[ by Melanie Gretchen ] Thursday is "Compensation Communication Day" at Goldman Sachs - a day of dread and awkward closed-door meetings.  As of midday, there's nothing to report in the U.S. - like how the numbers stack up against expectations.  The news from across the pond, however, is foreboding - as European colleagues are reporting that bonuses are at much lower levels than last year. Today, employees find out their annual bonuses based on performance in 2011, a rather dismal year on Wall Street.  One Goldman employee, speaking on the condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to talk to the media, has adopted the strategy of expecting -0-, so that he can't be disappointed.  A possible plus is the fact that the firm hasn't as yet capped its cash payouts at $125,000, like Morgan Stanley. Brief Look at Better Times. Remember 2006?  That's the last full pre-crisis year, and Wall Street was invincible.  And CEO Lloyd Blankfein took home a bonus of $68 million.  Sweet! For more information, go to [Dealbook, 1/19/12].