Frannie Em, I was also looking at Douglas Poling’s contributions today.  He contributed to Chris Dodd’s (D) campaign and to John Larson’s (D) campaign.  Poling’s AIG bonus check alone could pay 151 Americans a salary of $50,000 each for an entire year.

 I’m sorry, but these bonuses are out of line.  This all comes from the constant escalation of employees into iconic "super star" "legend" and "genius" status.

A larger amount of the blame for this economic collapse goes to the media IMHO.  Pack journalism is now the norm and has been wrought due to the pretty boy anchor syndrome.  Ethics?  Hah! Standards?  Hah!  Sources checked?  Hah!  Investigative practices?  Hah!  The media partied on the Clinton/Lewinsky affair, and then totally stopped doing their jobs during the Bush administration.  They have yet to reboot.  

The media is a vital part of the checks and balance system.  They wield immense influence and shine light on the darkness — or used to.  Today media is pretty much owned by big business, which is exactly why we get looping 24/7 coverage of Scott Peterson, critters gone wild, the "Octomom" and any other story that is neither challenging to the cerebral cortex, or of impact to people’s lives outside of the incident.  We need better nightly news on what is happening politically and economically.

Take Enron and the energy crisis in California when Gray Davis was struggling to save his state.  Where was the media as that mega-corp’s executives and traders plundered financial resources?  The media refuses to ask the hard questions as the corruption arises.  Enter Arnold Schwarzengger.  Who is, let’s face it, far better copy than Governor Davis ever was.  Take what  happened during the election to Hillary Clinton and to Sarah Palin.  The corruption of the election, the back room deals, the caucus fraud - no reports.  Not convenient.  There aren’t any Bernsteins and Woodwards out there anymore.  It’s pack journalism.  When Helen Thomas was sent to the back of the press bus the whole media pack should’ve been all over Bush, instead, they genuflected.

I blame the media who gave Bush a pass.  And they better not give Obama a pass either.  Power can corrupt.  That’s why we need a vigilant media.  To shine the light. 

I want to know why these "leaders" on Capitol Hill are so easily fooled when the citizens can see right through it as it is happening.  My guess.  They’re all in bed together.  Campaign finance reform!

I understand Obama is trying to withdraw $165 million from AIG’s bailout figure.  I sincerely hope he can.  He could pay a $50,000 salary to three thousand, three hundred out of work Americans with that "AIG bonus" dough and get some infrastructure repaired.

A legend at 33 already?  Wow.  Obviously I am severely behind the curve.  I didn’t know her.  

such tragic news. a devastating loss to the arts, as well as to her close family and dear friends. deepest condolences.

the news is now reporting on the possibility of mandatory helmets for skiing.  we have never worn them.  wasn’t even a consideration.  but this tragedy certainly gives one pause.  ice skating is another sport that would benefit from helmets.

"Contractual" bonuses are not a sound practice.  It leads to corps dishing our millions just as they going under water.  It wasn’t that long ago, during my adult lifetime in fact, that CEOs and upper execs made respectable but reasonable salaries. Suddenly, CEOs became "sexy."  MBAs were all the rage.  PR drove this image.  Greed spun out of control.  What developed was a plunder mentality.  Not sustainable business practices.  The plundering and bonus taking is not in balance.  This tendency continues.  The glow of "celebrity" surrounding CEOs, CFOs and COOs is simply bizarre.  They were getting agents. In fact, the agents may have some blame for this.  Come to think of it, there used to be regular agents.  Then, suddenly, there were SUPER agents.  Michael Ovitz?  Remember that guy?  His CEO status churned salaries of "stars" (formerly actors - now everyone is a star) upwards into the tens of millions, until the film industry eventually buckled under the cost of getting a picture off the ground.  Enter the indie industry.  Happened in TV too.  Costs crippled the industry.  Enter reality TV.  

The same is happening with the "SUPER" CEOS.  No such thing.  No SUPER investors (Madoff), no SUPER agents, no SUPER models, no super anything.  Hired guns in business are not entitled to tens of millions in bonuses merely for showing up to work, and performing well when they are already drawing healthy salaries.  What’s their incentive to do a good job?  Their incentive is that they get to keep their job.  Believe me, there will always be a young turk one step behind them, nipping at their heels, hungry for their position.

This bonus thing is hideous.  Bonuses are normally given for success, not for failure.

It raises the question, does AIG management look upon this fleecing of America as a successful venture?  Perhaps there is something going on that we are not really privy to.

A close friend of mine - in the know of all things financial - was touting her double digit dividends as the norm.  She was really trying to get me to put my money with "her guy."  I suggested that the market was more far volatile and fluctuated much more than she believed.  She insisted it was all about knowing the right investment firm and getting an "in."  From what I hear this was the Madoff M.O. and part of the draw.  There was this perception that you were one of the in-crowd when you were allowed to invest with him.

How do you think my friend is doing now?  Not so self righteous anymore, I’ll tell you that.