OPRs For the Week of Sept. 9: Usually I run my little file of funny, absurd and offbeat items on Friday. But it was an awfully serious week. Here’s a representative sample of some of the better (albeit serious) comments on the week that contained 9/11.

Moving Forward: “Nothing has been forgotten. That could never be. But things go on, start anew, revert to some mean.” N.R. Kleinfeld wrote that in The New York Times yesterday.

Minimal words from me today. Today is for the people gone since Sept. 11 and more importantly, those who are still here on Sept. 11. When things are dark, I always turn to words from the great philosophers:

Down To Zero: Merrill Lynch. Zenith Optimedia. The Publisher’s Information Bureau. Line ‘em all up, put all their prognostications out on the same day and you still can’t find the right combination of numbers that will indicate any kind of overall ad recovery. Accept it.

Friends Don’t Let Friends Advertise Irresponsibly: Can the advertising industry police itself? I think it can and responsible advertising will be the key to consumer and government acceptance of hard liquor ads on TV. The long-debated appearance of liquor on TV is on.

Wait! That Was A Good Thing: Wednesday morning it looked like Martha Stewart Omnimedia was searching for a new CEO. A brilliant idea, I thought.

Playing Offense: After several Labor Day weekend catch-up conversations with business friends and non-business friends, I am more convinced than ever that there are two personality types when it comes to dealing with an economic downturn. The first is the gopher.

Hootie And The Nofish: I value three pieces of advice in life. One: always finish your antibiotics. Two: never play cards with a man whose first name is a state or city. Three: Never trust a guy named Hootie.