Joe the Plumber for Secretary of the Treasury

It's a sad day for our family. No tragedy, but Mervyn's is going out of business. Founded in 1949 in San Lorenzo by Mervin Morris, the chain of department stores grew to 149, almost all in California. They have become a California institution, selling clothes, housewares, cosmetics and jewelry in a family atmosphere.

I spent most of my teaching career in San Lorenzo, and all my children were outfitted with Mervyn's clothing. Our school district benefitted from Mervin's largess, and we have fond memories of shopping in his stores. They will be missed.

EXTRA: In one of my book club catalogs, there's a quote from David Foster Wallace, humorist and author of "Infinite Jest." He said, "The word 'utilize' is a 'puffword' that makes the speaker seem either like a pompous twit or someone so insecure that he'll use pointlessly big words in an attempt to look smart." Because I utilized the word recently in my post P C V, his comment drew my attention, and I would give it serious thought if he hadn't hanged himself last week.