America

I think there's something advantageous and healthy that can be said for those persons that have a complete lack of self-consciousness, and a total and complete unwillingness to conform to society's conventions.[IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif[/IMG]

retailers like walmart are having such a grasp on the consumer market that soon we are going to buy our Dura Ace crankset or Campagnolo brifters along with our bread and milk, oh and our blue jeans and t-shirts,

These photos are funny... [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif[/IMG] Maybe a bit pg-13 but funny... [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif[/IMG]

This is really dodgy though:

[IMG]cyclingforums.com700Open ↗[/IMG]

Notice the oranges... Maybe they were bought from a large retailer too... Like the razor-blades that were maybe attached to them...

If anyone wants to see how edgy political youth organizations make kids today, maybe you wanna check this video from Al-Jazeera.

Warning: Kids high on "ideals": [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif[/IMG]

Those Walmart photos are both funny and sad. As those customers have no self awareness.

I wonder do they realise that their image has been taken?

limerickman said:

Those Walmart photos are both funny and sad. As those customers have no self awareness. I wonder do they realise that their image has been taken?

I'd guess that almost none of them know they're being photographed. You're right about the funny and sad part.

I would rather be seen riding a recumbent than go to Wal-Mart. Pure torture on so many levels.

Chinese products, EBT cards and Land Whales on scooters.

What's not to love?

Many of the people in the images appear to be very much overweight.

I see the same thing over here. Many overweight people, especially young people in their teens.

I was talking about the issue of people being overweight with my parents recently and my father (who's 79) made the point that when he was a youngster (during/after WWII) that rationing
ensured that people didn't become fat.

Compare the days when being fat was a sign of success (i.e. that you could afford to eat well) to what you saw in the Walmart pics. The word "success" probably doesn't leap to mind for the later.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by alienator [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Compare the days when being fat was a sign of success (i.e. that you could afford to eat well) to what you saw in the Walmart pics. The word "success" probably doesn't leap to mind for the later.

Indeed.
In victorian times obesity was a sign of prosperity ie.you could afford to stuff your face with food while a large percentage of the population were foraging for the minimum amount of food.

Whatever about the aesthetic issues, the health issues of being overweight is more important in my view.
Obesity leads to all sorts of related heath issues and this puts pressure on an over stretched healthcare system

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by limerickman [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Indeed.
In victorian times obesity was a sign of prosperity ie.you could afford to stuff your face with food while a large percentage of the population were foraging for the minimum amount of food.

Whatever about the aesthetic issues, the health issues of being overweight is more important in my view.
Obesity leads to all sorts of related heath issues and this puts pressure on an over stretched healthcare system

And yet the culture seems fixated on the aesthetics. On one hand we have obese actresses flaunting their rolls, claiming they're happy and healthy, then on the other, we have the fashion/photo industry pushing models to be stick-thin by starving themselves as if that's healthy. I was quite thin throughout my childhood and adolescent years and was on the receiving end of much ridicule from those who were fat. Now I feel sorry for them... A few years ago I noticed the middle-age spread starting to affect my ability to wear pants, so I did something about it--I cut back on what I was eating, and got back into cycling, something I hadn't really done since I was a teenager. Modern medicine may be able to deal with many of the effects of obesity, but I'd rather not have to go through that. I'd rather be healthy and energetic.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by limerickman [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Many overweight people, especially young people in their teens.

I was talking about the issue of people being overweight with my parents recently and my father (who's 79) made the point that when he was a youngster (during/after WWII) that rationing
ensured that people didn't become fat.

Fat cells develop primarily between the ages of 6-10. Once there, short of liposuction they are there to stay. While anyone can pack on some pounds later in life, kids who are overweight will very likely have to struggle with weight their entire lives. Parents can do their children a huge service and simply help them manage their diets during these years. The problem seems to be that adult water buffalo typically produce offspring buffalo.

I remember my grandma who built Spitfires in WW2 telling me about the rationing. Something like one egg and 2 or 3 tablespoons of butter a week per person. Those were some hard times.

Now this here's my America.

[IMG]cyclingforums.com700Open ↗[/IMG]

SOHO, NYC.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by jhuskey [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

I would rather be seen riding a recumbent than go to Wal-Mart. Pure torture on so many levels.

I enjoy shopping at Wally-world such that if I had to shop at a 'regular' grocery store I'd be tortured. I absolutely detest (could even call it "hate"😉 paying too much for anything, and here in Canada food prices are already 20% higher than the US. Add another 30-40% at the 'regular' grocery stores. I think not.

Here is an "interesting" movie about corporate brands:

"Branded" (2012)

It has this funny scene with people starting to become fat after a scandal involving a fat reducing operation... [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif[/IMG]

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by jhuskey [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

I would rather be seen riding a recumbent than go to Wal-Mart. Pure torture on so many levels.

It could be worse.

You could have to cycle your recumbent down to Wal-Mart before having to do your shopping there [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif[/IMG]

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by danfoz [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Fat cells develop primarily between the ages of 6-10. Once there, short of liposuction they are there to stay. While anyone can pack on some pounds later in life, kids who are overweight will very likely have to struggle with weight their entire lives. Parents can do their children a huge service and simply help them manage their diets during these years. The problem seems to be that adult water buffalo typically produce offspring buffalo.

I remember my grandma who built Spitfires in WW2 telling me about the rationing. Something like one egg and 2 or 3 tablespoons of butter a week per person. Those were some hard times.

In Britain, rationing continued up to the mid 1950's.
Over here in Ireland, even though our country was more or less self sufficient in food, rationing finished by the early 1950's.

Dad was telling me recently about the first time he saw a banana when he was 12 years old. We take so much for granted these days,[IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/redface.gif[/IMG]

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by limerickman [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

It could be worse.

You could have to cycle your recumbent down to Wal-Mart before having to do your shopping there [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif[/IMG]

From the trailer park while listening to country music. Now I have a true vision of hell. Thanks Lim. 🙂

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by jhuskey [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

From the trailer park while listening to country music. Now I have a true vision of hell. Thanks Lim. 🙂

And you denigrate "country music", considering your locale? Sacrilege! LOL!