I need something to talk about instead of all politics all the time.
1 - The Europeans may have been at the forefront of bidets but the Japanese have blown way past them. I have no interest in using one of the porcelain deals and the wand takes two hands. It is mostly useful for accidentally turning on and soaking the bathroom. The Toto models actually do what you want without any drawbacks.
2 - I might be average or slightly below average in weight in the US, but I am still fat. I did not see a single Italian that was morbidly obese. As soon as we hit JFK airport coming back it was stunning.
3 - There are things working against me here to help make me fat. Why is everything so sweet? Why is everything so fried? Why do we think we need a huge glob of butter on every piece of bread? Why does every meal have a huge slab of meat? I looked at the label for ketchup yesterday - serving size = 17g added sugars = 4g. I think I can make the change permanent. I have gone cold turkey on Diet Pepsi, stopped eating dessert for breakfast, and have already been losing weight.
4 - I definitely need to up my fashion game. Even in their casual attire the Italians look put together. It wasn’t hard to spot Americans, we look like slobs.
5 - Italian pickpockets are professionals. My wife and two of my sisters were talking to the woman who snagged my brother in law’s wallet the whole time. All four got off the bus saying how nice she was. Not a one of them had a clue she was hopping off the bus with his wallet until he got off and reached down to an empty pocket.
6 - Without car culture there is no fast food.
7 - The US is dumb for not having a rail system or two.
8 - Google maps does a great job of navigating complex public transport.
9 - Hair, clothes, and not being overweight make up the vast majority of being attractive. I did not see a single buzz cut on a guy (2 girls but they made it work). No beards that looked like they could have bugs in them. No ballcaps. And almost everyone looked good. They can’t all be pretty.
I feel like I need to add another observation here:
The AirBnBs and VRBOs of the world are destroying tourist destinations for the locals and no where was this more visible than in Venice. My last trip to Venice 20 years ago, you could see the transition from day time tourists to nighttime locals on the island. Now it was 24/7 tourists. Talking with our tour guide she says none of the young people can afford to live there anymore, all the properties keep getting bought up by out of country companies. We unfortunately participated in this trend, the property we stayed out was owned by a “guy/company” who had dozens of other properties across multiple cities around the world. I found it comical(in a sad way) when part of the directions were “go up the stairs and its the door with the lockbox”. As we went up the stairs every door had a lockbox. We had to try 6 before we found the right one. When I traveled Europe back in college it was calling local owners, who likely owned a half dozen rooms in their own building, but now it’s all online and faceless. Going to have to work on changing how we travel. I don’t like contributing to those types of changes.
I agree with all after multiple trips to France. Except 5. Luckily no pick-pocket issues.
Paris has it’s share of pickpockets. No idea how they compare in numbers or skill to the Italians, but they exist. My mom had her wallet neatly lifted out of her purse, probably at Gare du Nord.
The US is no doubt the fat ass capital of the world. So many slovenly, lazy, obese folks that its hard to look away from the carnage sometimes. Yet, we can’t tell them they are unhealthy, disgusting or need to stop eating so much or we are the problem, not them. I wonder if in Italy you get made fun of for being a fat ass. I bet you would and then would make a decision to eat better, exercise a little and take some pride in your appearance.
Don’t get me started on the blue hair, nose rings, tattoo sleeves, freaks. I bet not many of them in Italy either.
Do you think telling someone that they are fat or a making stupid decisions changes behavior?
What about making fun of them for it?
Seems to work the times I have seen it and done it. We had a head guy at one of my offices and told a new hire that he looked chubby about two months after we started. Guy went on a diet and got fit.
Have seen many times where a guy tells his GF she is looking fat and she loses weight.
Do you think telling someone that they are fat or a making stupid decisions changes behavior?
What about making fun of them for it?
Seems to work the times I have seen it and done it. We had a head guy at one of my offices and told a new hire that he looked chubby about two months after we started. Guy went on a diet and got fit.
Have seen many times where a guy tells his GF she is looking fat and she loses weight.
Shame can be a significant motivator.
You assume people have shame.
Your continued posting of some of the dumbest things posted in the LR and multiple lies, despite regular “feedback” that you are full of shit disproves it works on you.
Do you think telling someone that they are fat or a making stupid decisions changes behavior?
What about making fun of them for it?
Seems to work the times I have seen it and done it. We had a head guy at one of my offices and told a new hire that he looked chubby about two months after we started. Guy went on a diet and got fit.
Have seen many times where a guy tells his GF she is looking fat and she loses weight.
Shame can be a significant motivator.
You assume people have shame.
Your continued posting of some of the dumbest things posted in the LR and multiple lies, despite regular “feedback” that you are full of shit disproves it works on you.
Thanks for playing.
You clearly have no shame.
so nothing at all about the topic, fat asses in America, Italian health and lifestyle ? Just personal attacks? Is that what we can expect from you going forward? Trail might want to have a word with you.
The US is no doubt the fat ass capital of the world. So many slovenly, lazy, obese folks that its hard to look away from the carnage sometimes. Yet, we can’t tell them they are unhealthy, disgusting or need to stop eating so much or we are the problem, not them. I wonder if in Italy you get made fun of for being a fat ass. I bet you would and then would make a decision to eat better, exercise a little and take some pride in your appearance.
Don’t get me started on the blue hair, nose rings, tattoo sleeves, freaks. I bet not many of them in Italy either.
You lost the bet. The young woman who ran the cafe we ate breakfast at 4 of the 7 days along with her mom and boyfriend had streaks of blue hair, a lip ring, and several piercings in each ear. And she was adorable. I have a standing offer to come work from them.
Not near as many tattoos I don’t think. Most people were wearing coats while we were there as it was only 70 Freedoms out and they thought it was chilly.
I feel like I need to add another observation here:
The AirBnBs and VRBOs of the world are destroying tourist destinations for the locals and no where was this more visible than in Venice. My last trip to Venice 20 years ago, you could see the transition from day time tourists to nighttime locals on the island. Now it was 24/7 tourists. Talking with our tour guide she says none of the young people can afford to live there anymore, all the properties keep getting bought up by out of country companies. We unfortunately participated in this trend, the property we stayed out was owned by a “guy/company” who had dozens of other properties across multiple cities around the world. I found it comical(in a sad way) when part of the directions were “go up the stairs and its the door with the lockbox”. As we went up the stairs every door had a lockbox. We had to try 6 before we found the right one. When I traveled Europe back in college it was calling local owners, who likely owned a half dozen rooms in their own building, but now it’s all online and faceless. Going to have to work on changing how we travel. I don’t like contributing to those types of changes.
The VRBO we stayed at was run by a woman who manages close to 50 properties for various owners. Our friendly breakfast cafe people were telling us how they were trying to move but could not find an apartment available. The area we stayed was not really in a touristy area but I was pretty sure almost the entire building was vacation rentals. But most of the apartments where we stayed were permanent residents as they had great balconies full of flowers.
Which leads to another observation:
New American apartment buildings are an abomination in how they are constructed and the architecture. They are bland blocks with no personality that seem designed to suck the life out of people.
Do you think telling someone that they are fat or a making stupid decisions changes behavior?
What about making fun of them for it?
Seems to work the times I have seen it and done it. We had a head guy at one of my offices and told a new hire that he looked chubby about two months after we started. Guy went on a diet and got fit.
Have seen many times where a guy tells his GF she is looking fat and she loses weight.
Shame can be a significant motivator.
I agree shame can be a motivator; however, for the most part (it seems) shame died a long time ago. Proof? A look at the shenanigans of the orange guy, and, sadly the inability of old Joe to not notice that his “best before” date is a decade plus in the rear view mirror. The orange one never had a BB date.
When mom said you ought to be ashamed…
Do you think telling someone that they are fat or a making stupid decisions changes behavior?
What about making fun of them for it?
Seems to work the times I have seen it and done it. We had a head guy at one of my offices and told a new hire that he looked chubby about two months after we started. Guy went on a diet and got fit.
Have seen many times where a guy tells his GF she is looking fat and she loses weight.
Shame can be a significant motivator.
I agree shame can be a motivator; however, for the most part (it seems) shame died a long time ago. Proof? A look at the shenanigans of the orange guy, and, sadly the inability of old Joe to not notice that his “best before” date is a decade plus in the rear view mirror. The orange one never had a BB date.
When mom said you ought to be ashamed…
Just couldn’t leave the politics alone eh? Where is Trail today, asleep on the job.
Do you think telling someone that they are fat or a making stupid decisions changes behavior?
What about making fun of them for it?
I don’t think shaming works. But I think the peer pressure of being heavier than everyone else definitely has an impact. I was very conscious of being bigger than most people when I was walking around there and I think it would definitely have an impact on me. If I am the only very large person shoving a huge gloppy sandwich in my mouth I would feel very out of place. This is why I cringe at the fat acceptance things we here and people talking about being healthy or fit fat. You don’t have to shame people or call them names, But don’t pretend like it is perfectly fine.
But I think the bigger piece is around the entire makeup of what we eat. We add sugar and oil to everything. We fry everything, did the world need fried Oreos and Twinkies? We eat way too much stuff that is barely food. For the most part, if you have to unwrap your meal or it gets handed to you through a window, it isn’t good for you.
For probably 20 years I have drank 4 - 6 Diet Pepsis (Diets Pepsi?, Diet Pepsi’s? Diet Pepsii?) a day. I am not afraid that the artificial sweetener is killing me, I am pretty sure it does not cause an insulin spike or any other of the fear mongering. What I do think it does is makes me very habituated to things being sweet. And craving sweeter and sweeter things.
It has not been uncommon for me to toast 2 slices of white bread, butter it heavily, and put a couple teaspoons of sugar with a little cinnamon. So put sugar and fat on bread that is as close to sugar without going over as it could be.
I know why I am 20 - 25 lbs overweight. It ain’t my thyroid.
You don’t have to shame people or call them names, But don’t pretend like it is perfectly fine.
But I think the bigger piece is around the entire makeup of what we eat. We add sugar and oil to everything. We fry everything, did the world need fried Oreos and Twinkies?
I know why I am 20 - 25 lbs overweight. It ain’t my thyroid.
I’m with you on the first point but not on the second. “We” aren’t forced to eat fried, sweet crap. You choose to. Yes, it’s available. So is fentanyl. I think it’s possible to make good decisions regardless of availability and convenience.
Do you think telling someone that they are fat or a making stupid decisions changes behavior?
What about making fun of them for it?
Seems to work the times I have seen it and done it. We had a head guy at one of my offices and told a new hire that he looked chubby about two months after we started. Guy went on a diet and got fit.
Have seen many times where a guy tells his GF she is looking fat and she loses weight.
Shame can be a significant motivator.
Yet, for some reason, everyone here telling you that you’re such a cunt doesn’t seem to make you less of one.
At least the morbidly obese have the character strengths that make them responsive to criticism.