Ponzi Bedtime Story?

In a time of falling home prices and trillion-dollar bailouts, one market seems to be up as a young candidate for a master's in family and marriage therapy reports that 10,000 bidders for her virginity have pushed the price to $3.7 million.

Skeptics in the age of Madoff may be forgiven for their doubts about such returns from what these days might be considered a modest investment.

The young woman's enterprise recalls the response of a friend of mine with a large public relations company to young job seekers fresh out of college who would tell him they were ready to sell out.

"That's fine," he would say. "Now what is it exactly that you have to sell?"

These days, the "Buyer Beware" signs are up for everyone, journalists included.