Yes, the envelope system is constrained, but Dave only suggests that for certain categories. Things like groceries and eating out are two excellent categories for envelopes for example. But a lot of categories aren’t suited to the envelope system. My wife and I are doing a budget every four weeks. We do the budget in pencil because we have to make changes. Within 15 minutes of making our last budget, we came up with a list of three things we hadn’t included. We’ll be revising the budget to handle those. We can always rearrange our budget to handle unexpected events. Dave Ramsey’s budgeting process isn’t as constrained as the article would have you believe.

If you have a weight problem, I encourage you to do something about it. The three of us are doing different diets, but we all looked in the mirror and decided we need to change. The government isn’t making us, and Charlie and I are both disregarding the government’s advice on diet to some degree. The government can’t make me diet, and if they could, they’d probably make me go on the wrong diet.

It’s your life. If you have a weight problem, I encourage you to do something about it. I think exercising more and eating healthier are two things worth thinking about if you want to lose weight. If you do the South Beach Diet like I’m doing, and get results, then that’s great. If you accomplish your health goals by a completely different path, then that’s great too.

I started on the South Beach Diet and eventually lost 31 pounds. Since then, I have gained 12 pounds. I’m starting over on the South Beach Diet, and I am going to start regular exercise. For me it’s not about losing weight so much as it is about making decisions to be a little healthier. I now weigh about 225 pounds, but if I hadn’t made some changes three years ago, I’d probably weigh about 275 pounds now, and eventually I’d probably start developing weight related health problems.

I realize the sooner I decide to eat sensibly and exercise regularly, I’m starting on a trip to a healthier, happier me. I’m not going to go to they gym, that’s just not my style. I’m going to start walking more, riding my bike more and generally taking better care of my body. The healthiest I’ve ever been was the summer I took drivers ed, because I had to ride my bicycle three miles each way. I have decided the time has come to regularly exercise. Not anything crazy, just walking or bicycling.

I’m choosing the South Beach Diet, for two reasons. First, I tried it, and it works for me. Two, of all the diets out there, it makes the most sense to me. While the diet experts are debating whether low carb or low saturated fat people are right, I’m plodding along down the middle of the road. If South Beach stops working for me, then I’ll try something else.

Now when will Innocence of Muslims make it to Netflix Streaming so that I can invite my friends over to watch the film while eating pork rinds and drinking beer? Oh, wait, I forgot there isn’t enough beer in the world to make me sit through the Innocence of Muslims.

Let me just say to any of my left of center readers who would criticize Mr. Williams because he appears on Fox News. Mr. Williams is the left of center media personality who I (and my Republican friends) see the most on television. You seem to think he’s a turncoat for appearing there. He is not, he is the ambassador for the rational American left on Fox News.

I’ve been sadly disappointed by the quality of the Republican Presidential Candidates until now. Your words of July 13, 2012 have brought home to me the fact that not only are all the Republican Candidates, even Ron Paul is more qualified to be President than you are. The only Republican I can think of who is less qualified than you are to be President is Henry Kissenger. His sole disqualification is that he is German by birth, and not a natural born citizen.

I’ll be donating to Governor Romney’s campaign. I have never volunteered for a political campaign before, and I may well go so far as to volunteer this time. I do hope you enjoy your retirement starting January 21, 2013. I hope it frees up some time so you can work on your golf game.

For a number of years, I worked for a small business that had at most three employees. Sadly that business ceased to exist when my boss passed away. Let me assure you that my boss did more than everyone else combined to build that business. Yes, his contribution was far more important than mine, although I don’t think he was ever rewarded by the business in a fashion proportionate to his contribution. He took the risk, and could have wound up in bankruptcy court. At worst I would have wound up standing in the unemployment line with my life’s savings intact. I’m just glad I didn’t wind up running the company after his untimely death.

Sincerely,

A Classical Liberal Who Voted For Senator McCain