Funny Business

Photo By: Ed Yourdon

Here's how you can tell whether the layoffs on Wall Street are having a trickle down effect. Look around the playgrounds on Manhattan's Upper East Side. See how many nannies are being replaced by the actual mothers of the children. One friend calls the incoming wave of new maternal playground supervisors an economic indicator, saying, "I have a feeling you will - literally - see the changes in black and white."

There are only a handful of nannies currently listed on Craigslist in New York city, like this one. But I've been warned the number will grow, as working mothers and fathers from Wall Street get laid off, go home, and cut costs. The nannies may eventually have to go.

The above-mentioned friend forwarded me this email from one such mother (we've left off the names to protect the downsized): "Please forgive the mass e-mail. I am stopping work for a little while and won't need my nanny full time. But she needs to work full time work so I have to give her up. If anyone knows someone looking for a wonderful, loving, gentle nanny...please give them my number. She has been great, which is why I'm eager to help her find another family."

As the friend tells me, you won't be seeing such emails from the "uber-rich" trying to help their unemployed nannies. They'll be too embarrassed to admit they have to cut back.

Dr. Laura Schlessinger, however, would argue this will be the best thing that ever happened to these families, as parents will actually do all the parenting.

THE CALIFORNIA BUDGET MEETS "LAUGH IN"
The budget mess out here in California is on everyone's mind. As I was preparing to do a live shot in downtown LA, "Laugh In's" Jo Anne Worley walked by (just saw her last month!). She's on jury duty! She asked me, "What are you filming?" I told her we were talking about the budget. Her eyes opened even wider than normal as she nearly yelled, "Don't let them raise taxes on the veterinarians!! Don't punish the animals!!" She's talking about a proposal by Governor Schwarzenegger to tax the services of vets for the first time in order to help close the budget gap. Worley would really love to sock it to him for that.

WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE GOOSE...
Last month we mentioned a Kotex ad in Australia using a robotic beaver (the animal). Some readers wondered if there were any comparably outrageous marketing plans for mens products.

I found one. Actually it found me. The PR folks for The Nutty Buddy www.nuttybuddy.com sent me info on their new business--athletic supporters made by a former pro baseball player "for protecting the boys." It's great to see start-ups in a down economy! Click here to find out if you are worthy of the Nutty Buddy "Mongo."

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