Dear March—Come in

Hello, everyone!

Do you know the feeling of struggling back to a semblance of an ordinary routine after being ill? Between my sciatica and that darned cold, my schedule has been a bit topsy-turvey of late. But, I’m using the energy I do have to great effect, and that’s the key to prospering during hard times.

The most important thing I can be doing for my health right now is exercising. Being severely overweight when I was a teenager and young adult has finally caught up with me (an important reminder of how important maintaining a healthy weight is for everyone). But, in the last couple of years, I’ve taken up strength training, and I’m now hitting the weights even harder than ever.

There are two deadly myths about weight loss: one is that you need to do cardio to lose weight, and the other is that you need to lose weight by dieting.

Cardio is part of a healthy body, but the single most effective way to lose fat is to build muscle. The goal, therefore, shouldn’t be so much about losing weight as about adding muscle.

As for diets, they usually result in short-term gains and long-term pains. A modulated eating habit that cuts out all processed foods and sugars is the best way to go. Lots of lean meat, lots of eggs, lots of fruit and veg, and a reasonable amount of grain.

Between the these two pillars is a healthy life. For someone like me, who has a whole host of rather serious chronic illnesses, concentrating on verifiable physical health gains is key.

The rest of my week has been spent working on MLIS coursework and resting. I’ve also started looking into possible PhD. programs for when my MLIS is finished. The earlier you start that sort of research, the better.

Oh, and the title of this newsletter is from a poem by Emily Dickenson.

Writing

I have an eclectic mix of articles for you this week. On top of working on one of my novels, I’ve been touching in on all my various hobbies and interests — as well as writing a huge load for the MLIS.

• Best Video Game Mods of All Time Some mods can change the world.
• Going Medieval: A Colony Sim Game Potential, if the developers are willing to risk some innovation
• AI Comes to Brave, the Privacy-Respecting Browser Brave has launched “Summarizer,” a new AI-powered search tool.
• Anarchism’s Serious Leisure Exploring political and social groups through the lens of deep personal interest.
• The Most Underrated Science Fiction Films of the 1980s The 1980s had some huge sci-fi blockbusters, and some great underrated hits as well!

From the world

Leaked audio reveals US rail workers were told to skip inspections as Ohio crash prompts scrutiny to industry. It’s no secret that the United States has fallen far behind every other wealthy country in almost all respects, but the recent train derailment highlights this in an even starker way.

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Check out this incredible bit of stop-motion filmmaking.

Comfort

Well, that’s all for me this week, folks! Check out those articles and let me hear your thoughts. If you have a subject you’d like me to research and write about, send it my way!

Until next week. Go easy. And, if you can’t go easy, go as easy as you can.

~Odin