Beauty hypocrisy, Wrong Numbers, Misc Rants

Some random things that I've been thinking about.

- Have you ever noticed that when you misdial and get someone else's cell phone that they usually call back? Why is that? I don't answer half the time when I know who the caller is. There isn't any way I'd pick up when this schmoe calls me back as I didn't want to talk to him when I dialed him in the first place.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm tired of women blaming men for their struggles with self image.

My problem starts with the hypocrisy that women have with weight. I think the best example of this is Kirstie Alley. Wasn't it only last year that she made the media rounds to show off her (alleged) hot new body? All the housefraus that watch these shows clapped and cheered and she was the new hero for weight loss. So what 'ol hefty up to now? She's now going around saying that it doesn't matter what she looks like because she is beautiful on the inside. That's funny, I didn't hear that messsage when she was (semi) thin.

The new "hero" in this mixed message is Jessica Simpson. Here is a woman that made tens of millions because she was a hot chick with marginal talent. She had no problem shaking it in Dukes of Hazzard. She puts on a few lbs and the message changes. Now she's putting off the same message as Kirstie. "Never mind what I used to say. I'm heavy now - love me for who I am. Well, unless I get skinny again because then I'll have to put the bikini back on". And look at the new show she is - she was hired to go around the world to find beautiful (on the inside, of course *wink wink*) women. Would they ever hire Precious to be that host? Of course not. Women watch these shows and women want to see other attractive women just as much as men do and they are far more likely to point out flaws than men are.

So why do men get blamed for self esteem issues? Because we like to look at women in bathing suits? Puh-lease, that is a cop out. Women are always the harshest critics of other women. If you think a guy doesn't want you because your body type isn't what he desires, f him. I don't see anyone criticizing women for their desire to be with tall, dark and handsome men.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Speaking of weight, I often hear people complain that food is too enjoyable to give up and that people that try to fight their body shape are missing out. I fight that battle every day. For the life of me I can't understand how people take so much pleasure from food. It is food! That's it. I often tell Rebecca that we should just have cereal for dinner (she RARELY allows it) because I just want to eat to get full. I do not want to eat for pleasure.

Better yet, you can't put a price on the days where you do feel thin (is there anything worse than the days where you feel bloated?) and you look in the mirror and think you look ok. That is way better than any cake you'll have. The hell with the Kirstie Alleys of the world - winning the battle with weight (or at least playing to a draw) is absolutely worth it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I leave at about the same time every day and I often see a car with the bumper stick "Reiki Heals". In case you are not familiar with this practice, it is the belief that people have auras and can be healed with "healing energy". I've met people that actually believe this kind of garbage. And in recent years this kind of crap has multiplied with the practice of homeopathy and other "alternative sciences". As you might expect, there hasn't been a single study that showed any of this crap did anything. Every single study shows that they are no more effective than a placebo (and often they are worse).

Anyway, I remember being in a debate with someone about Reiki a few years ago. I brought up all of these points and the other person brought out the argument of last resort: "You can't prove that it doesn't do anything". Ugh. It isn't my job to disprove it. But just look at all of the things in this world that resort to that kind of desperate "logic": alternative medicines, religion (which somehow managed to spin zero evidence into a positive with the "mystery of faith"), UFO's, ghosts, etc. It is all very sad. One day logic and reason have to win out and science won't be the dirty word that it has become in certain circles.

I do have to throw in one other side note. I took a quick look at Reiki's wiki page and I saw that the Catholic church took a position against Reiki. FINALLY, the church and I agree on something:

"since Reiki therapy is not compatible with either Christian teaching or scientific evidence, it would be inappropriate for Catholic institutions, such as Catholic health care facilities and retreat centres, or persons representing the Church, such as Catholic chaplains, to promote or to provide support for Reiki therapy."

Not compatible with science? That takes serious sack to bring up the name of science seeing as they have kicked it around for two millennium. It is still ok to spend a weekend at a retreat center even though every single study shows that prayer is completely ineffective, but don't waive your hands around in mystical ways so that you can get paid. Unless you are a priest, of course.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bubba the pirate!