I've decorously avoided all mention of Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), but a few commenters have been suggesting that steroids might have played a role in his self-inflicted travails. Here's a PG-rated picture of his shaven chest the skinny 46-year-old Congressman took of himself in the mirror for his Internet admirers.
The impact of steroids on behavior has a fair degree of randomness in it, but it does seem to increase the seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time factor. In general, when ambitious men take male hormones, it makes them more ambitious but also increases the odds that they'll feel powerful urges to do things that might undermine their ambitions. In particular, muscle-building drugs seem to increase feelings of vanity and invulnerability.
The impact of steroids on political figures has been curiously underexamined in the press. At least two governors, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jesse Ventura, were professional musclemen before entering politics. Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff's running amok that led to a big scandal during the Bush Administration obviously had something to do with performance-enhancing drug use (President Bush greeted him, "Hey, Buff Guy, what are you benching?"), but as far as I can tell, I'm just about the only one who ever mentioned it in public. Andrew Sullivan wrote at vast length in the New York Times in 2000 about the fluctuating impact of his prescription testosterone cycle on his judgment, but practically nobody seems to have noticed.
I'll leave it to others to look for a picture of Dominique Strauss-Kahn with his shirt off to see if we can create a General Theory of Self-Destructing 2011 Politicians. But I wouldn't be too surprised. Run for President of France? Of course! Rape the maid? What could possibly go wrong?
I'll leave it to others to look for a picture of Dominique Strauss-Kahn with his shirt off to see if we can create a General Theory of Self-Destructing 2011 Politicians. But I wouldn't be too surprised. Run for President of France? Of course! Rape the maid? What could possibly go wrong?
By the way, here's a perfectly reasonable letter Weiner sent to the FBI in 2008 suggesting that investigating pitching ace Roger Clemens for perjury over steroids should not be a high priority. So, steroids were at least on his radar.
OT.
ReplyDeleteMSM forced to confront the obvious.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/tribnation/chi-columnists-attacks-race-gallery,0,7432586.storygallery
ReplyDeleteLenny Dykstra, once a respected car wash businessman, was recently arrested for possession of synthetic human growth hormone Somatropin. That was after he had destroyed his life and lost all his money.
ReplyDeleteWeiner does not look like a "juicer" in that picture. He looks like a man with low bodyfat and a modest level of muscular development.
ReplyDeletePeter
I think you mean Jack Abramoff, not Jack Abramson.
ReplyDeleteOT:
ReplyDeleteSteve, a blond German guy is one game away from leading his team to the NBA championship. If he wins, he'll be the first white Finals MVP since Larry Bird (1986). You could also write about Mark Cuban, about the hype surrounding Lebron James and about the coughing incident.
I totally believe this. Everyone ignores the influence of drugs on recent events. Maybe because everyone has his drug of choice.
ReplyDeleteLook also at the effect of caffeine on the housing bubble. Notice how popular both coffee and energy drinks have been, since coffee's popularity was prematurely pronounced "dead" 20 years ago? Also meth, ritalin, and other uppers. Salesmen are always trying to get you some coffee when they're dealing.
Caffeine enhances optimism and makes you buy, buy, buy.
"Lenny Dykstra, once a respected car wash businessman, was recently arrested for possession of synthetic human growth hormone Somatropin. That was after he had destroyed his life and lost all his money."
ReplyDeleteHmmmm. Wiki doesn't mention any seriously bad side effects to taking HGH.
> In particular, muscle-building drugs seem to increase feelings of vanity and invulnerability.
ReplyDeleteWhich is corroborated by the differences between men and women. (I assume you don't mean vanity of the body only.) Each gender differs from one race to another because of genes and maybe in some cases environment, but within race, gender traits are pretty much all caused solely by the cholesterol-like sex steroids: T, DHT, estrogens, progesterone, etc.
There may be some time conditioning, though. I'm not sure T (or estro) cause the same effects at all periods of one's life.
The outspokenly ultra-right Mr O'Meara posted this vid of Mr Weiner delivering an extremely belligerent speech:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O_GRkMZJn4&feature=player_embedded
how is it all these 'buff ' people are walking around these days, I lifted weights in high school for football- intense program. We NEVER got that 'buff'
ReplyDeleteas the homos i see in NYC - though this phenom has spilled over into straight guys too.
have training methods changed so drastically since the 80s or are they all just on roids.?
"how is it all these 'buff ' people are walking around these days, I lifted weights in high school for football- intense program. We NEVER got that 'buff'"
ReplyDeleteMaybe you're just a doooooooooork.
Re: Dirk Nowitzki: check VDARE.com on Sunday evening.
ReplyDelete> Weiner does not look like a "juicer" in that picture. He looks like a man with low bodyfat and a modest level of muscular development.
ReplyDeleteLow fat is an andro trait. As for beef, who says he's lifting very much?
Supposing he were indeed on the stuff, his goal would not be to develop an inhuman neck girth like some of the baseball sluggers. He might just want an edge in domination behaviors. He might not use a really big dose.
Thanks, Peter. It's good to see someone reasonable. Perhaps the congressman has a paraphilia since his arousal is mediated by technology. Sort of a variation on obscene phone calls from before we got caller ID.
ReplyDeleteWeiner's of an age he might have prank called pretty girls he knew at school and gotten away with it.
"how is it all these 'buff ' people are walking around these days"
ReplyDelete1) The degree of low body fat you need for, say, visible abs doesn't just involve how you lift, it involves how you eat. As HS football players, you probably weren't restricting yourself to skinless chicken breasts and low-carb diets, or weighing everything you ate.
2) Non-roid supplements, like creatine.
There seem to be family photos in the background of that pic of his pecs.
ReplyDeleteOdd.
According to Barry Bonds's girlfriend, he was never ripped until he started on PEDs, even though he was hitting 40 homers per year before.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you're just a doooooooooork.
ReplyDeletenope, varsity starter in a west chicago suburb conference that was pretty competative.., went on the play college rugby. We did strength training - it was highly unusual for anyone to press 300+ - this was 1984 - no one was 'ripped' not even the strong guys. there were a couple of guys recruited by big ten schools that were lanky and muscular but NO ONE like the buff guys i see in nyc 10 times a day
(and in a sign of utter male vanity the remove their shirts for the most absurd reasons.. it looks... so ...gay... for males to be so vain.
weren't restricting yourself to skinless chicken breasts and low-carb diets,
ReplyDeleteThat is true, in my day, coaches laughed at the idea of eating steak and told us have low fat whole grain pasta the night before games.
Still, i find it hard to believe this accounts for my observations- too many times they have those popped arm veins and no leg development.
most of all it just strikes me as incredibly vain and stupid short term thinking .
Weiner is on steroids, his king-sized skeletor looking head is a dead giveaway.
ReplyDeleteWhat about George Bush using steroids and the war in Iraq? Seems plausible...
ReplyDeleteOkay, the guy is skinny, really skinny, but take a look at the neck musculature. Did you notice that?
ReplyDeleteIt seems that he could have taken the stuff w/out doing much in the way of gym work, no?
One thing is for sure--we can't blame Barney Frank's rages on 'roids.
ReplyDeletePackwood, Tiger Woods, Slick Willy, Weiner. What's in a name? Too much.
ReplyDeleteAnother related trend might be use of ADD treating uppers. These have gotten very popular with Med students, law students, and scientists. They increase concentration and so they are tempting for anyone who feels the need for an intellectual edge. They also of course come with a milder version of the superman feeling that coke brings about. Weiner seems like the type of guy who might have gotten into this stuff - and it might have kept him up at night. I agree though that hgh and other roids could be behind his behavior.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/56750.html
ReplyDelete"This was the vice presidential candidate John McCain’s team thought they were getting, before her darker tendencies — defensiveness, thin skin, grudge-keeping — hardened into tics."
Hmm... do you think the MSM's policy of mocking her 24/7 had something to do with her 'darker tendencies'?
Surely, Obama would have shown the same 'dark' tendencies if htey'd dumped on him all day and night.
And just how well did Hillary fare under the media storm during the primaries when Obama was MSM's darling. She got pretty angry too.
But, it's only 'dark' when a conservative becomes that way.
What's truly dark is the media agenda of favoring candidates than covering the news.
Re: Dirk Nowitzki: check VDARE.com on Sunday evening.
ReplyDeleteI'll be interested to read what you have to say about him. I don't know how closely you've been following the playoffs, but a lot has been made about how much extra pratice Dirk puts in shooting with his personal coach, Holger Geschwindner. Currently, Nowitzki has the 15th highest career free throw percentage in the history of the NBA at 87.6%, which is an insanely high percentage for a 7-footer. Should we credit Gladwell's 10,000-Hour Rule?
anon 9:30:
ReplyDeleteSarah Palin had a couple scandals back in Alaska that looked petty and vindictive out of all proportion, which I guess shows her darker side.
I've always thought Palin was a truly bizarre choice for VP, given that McCain's people knew or should have known about the daughter with the baby and the brewing scandals back home when they chose her. I'd love to see the inside story of that.
Why would Strauss-Kahn need to rape a hotel maid? He runs in circles that use the hottest and best escorts in any given city.
ReplyDeleteWell suppose he WAS taking roids. Why would he do it? Most successful Congress critters: Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, Maxine Waters, Charlie Rangel, John Boehner, Ron Paul, and Paul Ryan are not exactly poster children for roiding and exercising.
ReplyDeleteYou don't get any better, more powerful, or more skillful as a politico roiding.
There's only one reason for a guy his age and his profession to roid: Chicks.
Considering he had the rep as the House's playboy, had dated Kirsten Powers (then dumped HER), and then went on to "follow" and DM a couple of underage girls as well as the noted Twitter picks of packages (ahem) you get a picture of what works and what incentives were operating.
The incentives were ... women. The guy is somewhat heavily in debt, does not have say Chris Dodd's Irish mansion nor Charlie Rangel's Dominican mansion and several NYC townhouses. Weiner is basically broke, and is not a big time guy in the Dem Caucus -- few close allies who owe him.
ReplyDeleteHis whole schtick, seems to be getting women by being the Dem Attack dog on TV bashing the "villains" (Republicans, conservatives, and the former morality). Women he messaged, young and old, responded heavily to that. Including a 17 year old who seemed infatuated with him.
If Weiner was roiding, the reason was to get chicks, clearly. Even worse, it seems to have worked. Roiding doesn't make you more skilled in handing out benefits/perks to people who will give you money (how Rangel/Dodd/Pelosi/Frank got rich).
NOTA said:I've always thought Palin was a truly bizarre choice for VP, given that McCain's people knew or should have known about the daughter with the baby and the brewing scandals back home when they chose her. I'd love to see the inside story of that.
ReplyDeletePalin was chosen on account of her so-called hotness, that's all. The GOP does not have a message anymore, so they go for looks. Barry was supposed to hot up the white unmarried women, so Palin was supposed to hot up the unmarried white men, which guys like Whiskey prove was a reasonable move.
"have training methods changed so drastically since the 80s or are they all just on roids.?"
ReplyDeleteThe dietary aspect has changed a lot.
"Why would Strauss-Kahn need to rape a hotel maid? He runs in circles that use the hottest and best escorts in any given city."
ReplyDeleteAs flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods, —
They kill us for their sport.
We're ruled by sociopaths. Sociopaths do things for sociopath reasons.
Steve, it's unlikely he was on roids. When you're on roids, you bulk up and add muscle like it's nothing. He doesn't show any bulk that he'd get if he were on roids. His neck would be much bigger, not pencil thin like it is. The pic shows that he's cut i.e. has high definition, not bulk and large muscle mass. He may be on some cutting substance like hydroxycut, though I doubt it. More likely that he just works out every day.
ReplyDeleteWeiner's girls are ugly
ReplyDeleteI defer to whiskey on the finer points of roiding and getting chicks. My empathy only goes so far.
ReplyDeleteGilbert P.
> You don't get any better, more powerful, or more skillful as a politico roiding.
ReplyDeleteActually, you could. Domination behaviors, ambition behaviors. Why do you think congress has way more men than women, and female politicos tend to be psychologically relative masculine?
As I said, almost all male traits come solely from (or through) steroid androgens. (And low levels of steroid gynogens, but I think that is also caused by the androgens.)
If you are XY but your androgen receptor gene is completely shot due to mutations, you will be born a near-normal female and have a near-normal pubertal rise in gynogens, hence a near-normal female puberty: hips, breasts, etc. At puberty the testosterone you are insensitive to rises to high levels do to lack of feedback inhibition, and some of it gets converted to estrogen which is a normal process in everyone; there may also be progesterone for some reason I'm not sure of. hence the normal femal puberty. Only, you will be infertile and have internal testes instead of ovaries; you also lack a uterus, because the testis antagonizes its development through some hormone other than steroid androgens. The Y-chromosome governs the construction of the testis, and the androgens produced by it do virtually all the rest, except for preventing development of a uterus.
If you are XY but the region of the Y that constructs the testis is completely nonfunctional due to mutation, you will develop neither the functional male gonad, nor the functional female one (which seems to require two X-chromosomes). Hence you will never have any (or much) androgens or gynogens. This means you are born a girl - which happens by default; it doesn't require estrogens and obviously it doesn't require androgens, rather it requires a lack thereof. But, having neither male or female gonad function, you won't have male or female puberty (unless you are medically treated). You'll have no pubescence at all.
Another related trend might be use of ADD treating uppers.
ReplyDeleteAmazing, since there are non drug ways to deal with this alleged disorder- read "the brain that changes itself' - about neuroplasticity - apparently reciting long poems and learning a new alphabet -by HAND (not computer) is more effective than ADD drugs- and those two things- penmenship and memorizing a long poem - were standard parts of curricula up until that horrible, horrible decade, the 1960s.
I've got a theory going that you don't really understand Hollywood history unless you understand that in the 1960s Hollywood (and America generally) changed its idea of "how to have a good time" from alcohol to drugs. I mean, Hollywood is basically selling "a good time," right? Or trying to, anyway. Prior to the '60s, most people's idea of relaxing and having fun was a martini or a beer, and the movies reflected that. They were often loose, fizzy, informal. After that, the general idea was that the whole point of art and entertainment was to resemble a drug trip -- to be far more upsetting, overwhelming, mind-warping, etc. And since then that's been what the business has been peddling. CGI spectacles aren't misunderstood as substitutes for LSD trips.
ReplyDeleteAnd one thing that struck me during the later stretch of my years in the media was how many people in the biz had gone on mood-brighteners. (Had they all been depressed in the years prior? And if so, why?) But it really made diff in the general tenor and feeling of the American media during the Tina-Brown-and-later years, IMHO. I'd look at a newsstand (remember those?) and all these bright, beaming, concept-heavy, cheery, aggressive covers would be staring back at me, and I'd think, "Wow, it's like looking into the face of someone who's overdosed on Prozac."
ReplyDeleteGeneral theory: you can't really understand American culture without knowing something about which mind-altering substances people are using.
ReplyDeleteAnd not just America, of course. Self-promo alert: Read a bit here about how the arrival of coffee hit British culture.
One could easily get a physic like that by avoiding carbs (or even just sugar) and doing a little light lifting. He looks good but not inhuman.
ReplyDeleteI eat paleo and do squats and looks far bigger and leaner than him. Never touched roids.
-JPI
In her interview last week on tv, Kirsten Powers said that in the three months they saw one another, it became clear to her, "he had issues."
ReplyDeleteI didn't think that she necessarily meant by that anything sexual, but now that I think about it, she could have meant he had problems with aggression, period.
BTW, today's news has coverage of his use of the Congressional gym.
Now the last stand -treatment.
ReplyDelete'Uh, congressman, what do you hope to get out of treatment?'
'I want to save my plum job and learn how to flirt more discreetly.'
Forgive, forgive that I should link from Steve's site to TMZ, but there you can see the series of shots Mr. Exhibitionist took of himself in the House gym. Several of the photos show him with his hand on his crotch. In one he's totally naked.
ReplyDeleteWhere does sleazy end and a certifiable brain disorder begin? Ah, well, I guess that's what is meant by "impulse control problems." These people feel at the time that their idea is a good one. Do they ever look back, a minute late, a few hours later, a week or month later and say to themselves, "Jeez, that could get out and ruin me"?
http://www.tmz.com/
ClarksvilleTNLeafChronicle
ReplyDeleteCOLUMN: Weiner living above bill he cosponsored?
11:51 PM, Jun. 11, 2011
...
Most ironically, in 2007, Rep. Weiner cosponsored a bill that made it through the House of Representatives called the KIDS Act of 2007 (Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators) — a bill intended to protect children from online sexual predators. Speaking about the bill, Weiner said, "Sadly, the internet is the predator's venue of choice today. We need to update our strategies and our laws to stop these offenders who are a mere click away from our children."
...
Whiskey - uh, look, if you're taking steroids, maybe you shouldn't be sending pictures of your shriveled genitalia, y'know? Stick to the parts that steroids made look BETTER.
ReplyDeleteBut then, like Steve said, maybe the drugs make stupid, stupid things sound like a good idea.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/06/books/in-the-basement-of-the-ivory-tower-by-professor-x-review.html?_r=1
ReplyDelete"This book began its life as a fizzy essay, published in The Atlantic Monthly in 2008, that contained at its core, like a radioactive pellet, a seemingly uncontroversial argument: Not every American kid is cut out for college."
You have to hide your identity to even say the obvious? Maybe Sailer should go by Steve X.
SS, I think you nailed it. Weiner is a little bit too muscular for a small-frame Jewish man of about 40. The poor judgement is another clue. I wonder what other bad decisions he's made, not only in his personal life, but also as a US congressman doing the people's business. Noentheless, the steroid abuse defense might work for Weiner.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous, 6/11/11, 6:06pm: "Everyone ignores the influence of drugs on recent events." So, true. Just spend a day in the ordinary workplace office environment. I swear, 50% of the workers (and 90% of the females) are on some kind of mood-altering substance or another (both legal and illegal). That'd be fine if they could all take the proper doses.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous, 6/11/11, 6:08pm: "how is it all these 'buff ' people are walking around these days, I lifted weights in high school for football- intense program. We NEVER got that 'buff'."
ReplyDeleteYes, I sometimes wonder the same thing. In any public place, it seems the young men, 18 - 30 years old, all seem to be well over 6'2" 200 lbs, solid, and pretty agressive. I'm 47 and very fit, 6-0, 170 lbs but these guys dwarf me. I have never been able to put on more than 10 pounds of muscle. Maybe, we're just remembering the outliers. I guess there are plenty of short out-of-shape men walking around.
Weiner is one of the ugliest men I've ever seen. Why would anyone care to have a look at his dick?
ReplyDeleteKeep in mind that Weiner is in his mid 40s and muscle tone normally peaks in one' 20s. Did he have a reputation for spending lots of time in the gym? Those pecs are not normal for a sedentary guy in his mid 40s. Roids may be the answer.
ReplyDeleteThose pecs are not normal for a sedentary guy in his mid 40s. Could be roids....
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is that if those photos make any of you think he might be on 'roids, then you've obviously never even been to a gym before. He looks like any other man of his age with an endomorphic frame. Skinny arms, and widening gut. If he's on 'roids, he has a fraud case against his dealer.
ReplyDeleteWhat I want to know is when is the feminist left going to come around full circle and start blaming his wife Huma for not attending to his manly 'needs'? I think there are more than a few that are close to that in public and you know that many are saying it in private. The Victorian circle that is feminism (something Henry James was on to years ago) is closing in front our eyes.
There are shades of gray. Could be run-of-the-mill testosterone treatment, something that increased his T level from low-normal to high-normal for example.
ReplyDeleteSteve, I bet that you don't pay for the New York Times, that you use easy means to go around it.
ReplyDelete"Weiner is one of the ugliest men I've ever seen."
ReplyDeleteHe looks like Rahm. Does anyone have a photo of Rahm in a ballerina outfit?
Ray:
ReplyDeleteI think you're right, and that this would be an interesting topic for a book. In particular, US society has transitioned from a huge fraction of adults smoking to a small fraction--it's interesting to ask if there's been an impact there. Similarly, I think we've gotten much more caffeinated as a society over the last 20-30 years. (And though it seems unlikely to have had the same impact, we've also gotten much more widely into hot chili peppers.) Along with that, there are antidepressants, pain medications on their endless fear of addiction/dislike of suffering pendulum, ADHD drugs, coke, meth, pot, etc.
I wonder if there's good enough information available to really get a good picture of the impact these drugs have on decisionmaking in our society.
Ray:
ReplyDeleteA parallel question involves the impact of other life-altering ideas, patterns, etc. Think of psychotherapy, which seems like it became extremely common sometime in my parents' generation, and which must have had some interesting effects on how people thought. Think of the waning of religions, ethnic neighborhoods, and tight-knit communities. Or divorce and remarriage and all the effects that has had on both adults and kids. Or the transition toward less free time and more structured activities for kids.
All those must be having an interesting effect on people over time. It would be interesting to know what kind of effect....
To: Dweebs on Caffeine
ReplyDeleteYou know you're hangin' out with a bunch of sickly nerds when you start seeing accusations of steroid use against any guy who is the tiniest bit physically fit.
Stop panicking that any guy with some definition is gonna outperform you in the dating market. Relax. Breath deep. Think.
1. How many actual dates did Weiner get by tweeting his body parts?
2. How many of the women sent similar pics of themselves?
3. If what you said about the money is true, perhaps he was only getting dates because he was a big spender.
4. Note: hotness inversely related to functionality in Weiner's online pics, or the woman was simply too young for him.
One compliment for Weiner. He does seem to know what his looks will and won't get him. Huma is attractive though not spectacular and in his line of work. The hot chick he actually dated, possibly the reason he's broke. ;0) Damn JAPS.
Now, back to dweeb dating advice.
1. Know your level of sexiness plus whatever your assets social or fiscal.
2. Don't expect a starlet unless it's a middle aged, jilted Gina Davis or Mimi Rogers type & you're way smart.
3. Again, lots of great single chicks at bookstores. You might even be able to gauge their political affiliations by choice of bookstore/reading material.
Steve:
ReplyDeleteI find it hard to hold Weiner's letter against him in the slightest. In the middle of two open wars and several undeclared ones, in the middle of the war on terror, it's hard to imagine that this was the most important thing Congress or the FBI could be spending its time on.
I don't think Weiner's on steroids. I think he's a guy who desperately wanted to be a "player" and assumed that he needed a great body to achieve that goal. He also clearly wanted women to desire him, even if it never led to sex ... or, at least, not real-life sex. That's a rather feminine quality, by the way - the need to be desired solely for one's physical attractiveness. It's sad how many young men seem to feel that way today; it's even sadder and weirder in a man in his mid-40s.
ReplyDeleteSo, anyway, Weiner spent a lot of time at the gym and may well have worked with a personal trainer. His physique is not that extraordinary for a man with low body fat who has a put a lot of effort into having a good body.
I don't care about his on-line sex life and can't imagine why anyone other than his wife would care. How is a sexual kink like that supposed to affect his performance as a congressman, especially one who's not know as a proponent of so-called family values?
Alas, much as I wanted to be on his side, Weiner lost my support - as so many scandal-plagued politicians do - by lying and covering up. Maybe it's 20/20 hindsight, and maybe it's easier to understand when you're not the victim of a media storm like this, but he should have just said something like:
"Yeah, I've done some sexual stuff on line. So have many of you in this room. I have done nothing illegal. This is a matter between my wife and me, and I'm not to explain it further."
His career might or might not have survived the revelation of these latest pictures, but at least he'd have some dignity.
If you're that ugly you need to be buff (and he is NOT particularly buffed out).
ReplyDeleteAgain, lots of great single chicks at bookstores. You might even be able to gauge their political affiliations by choice of bookstore/reading material.
ReplyDeleteBut all the bookstores are going out of business. We'll have to correspond by email or Twitter. If it's email, we can send each other... attachments.
... In the middle of two open wars and several undeclared ones, in the middle of the war on terror, it's hard to imagine that this was the most important thing Congress or the FBI could be spending its time on.
I'm sure you'd say that if The Weener were a Republican.
... How is a sexual kink like that supposed to affect his performance as a congressman, especially one who's not know as a proponent of so-called family values?
To repeat:
Most ironically, in 2007, Rep. Weiner cosponsored a bill that made it through the House of Representatives called the KIDS Act of 2007 (Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators) — a bill intended to protect children from online sexual predators. Speaking about the bill, Weiner said, "Sadly, the internet is the predator's venue of choice today. We need to update our strategies and our laws to stop these offenders who are a mere click away from our children."
////////
Steve, I see ads on TV and billboards for low testosterone treatment -- "low T."
How effective is that? Is that something an apparently healthy middle-aged gent needs? Does testosterone supplementation change behavior and personality?
Weiner's lack of mass doesn't disprove his having used roids or HGH, because there's no reason to assume that ectomorphs would gain as much muscle per unit of exogenous enhancement as mesomorphs would.
ReplyDeleteStill, Occam's razor, absent more impressive information, cuts out all explanations save for Weiner being innately more exhibitionist, narcisistic, risk-seeking, and libidinous than the typical politician. Outliers happen.
The fact that a mainstream guy like Sailer thinks a skinny guy like that is on steroids and
ReplyDelete"buff" puts in perspective why bodybuilding will never be accepted by the general public. That guy is 165 lbs of skinny/fat. How is he on steroids? This is ridiculous!!!! You think he looks like he takes steroids? Do you have any idea what guys who take steroids really look like? Go to google and type "Dorian Yates" or "Markus Ruhl" or bette yet, Andreas Münzer and then look at the pictures. I am talking about guys who, at a height of 5'10, weight 320 lbs at 2% bodyfat(yes, 2%).
Have you ever considered the possibility that guy took shirtless pictures of himself not because he was on steroids, but because he is a POLITICIAN? What is the common denominator of entering politics and taking a shirtless picture of oneself and posting it for everyone to see? Think, dumbasses. The common denominator is the desire to be the center of attention. How do you need steroids for that? Women have a lot less anabolic steroids surging through their veins and yet they love being the center of attention a lot more than men do. Taking a picture of oneself and posting it for everyone to see is not a sign of testosterone use; it is a sign of estrogens overload!
David:
ReplyDeleteI think you may have misunderstood what I was talking about--I was referring to Weiner's letter suggesting that Congress was wasting it's time with hearings about juicing in baseball. He was right.
Now, the amount of news time devoted to this goofy scandal is kind of sad, and if Congress has hearings on it, that will also probably be a waste of time, but at least it will be business that belongs in Congress--policing their own.
The thing that would be interesting to know is who else was sitting on those texts and tweets, and what they were getting out of Weiner to keep that information quiet.
"You know you're hangin' out with a bunch of sickly nerds when you start seeing accusations of steroid use against any guy who is the tiniest bit physically fit."
ReplyDeleteHe's 46.
Do some basic research, bro.
Get Off My Lawn! said...
ReplyDeletesounds like you're just taking his side coz of ethnic issues.
"Do some basic research, bro."
ReplyDeleteAre you saying you're over 40 and have manboobs? Most women don't mind as long as all the other equipment is still there.
"The common denominator is the desire to be the center of attention. How do you need steroids for that?"
ReplyDeleteIn a hurry?
Testosterone must be one of the most misunderstood drugs under regular prescription. And this post here doesn't help. May I suggest a much simpler (less Occam's butter knife) explanation for Weiner's, DSK's, and Arnold's recent missteps?
ReplyDeleteBeing the center of attention--either in the political, sports, or industrial sphere--with its attendant cadre of sycophants, hangers-on, and constituents tends to, over time, inflate one's ego. Void of the daily checks and balances of moral norms, one's internal compass regarding what's socially proper vs. improper falls out of balance. It's this factor (and not testosterone) that leads to "behavior [with a high] seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time factor".
(Note that the public stature of the participant also increases the newsworthiness or our hearing about such misteps when they do occur).
Sure, one can look to medicalize the bad behavior by checking one's self into a "sexual addition recovery program" (e.g., Woods), or for "treatment for an undisclosed disorder at an undisclosed location" (Weiner), or one can go so far as to blame it on testosterone (as does Sailer), but very often bad behavior is simply bad behavior.
Ross Douthat has some thoughts on the narcissism relating to Anthony Weiner here.
ReplyDeleteI'd say he's done the 'roids at some point. His nipples look a little stretched at the left one(his right)looks like he's got a little gyno.
ReplyDeleteOver all though, that's one hell of a creepy picture.
Definitely not for the squeemish
Rated R...
He clearly works out, but also seems to have pec implants. Sort of looks like scarring in the middle.
ReplyDelete"In a hurry?"
ReplyDeleteExcept that he looks to be about 160 lbs of skinny/fat. Skinny/fat is how we define in bodybuilding a guy who has no muscle and yet a relatively high percentage of bodyfat. The average male is close to 180 lbs. So how is a 160 lbs guy who appears to be above average in bodyfat on steroids? Do you guys have any idea of how fucking insane you sound?(and yes, I a including Sailer here). You are either delusional or the World's biggest geeks with the worst possible muscle-building genetics
Come on, folks. Wake up and smell the sex addiction. This doesn't have anything to do with drugs, social standing, race, genetics, stress...etc. etc. etc. This is an addictive, destructive, compulsive behavior. I'm sure some of you will probably have opinions about what I've posted....whatever. Tired of our society looking for the outs...excuses... Men, women, teenagers, kids.....yeh, the internet is such a wonderful thing. It can be. But this topic...it's big, it's real, it is destroying families, jobs, lives....yeh, you can call me an alarmist, and wag your tongues some more. Needless to say, EDUCATE YOURSELVES before you open you mugs.
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