Being Arianna Huffington

Here is Arianna's ever bright and brilliant response to what's really going on in Davos with regards to banker to government transactions as opposed to banker to banker transactions. There appears to be a lot of contrition going on in Davos too. But my question is how long will it last and what is the outcome?

Who will be held accountable for this massive mess? My advice? Follow the money. In this interview Arianna also speaks about the emergence of social media; she's pretty funny too. Her book, Pigs at the Trough: How Corporate Greed and Political Corruption Are Undermining America, was also mentioned. Perhaps it should be required reading for all those in attendance.

Being John Thain II

Mr. Thain offered some lame excuse for why his office was redecorated last year to the tune of $1.22 million citing that the financial crisis was not as bad at the time. He also intimated that this is just what they do.

In his contrition Thain failed to mention the $2 billion to $3 billion dollars in employee bonuses while Merrill lynch was reporting loses last year. Yes, he said that he was "sorry" and would pay back the $1.22 million (mere chump change for this guy) for the redecoration costs. Is that enough?

Thain seems to be simply on a mission to rehabilitate his image. He wants another job. But has he learned anything? If board of directors look at this guy as viable, let them rehire him somewhere else. But anywhere he goes his bad behavior is likely to follow and any bailout money given to a company he leads should be made to be repaid immediately.

Being a Corrupt Government Official

Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) was arrested today on corruption charges to gain favor in appointing a Senator to fill President-elect Obama's vacant seat. In essence, the charge is that he sought to sell the vacated Senate seat to the highest bidder. Through wire taps and bugs the Governor is reported to have asked for, among other things, campaign funding large amounts of money by year's end and a seat for his wife on a corporate board that could garner large fees yearly. (No wonder these boards don't have the interest of the shareholder or the worker at heart; the members have not a clue. Many of these people on these big boards may know nothing! Look at how these positions appear to be attained.) Governor Blagojevich is quoted in the affidavit as saying, "I want the money." Well, work for it legally like the rest of us! And to think that Blagojevich was elected to clean up the mess the former governor left who is now serving time in prison.

Governor Blagojevich will propably join the other corrupt government officials as convicted felons if the complaints are true. Other corrupt officials include the former governor of Illinois Governor George Ryan (R), who is serving a 6-year prison sentence, and the former 85-year-old Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska (R) who should be on a tether and under house arrest, if not locked up behind bars himself. (Think about it, the former senator Ted Stevens has 7 felony convictions!) I'm really trying to be nice here, considering Ted Stevens advanced years. But I'm sure others may think that he deserves prison time. After all, the lack of ethics probably did not begin recently. You don't just happen upon 7 convicted felonies after a lifetime of ethical behavior--highly unlikely! Ted Stevens 40 years in the Senate was probably riffed with unethical conduct as a matter of simply doing things. Remember how defiant he was upon being charged and how righteous he was even after being convicted? Disgusting! He is 85 years old! What is he telling his great-grandchildren?

What's the matter with these people? Had they no lessons in ethics at home at all?