What is a Ponzi scheme?

Bernie Madoff ran a Ponzi scheme. Essentially, what this means (in an overly simplistic explanation) is that he relied on money coming in from new investors or money from old investors to assuage all investors.
He never was making money on the money these folks were investing, but stealing from Peter to pay Paul.

Madoff sentenced to 150 years

He's sorry now, apparently.
I theorize that he is sorry he was caught. There is a big distinction there.
But this is the big news today. Madoff didn't make off.

Feature on the Cleveland Clinic

This is an interesting feature from CNN on how the Cleveland Clinic is managed.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/19/sotu.cleveland.clinic/index.html