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I have to admit that I didn't notice it either when the Treasury last week showed that the fiscal 2012 deficit could be almost 30 percent lower than the deficit actually recorded in fiscal 2011.

The new estimate of $996.5 billion for the 2012 deficit that was included in table 2 of the Monthly Treasury Statement for October 2011 was an eye-popping $419.7 billion less than the $1.416.2 trillion deficit in 2011.

The 2012 estimate is just that -- an estimate. Not only is the fiscal year only 10 weeks old, but the Treasury number is based on the mid-session review of the budget that was published in September, that is, more than 3 months ago. The number almost certainly will change as the year continues.

So just to be safe, let's say that the federal deficit will fall from 2011 to 2012 by $350 billion rather than almost $420 billion (Note...it could just as easily fall by more instead of less). The question remains: Why wasn't it bigger news? After all, other than the years immediately following World War II, this would be one of the largest one-year drops in U.S. history.

Listen to the voiceover of this new commercial for the Mercedes-Benz GLK 350:

In case you don't recognize the voice, it's Jon Hamm, the actor who plays Don Draper (that's him below) on AMC TV's  Mad Men.  For those of you who don't know, on Mad Men --- which is one of my Beautiful and Talented Wife's (The BTW) favorite programs -- Don Draper is an advertising executive on Madison Avenue in the 1960s.

My Beautiful and Talented Wife (The BTW) surprised me this evening with an iPad for an anniversary gift.

News and reactions to come.  But, for now...

ATTENTION ALL PRODUCT MARKETERS: I AM NOT 18 TO 24 AND I'M AN EARLY ADOPTER!

Update: Two quick reactions. 

1.  I'm having a great deal of fun with this and am happy, happy, happy, to have it.

2.  The 3G version may be the better choice and I may return the iPad i received yesterday and wait for that to be available.

ATTENTION TAEGAN GODDARD...A "hot tub confession" such as the one you say was made yesterday by Utah House Majority Leader Kevin Garn is a confession made while in a hot tub rather than a confession about being in a hot tub.

To say that least, that would have been an interesting visual that would have been tailor-made for TMZ.

Dear Matthew:

I think I understand what you were trying to say in your response to my post last week about The Fiscal Times.

I just disagree with it.

You say that, because you write a blog for an organization that has a definite point of view and you understand it without being told what it is, those who will be posting on TFT's blog -- Capital Exchange -- must, no doubt about it, absolutely, positively, be in a similar position.  Therefore, TFT must reflect what Pete Peterson, who provided the initial funding for TFT, thinks and wants to happen.

Matthew, I get it: You don't like Pete Peterson, Peterson's politics, or Peterson's policies.