Beating up god, Sinking down General Motors

GOOD DAY FOR: Divine intervention, after the global financial crisis has pushed up the number of down-on-their-luck visitors to Japan’s Bimbo Gami shrine. The shrine houses a wooden “God of Poverty” that visitors are encouraged to beat with a bat, kick, or throw beans at. “What you do here is hit it hard and defeat poverty in your heart,” said shrine master Tessen Sakura, 77, who left banking to start the shrine 11 years ago. (Reuters)

BAD DAY FOR: Detroit, after General Motors posted a $9.6 billion loss last quarter, and burned through $5.2 billion in cash from October through December. For all of 2008, GM lost $30.9 billion, bringing the total net losses for the past four years to $82 billion. The company said an outside auditor is looking into whether the automaker is a viable business. (CNNMoney.com)

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