On Monday, my wife handed me a stack of already addressed Xmas cards, the ones I'm supposed to write nice little comments on.

"Is Leo Neudecker still alive?" she asked about a guy I went to high school with more than 60 years ago.

"Oh, he's dead," I told her, and tossed Leo's card in the trash.

It cost me just a stamp.

He's still very much alive, but I did him a favor. He would have gotten tired moving his lips while reading my babbling Xmas comments.

All the cards are free.

Most reputable beggars include stacks of Christmas cards in their solicitations.

It's called the guilt factor.

They'...