Category Archives: Analysis

Jonathan Mahler, he of the New York Times, and a host of others who crowd the web and bend the Barometer’s ear, wonder why the federal government pursues cases such as those against Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, and, now, Lance … Continue reading →

It is fascinating to read the commentary vis-à-vis Representative Anthony Weiner (the member of Congress with the texting and tweeting problems, for the few souls in Kazakhstan who may not have picked up on this ongoing saga). The commentary has … Continue reading →

The Wall Street Journal’s Joann S. Lublin’s June 6th article on boards that keep CEOs on board, as it were, after their “humble exits” from their own companies missed two critical points. The first point centers on the term “humble … Continue reading →

That’s the way it has always been done,” is a classic rationalization used to justify unethical conduct. Regardless of whether we have the data to show that “always” is true, we still issue this shield of justification. Only in New … Continue reading →

A new book, “Fatal Risk,” by Roddy Best, is an instructive look at what happened at AIG.  The book does what a business book should do – look for root causes when you have a company such as AIG implode. … Continue reading →

The theory of corporate social responsibility (CSR) holds that the primary responsibility of a corporation is to benefit society, i.e., companies should always act in the best interests of stakeholders and not just be accountable to their shareholders. In making … Continue reading →

The Florida Senate approved a bill that would allow drivers who are moving too slowly in the fast lane to be ticketed ($143 plus points) if another car is trying to pass them.  The kicker is the bill defines “driving … Continue reading →

It is annual meeting time and with annual meeting notices come those figures on executive compensation.  Johnson & Johnson cut its CEO’s bonus from $3.6 million in 2009 to $1.98 million for 2010.  Let’s recap – it would be easier … Continue reading →

A joint CBS/Sports Illustrated investigation that examined rosters of the top 25 NCAA football teams and found that 7% of the players (that’s one out of every 14) had been in trouble with the law either before entering college or … Continue reading →

Barry Minkow was but 21 years old when he created ZZZZ Best, a carpet-cleaning company that was a classic Ponzi scheme.  Mr. Minkow defrauded investors of $300 million and even duped Oprah inot being a believer in his entrepreneurship before … Continue reading →

  We need not go back to the SEC’s missed Madoff opportunities or its unwillingness to shut down the Stanford Ponzi operation because it was a little too complex to fit within the performance evaluation slam-dunks its lawyers needed. The … Continue reading →

Scott Bundgaard, the Senate Majority Leader in the Arizona Senate had a late-night side-of-the-road ruckus with his ex-girlfriend.  “Ruckus” may be charitable because the story keeps changing.  True enough, the judicial process on domestic violence charges have not run their … Continue reading →

Angelo Mozilo, the former CEO of Countrywide Mortgage, whose perpetual tan and leathery look bring the phrase, “Can melanoma be far behind?” enjoyed a defense from the Wall Street Journal’s Holman Jenkins.  Mr. Jenkins never met a slotting fee, an … Continue reading →