I’v worked part time since taking early retirement ten years ago. I was inspired by an older friend. We worked for the same company, and he retired two years before I was also considered “spare”, as some companies call it.

Soon after I left work, we had lunch together. First, he assured me that there was life after work. Then he related his own experience. He didn’t want to take another full-time job, so he turned his daughter’s old bedroom into a home office. He arranged for some consulting work from our old company, and he picked up more projects from other contacts. Soon he was working 20 to 30 hours a week. He wasn’t making as much money. His kids were grown-up, so he didn’t need as much income. “As soon as I left that job,” he told me, “my back problems went away. I started to eat better and get more exercise, I make half as much money, but I feel twice as good, and I’m twice as happy.”

I decided to follow a similar track. At the time, my younger child almost finished college, so my parental responsibilities were winding down. We sold our old house and moved into a townhouse. I went to work for myself. And the result? Today I, too, make less money. But we make ends meet. And I feel twice as good and twice as happy.

Our experience isn’t for everybody. But a lot of people have retired early and lived to tell the tale, which proves it possible. Jack, another friend, was a salesman for a communication firm. He had a long distance to work and did a lot of traveling. He decided to leave the corporate world, in part because he had health problems and he wanted to spend more time with his family. Later, he quit his job with flexible hours and was restored to his health. And now he has found a part-time job, and he, together with his family, is leading a more relaxing life.

On Aug 29, 1988, the University of Wisconsin-Madison juniors Tim Keck and Christopher Johnson published the first-ever issue of The Onion. The two founders claimed it was the “finest news source” in the US. 25 years later, the news has become one of the most established media presences in the US. But don’t expect accuracy and timeliness from it, because The Onion only publishes fake news or news satire (讽刺). Its aim is to make readers laugh and see things from a different angle.

Will Tracy, The Onion’s editor-in-chief, told the NPR in an interview. “The stories are presented in that sort of news voice which improves the news to a certain level of importance. The news isn’t actually understandable but it has an ability to elegantly locate a problem with concise and plain words.” For example, when George W. Bush became the US president in 2001, The Onion published a satire piece predicting massive debt and a huge growth in military spending. The headline said it all—Bush: “Our long national nightmare of peace and prosperity is finally over”.

Traditional media outlets are cautious when reporting sensitive topics such as religion and race. Tracy says/‘Nothing is off limits for The Onion, no matter how uncomfortable they may make some readers.” But editors at The Onion do stand a fine line, as Tracy explains: “What you have to be really careful about is what the target of the joke is. If the target of the joke is wrong, then it doesn’t feel right and it also doesn’t feel funny.” The Onion made the public outrageous when earlier this year, it tried to make fun of a 9-year-old Oscar-nominated (奥斯卡提名的) actress by using highly impolite language. It later apologized.

Pound for pound, healthy food is cheaper than junk food, according to a new research from the U. K.

The Institute of Economic Affairs found that the average cost for a “wide range” of healthy foods was about £ 2 per kilogram, compared with £ 3 a kilogram for less-healthy products such as processed and ready-made foods.

Still, study after study finds that cost is often a barrier when it comes to healthy eating. Convenience drives consumers to care about habits more than prices, the U. K. study concluded. Taste and convenience often play a larger role in people’s food choices than price or nutritional quality.

“Processed foods are extremely expensive, especially when it comes to the nutrient value. Some of the healthiest, most inexpensive foods aren’t so attractive. Beans cost next to nothing, especially when bought dry and in great amounts. They take time and some skills to prepare. ” said Ciara Foy, a nutritionist.

Instead, busy parents reach for the chicken. “You might be getting something that has enough calories to fill you up but you’re actually not getting any nutrients, so your body’s going to keep wanting more and more food,” said Foy. “And that’s why in North America we, re overfed and undernourished (营养不良的).”

Makers tend to try to promote their product based on perceived health benefits, which makes consumers confused at times with what is a healthy product and how much you should pay for those benefits. The most expensive items, healthy or not, are the ones that end up in the trash. “A lot of people waste a lot of food,” Foy said. It’s estimated that more than $ 30 billion of food is wasted in Canada every year. Foy recommends taking a look in your fridge to see what needs to be used up when planning for the next night’s meals. “If you actually cut down on the waste you’ll find that you can afford healthy food,” Foy said.