Aint it Cool News indeed!

no Sly, No Walter B

and why weren't the talkbacker's invited?

From what I read, Harry is a pretty nice guy. Let him enjoy the happiness he deserves. Your comments surely show what a 'True Ugly' person looks like.

Grow up kids, you're out of elementary school now...

Anyone doubting that Harry will be doing the Truffle Shuffle on your collective graves, keep in mind that even injured, Harry climbed the 1001 steps of Pei Mei. And if anything (besides his own indomitable spirit) will get Harry out of that wheelchair for good, it is the love of a good woman, and he's got that!

or a good buffet.

also, thanks for the clarifications, father geek: i remember harry's accident, but i thought he was back to his tigger-y self long ago. and i'm also glad to hear that he and mori are on good terms. mori's absence from the guest highlights had me worried there for a bit.

But that was the crock of it and even that domineering Drill Sergeant guy saluted and congratulated him for it: Busey showed that if you just put your mind to it and DID IT, you could drop at least some weight pretty fast.

Meanwhile everyone else was doing what so many overweight people (particularly modern Americans who statistically ARE overweight and even outright obese) who do in life -- they were moaning that now they couldn't have their candy bars or drink their 2 six-packs of soda a day, eat between meals, have the extra extra sized Burger King meal.

On the other hand, there's nothing wrong with nudging a close friend or family member and letting them know that for purely sound, long term HEALTH reasons they should take better care of themselves, especially if they're clearly letting something (like their weight) get out of control. And certainly if Harry's now going to be a married man and have someone in his life to look after...or even one day have a family...then that's a direction he should be more consciously directing himself towards. In those cases the nudge is made out of genuine concern, in which case I think it's fine assuming you're being polite and somewhat diplomatic about it.

On the flip side, to those defending Harry's weight because he's (possibly) in a wheelchair, you need to wake up to reality and simply check out something like a handicapped wheelchair race. Ever see the shape they are in? Just because you've lost the use of your legs does NOT mean you cannot be in good shape or solid health -- in fact because you're confined to a wheelchair and have lost a good sense of your mobility, you should be taking extra care and making extra effort to be sure you DON'T become overweight and that your cardiovascular system is up to speed.

So Harry doesn't get a pass from me just because he might be in a wheelchair, as sad as that might be and as much as you want to extend your sympathy to someone in that situation. Just the same, he could still diet better, exercise more, and do several things to help himself. That's just a cold, hard fact. And I am saying that in a sincere way since Harry seems like an okay guy and I do wish him all the best on his marriage -- which is obviously going to last a helluva lot longer and be a lot more fun if he IS in the best health he can be.

So, Harry, I wish you ALL the best on your marriage, man, and hope you and Patricia grow old and gray in bliss. But since you are married now, I really hope you'll take better care of yourself for the sake OF your marriage too.

Bottom line: it's stunning that right now 2/3 of all Americans are fat and overweight -- even MORE stunning that a full 1/3 are actually full-out OBESE. That's pretty sad. The crock of this being when I grew up we had plenty of gym time and things like that, and now you have school systems that will actually be AGAINST classes in P.E. and restrict them because they think it will hurt kids "self-esteem". Which is truly fucked up logic. Let me get this right: you don't want the heavy kids to exercise because it will hurt their feelings...yet being more active IN gym is exactly what will help them lose weight and get self-esteem back. I swear, we've become so used to looking the other way and not addressing weight issues in America -- other than to sell quicky diet books or plans so someone can get rich fast -- that I shudder to think what things will be like in another generation or two due to political correctness about NOT addressing things.

Oh, and now that I have read this talkback, my hot girlfriend actually makes sense to me. Oh, and to those who say that we aren't brave enough to show ourselves...

www.myspace.com/saturdaynightr ant

And once again, may you live long and live happy!

So saith the Prophet!

I am sadly in a position to speak from experience... I am currently selling off my motorcycle, my exotic car, preparing to move from my three-bedroom house to a manageable one-bedroom... this is because the love of my life left me six months ago, and when she had gone I realized just how meaningless all the material crap (including a gigantic record collection) I had accumulated was... it was not a health scare, but the heartbreak was eye-opening and put things in perspective. I am the least zen person ever, but material goodies really are bullshit, they have nothing to do with happiness.

Anyway all the best, I will definitely think positive thoughts your way!