Is the fourth time a charm?

I think not. Once again the government is helping bail out AIG, which some say will report a 62 Billion dollar quarterly loss on Monday. It's official now, the government has become AIG's enabling parents, doling out cash to its wayward child on a consistent basis, in the dimming hope that it will straighten up and fly right.

It's Monday

And we all know what that means. Time for another MOTW, Manager of the Week. I am convinced everyone has either had a manager like this or seen one in action at some point in their career. They certainly make life interesting, to say the least.

MOTW: Hyper Manager

Drinks coffee all day long and can’t sit still through a five-minute discussion. Over time has developed a lot of facial tics and walks around the office poking his/her nose where it doesn’t belong, thereby reducing productivity ten-fold. Opines vociferously on any topic. Tends to have staccato-like delivery when he/she speaks.

It's a little bit Ponzi

Another one, this time the investment firm is called Tsunami Capital, I guess in preparation for the tsunami which would eventually hit the firm's clients, washing away their investments.

The CFO speaks

Here to explain the 4th quarter 10 Billion dollar loss as well as some interesting tidbits about working for the government, Gary Crittenden speaks. I have to say, he's the only one left with any shred of credibility, but he must be wondering what the heck hit him since he accepted the Citi offer for a mere 10 million dollar per annum salary. The money quote, "I have to tell you Mark, we are appreciative of the investment that the government has made in us. You know, they've made a significant commitment to the company. As you know, $45 billion." Careful Gary, your poker tell is flashing like a neon strobe when you start saying you are appreciative of the government.

Crow

I just call them the Crow poems, but the full title is Crow: From the Life and Songs of the Crow. Penned by the British poet Ted Hughes (also known as Sylvia Plath’s husband) these poems display a bitter and cynical view of the universe with quasi-surreal imagery and what has been at times criticized as clumsy verse construction. Nevertheless, the character Crow and the Crow poems garnered Hughes his most critical acclaim. I have always liked his poetry. A taste of one Crow poem after the jump. This poem is titled Crow’s Theology, but if it were up to me I would rename it Hunting and Religion from an Alternative Perspective.

Crow realized God loved him-
Otherwise, he would have dropped dead.
So that was proved.
Crow reclined, marvelling, on his heart-beat.

And he realized that God spoke Crow-
Just existing was His revelation.

But what
Loved the stones and spoke stone?
They seemed to exist too.
And what spoke that strange silence
After his clamour of caws faded?

And what loved the shot-pellets
That dribbled from those strung-up mummyfying crows?
What spoke the silence of lead?

Crow realized there were two Gods-

One of them bigger than the other
Loving his enemies
And having all the weapons.

SEC accuses Stanford of "massive Ponzi scheme"

News flash! From the department of the obvious. Those SEC guys are really on top of things, aren't they? Apparently this thing had been simmering in the slow cooker for ages, and there's a new figure to add to the lineup, Mrs. Pendergest-Holt, Chief Investment Officer of the Stanford Financial Group.