FUTURE BUREAUCRAT

(cont. from section 1)

So what is backdating? Why is it a problem? Where is the illegal conduct?

Let’s start at the bottom again. The most common conduct alleged in backdating options involves companies or individuals setting the date (and therefore the exercise price) of an option grant at some arbitrary point in the past when the company’s shares were trading at a discount. Backdating is essentially cherry-picking the price the option recipient will pay in order to maximize his or her profit when the options are exercised. Continue Reading »

The news from Zimbabwe is depressing. The most recent crackdown, which began with the arrest and brutal beating of opposition supporters three weeks ago, has accelerated the country’s meltdown and completed its transition from democracy to dictatorship. In a matter of a few years, Zimbabwe has gone from an island of stability and prosperity in Southern Africa to a complete disaster. Inflation is astronomical, unemployment is the norm, services like healthcare are virtually gone, and refugees have begun streaming across the borders into neighboring South Africa. Zimbabwe is no longer a diplomatic crisis, it is a humanitarian crisis.

And the reaction of African leaders? Silence. Indifference. Indulgence. Continue Reading »

An enlightening article from Slate -

The undercover economist: The economic mysteries of daily life.

My $3 coffee doesn’t taste so good any longer…