Michael Jardeen: ...enrongate

Fri, 04 Jul 2003 23:31:09 GMT

MS plans largest company lay-off
When Eric Poore began working as a customer service representative for Microsoft's technical call-routing center in 1997, he was told his advancement opportunities were endless... ...Four years after Poore lost his first position to outsourcing, he is about to lose his six-year career because Microsoft is in the process of a massive relocation of Customer Central call center jobs to India and Canada. Employees estimate that Microsoft is planning to eliminate at least 800 jobs in the next fiscal year at the company's Las Colinas facility outside of Dallas, Texas and shift the work offshore...more [WashTech] First it was the H1B Visa, now it's just easier to simply send the job to them. Off shore migration of work in the midst of a recession, and the highest unemployment in many years, is simply disgusting. Companies should be financially punished when they send work out of the country. Sadly though they get rewarded. Does anyone else see what's wrong with this?..mj

Wed, 25 Jun 2003 16:57:56 GMT

Enron gets U.S. 'death penalty'
FERC votes to strip bankrupt company of some rights to trade electricity and natural gas. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission voted Wednesday to strip bankrupt Enron Corp. of some of its rights to trade electricity and natural gas after finding the company manipulated electricity prices during California's energy crisis of 2000-2001. "This is the first time the commission has imposed the so-called death penalty," FERC Chairman Pat Wood said after the unanimous vote of all three commissioners. The order would allow Enron to unwind its current electricity and natural gas positions, but bar trading beyond those limits...more [CNN MONEY] While it's always nice to see some punishment come out of this, the real culprits are still running this country. Bush, and too many of his friends are in power raping this country for the benefit of the wealthy few. We can only hope that one year from now we will be well along our way to removing them from office...mj

Tue, 17 Jun 2003 19:21:35 GMT

Dead corporations...

Cluetrain: I see dead corporations.
Questioner: In your dreams?
[Cluetrain shakes it's head no]
Questioner: While you're awake?
[Cluetrain nods]
Questioner: Dead corporations like, in bankruptcy? In foreclosure?
Cluetrain: Walking around like regular people. They don't see each other. They only see what they want to see. They don't know they're dead.
Questioner: How often do you see them?
Cluetrain: All the time. Thanks to Thomas Vincent on the Cluetrain mail list. This is too true. One example has to be MCI. I have been job hunting for a while, and I keep getting spam emails offering me a chance to work in their new Small/Medium Business unit doing outside sales. Based on my experience it would be a natural fit. So I visited their job site, and tried to apply for the job. I input my resume, and personal information. Then came the questions. That was my undoing. If you have ever seen one of these, you know exactly what I mean. You never know if they want you to say what they want to hear, or if it really has any meaning. I was informed when I was done that I did not meet their qualifications. This in spite of over 13 years of sales and service experience with US West (now Qwest) in their Small Business unit. I wrote it off and went on looking when a few days later I got a phone call from a recruiter. She told me that she was going through the rejects because she found that a lot of them were mistakes (why have the system in the first place then?). I did the phone interview and it went really well (I think). In the meantime I got at least 3 more of the spam mails offering me a chance to apply for this exciting opportunity. So why had the questions rejected me? She told me that it all came down to one question: How much money is acceptable to earn during your first year? The options were, less then 30k, 30-60k, or more then 60k. Having been in sales I know that it takes a year in any real sales job to ramp up your sales, I answered 30-60k. They wanted to hear 60k. I was unacceptable. This morning I answered my ringing phone to get a REALLY LOUD recorder voice informing me that this was NOT A SALES CALL, and that I could go to the MCI web site and apply for an exciting job opportunity selling to the Small-Medium Business market. I hung up. So what does this all say about the company formerly known as Worldcom?...mj

Sat, 31 May 2003 07:58:13 GMT

Halliburton contracts...at $600 million
Cheney's former company could earn billions more. Vice President Dick Cheney's former company already has garnered more than $600 million in military work related to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and potentially could earn billions more without having to compete with other companies. As the Army's sole provider of troop support services, Halliburton's Kellogg Brown & Root subsidiary has received work orders totaling $529.4 million related to the two wars under a 10-year contract that has no spending ceiling...more [CNN] Isn't capitalism just grand! You have to love the way this works. They give what will ultimately amount to over a billion dollars of free money to the company Cheney was CEO of before becoming Vice President. The same company that used European subsidiaries to run millions of dollars of contracts with Iraq, while it was illegal for US companies to do the same. I guess they are real patriots. I think that history will put this administration right there along with the Reagan Administration as the two most corrupt in the past 100 years...mj

Sat, 24 May 2003 07:21:47 GMT

Not One Single Dime...
"This body voted for a tax bill today that provides billions for the wealthiest and not a cent for unemployed workers -- not one dime, not one nickel, not one penny for those hardworking men and women who are suffering most from the economic crisis," said Sen. Edward Kennedy I think that pretty much sums it up. Bush and the Republicans did exactly what they wanted. They gave welfare to the rich, and screwed the little guy. This recession has the highest number of people expending UI benefits then any since The Great Depression. This plan does not do anything for the unemployed except continue a program that was already there. It does nothing for millions of displaced workers. You have to admire this administration on a twisted way they take from the poor, give to the rich. They even handed over many millions in rebuilding contracts, with secret bids, or no bids. The money of course is going to Bush's friends. You have to love the system, NOT!...mj

Tue, 20 May 2003 03:20:48 GMT

Computer failure on Saturday - I am slowly rebuilding it. No fun at all...mj

Fri, 25 Apr 2003 17:53:04 GMT

Weird scenes inside the boardroom...
Have you noticed that Worldcom is no more? They changed their name to MCI, a company that Worldcom swallowed in a merger. The reason of course is that Worldcom was buried under the rubble of Enron-like activities by it's former CEO. This will go down as the weirdest reverse merger since NeXT took over Apple...mj

Fri, 25 Apr 2003 17:09:53 GMT

Little Enrons [morons]
Not everyone is a Fastow, or in charge of Qwest. Not all business people are brazen enough to commit criminal acts on the scale they did. Take the story of L90, a once booming (well perhaps booming) internet advertising company. It's actually funny to imagine these people sitting around planning this. Proving once against hat the vast majority of criminals are idiots...mj

Tue, 15 Apr 2003 21:13:23 GMT

Reel Life Intrudes...
It has been an interesting month. For the first time in a long time I feel like I am going to get a job soon. I want one bad, something I did not feel a year ago. I feel more centered. Calm in the storm, I want to find a path that takes me to new adventures. Chaos only intrudes, it does not control, and perhaps that's the best sign of all. My chaos right now is the attempt to find a new apartment. My complex was bought by a company called Kelly Properties. They did inspections right after the ownership change. On the eighth of this month I was told that I had to move by the end of the month. They are going to boot all the tenants so they can remodel, and raise rents by up to 33%. Of course they are hiding behind the law, and doing the absolute minimum. They even tried to not let anyone else in the complex know what was happening. So little effort and this could have been a much more peaceful transition. Instead they are forcing out single mothers, the unemployed, the elderly, and pet owners. They may have hidden behind the law, but they have displayed all too typical business ethics (none). All they had to do was give more notice, be upfront about their intentions, and offer help in finding new apartments. An offer of as little as $100 for moving expenses would have been a good move. Instead we argue with them over details, and may now try to bring in the press. I have found a place to move to, but others may not be as lucky. It doesn't need to be this way, but as long as we refuse to consider the impact of our actions, these kinds of stories will continue. It is this kind of mentality that allowed a company like Enron to rape the ratepayers of California..mj

Sat, 29 Mar 2003 16:56:36 GMT

Halliburton out of the running
Dick Cheney's former employer won't have lead role in reconstructing Iraq Halliburton, the energy and construction company once run by Vice President Dick Cheney, is no longer in the running for a $600 million contract to rebuilt post-war Iraq, according to the United States Agency for International Development. The development is likely to spare Cheney, who was Halliburton's CEO from 1995-2000, and the Bush administration from conflict-of-interest criticism. A spokesperson for USAID, Ellen Yount, said there are two remaining firms bidding on the contract. No decision has been made on who will be awarded it, she said...more [CNN-Money] Another really good reason to avoid this company is the fact that they did over $20 million in trade with Iraq while it was illegal for US companies to do so. They got around this little problem by doing the work through their French susidiary. Funny how the France thing keeps coming up...mj

Fri, 28 Feb 2003 08:49:51 GMT

How the FCC got it 'bass ackwards'
If you have a broadband Internet connection, brace yourself: The monthly price you pay for it is probably going to soar. Been waiting for fast, always-on service to arrive at your door? Prepare to wait some more--a lot more. That's all thanks to one of the worst mishaps ever to hit the Information Highway, a car wreck that's unfolding before our very eyes because the Federal Communications Commission was watching the rearview mirror instead of the road ahead...more [ZDNet] Ahh, the joy of deregulation. The reason they did this is to protect the monopolys in Broadband. In the meantime they re-regulate a dieing market -- nice slight of hand if you think about it. The POTS (plain old telephone service) regulation will be meaningless, and the FCC knows it. In the meantime they get to protect their buddies in the Broadband industry. Remember, this is the Enron adminsitration...mj

Tue, 25 Feb 2003 17:00:53 GMT

Ex-Qwest execs indicted
Four former officials accused of improperly booking $33M in revenue in 2001. Four former executives of Qwest Communications International were indicted Tuesday, charged with falsely booking $33 million in revenue... ...Those indicted included Grant Graham, Qwest's former chief financial officer, as well as Thomas Hall, a former senior vice president, John Walker, the company's former vice president for its government and education unit, and Bryan Treadway, the company's former assistant controller. Unlike some other business executives who were arrested to face criminal charges during the last year, Attorney General John Ashcroft said that the four would be given the opportunity to surrender to authorities...more [CNN Money] It's nice to see my former employer doing so well. Of course I worked for the leaders of US West, referred to as "lousy managers" by the incoming Qwest leadership when they took over. So, which bunch were worse?...mj

Tue, 31 Dec 2002 18:08:40 GMT

Mad mag highlights a mockery of a year
They must have gone to press before The Wit and Wisdom of Trent Lott made headlines or the "N" in North Korea was unofficially changed to Nuclear. But as Alfred E. Neuman would say: What, them worry? Mad magazine has released its list of "The Dumbest People, Events and Things of 2002." So many dummies, so little space. The 20-item list is in the venerable satire mag's January issue ($3.50 "cheap")...more [Seattle Times] It's only appropriate that 2002 ends with a financial mess at the top of a 'most stupid' list. We've watched this year as the lies, the funny numbers, and the greed have been exposed. The sad part is that the public seems to have decided to ignore the involvement of so many Republicans. Perhaps it's jet-lag from the 8 year Republican assault on Clinton. For myself, I will begin the new year at home relaxing. It will be a quiet beggining to a year that I am hopeful for. After my annus horriblis that was 2002, I can only be stronger from the trials and tribulations of the past 18 months. It's been a strange journey, I seen both the best and the worst in people. I have found love and support in places I didn't expect, and betrayal from places I did not expect. I have new found faith in the love of my family, and have come closer to my Son. My only concern is that Julie (my wife) and I will not find a path back together again. No matter where it takes me, 2003 will be a better year...mj

Tue, 24 Dec 2002 01:15:08 GMT

'Hiding Your Money' author indicted
The author of "Hiding Your Money" and his lawyer-partner were indicted for helping wealthy Americans buy shares of defunct offshore banks to avoid paying income taxes...more [CNN] Bad Idea: Write a book where you explain how to rip off the IRS. At the very least, DO NOT FOLLOW YOUR OWN ADVICE! It's one thing to tell people to be stupid, it's another to do it yourself...mj

Fri, 13 Dec 2002 08:55:24 GMT

It's over....kinda
Some of it was smoke. Some of it was mirrors. But in the end it really didn't matter. I want this out of my life. I have a pending settlement with ABI that brings an end to the sorry year of anguish. I will not get all the money that I am owed. I still will not see it untill the merger closes. I am not happy, but not surprised. In the end, getting past this was more important then getting everything. The damage to my life and family were simply not worth it. I think I've learned something, I just wish the price hadn't been so high...mj

Sun, 01 Dec 2002 18:38:59 GMT

Feds squeeze lieutenants on Skilling, Lay
Federal investigators are pressuring former Enron Corp. managers to talk as the government continues to build a case against the fallen energy trader's one-time chiefs, Jeffrey Skilling and Kenneth Lay, legal sources said this week...more [Houston Chronicle] Slowly the wheels of justice grind out. I am still surprised that Bush and company have so far managed to skate their way out of this mess. We currently have the most corrupt administration since Nixon, and the worst economy since 1982, so we go and give them more power!?! I am so confused...mj

Thu, 28 Nov 2002 20:25:48 GMT

Thanksgiving and freedom...
What am I thankful for today? I am thankful that I have a healthy son. I am thankful just to be here. I am thankful to know so many wonderful people. I am thankful for my family and friends who have helped me so much over the years. I am thankful for so many things. I am also thankful that I still live in a free country, in spite of the efforts of this administration. Eighteen months ago I was having a debate over an issue on a mail list. It was on topic, but bothered some people to the point that they threatened to leave the list. They wanted pabulum. They wanted to avoid the uncomfortable. My response was simple:
"I am not sorry in the least that I may have offended the sensibilities of a few of you, if so good! A fear of dealing with painful subjects was one of the things that allowed a lousy former artist to build brick ovens in the 40's. It is what allowed a junior Senator to ruin thousands of lives in search of enemies. In comfort we will find no solace"
Keep you head up, but always watch where you walk. Don't let the clouds obscure your dream...mj

Wed, 13 Nov 2002 17:54:30 GMT

How the Confederate flag flap helped the GOP
Democratic governors in South Carolina and Georgia lost at least partly because of their courageous stands against a divisive symbol of racism. The Republicans' historic victories in last week's midterm elections owed a great deal to a surge in white voter turnout in the rural South, notably in South Carolina and Georgia, where incumbent Democratic governors, as well as U.S. Senate candidates, went down to crushing and surprising defeats. One factor largely ignored by the media was the way the ongoing controversy over the official display of divisive Confederate emblems also helped to galvanize angry white voters. So while Democrats debate whether their stance on Iraq hurt them last week, Republicans ought to worry about whether their debt to pro-Confederate flag voters might have gained them victory now at the cost of future races...more [Salon] This is a good article that goes to the heart of the dark side of the Republican party. They have done such a good job selling the anti-tax story that people fail to see that the Party of Lincoln has turned into the party of frustrated white racist, and rich people looking for another tax handout. They have suckered the tired middle class into thinking that they can get things for free. While the Democrats try to redistribute wealth downstream, the republican party is all about moving it back upstream. That's why the tax cut will become etched into law -- its major benefits went to the wealthy. Let's make one point very clear - The Civil War was about slavery, the South's support of it, and the North's opposition to it. It was a war on the part of the South to retain a way of life, the plantation life - Slavery. The Confederate flag is a symbol of racial injustice. It is a symbol of a time and people who wanted to keep blacks enslaved, nothing more, nothing less - so get over it. If an individual wants to support slavery, that's their constitutional right - but governments are for all the people and should not be put in the position of supporting symbols of racial hate. It would be no different then flying the Nazi flag over the capitol buildings in Olympia, Trenton, Albany, Montgomery, Augusta, or Columbia. Just as we would no sooner raise the flag of racial genocide, we should never raise with pride the flag of Slavery. On a side note, it is nice to see that Salon has started allowing you to see premium material by viewing an ad, I hope they keep that up. To see this whole article and other material for the day, all I had to do was go through a brief four page interactive car ad - good idea Salon!...mj

Tue, 05 Nov 2002 22:15:05 GMT

WorldCom black hole even more massive
An initial court-ordered report into the rise and fall of WorldCom Inc has detailed a corporate culture that was focused on meeting analysts' expectations at all costs and warned that further massive restatements of the company's previous financial results may be necessary...more [The Register] The continuing growth of this scandal will join Enron as one of the largest money grabs ever. So what does GW have to say about this, very little. His own Vice President is knee deep in it with Haliburton. They have so many ties to the people involved in these corporate acts of piracy, that they can only hope it will die down and go away. If the Republicans succeed in grabbing control of all three branches, you can be sure we will see these things brushed under the table. Our next hope is to get this group of crooks and thieves out of the Whitehouse in 2004. I voted today, did you?...mj

Thu, 31 Oct 2002 23:28:36 GMT

Enron ex-CFO indicted
Andrew Fastow hit with 78-count indictment for role in Enron's implosion. Andrew Fastow, the former chief financial officer of bankrupt energy trader Enron, was hit with a 78-count indictment Thursday accusing him of deceiving investors by making the dying company appear financially sound...more [CNN Money] Fantastic! This is the worst of the Enron creeps. Fastow, Skilling and Lay all deserve to spend a long time in prison. If only the people they screed over could get some sense of real justice. They should take everything that belongs to these creeps, sell it, and spread the money out to the employees...mj

Sun, 27 Oct 2002 00:12:33 GMT

Random News...

140 die in theatre siege climax -- not surprised, too much hatred in this for it to ever end in peace.
Magazine runs what it calls bin Laden's will -- I have felt for a long time that bin Laden died last December - or was seriously wounded. His lack of visibility is out of character.

Cheney, Halliburton ask judge to toss lawsuit -- During the past 10 years Haliburton also used its subsidiaries to do business with Iraq.

Grand jurors eye Lay -- Lay, Skilling and Fastow all need to spend some time behind bars.

Gov. Jeb Bush's daughter released from jail -- must be nice when dad is a governor, other people get more time for minor drug convictions!

Time for Selig to relent, cut deal with Rose -- Pete is not the daughter of a governor, or his sentence might have been shorter.

The system is screwed up! We punish the poor and addicted with years in prison. We punish a man addicted to gambling by failing to recognize what he did on the field. Meanwhile the rich get richer, and our former coke-head President marches us all off to war. Something is wrong with this picture...mj

Wed, 23 Oct 2002 17:55:09 GMT
Regime Change Begins at Home...
We are coming up on a very important election. It is crucial that the Democrats maintain control of the Senate as a check to the Bush administration. If Bush were to gain control, there would be no limitations to the laws passed and actions of this administration. Keep in mind that I am not opposed to action on Iraq, I just think that it needs to be done in a bit more rational manner that seeks support from others. On the other front there is the small matter of the economy, which Bush has ignored, and the scandals in the financial world that his administration is neck deep in. We need to send a clear note to this adminstration that deeds; not words, are what matters! This administration needs to move beyond soundbites and press events. A little regime change can be a good thing...mj

Mon, 07 Oct 2002 23:47:21 GMT
The Architects of Doom
Found some good articles on the latest Enron/Global Crossing/Worldcom/Adlephia news. It appears that the noose is tightening -- took long enough:

Andrew Fastow: A study in contrasts

Global Crossing chief denies inside stock sales

SEC Files Charges Against Yates for Fraud

Adelphia founding family pleads not guilty to fraud

Qwest Vows to...Improve Customer Service

It would be nice if Qwest could do that. My DSL went out for 5 hours on its second day of service and it took 24 minutes for them to answer the phone! The one thing that Qwest can't do is service...mj

Tue, 24 Sep 2002 00:35:24 GMT
Polo Uniforms A Legal Faux Pas?
Forced to spend up to a third of their annual income on Ralph Lauren fashions to keep their jobs, Polo employees are suing the fashion giant for its uniform policy. The complaint was filed Wednesday by Toni Young on behalf of other unnamed plaintiffs and claimed Ralph Lauren's Polo stores require sales representatives to purchase and wear the latest clothing line from the retailer. [CBS News.com] Let's add this up. First you make your clothes using ten cent an hour child labor, then you model it using people who create unhealthy expectations about body image, and then you force your employees to purchase (at a small discount) your clothes to wear at work. Don't forget that you sell the overpriced clothes in swank little shops, or high end department stores at a nice margin. The fashion business...what a nice little scam...mj

Wed, 18 Sep 2002 06:41:51 GMT
Postings will be limited over the next 10 days, or until I have full access back to the internet. I am moving into an apartment and dealing with all the joy that goes with that. After nearly eleven years of marriage it's strange to be dealing with all the little irritations. I hate moving, I simply hate it. Add to that the little detail that I found out today that the cable in our building won't support internet access, or digital cable -- oh joy of joys. So who did I get to deal with? My favorite phone company (not!) Qwest -- who assures me that DSL is available. See you all on the other side...mj