Buy a friend, cheap

There are many conveniences one can buy in this day and age. But one that, hmm, really sticks in my craw is Friend to Friend. For only $2.99 per minute, you can call this 800 number service and someone, their TV commercial promises, will listen attentively and perhaps even offer suggestions that can help you get that promotion you missed out on or offer companionship that replaces a dead spouse. Oh yeah, only $180 per hour–damn even psychologists don’t get that kind of money. This appears to be a project of Michael Beskin but who knows? I suppose I could call and ask, eh?