Monthly Archives: November 2019

“Pope Admits Corruption in the Vatican”

Now that’s not a headline one expects to read. Nonetheless, Pope Francis had a chat with the press on his jet and conceded that finances in the Vatican involve “things that do not seem clean,” and added, “What happened, happened: … Continue reading

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One More Texting Tragedy

The Barometer wrote too quickly — here is another texting tragedy. A former Boston College student who broker up with her boyfriend sent him 47,000 texts in a two-month period. Her boyfriend, who apparently tried to respond, bringing the total … Continue reading

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The Self-Absorbed Texters

Three events over as many weeks have put the Barometer over the edge on the texting epidemic. Whilst traveling with family down from Arizona’s Rim Country to the magnificent Phoenix Valley of the Sun, all travelers in the car noticed … Continue reading

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The Legally and Ethically Challenged Mayor of Baltimore

In June, the Barometer expressed concern about then-Baltimore-mayor Catherine Pugh because of her book sales. “Her former Honor has a series of books, known as the Healthy Holly series (children’s books), that help children learn about healthy living. The books … Continue reading

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The Money-Laundering Professor: An Expert on Corruption Now with Practical Experience

Professor Bruce Bagley was charged with money laundering as part of a network used to get money from bribery and corruption in Venezuela laundered and all fresh for use in the USA. The total amount laundered was $2.5 million and … Continue reading

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Prince Andrew Withdraws From Royal Engagements

Facing removal of his patronage activities from the websites of charities, Prince Andrew has stepped back his royal public duties. His Epstein connection and bizarre responses in a BBC interview were too much. Describing Epstein’s conduct as “unbecoming” was an … Continue reading

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More Groovy Accounting: Mattel

The CFO has left, the PricewaterhouseCoopers audit partner assigned to the company has been placed on administrative leave. So, what happened? Here are the steps: 1. Weak holiday sales in 2018 2. Mattel rejects a takeover offer from Hasbro 3. … Continue reading

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Three CFOs in Two Years: Under Armour’s Accounting and Culture

Both the SEC and the Department of Justice are investigating accounting practices at Under Armour. The focus is on revenue recognition. UA has been missing sales targets since 2016, and since 2016 has had three of CFOs, two of whom … Continue reading

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Prince Andrew: A Frightening Interview

Some quotes from Prince Andrew’s interview about his contacts with the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, with BBC journalist Emily Maitlis, and the quotes speak for themselves, although the Prince probably should not have: “Do I regret the fact that … Continue reading

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The Anti-Stress Pamphlet Given to Prisoners Headed to Solitary

One can understand the mental pressure of solitary confinement. Washington State Prison officials have done their part when prisoners are so confined. They are given a pamphlet entitled “101 Ways to Relieve Stress.” Here are some of the kindly tips … Continue reading

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Two Associate Professors of Chemistry Charged with Cooking Meth

Allegedly trying to mimic art, two chemistry professors at Henderson State University have been trying produce methamphetamine. On October 8, the Reynold’s Science Center had to be closed because of an odor that turned out to be benzyl chloride. No … Continue reading

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Southwest and the Missing Maintenance Paperwork on Jets Purchased from Foreign Airlines

The FAA nearly grounded 38 of Southwest’s 737 fleet on the grounds that the planes had incomplete maintenance records. Inspectors on the ground said immediate action was necessary. The FAA’s head of the office of audit and evaluation said urgent … Continue reading

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Intel and the Drip-Drip Fixes, Again

In May, Intel released a fix for a series of security weaknesses in its processors. Users assumed the problem was fixed. However, some Dutch researchers found that the problem was not fixed, and six months later (November), Intel released another … Continue reading

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The Ex-CEO of McDonald’s: A Bit of a History There

Kudos to the Wall Street Journal for good old-fashioned journalism. The Journal uncovered that McDonald’s was investigating its former CEO, Steve Easterbrook, for weeks before the announcement of his departure. The company’s general counsel had conducted an investigation and reported … Continue reading

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