A fortune in vodka bottles, Misfortune hits paychecks
Good day for recycling, Bad day for asking for a raise
GOOD DAY FOR: Recycling, after a homeless Russian man earned a small fortune digging through the trash for glass bottles. Leonid Konovalov, 63, told Russian tabloid Tvoi Den that over the past year he collected about 2,000 bottles a day—each bottle can be traded in for about 6 cents. “Russians are drinking a little bit more due to the crisis, and this helped me get out of the rubbish dump,” said Konovalov. He now trades stocks. (Reuters)
BAD DAY FOR: Asking for a raise, after pay cuts, sometimes accompanied by downgrades in job title, are at their highest levels since the Great Depression. Georgia state workers, California state university workers, and some employees of Hewlett-Packard and several airlines are among the growing number of workers hit by pay cuts. (The New York Times)
Tuesday: Good day for second chances, Bad day for thinking small
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Monday: Good day for spiritual growth, Bad day for a reliable sidekick
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Do smartphone bans in schools work?
The Explainer Trials in UK, New Zealand, France and the US found prohibition may be only part of the solution
-
Doom: The Dark Ages – an 'exhilarating' prequel
The Week Recommends Legendary shooter adds new combat options from timed parries to melee attacks and a 'particularly satisfying' shield charge
-
7 US cities to explore on a microtrip
The Week Recommends Not enough vacation days? No problem.