Category Archives: News and Events

Describes new books, articles, and upcoming speeches.

An American court has sentenced a former engineering safety manager to 78 months in prison for falsifying information about injuries at three nuclear power plant sites.

Now there’s a headline.  Here’s the bottom line:  An engineer for a contractor working on nuclear plants for the TVA falsified safety (think injury) data at the sites. He lied, as the court concluded based on both e-mail evidence (the … Continue reading

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Nick Leeson — The Man Who Bankrupt the Bank That Financed the Napoleonic Wars Is Back in the Financial Sector

By his own website, Nick Leeson calls himself “the original rogue trader,” and indeed he was.  Mr. Leeson was the trader at Barings Bank who bet wrong on Japan and lost $1.3 billion.  Today, given the $6 to $8 billion … Continue reading

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The Only Wrong Answer When It Comes to Coaches and Athletic Departments Is Doing Nothing

The Barometer keeps a C-drive folder titled, “When Will They Learn?”  In the folder are all the stories about organizations that become aware of misconduct by individuals and opt to do nothing and, in too many cases, even attempt to conceal … Continue reading

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35 Indictments of Administrators, Principals, and Teachers in Atlanta Test-Cheating Scandal

Even the jaded Barometer is stunned by this one.  Thirty-five folks who were formerly with the Atlanta Public School system have been indicted for the roles they played in perpetuating false test scores for the school children there. One teacher … Continue reading

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After the Chase Hearings and After All We’ve Been Through … “Who Knew?” Remains a Defense

Chase was the bank the others were to model.  Jamie Dimon was its unflappable leader.  But the loss of, oh, say, $6 to $8 billion dollar through whopping trades made by the infamous “London Whale” trader brought the bank under the … Continue reading

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“Stupid”

A word Chase Bank executives hurled at bank examiners who were concerned about seeing records, the Bank’s risk exposure, changes in risk procedures, and use of federally guaranteed funds for the London Whale’s operations.    Chase lost between $6 and $8 billion from the … Continue reading

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The Princess Who Understands Conflicts and the “Schlub” Factor

Unlike other royals and celebrities, the Duchess of Cambridge (aka Kate Middleton) does not accept free clothes from designers. Sacre bleu! A royal who understands conflicts of interests! Why, most of them don’t even understand conflicts of interest within the … Continue reading

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Truth (and Falsehood) Occupy Both Sides of the Aisle

As an aging baby boomer, the Barometer has been tickled to see Watergate sleuth/reporter, Bob Woodward, landing on the wrong side of a Democratic president.  Mr. Woodward and his Washington Post colleague, Carl Bernstein, were the bane of the Nixon White … Continue reading

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Oreos at Walmart or $5,000 Hermes Handbags at Neiman’s: Regardless of What You Swipe, It’s All Stealing

Two stories of theft caught the Barometer’s attention.  Penny Winters, a 63-year-old  maintenance worker at Walmart, faces felony charges for years of stealing Oreos and other snack foods whilst working her evening shifts at Walmart.  Quite simply, she wanted some … Continue reading

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“The cost is costing us huge $$$$.”

From a Peanut Corporation of America 2009 e-mail from owner, Stewart Parnell, as reflected in a February 2013 Department of Justice  indictment charging executives and managers with knowingly shipping tainted product. The DOJ filed a 76-page indictment against three former managers and employees and … Continue reading

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Have you ever hidden a purchase from your spouse?

An AARP survey indicates that 34% of us have hidden purchases from our spouses.  There’s something about marriage because 52% of us confess to cheating in school.  Love may not conquer all but it seems to conquer 18% of our … Continue reading

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Faith of a Mustard Seed, or A German Shepherd

Ciccio is a resident of Brindisi, Italy who happens to be a German Shepherd.  Up until last November, Ciccio went to Mass every afternoon with his owner. When she passed away in November, Ciccio accompanied the pall bearers to the … Continue reading

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Who’s More Likely To Go To Heaven? Why, Me, Myself, & I

Professor Francesca Gino’s new book, “Sidetracked:  Why Our Decisions Get Derailed and How We Can Stick to the Plan,” has an interesting study.  U.S. News & World Report asked 1,000 folks who was most likely to get into heaven.  Mother … Continue reading

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In the truth-percolates/feet-of-clay departments — Manti Te’o

The story about the Notre Dame football player with the imaginary girlfriend is just weird.  Been a long time since the Barometer was in school, but since when did football players have difficulties securing dates?  And one more thought — … Continue reading

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