just so we know what people in good shape SHOULD look like

Showing the women's volleyballers in two pieces is helpful, because the pair I saw had the barest of tummy bulges and showed folds when they bent over--and anyone who says, "Oh, my god, how horrible, they're fat" should have to do time with the Guam judoist demonstrating how he's not out of shape either. Or some of the weightlifters.

Oh yeah-- the guy from Guam is probably ridiculously fit. Just wouldn't want to see him in a thong. :-P Then again, I wouldn't want to see me in a thong either.

It's like the converse of the argument that I've heard more than one sports radio host say about figure skating, about how it's not a real sport. When I was living in Cleveland, one enraged me to the point where I called in and demanded, "Yo, Sparky, so you can balance on a concave blade an eighth of an inch wide, land multiple revolution jumps without falling, spin on one of those blades and do it for nearly five minutes? Why don't you go try and then we'll talk."

Not that it made a damned bit of difference, but it made me feel better.

sara, go iChat, activate iChat.

But then I'd have to figure out how to use it!

I've had that argument about both skating and gymnastics a whole bunch of times, Barb. Frequently with people who seem to have not watched the sports in question in years. (People still complaining about "pre-pubescent" girls in gymnastics, or sparkles and tight men's pants in skating, for instance.)

I don't actually think anyone looks attractive in a thong. It makes me think of wedgies. I think bikinis for everyone.

I agree ith meara. I think naked is also more attractive than a thong.

I made bread, but it will not rise. Also, my "w" key is sticking. And I ant bread.

sara, you type in a box. I'm going out on a limb to say you know how to do that.

My RA in the dorm was a former competitive gymnast. However, she was a case of everything people like to claim as the worst case scenario: both knees blown by 16, body image shot, eating disorder, alcoholic, prescription addiction.

By the time I knew her, she had most of the issues under control, but physically she'll always pay the price. She always said most of the issues were hers to begin with, and competing just happened to be the worst thing she could've picked to do.

Yeah, it used to blow my mind when I was skating competitively that I was thought as chunky at 115lbs. It wasn't so much my weight as my body build. Big shoulders, hips and I can get very muscular. Waif-like I ain't. Much as I missed it, I was glad I got out fairly early.

I miss skating. I stopped in high school because I had a bad knee that was limiting me too much -- I was spending as much time stretching and exercising my knee as actually skating, and usually ended up having to ice it after every practice session.