To celebrate my new job, I stopped in to Payless, where it is apparently the one day a year you can't bogo. They've trained me not to buy at regular price.

On the bright side, my dollar store had dented cans of no sugar added fruit cocktail and dented boxes of Puffs with lotion! (For those of you who've heard my proselytizing, Puffs are no match for Kleenex Cool Touch, but they're acceptable for every day use.)

Personal ads have evolved since I advertised for Scott. Here's one from the local Westchester County newspaper:

"AANASCNSNDISOLTRF 54 years old, full figured with many interests seeks MWJSDWPNSNDISOLTR. Please write me include your number and photo, thanks.”

They also had samples from local writers' current projects. Here is a book I shall not be reading:

No Guarantees: One Man's Road Through the Darkness of Depression
Chapter 26 -- Yet Another Demon

This is from a book published in 2005:

"The global markets are all excited about Sub Prime mortgages, this is mostly a bank event and shouldn't concern main street. It may offer a great opportunity for value investors :)"

Also, the federal debt has almost tripled since then.