As IF Times

Source: Japans new naked restaurant wont let overweight diners in#wjkRCI86bEqE#wjkRCI86bEqE#wjkRCI86bEqE#wjkRCI86bEqE#wjkRCI86bEqE#wjkRCI86bEqE#wjkRCI86bEqE

Swimsuit 2014: Cook Islands
Kate Upton
Beach/Rarotonga, Cook Islands, New Zealand
10/29/2013
X157130 TK3
Credit: James Macari

What is it about the need to be nude?  Is there some primal survival residual in people’s genes akin to dogs circling their beds that needs to be satisfied? We know that nude beaches have been around forever and there are certain subsets of ethnic populations that seem predisposed to communal nudity, but the need to be nude seems to be hitting the mainstream stride.  As pleasant as a small minority of people are to be viewed au naturel, that doesn’t apply to most; especially those who are most likely to be nude.  This is why Kate Upton is paid big money to model things and 99% of other people, not.

It’s not as if people can’t satisfy their prurient and voyeuristic curiosities via almost any type of media.  Historically, access to nude images has never  been as ubiquitous as now, probably even in the repressive Muslim countries.  So it seems that the real need is the desire to be nude in public.  The proliferation of restaurants world wide now catering to this ‘need’ is growing and may soon move beyond curiosity stage if there’s enough money in it.  London announced such a place a year ago and since then, it’s been the hottest dining ticket.  You could say it’s the new place to see and be seen.

The new Japanese venue is even more snobby as the article shows.  Not just anyone can get in; they must conform to certain standards of weight.  Ironically, customers have to be thin enough to qualify to eat food. At some level, I get that; who wants to try and eat food if Michael Moore is directly in eye line.  In the restaurant’s defence, it’s not necessarily discrimination, it could be just pragmatic business.  If you are surrounded by Jabba The Hut models, you are unlikely to order the five course tasting menu.  On the other hand, if the restaurant only accepted skinny people with small appetites, they’d likely sell less food.

But we suspect that it’s not the food that’s the draw; most come for the view.

Source: Muhammad Ali ushered in the era of preening, swaggering athletes: Ted Diadiun | cleveland.com

Clearly, Ali was one of the greatest influences of his time and that influence carries past his generation to this present day.  As this is written, memorial services abound in honor of Ali’s life.  As far as fame and influence, it’s hard to argue with his worldwide recognition.  He was ground zero for today’s brash, swaggering athlete as the linked author notes.  He was the progenitor of that display of “in your face” bravado that is aped today by many pro sports personalities, from Richard Sherman and Cam Newton, to entertainers such as Kanye West.  It can’t be argued that Ali was the hero of most black kids of that era whose last great idol was probably Hank Aaron.

There is another perspective however.  Many will say that the coarseness  and brashness commonly displayed by sporting participants today diminishes the spirit of sport.  Maybe; but that’s what sells, so there’s no reason to back off as long as it pays.   There’s classy and there’s brassy; both work if you’re good enough.  It can be argued that the roots of aggressive Rap culture may have been inadvertantly influenced by Ali’s prose and demeanor.

Apart from bravado, Ali’s most controversial notes concerned his joining the Nation Of Islam and the related refusal to obey his draft orders.   This made Ali a hero to many constituencies.  Although he would later abandon the radical Nation of Islam to support a more passive Muslim ideology, his association gave that group credence and legitimacy because of his membership.  It can also be argued that Ali’s refusal of military service sparked the rethinking of the national conscience on sending  kids to war.

The preceding narrative are matters of fact.  The opinions about them are not. While at the moment, there is almost universal praise for Ali and his life, there are those that don’t think that his life achievements are as laudatory as everyone claims.   This is not, as some may posit, racist.  Years ago, an article was written exploring the nuanced aspects of Ali: Muhammed Ali, Racist.   Pointing out some of the less admirable aspects of Ali’s life does not make one a racist, any more than pointing out the many shortcomings of Donald Trump is racist.

In the reading of the flood of commentaries post Ali’s death, the majority are kind to his legacy.  History will properly remember him as a transformative figure.  That doesn’t make the detractors racists or haters.  Ali went through a very bad period and made some unambiguously offensive statements.   Many of history’s notable figures had significant character faults that were overlooked in consideration of their greater contributions.  People like John Kennedy, Winston Churchill and even the well loved Dalai Lama were/are just people.  People who knew them well enough will most certainly have cause to characterize them as sons of female dogs.  That’s not racism.  Oddly race never comes up in criticism of them. The constant use of that label as an argument trump card has eroded that label of any edge.  It usually means that the user has run out of legitimate rebuttals.

During his eventful life, Ali was involved with dubious people and voiced all kinds of things, not all of them admirable.  He was a boxer and as he famously said, “I just happen to beat people up for a living”.  He wound up being much more than just a boxer though; his actions elevated him to icon status.  Despite his formidable life accomplishments, he took many wrong  turns along the way like everyone else.  Idol or not, he will be blamed by me for giving birth to rap music.  As a final send off, I pen this little homage:

Hey you fools, my name is Ali,

I float like a butterfly, sting like a bee,

I also make rhymes, ’cause I’m so smart,

It’s intellectual poetry, linguistic art,

Y’all can try, to do me better,

Not likely ’cause I’m the master of letters,

During my lifetime, I was the best,

Now I’m done, I’m laid to rest.