Government cracks down on credit card industry practices. Here.

10 Things Your Airline Won't Tell You. Here.

I love living simple. I also enjoy thrashing endless credit card offers that seem to come in the mail daily. I like shopping at Aldi, using zero plastic bags, stuffing my own groceries, and not having debt. And going for walks. Writing letters to friends. Reading a book. I hope I'll never have to resort to paying the minimum amount on my credit card ever.

But living simple is not an end in itself. We should strive to live simple because it frees us up to live in love. We live simple so we can think about ourselves less and think about others more.

By reading this post till the end you will inevitably find out what I think is the best comic strip ever. But first: my trip to Good Will. Today I fed and appeased my boiling desire to buy some books. Especially some really old books that have garnered much fanfare in historical English literature. Boy, was I satisfied! Good Will was a gold mill!

See my pickings and share in my joy. Wouldn't you yourself look on the world with tears in eye and riches in heart? You would - after you hear I paid only 85 cents for each.

• The Scarlet Letter (Nathaniel Hawthorne)
• Much Ado About Nothing (William Shakespeare)
• Lord of the Flies (William Golding)
• A Midsummer Night's Dream (William Shakespeare)
• 1984 (George Orwell)
• The Great Gatsby (F Scott Fitzgerald)
• The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde)
• Macbeth (William Shakespeare)
• The Indispensable Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson)
• The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson)
• The Essential Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson)

Yes. The crimson on the pudding is Calvin and Hobbes, the best comic strip in all history. Calvin, the eternally youthful six-year-old word smith with the indomitable imagination. Dictator for life of the ultra secret G.R.O.S.S. (Get Rid of Slimy girlS) club. Alter-ego of Stupendous Man.

If I was principal of any school I'd make Calvin and Hobbes required reading. Make them textbooks, even! You think I kid.

Here's a link to the Essential Man's Library. With regards to this list, I be slightly ahead of the average male citizen. See my previous post and my library of finished reading if you believe me not. Man I already feel 10 times the man I was before. Yippee-Ki-yay.

Here are some pictures of my trip to NYC. I uploaded to Facebook because it's faster, and I'm about to go to bed. Check it out.

I read through the Free Guide to Being a Gentleman in 2008 in 5 minutes or so. Very helpful. I think the Facebook tips were very relevant. Download and read this E-book right now.

Communicate!

Today is Communication Day according to my own arbitrary designation. It is a day to spend just 3 minutes (come on, you can spare that can't you?) shaking up a friend's world with a simple but priceless message. Have you thought of someone already? Are you worried it might get awkward? Well you're not alone! Everyone's thinking the same. But you - you are a round peg in a square hole. Watch this and courage up.

If you're friendless or totally clueless, don't fret-here are 3 places to start:

Check out Megan's new website: MegMathews.org. After that, send her a nice email or Facebook message to say hello. I assure you she'll like it.

My friend Christine is going to Indonesia. Visit her blog to find out more. Add it to your favorites or subscribe to her adventure.

Finally, include a gentleman too.