Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Musings on news I've heard lately...

First, I heard on the business news today that Delta Airlines announced a loss of $6 billion for the first-quarter. Then, I heard in the same report that Northwest Airlines announced a loss of $4 billion for the same period. Wow, two airlines looking at merging having a combined first-quarter loss of $10 billion! Just makes me wonder about their desire to merge into one airline, which, in my simple mind would only benefit the two companies and a handful of employees. But would not necessarily benefit airline passengers or the rank and file Delta and NWA employees. Hard not to scratch your head about that one.

Second, I had to laugh as Deutsche Bank in Germany announced a ground-breaking HR policy change. They advised company executives they could no longer use company credit cards at brothels or strip clubs, even if it were to entertain clients. Now there's some prudent belt-tightening going on!!

Finally, as many people in the US (& the world) struggle financially and food shortages create problems, it's sobering to think that much of today's financial challenges have been created as much by individual choices as external events and circumstances. Many of us may be making difficult lifestyle choices now when we could have made prudent, sensible decisions in the past that would have kept our financial heads above water during this difficult time. Guess I'm just a bit discouraged today and having a 'glass-half-empty' kind of day.

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