How nice is this? You made $5.8 million this year. This is your income bracket, so, you probably made something pretty similar last year and expect to do so next year. Not too shabby, eh? Yeah, you are rich. No doubt about that. That chunk of change can get you a house on both coasts. But that's not all, you received a bonus of $14 million this year as well. That's about $20 million for the year. Now most of us hope our jobs will give us 3 or 4 percent raises - at the very least a cost of living increase. What do I have to do to get a bonus that triples my salary? Don't answer that... How much booty would Joe Citizen have to kiss? I know some professional butt-kissers out there who haven't elevated their financial status to those ranks. Yeah they may get a raise, a bonus, and maybe even a promotion, but they are still working stiffs like the rest of us.
Ok, wake up! Fantasy is over. Come back to your life. I want to tell you about two executives in particular who made about $20 million last year. They were Viacom's co-chief operation officers, Les Moonves and Thomas Feston. How did they earn (and I use that term loosely) some of their money? Easy, they lived at home.
Huh?
Yeah, that's what I said. I live at home everyday. Yeah, sure I could get a hotel room that's closer to work, but trust me, my company is not going to pay a nickel more for my salary to do that!
Moonves received $105,000 for staying in his New York home rather than a hotel while he was in New York on business. Freston received $43,100 for staying in his L.A. home while in L.A. on business.
That's sick. It makes no sense. I read this article on cnn.com and was appalled. I am sure it was listed under business travel. But you try it the next time you are on business travel and decide to stay with your aunt in Cleveland and expect to get paid for it. Yes, you will get your per diem but don't think you are going to present a receipt from Aunt Martha on a napkin smudged with blueberry pie to your finance department. They will call you greedy for not sharing the pie and then laugh you out of the office! What did these guys do, turn in their mortgage bills?
From the cnn.com article by Chris Isidore, CNN/Money senior writer:
The extra pay was criticized by Paul Hodgson, senior research associate at the Corporate Library, a corporate governance research organization that monitors executive pay. He said he's never seen that kind of supplemental pay listed on a proxy before.
"The very idea that someone earning $20 million should need reimbursement for any cost performing their duties as COO is curious enough," he said. "That they should be reimbursed living in their own house takes it to a different level of absurdity."
Hodgson cautioned that just because he's not seen such deals doesn't mean they haven't existed. He said companies are getting more careful about disclosing 'other compensation' to top executives on their proxy statements.
"This year is going to be the year of finding odd little things in that 'other compensation' column, because they're scared that the SEC will clamp down on stuff," he said. "Because of that companies have to reveal these sweet little deals. People think they'll stop doing them because they'll be ashamed. But that doesn't seem to be the case."
A spokeswoman for Viacom said the company did not any comment beyond the details spelled out in the proxy statement.
Both men also saw their income get a lift from non-business use of company aircraft, with Freston's personal travel on a corporate jet costing Viacom $68,855, while Moonves' personal travel was worth $72,615. In that regard they both trailed Chairman and CEO Sumner Redstone, whose personal travel on the corporate jet was worth $92,120.
We wonder why we have the Bernie Ebbers, the Enron's and their ilk. I am not mad at them because they are rich. I am happy for them. Elated! I understand the basics of the trickle down theory, I wonder how well the rest of the employees of Viacom understand it. I know they don't care, really.
I thought if I were put in a position where I made truckloads of money would I change anything? After a moment I thought I realistically couldn't! I wouldn't get hired with those intentions. If the stock holders and CEO feel that you are not going to improve their market share and continue to make them rich they have no use for me. Say I do get in somehow and I try suggest the kinds of cuts necessary to make a real difference in the little people, they will have my head! I would not be the of person they are looking for.
Tricky situation, huh? It would seem you can't be a decent person if you want to be rich. All that money and not too many options... Haha! (I know it is a very simplistic view of things and not necessarily true, or is it?) We can debate that another time... It's nothing I need to worry about. I am not rich, so I have options. I can be a jerk or a great guy without regards to my salary! Hahaha! I still can't get paid to be home :-( That's all I really wanted anyway! ;-)
Vice
Here's an update, my computer is now operational. Had to replace the motherboard. Of course, the only thing not working is the music studio part. The primary reason why I have the computer! It's such a pain sometimes to get this stuff working. It does get easier the 5th and 6th times you have to rebuild it, though... I am only on my third attempt, so, we shall see. I am more excited when I am building a high speed computer from scratch rather than trying to troubleshoot one that supposed to be decent. All the math and electronics wizardry that goes into the darn things it's still hard to find pieces that will match up and work well together. Tonight, I will work on the studio part. Who knows? It might just work without much trouble. I know my boy will be happy to know that I am not going to be on his computer anymore.
Vice
Hello? I will ask again, who the heck is holding the keys? It seems far too often I see wild animals escaping from somewhere to someplace where people are. What gets me is that it always seems to be the elephants. They must be smarter than we think. I haven't heard too many of those genius monkeys escaping, have you? I recall when I was last at the circus the thought of an elephant or tiger getting loose and acting wild, er, acting natural and the dire effects of that crossed my mind, yeah, for a brief moment. I still sat my family right there in the front row where the devastation of animals (the ones in the circus and the ones watching it) acting natural was sure to be its worse. Go figure...
It is obvious with all of our technology, planning and purported higher level thinking there are just some things like mother nature and wild animals we can't seem to tame nor control. But, you know we will never learn. We will continue to keep getting attacked by tigers - Elephants will continue to storm our shopping malls and mosquitos infected with the Nile Virus will continue to bite.
I guess for the time being it makes for good snippets on television and the web!
Vice
It's almost summertime, now. It certainly feels like it lately. This is the time when people try to revive their broken New Year's resolutions about eating better and general overall fitness. I am no different, except I didn't make the resolution this year. Why bother? I knew I wasn't going to do anything serious until about now anyway.
Anyway, the powers that be have decided to help us out. The food triangle is now going to be 12 triangles. Um, that should clear things up. The way I understand things is that there are 12 pyramids to accommodate everyone and to get away from the one-size fits all approach. We all know how well one-size fits all clothing fits, right? Plus, it was too confusing. To eat the proper amount of calories daily you couldn't eat the amount of servings of everything on the triangle - so, it conflicted. Another thing the 12 triangles should clear up for all of us regular folk is this question: Exactly what/how much is a serving? Whose spoon did they use? Who's plate? Who's appetite? Why don't any of my measuring cups have serving on them? Plus, a serving to me is based on much I like a particular food item. A serving of peas for me used to equal exactly 4 peas. When I became daddy, it became one to two spoonfuls of the wretched things (the second one was just for show, trust me)! I grew up in a house where my dad said it wasn't a must like it was a must eat... So, I can swallow them even when I would rather not. They should make these pyramids based on the body type you want or are willing to settle for. That way, during the summer months I could just use pyramid number 4. You know the Look-like-a-superhero one. Then in the winter when I get lazy, I will use pyramid number 10. That's the slightly-overweight-guy-who-won't-exercise-a-lick-but-doesn't-want-to buy-too-many-new-pants-because-of-a-few-snuggly-pounds one. Wishful thinking, huh? Yeah, I am sure it won't be that easy. Hopefully, there will be pyramid that works for me. Those who know me know I am a meat fan. For a long time I was still trying to figure out what a vegetable is? It isn't food, I decided it is bait. You dangle vegetables in front of food to catch food. A vegetable is something that food eats. Now, because it is not very popular to have a salad that has no vegetables and because the medical field has a differing opinion, I do include vegetables in my meal planning. And yes, I guess they don't all taste bad... I am still getting used to them though. What's funny/shameful depending which of my Gemini twins you are dealing with at the moment is my son actually makes sure we have vegetables for dinner. Haha! I am so glad he's teaching me good eating habits.
Vice
Moussaoui is trying to plead guilty - again... Anyway, I do believe he would be eligible for the death penalty. That may be too lenient. I just hope that before he gets the death penalty he's squeezed for all the information he has - or just simply squeezed, stretched, etc... I am sure the citizens who lost family and friends could get really creative... However, I digress... I doubt he has anything useful to tell anyway about possible future attacks, but I am sure he's a wealth of information for 9/11...
Terrorism is just ugly...
Vice
ORIGINALLY DRAFTED 24 FEBRUARY 2005 7:46pm
Again more senseless mumblings - a follow up to a previous post.
Remember poor Merv Grazinski? He set his 32-foot Winnebago on cruise control, left the driver's seat to brew a cup of coffee, crashed, then sued Winnebago for not having a warning against the dangers of doing so and received a jury award of $1,750,000 plus a new motor home. Well, that my friends was an urban legend and as such totally false.
I said I would do a little research, didn't I? That goes to show you, don't believe everything you hear/read! It also speaks of our society, let's look at it.
Thirty, forty or fifty years ago, no one in their right mind would have believed the Merv Grazinski urban legend possible, but not so today. Personal responsibility has taken a back seat in our increasingly immoral and litigious society. Consider some actual lawsuits researched at (www.overlawyered.com).
The wife of a hockey fan who crashed his car after drinking too much at a Minnesota Wild game has sued the team, saying her husband who was paralyzed in the Feb. 8, 2002, auto crash shouldn't have been served so much alcohol.
According to the July 10, 2002, Akron Beacon Journa, "Two carpet installers who admit they read the label of an adhesive they used, admit they understood the adhesive was flammable and should not be used inside, used it inside anyway, caused an explosion, were burned badly, sued and won $8 million dollars."
According to the April 18, 2003, Indianapolis Star: "A convicted robber is suing the convenience store clerk who shot him as he fled after a holdup. Willie Brown, 44, claimed the clerk acted 'maliciously and sadistically' in firing five shots as Brown ran out of Zipps Deli with money from the store's cash register." Brown, who has earlier convictions for robbery and burglary, pleaded guilty to robbery and was sentenced to four years in prison.
In Galveston, Texas, a jury awarded $65 million to the parents and estate of a woman who drowned after her car rolled off a boat ramp. She couldn't disengage her seat belt. The jury found Honda of America Manufacturing Co. Inc. and Honda R & D Co. Ltd. 75 percent responsible for the death of Karen Norman, even though her blood-alcohol level measured at nearly twice the Texas legal limit (.17). Fortunately, an appeals court threw out the award, which a trial judge had previously reduced to $43 million.
Then there's the infamous McDonald's case, where Stella Liebeck purchased hot coffee, placed it between her legs, spilling it and scalding herself, and was awarded $2.9 million for her troubles. Clearly, she was at fault, but George Mason University Law Professor Richard Bernstein points out that a proximate cause for her injury was the fact she was wearing a cotton sweat suit that absorbed the coffee and held it close to her body. However, if she were wearing a Gore-Tex suit, or some other liquid resistant material, she would have suffered no injuries. Bernstein asks what's the tort principle that holds McDonald's responsible but not the sweat suit manufacturer?
None of these cases, and many others, differs in principle from the Merv Grazinski urban legend. What's common to all of them is the absolution or the attempt at absolution from personal responsibility. Are people to be held responsible for their actions? In the case of tobacco use, it's not the smoker who's responsible for his illness, it's tobacco companies. In the case of obesity, it's not the individual, but fast food companies and food manufacturers who are responsible. It's the same with criminal violence -- the gun manufacturer is partly to blame.
What does all this say for the future of our nation?
Vice
ORIGINALLY DRAFTED 24 FEBRUARY 2005 4:32pm
I figured I would catch you all up on my senseless mumblings...
It's time once again to review the winners of the annual Stella
Awards. The Stellas' are named after 81 year old Stella Liebeck who
spilled coffee on herself and successfully sued McDonald's. That case
inspired the Stella Awards for the most frivolous successful lawsuits in the United States.
THIS YEAR'S AWARDS GO TO...
5TH PLACE (TIED):
Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas was awarded $780,000 by a jury of
her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was
running inside a furniture store. The owners of the store were
understandably surprised at the verdict, considering the misbehaving toddler was Ms. Robertson's son.
5TH PLACE (TIED):
19 year old Carl Truman of Los Angeles won $74,000 and medical
expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Mr.
Truman apparently did not notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal the hubcaps.
5TH PLACE (TIED):
Terrence Dickson of Bristol, Pennsylvania was leaving a house he had
just finished robbing by way of the garage. He was not able to get the garage door to go up since the automatic door opener was functioning. He could not re-enter the house because the door
connecting the house and garage locked when he pulled it shut. The
family was on vacation and Mr. Dickson found himself locked in the garage for 8 days. He subsisted on a case of Pepsi he found and a large bag of dry dog food. He sued the homeowner's insurance claiming the situation caused him undue mental anguish. The jury agreed to the tune of $500,000.
4TH PLACE:
Jerry Williams of Little Rock, Arkansas was awarded $14,500 and
medical expenses after being bitten on the buttocks by his next door
neighbor's Beagle dog. The Beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced yard. The award was less than sought because the jury felt the dog might have been a little provoked at the time as Mr. Williams, who had climbed over the fence into the yard, was shooting it repeatedly with a pellet gun.
3RD PLACE:
A Philadelphia restaurant was ordered to pay Amber Carson of
Lancaster, Pennsylvania $113,500 after she slipped on a soft drink and broke her coccyx (tailbone). The beverage was on the floor because Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier, during an argument.
2ND PLACE:
Kara Walton of Claymont, Delaware sued the owner of a Night Club in a
neighboring city when she fell from the bathroom window to the floor
and knocked out two of her front teeth. This occurred while Ms. Walton
was trying to sneak in the window of the Ladies Room to avoid paying
the $3.50 cover charge. She was awarded $12,000 and dental expenses.
1ST PLACE:
This year's runaway winner was Mr. Merv Grazinski of Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma. Mr. Grazinski purchased a brand new Winnebago Motorhome.
On his trip home from an OU football game, having driven onto the
freeway, he set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the
driver's seat to go into the back and make himself a cup of coffee. Not surprisingly the RV left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Mr.
Grazinski sued Winnebago for not advising him in the owner's manual that he could not actually do this. The jury awarded him $1,750,000 plus a new Winnebago Motorhome. The company actually changed their manuals on the basis of this suit just in case there were any other complete morons buying their recreational vehicles.
Upon first reading of these, I immediately became suspicious. I am going to look some of these up...
Vice
I honestly think they do. I am again having major computer issues. I think the motherboard has failed me. Actually, I am hoping it did. Because if it is anything else like my sound card - I will go ballistic! haha! Ok, I won't. I think my data is safe. So, I am not too upset. I wonder, maybe I should take a computer class. Apparently I don't know anything about them. Everyone I have has turned to crap on my in some form or fashion. I think it's because I know just enough about them to be detrimental. :-) It's funny, I had to ask my son if I could use his... He said, "Sure, dad, just don't break mine!" The little booger is 7 yrs old... I bet he could fix mine, but my pride won't let me ask him. Because if he does fix it, I will ground him indefinitely - the charge? Embarrassing dad, of course. :-)
Vice....
Hey everyone! I know, I know - it's been two months! Well, I have been busy. Yup, that's my excuse. Hahaha! No, I have done anything of note, just been busy. But it's not because I haven't been thinking about writing. I often start many of these blog entries but can't seem to finish them. This one I will finish.
Bye,
Vice
See, I told you...
