$$$ Bruce Wasserstein: looking GOOD. [Cityfile]
$$$ Awww, look who made up. [CNBC]
$$$ 55 Out Of Control traders [WSF]
$$$ Don’t forget to bid on the dearly departed Bella’s ID card. Proceeds from the auction will be going to charity for either laid off Lehmans or canines.
$$$ Job of the Week: Highland Capital, which sounds like an awesome place to work, is hiring. [DB Career Center]

Which alternative asset manager only pays his babysitter $12/hour? Clearly times are tough for the once mega-successful financier but if he thinks the vast array of snacks and opportunity to see the infamous ice smoother up close and personal make up for such an insulting rate, he is sorely mistaken.

Apparently Lemming Lazard is canceling its holiday party this year, though the employees don’t know yet. I don’t think I’m alone here in saying god damn you, people. You’re supposed to be doing better than everyone else (relatively speaking of course, let’s not get ahead of ourselves). And what’s more, now that the artists formerly known as investment banks have become hideous pedestrian bank banks, you are supposed to be picking up the slack and spending excessively no matter how “inappropriate” it might seem given the state of things. For all intents and purposes you are the new Goldman and would the old Goldman pull a stunt like this? Clearly I have to spell it out for you but the answer is no, they most certainly would not. Not only would they throw a party but they’d burn the place down and shout “we’ll buy you another one” over their shoulders to the owners as they stumbled out of the place. Jesus. You know, we were considering gifting you with a prime brokerage and prop desk for the holidays but if you can’t get the freaking holiday party right, how can we expect you front run clients?
Okay. Now that I’ve regained my composure what I’m thinking here is that there perhaps ‘stein is planning on sending a follow-up letter to his Jewish employees once the news hits the tape that says “don’t worry, we’re just getting rid of the Christmas party. On the down low, 8-day Hannukah Bacchanal is proceeding at a pace. Keep it kosher, Bruce.” We’d have no problem with this.

[via Wonkette]

The Big C is said to be making cuts in convertible sales and trading this morning. No word on whether or not holiday parties are getting whacked but I’d be extremely surprised if the firm went the way of BarcLehs, Morgan Stanley et al. It’s been pretty well-documented that 90 percent of the reason Vikula took the job as CEO was so he could don a beard and have employees line up to be bounced on his knee next to a tree without judgment. That’s not the sort of thing he’d give up without a fight. He’ll get rid of half the staff, phones and non-color copies before he surrenders the suit.