New article, and it's the one that explains all the others. I was 200 pounds at nine years old. 300 at thirteen while wrestling. 400 at twenty-five. Then a back injury at 450 took my movement and I climbed to 725. That's when I learned what a prison actually is. Not walls. A body that won't let you leave. I also learned the scale was lying to me, the hard way, in a hospital. I'm done trying to escape the cell. I'm claiming it.
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Why “No One Wants AI” Is a Lie That Saved My Life
When a devastating breakup and a hospital bed left me alone at 3 a.m., AI became the lifeline I never expected. This raw, personal story explores how an unexpected source of support pulled me back from the edge, and why the growing chorus of “no one wants AI anymore” erases people like me who are still here because of it.
What I Eat When I’m Allowed to Eat-A 500-Pound Man’s 3.5-Day Refeed Window
Article Two is live. The refeed window. What I actually eat after 84 hours of fasting. The clean day. The McDonald's run I am not pretending didn't happen. The protein pudding recipe that holds the whole thing together. The science of why one bad day doesn't burn the protocol. I show you both because both are real. Every fasting blog shows you the perfect plate. This is the honest one.
I’m a Sumo Sized Ginger Who Fasts 3.5 Days a Week. Here’s What Actually Happens.
Also on Medium I’m a Sumo Sized Ginger Who Fasts 3.5 Days a Week. Here’s What Actually Happens. Three weeks into a six-month honest experiment in losing the weight every diet failed to take. By Joseph Riley Long | Published May 2026 TL;DR: I’m Joseph Riley Long. I’m 500 pounds and I’ve been overweight since I … Continue reading I’m a Sumo Sized Ginger Who Fasts 3.5 Days a Week. Here’s What Actually Happens.
A Toll Paid in Soul: The Brutal Economics of Earl’s Demon
In the apocalypse, Earl didn't just have an addiction; he had a business manager named Demon who showed up every time the rent was due. His whole story is a terrifying financial model: the ultimate interest-only loan where the collateral is his very soul. Every withdrawal isn't a symptom; it's a terrifying, spiritual foreclosure. This is the breakdown of the most expensive transaction in the story.
A Ship Without a Rudder: The High Price of Being the Last One Standing
We're taught to celebrate the survivor, the one who makes it to the end credits. But what if survival isn't a victory? What if it's just a different kind of death? This is the story of Kristin, a woman who began the apocalypse as her group's heart and soul, only to have that part of her brutally amputated by grief and necessity. Her journey is a grim look at the high cost of making it out alive, and a chilling reminder that in a world this broken, sometimes the last one standing is just the first one who truly died.
The Green Room: Why the Monster is a Mushroom, Not a Virus
Forget viruses. Forget simple death. The monster in this apocalypse is far more intimate, far more horrifying. It's a fungus that doesn't just want to kill you; it wants to wear your skin, hollow you out, and replace your very soul with its own alien purpose. This isn't a story about the end of humanity. It's about the terrifying, parasitic conversion of it. This is the autopsy of the hostile takeover of the self.
Human Lightning Rod: The Lie of the Suburban Dream
Long before the first monster kicked down the door, millions were already trapped in their own private apocalypses, smiling for the neighbors while the foundation rotted out from under them. This is the story of Peter and Talia, a family collapsing under the weight of the suburban dream. Their tragedy is a quiet one, a death by a thousand cuts, proving that the most familiar horrors are often the ones we refuse to see until it's too late.
Stop Being Scared: A Guide to Generative AI for Book Images That Won’t Suck Your Soul
Stop fearing AI! This practical guide for authors shows how to ethically use generative AI for book images, character art, and even cover design. Learn the best AI tools for writers, master prompt engineering with step-by-step examples for fantasy characters, and discover the secrets to creating visually consistent artwork for your novel.
I Fed My Soul to an AI: The Brutal, Unedited Autopsy of My Memoir
Is AI manuscript feedback just generic fluff? I'm Joseph R. Long, author and founder of The Amos Report. I ran my own raw memoir through our multi-agent AI. Here are three full, unedited reports. See for yourself.