How afraid and thin do I have to be?

[EZ_Ten Evenings]

So Im doing some shopping at the QFC tonight (cat litter and Pillsbury Cresent Rolls) and Im standing in the queue, looking at the magazine racks.

"Unlock your weight loss potential!"
"Shedding the holiday pounds!"
"25 new diet foods (THAT WORK!)
"Youre a fat motherf*cker and a horrible person!"

That last one is my own, but it pretty much sums up the message, imo. How thin are women supposed to be? Maybe when theyre down to a singularity theyll finally be attractive. Why do people pour so much money into an industry that does nothing but make them feel bad about themselves? I dont understand it.

Next gripe: the news.

"Terror alert on high!"
"Mad cow disease found in Washington state!"
"Shower mildew causes cancer!" (this is a real one, I read it on a reputable news site a few weeks ago)
"Everything is going to kill you and your children!"

Again, the last is my own. Gated communities, handguns, and The Club arnt going to protect you from sh*t. Something is eventually going to get you, and me too. Living your life in fear is no way to live, and I dont know why we keep letting the media jam the latest airport safety tips, lymphoma causing soft drink, and baby strangling toy down our throats, night after night. Air, food, water, Arabs, and what police describe as a black male, 6', 180lbs, wearing jeans and a baseball jersey ARE NOT AT THE DOOR, WAITING FOR THEIR CHANCE.

Why does this stuff seem to be the average Americans bread and butter? Whats the appeal? Why does it sell so well? Anyone?

[EZ_AsturiasAurora]

In my opinion, there's no such thing as the "American Dream" anymore -- no house in the countryside, 2.5 children, white picket fence....you know the one I mean.

Americans wouldn't be content with a calm and pituresque life. Humans, afterall, seek approval over everything else. It doesn't matter how peaceful or content you are (it seems), but only that the others around you THINK you are.

Vanity is still such a rampant thing in the states. I find it humorous to see a 115 pound girl yelling at her mother in the middle of a K-Mart because she thinks her mother needs to buy her this weight-loss pill from the pharmaceutical section.

Plus no one feels a sense of security and lasting peace unless it is threatened on a regular basis. Old man in the middle of the boonies in Iowa needs to feel like his life is good because all he hears about on the TV and in the newspapers is that so-and-so was shot...or so-and-so was arrested for drug smuggling. etc.. Its that false sense of security they give themselves in knowing that "hey, that happens out there, so I'm safe in here".

Its sad really. We truly have reached a point of decadence that rivals no other in the world....
Click the pic for my Magelo

[EZ_Ten Evenings]

Im the first one to admit my own vanity. I take pains to dress 'cool', and I probably spend a bit more on hair mud (beeswax and hairspray filiments, yuck) than I should.

But I never understood our obsession with weight. I realize that popular opinion shifts, but women arnt just for our amusement anymore. They arnt forced to paint their faces and dance for us anymore (although that could be argued), I dont know why they go to such extremes about maintaining a weight. I like women of all sizes and colors... I guess I dont understand why other men dont.

Wild animals dont really get much of a chance to get overweight. If we were living like Australopithicines (or however you spell it), we wouldnt either. But the fact is that we eat unnatural and cooked foods and arnt chasing down prey or running from smilodons on a daily basis anymore, so of course were going to gain weight. Whats so wrong with that? Edited by: Ten Evenings at: 12/24/03 1:21 am

[Cantatus]

Those things sell.

Since much of the American population is obese or close, diets are always big sellers, especially when they can promise losing weight by some miraculous method. Of course, since it's the holiday season, people gain more weight and then make New Years resolutions to get back into shape, you see it a heck of a lot more this time of the year.

The second is just one of those things that grabs your attention. Like on the news when they have those commercials like, "Something in your house could kill you upon contact! Find out what at 10." A lot of people are uppity and panicky with the terror alerts and stuff (the same people that go buy all the duct tape...) and really want to be prepared.. you know, by buying Star Magazine...
Profile

[EZ_Northerner]

Ask Michael Moore.

Unitil then, ask other Americans... Up in Canada we are still SNAFUed but not nearly as badly over the little @#%$, imo. Celeris Tujimson
Maurading Deceiver of The Nameless

"Obviously crime pays, or there'd be no crime."
G. Gordon Liddy"

[Meddik]

Quote:In my opinion, there's no such thing as the "American Dream" anymore -- no house in the countryside, 2.5 children, white picket fence....you know the one I mean.

Could have fooled me. House on 3/4 acre, 2 car garage, planning either 2 or 3 kids, and yes, a picket fence. (Its not white though)

But back to the part about fears... For the vast majority of human existence, Live was Horrible. Life expectancies that are a bare fraction of modern ones, most kids didn't live to their 5th birthday, you were commonly killed by wild animals, or later by working horribly hazardous jobs.

IMHO, the Human brain is hardwired to worry, because for most of our existence, we have had serious thigns to worry about.

Now that the western world has removed most of the serious dangers, we have to make up stuff to worry about, and blow the smallest worries out of proportion. Thats why bad news sells, and the media goes with the "If it bleeds, it leads" approach to the nightly news.

As for the weight stuff, again, trace it back. For most of human existence, food was hard to come by, and when food was available, you had to gorge to build up some fat reserves against the likelyhood that you might have to go several days without food. Obesity isn't nearly horrible as malnutrition. Its a sign that these days, food is readily abundant and cheap. For those under the poverty line in the US, Obesity is rampant! The obesity itself isn't a good thing, but the fact that the food is so cheap and abundant to make it possible is a wonderful thing.

[EZ_Swipey]

One of my friends from college is thinking of buying 20 acres with a house on it, and he and his wife are probably gonna start pumping out kids soon too. His job pays about the same as mine, to boot... but then, he did move back to Podunk, where he came from.


The "American Dream" is still around. It just isnt obtainable by the vast majority of Americans inside the (big) city limits.

[Dragynphyre]

But it's ORANGE ALERT here! The CIA is in cahoots with Osama bin Laden! We're all gonna die! Might as well gorge on some mad-cow beef, drink gallons of beer, and say @#%$ it to the diet pills... (Back In Black)
Delissandra Splitshadow - Marauder of Clan X
Grandmaster Poisoner (250), Master Potter (191), Grandmaster Lush (200)

[EZ_Jassy of Povar]

American Dream recipient here.

2850 square foot house, wife of 19+ years, 2 kids, white picket fence (composite material so no paiting!), retired at the age of 39 (3 years now working only when I want to).

It's still available, just gotta want it badly enough....and do something about it.

Oh and thank you everyone (well, U.S citizens that is) for paying your taxes. My retirement check wouldn't be possible without you all

Quote:I can imagine a no more rewarding career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: 'I served in the United States Navy. -- JFK

[EZ_Boot Disk]

Yuck! If I ever lived in a house in the countryside with a white picket fence, I'd . . . do myself in the pooper!

Yay city life. where anger is big and fueled by hydrogen

[Dragynphyre]

Ya know, looking back at it, I SHOULD have tried to join the military back when... of course, I probably would have gotten shipped over to Kuwait because I graduated high school right around the time of the Gulf War. I know so many people who definitely had a positive experience in the military and it's helped them out later in life...

[Meddik]

Quote:The "American Dream" is still around. It just isnt obtainable by the vast majority of Americans inside the (big) city limits.

Which leads me to wonder, why in the heck do people choose to live there, but that's a whole different issue.

I did some digging on the census website, and found that I live in an Urban area. anythign over 1000 people/sq mile, or anything adjacent to that that has over 500/sq mile counts as urban.

Back in the real world, I'm NOT in an urban setting. There is one fast food restuarant within 15 minutes drive, and one grocery store. I drive by miles worth of tobacco fields to get anywhere.

Not that I mind, I love it there. But I think there may be a bit of a definition problem in determining what is rural and what is urban.

[Dorla]

It's all about personal priorities... would you rather be able to stare out your kitchen window and not see any neighbors, or would you rather live 10 minutes from a Best Buy? We're so spoiled nowadays that it can become hard to choose. This coming from a person currently looking for a house... we'd love to live in the country, but we enjoy our good paying jobs and access to things. My husband's family lives in a town of 500, with the nearest large town being 30 minutes away (and only "large" in the sense that it has a K-Mart). That type of life really does appeal to me... but so does being able to go to the malls, or to a restaurant and enjoying a nice Omaha Steak. No matter what we end up choosing, we'll still be living the "American Dream" because we can choose to do either one without much hassle.

Oh, and another scary fact... we could work where we're at, save up for another year and have enough money to buy a 3 bedroom house in his hometown with cash, no mortgage. I won't lie, that sounds damn good to me. No cable internet though.... sigh.

[Krimzan]

Quote:
They arnt forced to...dance for us anymore

But...but...

The reason diet X and diet pills are so successful are because they a) play off our worries and b) exploit the fact that we are lazy. The majority of America is fat, stupid and lazy. I'm content to leave them that way. We have paved roads and more brands of running shoes made by indonesian children than you can shake a stick at. That's all you need. America will get better when it decides to, no sooner.

[Meddik]

Quote:would you rather be able to stare out your kitchen window and not see any neighbors, or would you rather live 10 minutes from a Best Buy?

Eh. So I drive 25 mins. instead. I'll take that sacrifice. Hell, I'm only 30 away from the biggest Mall between DC and Atlanta for that matter. Not that I want to go there, but the wife does...

[Nenjin]

Sitting in the airport yesterday listening to "ATTENTION: THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HAS ISSUED A TERROR ALERT LEVEL ORANGE. PLEASE REPORT ANY SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY TO THE NEAREST TRANSIT AUTHORITY, AND DO NOT PANIC. THANK YOU AND HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY" I was about to ready to get a gun. God that @#%$ is obnoxious. How about we make every TV screen flash orange and say DOOM instead. I'd rather have that than some mild mannered women tell me in a friendly voice that terrorists are every where.

[Krimzan]

Doom, doom, doom, doom, doom, doom, go-home-now.

[Meddik]

I still think this system would be a lot less scary.

[EZ_Ten Evenings]

My family owns a small bit of property in northern WV, and I dont know which I prefer: North side of Seattle, or north side of Salt Creek Road.

City:

I can go and get almost any product I want, from DVDs, cartooning supplies, a Rothko poster, new lenses for my camera, Ethiopian food, Jewish food, Vietmanese food, etc etc etc.

The people are diverse, and accepting in general. I can go watch a noise show, go to a gallery opening, or take part in the Scandanavian Heritage Fest (shhh dont tell no one Im Scottish!), etc etc etc.

On the other hand, I have to deal with traffic, the faceless, nameless masses in general, crime, pollution, an ugly landscape, a small apartment thats indistinguishable from any other, etc etc etc.

Down home:

I can look out of my window and see the fireflies in the tobacco field. I turn my head and watch raccoons running into the forest. I can get in the creek and see copperheads and crawdaddies. Im almost completely surrounded by a hilly broad leaf forest, which is what I think I truly want in my life... If you dont understand what I mean, you probably never will.

On the other hand, Im also surrounded by hicks a plenty, cant get anything but Piggly Wiggly grocerys and McDonalds, and all the other trappings of living in a splat of cowsh*t for a town. Gallipolis Ferry has a population of a little over five hundred... Its pretty dismal.

I really dont know which I prefer.

Anyway, I dont know how much The American Dream has to do with what Im talking about. I suppose were trying to grasp at being happy with ourselves and safe, but were never, EVER going to fully realize those dreams. Its pointless, and sad.

[EZ_Andurian]

I knew elmo was a terrorist.

[EZ_Xanyia]

A pet peeve of mine is when I see magazines with a big title:

GET RID OF YOUR TUMMY!

Wha..? I like my tummy, it's nice and soft, just the way it's supposed to be, I am female, dammit!

I think this kind of article comes from people who already followed the advice in an article that started with:

GET RID OF YOUR BRAINS!

[EZ_Dazzler Twodirks]

Quote:I can go and get almost any product I want, from DVDs, cartooning supplies, a Rothko poster, new lenses for my camera, Ethiopian food, Jewish food, Vietmanese food, etc etc etc.

How'de you get Ethiopian food when the Ethiopians don't get any?

Is it like Neverland wherte you stare at an empty plate and imagine it? Dazzler Twodirks High Speed Quisinart for Hire
Guildleader of the Blades of Honor.
Monsters Slain, Pockets Picked, Corpses Dragged, and more.
No job too small, no fee too large
Card Carrying Member of The Safehouse.
Classes are not that out of balance -AbsorEQ

[EZ_Ten Evenings]

Boys down at the bait shop/ Limp Bizkit chat room'll like that one, Id reckon.