Dumpster diving, anyone?

I enjoy collecting unwanted (hence, free) furniture from the street. I have accumulated quite an impressive collection of items that I am very proud of. I truly believe someone's trash is someone else's treasure. In my case, I'm like a pirate and the streets are like ships... and I'm all about the booty.

My beloved family, however, loves teasing me about my hobby, among other things... so when my brother-in-law informed me of a recent corporate memo distributed to laid-off Northwest Airlines employees about suggestions for saving money, we were delighted to see that dumpster diving was Tip #46!

In a remarkable bit of corporate insensitivity, Northwest Airlines gave workers a booklet offering "101 Ways to Save Money," including "don't be shy about pulling something you like out of the trash" and "ask your doctor for samples of prescriptions." The booklet was included in a layoff packet recently given to dozens of pink-slipped workers in North Dakota, Montana, and Texas. Along with the dumpster diving suggestion, Northwest recommended shorter showers, thrift store shopping, and getting "hand-me-down clothes and toys for your kids from friends and relatives." Not to mention "grow your own vegetables and herbs" and "use old newspapers for cat litter."After employee complaints, Northwest apologized and yanked the list from undistributed packets.

So tasteless, yet so funny (at least to me...).