Reading an article on Ruth Madoff being sued, I saw this paragraph from the Compliant:
The United States government agreed not to contest Mrs. Madoff’s claim to $2.5 million and to make a payment to her in that amount following forfeiture of the Madoffs’ assets. The forfeiture Stipulation and Order…expressly provides that the $2.5 million payment to Mrs. Madoff “does not in any way preclude…Irving H. Picard, Esq. as trustee for the liquidation of the business of defendant Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC…from seeking to recover the Funds from Ruth Madoff.” While Madoff’s crimes have left many investors impoverished and some charities decimated, Mrs. Madoff remains a person of substantial means. The inequity between Mrs. Madoff’s continuing financial advantages and the economic distress of Madoff’s customers compels the Trustee to bring this action.
See, I’m not sure exactly where I stand on Mrs. Madoff: I haven’t really given it all that much thought, as I don’t think it’s worth the mindshare. But now that I have given it a little thought…
I’m unsure what the legal basis is for taking Ruth Madoff’s couple of million dollars when the US government has declined to bring criminal charges citing a lack of knowledge of the fraud on her part. And for the DOJ to make that admission is pretty staggering. Can you even imagine how much pressure there was to find something, anything, to hang a criminal charge on her. That they failed really says something to me about her lack of knowledge.
Now, the knowledge requirement for a civil case is lower than that of a criminal case. Criminal authorities have to prove knowledge “beyond a reasonable doubt,” which is a pretty high standard. Civil cases must be proven by a “preponderance of the evidence.” This means 51%. So I can understand a civil litigator, like the trustee of Madoff’s firm in receivership, saying, “well, I appreciate why the criminal authorities took a pass, but I think I can prove knowledge to a preponderance, so I’m going to bring a case.”
But that’s not what’s being said here. It’s “she’s rich, her husband’s victims aren’t, so I’m going to redistribute that income to make things fairer.
I have a big problem with that.
Being rich is not an immoral state of being. When the Receiver says that she received funds she wasn’t entitled to, I say, “so what?” Her husband cheated people and bought her things with the stolen money. So, get the money from him, or his companies. But the fact that the government agreed that this $2.5 million was hers, and now the Receiver is saying that she shouldn’t have it just because her husband’s victims are poor, that’s just wrong. One has nothing to do with the other. If they can prove that the funds are ill-gotten gains, take it. If they can prove that she knew of her husband’s fraud, take it. But in the absence of those two things, income redistribution does not support a seizure action. That’s called socialism, and we’re not there. At least not yet.
This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen this month:
A judge ordered the release of a younger detainee. He threw a grenade at troops, injuring two American soldiers.
[The Judge] said any prosecution would face difficulties, including what she said was a possible denial of Mr. Jawad’s right to a speedy trial and evidence that his treatment at Guantánamo was harsher than any juvenile defendant would face in the United States.
Well, duh! This isn’t a “juvenile defendant,” this is evidence of child abuse by our enemy, sending a 14-year-old out on a mission to kill US troops.
This is how I think of Veaj. This is likely how I’ll always think of Veaj, even when we’re 80.
Of course, when Veaj is 80, she’ll probably still be jumping on top of desks. But if you want someone who can put a smile on your face, she’s the one.
Can you tell I’m a fan?
One thing that amazes me. How much she updates all the social media. MySpace, Facebook, Flickr, and I’m sure Twitter and lots of other ones I don’t even know about. Me, I’m lucky if I can post on this blog once or twice a week. She also responds to comments almost immediately on any of those. It’s amazing.
And she puts herself out there. I’m LNU because I like my anonymity. She’s living life out loud, that’s for sure. And she doesn’t hide her downs, or tone down her ups. That’s admirable, I think.
Right when I found out that I was losing my job, someone forwarded Mrs. LNU a link to a video of Jimmy Fallon doing a spoof of Dave Matthews. It was an “advertisement,” one of the funny ones that SNL does, for a new GPS system using Dave Matthews music to tell you where to go.
I honestly didn’t think that anything could put a smile on my face at that point, but this did.
In 2.5 Miles You Should Make a Riiii-iiii-ight, Well Bay-Bay!
For the second video:
I’ve Got 16 Tons of Questions for the Teacher
HBO used to have this series of short films called “Short Takes.” One of those movies was about a guitar player who gets brought in to fill in for someone…just for sessions. It’s called “Session Man.” The guy comes in (James Remar, I think his name is) and plays one song. And gets asked to join the band, the Raging Kings. I don’t know why I remember it from, like, 1991, but I do. The satisfaction when he gets asked to join. The quiet dejection when the crisis hits. The whole movie is about 20 minutes long. But it was well-acted, and interesting.
Part 2 video:
Part 3 video:
It’s all good.
The song, though, has some…interesting…lyrics. Some I like, some are just silly.
I’ve been working in a coal mine
on top of the world
I’ve been watching the horizon
I’ve been watching all the girls
‘Cause I’m a girl…watcher
I’ve been laughing on the inside
Livin’ with the pain
I’ve been working with the system
I’ve been standing in the rain
‘Cause I’m a born…swimmer
I’ve got 16 tons of questions for the teacher
I’ve got 16 tons of monkeys on my back
I’ve got 16 tons of doubt about the future
Its a wonder that I’ve managed to survive the silent wreckage of my past
You take a little baby fill him full of fear sell him ammunition, cigarettes, and beer
And he’s your new neighbor
He’s got 16 tons of questions for the teacher
He’s got 16 tons of monkeys on his back
He’s got 16 tons of doubt about the future
It’s a wonder that I’ve managed to survive the silent wreckage of my past.
It’s about 6am Sunday morning. I’ve been up for almost an hour. Three of my four kids are sleeping in the bed with us. It’s a little crowded. Not that I’m complaining, not really. It’s cute, how much they love to cuddle with me and Mrs. LNU. And secretly (not-so-secretly, really…I’ve told Mrs. LNU, and you, come to think of it) I love it. For my kids, I’m still the person who can make the bad dreams go away.
But it also means that I don’t sleep so well, and today—like a lot of days recently—I have stuff on my mind. Mainly, of course, the job situation. It’s about 75 days until I’m unemployed. I’ve had one interview, with another two scheduled, and one more on the horizon. Plus two jobs that I have a shot at, but haven’t heard back even on the interview yet. So I’ve got irons in the fire. And I really hope one will drop.
The good news is that I am coming home earlier than ever, and in time to put the kids to bed. So they’re seeing me around more, which is always good.
You hear a lot about “quality” time. And spending concentrated amounts of time with your kids is important, making each of them feel special.
But no parent really thinks “quality” time is enough. What’s really important is quantity time. Just being around. There really is no substitute for it. It’s amazing how important it is that the kids see me kiss their mother, and hold her hand, and just putter around the house. That’s just incredibly important, because it’s a signal to them that their world is where it should be. That everything is in its place. When I’m not around, they don’t get that.
Anyway, for any other insomniacs out there: good morning.
Slowly, slowly. That car, a Bentley in case you can’t tell, is worth
north of $100,000. Probably north of $150,000. (Anyone know for
certain? I’m not in the mood to google it.) [Ed. note: About $200,000. I looked it up].
A scratch would be *really* expensive. And while you can’t get blood
from a stone, it would be a bit embarrassing, as it’s my synagogue’s
parking lot.
Dr. Egon Spengler: There’s something very important I forgot to tell you.
Dr. Peter Venkman: What?
Dr. Egon Spengler: Don’t cross the streams.
Dr. Peter Venkman: Why?
Dr. Egon Spengler: It would be bad.
Dr. Peter Venkman: I’m a little fuzzy on the whole “good/bad” thing here. What do you mean, “bad”?
Dr. Egon Spengler: Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light.
Dr. Ray Stantz: Total protonic reversal!
Dr. Peter Venkman: That’s bad. Okay. All right, important safety tip. Thanks, Egon.
I thought of this quote while watching the pilot episode of Warehouse 13. Not a bad little TV show, but not a good one, either. It’s like someone said, “let’s take the X files, and Moonlighting, and every other mismatched-pairing-of-partners story, and set it in North Dakota, with a little Indiana-Jones-warehouse-at-the-end scene thrown in.”
But for all the this-has-been-done-before-as-recently-as-yesterday feel to the show, it wasn’t all bad. The main characters showed some depth, there are some great supporting cast, not the least of who is CCH Pounder (formerly from The Shield, and last seen there having a breakdown because Vince Mackey got immunity). I’m a fan of hers, even though she appears to have a fairly small role. I hope it’ll expand.
It helped that the pilot episode, on iTunes yesterday, was free. I got to get that and the newest episode of Saving Grace, which I’m sure I’ll talk about tomorrow.
“The state cannot pay its bills, poorly educates its young, and its taxation punishes whatever success that its suffocating regulatory regime does not suppress.”
