12 hour desk job. Had Hermann Miller chairs in office but now at WFH I’ve only just started to upgrade my chairs. I’m active, I’m a runner…but I feel it. I always feel off following my several shifts. It takes a lot just to get back to baseline.

If I slack on my stretches I definitely notice the lower back especially.

I probably should get a desk treadmill…

Fine, if you really insist on me spelling it out:

Biden reporting himself that Bibi said that we did it too is neither Biden’s condoning nor is it Bibi’s admission to him that he would carpet bomb with the weapons allocated.

Biden directly sent the bombs he knew were going to be used to bomb those hospitals to Israel

UNSUBSTANTIATED. There is no mention whatsoever in the provided source that Biden “Knew” Israel was going to bomb “hospitals” with the very bombs he provided.

and then lied that those bombs were not being used to bomb hospitals.

UNSUBSTANTIATED. There is no evidence within this source that Biden “lied” — Read: intended to deceive or mislead.

Perhaps Biden thought he had more leverage; perhaps he wrongly trusted Bibi’s word. Moreover it does not change the aforementioned counterpoints raised that continue to go conveniently ignored that the situation was far more nuanced in reality (after all, it is also true that Israeli civilians were obviously under threat as well, and disarming Israel would jeopardize their safety in kind —either by legitimate risk, or by obvious false flag utilized by Bibi to garner more geopolitical support against Democrats).

Either way, the ironic part is that this source proves that the Biden administration expressed more concern over civilian life than the Trump administration ever did.

Also as I had mentioned and something you also conveniently ignored: Gaza is not the only global or domestic crisis. To not engage in any sort of logically ethical consideration pertaining to LGBTQ+ rights, climate change, Taiwan sovereignty, Ukrainian sovereignty (and their own genocide being perpetrated by Russia) is flatly irresponsible if not morally reprehensible. Funny that no uncommitted couch-sitter ever raises concerns over these things for which the Democratic candidates were obviously better on.

Fine, if you really insist on me spelling it out:

Biden reporting himself that Bibi said that we did it too is neither Biden’s condoning nor is it Bibi’s admission to him that he would carpet bomb with the weapons allocated.

Biden directly sent the bombs he knew were going to be used to bomb those hospitals to Israel

UNSUBSTANTIATED. There is no mention whatsoever in the provided source that Biden “Knew” Israel was going to bomb “hospitals” with the very bombs he provided.

and then lied that those bombs were not being used to bomb hospitals.

UNSUBSTANTIATED. There is no evidence within this source that Biden “lied” — Read: intended to deceive or mislead.

Perhaps Biden thought he had more leverage; perhaps he wrongly trusted Bibi’s word. Moreover it does not change the aforementioned counterpoints raised that continue to go conveniently ignored by you that the situation was far more nuanced in reality (after all, it is also true that Israeli civilians were obviously under threat as well, and disarming Israel would jeopardize their safety in kind).

Either way, the ironic part is that this source proves that the Biden administration expressed more concern over civilian life than the Trump administration ever did. So much for MuH BoTh SiDeS.

Yep, and in addition to that clearly Harris was equally-bad on LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, climate change, and defending Ukraine from Russia’s ongoing attempted genocide… amirite?

Golly, I sure am glad those couch-sitters voted their conscience! The world sure is saved now!

I’m aware of the words (which, by the way still do not lend evidence to your aforementioned claim); I’m just curious why one wouldn’t cite the primary source that is MSNBC and instead goes with a far-right extremist state-run outlet. Slow clap, indeed.

That is not evidence of your original claim.

Nor is it a refutation to my counter-points.

I’m sure the Gazan residents are oh so grateful for this Pyrrhic grandstanding as the blueprints of turning the strip into a Riviera are being written up.

Meanwhile such couch-sitters certainly enabled the genocide of many by ignoring Trump’s association with another war criminal, Putin and his undermining of Ukrainian aid. And again, can’t forget the blood on their hands for being culpable in choosing the one blocking climate change action, right? I guess you’re also not for women’s rights on abortion or LGBTQ+ rights?

(also LOL for using a Turkish state-run media far-right media outlet. Slow clap.)

I’d like a source on that, please!

So just to be clear: You believe that Biden indeed was fully aware and wanted Bibi to continue bombing Palestinians indiscriminately?

Or is it perhaps more nuanced in that there was a clear erosion of partnership was the months ticked on; that Bibi was clearly trying to get Trump elected because he was starting to get the cold-shoulder form the Biden/Harris administration; that Biden had started to condition aid on the basis of providing access of humanitarian aid into Gaza?

I don’t think Harris or Biden wanted to be associated, nor condoned genocide. But the position Democrats were placed in was bad spot, considering :

• a) If they stopped all aid, then Bibi just ignored intelligence or invoked a false flag attack, Democrats would be blamed as leaving Israel defenseless and then news would run with their being antisemitic.

• b) We can’t forget that the Jewish American electorate in key battleground states were a larger voting bloc, and distancing too much from Israel would not only risk losing this group (who Musk was already dumping $70 million in attack ads to both Jewish and Muslim communities in Pennsylvania alone with opposite messages) — but also inviting the wrath of AIPAC.

Naturally, the strategic move was to espouse palestinian self-determination and a 2-state solution, say Oct 7th was wrong, to push for more humanitarian aid into Gaza, and to call for increased discretion in targeting inside Gaza — which is exactly what Harris did.

Now, congratulations to couch-sitters and uncommitted movement for not only exacerbating conditions in Gaza, but also being “indirectly” responsible for Russia’s genocide in Ukraine, as well as the erosion of human rights in America for trans and women’s bodily autonomy — as well as addressing the impending crisis of climate change, which need I remind you, will kill far more people in the long-run.

directly

Sorry, what?

Remind me again — Was Biden Israel’s Prime Minister?

It may help to inform your confusion if you start looking at things with a bit more nuance than these stark black-and-white takes. If you want, I can try to walk you down this road.

Can this D-list celebrity just fuck off to Russia like steven seagal already

Haven’t watched Bob’s Burgers. Watch all the others (plus LoK) every year, so I’ll try it!

The wife and I watch this followed by LoK every year. Always a treat!

3 miles up; 3 miles down.

An annual audiobook listen for me is Winters’ memoirs, Beyond Band of Brothers. Helps keep me grounded.

If you like Green Wing do you like Black Books and IT Crowd?

Great choice, and cheap compared to others!

The standard valentines is close to cholula sauce for a fraction of the price.

Frank’s (extra hot buffalo, too) and Sriracha are always on hand in my house, too.

It’s interesting that this strikes at the heart of left vs right mindset, at least in America. Conservatives have a tendency to romanticize the notion of free will and individual freedom; that you alone are responsible for the choices you make absent of anything else like — will over systemic forces or regions of your own brain working against you. Whereas the left has a stronger tendency to recognize these other variables that apply pressure in such a way as to shape the path of least resistance in what you may choose to do.

It’s like a story I heard about the mindset of Americans vs. Germans when they have a vehicular accident. In America, blame is often quickly pointed to the person for skidding off the road while in Germany they may send a team of engineers to assess how to reduce the environment to prohibit this from being possible in the first place (e.g., putting up a guard-rail). This is surely exaggerated and America of course has civil engineers, but you get the idea of a default state of responsibility.

Maybe the reality of executive responsibility and external forces is somewhere in the middle. Nevertheless, a systemic problem tends to require a systematic solution. So I definitely don’t fault obese people for not being able to get skinny. I agree: definitely the wrong mindset!

My main concern is that if the cost of this weight loss is a masking of symptoms and warning-signs of other poor dietary habits, could that result in even more people suffering ailments kicked under the rug just because they perceive themselves to be healthy when looking in a mirror? (e.g., the smoker arguments of old).

The recession is the point; the rich will get richer (Musk and all the oligarchs)

The volatility of the tariffs is the point; BRIC will get stronger (Tulsi Gabbard’s mission)

The erosion of liberties and the judicial system is the point; the zealots like Miller and Johnson and Flynn will consolidate power domestically.

Every part of America is being sold off, sabotaged, and stolen.

That’s fair! Comparing to statins and bp meds is a good comparison.

Your points are valid and believe it or not I largely agree. We are largely products of our environment. If there are potato chips in the house, I am more likely to eat potato chips. At scale, if there is a McDonald’s on the corner or chips in the grocery store, people are more likely to eat said junk food out of both convenience and dopamine fixation and median societal stress levels leading to elevated cortisol and so on.

I don’t think they changes the points I’m trying to raise, which are:

• Concerns for symptom masking leading to a false sense of believing you are healthy and not nutritionally deficient.

• Deflecting attention away from the root issues causing obesity: deregulation of processed foods and socioeconomic inequality and societal stressors (all which COULD and should be addressed).

Put another way: My primary concern is people being lulled into a false sense of security. If pain is a signal to change something, then looking in the mirror and seeing your weight can be a similar motivator for change all the same for people. If people taking this drug get positive feedback, they may then lack that normal feedback for motivation to change their underlying dietary habits. If this means that while obesity drops, the number of people who adopt better dietary habits overall decreases in kind, then we’re setting ourselves up for various disease epidemics down the road. Systemically, there’s no doubt you’re right that most people struggle to get through this; but that’s not to say there aren’t people who do manage to make lifestyle changes for the better. It is possible; and are so-called (as the other user called them) “miracle drugs” further impeding that? Are we losing the thread?

If all we do going through life is chasing a revolving number of symptoms and side-effects, we will never get to the heart of the root problems.

But as I wrote elsewhere, I am open to the notion that because these problems begin in a unnatural manner in the way they short-circuit our evolutionary biological circuitry, then perhaps the solutions are unnatural as well. For me to change my opinion, would need studies showing that people are more likely to adopt healthy lifestyle choices, particularly diet, following taking Ozempic for a period of time.

Nobody around me is suffering from malnutrition. Meat is very nutritious. That is why our bodies crave it.

This is going beyond the scope of our conversation probably, but this is flatly not true. My body doesn’t crave it any more than it can be programmed to crave a popsicle, soda, ultra-salty fast-food burger. One can crave heroin or meth, too; it doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Let us please not enable carnivore pseudoscience bullshit. Not to say some meat, notably cold-water fish, isn’t good for you however; in limited quantities in accordance to the Mediterranean diet, yes, it can be healthy.

Extreme malnutrition tends to have to do with deficiencies in macronutrients; raw calories. Back in the day, we didn’t live long enough for micronutrients to have such a profound impact. Macronutrients, in terms of calories, true are easy to get. But people are profoundly deficient on a variety of micro and phytonutrients, ranging from fiber to antioxidant intake to B12 (yes, even 1/3 of meat eaters are deficient), to Omega-3s, to Potassium. These are facts, and if you need sources they’re easily found.

The reason they’re too hungry is because of disruptions in signaling hormones like Ghrelin and Leptin that are not properly responding due to the consumption of unnatural ultra-processed foods. This induces a destructive feedback loop that leads to REDUCED satiety and consequently INCREASED hunger. For example, if you drink Kool-Aid with 2 cups of sugar in it, the concentration of which is a) a sugar density impossible to find in nature besides maybe honey, b) lacking other insulin-regulating and satiety-inducing nutrients — most notably fiber but also say xylitol — then you will send insulin surging which so happens to have an impact on ghrelin and leptin signaling molecules to the brain. It is extremely difficult to make this happen if you eat whole foods. I eat LOADS of healthy food all the time — as much as I want! Yet my BMI remains perfectly low. This is not the issue.

Edit: I should add in reference to my previous comment that the other factor is the feedback loop of environmental stressors, elevating cortisol and leading to an increased fixation on fast dopamine hits, which of course, if there is a potato chip bag or fries in the area, will look more appealing. In some respects, it’s little different than substance abuse of heroin albeit to a lesser degree.

It’s not “unhealthily large portions of healthy foods,” — it’s unhealthily dense portions of unhealthy foods, primarily.

Fat people aren’t suffering vitamin, mineral, or fiber deficiencies. They’re just eating too much food.

Yes, they quite often do. By the very nature of consuming unhealthy foods in high quantities leading to obesity, they are as a matter of zero-sum NOT consuming healthy nutrients, such as fiber. You don’t seem to understand the impact fiber specifically has on weight regulation, or the insulin cycle and the impacts on hormonal signaling molecules Ghrelin and Leptin. Educate yourself in these arenas and you’ll have a better understanding of the obesity epidemic. I promise you it’s not because people are eating “too much healthy food” lol.

Don’t just take it from me:

It’s also important to remember weight is only one part of the health equation. If you suppress your appetite but maintain a diet high in ultra-processed foods low in micronutrients, you could lose weight but not increase your actual nourishment. So support to improve dietary choices is needed, regardless of medication use or weight loss, for true health improvements.

https://hmri.org.au/news-and-stories/ozempic-helps-weight-loss-making-you-feel-full-certain-foods-can-do-same-thing/

Cute condescension (I actually kind of chuckled at the, “You have learned nothing” end, saying it like some growling villain), but you’re still too in the weeds. Take it one step further: What causes some people to feel hungrier? The two most common reasons:

• 1. Environmental stressors.
• 2. Ultra-Processed Foods.

Does GLP-1 address either of these as a root cause issue? No, they do not.

More importantly — Are many diseases associated with obesity suddenly magically resolved if you just lose weight? No, they are not. Why? Because you never actually addressed the nutritional needs of your body. Sure you put less crap in, but you’re still putting crap in while not putting in the CORRECT nutrients that would otherwise come with a holistic approach of addressing obesity by dietary means.

So if you continue to consume starbucks but instead of a 30oz you get a 10oz because you’re on Ozempic, are you any closer to fulfilling your nutritional needs of protein intake, Omega-3 DHA/EPA, the recommended 25g of fiber (and are you distinguishing soluble from insoluble?), your B-vitamins, your potassium, etc? Equally important, are you cutting back on high sodium foods and high-sugar foods? No, GLP-1 does not magically change your eating habits to pick up a leafy salad full of nuts & seeds.

Beyond this, weight-reduction alone may lead to confidence and capability to go out and exercise, get more sunlight, socialize more, etc. — these of course have positive impacts on the body. It’s just that if you depend on GLP-1 beyond reaching a target weight without actually changing your habits, then you will still perhaps unknowingly be degrading your body because you don’t even have the negative signal that is obesity forewarning you.

NOTE: This is not me fat-shaming or saying people are lazy; I am wholly aware many of these stressors are a result of things outside their control, like societal pressures or corporate marketing teams short-circuiting evolutionary wiring of our neurochemistry. It is anything but easy. DO NOT use a fucking straw-man on me to claim I am these people are lazy or ignorant. (in fact, I’m warning of the same magic pill corporate scheme that got us into this situation in the first place, ironically that is addressing symptoms without ever addressing root causes).

In the vast majority of prescribed cases of Ozempic, GLP-1 is already produced by the body freely; you just have to put the proverbial correct oil in your engine to get it to release. Until those underlying habits change, then you are not sufficiently addressing the nutritional deficits of your body.