According to this article , the Obama administration will be appointing a new “Special Master for Compensation” that will dictate the salaries of employees at firms taking government bailout money. While your Mandarin agrees that if a company is going to have the government use my tax dollars to bail them out, I want it to go towards the company’s operating expenses, not the CEO’s house payment in the Hamptons.

What troubles your Mandarin is the paragraph in the article that states, “The government is also pursuing a separate revamping of financial-sector rules that could change industry compensation practices more broadly. For instance, the Federal Reserve is considering rules that would curb banks’ ability to pay employees in a way that would threaten the “safety and soundness” of the bank”. In other words Obama is going to ensure that whether or not your firm takes a government handout, he is still going to control what you are paid. And who will determine what threatens the safety and soundness of the bank. But what the hell, at least he isn’t going to dictate what types of cars are produced and can be purchased by you.

The Mandarin

The Mandarin, whose real name is 吏恆, joined the order in 1309, and introduced the Gormogons into England during the 18th Century.

The Mandarin enjoys spending time with his pet manticore, Βάρἰκος, or Barry (who can be found in the Bestiary). When not in the Castle…well, frankly, nobody is quite sure where he goes.

The Mandarin popularized the fine art of “gut booting,” by which he delivers a powerful kick to the stomach of anyone that annoys him. Although nearly universal today, the act of gut booting or threatening someone or something with a gut boot is solely due to him.