I needed a roommate to share the rent. He needed a place to live. We were introduced, shook hands, and a few days later Roberto moved all of his worldly possessions (carried in a battered sports bag, a backpack and a clothes basket) into my second bedroom, along with a commitment to refrain from smo

The advice appeared in a newspaper column written by an interior decorator. A correspondent had asked, “What’s the single least expensive change I can make in my home in order to improve it?” The columnist responded: “Clean the place up. It’s virtually free, and it will