OH Juli

I'm jealous. I want to go to TX too! Some of my bycyling thread are getting together in June. Good to see S is home where she belongs! I want to see you again soon, too!

My heart is bleeding... I worked in hospitality. I still work in food service. I grew up poor. I work with many black people. I'm the white half of an interracial (black and white) couple. I'm deeply troubled by your use of language and your story. Am I offended? No. I think you need to educate yourself more though and take your personal experience about getting money from someone's pocket to you own and examine it from other perspectives. You might want to couch the language in the terms of privledge-not race when it comes to tipping at a restaurant. If 95% of the black population comes from a bad neighborhood and the white trash (ugh) didn't tip, it could be a matter of viewing economics differently. If they are unschooled about how service industry gets paid there's a point of discussion as well. There's certainly a rub when you look how different people spend their money and what they value. If you take a group of people who are undervalued as a whole and ask them to value you, they may well say screw that, give me a second eggroll instead. Because to them, you/me/us who have waited tables are less significant in their world than a fuller belly and better time. It's hard to demand respect from people (impoverished) who are rarely given it. Just a different POV

Sitting in the dark, eating pudding.

TommyO You are right we are using different definitions. Sexism, racisim, whateverism... what's the point of the conversation at the end of the day? Is it okay to hate based on assumptions? Are assumptions okay? I dare say a rational person isn't going to say hate is okay regardless of where you sit on the spectrum of any power dynamic. They might say it explains behavior, but there should be little allowances for acceptance. Hate based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, class or any other broad demographic isn't okay. Hating someone because they specifically did you wrong is fine however. :rolleyes2: Once upon a time it was relatively easy for people to live a life of homogeny where people different from themselves were few and far between. Now it's just not the case. Peace out,

Hi I'm here....just not got much "LBGT" specific to talk about. XO.

Plain Racisim carries with it power... prejudice is hating someone who is not like yourself. My comment about men is a prejudice against white men, and I can do all sorts of things but in regard to that hate, (which I don't REALLY hate white men but for the argument) but until the balance of power shifts against them and my prejudice can allow me to be opressive then it's not racism/genderism. My hate doesn't really inflict any institutionalized pain on white men. It's like an angry ant yelling at big giant human...the can yell all it wants but it won't get very far. Now whites causeing pain to nonwhites that's racism.

Happy Birthday Stefanie. And when I meet you I'll probably call you Staefanie-Bethany, pretty much just because I can. I think it's cute. Not cute enough to name a child, but fun. Yeah, I've said that if I had another little girl I'd name her "Uma". Only because it has three letters and it makes everyone freak the hell out. Good think I just have my one!

Let me start out by saying this is covered under Privilege 101, or rudimentary texts pertaining to studies of non-white male groups. Yes, it does. In a power dynamic where one group has and continues to have institutionalized power and to maintain they keep to their own and ostracize others particularly based on race it happens; it also happens with gender. White men are in power and until someone not a white man has sat in the White House for 200 years you can tell me it has ended. Reverse prejudice exists but not racism. Racism is using power to keep someone subordinate. Again insert gender for race, I can hate, “the man” have real prejudice against him but that’s not going to get me equal pay. If you don’t like a race other than your own, say Hispanics not liking whites, they have little recourse to put the white man down. See 1 and 2 above, until there is actual equality and please do tell me how there is, affirmative action has a place. Stereotypes serve the purpose to help us categorize all the loads of information that comes at us. They exist for a reason. But it’s the value that a person puts onto the stereotype that gets one in trouble. She’s so butch or he’s such a queen can be really true statement. But it that then means you can beat her up in the alley or dismiss him as silly or inconsequential you, not the person you’ve thrown into a predetermined box are wrong. Okay, I’ll shut up now.

TX, ZZ, B It would be simply amazing if you went through all that work to share your time with us. I feel a drive down to Texas in my future if you don't make it up here...... DDDDDDDDDDDDDD Glad you're ready to ride. Nice gift. Nice hubby. Better weather means easier weight loss. I'm so happy you're back!!!!

ZZ June 7th in Lansing. If you don't want to ride, but hang by the pool we'd still love to have you. And that's a hotel pool, I'm pretty sure BG doesn't have a pool...do you have a pool BG? I think I would have heard about the pool boy if she did. :redface:

I'm a rock star. I just have to say this has nothing to do with cycling or losing weight but with school. I know, I bitch and moan about having to do it all the time and it's only getting tougher, but I'm getting my stuff done and it feels great. I've just finished a paper and some other homework a day early so I can attend a coference tomorrow...W00T.

That's quite a lot of driving, but we'd so love to see you!

RSG, Again girl, I've got your back. I agree with you that big doesn't equal ugly and healthy is the goal, not skinny. And hello, I'm nearly 200 pounds, I can run a 5K and bike 50 miles in a morning. I am fit, fat and beautiful. But there are places and times when what we say can be heard and understood. On a weight loss forum you're just not going to get broad support for the notion that fat is okay. However, this is a place for airing different points of view and you are articulate and smart so keep on spreading the gospel. Glouster, You mentioned promoting healthy in this country, which is true and false depending on what you look at. There a public service announcements about getting kids moving and eating differently, but the real money goes toward mass producing and marketing cheap, poor quality food for the masses. One can well argue both sides of the issue. Really what I see that we are talking about here is fat acceptance and internalized fat phobia. And we, the obese choosing WLS, are at ground zero trying to make personal choices that are right for us while still being true to who were are/were politically-historically. It's not a problem easily resolved with a few paragraphs.

ZZ, TX, D, B, BP, You all up for a trip to Lansing Michigan? It's a beautiful state.

BP, That's a contender for the "Best PB Story EVER" catagorie. I'm sure it was no fun at the time, but gald you came away from it no worse for wear. How's the cycling going?

That's a whole lot of Water weight. I'll never complain again about the two pounds I carry at TOM. As for the chica at the top, I agree it's a bit much to have the same header on every page, but she's not the one who formatted the page, the powers that be chose her pic. And she's a LBTer, not some random model, so props off to her. I really appreicate you coming back and telling the newbies to keep on at it. That's a message everyone needs to hear. Thanks,

Well look at us. We have a real live get together happening here. JC, oh JC where are you???? We'd love to meet the love new love interest.

you should be approved and have date before you start your liquid diet, right? The timeline is a little screwy. You do the liquid diet a week or ten days before surgery. They weigh you in the morning and I doubt seriously they'd refuse your surgery at that point. However, talk to your doctor, not his office staff to get a the real message. Sorry you're stressed.

To the six pound to lose person, I've been known to say, "Yeah it does start with the first 6 pounds you don't lose, it just keeps on adding and adding..." Freaks them out. Rain, You look great. Back handed compliments are mean. Just wish the dieters luck and don't let it bother you.

I think you need to define "GOAL". It doesn't need to be a number on the scale, but it needs to be something for you to strive for. Also, it doesn't need to be public, it can be your own internal goal...but they say people who state goals publically achieve them better. But your public can be a journal or here... Anyway, yes, create a goal, like exercising or following the rules 99% of the time. It doesn't need to be your end goal, but milestone that you can reach and feel accomplished for reaching them. Go for it.

It's the 100,000 metre, t-shirt ride. It's $15 with food and SAG.

Get a light.

HP, C, WYD, or anyone for that matter. See if you can get to Lansing the weekend of June 7th for the ride. Lettuce know.

Bike to Work Week (b2ww) |considerbiking.org | columbus This is a bike to work campaign that is happening in central Ohio. I'm my work's captain. I feel so ecologically minded. I just want to see more people on bikes!

Well, our schedules mesh for the 7th or 8th. That's the 100 Grand or 100,000 meter. The 100,000 is closer to both, and is cheaper to enter. Want to set it up a tentative date?