No pop for you! Bloomberg to ban Big Gulps.

[Moliere]

You are smarter than that.

There is no right to attach yourself to another person's body. If you do, without the person's consent, you will be 'aborted.' Trust me on this, you don't want to try it.

I realize I probably sound like I am making light of the issue, but I am not. Even if fetuses are eventually formally recognized as human beings with rights, they should not be extended the 'special right' to physically attach themselves to another person's body without that person's consent.

It sucks that these babies/fetuses have to die because they inadvertently attached themselves to a woman's body without her consent, but it is (and should continue to be) a basic human right that no person should be compelled to have his/her body play host to a different organism without the human's consent.

From a cultural standpoint, we can encourage women to carry babies to term, but from a rights perspective, we should not create a 'special right' for anyone person (consciously or inadvertently) to attach their body to another person without that person's consent.

FM was wrong!

[Pheidippides]

http://m.gawker.com/5914630/quit-com...oda-ban-fatsos

Language warning.

Also, I agree with whoever it was that says diet is more than 80%. I would say 90%, if we're talking weight and not overall health. It's very possible, of course, to be skinny and unhealthy. Ask Karen Carpenter.

For evidence I offer up all the guys pushing three bills I see running every marathon. Also, I have my own exercise and eating statistics over four years to offer.

[FMCoug]

FM was wrong!

I stand corrected.

[Clark Addison]

You can't outrun a bad diet.

I could 10 years ago, but I can't anymore.

Granted, my diet wasn't terrible, just "poor", and I did run an awful lot.

[Jacob]

http://m.gawker.com/5914630/quit-com...oda-ban-fatsos

Language warning.

Also, I agree with whoever it was that says diet is more than 80%. I would say 90%, if we're talking weight and not overall health. It's very possible, of course, to be skinny and unhealthy. Ask Karen Carpenter.

First of all, that was me you are agreeing with. We can't have that. So, I ask:

Are you endorsing that sorry excuse for an argument on the meaning of freedom and democracy? Or were you trying to point out that most people who don't have a problem with this and similar laws are morons?

I have news for you: You don't live in a free country. You never have and you never will. That's an illusion. You are not free to murder people in America. You are not free to stand in the middle of an intersection and block traffic like an asshole...

The author made some great points there.

[Pheidippides]

First of all, that was me you are agreeing with. We can't have that. So, I ask:

Are you endorsing that sorry excuse for an argument on the meaning of freedom and democracy? Or were you trying to point out that most people who don't have a problem with this and similar laws are morons?



The author made some great points there.

None of the above. I thought it was a mildly amusing rant.

[Viking]

I had no idea there are nearly 10 7-elevens in manhattan.

I love the trans fat ban here and the signage that requires restaurants to post calories.

[Flystripper]

Maybe Niku's having a rough day.


I think inactivity is a huge contributor to obesity. Even more than too much food. In line with banning large sodas, we should also do the following:

Install treadmills in every obese person's home, and force them to log 1-6 hours a day, or throw em in jail.
Outlaw busses and cars. Everyone can walk.
Outlaw all elevators. Take the stairs.
Institute a poll tax of $1 per pound. Paid annually.
No benches or chairs in public places. Everyone can squat or stand.

I work a 20 minute walk from the train station. I walk every day that it isn't raining. Now you want me to hike 22 stories up down several times per day?! Man I won't get any work done, but I will be svelte. I hope the people around me at work don't mind my stinky sweaty soaked shirts too much.

[Pheidippides]

I had no idea there are nearly 10 7-elevens in manhattan.

I love the trans fat ban here and the signage that requires restaurants to post calories.

The calorie-posting has been the single greatest thing (for me) that I've seen in a while. Not mandatory here of course but many places do it.

[Maximus]

There is no right to attach yourself to another person's body. If you do, without the person's consent, you will be 'aborted.' Trust me on this, you don't want to try it.

I realize I probably sound like I am making light of the issue, but I am not. Even if fetuses are eventually formally recognized as human beings with rights, they should not be extended the 'special right' to physically attach themselves to another person's body without that person's consent.

It sucks that these babies/fetuses have to die because they inadvertently attached themselves to a woman's body without her consent, but it is (and should continue to be) a basic human right that no person should be compelled to have his/her body play host to a different organism without the human's consent.

From a cultural standpoint, we can encourage women to carry babies to term, but from a rights perspective, we should not create a 'special right' for anyone person (consciously or inadvertently) to attach their body to another person without that person's consent.

it was her consent unless she was raped.

[Uncle Ted]

So now a person will just buy two 16oz drinks and a 32oz cup and pour the drinks into the larger cup the second they walk out the door of the 7-11. Politicians are so stupid.

Niku has it right. If you want to ban sugary drinks, tax the sale of them not matter the size.

Now instead one 32 oz cup going into the dumpster and impacting the environment this person throws away an extra two 16 oz cups as well.

[RobinFinderson]

it was her consent unless she was raped.

Consent to have sex is NOT consent to carry a baby to term.

I don't know why folks have to be so rude about this. Pat yourselves on the back and give each other high fives, but calling an argument ridiculous, with no other response, is simply a rude non-response.

I was raised in a very pro-life house, and spent most of my youth as a pro-life activist. I marched in pro-life rallies, and shouted down people who hold my current beliefs. I shared my personal story, about my adoption from a 14yo girl who chose to let me live, and how grateful I am that she didn't abort me, even though she could have. I don't take the issue lightly, and I don't think that anyone who performs abortions, or who elects to abort a pregnancy, should take it lightly either. But it is a natural right, and it should continue to be a civil right.

[Surfah]

Hilarious. Bloomberg to celebrate National Donut Day tomorrow.

Indeed, at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow morning, Entenmann’s will be unveiling “Custom-made Entenmann’s large donuts, 1-foot in diameter” at Madison Square Park at the same time they unveil a “Proclamation Letter by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.”

http://politicker.com/2012/05/mixed-...sements-video/

[Portland Ute]

But it is a natural right, and it should continue to be a civil right.

You might be right. Or wrong. But your argument based on "consent" is flawed.

A "baby", as you know, arises from the union of a sperm and an egg which forms a zygote. A zygote is a cell. This zygote is the first cell of what will become an embryo.

This zygote begins to go through a series of cell divisions.

If the zygote attaches to the host, it begins to form an embryo.

To wit, reproduction of human life requires three things: A host, an egg and a sperm.

Without any one of those three, life normally does not occur.

It is here that I personally draw the line. The morning after pill, to me, is okay. It is really no different than other forms of chemical birth control. It does not end life AFTER the combination of the three important components of reproduction have come together. Rather, it disrupts the union of the sperm, egg and host.

However, abortion, is different, in my mind. At that point, the egg, sperm and host have joined. All the ingredients are present and the embryo is undergoing mitosis...well on it's way to becoming an adult human. This path continues on for 9-ish months in the host and for 16-22 years after the embryo/baby is birthed. Why destroy it at 12 weeks post-implantation and not at 12 weeks post-birth?

To your point, Robin, to argue that the mother doesn't consent to "host" the growing embryo is flawed. She provides two parts of the reproductive puzzle. It is only by her consent that the third "ingredient" is introduced to the mix and a zygote is formed.

It's like owning an ice try inside a freezer and consenting to someone putting water in your ice tray but arguing that you didn't consent to the formation of the resultant ice cubes.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Sorry but to call abortion a nanny state issue is so ridiculous it doesn't warrant a longer response.