AIG, Bad Pork, Dick Cheney... Any Other Bad News for a Sunday Morning?

Normally I don't like to read the news.  It is depressing.  I do skim through the NY Times online on a regular basis, but I am usually selective about it and can pretty much sum up the happenings from headlines.  Today I am, again, reminded of the fact that I just should not look at certain train wrecks. 

AIG tops the news with the announcement that they will be doling out an obscene amount of money, in bonus compensation, to the very people who got them into their financial mess in the first place.  The government isn't happy about it (who would be?) but AIG is claiming that they are legally required to pay out the bonus dollars. I think that has to be one of the stupidest arguments ever.  Legally required?  If the company had been bankrupted because of the financial crisis, they wouldn't have had the money to pay people... so it seems like a stupid thing to say that because they have money now (because of the bailouts) that they will have to pay it.  One AIG official said that they have to pay it because they want to retain top talent.  Huh?  The people who should be on their knees thankful that they still have a job?  Those people?  Those talented folks who have run the economy into the ground?  We want to keep paying them bonuses to keep them in place?  Does this make sense to anyone else?  I work for a Fortune 500 company.  We "worker bees" don't even make what is technically considered to be a liveable wage.  We were just told on Friday that we won't be getting the annual merit increases (up to 3%) because they aren't sure how the company will fare in the upcoming year.  They told us we should be thankful that we have the jobs (that are paying employees less than liveable wages). So it really sort of annoys me to read about AIG.  Ugh.

Then Dick Cheney.  Why is the media still allowing him access to the American public?  Hasn't he (and his cronies) done enough damage?  Now he's out beating the same old drum about terrorism and Obama being weak because he doesn't want to allow torture.  Never mind the fact that Cheney and Co. have done more to strengthen al Queda than anyone should have a right to.  AND he had the audacity to say that the Bush Administration did a good job with the economy.  After I picked myself up off of the floor from the shock, I had to find another article to read because I couldn't take any more Dick.

Unfortunately the news about pork wasn't going to help much.  Apparently all of the meat in our country is going to be the downfall of us.  I know that we should be responsible citizens and reduce our carbon footprint, be more considerate of animal rights, etc. and not eat meat.  I know all of those things but still hate the idea of eating all veggies all of the time.  Veggies have souls too.  All kidding aside, now there is growing concern about the antibiotics given to livestock as a prophylactic measure to increase growth and to keep them from getting sick.  But not only does that cause problems because it gets into the food supply causing super bugs, but now pigs are showing up with MRSA.  Of course this isn't being widely broadcast... but should probably be.  Ugh. 


Is this any way to start a Sunday?  I don't think so.  I had an excruciating headache to begin with (I HATE waking up with a godawful pain) but then I'm further violated by the news.  I think I need to go back to bed and start the day over.