Today is Data Privacy Day — because building trust and raising awareness about financial, personal data and security is critical.
Then you have the Wall Street guys who like to talk money “trash”. They like to make people think they’re the smartest guys in the room and that money management is a very risky business of which few will ever understand. If you can’t run with the big dogs then you’d better keep your assets on the porch. But hey you can “trust us”.
As their scams implode they deliver the ridiculous fake suicides. The “dumbtards” must think if people don’t understand money management they won’t understand the Fake Suicide Club either?! First there was Florida’s Art Nadel who left a suicide note for his wife and disappeared for a month prior to turning himself in to police. Then there was “boy-genius” Marcus Schrencker (extra points for faking death in plane crash), parachuting out his plane and made a getaway on a red — RED — sports motorcycle. I’m not a CSI expert, but I can tell you this much: If you want to blend in with the public you always pick the black Harley, not the red Yamaha! Marcus’ fake death attempt is eerily similar to The Simpsons’ “Bart the Fink” episode. Coincident? I think not.
Then there is Bernie Madoff’s six-degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon fame…everyone knows someone who has been burned. Don’t worry Bernie they have smoked salmon, cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches in prison, right? Somewhere, Ken Lay must be nodding in approval.
Last and high on the pathetic quotient scale is Jeff Thain, who ran Merrill Lynch when it was taken over in a “fire” sale by Bank of America, resigned under pressure after reports surfaced he dispersed BILLIONS of bonuses just before the BofA takeover (which by the way was greased with billions of taxpayer $$). The final dagger was the report that Thain spent $1.22M redecorating his office suite while the firm suffered massive losses and was laying off employees. The area rug alone cost $87,784!! He must be a Big Lebowski fan and wanted the rug to “tie the room together”… I previously identified Mr. Thain’s keen sense of reading the public’s temperament HERE.
It’s ego gone wild. So, here’s the end-game for you financial “disrupter” dudes — the only double shot, extra whip latte you’ll be receiving in the future is prison-issue coffee beans. Yeah us mere mortals will continue to suck on the fuzzy end of the lollipop for your misdeeds, but we’re very happy knowing you’ll find yourself clinging to the bitter mouthed buzz prison coffee provides. Oh yeah, one other thing. When Brutus tries to share a Cohiba delight…he’s not talking cigars!
It’s interesting, but not necessarily fun times that we live…
Photo courtesy Yamaha.
I won’t attempt to make sweeping comments about another outlaw motorcycle “club” undercover “tell-all” novel. There are so many styles and flavors these days and when a reader interacts with a book they are not only served a story, but often feel connected to the writer.
