The coming financial crisis

[phattymatty]

yep, i've still never laughed at a comic. 

[reese125]

ha...right? you'll give it the slight grin, but a laugh-out-loud is near impossible

[Seabiscuit36]

Cry Me a River

(CNN) -- German billionaire Adolf Merckle, one of the richest men in the world, committed suicide Monday after his business empire got into trouble in the wake of the international financial crisis, Merckle's family said Tuesday in a statement.

Merckle, 74, was hit by a train in the southwestern town of Ulm, police said.

His family said the economic crisis had "broken" Merckle.

He was number 94 on the Forbes list of the world's richest people. He had fallen from number 44 on the Forbes 2007 rich list as his fortune declined from $12.8 billion to $9.2 billion in 2008.
Merckle's business empire included interests as diverse as cement-maker HeidelbergCement and generic drug-maker Ratiopharm. But he lost hundreds of millions of dollars, including company capital, betting against Volkswagen stock last year.

The state government of Baden-Wuerttemberg rejected his petition for financial assistance, and he entered bailout talks with several German banks.

"The financial troubles of his companies, induced by the international financial crisis and the uncertainty and powerlessness to act independently which the financial problems brought about, broke the passionate family business man, and he took his own life," his family wrote in the news release.

An employee of Germany's railroad company found the body on the tracks at about 7 p.m. Monday and notified authorities. Merckle's family had already reported him missing earlier in the day after he walked out of the house and did not return. Authorities are currently conducting DNA tests to confirm his identity.

[hbionic]

I hope that the moment he died, he was hit by the soul train as well.


BOOOOOOOO!!!

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

ha...right? you'll give it the slight grin, but a laugh-out-loud is near impossible

My wife did that twice on Sunday.  I was confused.

[Seabiscuit36]

ha...right? you'll give it the slight grin, but a laugh-out-loud is near impossible

My wife did that twice on Sunday.  I was confused.

i think that was the angry dolphin

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

ha...right? you'll give it the slight grin, but a laugh-out-loud is near impossible

My wife did that twice on Sunday.  I was confused.

i think that was the angry dolphin

dragon, dude - not dolphin

[Seabiscuit36]

[BigEd76]

somewhere between 25 and 30 layoffs in our corporate headquarters the last two days and a few more are coming tomorrow.  happy new year!

[Wingspan]

Hopefully, for your sake, that they don't base their decisions on internet usage.

[BigEd76]

ha

The VP of our group said each of us was safe and as far as I know we still are.  My review was approved and I haven't gotten the cold shoulder or the "give us a list of everything you do and how you do it" deal, so I think I'm OK.  The remaining hits are expected to be sales, client services and people in other states.  It's been a brutal two days though...

In better news, did you guys see the Hyundai deal?  Buy a vehicle and you can give it back if you lose your job in the next 12 months.  Not that I want a Hyundai or anything, but still a good deal I guess...

[Phanatic]

We had something like 1400 people get laid off where I work. I made the cut but the mood is absolutly black. Lots of us and them talk too.

[Diomedes]

the Hundyai Genesis just won top upscale sedan by Consumer Reports, beating Saab, Toyota, Lexus, Lincoln, et. al.

I'd drive one of those with a shtein eating grin on my face and Slayer blasting out the windows

[BigEd76]

a $5M bailout for porn huh.  Now we're in trouble...

[General_Failure]

I hear they're going to drive down to DC on the bang bus.