Thu 24 July 08 · Filed under Writing & Blogging
I’ve been writing for AOL on WalletPop (consumer finance site) and BloggingStocks (public company analysis and news site) since December and it’s been fun. Word came down today that there are big (hopefully temporary) budget cuts and everyone is to stop blogging immediately. I toyed with the idea of writing about it here, but wasn’t sure if that was okay or not…
Well… several people apparently talked to TechCrunch about it and they’ve reported it, so I see no need to hold my tongue. Here’s want TechCrunch had to say: [Read more...]
Wed 23 July 08 · Filed under Pyramid Schemes & MLM
Ronald J. Riley, a consumer advocate who has historically worked on behalf of inventors, became aware of the ShopToEarn situation last week. He was very adamant that the threats made by attorney Gerald Nehra on behalf of Shop To Earn and Shop To Earth were inappropriate and amounted to nothing more than corporate bullying of bloggers.
This type of behavior is dangerous, however, if allowed to continue. Most bloggers would likely be scared off by a threat like the one Gerry Nehra issued to me and to Everyday Finance. They would take down their blog posts out of fear, probably not realizing that they have the legal right to express their opinions about people and companies.
So it’s important to stop attorneys from harassing and bullying bloggers in an attempt to silence their First Amendment rights. Mr. Riley offered Attorney Nehra to right his wrongs with this invitation: [Read more...]
Wed 23 July 08 · Filed under Writing & Blogging
Several months ago, I stumbled on Blog Net News (BNN) and liked what I saw. The site has different “channels” that focus on geographic areas or certain topics. Each channel aggregates the RSS feeds of various bloggers.
For those who aren’t tech types, an “RSS feed” is basically an automated tool that sends out the title and first couple sentences of each post that I make on this blog. An “aggregator” assembles the feeds of several different bloggers into one site or page.
After trading some emails with David Mastio, the owner of BNN, he created the Accounting channel and the Fraud channel, both of which I edit. I helped David comb the internet for good blogs to be included on the site, and I’ve gotten notes from bloggers who noticed new traffic and wanted to thank me. [Read more...]
Wed 23 July 08 · Filed under Productivity & Professional Development
This morning someone sent me a link to this article on the mythical discrimination against women via corporate pay, thinking I’d be outraged. Except I agree with Steve Chapman: There’s no evidence supporting that claim, but it sure sounds great to say women are paid less for the same jobs.
I ticked off some of my female colleagues at AOL’s WalletPop in May, writing that the glass ceiling for women is merely a myth. While I think there are some instances of discrimination in the workplace, that’s not the reason women are paid less in corporate America. It’s because of their chioices.
Here’s what Steve Chapman had to say: [Read more...]
Tue 22 July 08 · Filed under Scam Busting
Today Patrick Byrne, CEO of the ever-flailing internet retailer Overstock.com (NASDAQ:OSTK) went on Fox Business to talk about naked short selling and conspiracy theories. And to whine about CNBC and the fact that he thinks people at CNBC take orders from Hedge funds: “They won’t let me on to talk about it.”
Byrne was asked the question on everyone’s mind: Isn’t the hammering of Overstock’s stock price really related more to the fact that the company has never turned a profit, rather than the naked short selling conspiracy?
Patrick’s response? Overstock has “….made money in some quarters.” [Read more...]
Tue 22 July 08 · Filed under Fraud News Stories
Women have been discriminated against in the workplace. I’m not pretending it doesn’t happen, because it does. There are “good old boys networks” and those can have a negative impact on women at work.
But women need to get with the program and figure out when there’s discrimination and when they’re just incompetent (or at the very least not working up to the standards of their male counterparts).
Case in point: Nannette Hegarty, former police chief for the City of Milwaukee. I had high hopes for Nan when she took office. Unfortunately, she was a complete and utter failure at her job. Her officers never respected her, and crime thrived while she was in charge. [Read more...]
Tue 22 July 08 · Filed under Auditing & Regulations
There are many things wrong with the Big 4 accounting firms, and I predict that within 3 years (probably less) they will all be gone. But the partners are going to stay on the gravy train as long as they can.
Make no mistake: Being partner at a Big 4 isn’t easy. It takes a lot of hard work and bieng a yes man on the way up. Then there’s the buy-in of over $400k. And the partners never really know how secure their positions are, what with liability from audit failures constantly an issue.
But with risk comes reward, and at Deloitte & Touche, there is a reward for partners. Francine McKenna at Re: The Auditors has sources within the big firms, and gets plenty of traffic when she writes about layoffs there. [Read more...]
Mon 21 July 08 · Filed under Pyramid Schemes & MLM, Writing & Blogging
Ben W. Glass, editor at Clarislaw.com and attorney, did a nice write-up last week of the ShopToEarn situation. He thinks attorney Gerald Nehra made a boo-boo when he wrongly threatened Everyday Finance and me because of our negative reviews of Shop To Earn and Shop To Earth.
He gives a brief background on the original review at Everyday Finance and the threatening emails. Then goes on to say: [Read more...]
Mon 21 July 08 · Filed under Fraud News Stories
On the November ballots, City of Milwaukee residents may have to vote on whether private employers should be required to provide paid sick leave for all employees.
Here’s what the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says about it:
A coalition led by 9to5, the National Association of Working Women, has mounted a petition drive demanding an ordinance to require the city’s private-sector employers to provide paid sick leave for their workers, and to let those workers take sick days to care for ailing family members.
Sounds good, right? Everyone should get paid time off to care for sick family members, right? It’s just the compassionate thing to do, right? [Read more...]
Mon 21 July 08 · Filed under Writing & Blogging
Welcome to the July 21, 2008 edition of carnival of fraud.
otherdeb (Deb Wunder) presents How my roommate accidentally blew this month?s rent posted at The Dangling Conversation.
Leon Gettler presents No more corporate crime hardball posted at Sox First, saying, “In another sign that the administration is easing up on its fight against corporate crime, the US Justice Department is backing off from its hard-line that forces corporations to turn over confidential communications between their attorneys and company executives under scrutiny by prosecutors. It’s a big win for business and lawyers who have argued such sanctions were coercive and unconstitutional.” [Read more...]
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