In Israel, when it doesn't get paid, MaD"A, the ambulance company, turns into a pit bull. Then there is the hospital. No juice in the wall does not cut off the phone, so even if I don't have a fridge or a computer, I can still get endless phone calls demanding money.

Last but not least, there is the landlord, a nice man when he gets paid and a raging Yemeni Jew when he doesn't. And in a few days, he won't. A raging Yemeni Jew can be dangerous. A raging Yemeni Jew with legal rights is far more dangerous.

Up till now, I've been able to pull a rabbit out of my hat when faced with financial problems. In the movie "Daredevil," the character Bullseye says he's magic — and for years now, when it has come to money, I've been like Bullseye — magic. But the magic has run out. There are no more rabbits to pull out of the hat.

Any financial aid solution (including a job) will take time. I'm out of time. That means there is nowhere to go. Except the street. I don't scare easily. But, for once, I'm scared.

Right now, a check for $3,500 would look awful good in my hands.