Really? Goldman Sachs, doing God's work? Ah, NOT!

January 18, 2010 I blogged about Goldman Sach's CEO Llyod Blankenfein audacity of saying that his 2009 - $43,000,000  compensation was because he was "just a banker doing God's work". I stated he was just an arrogant blow hard and henceforth undeserving of a $43,000,000 payday after being bailed out by Federal government less than tweleve months before his payday.

On Friday, April 16th the SEC filed a complaint against Goldman Sachs for securities fraud in relation to an investment the firm touted and recommended to their clients.  Here is the story in a nutshell.  A client, John Paulson, no relation to Hank Paulson (former Secty of Treasury and CEO of Goldman Sachs) asked Goldman Sachs to help him SELL some pools of mortgages (this means he is betting on the mortgage pools dropping in value). Mr. Paulson being the smart guy that he is, already knew which specific pools of mortgages he wanted to bet on going down.  So Goldman Sachs had to fine a buyer for the same specific mortgage pools Mr. Paulson wanted to sell.  Goldman Sachs packaged the mortgages in an investment fund and sold it to their best clients.  In the disclosure, Goldman Sachs disclosed to the clients that the specific mortgage pools were selected by an "unbiased neutral 3rd party", well Mr. Paulson was not unbiased nor neutral.  If Goldman Sachs had actually told their best clients that Mr. Paulson had selected the securities for them to buy, because he was betting they would go down, the buyers would never have gone alone with the investment.  See Mr. Paulson is one of most successful hedge fund managers on the planet. Mr. Paulson is as well known as Warren Buffet on Wall Street.   Be assured that Mr. Paulson did not do anything wrong as he was not involved in misleading the Goldman Sachs clients.

Why would Goldman Sachs do this? Goldman Sachs star 31year old banker charged Mr. Paulson $15 Million fee and charged the Goldman Sachs clients another $15 Million for putting the deal together.  I think they call this strategy, tit for tat.  Fast forward about 12-18 months after Goldman Sachs recommended the pool of mortgages to their best clients, Mr. Paulson's bet on the mortgaes paid off to the tune of just over $1 Billion.  The Golman Sachs clients? They lost about $1 Billion, Goldman Sachs giveth and Goldman Sachs taketh away.

Be assured Goldman Sachs loses this round with the SEC and Goldman Sachs will assuredly reimburse the clients the lost monies of $1 Billion and pay penalties of 3 times or an additional $3 Billion for a total of $4 Billion.  So to the CEO of Goldman Sachs, you arrogant blow hard you and your people are not doing God's work, Santan's work  yes, God's work NO!

"AN ATTACK ON THE SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE", by Larry King

I for one never understood the Karl Rove argument that two gay men or two lesbians getting marriage rights was an ATTACK ON MARRIAGE.  For years I touted Elizabeth Taylor and Britney Spears as the avengers on marriage.  My thought was if you wanted to protect marriage, just illegalize DIVORCE.  As a former adulterer I do not advocate stoning adulterers. I think stoning is messy and a lot of work, I would opt for a short stint in sexual rehab, that seems to be all the rage.

This morning I awoke to the news that the sanctity of marriage has a new attacker a virtual General Sherman marching on Atlanta, 77year old Larry "I have been married 8times" King.  Good Grief!  People this man's attack on the sanctity of marriage must be stopped at all expense.  This man makes Elizabeth  "I have been married 8times and going on my 9th" Taylor look conventional.  Larry King actually makes Rudolph "I have been married 4times-oops! the mistress in Gracie Mansion" Guiliani look like the saint at the alter.

Let's stop the nonsense and limit marriage to 3 marriages.  I figure if by the 3rd time you have not figured it out , then you should just limit yourself to one-night stands, escorts or a massages with a happy ending. Please spare your friend the indignity of another "wedding" and do the honorable thing and stay single.

It's about the attitude.

I know a man named Richard. I know him socially, I am not in his circle of friends, but he is very friendly towards me.  Richard is (almost) 32 and has been on his own since he was 16.  Richard is the kindest, most positive, friendliest.  Frankly I do not know a person who has been dealt a worse hand, but you would not know it from meeting Richard.  He teaches Spinning and other classes at my gym, and I am a fan of his, but not a groupie, he has plenty of those.  Perhaps when one of his groupies move or change gyms there will be room for me.

I want to tell you that Richard is so positive, so remarkable, so fun and funny that today at a 10:00am Sunday morning spin class he brought paper rabbit ears that he made for the entire class.  I know I looked frumpy not wearing them, the entire class wore them during a 60 minute spin class.  I left the class with 10 minutes to go, and that darn Richard had to say, "Bye Charlie Rabbit, class say, Bye Charlie Rabbit".  Of course Richard is a leader among people, so the class yelled as I left, "Bye Charlie Rabbit", a tad embarassing.  But I had a plan, I did not wear them in class because I wanted them for later.  I put them on when I left the gym and people laughed, and smiled.  A nice lady came up to me at Starbucks and thanked me for wearing them.  She said, "you with those ears have made me smile bigger and wider than anything today, thank you young man".  I immediately thought, "Richard made this happen". 

I want say, I think Richard is the real Easter Bunny. 

The Conservative Entitlement Mentality

Everyone is familiar with the  "entitlement mentality", typically referred to in teenage children or young adults.  Our friend (Emmy award winning news reporter) Glenn is in town for the weekend and he shed some light on a different type of "entitlement mentality".  I call it entitlement mentality of the "conservative" kind, frankly I think its the worst type.  When I listen to white male blow hards, admittedly reminded of my former father-in-law, I see their. "conservative entitlement mentality".  These white men just think that they are entitled to the status quo because that is the way it should be.  It is almost like they think, "Hey I waited my turn, it's  my freaking turn to have my hand on the rudder of this great country". 

I listen to Rush Limbaugh, until my ears bleed (never more than 20 minutes) I watch Fox News until Mark comes in the room and says, "No!  Not that again".  I'm intrigued by Sarah Palin, the Liza Minnelli of the political world.  All these people have the "conservative entitlement mentality" they are so self sure that things are the way they should be BECAUSE they have (please insert-shameless reason); it's a way of life, it's God's will, it is the way of the American people, it's called pulling yourself up from your boot straps, and my personal favorite reason, "because we have fought for this freedom".  Our friend Glenn pointed out to me that all these folks were simply, "dropped from a vagina in the right place" and hence their entitlement.

I want to see I do not agree with Senator McCain, but I respect him as an American who fought, suffered and has tried to do better for his country.  Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Ann Colter, Sarah Palin, etc... not so much but I am glad they landed on their respective targets when dropped from their vagina.  The people I respect and love the most are the most caring, understanding and non-judmental people I have met, yes they happen to be called Liberals, not of the political persuation kind.  Liberals of the non-entitlement mentality kind.  These Liberals, my friends, help people, love people, accept people and know they have worked hard but have been lucky, fortunate and/or blessed.

Happy Easter!

First Impressions are only the first impression!

"You only get one chance to make a good impression", fair enough of a comment, but really doesn't mean much.  I have a new friend Ruben. We met thru a mutual friend and the gigantic personality of Monique, not the black Oscar winning Mo'nique, this Monique is the  Latina Comedy Diva and very funny and insightful friend.  I was in Monique's hotel room when Ruben came in to join us for dinner.  We had a glass of wine before we left for dinner. I thought Ruben was the gay man's answer to Nicole Kidman.  I found him to be stiff, pretentious, and standoff-ish, a complete and unadulterated blow hard was my initial diagnosis.   My response? Like you do to warts, to freeze  him out.  I know you don't think Cubans can issue a deep freeze but trust me this Cuban can drop temperatures faster than liquid Nitrogen.

The next day, Monique asked me to join her and Ruben for coffee at the hotel terrace.  I dreaded the waste of  "time".  Monique in her own way made Ruben and I talk, as if we were talking to her, but these were stories she already knew. Monique wanted us to hear each other.  It worked, Ruben actually thawed out, I really enjoyed hearing his stories and he actually enjoyed hearing mine.

I then Facebooked Ruben, and although he lives in California and there are 2 time zones between us, we have had very authentic, funny and memorable chats.  Ruben single handedly showed me that first impressions are just that, a first impression.

Homos are a HANDFUL

Yes!  I know that sounds dirty, it was meant to sound that way.  Homos are funny people, partly because we had to be quick witted to scare off the jocks, and all those that were a threat.  Also as Mark would say, "it keeps the stupid people away".  Homos are warm and inviting friends because we have felt the rejection of others, and would not wish that rejection on others, well except those with; bad shoes, women with mullets wearing flannel and dry weddings.

People that are what I call "Homophilic", homo-loving/accepting, feel that their "homos" are immune to life tragedies and especially life's judgement errors because they have already overcome what had to be the worst in life.  This is NOT true! My experience is that my sisters under the rainbow-not to be confused with the Rev Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition-are not any more immune to "bad judgement or self imposed tragedy/drama" than the next fraternity horrifically straight non showered beer belching jock.  I believe that HIV/AIDS made that incredibly obvious to all of us.  Whether you love or just know a homo, just know that they are prone and maybe even predisposed to life and all its tragic consequences. 

Just love your homo, they will love you back. Just be honest to your homo, they will return the favor.  Don't expect more from your homo than you expect from your favorite horrifically straight person, that way you will never be disappointed and homos will always surprise you, just ask Liza Minnelli.

" With a little help from my friends"

The following are some of the things I have learned "with a little help from my friends";

Mark - "Read between the lines"--he means to hear what is not being said.

Tom - "The lady thou protest too strongly"--along with giving me the book Blink to read.

Janet - "Just be nice, patient and things get better", amazingly she lives this way every day.

Audrey - "You don't have to leave your children everything, others  have greater needs."

Handry - "Physical beauty is only 1 of 10 criteria to be a beautiful person."

David - " A "No" in business just means "not yes today".

Dan - "Everyone can offer you something to grow on and being yourself makes it easier to know who your friends are"

Richard - "Don't feel sorry for yourself, live your life and the good people will follow."

Dick - "People come into and out of money, and so do friends in your life."

James and Ashley - "Do what you want for others, but don't expect anything back."