“Raising grain to feed the animals that people eat takes more land than feeding people directly from the grain or other farm output.”

But cattle (along with sheep and goats) don’t require grain – in fact they are better off without it as they don’t need to take antibiotics as a matter of course if they’re only eating grass. These days I make it a point to only buy grass fed beef. And, it’s my understanding that the US is unique in corn finishing most of it's cattle – in most of the world these animals only graze in areas that are in fact unsuitable for farming (like prairie, savannah or rocky, hilly areas).

While planning my first trip to Europe I studied his ‘Though the Back Door’ to get me ready. While I only even took his specific advice a couple of times (I had a feeling they’d be overrun with tourists) I just love his overall advice: pack light, have a couple of good, recent travel guides and don’t spend a ton of money. All his advice is probably something the average Salon reader/traveler already knows or would quickly learn – but as a new traveler it was like a reassuring pat on the back that I was going to be ok and this was going to be a fun adventure.

And regarding the ‘Rick Steves must be stopped’ – this is true with all popular travel guides. My first trip to Paris I had a Lonely Planet guide with me and it seemed like everywhere I went there was another white, 20-something couple with the same guide. And when I upgraded to a Michelin guide I’d see the more experienced traveler coyly hiding their worn copies of the same book.

And his Iran special was great! It gave me real courage that, as long as I’m prepared, almost no place is off-limits.

“The few shows I saw of Rick's really did not impress me all that much. I found in my 2.5 years in Europe that if you stay away from anything touristy you will get a much better appreciation for Europe and it will be more inexpensive as well.”

But that IS Rick’s travel philosophy! He’s just made a dozen or so of these lesser know places real tourist destinations. Just for fun pick up one of his books and take a look – I’ll bet you’ll kick yourself for not having written it first.

You are right that hiis show is a bit goofy/campy but I find that to be part of his charm.

I’m 35, have been married for 10 years, and I live in that leafy urban neighborhood where it seem like everyone is nicking my heels with their double wide strollers. I don’t enjoy other people’s children (not uncommon), and for a long time I felt certain they weren’t for me at all. But when my husband recently started talking about really wanting them, and all our friends were taking the plunge, we decided to move forward – we’re 6 months pregnant.

If I had told my husband I simply didn’t want a child I’m certain it wouldn’t have been a deal breaker for our marriage – but I would have taken something from him that I just wasn’t prepared to do. I love the guy and I’m willing to inconvenience myself in the short term (I’m not going to kid you - that first trimester was ugly) and take a leap of faith with him regarding the long run. I’m still not as excited as other people seem to expect me to be but I’ve decided that’s ok. I don’t feel the need to be the prefect Park Slope mommy (I really hate those ladies anyway).

I’m not saying the LW should or shouldn’t – she should just be really honest with herself. I think it’s unfair to marginalize his desire to have a child and I would caution the LW against doing that. Being a ‘big brother’ or volunteering isn’t going to result in the family this husband desires. Sadly, there isn’t the compromise so many posters are looking for. A dog is no substitute. It’s all or nothing on this one.

When I was in HS (this was in the early 90s) I had a close friend who was always accidentally pregnant. She’d tell boys she was pregnant and then months later that she miscarried and there would be endless drama to fill the space in between. She’d hurt herself just enough so she could add attempted suicide, she’d stalk the boys involved – it was really awful. I saw this girl do it maybe 3 or 4 times with different boys – of course she was lying to me and our other girlfriends too and I fell for it the first couple of times. This girlfriend was obviously very troubled and her many problems could never have been helped by some candid sex talks – but I often think that I and the boys involved could have been helped if our parents had ever acknowledged that troubled girls can say and do awful, hurtful things just as easily as boys can.

I think it’s false to assume that girls are always the weak party and that this is a place where the baby-boomer feminists and younger women/girls are having some differences. This Rihanna story is a near example – young women know that they, or girls they know, are capable of violence and deceit and I think this is what made so many young people want to know all the details before coming to any conclusions. Meanwhile the old guard was hung up on the ‘it’s never ok to hit a woman’ party line - not that I disagree with that statement but it’s just a hell of a lot more complicated then that when talking about sex and violence.