OT: Hilarious piece on life's little ironies

[wahoo]

Straight from todays washington post:

Washington Post Staff Writer

Friday, April 12, 2002; Page C03

Arthur Andersen LLP, the wounded accounting behemoth, has

been having a very rough year. The 26,000-employee

company -- indicted on federal obstruction-of-justice charges

for allegedly destroying documents in the Enron scandal -- this

week announced the layoff of 7,000 workers. More than 150

public companies have stopped doing business with the

auditing firm, which is also the target of class-action lawsuits

arising from the collapse of Enron.

But maybe things aren't as bad as they look.

The other day, we're told, an Andersen partner from the Chicago-based company's Vienna branch office

visited the Washington Redskins' FedEx Field to look into the possibility of upgrading the Andersen

corporate skybox from a so-so suite near the end zone to a prime space on the 50-yard line. According to

our sources, the luxury suite -- which costs $175,000 a year, not counting the expense of high-end

decorating and Ridgewells catering -- has just become available, and Andersen had been at the top of the

waiting list.

So we hear that the Vienna partner -- who remained unidentified yesterday -- toured the recently vacated

skybox with Redskins Senior Vice President Dennis Greene. The Andersen executive seemed

impressed by the spacious suite, which sits directly above the opulent box occupied by team owner Dan

Snyder and his guests from the Washington power elite. It features two large-screen television sets, a

marble-floored bathroom, a high-tech kitchen with top-of-the-line fixtures, a comfortable living room and

seating for 28 people.

But then the Andersen man noticed on a wall the unmistakable corporate logo of the previous occupant:

Enron.

"No [bleeping] way!" he exclaimed, and immediately departed. An Andersen spokesman declined to

comment yesterday, but we understand they didn't take the skybox.

[ellywelly]

and to think I was actually looking for a job in AA..