Oprah for President

Believe it or not, Oprah running for president.

 

The more I think about it the more I like the idea. I think she would empower women and at the same time be a person of color in a government office. I don't care who thinks me reasoning is faulty. I'm sure there are plenty of examples where a woman or a person of color aren't good candidates. But in this particular case, I like her for the job.

 

I already stated I'd vote for Oprah if she ran. I like that she has accomplished all she has, and hasn't used any excuses as a reason to handicap her results.

She has empathy, humility and common sense as well as a good sense of business.

 

Not

This is garbled – can you please clarify – who can’t think about something and what are ‘fancy words’?

Which ones

OK so is this an example of an actual occurrence – if so where did this happen – I can’t find any record of any regulation designed to force a change in bag sizes in the cement industry (or elsewhere) to accommodate women workers.

Or is this not an example so much but more of a hypothetical story, not reality, just something you make up to back up some spurious point you want to make, as the 'Lets say' seems to imply? Is this an example of you taking responsibility for reality?

Have you any actual examples of where this has happened?

Look remember that women entering the work force in huge numbers during wartime didn’t seem to cause the changes you say would could maybe happen if women wanted to do them now.

With thousands of men away serving in the armed forces, British women took on a variety of new jobs during the First and Second World Wars. Many of these roles had traditionally only been done by men and were thought unsuitable for women because they were dirty or difficult.

During WWII women worked in factories producing munitions, building ships, aeroplanes, in the auxiliary services as air-raid wardens, fire officers and evacuation officers, as drivers of fire engines, trains and trams, as conductors and as nurses. During this period some trade unions serving traditionally male occupations like engineering began to admit women members.

It happened in the US as well do you nor know of Rosie the Riveter, famous from posters and song?

The things is that although millions took over men’s roles things as far as I can tell were not changed to accommodate the female workers.

There is a lot of evidence that the experiences of these women that had done ‘mans’ work’ just as well as the men that was passed on to their daughters gave a big spur to the call for women’s right to equality of opportunity.

 

For me the whole Oprah for President story raise in what I see as a major problems with the US political system – the way it seems dominated by personality and celebrity rather than concentrating on policy.

Oprah seems like a nice person but what are her policies, what is her healthcare plan, has she a fully costed economics policy, now I’m sure may heads of state would like to meet Oprah but what exactly is her foreign policy strategy?

It seemed to me that people were going yes to voting for her before having any hint of what she stood for or wanted.

The thing is that without the need to produce a proper manifesto politicians can just wing it saying whatever they think will go down well, you have no real immigration policy of just shout ever louder that you are going to build a wall, remember the promises about healthcare that it would be much cheaper and cover everyone.

I think Americans should learn from their mistakes and demand that their politicians produce actual written policies, before giving any support, let alone their vote.

 

Thanks MeAgain

OK the first line of the Republican platform "We believe in American exceptionalism"

LOL so it begins with their belief in a lie - ok i thought no need to go on then.

 

Everybody? Pay attention to this post.

Read it and re-read it.

 

I tend to trust to easily. You're right. My instinct was off. I wanted to trust someone.

 

At least as important to me is executive experience--especially in government. In the absence of executive experience, legislative experience might also qualify. I'd give Oprah serious consideration if she had been governor of some state for a couple of terms and did a good job. Executive experience in a government agency or legislative experience would be a plus. Remember, Ben Carson was a leading contender for the Presidency once because he was a brain surgeon so he must be smart (but he seemed to have been practicing surgery on himself and scrambled his brains). I know this view is very unfashionable, and that many folks think everyone in government is tainted and that we need a novice to bring a fresh perspective to government. I just shake my head. It's that attitude that put DumbDumb in the White House. (Someone will probably point out he had executive experience. Yeah, in a family business as a real estate grifter, and he's been putting that to work in the White House! I'd be as nervous relying on Oprah in a nuclear crisis as I would Trump, although for very different reasons.

 

LOL made me remember HIV exceptionalism.

 

I didn't go the BMI argument but since you did I'll respond. Yes there is a flaw in the BMI equation since muscle weighs more than fat. So now you can defeat the idea of that index by saying well since Micheal Jordan isn't fat therefore how many others does it apply to. Gee I don't know. How many Michael Jordans do you think are eating unhealthy, living unhealthy and costing us more in healthcare cost? Trying to make fat obese people seem like Michael Jordan is part of the problem we have. Michael Jordan is not fat, but since he has a BMI that says he's obese the next logical liberal step is to try to discount the BMI argument since it can't apply to everyone equally. Then the next level of logic will be, some fat isn't as bad as really fat so lets further muddy what the problem of what fat is. The problem is America is getting fatter and the liberal approach is to figure out how to make that normal, or at least argue their way out of how they can't be fat because Michael Jordan isn't.

When I was in Med School, my course of chosen studies was artificial limbs. The primary driving need for artificial limbs isn't wounded veterans or loss of limb thru accident, it was due to loss of limbs related to morbid obesity. That was more than the total of all other reasons combined. Further as you pointed out the increase of HyperTension Type II Diabetes etc. is on the rise and the more you want to try and muddy its sources the easier it is to ignore it. Yeah that darn muscle is heavier than fat argument, kills the intent of trying to set a standards by which most everyone needs to pay attention to. I will agree they have been trying to define what fat is for awhile and somehow the results are America is getting fatter and we can't agree what that is supposed to mean because it may hurt someone feelings.

Lets make it sound like we have always been fat, its just called us fat now because of that darn BMI index. That was your point right? The BMI index is what made it get called an epidemic. So therefore if we do away with that BMI standard we won't be as fat?

$1.50 a day doesn't sound like much. Except for the fact that you fail to point out that that is per person. The average family of 4 is now more like 2200 a year. Now it makes a difference. And I didn't look at what that cost makes up. Are we talking hot dogs vs peanut butter or are we talking a tub of ice cream vs a bushel of fresh fruit? America needs to put some emphasis on bringing the cost of good foods down to make it accessible to more. And since we can't expect personal accountability to limit what we eat, that darn free market anti government idea I agree with, I am not ever going to suggest we argue that its bad idea to not offer a .75 Super Size Option on top of that 1600 calorie meal they already bought.

My concern isn't the free market. That's been around since before I was born. My concern is all the attempts being made to make FAT OK, has allowed the increase in all the health problems it creates, to seep into becoming the new normal. Now the train has left the station and we are all forced to buy a ticket to ride it. Obesity no matter how you want to avoid defining it, is a problem faced in America. Yeah I know I'll get flamed for fat shaming now. What else is new.


That free market you discuss, has been around for a lot longer than we have been getting fat. Yes I will also agree that the food industry has effed with our foods and marketed the hell out of eating it. Stop eating it and you will probably lose weight in most cases.

 

I said in the post. Lets say for example and I used the cement as an example. I tried to oversimplify this with my bags of cement example. To make it easier to follow.

So in the real world example how about I use one for now.

Combat military teams. An average man weighs 225 pounds, and 280 pounds in full kit. In current standard, every person on a team to be able to drag any member of a team out of a firefight. Most (not all)130-pound females could not do it, I don’t care how much time they spend in the gym. I won't list the law enforcement environment separately as its pretty much the same. If the bad guy weighs 285 lbs, its a lot tougher call to hope that a female officer can take him out in a physical match up. So do we now change the rules to make it mandatory to need 2 females, instead or one male, to be teamed up in order to drag one average guy off the field or one big bad guy on the street? Or do we solve it by telling the 225 lb guys they can no longer serve in combat roles because there is no guarantee that every person on the team can drag him in if he is downed? Then do we discuss lowering the combat weight standard to allow women to serve next to smaller less bulky men?

They can shoot as good, march as good, give and take orders as good, but when it comes to physical requirements for the mass majority we have limits in what we can expect from females. Of course there will be the exceptions that can haul that 280 lbs guy off the field and they should have no bias against them if they can.

This isn't female bashing. As I stated pretty openly, I support and endorse women doing any and all jobs they can on an equal footing to men. And they should be paid the same as well.

But to say that they are equal in all jobs, is simply wrong. Its not anything against a woman by saying so.

 

@NotMyRealName

We've already pulled this thread way off topic, so my reply is going to be short.

Yes, all of what you said is true. So is what I said.

And that's the point. The fat debate is this black and white argument, while the actual topic is a huge gray area. Plus, I'm one of those obnoxious paleo people.

 

Katie Hopkins deliberately gained 4 stone, and lost it all again just to prove that anyone who's fat can do it too.


There's also Al Sharpton, Penn Gillette, and John Goodman. What do these three celebrities have in common? They were large and overweight most of their professional lives. They're reaching old age, and they managed to lose all the weight. It's very possible they've added decades to their lives had they not done so.


I don't care what people do with their bodies. People have the freedom to do what they want with it, even if it means willfully damaging it. The problem is that when we have a subsidized health care system, and they're over-exploiting the availability of health services, and the cost from everyone else's wallet.

I'm not saying it's black and white. Based on this discussion we've had thus far, you seem more in favor of fat coddling, and protecting people's feelings. Am I right? Or do you think obesity is also a public health issue that needs addressing?

I thought it would be possible to find a balance between fat shaming and fat coddling (which seems to be something you're in favor of). Which is why I'm asking if you and Okie are willing to compromise.



Social justice warriors are horrible. They're ruining people's lives from the propaganda and lies they tell, and getting people fired for violating their superficial PC language codes. They pretty much make up the rules of what is and isn't racist/sexist as they go along. But at the same time, I love social justice warriors; their lunacy drives plenty of sensible people away from left wing causes. Which is no wonder only 7% of people identify as feminist in the UK anymore.

Or you can be like this guy and embrace your inner flaws, and not get overly sensitive when people call you names:

Ok good! you support promoting a healthy lifestyle.
We're getting somewhere. Would you also support discouraging an unhealthy and lazy lifestyle through publicly funded education and media as well?

Having once worked in male dominated industry before (forest fire fighting) I would say men are a bit more capable of the physical demands it takes for that job. However, my engine boss was a woman for one of our fires. I liked working under her lead better than the other guy who was a complete asshole and cussed more than a drunken sailor. She didn't do any of the grunt work, or operate the chainsaws, but she knew how to lead a team and keep everyone safe.

Even though men and women think differently, I don't believe that gender is a limitation on what they can do with their own minds. But when it comes to physical capabilities, it gets a bit different...

That being said, an example of this limitation would be in the military. I don't think women should be in places like on the front lines of combat. The military has to lower the physical requirement for women to even qualify in certain areas due to physical differences. But do I believe that women should be kept out of the military? NO! They can serve in other areas but not the front lines of combat.


But, if you insist that my biases that men are less emotionally inclined with their thought processes than women are. And if you think it makes me sexist that I selected to have a female mental health therapist to help me with my mental health issues, because I feel that females are typically better listeners, more patient, and more empathetic than males. Then so be it. I couldn't care less what you think about me.

But did I say it was impossible for a female to succeed in a male dominated field? Did I say it was impossible for a male to succeed in a female dominated work environment?


Of course not, because you are portraying me the way you want to envision me. And it's kinda lame

 

Something about a pot and a kettle.

 

stop the presses! 6-eyed shaman that's brilliant!

There's this web site that helped me learn what I'm putting into my body when I eat something called my fitness pal. My fitness pal takes forever but if you want to lose weight it gives you the knowledge of what you're really eating by breaking it down into the facts on the nutrition information label. What my fitness pal asks you to do is put into their template how much of a thing you ate e.g. 3 oz of salmon. From there you have a choice of selecting to put in your own nutritional data (from the label) or you can go with someone else's nutritional data (something someone else created for their personal my fitness pal but that others can still use). I chose to put in my own data from the labels, so it took a little longer for me to see the results.

So what it does is it actually calculates all the different elements in your food, tells you how much you've gone over the amount that you actually need in order to meet your weight loss goals, and tells you how much longer until you reach your goal at the current rate. I found it very useful in learning how much to eat of certain things.

Here is a URL link Free Calorie Counter, Diet & Exercise Journal | MyFitnessPal.com

Now if we could only get people to use it. If this thing were part of the curriculum in schools for say third graders I think it would help to eliminate some obesity. There will obviously be people who continue to eat whatever they want, but at least they will be knowledgeable.

 

Several problems with your fat shaming pitch: (1) paternalism's inconsistent withe your professed libertarian values. It puts people in other people's business and tells them they must confom to your ideals because otherwise they offend you; (2) the pitch is misleading because it purports to be about health when in reality it seems to be about culturally-derived ideas about what people, especially women, should look like, which in the United States tend to be anorexic; (3) use of the shaming technique is cruel, dangerous and risks consequences like suicide and anorexia; and (4) preoccupation with other people's deficiencies claims for yourself the position of judge, and makes you insensitive to your own flaws which are legion. I know it gives you a feeling that you're hot and studly and have the world by the tail, but that's delusional. We may need to do an intervention.

 

Several problems with your fat shaming pitch: (1) paternalism is inconsistent with your professed libertarian values. It puts you in other people's business and tells folks they must conform to your ideals because otherwise they offend you; (2) the pitch is misleading because it purports to be about health when in reality it seems to be about culturally-derived ideas about what people, especially women, should look like, which in the United States tend to be anorexic; (3) use of the shaming technique is cruel, dangerous and risks consequences like suicide and anorexia; (4) preoccupation with other people's deficiencies claims for yourself the position of judge, and makes you insensitive to your own flaws which are legion. I know it gives you a feeling that you're hot and studly and have the world by the tail, but that's delusional; we may need to do an intervention; (5) aggressive targeting of out-groups, which seems to be your specialty, stirs up social conflict and disharmony. What do you do, snicker a lot when a fat person shows up? Chant "Fatty "Fatty two by four"? Did you bully them on the playground when you were a kid? (6) preoccupation with the physical takes a uni-dimensional approach to people who are complex and may have things to offer which your narrow focus is missing. I had a delightful theological discussion last evening with a couple of ladies at church--both overweight, one morbidly obese--who have beautiful minds and views and insights that gave me new perspectives on the subject. I think it would have been really inappropriate for me to say: "That's all well and good, but you really need to do something about your weight!"

You want a "compromise solution" now and talk about "balance". Admit it, this was not your earlier tone, which was one of ridicule of folks, particularly women, who don't conform to your anorexic aesthetic. I happen to agree that obesity is a serious health problem, along with smoking, alcohol abuse and drug abuse. The issue is what to do about them. I 'd agree that the "fat is beautiful" approach' is unhelpful, although I understand the thinking that brought it about. Your habit of thinking in dichotomies clouds the issue: either put overweight people "on a pedestal" or shame them. One thing we might consider is going to the source.
How marketers condition us to buy more junk food
Are fast food ads killing us? (opinion) - CNN
The impact of food advertising on childhood obesity
Fast Food and Junk Food Commercials Promote Diabetes in Kids
Food Advertising and Marketing Directed at Children and Adolescents in the US
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/4e0e/f3f5b5e4dbec564aab2540c23db652db2113.pdf
Like cigarette smoking in the past, junk food guzzling is partly the result of a concerted effort on the part of advertisers to hook kids. The cigarette manufacturers responded to the threat of a counter-advertising campaign. Maybe something similar would work with junk food. But wait! That would be going against Big Business. Un-American! Communist plot! Let's shame the fatties instead, so that they feel stressed and eat more.

You might also try a gentler approach. Try to get to know somebody you think is disgustingly obese, gain their trust, and sincerely suggest, as their friend, a weight loss programs, strategies and resources that you've found effective. This could be done tactfully. Make it clear that you still support them as a person and a friend, will actively work with them to help them get the weight down, and will still love them unconditionally.. That will take time and effort on your part, but since you obviously think the matter is so important to you and society, it should be worth it and you might gain a new friend.

Segue back to topic. Oprah knows how to do it. Share your own story, with its ups and downs. Keep things positive and balanced.
Oprah Winfrey’s 2018 Weight Loss – Media Mogul Drops More than 40 Pounds with Weight Watchers
No shaming!

 

What a coincidence. Weight Watchers announces free memberships for teens

I think that's a good strategy. It answer all of our prayers, but it's a good place to start.