by Laura Conaway

We started the day wondering whether John Thain has any sense of this historic moment. The former CEO of Merrill Lynch has become something of a villain in the financial crisis, with his rush to pay bonuses as the investment firm tanked and his $1.2 million office renovation.

Now comes the news that Thain has decided to reimburse Bank of America, which now owns Merrill Lynch, for the cost of revamping his executive suite. Among its contents: A trash can that reportedly cost $1,405. (Which puts a whole new spin on the 62,000 slated to get canned in corporate layoffs announced today.)