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So I'm a little low on stories since I didn't work last week. Well, that's not exactly true. I could tell you about the woman who throws (and destroys) her dishes on a regular basis when channeling her fits of rage, but I just don't know that I have inclination to go there right now.

Ergo, default mode: The Economy.

I haven't pimped myself (pun intended--just keep reading) for NPR in a while. There's this great podcast called Planet Money that I download and listen to several times a week. As the title suggests, it's all about money and the economy, but it is NOT a personal finance show. They take a much more macro approach and they're great.

Last week they had a show with a snippet about how the crashing economy is effecting industries that are likely completely off your radar.

Like paper recycling.

Yeah.

Paper recycling is one of America's biggest exports and it almost exclusively goes to...take a gander here....China!

And the circle goes somewhat like this: You go to the mall and really, really, REALLY want that flat screen TV (or fridge, or new washing machine). But, being a responsible consumer who is concerned about your own future, you decide to forgo the purchase. Your company is laying people off. Your 401K tanked. You have kids two years away from college...

And let's say 1.5 million others make the same decision as you. So, if there are fewer TVs to sell then not only are there fewer TVs (or, whatever) that need to be made, which is where your mind immediately goes with this case scenario, but there is much less need for the packaging for said TVs.

And this is where the recycled paper comes in.

Because all of the packaging for goods made in China is made out of recycled paper.

The bottom dropped out of the market for paper recycling back in October: From $150 dollars a ton to $20 a ton. Which is bad news for the mom and pops that run recycling businesses all over the country. And, ironically, bad news for the environment. Because all of a sudden, it's much cheaper for those mom and pops to put the paper in landfills.

And then there's prostitution.

Say you: Nice segue way!

Say me: This one wasn't on NPR.

But it WAS in the Las Vegas Sun.

It's the, um, middle class of the call girl girl sector that's getting hit the worst: those women (and a few men) who charge between $250 to $650 dollars an hour for their services. The high end women (at least $1,000/hr) aren't feeling the squeeze, and the lower end women have actually seen an increase in business.*

Consumers in this market are downgrading their wants. Which is bad news for our ladies of the evening. Because apparently, when they start charging less for their...knowledge and expertise...then they begin attracting a less desirable clientele. Which puts them at risk not only financially but physically.

An interesting tidbit: Street walkers, or "outdoor sex workers", account for only 15% of the whole prostitution trade, but account for 85% to 90% of vice arrests. Even in an illegal trade, it's the poor ones who really pay the price. They only rake in an averge of $30 an hour (in Chicago, anyway) according to Freakanomics. ->

*As an aside, I think social workers should and up our rates--$850 an hour seems totally fair to me. If we ALL do it at the same time, no one can complain, right? It becomes the price the market will bear. Let's start a revolution! Of course, there is that little problem of working with the poor...BUT since we'll be working for government agencies, or government FUNDED agencies it's all OK! The taxpayers can foot the bill for our bloated salaries, which is the general theme these days anyway.