Wall Street's Near Death

With the implosion of Lehman Brothers, in September 2008, the realization dawned: Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs could be next. In an excerpt from his new book, the author reveals the incredible scramble that took place—desperate phone calls, seat-of-the-pants merger proposals, flaring tempers—as Washington got tough and Wall Street titans Lloyd Blankfein and John Mack fought for survival.

Read more at http://www.vanityfair.com/business/features/2009/11/too-big-to-fail-excerpt-200911

Wall Street Smarts

“IF you really want to know why the financial system nearly collapsed in the fall of 2008, I can tell you in one simple sentence.”

The statement came from a man sitting three or four stools away from me in a sparsely populated Midtown bar, where I was waiting for a friend. “But I have to buy you a drink to hear it?” I asked.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “I can buy my own drinks. My 401(k) is intact. I got out of the market 8 or 10 years ago, when I saw what was happening.”

He did indeed look capable of buying his own drinks — one of which, a dry martini, straight up, was on the bar in front of him. He was a well-preserved, gray-haired man of about retirement age, dressed in the same sort of clothes he must have worn on some Ivy League campus in the late ’50s or early ’60s — a tweed jacket, gray pants, a blue button-down shirt and a club tie that, seen from a distance, seemed adorned with tiny brussels sprouts.

“O.K.,” I said. “Let’s hear it.”

“The financial system nearly collapsed,” he said, “because smart guys had started working on Wall Street.”

Read More of this right now at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/opinion/14trillin.html?_r=3&em

Sourced by Larry @ Pr00f7

Vintage Parcell's Sweater

Show up at Val's in this gear and you wont spend a dime. Drinks on the mob.

Bronze Television

Putting the buy recommendation on "Mad Men". Don Draper was keeping it classy when it meant something. Great shots of NYC landmarks and restaurants. Advertising was king back in the mid 1900's. Great history revolving around companies we all know like London Fog, Hilton Hotels and Lucky Strike Cigarettes. A real throwback that includes cocktails at lunch and crisp outfits daily. Set your DVR, new episodes every Sunday on AMC. Worth a look on amazon for the DVD set for those that cant jump in mid season.

Bronze Ankles Co Founder and Member

From Miami to the Upper East Side Louis David Goldfein has always kept a swagger. Nothing in life is ever handed to you, and he will be the first to let you know. Louis is a great example of why this country works. I first met Louis on the floor of the NYMEX about three years ago. Although we have taken social breaks from time to time we have always had a connection. When I met Louis we were both at interesting stages of our lives. Looking back, Louis was at a critical point in his life. Very similar to were I am now in my own life. The love Louis shares with his mother is second to none. He lost his father at a very young age and never let it become a crutch. After slaving for 10 years as a phone clerk with rumors of the position fading as technology took over Louis kept his faith and kept pressing. I only worked with Louis for a year but it was non-stop laughing, rapping, pranking and sharing. Between Louis, Larry Chandler and myself we developed a bond that is unexplainable. Just one of those things in life that you look back at and smile, maybe even laugh. The NYMEX stories that we have are better off kept a secret from the outside world. Not because of slander or embarrassment but because they are ours. I know we all have these stories, I just think we all need to remind each other every once in awhile how much we enjoy each others company. Louis is now living on the Upper East Side of Manhattan were you can find him walking his dog Mosley. He is married to his beautiful wife Marley and the father of two identical twins. Life tried beating Louis down with uncertainty's and loss....Louis put his head down and worked. He is a great friend and a role model for me in both my career choices and life choices. As Louis would say, KISH.........

Bronze Years

When it meant something...

Complete DVD sets available on Amazon.com

Bronze Ankles Hall of Famer

Kennedy was doing clam-stands on Nantucket island back in the 50's when it meant something. A great man, his ankles were as bronze as they get.

Cheap Milk

Over 3,000 pissed off farmers gathered together at the EU’s headquarters in Brussels September 5th to protest the fallen milk prices. The protest wasn’t anything to be taken lightly as the farmers had driven huge tractors on to the major highway entrances into Brussels causing an outrageous traffic jam close to 25 miles beyond the city limits.

The Farmers are demanding that EU officials put a limit of production through quotas to drive the prices back up. Their main argument is that production costs are now up twice as high as the market price, which is causing them to lose money.

As the farmers squirted hundreds of shaken up beers at police they also threw rocks and bottles but there was one farmer that got creative and took it a step further. He began squirting the milk directly from his cow at the riot police forcing them to used their shields to protect themselves from the fresh milk. -Mail Online World News

Venus Infers

http://www.venusinfers.com/

Demise of the Dollar

In a graphic illustration of the new world order, Arab states have launched secret moves with China, Russia and France to stop using the US currency for oil trading. By Robert Fisk

See More: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/the-demise-of-the-dollar-1798175.html

Kristina Train 10/20/09

My cousin Kristina has been on her music grind for over 20 years. Show some love by checking out her site http://www.kristinatrain.com/ & downloading her album on Itunes!

Recession Proof Balling

My Uncle Eddie attended a wine tasting party in New Jersey over the weekend. Each patron poured their bottle of wine in a craft and served. Voting was tallied and the winner was Trader Joe's signature Charles Shaw Chardonnay aka $2 Buck Chuck! Charles Shaw is $1.99 a bottle and by far my favorite table wine. Buy a craft and get over yourself son, this is legit.

Charles Shaw is sold at Trader Joe's.

Bronze Gear

Spring will be here soon enough. Hit that Easter dinner in Bronze Ankle's fashion. For more: http://www.asos.com/Acne/Acne-Barefoot-Tassel-Loafers/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=536022&SearchQuery=acne&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=20&sort=-1&clr=Brown

Bronze Gear

Throwback Giants gear. Section 325 showing love.

Tyson Documentary Review

Bronze Recommendation: Get nice and watch this film SOLO style.

My friend Laurence Chandler recently insisted that I see the "Tyson" movie ASAP. Well, I rented the film last night and was deeply moved by the state of Mike Tyson.

The documentary is a portrait culled from 50 hours of interviews. The film examines the highs and lows of Tyson's life and career -- or, more accurately, it lets him self-examine them.

There is Tyson, seated on the couch as if addressing an analyst, recalling: the staggering succession of knockouts, the world titles, the hundreds of millions of dollars earned, the hundreds of millions of dollars lost. He talks about meeting heads of state. He looks back at the night he ripped his teeth into Evander Holyfield's ear -- twice -- in 1997's controversial "The Sound and the Fury" bout.

Tyson discusses his short-lived, tabloid-ready union with actress Robin Givens -- and the rape charges brought against him by a Rhode Island beauty queen that resulted in a three-year prison sentence. (He maintains his innocence.)

And he confesses how behind everything he does, deep down in his soul, there runs an undercurrent of fear. That his entire life was a response to his ongoing, pervasive, deep-rooted fear, in and out of the ring.