Appalachian Theory

In 2018, I decided to stop being lazy and started going to the gym. The course to getting from 320lbs to 240lbs has been wrought by many setbacks (COVID, moving, new jobs, new gyms, rich, poor, lymphoma, iron toxicity, high triglycerides, and a slew of other zingers we will get to). But I was always fixated on two basic science elements: a. You need to burn more calories than you consume to lose fat. End of discussion. b. You need to build muscle, muscle maintenance increases the floor of your daily caloric burn.  c. I wanted to do both a and b at the same time.  So what did I do? Well I got on a treadmill. That was obvious. Then I started randomly using random pieces of equipment at the gym. This got my weight down to 296lbs in two months (for those doing math, that was 24 pounds in 8 weeks, or 3 pounds a week lost) in the same time I added virtually no new muscle growth. Something was wrong and I discovered it while reading those Men's Health magazines, something about consu...

First they gave me an ID number, and I complied.  Then they put me through mandatory schooling, and I complied. Then they forced me to work for my survival, and I complied.  Next they forced me to pay taxes to the bureaucracy, and I complied. Calculated, they forced me to wear a seat belt when I drive to work, and I complied. They mandated that I support strangers that be sick, poor or old with my wages, and I complied.  Never to be outdone, they proceeded to demand that I pay for a war of egos, and I complied.  Menacing their hands, they asked me to pay for the mistakes of billionaires, and I complied. Without hesitation, now they mandate that I buy corporate insurance to save the healthcare industry, and I comply Regrouping, they ask that I pay for a wall and internment camps, and I comply.  Today, they ask me to wear a mask to protect others from a virus, and I refuse, fore I have rights and will not be silenced and herded like sheep to a slaughter...

Are they even called that anymore? I have always read books in their paper form, saving digital media for social media, how-to's, recipes, and exploring my personal wonder - by that, I mean Wikipedia. I have been through seven long years of college and have amassed over 70 books during that time all related to the readings of coursework. I don't even remember what class mandated that I read The Jungle or God Gave Us Reason -- Not Religion . But they did, and instead of just renting them, I bought a fresh copy, right off Amazon's Click-to-Print presses. My collection of college-mandated books also includes lucrative reads like Organic Chemistry 3rd Edition and Modern Inventing 6th Edition .  I know, these two are at the top of Amazon Best Sellers list. In fact, instead of paying $680 for Organic Chemistry like I did, you can get this exact edition for just $30! What a bargain! I mean, who knows when I may need to reference the chemistry vices circa 2013? My first ...