Frequently, I get a strip of coupons or other promotional
items from a little printer at the checkout of my local grocery.

Coupons emerge as a thank-you for purchasing a product, or
based on some other derived data.

Yesterday, after buying a couple pints of Ben & Jerry's
Ice Cream (my favorite bad-for-me snack food), I got the
following checkout coupons in sequence: 

    Save 55c on Two(2) Pints Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Free
    High Cholesterol Survival Guide 

Last winter I was laid up at home with the flu. My fiancee' called and 
volunteered to come over and fix dinner and play nursemaid to me. I 
declined, not wanting to pass on the flu to her. "Okay honey", she told 
me, "Will wait till after we get married. Then we can spend the rest ofour 
lives making each other sick!"

When we lived in Topanga we knew a family consisting of a single father 
and a houseful of young boys. One morning the youngest boy came into he 
kitchen in time to see their cat piddle in the toaster. (Why the cat did 
so, nobody could ever figure out. Never had any other similar problems 
with the beast.)
He went to tell his father and while he was out of the room one of his
brothers came in and tried to make some toast.
Now, at its best, cat piddle is not readily confused with Chanel No. 5, 
and when burned it is far, far worse. They had to leave the windows open 
for days, and the neighbors had comments.
Now, whenever I think I'm having a bad day, I remind myself that today, at
least, the cat didn't pee in the toaster.

Allen H.
Relieved Los Gatos Sciolist