I worked for a large corporation that was downsizing a few years ago and my department was one of the casualties. Age 55 qualified for early retirement, and age 60 for full retirement benefits. Some of my younger colleagues worried that I might be short of the “early” requirement, when in fact I was already 60. I decided not to correct that impression and have enjoyed my “early” retirement ever since.

I’m with you, Janice; they come in so many great colors. Plus I could pretend I can actually bake all sorts of wonderful things.

I love fuuny things, but for some reason I rarely laugh out loud, especially in movies that are supposed to be comedies. Often what many people think is hilarious, I think is just stupid. However, I recently surprized myself, watching “Smart People”; Thomas Hayden Church delivers some great lines. If you haven’t seen it, give it a try.

Thanks, Marjorie. You have articulated exactly what I am afraid of and what has kept me from embracing the Obama candidacy. Although I don’t feel good about Hilary, she may be exactly what we need, despite all her baggage, at this incredibly difficult time.

Agee with Cynthia. Another benefit of internships is learning a field is NOT what you thought and NOT what you want to spend your professional life doing. May be disappointing but also an opportunity to change direction before wasting more time, energy, money,etc.

I wanted to dance on Broadway…not be a star…in the chorus. They always looked like they were having so much fun. Instead spent 30+years as a business executive, with no regrets. However, now at 60, I tap dance in a class of all ages and aspirations. I can close my eyes and hear all those dancing feet…..

I’m with you, Star. This is not a Hollywood screen test. If the outcome wasn’t so critical to us all, we could sit back and watch the movie, but it is a real job. When I hire someone, I want to know what they have previously accomplished that is a good indicator of how they will perform in the future. Still waiting to hear that from Senator O. PS: I’ve given up on Maureen. Switch to Gail Collins. She is just as funny, but not so mean-spirited, and at least tries to be balanced.

I loved the story, perhaps because I am just as bad as April, although I do draw the line in my own medical situations. The trouble is, because I lie so much, when the truth is important, I have to stop and calculate. How silly is that!

Are you sure, Kattin? It comes with many disguises: lay-off, downsizing, early retirement, job discontinuance, relocation to a job you can’t do or a place you wouldn’t go. All amounts to the same thing; you involuntarily leave a job.

From another “Daddy’s Girl”: I adored my father who died at 63, which is what I am now. He was always supportive of me and my ambitions, long before anyone talked about the “only daughter” phenomenon. My greatest regret is that I lost him before I achieved significant career success which would have made him incredibly proud. My mother was the disciplinarian, and we had a rocky relationship well into my adult years. Like Candace, I had the opportunity to work on that in her last years and had peace of mind when I lost her at age 86. What I didn’t expect was to miss her as much as I do.

Suzanne: And how about Sherry? I was embarrassed for her. But don’t you wonder why Whoopi didn’t jump in? When the camera let us see her, she had a quizzical look on her face, which made me more curious about what she was thinking.

The thing I love most about Whoopi is that she can have strong points of view, which she is not shy about expressing, but is never mean-spirited. Her style is the direct opposite of her predecessor on The View, who drove me away as a viewer. I was curious, however, about why Whoopi didn’t ask Senator Obama a question on this morning’s show. Each of her co-hosts did; although I could have done without the swooning. I was disappointed not to hear what Whoopi had on her mind.

As someone who has spent an entire career in Human Resources, I have had to deliver the blow to plenty of employees whose real bosses didn’t have the guts to face them or whose message was so convoluted, they had no idea they had been fired. I thought I understood that performance and ability often had absolutely nothing to do with losing a job, and was personally immune to all the associated emotions. And then it happened to me. Technically it was a lay-off; a whole unit was eliminated. Doesn’t matter. I lost a job I loved on their timetable, not mine….so I felt as if I had been given the boot. It is very hurtful, no matter how confident you are and no matter how quickly you recover. To those who say “it is the best thing that ever happened to me”, I say BS!!

If you want a pet, may I suggest an English bulldog. They are the couch potatoes of the canine world. Nothing makes mine happier than curling up with me on the couch with either book or remote control! And whatever I choose is fine with her.

Although I can’t begin to imagine how dreadful this is for Mrs. Spitzer, at least she has a choice. She can leave him, choose to forgive him, or perhaps something in between. What about their daughters? He will always be their Dad, and forever tarnished by this incident. Sadly, the media will undoubtedly never let them escape the indignity of it all.