More re: Campaign for Real Beauty

More interesting commentary on the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty.

See my earlier post and comments about the Dove Campaign here.

Re-reading Tolkien: Free to choose

Another lovely essay from fictualities, this one on Frodo's freedom to choose and what this means thematically.

(Really, I shouldn't keep having to point to her excellent essays; just friend her yourself so that you have the pleasure of reading them on your own friends page.)

*hums along to music playing*

Far over the Misty Mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away 'ere break of day
To claim our long forgotten gold . . .

400 Lb Man to Run Boston Marathon

Gacked from diet_blog_:

Jacob started his journey at 438 pounds. His goal is to run the Boston Marathon. He is currently just under 400 lbs and is chronicling his efforts on his site "What Would Jacob Do?".

His reasons for running?

I have my reasons for running. To give you a glimpse into my life, let me ask you if you've had any of the following happen to you:

• Have you ever had little kids point at you and laugh while you're walking down the street?

• Watched a TV News Report on obesity and wonder if it is your Fat Ass that they're showing from the neck down?

• Have to weigh yourself on a commercial-grade scale at the local meat-packing plant?

• Worry about if the chair you're sitting in is going to collapse at a restaurant?

• Watch in disgust when skinny girls like Tyra Banks strap on the ol' fat suit for an afternoon and then break down in tears because they "know what it's like"?

• Drinking your misery away at the bar because love obviously isn't finding you tonight or any night for that matter?

Jacob is getting his share of hate mail:

I ran track in college and ran the Boston Marathon 4 years ago and let me just say that you are disgusting and have no shot of ever running the Boston Marathon.

Go give him some encouragement.

Grawrh

There was a particular bill that I knew was due, but I hadn't seen it come in the mail. I kept asking Rob whether he'd taken it in from the mailbox, but he steadfastly denied seeing it. Finally, in exasperation, knowing it was overdue, I drove out to the entity's corporate office and paid the bill, basing the amount of the check on what they had in their computer system, complaining to them that it had never arrived.

Tonight, I found the bill. Stuffed in a corner on the floor of the dining room, next to the windowseat. Nowhere NEAR the mail table, which is in the living room, nor in the drawer where bills are put that need to be paid.

On top of the bill was a pile of mail from Rob's post office box and on top of that (which is why I didn't even realize that mail was even there) a pile of paperwork from Rob's store.

Now, really, wouldn't you be more than a little annoyed by this???