Monthly Archives: September 2008

Bonus for Voting Early and Often

Posted on September 22, 2008 by mmjdiary

A mother sent around her son’s e-mail cry for help, “If I can get 35 people to e-mail into the magazine that does the rankings, I get a $500 bonus.  All they have to do is send in an e-mail … Continue reading →

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Former KB CEO Settles Backdating Case with SEC for $7 Million

Posted on September 20, 2008 by mmjdiary

Former KB Home CEO agreed to pay $7 million to settle SEC charges that he backdated stock options granted to him by the company.  Bruce Karatz, known for being a brilliant marketer of homes, did not admit any wrongdoing as … Continue reading →

Posted in The Legal Round-Up | Leave a comment

“Big deal. I pay today; you pay tomorrow.”

Posted on September 20, 2008 by mmjdiary

Federal Judge Thomas Porteous’s attorney on why the judge did not disclose gifts of cash payments, lunches, and payments for travel, meals, and hotel rooms in Las Vegas.  levitra price cialis price viagra price brand viagra online cheap brand viagra … Continue reading →

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The GMAT Questions in Advance

Posted on September 20, 2008 by mmjdiary

The Graduate Management Admissions Council announced that it was canceling the GMAT scores of 84 applicants and students.  The Council found that the students were active users of a now shut-down website, scoretop.com, a site with origins in China that … Continue reading →

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The Dangers of Mixing Business, Government, and Good Intentions: Remembering Uncle Milton

Posted on September 20, 2008 by mmjdiary

Milton Friedman is mocked in the world of ethics for his unwavering conviction that the primary responsibility of business is to make money. Mix good intentions, i.e., social responsibility, with profit motives, Dr. Friedman warned, and you tinker with market … Continue reading →

Posted in Analysis, News and Events | 8 Comments

Palin, Politics, and Patagonia: Ethics, Social Responsibility, and Uncle Milton

Posted on September 12, 2008 by mmjdiary

The Wall Street Journal reports that businesses from WigSalon.com to Kazuo Kawasaki (the manufacturer of Mrs. Palin’s eyeglass frames) are benefiting from the Palin nomination.  The wigs are flying off the shelves and the glasses frames orders have quadrupled.  Kazuo Kawasaki … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethical Dilemmas, News and Events | 1 Comment

“Sexual relationships with prohibited sources cannot, by definition, be arms-length.”

Posted on September 11, 2008 by mmjdiary

Earl Devaney, Inspector General, Department of Interior, in his cover letter for the report on his investigation and findings at the Minerals Management Service division of the Department

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“A Culture of Substance Abuse and Promiscuity”

Posted on September 11, 2008 by mmjdiary

One would expect that kind of finding if one were doing an audit of the Mustang Ranch.  However, the Barometer is quoting from the Inspector General’s report on the Minerals Management Service, a division of the Department of Interior that is … Continue reading →

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Those Fake Federal Government Mailings Are Out Under a New Ethics Code for Student Loan Industry

Posted on September 10, 2008 by mmjdiary

Seven student lenders reached an agreement with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo on their marketing practices.  One of the forms of marketing now prohibited under the new marketing code is the use of mailings that appear to come from the … Continue reading →

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Pharma Consulting Fees for Docs: No Matter How Great Your Research or Noble the Cause, It’s Still a Conflict

Posted on September 10, 2008 by mmjdiary

Dr. Joesph Biederman and Dr. Timothy Wilens are members of the psychiatry department at Harvard Medical School.  The two scholars reported, in hindsight, $1.6 million they received from drug makers between 2000 and 2007.  The two are known for their … Continue reading →

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Settle Up; Don’t Fight

Posted on September 10, 2008 by mmjdiary

A study published in Columbia Business Law Review teaches an important principle when it comes to personal injury suits brought against businesses:  Pay early and pay less.  The study shows that the savings per claim average is $114,000 and for … Continue reading →

Posted in Data and Studies on Ethics, The Legal Round-Up | Leave a comment

Broadcom Co-Founder’s Plea Agreement Rejected in Options Case

Posted on September 9, 2008 by mmjdiary

Dr. Henry Samueli, a co-founder of Broadcom Corporation, entered a guilty plea in June to lying to SEC investigators during the agency’s investigation of the backdating of the company’s options grants.  Broadcom settled with the SEC by paying a $12 … Continue reading →

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“The problem with principles-based accounting is that word, ‘principles.’ Those doing the accounting and auditing have to have them.”

Posted on September 9, 2008 by mmjdiary

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The SOX Subsdiary Loophole

Posted on September 9, 2008 by mmjdiary

Since 2002, the Department of Labor has received 1,273 whistleblower complaints under the protective provisions of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) .  Of those 1,273 complaints, only 17 have been upheld by the Department of Labor as retaliatory conduct prohibited under SOX.  A total of 841 of … Continue reading →

Posted in Data and Studies on Ethics, The Legal Round-Up | Leave a comment