The Ethical Barometer

“Having two identities for yourself is an example of a lack of integrity.”  Mark Zuckerberg, founder, co-founder, whatever (depending on litigation) and CEO of Facebook

Well, except that Facebook hired a PR firm to cajole, convince, and coax op-ed writers and other bloggers/journalists to post negative stories about Google’s Social Circle — a bit of a threat to Zuckerberg et al..  E-mails reveal that the PR firm, in full persuasive swing, did not indicate who its client was.  Both those who wrote without disclosing their PR motivator (and lack of curiosity about their solicitor Continue reading →

Raj Rajaratnam looked much thinner and very much frightened as he made his way, with his ankle monitor, from the federal court building.  A jury had just given the prosecution convictions on all 14 counts of securities fraud and conspiracy.  Insider trading is a practice that stacks the system for the big fish.  The tapes were damning.  In one wiretapped phone call, a Goldman director gave Raj a tip that was the opposite of the street’s conventional wisdom, and Galleon made a bundle Continue reading →

Warren Buffett was asleep at the wheel.  And he didn’t wake up when he realized that one of his lieutenants who was likely to succeed him had purchased stock in a company and then pitched the idea of Berkshire Hathaway acquiring it. David Sokol, now departed from Berkshire Hathaway, bought $10 million in shares of Lubrizol, a company whose acquisition he would later shepherd through Berkshire Hathaway. Continue reading →

There is a certain thrill to a line of logic that skates along with facts that lead to one unassailable conclusion but then loops through a back swizzle and a camel spin to land in a solution that finds our brains twirling. Ohio State head football coach Jim Tressel has been caught in a cover-up of the antics of his well-tattooed players who traded autographed Ohio State and Big Ten championship trinkets, shirts, and other memorabilia. Continue reading →

There’s something about Cincinnati.  There was the puffing, swilling, je ne sais quoi of the late Marge Schott, former owner of the Reds.  Her malapropisms entertained and outraged nearly as much as Pete Rose and his gambling – on the game itself. The Bengals have a special team, the felons squad  — their largest special team.  Now comes a 23-year-old Reds pitcher, Mike Leake, who has asked to enter a diversion program for first-time offenders.  His first-time offense?  He allegedly stole six t-shirts, valued at $59.88 from a Cincinnati Macy’s.  Perhaps the lad was without sufficient clothing and wanted Macy’s to give him the shirts off its rack?  Well, he had $250 in cash plus three credit cards on him at the time Continue reading →