Small Pets And Large People

I'm not a frequent flyer, but over the past few years I've flown enough on passenger jets that I feel qualified to complain.  Not about the airlines, but on other airline passengers.

There are two main, aggravating issues:

Why are small, non-service animals allowed on planes?  When did this even become a thing?  It's crazy that pets should occupy any space on a commercial airliner, even inside a carry-on case. Non-service pets shouldn't be allowed in the airport, much less on an actual plane with other passengers.

If you have a pet, and have to travel, then do what responsible pet owners do -- kennel it or leave it at home with someone else to watch it.  If animals could talk, they'd agree with me and say they don't want fly anyway.

But even worse than pets are.....how should I say this.....obese people.  There are few things worse on a plane than sitting next to someone so fat their body encroaches on your own seating area.  You pay for your own space, but end up only getting part of it, while the weight-challenged person gets their own space plus some of yours.

Apparently, airlines do have obesity policies wherein large passengers are supposed to buy tickets for two seats.  This is a rarely enforced subjective rule, however, because I've never been on a plane when this happened, yet there's never been a plane I've been on that didn't have obese passengers.

Sorry, pets.  Sorry, obese people.  Commercial jets aren't for you, without restrictions.

Coffee And Doughnuts (And Terrorists)

I don't understand coffee and doughnuts.

Oh, I know what they are, I just don't understand the people who are willing to buy and consume them.  Let me explain.

I recently met a colleague at a local Starbucks (his choice, not mine, I don't drink coffee).  I got there around 10am, and during the next hour, I observed a steady stream of customers walk through the door.  There were men and women of all ages, some dressed for work, some clearly not working.  If I had to categorize them under one group, I suppose I'd say they were upper-middle class Caucasians.

These customers all had one other thing in common:  They were perfectly willing to pay several dollars for a cup of heavily sweetened, coffee bean-flavored hot water.  No doubt, this same thing was going on in thousands of other coffee shops in America, and perhaps every other country in the developed world.

This is why the terrorists hate us.  We live in a society where people are willing and able to spend hundreds / thousands of dollars every year on foo-foo coffee.  In the meantime, there is human suffering occurring in the U.S., and especially in the rest of the world.  Make no mistake, the terrorists don't intend to lessen the suffering, they simply want everyone else to suffer like them.  (Oh, and there's that religious thing, too.)

I don't blame Starbucks for any of this.  They are branding geniuses, able to get consumers to not only feel good about paying a lot for something unhealthy, but to also get those folks to waste the equivalent of many hours per year to stand in line for it!  As a capitalist, I say props to them.

I observed this same sort of hypnotic consumer behavior a few days ago at another brand name juggernaut, Krispy Kreme.  They were giving away free doughnuts on National Doughnut Day (yup, that's a thing), and the line reportedly when around the block for hours.  All of this for an unhealthy, warm, super-sugary blob of dough.  At least people weren't paying for it that day, which accounts for why I presume the crowd to have been made up of all economic classes and ethnicity.

So let's recap.  Starbucks and Krisy Kreme = admirable brand name juggernauts.  Their customers = free-spending hypnotized calorie consumers.  Coffee and doughnuts = super-expensive comfort food.  Terrorists = still and always a-holes.

Post #100

When TV shows reach their 100th episode, they usually have a retrospective show that replays some memorable clips. Since this is my 100th blog post, it seems a good time for a retrospective of some of the themes of this blog.

Let's start with this one, from Post #1 on July 26, 2009: "Too many people simply believe what others tell them, with the unfortunate consequence of allowing those who control the message to also control them.....Think about it, then make up your own mind."

Since then, I've tried to get you to think about how taxes, obesity, commissions, and political parties and fringe politicians are bad. On the other hand, medicinal marijuana, some lyrics, fee-based advice, and Caddyshack are good.

Speaking of Caddyshack - in honor not only of the 100th post, but of this weekend's 75th Masters golf tounament, here's my post from February 3, 2010: [standing in an ornamental flowerbed] What an incredible Cinderella story! This unknown, comes out of nowhere, to lead the pack at Augusta. He's at the final hole. He's about 455 yards away, he's gonna hit about a 2-iron, I think... [swings, pulverizes a flower] Oh, he got all of that! The crowd is standing on its feet here at Augusta. The normally reserved crowd is going wild...for this young Cinderella who's come out of nowhere. He's got about 350 yards left, he's going to hit about a 5-iron, it looks like, don't you think? He's got a beautiful backswing... [swings, pulverizes another flower] That's...oh, he got all of that one! He's gotta be pleased with that! The crowd is just on its feet here. He's a Cinderella boy. Tears in his eyes, I guess, as he lines up this last shot. He's got about 195 yards left, and he's got a, looks like he's got about an 8-iron. This crowd has gone deadly silent... Cinderella story, out of nowhere, former greenskeeper, now about to become the Masters champion... [swings, pulverizes yet another flower] It looks like a mirac- it's in the hole! It's in the hole!

Here's to the next 100 posts!

Beached Whales

Took last week off for a Florida vacation, and came back with a lot of things worth blogging about. Let's start with people at the beach.

I was at a prominent Gulf coast beach for several days, and I'm sorry to report that for the most part, the people-watching wasn't pleasant. Oh sure, there are some young hardbodies out there. The problem is, for every 1 of them there were 10 overweight slobs who have no business wearing a swimming suit.

It was universal, too - men and women of all ages and colors (including the color of sunburned) were showing off their rolls like proud bakers. I even noticed a few who hit the 'beach sloth trifecta': Fat, sunburned, and smoking cigarettes.

To add injury to insult, most of these folks were crammed into swim suits that were too small. Probably fit them a couple of years and several dozen pounds ago, but not anymore. It was hideous, it really was.

I support the development of a new flag symbol at the beach, to go with the ones lifeguards fly for dangerous weather conditions. Something to warn beachgoers of a higher than normal population of unattractive people in ill-fitting swimwear.

Being Better At Behaving Badly

I've blogged before about the virtues of taxing unhealthy foods, like we do cigarettes. Society pays future costs for smoking and obesity, so people who smoke and don't eat right should pay a price.

For another spin on this, below I've pasted the text of a blog post yesterday from Jane Wells of CNBC. This is NOT an argument against taxing unhealthy food, it's an argument that on the plus side (no pun intended!) we are far ahead of other countries in smoking cessation. (She refers to Asian countries here, but you can also include much of Europe):

"As I surveyed the human flesh crowding Waikiki last week, I noticed a marked difference between Americans and everyone else.

We're fat (and covered with a lot of ink). Everyone else, mostly tourists from Asia, are trim and tattoo-free. They're also desperately looking for someplace to smoke.

(On) Fat Tuesday, it's time to consider whether the real battle for global supremacy isn't about better ideas or better weapons. Instead, it may be about the least deadly habit: our guts versus their lungs. Who'll be the last man standing?

Currently, the CIA says people born in Japan and Korea can expect to live longer than those born in the U.S., though we're still ahead of Taiwan and China.

But these rivals for economic growth are watching their populations smoke like chimneys, while Americans are smoking less. The Centers for Disease Control says about 443,000 Americans die of smoking-related disease each year, compared to 112,000who die due to complications related to obesity (though this figure comes from 2005).

Of course, if we continue to gorge ourselves, those numbers could flip flop. But as you head into Lent, a season of fasting and sacrifice, at least consider the possibility this Mardi Gras that being "gras" isn't as bad as being a smoker."

The Biggest Loser Losers

I don't watch much reality television, which come to think of it, is fairly limiting. However, I watch enough to know that some reality shows are more watchable (e.g. The Amazing Race) than others (e.g. anything on MTV or VH1).

There's one reality TV show that many would consider to be more watchable, but that I consider to be a blight on the nation - The Biggest Loser. Obese people from across America who go to a fat ranch to learn how to eat right and exercise, the 'winner' being the person who loses the highest percentage weight, and also happens not to tick off other contestants who might vote them out along the way. (It even sounds boring, doesn't it?)

What kills me about this show is how it's framed as a 'feel good' story for everyone. Basically, each contestant has a reason why they are fat, something that no mere mortal could possbly have overcome. It's usually blamed on a rough upbringing, or death, or depression, or genetics, or whatever, and apparently they tried to cope with their problems by doing little else but eating. How could you blame them, right?

Let me try. I have a certain disdain for obesity, something that goes way beyond just the gross-ness of it. To wit, fat people cost society money, ergo fat people cost me money. I've blogged about this before (http://streffblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/tax-on-fat-people.html).

While there may be a few exceptions, the vast majority of obese people are that way by choice. Genetics and childhood environment may have something to do with it, but let's face it, it also takes a big dose of lazy. It's a mindset, the kind that takes the easy way out. Most Americans are like that, it just that most Americans also muster up the will to move, to take control of their life, to do what's right instead of what's lazy. On most days.

But The Biggest Loser doesn't want people to think about that. They want viewers to root for their poor, common sense-challenged contestants, who have suddenly decided to try to lose weight with the help of network television. Why those same contestants can't try to exercise and eat right without millions of other people watching, I don't know. Apparently some people aren't motivated by trying to not be a replusive-looking burden on society, they also need to be motivated by money and attention.

Dear Obese People - Stop trying to become a reality show freak, set down the Twinkies, roll off of the couch, look in the mirror, and stop living your life in a way that makes everyone else pay for your poor choices.

More Observations From The Iowa State Fair

A year ago I blogged about seeing way too many overweight people at the Iowa State Fair. I also went on to suggest a tax that might help stem the tide of obesity in Iowa/America.
http://streffblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/tax-on-fat-people.html

During my annual visit to the fair this year, I made a few more observations:

*Tattoos are everywhere, and I'm not talking about the little guy from Fantasy Island. I'd estimate 1 out of every 10 people at the fair had a tattoo, but increase that to 1 out of every 5 people under the age of 40, and 1 out of every 3 between the ages of 20-35. And that only counts the visible tattoos; it might be 50% or more under age 35. It's just part of being young now, similar to ear piercing in my generation.

*If you want to surpress your appetite, closely watch what's happening in most of the temporary food stands. They're often dirty and smelly, meaning both the stands and some of the people working in them. And the food is, um, greasy. One image I still can't get out of my head was the guy who turned over the french fries basket to dump the latest load in a pan - only to have it fall out of the basket still molded in the rectangular shape of the basket! Perhaps this is actually a new fair food item: French Fry Loaf.

*Free entertainment at the fair still kicks butt. There's a variety of live music, demonstrations, and contests to watch. This year I caught a glimpse of the Mr. Legs Contest. As I tweeted at the time, I chose not to participate because I didn't want to demoralize the competition, and because I don't think it's right for pros like me to compete with amatuers. Regardless, the price of admission buys you a lot of value at the Iowa State Fair.

*Generally speaking, people are still fat.

Thoughts on RAGBRAI 2010

For the uninitiated, RAGBRAI stands for the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. It's a weeklong trek of about 10,000 bicyclists, who ride roughly 60-80 miles per day from the western to eastern border of Iowa. (If you need to know more go to ragbrai.com.)

2010 marked the 38th RAGBRAI. I've been on all or parts of 9 or 10 of them, including the third RAGBRAI when I was just short of 11 years old. Owning a 10-speed bike was a big deal then; helmets and biking jerseys were not.

This year I rode from Sioux City to Storm Lake on Sunday (72 miles) and Storm Lake to Algona on Monday (100 miles). (If you followed me on Twitter at @streffbuddy, you'd have received rolling updates!) RAGBRAI has evolved over the years, and mostly in a good way, with a few exceptions. Here are my thoughts from this year's ride:

*The average age of riders keeps going up. The aren't so many in the 20-29 age group anymore, and that used to be the main age not so long ago. RAGBRAI is slightly more family-friendly now, and it's mostly comprised of people in their 30s and 40s, and plenty in their 50s.

*RAGBRAI riders used to be in better shape than they are now. About half of today's riders would be considered overweight, and wearing tight bike shorts doesn't help their appearance. This may be correlated to the average age being higher, but it more directly correlates with Americans' poor diets. Even factoring in what can be burned off during a 450 mile week of bike riding, I'd say many riders have a net weight during RAGBRAI week, plue they generally eat and drink too much and don't exercise enough for the other 51 weeks of the year.

*Speaking of caloric intake, while there is a lot of food and beer consumed during the ride, there really aren't enough food and beverage vendors along the way. I think most communities on the route simply can't get their mind around how much eating and drinking is done by the thousands of riders in a short period of time. Lines have become way too long. In conjunction with this, there aren't enough portable toilets, either. Plenty of tall corn on the roadsides, though.

*The ride and riders are much safer now. I never saw a single rider without a helmet. Law enforcement keeps vehicles off of the route in both directions, and there are ambulances dispersed at short intervals. Still, there were several crashes, some serious. I personlly saw two riders go down crossing some railroad tracks. (They were going slow so they were not seriously injured, other than bruised egos.)

*What once was a given on RAGBRAI - church-run pie stands - has suddenly become obsolete. I saw a total of two places selling pie, in two days, and one of them had run out. It seems like the only sweets being sold on the route now are cookies and bars. I'm used to having one or two pieces of fruit pie every day on the ride. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE PIE ON RAGBRAI?

In summary, RAGBRAI is still a fun and challenging endeavor. Everybody should put it on their bucket list, at least for a day or two.

Indoor Tanning Gets Burned

One of the items jammed into the new health care reform law is a 10% tax on indoor tanning services starting July 1. I rarely say this about new taxes, but in this case, Bravo!

I've stated many times before that taxes are generally bad, and should be opposed unless they are used to establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, or promote the general welfare. Granted, that last one is way too flexible, but I take "promote the general welfare" to mean good roads, schools, water, etc, AND that we should not be encouraging people to voluntarily harm themselves in a way that requires society to pick up the tab.

That's exactly what tanning salons do. They drill a body with harmful UV rays that promote skin cancer, which eventually leads to increased medical care, the costs of which eventually will be borne directly or indirectly by society through higher private medical premiums and/or indigent medical care from taxpayers.

The con argument is the same crazy one that smokers use to complain about the cigarette tax. Instead of "I have a right to smoke," it's "I have a right to tan." Well then, society has a right to tax you because it will be paying for your dumb decisions later.

Another con argument out there sounds more logical, but is actaully even more ridiculous. That's the idea that we don't tax people who don't wear helmets when riding motorcycles, which is a lot riskier. But the thing is, when motorcylists crash without helmets, they usually die, and society bears no ongoing medical cost.

To be fair, I think we should slap the same tax on some other things. Fast food restaurants come to mind. If we're keeping it real, the fatty foods and soft drinks they sell are enablers for everything from diabetes to heart disease. Ingesting that stuff is a choice to have an unhealthy lifestyle, just like smoking and tanning, and choices have consequences that should not be socialized.

So for all you indoor tanners out there who feel like it is better to look good than to feel good, thank you for your vanity, and thank you for the new source of federal tax revenue!

A Tax On Fat People

In the first 15 minutes of our visit to this year's Iowa State Fair, my wife made an all-too-true observation: Out of the thousands of people there, 9 out of 10 were overweight, and plenty of them would fit the description of obese. It's a very bad thing.

Forget about the obvious physical issues for these folks. Their lack of self/health discipline also burdens others via their lower production and higher health care costs. They are not going to reach their potential as individuals, and we are not going to reach our potential as a country, by being fat. Put into that perspective, it sort of ticks me off.

So how do we get very overwieght people to care more? How do we motivate them to lose weight? I've always advocated a tax on higher fat foods and ingredients. We all know money motivates people. We tax tobacco (as we should), surely we can do it for food.

I suppose that may be treating the symptom and not the disease. In the end, the answer lies in why fat people don't care about how they feel or look. When someone figures that out, please call me. I'll be somewhere exercising.