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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
August 17, 2005
/ 12 Av, 5765
In a big country, dreams stay with you
By
Jerry Large
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
These days Timothy Barry is living off the fat of the land, taking
advantage of a huge market niche that has been overlooked by other
business people.
Barry sells products that make life easier for people who tip the
scales at more than, say, 300 pounds.
He has lots of potential customers; obesity is a national burden not
likely to be lightened soon. Every year or so a supposed new
solution arises, only to fall short. Millions latched onto the
Atkins diet (lose weight by eating steak and bacon; no bread or
cake), but not many could keep it up. Atkins Nutritionals filed for
bankruptcy protection a few weeks ago.
But while other folks bemoan America's girth-growth, Barry is making
a living from it.
He knows a lot about what heavy people need. Barry himself would
break an ordinary scale. The kind you find at most stores can't
handle more than 300 pounds and Barry weighs 360.
He runs a Web business, SuperSizeWorld.com, out of Vancouver, Wash.,
selling nearly 300 products for really large people.
They sell sturdy scales, of course, and step-stools that can handle
1,000 pounds, along with extra-big towels, toenail clippers with
long handles and a magnifying glass so that a person with certain
obstructions can see the trimmed nails.
I asked Barry about the business and he told me he isn't a fat
activist, just a businessman who thinks being weighty shouldn't have
to be so inconvenient.
I know something of what he's talking about. If I'd only been an
inch taller I'd have a lot easier time buying clothes. My two
brothers are left-handed, which reduces their choices for some
things. Women with hips or anyone who doesn't fit the mid-range mold
in a standardized world knows a bit of what he feels.
Barry has always been a big guy. He's 6-foot-1 and he was a
competitive power-lifter when he was younger. But he says that as he
got older he acquired heft in more and more places, none of which
had to do with weightlifting.
For a number of years he was the president of a Web development
company that had offices in eight states, so he flew a lot.
He says he got bigger as seats got smaller, so half the time he
needed a seat-belt extender to strap himself in. Sometimes, he says,
flight attendants would rudely drop the extender in his lap, or he'd
be embarrassed when they'd say over the speaker system that the
passenger in 14F needed an extender.
Once he was flying out of Boston and there happened to be several
other large people on the plane. There weren't enough extenders, so
the flight was held until the crew could borrow more from another
aircraft.
"Right then, I made up my mind: I would carry my own."
He checked the Internet, but no one sold seat-belt extenders. He
checked with the FAA and they said there was no rule against a
passenger bringing his own, so Barry hooked up with the manufacturer
and put up a Web site, called Extend-it.com, which immediately drew
customers. He's sold thousands of extenders.
That was three years ago. His Web development company was still
hurting from the burst Internet bubble and just as Barry was
thinking there might be some opportunity in making life more
comfortable and convenient for big people, downsizing pushed him
out, giving him incentive to make his ideas concrete.
He started selling heavy-duty scales, and then he went on a cruise and
got another idea. Cruises have lifeboat drills the first day out but
they couldn't find a life vest to fit Barry.
This April he went all the way, with SuperSizeWorld.com, which
carries tons of stuff an average-size person wouldn't think of.
There is a shower massager for cleaning hard to reach areas, and
huge hangers for big clothes, which are not only too large for most
hangers, but too heavy from many of them. One, called Hangerzilla,
claims to handle up to 100 pounds. There's even a giant toilet seat.
Barry says he buys lots of his merchandise from mainstream companies
that make products for big people, but have a hard time persuading
stores to carry them. It's stuff people have always had to special
order.
Other products are made by small niche producers eager for an
outlet. And there's the world's longest watch band, which Barry
thought up and found a company in Hong Kong to make for him.
Business has been brisk, he says, customers from all over, but
especially the Southeastern part of the country. Can anyone say
fried chicken and gravy? Barry's native Northwest lags behind the
rest of the country, except for life jackets. There's lots of water
around here.
"You can't swing a dead cow without hitting a story about how we're
all getting fatter," he says. "They're all focused on losing
weight." In the meantime, there's no reason for a big person to be
uncomfortable.
Barry's an entrepreneur who knows which side his bread is buttered
on.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Jerry Large is a Seattle Times columnist. Comment by clicking here.
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© 2005, Seattle Times; Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services
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