Beer in the Headlights

For some odd reason the marvel of the United States Postal Service's juggernaut of logistical efficiency somehow managed to lose then find my copy of Eat What You Want and Die Like a Man by author, blogger, shooter, and self-styled tool hoarder Steve Graham. So I'm a little slow on the uptake here and my review of and plug for Steve's book is behind the curve, so to speak.

In a few ways Steve Graham and I are kindred spirits. We both love food and take a strong disliking to the folks in the federal government's They Bureau of Research and Wisdom and their tyrannical influence on our eating habits.

What? You don't know about that government entity, you say? Sure you do. They are the folks from the oft-spoken phrase, "They say." It's a small yet powerful agency created under the Johnson administration to augment LBJ's grandiose social engineering boondoggle of the Great Society. So powerful and influential is the They Bureau of Research and Wisdom that even agents Mulder and Scully declined to investigate their nefarious affairs.

They say you shouldn't eat such fatty food. They say you shouldn't consume so much refined sugar. They say you should incorporate more soy into your diet.

Feh. If you do what they say you'll be a full-fledged gelding under the control of the modern day nanny state. And maybe even the Skull and Bones Society.

Don't bother trying to find them on snopes.com. That Web site is a front for the They Bureau of Research and Wisdom. It's a virtual clearing house for the urban legends and wives' tales that support the They Bureau's agenda.

One man, and one man alone has the gumption to take on the elite and powerful members of They Bureau of Research and Wisdom. That man is Steve Graham. He's done so with a potent arsenal of humor, wit, third party aliases and giant container of bacon grease.

(Click on the image above to order.)

Eat What You Want and Die Like a Man isn't really a cookbook, although over two dozen recipes adorn its pages. Rather it's a collection of essays railing against the effete control freaks that attempt to dictate our diet, reflections on family and life experiences as well as some humorous jabs at some well-deserving celebrities. Think of Steve Graham as a contemporary Patrick Henry of dietary liberty. Or is he more of a food-centric Ambrose Bierce without the bitter aftertaste?

Regardless, Eat What You Want and Die Like a Man is a terrific read with humorous references ranging from popular culture to fictitious Biblical passages and consistent doses of self-deprecating humor. Having tried some of the recipes prior to the book's release, I can attest to both their delectable nature and life-threatening attributes.

Go ahead and order the book. Read it. Share it. Enjoy the recipes. Buy a copy for your wealthy parents so that trust fund money kicks in sooner.