Archive for the ‘Business Humor’ Category
Tuesday, September 4th, 2012
Sometimes you see a column title and feel certain that the piece is satirical. Such was the case when I stumbled upon Gerald Skoning’s Wall Street Journal op-ed: We’ve Got Labor Day. Why Not Corporation Day?
The subtitle of what turned out to be a dead serious opinion piece is even more nauseating: It’s high time we honored the industrialist pioneers, business barons and tycoons—the job creators—of our nation.
Limerick Ode To … Corporation Day???
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Gerald Skoning’s found something to rue:
Corporations ain’t getting their due.
Though we celebrate labor,
Each corporate neighbor
Is picked at and dissed. Boohoohoo!
Tags: Business Verse, Corporation Day, Gerald Skoning, Job Creators, Labor Day, Tycoons, Wall Street Journal
Posted in Business Humor, Holidays Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire | 5 Comments »
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012
So let me get this straight: Mitt Romney has disavowed his singular accomplishment as Massachusetts governor (universal health care). And for the most part, he’s resting his claim to the presidency on his Bain-related expertise and accomplishments. He even asserts (without any proof) to have been a big “job creator” there. And yet Romney has the audacity to declare his Bain years off-limits to examination and critique by Obama and other Democrats.
As Ezra Klein points out:
Romney’s national platform … calls for doing less for the victims of the global economy. He wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would guarantee that workers would get health insurance even if they lost their jobs in, say, a private-equity led restructuring. He wants to pay for large tax cuts and more defense spending by cutting funds for Medicaid, for food stamps, for worker retraining, and for housing subsidies. He wants to cut Social Security benefits. He has no detailed plans to improve the continuing education system, or worker retraining programs, such that displaced machinists have a better chance to find a new job.
That’s why the ads in which laid-off steelworkers say Romney just doesn’t care about people like them are so effective. As head of Bain, it was Romney’s job not to care about them. But as a presidential candidate, it’s his job to show that he does care about them. So far, he hasn’t.
Limerick Ode To Mitt “Job Creator” Romney
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Romney brags of his Bain expertise—
Says it’s earned him the White Houses’s keys.
Yet he’s sore, slams the door,
Says how dare we explore
What exactly he did for those fees.
Dear Mitt, you can’t have it both ways.
Your record’s reviewed in this phase:
When you proudly proclaim
You know biz, it’s fair game
To appraise your Bain management ways.
Tags: Bain Capital, Barack Obama, Business Expertise, Business Verse, Campaign Humor, Economy Satire, Election Satire, Fiscal Humor, Job Creator, Jobs, Mitt Romney, White House
Posted in Barack Obama, Business Humor, Campaign Humor, Economy Humor, Election Satire, Fiscal Policy, GOP Humor, Mitt Romney Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Tax & Budget Humor, White House | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, August 9th, 2011
Paul Krugman does a great job pointing out S&P’s chutzpah in downgrading U.S. debt:
America’s large budget deficit is, after all, primarily the result of the economic slump that followed the 2008 financial crisis. And S.& P., along with its sister rating agencies, played a major role in causing that crisis, by giving AAA ratings to mortgage-backed assets that have since turned into toxic waste.
Nor did the bad judgment stop there. Notoriously, S.& P. gave Lehman Brothers, whose collapse triggered a global panic, an A rating right up to the month of its demise. And how did the rating agency react after this A-rated firm went bankrupt? By issuing a report denying that it had done anything wrong.
Limerick Ode To Standard & Poor’s Chutzpah
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Dear Standard & Poor’s, I’m impressed
Cuz you ought to be under arrest.
You caused the recession
With junk bond aggression.
Now you’re pounding your downgrading chest?
Tags: Chutzpah, Credit Downgrade, Economy, Fiscal Crisis, Fiscal Humor, Junk Bonds, Paul Krugman, Rating Agencies, S&P, Standard & Poor's, U.S. Debt
Posted in Business Humor, Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, Money & Finance Humor, Political Limericks, Tax & Budget Humor, Washington | 5 Comments »
Wednesday, May 25th, 2011
Remember when Republicans opposed the automobile industry bailout, slamming Obama for his “government takeover?”
Now that Obama’s auto industry rescue plan is a raging success, Republicans have acknowledged their error and congratulated Obama on a job well done, right?
Hahahahaha!
So can we trust the media to make sure Republicans like Romney, Corker, Pawlenty, Kasich, and their ilk don’t scam people into thinking the bailout was their idea?
You’re kidding, right?
Revisionist History On Auto Pilot
By Madeleine Begun Kane
So what did Republicans say
To auto co bailouts? No way!
But the past they would edit
And try to take credit:
It worked, so that plan was “their” play.
Tags: Auto Industry Bailout, Automobiles, Bankruptcy, Bob Corker, Chrysler, Detroit, General Motors, John Kasich, Media Humor, Michigan, Mitt Romney, Revisionist History, Tim Pawlenty
Posted in Automobiles Satire, Barack Obama, Business Humor, GOP Humor, Media Satire, Mitt Romney Humor, Political Commentary, Political Limericks, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor | 4 Comments »
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
President Obama is hoping Americans won’t have “selective memory” and blame him for problems he inherited from Bush. Unfortunately they do, as this poll illustrates:
Only about a third of Americans (34%) know that the government’s bailout of banks and financial institutions was enacted under the Bush administration. Nearly half (47%) incorrectly say that the Troubled Asset Relief Program – widely known as TARP – was signed into law by President Obama.
And you can bet that the bailout misinformation percentage is a lot higher for the virulently anti-bailout crowd. It sure would be nice if they knew the truth about the bailout:
For the record, the financial industry bailout passed in October 2008. It was requested by a conservative Republican administration (George W. Bush and Dick Cheney). It was enthusiastically endorsed by the House Republican leadership (John Boehner, Eric Cantor, and Roy Blunt), the Senate Republican leadership (Mitch McConnell and Jon Kyl), both members of the Republican presidential ticket (John McCain and Sarah Palin), and assorted, high-profile conservative voices (Mitt Romney and Glenn Beck).
That leads me to my latest limerick:
Selective Memories Bail Out Bush
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Disliking Obama is fine,
But please be correct when you whine.
Don’t like bailouts of banks?
It’s to Bush you owe “thanks.”
Was it signed by Obama? No! Nein!
Tags: Bank Bailout, Barack Obama, Economy Satire, Financial Bailout, Financial Verse, George W. Bush, Selective Memory, TARP
Posted in Barack Obama, Business Humor, Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, George Bush Satire, Money & Finance Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Polls, TARP Humor, Tax & Budget Humor, White House | Comments Off
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
Is speculation that Sarah Palin’s speaking career’s starting to crash and burn just wishful thinking, or something more? One thing’s for sure — her Las Vegas keynote speech didn’t impress commercial realtors.
Panning Palin
By Madeleine Begun Kane
I never “got” Palin’s appeal.
I’m confused. Please do tell. What’s the deal?
Ill-informed and quite crass,
With a voice that breaks glass —
Why on earth would folks pay for her spiel?
Tags: Realtors, Sarah Palin, Speeches
Posted in Business Humor, Political Limericks, Publicity Hounds, Sarah Palin, Speeches Satire | 11 Comments »
Saturday, January 30th, 2010
My humorist pal Rose Valenta recently created a Kindle version of her blog and inspired me to do the same. Why? Because many employers are getting strict about web access, blocking employees from reading their favorite blogs and sites — even while they’re on a break or at lunch.
But your boss can’t control what you read on your Kindle. And Amazon makes it easy for bloggers to create Kindle blog editions, allowing fans to bypass their bosses and keep up with their reading.
That brings me to my latest limerick:
Fighting Firewalls With Kindle Blogs
By Madeleine Begun Kane
You’re at work, but on break — want to read.
But your boss did a dastardly deed:
Your fav’rites are blocked.
Your net access is locked.
But he can’t stop a Kindle blog feed.
My News: I’ve created Kindle versions of both my blogs. So if you’d like to read this political satire blog on your Kindle device, you can subscribe right here. And if you’d like to read my other general humor blog on your Kindle reader you can subscribe right here.
Attention Fellow Bloggers: Want to know how to publish your own blog on Amazon Kindle? Amazon makes it pretty easy and has a helpful Kindle Blog FAQ here. You can also find some useful info over at Mashable and some Kindle badges and icons here.
Warning: Reading blogs on Kindle isn’t free, except for the 14-day free trial for each blog. Monthly Kindle blog subscription fees are controlled by Amazon and priced at either $0.99 per month or $1.99 per month. Moreover, only 30% of the revenue goes to the blogger.
And Now For The Sales Pitch: Each of my two blogs is priced at $0.99 per month.
So if you’re a Kindle owner, I hope you’ll give the Kindle versions of this political humor blog and/or my other general humor blog a try.
Tags: Amazon Satire, Blogger Verse, Computer Humor, Employers, Firewalls, Invasion of Privacy, Kindle Blog Publisher, Kindles, Net Access, Office Spies, Publishing How-To, Technology Tips
Posted in Blog Promotion, Blogging Advice, Blogosphere, Business Humor, Eavesdropping, General Humor, Hi Tech Humor, Kindle Politics, Non-Political Verse, Privacy Humor, Technology Humor | 7 Comments »
Thursday, June 4th, 2009
Republicans have no shortage of things to fulminate about. One of their favorites? The General Motors bankruptcy:
Bankrupt Values (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
An auto co known as GM
In the past was considered a gem.
It’s in bankruptcy now.
Will that hurt? Yes, and how!
But the GOP’s goal? Blame the Dem!
(You can find my lighter car humor columns and limericks here.)
Tags: Automobiles, Bankruptcy, Blame, Cars, Democrats, Economy, Finance, General Motors, GM, GOP, Law Satire, Money, Obama, Republicans Humor, Values
Posted in Automobiles Satire, Barack Obama, Blame Game, Business Humor, Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, GOP Humor, Law Satire, Legal Limericks, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor | Comments Off
Thursday, March 19th, 2009
I practiced law for over a dozen years and negotiated lots of contracts. And, unlike the Bush administration, I always kept my poker face. Why? Because if you want the best possible deal, you must make the other party think that he needs you more than you need him.
So, for example, when you tell banks that they’re too big to fail, you disincentivize them from cooperating, or even telling you the truth. That’s why I’m not surprised that 13 of the “top 23 private recipients of taxpayer-funded bailouts under the $700 billion program” enacted by the Bush administration “owed more than $220 million in unpaid federal taxes” and that they lied about it on their TARP contracts.
Why bother being honest? After all, it’s not as if Bush’s Treasury Department made them back up their statements with actual tax records. Of course not — they were too big to fail.
This brings me to my latest limerick:
Tough Negotiators, Those Bushies!
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Dear bank, we can not let you fail.
You’re too big. Pay no mind if we wail
That you owe us back tax.
Do not worry. Relax!
Cuz that huge bailout check’s in the mail.
Tags: Bailout Humor, Banks, Bush, Contracts, Law Satire, Legal Humor, Lies, Negotiating, Paulson, TARP, Taxes, Taxpayers, Treasury
Posted in Banking Humor, Ben Bernanke, Business Humor, Corruption Humor, Crime, Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, George Bush Satire, Henry Paulson, Law Satire, Paulson Plan, Political Commentary, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, TARP Humor, Tax & Budget Humor, Tim Geithner | 4 Comments »
Tuesday, March 17th, 2009
The AIG bonus fiasco has been very enlightening. Giving incompetent employees huge bonuses, so they won’t resign? And with taxpayer cash yet? What a concept!
I think all of us who still have jobs should send our bosses a letter like this:
Dear Boss, Where’s My Bonus? (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Dear boss, where’s my bonus and raise?
I expect lots of cash — no delays.
Though my work surely sucks,
I deserve all those bucks.
Ain’t it great that incompetence pays?
Tags: AIG, Bailout, Bonuses, Economy, Employment, Incompetence, Money, Workplace
Posted in Banking Humor, Business Humor, Corruption Humor, Economy Humor, Federal Reserve, Fiscal Policy, Insurance Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Social Satire, Tax & Budget Humor | 7 Comments »
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008
Rachel Maddow says “We should all become banks.” Why? Because all it takes for banks to get lots of taxpayer TARP money is a simple two page application. And the best part is that banks don’t have to account for the cash. (Bush’s Treasury Department requires no transparency or accountability.)
That calls for a limerick, don’t you think?
Banks To Taxpayers: Drop Dead!
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Where’s your money? You’ve no right to know.
Banks account for your dough? Ho! Ho! Ho!
We are rich and white collar —
Won’t help if you holler.
Go pester a unionized co!
Tags: Accountability, Banking Satire, Banks, Hank Paulson, Maddow, MSNBC, TARP Application, Taxpayers, Transparency, Treasury, Unions, White Collar
Posted in Banking Humor, Business Humor, Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, Henry Paulson, Paulson Plan, Political Commentary, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Rachel Maddow, TARP Humor, Tax & Budget Humor | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008
According to the GAO, TARP (the gazillion dollar Troubled Asset Relief Program) is seriously lacking in oversight. Why? Because of a single Senator’s anonymous block on the program’s IG (Inspector General) nominee.
Sen. Max Baucus, the fellow who made sure the TARP bill provided for an IG, isn’t too pleased. And that brings me to my latest limerick:
I’m never a person to carp,
But nobody oversees TARP.
One anonymous “hold”
Stopped the process out cold
Of confirming an IG who’s sharp.
Tags: Anonymous Blocks, Bailout, GAO, Inspector General, Max Baucus, Senate Satire, TARP
Posted in Ben Bernanke, Business Humor, Congress Humor, Corruption Humor, Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, Legislation Humor, Max Baucus, Paulson Plan, Political Limericks, Republicans Humor, TARP Humor, Tax & Budget Humor | 4 Comments »
Tuesday, September 30th, 2008
Even The Wall Street Journal’s editorial page thinks Republicans are crybabies about the bailout bill:
House Republicans share the blame, and not only because they opposed the bill by about two-to-one, 133-65. Their immediate response was to say that many of their Members turned against the bill at the last minute because Ms. Pelosi gave her nasty speech. So they are saying that Republicans chose to oppose something they think is in the national interest merely because of a partisan slight. Thank heaven these guys weren’t at Valley Forge.
An Ode To Crybaby Republicans
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Republican leaders assert
That the plan that attempts to avert
A depression just failed
Cuz Pelosi’s speech nailed
Bush’s failures — their feelings were hurt.
They are patriots first, they proclaim,
But when action’s a must they hurl blame,
Rushing out to condemn
“Hurtful” words from a Dem.
They treat critical bills like a game.
Tags: Crybabies, Economic Meltdown, Economy Satire, Finance Haiku, Financial Verse, Fiscal Crisis TARP, House Republicans, Money Poem, Wall Street Journal, Wall Street Woes
Posted in Ben Bernanke, Business Humor, Congress Humor, Economy Humor, Federal Reserve, Fiscal Policy, GOP Humor, Henry Paulson, House Satire, John Boehner, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Republicans Humor, Tax & Budget Humor | Comments Off
Wednesday, September 24th, 2008
Here’s my latest haiku (senryu) about the Wall Street meltdown and the $700 billion (or much more) Bush-Cheney-Paulson-Bernanke rip-off-the-taxpayers bailout plan:
Financial vultures
First gobble up our assets,
Then demand dessert.
Tags: Economic Meltdown, Economy Satire, Finance Haiku, Financial Verse, Fiscal Crisis, Money Poem, TARP, Wall Street
Posted in Ben Bernanke, Business Humor, Economy Humor, Federal Reserve, Fiscal Policy, Henry Paulson, News Haiku & Senryu, Paulson Plan, Political Haiku & Senryu, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Tax & Budget Humor | 4 Comments »
Monday, October 16th, 2006
Every time I start thinking the press may finally be doing its job, I run across another example of media laziness and gullibility.
For instance, the record shattering August U.S. trade deficit received minimal coverage, almost as if it were a non-event.
Yet many “journalists” seemed all too eager to report, unchallenged, Bush’s “halving the budget deficit” claim, though this assertion is patently false.
But perhaps I’m not being fair. Cause let’s face it, Bush style accounting could improve just about anybody’s budget. Think how rosy yours would look if, with the flick of a black pen, you moved major expenses (housing? energy?) off budget.
And now it’s time for a limerick duo:
Trading On Fiction
By Madeleine Begun Kane
The trade gap is higher than ever.
Will Republicans fix it? No, never!
Yet the GOP yells:
“The economy’s swell.”
Don’t forget to click “Dem” with that lever.
Budget Reality Gap
By Madeleine Begun Kane
The deficit’s halved, claims George Dub.
But it’s gone way, way up. There’s the rub.
Yet the press prints and buys
Georgie Dubya’s big lies.
Once again, hard reality’s scrubbed.
For your reading (and viewing) pleasure:
* Norm at OneGood Move brings us the always hilarious Lewis Black.
* Skippy brings us a Kerry cahones video. (Now he grows a pair?)
* From Kevin Hayden, GOP’s Top Bloggers Abandon Ship, While Remaining in Denial.
* From Don Davis, Top Ten Things The Bushies Are Saying Behind The Evangelicals’ Backs.
* From The Talking Dog, an interview with Dr. Steven Miles, medical professor at the U. of Minnesota, and author of “Oath Betrayed” discussing medical complicity in torture, prisoner abuse, et al, in the war on terror.
[tags]Deficit Spending, Budget Deficit, Trade Deficit, Trade Gap, Press Humor, Gullible Journalists, Budget Lies, Off Budget Items[/tags]
Posted in Business Humor, Economy Humor, Election Satire, Foreign Policy, George Bush Satire, GOP Humor, Media Satire, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Tax & Budget Humor, White House | 16 Comments »
Tuesday, September 26th, 2006
Our housing bubble’s fin’lly burst,
Our pockets picked by George The Worst.
One heckofa job, “Decider” Bush,
A Prez whose brain is in his tush.
(My money humor is collected here.)
[tags]Money Humor, Business, Housing Market, Real Estate Bubble[/tags]
Posted in Business Humor, George Bush Satire, GOP Humor, Political Verse, Real Estate Humor, Republicans Humor, White House | 4 Comments »
Revisionist History On Auto Pilot
Wednesday, May 25th, 2011Remember when Republicans opposed the automobile industry bailout, slamming Obama for his “government takeover?”
Now that Obama’s auto industry rescue plan is a raging success, Republicans have acknowledged their error and congratulated Obama on a job well done, right?
Hahahahaha!
So can we trust the media to make sure Republicans like Romney, Corker, Pawlenty, Kasich, and their ilk don’t scam people into thinking the bailout was their idea?
You’re kidding, right?
Revisionist History On Auto Pilot
By Madeleine Begun Kane
So what did Republicans say
To auto co bailouts? No way!
But the past they would edit
And try to take credit:
It worked, so that plan was “their” play.
Tags: Auto Industry Bailout, Automobiles, Bankruptcy, Bob Corker, Chrysler, Detroit, General Motors, John Kasich, Media Humor, Michigan, Mitt Romney, Revisionist History, Tim Pawlenty
Posted in Automobiles Satire, Barack Obama, Business Humor, GOP Humor, Media Satire, Mitt Romney Humor, Political Commentary, Political Limericks, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor | 4 Comments »