various takes over while sundry's on leave

[lagilman]

So, the great Breakdown of the Kitchen has begun. At one point I had to stop and remind myself that it only looked like I was moving. I wasn't actually moving. Those boxes were only going into the closet for a week or two, they weren't leaving the apartment... My Post-Traumatic Move Disorder, let me show you it.

I also hadn't realized how damn much space that bookcase was taking up, visually. Wow.

Everything has to be out and away by Sunday night. A little each day should do it.

Meanwhile, the rest of life marches on, and I begin to hear the distant sound of deadline drums....

-----------------------------

A news article that [bitterly] amused the fkcu out of me:

Some bankers say the conditions [imposed by the government] have become so onerous that they want to return the bailout money. The list includes small banks like the TCF Financial Corporation of Wayzata, Minn., and Iberia Bank of Lafayette, La., as well as giants like Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo.

Dude. This is someone who supported the initial buyout here speaking, so listen up. The Government ain't Grandpa. You take their (our) money, it comes with strings. Lots of strings. And the big one is "no more doing what you were doing that fkcued you up in the first place." Mind you, I'm not a banker, so when one of them says "doing this will destroy us" maybe he's right. But it's not like they were doing swimmingly before they came begging for a handout, is it?


Meanwhile, Bernard Madoff [and how's that for a character name of irony, huh?) is reportedly going to plead guilty to an entire host of crimes, without a plea bargain, probably facing life in jail. Doesn't that make you wonder what else is waiting out there, that he thinks this is the way to go? The fact that he was wearing a bulletproof vest on his way into court is probably a clue..... Let that be a lesson to you all: never steal from the wealthy. The middle-class are much much safer to piss off.

Comments

[fakefrenchie.livejournal.com]

"Let that be a lesson to you all: never steal from the wealthy. The middle-class are much much safer to piss off."

Unless they are gun owners. And then all bets are off.

[nycdeb.livejournal.com]

I remember when the bailout was first being formulated, my father said that if he was on the board of any bank or financial institution where the CEO took the money, he'd have had the board call for that CEOs resignation. Why? The conditions and restrictions that would come along with it. Luckily for the CEOs of the companies where Dad is on the board, only two are financially related and neither of them was going to be in a position to need it.

Bernie Madoff is pleading guilty to whatever they throw because - and this is my assumption - he has decided it's the best way to keep his family out of jail as well. There is no way I will ever believe that his sons worked with him all those years and "had no idea" what Daddy was up to. And I suspect the authorities don't buy it either.

Oh! And whoooo hoooo for the start of the Great Kitchen Redo! Courage, my friend. Courage. It will be worth it.

[lagilman]

I have a strong, bitter suspicion that Certain People were whispering "don't worry, you won't be called to account for the money" and then -- surprise! -- new administration, and a demand for accountability....

I'd have a lot more sympathy for bailout babies if several of them hadn't said "neener neener we don't know where they money went, give us more."

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

On banks taking the King's Shilling -- I had heard that at least some of that was, "You won't leave this room without signing the paper." CEOs blindsided by our beloved Big Brother.

At the time, I had thought this probably exceeded the CEO authority . . .

[lagilman]

Possibly -- we won't know until the tell-all book is released. However, getting weekly updates of how many banks have been taken over by the FDIC in 2009 alone... clearly they weren't managing well on their own, either.

(if you don't know, take a look at http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/banklist.html. Enlightening...)

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Don't get me wrong -- I have little love for bank CEOs and Directors. Owned some Wachovia stock . . .

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

*snort* Let 'em return it and fail. I'm okay with that.

[lagilman]

mmmm. Mostly, I'd agree with you (I've ranted similar on the auto industry, et al). Only problem here is that if they fail, not only are the shareholders hurt, but so are the otherwise-unaffiliated people with money in that bank (FDIC insures, but it's still a messy tangle) and the taxpayers (us!) who have to deal with the cost of FDIC takeovers down the road.

Also, banks do business with each other, as well as other businesses, so if one is suddenly cut out of the chain.... the credit crunch gets crunchier. That's really really important.

Finance may not have to be as complicated as Wall Street's re-designed it to be, but it still makes my head hurt.

[6-penny.livejournal.com]

Possibly Madoff has the kind of ego that wanted to have public 'credit' for his cleverness in pulling off his fraud. This guilty plea is his boast.

[lagilman]

That...is an interesting thought. Thank you.