YMCA Family membership: 100 dollars per month

Weight Watchers Meeting minus materials: 40 per month

Whole Wheat Bread: 3 dollars a loaf versus cheap bread at a buck a loaf.

People can't walk around their neighborhoods or play outside safely. This book is right on the mark. The political left is so far outside the realities of poor folks who can't afford and internet connection let alone a subscription to SALON. Why did we stop caring about the poor and hungry? Because obsessing about food and exercise is a nice self involved hobby to keep our backsides looking sweet but we come out smelling like a pig. This is why GW is a two term president.

I cannot believe the cold heartless state of affairs among so-called progressives. There are people posting here that would throw themselves in front of a bus to save a dog but cannot find it within themselves to have some compassion for fellow human beings. Is it seriously this difficult for people to imagine how much harder it would be for a person without means to make dramatic lifestyle changes? Walk a mile people. Find your SOUL.

In Minnneapolis the farmers market is only open in the summer. Even then the food comes from the same purveors as the local grocery store. Our growing season is so short that we are advised to not even put in our plants until after Memorial day. Often the Second week in June!

Shall I dine on Saurkraut and potatoes all winter long? No thanks. I have children who say, "yes" to salad thanks to readily available yummy organic greens all year long! Just think of it regular folks able to afford green vegtables, interesting cheeses and affordable wine! Keep your canned green beans and ENDLESS months of root vegtables. Trader Joes has an awesome selection of frozen organic vegtables.

Also I think an awesome point has been made about just why California has the ability to grow despite lack of LOCAL water.

Running changed my life forever. I ran two really slow marathons; the second one faster (dammit). But seriously is it the slow runners' fault that the serious athletes are sucking it up in world class competion? I am so fed up with complaining from "real" runners about less talented runners joining the field and taking up running with enough commitment to run full marathons. I have volunteered at plenty of races and the most joyful runners are on a pace to finsh between 4:15 and 5 hrs. Before that is a grumpy bunch who knows that they are on pace to run a not quite Boston qualifying race.

I quit smoking because of marathon running and found a love for hardcore physical fitness. All the author got was a lousy grumbly article printed by Salon. Boo hoo!

It is disappointing that Salon continues to publish articles from the usual suspects that produce just pure fluff.

Embarrassing! Begin the article with the compelling start to your thesis "Ever since 9/11" Mention all the black people who boring white people know: Obama, Tiger Woods, Juan Williams, Oprah Winfrey, Rodney King O.J. add in 2 or 3 polls conducted by NPR/PEW...now we have covered all the bases. Really and truly are you still getting paid to write articles and get stoned at concerts simultaneously? See how charming it is to have things summed up so thinly...I pay for my subscription to this, outrageous.

I really like the Ira Glass finish. It takes the cake. Almost as warm and fuzzy as an afternoon of "This American Life", except without any nuance or substance or real dissertation. Just a fuzzy, happy ending that I would have received an "F" for in 9th grade.

Loving your kids for where they are at in life is definitely the key. My dad was so great at that. Now two years after losing him, I still feel like a 36 year old orphan because nobody can love a daughter so unconditionally as a dad.

bravo, nicely written Gary, much better!