If you need to measure how crazy things have become . . .

Here's the headline:

Goldman bows on CEO's pay

So what does that mean, exactly?

That besides his base pay of $600,000, the CEO will get only $9 million.

Only $9 million.

That's how out of whack things are.

From the Wall Street Journal:

People familiar with the situation said Goldman's board, which met Friday afternoon, wanted to demonstrate moderation on executive pay. Directors deliberated for weeks, hoping to find a middle ground between the popular anger over eye-popping Wall Street compensation and the board's belief that top employees deserve to be paid fairly. During the discussions, Goldman directors and executives began using the word "restraint," these people said.

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