Letter Never Sent

This sounds like an article in The Onion. Gillette ups the ante, unveils 5-blade razor. The quotes from the heads of Proctor & Gamble are simply priceless:

“The Schick launch has nothing to do with this, it’s like comparing a Ferrari to a Volkswagen as far as we’re concerned,” said Chairman, President and Chief Executive James Kilts.

Some had expected Gillette to bring out a four-bladed razor, perhaps a self-lubricating one. Instead, it jumped to five blades, or six including the trimmer, and will sell Fusion-branded shaving gels and after shave balm.

“There was never a plan to go to four,” he said. said Peter Hoffman, president of Gillette’s blades and razors business, who said Fusion was in the development pipeline for several years.

Razor blades cost way too much. Mach 3 blades cost about two bucks a pop, which is patently ridiculous. Double-edge razor blades, the type popular among suicidal types used in razors until the 1970’s, cost about fifteen cents a piece by comparison. We’ve come along way from the sharpened scallop shells our ancestors used.

Troubling article from the AP, Katrina Victims Pile Up Credit Card Debt:

Still, financial experts say the couple is right to be worried. The Alciatores and other Katrina victims who thought they were financially secure must keep their debt in check while facing huge relocation costs and uncertainty about their income. It’s not easy.

“People in a crisis are not thinking clearly. Their emotions take over, and that’s not a good place to be when it comes to your finances,” said Deb Outlaw, a CPA and financial planner in Dallas. “Sometimes they feel like they have to get back to what they had before the disaster, but they need to be patient.”

This underscores the importance of saving for a “rainy day”. There is always the potential for unforseen costs to crop up. If you can arrange your affairs where you save a portion of your income this will create a buffer that will allow you to smooth out the inevitable ups and downs.