt like crap most of the time. So, I decided to change it. I began to eat right, exercise, and give up the lifestyle that got me there. It wasn't easy, but I did it and I got my weight and health back to where it should be. My mom has struggled with obesity her whole life after having 2 children. She was a very skinny girl up to that point, but then started letting herself go because that was the easy thing to do. Then she got to the point where she just didn't care anymore. When she decided she wanted to change it, she asked me for help. I was supportive the whole way and gave her guidance and ideas. I even got up every morning to go on her walks with her so that she could stay motivated and not feel alone. I did this because I care. I understand the struggles and the different body types and the disorders, etc. I am compassionate and supportive to those who struggle with obesity and are trying to change it. It is the people who throw up their hands and allow themselves to get to a point of what they consider no return and believe that it is the rest of society who needs to accommodate them, rather then themselves doing anything about it. I am not stereotyping "fat people." In fact, I have stated very clearly the difference. There are the people who know it is a problem and choose to correct it, and there is the people who don't care and feel it is the job of others to adapt to them. There is a clear difference between what my original post and my opinions are about, but I am sure some will refuse to see it and just say I am a fat hater and have a bad attitude or that I am prejudice or whatever. That's fine.

Eat more carbs. I hear they are bad for you or something.