LessThanBaxter

Hey guys! My name is Chris. I am 20 years old, and have been plagued with weight issues (as well as health issues regarding my weight) for many years. After having surgery on my back in January of 2006, the activities that had allowed me to maintain my weight (primarily weightlifting) were off-limits, which, along with being immobile for literally months, led me to gaining a serious amount of weight, to the point that I was at the highest in my life (nearly 340 pounds). I got banded (with the support of my mom) on November 14th by Dr. Fusco in Melbourne, Florida. Anyhoo ... The lowest I can recall being in the last 6 years was 205 pounds, and even then I was uncomfortable with myself and known as the "overweight" kid. I was able to maintain a weight of 240 pounds (about 60 pounds over my "healthy" weight) for years, but just lost control once I left high school. Two weeks after my surgery, I am now around the 320 pound range, and hope to near my weight goal of 180 pounds near my 21st birthday... Okay, that's a bit unfeasable... Well, I hope to be down to 180 pounds at least while I'm 21! :^P Thank you all ahead of time, and I look forward to being a part of this community. :^)

Thanks everyone for your replies regarding me! Sorry it took me so long to make it back here... Haha. :^P

Again, thank you very much ... It truly means a lot to me for someone to say all of that. Hopefully I'll be seeing you around these forums for quite some time to come! Take care! :^)

I thank you for the kind words. :^) I agree completely that they will take a lighter approach towards his "legacy", if you will. His presidency has been filled with many historically memorable events (whether for the better or the worst, I don't quite know). Have I gotten rich? Heck no. I'm just a 20 year old college student who's taking his time to graduate, as I deal with health-related issues. However, I do know that, even though the DOW Jones doesn't represent every single American or their personal economic prosperity, it does however represent an extremely simplified "report card" (if you will) of the current capitalist/economic status of America. If it didn't matter, then when the DOW was around 8,000 a few years back, we wouldn't have constantly heard criticisms from politicians that the "floundering economy" was a result of Bush's policies. I know that I wasn't the only one who was hearing these constant criticisms. I would watch MSNBC, CNN, and FOX News, and every single one of them would mention it on nearly a weekly basis. The information that has been set forth on this thread, for the most part, has described solely the negatives of Bush's decisions and/or policies. To take the time to sort out and post each of these said "biased descriptions" would be futile, because it would just waste my time, and wouldn't prove anything to anyone. The problem with politics (and I've been guilty of this, too) is that, no matter what you say, and no matter how persuasive you make your arguement, the other person is just going to get agitated with you and continue to believe what he or she wants. But, as I displayed in the post in which you responded, I try to at least look at and point out both the positive and the negative aspects of the said political figure, even if I don't completely admire or agree with him. To not do so, or at least attempt to, is when I feel the information gets drowned with the bitterness of biasness. That is one of the reasons I don't care for the extremists on either sides of the political spectrum. The Rush Limbaughs/extreme conservatives and the Michael Moores/extreme liberals have nothing better to do than take the truth, twist it just enough to fit their agenda, and feed it to the admiring public. I've noticed from first-hand experience (partially due to being a college-going student) that many of my peers buy word-for-word of many of these extremists have to say, without going out and researching for themselves. I thank you for understanding, but please understand that I'm not 100% behind President Bush. As a history enthusiast, I respect him for his role as the President of my country, but his decisions often anger even myself. I just don't neccessarily fall into place when it comes to considering him the worst President in our history. There have been huge scandals during Presidential terms (even in the early 1900's) that would seriously rock any cabinet of this day and age, and had political correctness been more prominent in those eras, as it is today, then those Presidents would be infamously known ... Probably even worse so than Bush is, today. I can definitely understand, and people are allowed to be passionate about anything they'd like. I just think that credibility can be diminished or gained if someone is completely unable to see the good as well as the bad. But, that's just my opinion. The Republicans who completely denounced Clinton as a President are just as guilty of being biased and one-sided as the people who either blindly hate, or even blindly follow, President Bush. I believe that this example of political polarity is harmful to Americans, as a whole. But until both parties step up and start doing something, I'm afraid it's just going to get worse and worse. Anyway ... Besides checking back and possibly replying to whatever you have to say, I'm not sure if I'm going to discuss politics much more on this forum. I get enough of that in my daily life. Hahaha... Thank you for understanding, though, and for making such an intelligible reply. :^)

You get Hollywood ... And that's a good thing? Hahaha...

I, unfortunately, had the same type of procedure performed, so I know exactly what you mean. :^) Oh, and thank you all again for the warm welcome.

Wow. People here are rather hostile, even for a "Rant and Rave" section, or whatever. I've been a member of four forums prior to this one, and have posted numerous times in sections titled "Trash Talk", and have yet to have seen such biased displays of "information", or such criticisms and generalizations of someone because of their political stance. I consider myself to be rather moderate in my beliefs, and I try to view each side of an issue before completely making up my mind. Unfortunately, since I'm human, I'm not always true to my word, and my stubborness will occasionally get the best of me. Anyhoo ... As far as this thread goes: I think George W. Bush will go down in history as an average President. Unforeseen circumstances can either make or break a Presidential legacy; some Presidents have gone down in history among the greatest (Abraham Lincoln, for example) due partially to the luck of being in the right place at the right time. I mean, Lincoln's original intentions were to do anything possible to hold the Union together (even if it meant keeping slavery enstated), but when the southern states suddenly seceded from the Union and fired upon Fort Sumter, it began a long journey that would lead him to become a legend of a President. However, on the other hand, some unexpected events can ruin a Presidential legacy (Calvin Coolidge and the Great Depression, for example). In Bush's case, only time will tell what historians will say about his presidency. The fact of the matter is that Bush acted upon faulty intelligence, and he did so rather hastily. Also, under his tax cuts (which he proposed before 9/11, and followed through upon afterwards), along with the heightened security efforts and forces abroad, the federal deficit has reached an all-time high. The positive, however, has his administration being credited for removing a ruthless dictator who murdered thousands upon thousands of citizens, as well as the stock market going from a recession just a few years ago, to being the highest in history (the DOW Jones, specifically). Again, a "what if" situation arises ... "What if" we never got attacked on 9/11? "What if" we never went to war? Would his Presidency had sailed as smoothly as that of Clinton's? Unfortunately, we'll never know ... But I believe that enough history-altering events have occured in the last 5 years that'll keep him from going down as the worst. Then again, the historians will ultimately be the one to judge. :^P

Rather than writing a lengthy response to everyone's replies, I'll just say this in answer to the topic's title: No, he's not the worst. He's definitely not the best, but he's not the worst, either. That is all. :^P

Thank you all very much. It means a lot to me, and I am very thankful to be having this opportunity to turn my life around at such a young age. :^)

I'm 20 years old and single. Unfortunately, in my case, at least, being overweight brings your confidence down to the point where it practically vanishes... For my entire life, I've had to watch my siblings (one older brother, one younger brother, and one younger sister) get dates with ease, but, even if I had the chance, I rarely took them due to my lack in self-confidence. Hopefully that'll change as I lose weight, and I'll start getting some attention from the ladies! lol.