Clarifying Who I Am The Deep State is hard at work trying to mess with me. My name is George and I am of Greek descent. I have been vilified by the Fake News media, turning me into a dupe who launched a thousand secret dossiers. I was caught in a web of political infighting and am an innocent bystander, a part of the collateral damage that came about by virtue of the liberal complex…
Name Calling Alex was tired of trying to be politically correct. He kept being told by his staff that he needed to do this and do that and worse yet, not do this and not do that. They said that he needed to act more presidential. They said that it would be unprecedented for him to do other than what they said. They said it was important to uphold the norms of the office and…
Porca Miseria Corado is our doorman. I am always friendly to doormen, but generally not too friendly or chatty, because it tends to slow me down as I try to breeze past on the way to my day or on the way in to my sofa. But things have taken a different turn with Corado. He is about my age and of Italian descent (first generation immigrant). He has a thick Italian accent. Six months…
What I Signed Up For We ask ourselves some version of that question every day. It most often comes in the form of a negative. We all understand what we didn’t sign up for, but do we really know what we did sign up for? If I don’t know by my age there must be something wrong with me, so I’m going to start with the assumption that I do know, but that I need…
The Obstinacy of Blogging In 2007 I got nailed for having a blog which was mostly about movies. I occasionally mentioned other personal issues, but never talked about life or work at Bear Stearns. At a fateful moment and for reasons which were more than a little suspicious, the New York Times sent a 23-year-old Barnard graduate to write a story about my blog. This was in the era of the CEO of Whole Foods…
Dawn in Ithaca The sky has a strange cast to it this morning. It is still rising in the East, so the world is not too disoriented. But the low bands of clouds near the horizon have taken on a pinkish hue. The banding of pale blue and pink creates a beautiful and unusual sunrise. Red sky in morning, sailors take warning. What do the old sailor’s yarns say about a blue and pink striped…
My Name is Patrick Apartment living is great. First of all, living in Manhattan, apartments make up 99% of the residences. Most people are surprised to learn that there are less than 3,000 townhouses in Manhattan, so unless you were lucky enough to buy one years ago for some ridiculously low price like $5 million, forget it, you can’t afford it. With apartments, it used to be all about co-ops or condos since rentals were…
Family Business Like most people, Tony had a quirky family. He wasn’t sure it was any more dysfunctional than others, but it sure was in the running for most whacky. Let’s start with his cousin Dean and his wife Lois. Over the years, Tony and his wife Elvira had grown very close Dean and Lois. Dean took care of Tony’s summer house and the four of them vacationed in various exotic places together almost every…
Healthcare for All Universal healthcare is one of two or three big issues that pervade the thoughts of most Americans. The polls suggest that it is the number one issue facing voters. This is certainly the most non-partisan issue that we face. This morning it is being suggested that it may be the next big Washington battle ground that encompasses all three branches of government. The administration has taken a shifting stance trying to find…
Teaching and Preaching I am an outrageous guy. What makes me particularly outrageous is that I am prepared to tell everyone about my outrageous behavior and turn it into a life lesson for others. For ten years I was a Clinical Professor of Management at Cornell. That gave me the platform to tell over 2,000 students all about the lessons from my forty years on Wall Street and the lessons learned. I reveled in the…