Some news chum, from a stinky house (they are hot-mopping, i.e., tarring, the bathroom) on a headachy day:
- From the “Thank You, Republic Airlines” Department: It appears that Delta Airlines has reached an agreement to takeover Northwest (Delta, of course, is itself the merger of Delta and Western, and I believe that Northwest absorbed Republic Airlines). Of course, next to fall will be Continental, as United is poised to absorb Continental once the DL/NW ink is dry. In electronics retailing news, Blockbuster wants to buy Circuit City, and Chrysler and Nissan have a production alliance.
- From the “How Much Do Your Drugs Cost?” Department: It appears that health costs are rising even greater than gasoline or food costs. Some health insurers are instituting a Tier 4 Prescription Coverage, which for certain high-cost drugs makes your co-payment 25% of the cost of the drug. For some new drugs, this can results in thousands a month–more than mortgage payments. Some are even instituting a Tier 5. What’s worse, is that drugs can move from tier to tier without notice to you. Very scary.
- From the “My Heart Will Go On” Department: Well, they think they have found what sunk the Titantic. No, not an iceberg! Poor quality steel used in rivets. Studies of the wreck show that six seams opened up in the ship’s bow plates, and these are where the weak rivets were.
- From the “Curses, Foiled Again” Department: An attempt by a construction worker to curse the NY Yankees by buring a Red Sox Jersey under the new stadium has failed. Team officials watched Sunday as construction workers removed the jersey, with slugger David Ortiz’s name on it, from 2 feet of concrete in a service corridor of the stadium that’s under construction. Two other supervisors found the tattered shirt Saturday. The Yankees plan to donate the jersey to charity, and may pursue a lawsuit against the construction worker. Don’t they know: You’re supposed to bury mob bosses when you build stadiums in the Tri-State area and want to curse the team.
