Monthly Archives: October 2011

“. . . The Love of Many Shall Wax Cold”*

Wang Yue, a toddler from China who had wandered away from her mother, was struck twice by one truck and then as she writhed in pain, struck again by another truck. As this little girl lay injured on the street, … Continue reading

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Research on Shoplifters

Rachel Shteir has a new book, “The Steal: A Cultural History of Shoplifting.” The book explores the mental illness (kleptomania) angle as a cause for shoplifting. Psychopharmacology finds its way into root cause with discussion about a drug that helps … Continue reading

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“The deposed Tyco chief also wishes he had chosen more seasoned people for his top team.”

From Joann S. Lublin, “Kozlowski Talks Jail, Pay,” Wall Street Journal, October 21, 2011, p. B1. Funny, that thought from a jailhouse interview with the former Tyco CEO, who is doing 8.3-25 years in New York state prison, contrasts sharply … Continue reading

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“Why Don’t You Just Use This Receipt?”

The Barometer needs to stay away from gas stations. The portrait of America painted there is worrisome. Once again, the task of filling up a rental car was at hand. Gas pump #8 had a receipt dangling from the previous … Continue reading

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The CEO of Mercedes U.S. Is Fired for “Iffy” Spending

According to news reports, now former U.S. Mercedes-Benz CEO, Ernst Lieb, seems to have pulled the oldest tricks in the books: getting home repairs done at company expense and charging the company for personal travel. Why, the heads of carpentry … Continue reading

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In the “No Good Deed Goes Unpunished” and “Voids in Math Word Problem Training” Departments

The Barometer stopped to fill up the tank for a rental car. Return a rental car with less than a full tank and one child’s college fund will need to be depleted. At the point of the fill-up, the odometer … Continue reading

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“The family is heartbroken because fraud is not our way of life.”

A statement from the family of Mr. Kweku Adoboli, former UBS trader, who is under arrest for allegedly attempting to hide $2.3 billion in losses from his trading activities on the bank’s Delta One ETF desk. The slightly different phrasing … Continue reading

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Taking the SAT For Others For a Fee

Samuel Eshaghoff, a mere 19 years old, was arrested last week on charges of scheming to defraud, falsifying business records, and criminal impersonation. It seems that the Emory University freshman was paid $1,500 to $2,000 by five of his friends … Continue reading

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“You will not become a saint through other people’s sins.” Chekhov

An elegant phrasing of the classic rationalizations: “I’m not as bad as _____.” and “Everybody does that.” and “If you think this is bad,you should have seen _________.” Our ethical standards do not improve just because we are not doing … Continue reading

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