Sunday, December 18, 2011
Share : Modification blunders bedevil U.S. housing recovery - Yahoo! News
Sent from my Kindle Fire
Monday, December 12, 2011
Fed nearing a plan to clarify direction of rates - Yahoo! News
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Sunday, December 4, 2011
Fall fell and now winter is creeping in
Ever since I got back from my vacation, it's been work-work-work. I took a half day off to get a recall notice taken care of on my car, but that was it. My supervisor took off to Oregon for Thanksgiving, so I worked her desk as well as mine. And I was appointed the Treasurer of my HOA and I'm not liking it so much. A few years ago, I used to be the Secretary, but I resigned because I got tired of listening to eveyones complaints. Now, I have to listen to the president complain. And I don't have the information I need to do the job. I half repaired the doors in the laundry rooms, the demo anyway. They were both kicked in due to vandalism I don't know when. I also changed the locks on the storage rooms. Now that it's December, I'm preparing for a MERS annual audit at work. And after working at the CU for 2 years, I finally got connected with someone from the ride share website. We met up on Friday for a few minutes to talk. She works in the building in front of mine and we park in the same structure. Traveling in the HOV lanes for my commute starts tomorrow.
And then Friday rolls around and at the end of the day, I was so busy, I didn't even see the meeting notice my supervisor sent out. She announced she's leaving as of the 14th. All I could do was smile and kid with her like I was going to cry but I wasn't. She already talked to me about her moving to Oregon with her daughter so I wasn't that surprised about her decision. Now, it's just a wait and see what my manager wants to do. The company is in a holding pattern prior to a merger. This could go many different ways.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
2011 LA Auto Show
There were about a handful of Hot Wheels inspired cars at the show this year. This green Camero with the custom paint job caught my attention.
You rarely see brown Mini Coopers.
This is the Chevy Cruze - stylized for racing.
This is the 2012 Chevy Cruze - street legal version.
This is the European version of the Chevy Spark. It comes is cute colors like this blue or the lime in the background.
This is a head on view of the Chevy Spark in champagne color. Such an aggressive look for a commuter car!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Vacation day 14, October 21st
It's Friday and I'm going to have a full day at DisneyWorld today. I'm getting better situated with what attractions are where finally by using this map:
At 7AM, I was toying with the idea of going off site for breakfast, but I really don't want to hop into my car until it's time to go tomorrow morning.
I ended up skipping breakfast and buying a lunch of fried shrimp with fries and a large light lemonade. Then I made my way over to the other side of Epcot.
On the schedule today, The Orchestra ( http://www.theorchestra.net/ ) starring former members of ELO (Parthenon Huxley [in a black "former member" tee-shirt on guitar and Mik Kaminski on violin) were performing as a part of the "Eat to the Beat" series at the American... They played for exactly 30 minutes.
Set List:
Don't bring me down
Can't get it out of my head
Tightrope
Hold on tight
Telephone Line
Do Ya
Seeing that performance pretty much was the 'cherry on top' to my entire trip.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Vacation day 13, October 20th
Stewart International Airport doesn't seem very international at all and it's actually very quiet at 7AM in the morning. I had no idea what the traffic would be like or how busy the airport would be. I just got up and got ready, packed up my things and got on the road as quick as I could. Stewart Airport is 17 miles from where I was staying in Fishkill. Of course, it was raining almost all the way there. I'm done with the NY rain.
O.K., the drop off for the Hertz rental I've had for he past 13 days is weird at the airport. The way this is set-up is one of the reasons why it feels like it's not an actual international airport but more of a regional one. It's on your honor. Shocking, huh. I know I was. You find a marked space to park your car and then get your stuff out and mark the envelope with the date and time you brought it back and the mileage and the gas tank reading, too. Then you lock the car taking the keys and your rental paperwork with you and walk into the terminal with your stuff to the Hertz counter where there is no one manning the thing at 7AM. All that they have there is an early drop-off box that tells you to put your paper work and your keys in the box. Done.
Since I was able to print out my tickets last night and check in online, I didn't have to do that at the counter. So now I had to go find the TSA line. And typically, I'm looking for this long line of bleary eyed people and grumbly TSA folk barking orders to get you though as fast as possible. But again, at 7AM, no line. I went through by myself with no one before me or after me. I was thinking that maybe I'm in some Twilight Zone or the wrong airport, but nope. I found my gate and sat there until it was time to board.
Seat 12F was a much better choice than 9A which was designed not to recline. So everyone got onto the plane and we waited. And we waited. And then the captain announced that his maps were expired and he was waiting for the new ones and I guess there was a printer problem on top of it. We waited on the tarmac for an hour and a half. So our 3 hour flight which was supposed to land at 11-something AM went to 1-something.
Orlando Airport is huge. On the level where you leave the gate area but before you get on the tram, it looks like a freakin' mall. There was even an ad that said they hold church serves there. Thrifty rent-a-car held my car reservation for me knowing my flight was delayed. That was nice. They do not have cars with GPS. That was not so nice. And the map that they give you is crap.
So I used the navigation on my cellphone to get to the Dolphin Resort.
This place is huge. They give you a map at the front desk when you check in order to navigate the place. All I know is after I got to my room and settled in a little, my stomach was growling. I had toast this morning for breakfast, and water and some blue terra chips on the plane.
I went down to the first floor and found a small buffet/store called Picabu which has a lot of bird chirps and elephant sounds on a loop to greet you as you walk in.
I ate the chicken dinner, rice and greens. It was about the only thing on their menu that didn't have dairy in it.
I still have 2 and a half hours before the park closes and that's right before the Illusions Fireworks show.
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O.K., so I was able to pick up my prepaid two day park hopper ticket using my voucher, walk around a bit, find the nearest women's restroom from my entrance gate with a line, and then I walked to the center of the park where the sphere is to go on a ride called "Spaceship Earth". How do I explain this attraction... It's states that through time, communication through the written word and then on computers has been the driving force that is propelling us towards our future. It's depicted through stages, some with animetronics and some not so much. At the end, it inserts a photo of your disembodied head into a future based cartoon based upon a brief questionnaire of your likes and dislikes. And then after the ride was over, I wondered to the pin station and bought an officially licensed Epcot pin.
People start to sit down an hour before the fireworks. Yep, that's DisneyWorld for ya. It occurrs at the California park, too.
I'm falling asleep here at the keyboard. It's time for me to sleep. The park opens at 9AM tomorrow. Woohoo!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Vacation day 12, October 19th
In attendance:
Aunt Jane Metrando
Aunt Tressa Spoor
Uncle Frank Spoor
Aunt Grace Staub
Cousin Barbara McCann
Cousin Cate Schmidt
Catherine Hall
I planned it months ahead of time, but just hours before I was working on the final draft of the eulogy.
It was another rainy day in the Hudson River Valley. The company in charge of the burial said that if it was raining, they would erect a tent for us, no charge. For the money that I've had to spend on this whole damn thing, that was the least they could do. I paid for out of my pocket the headstone, the urn vault, the urn, the service and the cremation back last December in El Cajon. The remains stayed in the original package on my shelf since I brought them home, but I had to pay for the shipping on those, too. Why you ask I didn't take them with my as carry-on when I flew? Here's why. My friend at work told me about how a mutual friend of ours took the cremated remains of his dear relative with him on a plane and said TSA did an extra special screening picked through the ashes by hand. I didn't want to go through the indignity, so I shipped them with a copy of the cremation certificate.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Vacation day 9, October 16th
On the map, the drive didn't seem all that far, but once I went past the airport, it seemed like it would never end. In actuality, they live quite close to the New Jersey border.
The farm land around them was filled with onions in the gutters left over from the high water hurricane damage that occurred in that area.
I got my meet my cousin Don as an adult for the first time and his wife Alice, who is a self proclaimed Disney nut. I also got to meet Chrissy's husband Brian and their kids Samantha, Ben, and Cora. They made meatloaf, corn, and mash potatoes. The meatloaf was good. Below is a photo of me and my cousin Don. I think he looks a lot like brother Kris.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Vacation day 8, October 15th
My thinking was that if this was the oldest cemetery in Watertown and it was written that Gershom Fulford passed in Watertown, then I might be able to find his headstone so that's why I went. The list of names is not available at the cemetery anymore. I wondered about in the rain searching for the oldest stones, but to no avail.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Vacation day 7, October 14th
It was a rainy day on and off all day just as forecasted. I left my hotel in Fishkill early to do something touristy before my somber appointment.
On the way, traveling north on Interstate 9E, in Hyde Park, there is the FDR Presidential Museum, Library and his former residence/family compound. You can only view the interiors of the home if you participate in a decent lead tour which costs $14. The grounds are beautiful. Full of trees, vast areas of open space and decent parking. In the large green space in front of the reception area of the park, there were Canadian Geese doing what birds do. It was a change for me to see them instead of seagulls, pigeons, mallards or the random crane like in California. Anyway, there is some major renovations going on and so... I didn't think I got my money's worth out of the visit.
To the right is a photo of the sign on the path that takes you to the Presidential Library. Note the construction. The contents of entire library was moved to the Bush Presidential Library in Texas while the renovation is taking place. Nothing much to see here today. Moving on...
This photo is of three busts on the grounds between the visitor's center and the residence. If you like photography, you might find this angle somewhat odd, but that was because I wanted a natural setting in the background instead of more the signs of construction - heavy equipment, roll away refuse containers, etc.
As it was 11:30AM when I arrived, I was the last to join the tour group. I was dressed nice for my appointment with my leather jacket to try and stay dry and out of the rain. The humidity was up and it finally did me in after standing around inside listening to the decent in the FDR residence. It has no air circulating inside because of it's preservation efforts. I was hyperventilating and had to excuse myself from the tour. And then, while sitting upon a park bench trying to catch my breathe, I took this photo in between the sprinkling rain and other tourists roaming around on the grounds. I think it's gorgeous. I would love to visit again when all of the renovations are complete.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Vacation day 6, October 13th
Vacation day 5, October 12th
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Vacation day 4, October 11th
Shopping list: English breakfast tea (because the hotel only serves coffee) ginger ale, 2 liter orange juice, half gallon silk soy milk, vanilla flavored half gallon lenders bagels rye bread turkey lunch meat frozen chicken strips 4 bell peppers one red onion 4 bananas 6 roma tomatos tub of Best Life spread morton salt & pepper tiny bottle of musard a dozen eggs two boxes of Oscar Meyer cooked bacon a steam bag of peas a steam bag of broccoli sugar free jello six pack kettle pop corn bag pringles original transfer cable
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Vacation day 3, October 10th
I'm up early again. I decided to partake in the free breakfast that's offered at this hotel. It's served in the breakfast room across the hall from the check-in counter.
It's a meatless breakfast. You can make your own waffles, they have biscuits and gravy, bagels, danish, yogurt and fruit cups, oatmeal, two choices of cold cereal and 2%, coffee, tea and juice. I was able to pull together a meal of a couple pieces of wheat toast with spread and apple jelly, a fruit cup and to drink a cup of coffee with three sugars, no creamer and a half a cup of orange juice.
I grabbed an apple for the road.I also picked up a hotel directory and a brochure for the Mohegan Sun Indian Casino in the lobby on the way up to my room.
So the goal today was get to Waterbury, CT, because, hey, I screwed up the hotel reservations in Fishkill, NY and shorted myself one day because I honestly did not know how long it would take to get from Brockton, MA. Guess, what? It takes four hours. So, I somehow found the nearest hotel, Courtyard by Marriott, to this place called Library Park that, so I was told, had headstones in it. Possibly a Fulford headstone in the park of this guy:
Name Lt. Gershom Fulford, F416, M Birth Date 1701 Birth Place of Waterbury, New Haven Co., Connecticut Death Date 7 Jan 1790 Age: 89 Death Place Watertown, New Haven Co., Connecticut Occupation Blacksmith Flags Military Father Abraham Fulford , M (~1675-) Mother Phebe Clark , F (1675-1717)
Yep, that's one of my ancestors, my 6th great grandfather. He was a Lieutenant and fought in the French and Indian War from 1754 to 1763. But since it's a federal holiday, everything in the downtown area is closed. I took a walk to the park where the headstones are supposed to be, but I honestly think they are not there anymore. there were some knuckleheads along the wall I was supposed to look at, but I'm thinking the stones were move or removed due to their deterioration.
I located a German Fine dining restaurant at Dreschers but I was devastated to learn they are not open for dinner on Mondays.
I thought I was going to go on the hunt for my 6th great grandfather in the biggest library I can find in Waterbury while I'm here before driving the last two hours to Fishkill, but decided on doing more online research instead. On the city's website, it named someone from the Silas Bronson Library as he city historian. I've decided to contact her.
My Aunt Tressa called last night to tell me that my cousin Debbie just had a baby and that I should visit her in LaGrange since she's off work. More family time. Yeah!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Vacation day 2, Oct 9th
I took my time getting up and getting acclimated to the time change before driving down to New Bedford to meet my cousin Debra, her boyfriend Ed and her kids Chelsea and Brittany. Debra is a ministry assistant and I'm not churchy, so I didn't want to impede on her Sunday too much. The kids, who are actually college age, were working at iparty.com at the South Dartmouth Mall. iparty happens to be the east coast competition/equivalent to Party City. We sat and talked and watched football. We have so much in common as people but not so much in life experiences.
I can't say that it's an interesting fact that many of the men on the Stutz side of the family are estranged, but it is noteworthy. More and more I'm thinking that is has to do with a strong sense of French heritage. C'est La Vie. But that'a just my theory.
Debbie took me to St Mary's Cemetery in New Bedford where my grandmother was buried, but we couldn't locate the headstone. I'm not surprised. She hasn't been back in two years since the funeral. We then drove to 270 Shaw Street, the childhood home of Bernie. It's a two unit property. All of them on that street are. Then Debbie took me to see Dorothy Aguiar at 330 Query Sreet. She's 76 years old and still lives in her family home, though her parents has long sense pasted away. She's pretty deaf, but still talks. Everyone says she's a little off. Her front door was plastered with bumper stickers. Ed lives in the area so he sees her frequently walking around the neighborhood.
We came back to Debbie's house, said our good-byes to Ed and then took off to pick-up her daughters from work. After, Debbie took all of us to dinner at Friendlys. Debbie is on a high protein diet and mine is non-dairy so I struggled but found a dish I could eat Teriyaki chicken stir fry.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Vacation day 1, Oct 8th
Thursday, September 29, 2011
My new car
My new 2012 Chevy Equinox - Twilight Blue. My 2007 tan one was totaled as a result of a hit & run incident on the 9/13. This is my 3rd Equinox and my fourth Chevy. The difference in technology between my old car and this one is leaps and bounds. I had to gas it up Tuesday night for the first time and couldn't find how to open the gas cap without reading the huge manual. It's the LTZ model 4 cylinder with on board navigation, OnStar free for 6 months, XM Radio free for 3 months, chunky rubber mats, trunk privacy cover, cargo net, cross rails, heated seats, rear view camera, parking assist. The longer I drive it, the better the gas mileage gets. I was used to 24 mpg with my old six cylinder, but already this has got 27 mpg after 300 miles. And yeah, it's got that new car smell. And the best part is I bought at the dealers cost because I walked in with approved financing from my credit union.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Cheap Trick Concert 9/23/11
Thursday, September 15, 2011
This Week in News
Monday - I had a dentist appointment. After three shots in an hour and a half, the numbing agent didn't work. I have temporary fillings on my lower right side.
Tuesday - I was the victim of a hit & run auto accident on the 405N while driving to work. The force of the impact pushed my car into the one that was stopped in front of me. It also left a reverse impression of their license plate on my rear bumper. CHP called to say they caught the guy. The bumpers are bashed in. Cass was at work and could only provide comic relief.
Wednesday - Productive, uneventful day at work. I'm moving 10M moutains and getting mole hills in return. MERS is on target. Went to Fresh & Easy for provisions then made steak burritos for dinner. Their Salsa Verde is delish. The insurance claims adjuster called to tell me I have a $500 deductible. I'm still paying for storage for my mom's crap. I feel like I just keep throwing money down a hole I am never getting back.
Thursday - I have a dentist appointment today before work. I have a happy hour UYE to attend in El Segundo after work. It's also Farmers Market day there and I need bread.
Friday - Claims adjuster appointment today. To fix or total, that is the question. At this point, I probably owe as much as it's worth. 115,000 miles. My work wants to get me into an auto loan.
Monday, September 12, 2011
At the dentist office...
I wasn't hungry until I got home from work. I decided to stop by the Asian market in Irvine since the one by my house closed to pick up some stuff to make udon soup. Something soft to eat so my temporary fillings don't fall out. I have to eat soft food for another day and then I go back to the dentist.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
I'm loosing respect for doctors.
1. When I went in for my annual check up with my OB/GYN, she charged me a co-pay for an office visit and $20 for using insurance instead of paying with cash. That is utter bullshit. Then the prescription and/or the software that she uses now to write up prescriptions electronically did not transmit to my local Walgreens correctly delaying my refill. I didn't find out until I went to pick it up.
2. When I went in to get my swollen left foot looked at, the doctor told me nothing to take the swelling down and instead sent me to take x-rays and blood work. He thought it was gout. It wasn't gout. I figured out it was new shoes. I talked to a friend about it who suggested arch supports for my new sneakers. Problem solved. I paid two $20 co-pays for chatting with my Dr. Arch supports from Dr. Scholls were $12. Also picked up epsom salt for $5.
3. My son said he had a cyst on this inner thigh. I tried to get an appointment with the Dr., but it seems as though my PCP only practices two days a week now due to old age and it booked up solid for the next two weeks. When I asked about going to urgent care, they gave me an address of a location I used before. Two hours later, urgent care performed no treatment. Said it wasn't bleeding so it wasn't an urgent issue and sent him home. I paid a $20 for nothing.
4. I asked for a referral for a GI since this is the required procedure in order to see a specialist when you have a HMO for medical insurance. The nurse left a message on my voicemail I couldn't understand. Shouldn't important information like that be mailed to you? You know, with their affiliate information, subscriber code and if they are open to new patients? Hrmm.
Friday, September 2, 2011
How I spent my summer vacation 2011
JetBlue.com states that with a 2 hour layover in Seattle, I will get to Boston 2 hours eariler than if I flew directly to JFK. O.K., I'm game because the experience of flying with JetBlue is supposed to be nice. So then I'm an hour away from my cousin Debbie. Since I'll be landing at about 9:30PM east coast time, and having flown all day, I'll pick up my rental car and stay at a hotel in Boston. Sunday morning, I'll drive to Debbie's house meeting her after church. Family time. I want to do as much "meet & greet" with family as well as geneology research as I can while on the east coast, so coordinating all of that has been a big part of my plans. I'll be visiting MA, CT, and NY.
There is something weird going on with my aunts and I'm not quite sure what it is. Tressa and Grace talk but not to their oldest sister, Jane. Tressa was written out of her mother's will. Grace took care of my grandma until she passed away and was buried with grandpa in Red Hook and that's where my moms ashes are going to be placed because that was my mom's wish and she was a heir. I'll be dealing with that drama while there. I also have to do a speech at the event which I'm not looking forward to. I realize no one really knows me and I can say anything I want, really. It's more for them than for me. If they only knew some of the crappy things my mom did to me and my brother when we were kids, but now that she's dead, does it really matter that much? I have a theme and I think I'm going to read from the bible psalms 34 since that was the year she was born. What the hell.
The day after the remembrance, I'm flying on JetBlue again from Newburgh to Orlando to go to Disneyworld/Epcot. I'll have a day and a half there and then fly home on Jet Blue for the 3rd time Saturday. I've got to have some fun while on vacation...
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Yahoo! News Story - S&P replaces president with Citibank exec after U.S. downgrade - Yahoo! News
Personal message:
I'm not surprised by this. Citi execs...
S&P replaces president with Citibank exec after U.S. downgrade - Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/p-president-sharma-stepping-down-report-011516843.html
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Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/
Yahoo! News Story - Deutsche Bank knew mortgage co it bought lied: Justice Dept - Yahoo! News
Personal message:
I left DB in April, 2003.
Deutsche Bank knew mortgage co it bought lied: Justice Dept - Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/deutsche-bank-knew-mortgage-company-bought-lied-u-015111581.html
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Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/
Monday, August 15, 2011
Yahoo! News Story - Nixon's Colossal Monetary Error: The Verdict 40 Years Later - Yahoo! News
Personal message:
Financial History Lesson
Nixon's Colossal Monetary Error: The Verdict 40 Years Later - Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/nixons-colossal-monetary-error-verdict-40-years-later-140035743.html
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Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/
Friday, August 5, 2011
Yahoo! News Story - Insight: Jaded traders ask "What, another crisis?" - Yahoo! News
Personal message:
I love this story because it highlights the same time period I started working at Banker's Trust and what it's like now as a trader. I used to interact with traders and transaction managers when I was a Custody Admin.
Insight: Jaded traders ask "What, another crisis?" - Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/insight-jaded-traders-ask-another-crisis-120353312.html
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Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
PopMatters Article: Born Again, Again
Columns: Born Again, Again
by Adrien Begrand
02 August 2011
Critically panned 28 years ago, Black Sabbath's bizarre 11th album, Born
Again, has gone on to earn a cult following of its own.
Link: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/column/145473-born-again-again/
PopMatters
Popular Voices, Cultural Matters
http://www.popmatters.com/
Monday, August 1, 2011
Yahoo! News Story - HSBC to cut 30,000 jobs in global overhaul - Yahoo! News
Personal message:
Late to the dance as usual and too fat for it's own good. This is another slap in the face for the US and global economy.
HSBC to cut 30,000 jobs in global overhaul - Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/hsbc-cut-30-000-jobs-global-overhaul-094033219.html
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Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/
Sunday, July 31, 2011
How connected are you?
Klout
Blogger
GetGlue
Yahoo
flickr
photobucket
Yelp
angelfire
Hotmail
Yahoo
Gmail
roadrunner
shortmail
This is how connected I am.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Yahoo! News Story - Goldman Sachs rates desk hemorrhages traders - Yahoo! News
Personal message:
I'm not surprised by this. It's better than getting laid off. I've read too many notices about lay offs this summer.
Goldman Sachs rates desk hemorrhages traders - Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/goldman-sachs-rates-desk-hemorrhages-traders-123935537.html
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Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Yahoo! News Story - How Money-Savvy Women Can Save The Economy - Yahoo! News
How Money-Savvy Women Can Save The Economy - Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/money-savvy-women-save-economy-235127037.html
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Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/
Yahoo! News Story - IMF chief urges US to raise borrowing limit - Yahoo! News
very x 3 = dire. Remember this event at election time, voters.
IMF chief urges US to raise borrowing limit - Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/imf-chief-urges-us-raise-borrowing-limit-140001985.html
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Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/
Monday, July 25, 2011
The Late Ladies
The Late Ladies.
I went to Friday night Bingo at the Hollywood Park Casino last night. Bingo runs from 6:30PM until about 10:30PM. On Fridays, you get 30 games for $11 a pack. I imagine the vast majority of the people who play bingo there are predominately women... ladies. The bingo hall is located on the 4th floor of the casino. We all funnel out of the building once the games are over. Everyone holds the door for the next person leaving. And then we scatter to the parking lot.
Now, the first time I went to play bingo here, my bff work buddy came with me because she said she would be uncomfortable going by herself. I asked, "What do you think will happen? You'll get beat up on the way out to the parking lot if you win?" After all, the casino is located in Lawndale even though its name is Hollywood which is 18 miles away. But I told her if you mind your business and be aware of your surroundings, I don't think you'll get into any trouble. And I was right.
The Late Ladies.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Yahoo! News Story - Fitch: Greek deal to put country in default - Yahoo! News
Fitch: Greek deal to put country in default - Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/fitch-greek-deal-put-country-default-104608996.html
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Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Yahoo! News Story - Instant view: Existing home sales drop, cancellations up - Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/instant-view-june-existing-home-sales-drop-141013545.html
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Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Chunky Monkey
Epic photo: All have OC blogs about food. |
I don't remember being this heavy since... well, lets say it's been a long ass damn time. Over twenty years in fact and probably while I was pregnant. And no, I'm not pregnant. In preparation for last night's yelp elite event, I tried on a white skirt that I couldn't zip up and then a dress with a tropical leaf pattern that, to me, only accentuated the fact that my gut is larger than it should be. I opted for a white pair of jeans, a white tank and a white lacy blouse to try and hide my rolls of blubber.
Meeting new people is never easy for me and being more self conscious than normal about what I look like to others was not making it any easier. (From Left to Right) The lady next to me is Suki and I think she goes through the same girl stuff I do. She's even more mellow than I am and she geeks out, too, so that's cool to me. She's actually a published internet media expert for hire. The one in the middle is new to me and she seemed nice, but in her own little world. Eh. The guy, Austin, I think is my age and into cooking, which I think is cool. He was getting all excited about tweeting to the LA foodie about weekend eats. Anita is #2 most prolific yelper E-V-E-R. When I first started on yelp.com over four years ago, I had a hard time finding businesses to write about where Anita had not been yet. [Photo credit: Albert Evangilista]
The event, held at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton, was better than good, but it's own kind of mellow. I found a group of yelpers I was comfortable having around more than most and as the event was winding down, Anita Lau chose "The Twisted Vine" to eat and lounge at.
07/19/2011 Funny
This was found at the bottom of a "Mortgage News Daily" article here:
http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/channels/pipelinepress/07192011-arm-hedging-wells-fargo.aspx
"A woman in a supermarket is following a grandfather and his badly behaved 3-year-old grandson.
It's obvious to her that he has his hands full with the child screaming for sweets in the sweet aisle, biscuits in the biscuit aisle; and for fruit, cereal and pop in the other aisles.
Meanwhile, Granddad is working his way around, saying in a controlled voice, "Easy, William, we won't be long...easy, boy."
Another outburst and she hears the granddad calmly say, "Its okay, William, just a couple more minutes and we'll be out of here. Hang in there, boy."
At the checkout, the little terror is throwing items out of the cart, and Granddad says again in a controlled voice, "William, William, relax buddy, don't get upset. We'll be home in five minutes; stay cool, William."
Very impressed, the woman goes outside where the grandfather is loading his groceries and the boy into the car.
She said to the elderly gentleman, "It's none of my business, but you were amazing in there. I don't know how you did it. That whole time, you kept your composure, and no matter how loud and disruptive he got, you just calmly kept saying things would be okay. William is very lucky to have you as his grandpa."
"Thanks," said the grandfather, "but I'm William. This little idiot's name is Kevin." "
Monday, July 11, 2011
Yahoo! News Story - Aging boomers strain cities built for the young - Yahoo! News
(Email address has not been verified.)
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Personal message:
It appears as though I'm living in a great area for aging. The only services I'm missing are the post office.
Aging boomers strain cities built for the young - Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/aging-boomers-strain-cities-built-young-130207113.html
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Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/
Friday, July 8, 2011
Yahoo! News Story - Oil slips to near $98 ahead of key US jobs data - Yahoo! News
(Email address has not been verified.)
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Personal message:
Slip some more already! Reg gas was $3.65/gal this morning when I fueled up.
Oil slips to near $98 ahead of key US jobs data - Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/oil-slips-near-98-ahead-key-us-jobs-120258757.html
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Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Yahoo! News Story - Mortgage fraud reports rise as lenders review docs - Yahoo! News
Mortgage fraud reports rise as lenders review docs - Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/mortgage-fraud-reports-rise-lenders-review-docs-182148499.html
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Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/
Yahoo! News Story - Fed's Bullard says effects of QE2 could lag by a year - Yahoo! News
Fed's Bullard says effects of QE2 could lag by a year - Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/feds-bullard-says-effects-qe2-could-lag-143236858.html
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Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Yahoo! Finance Story - anatomy-market-meltdown-wsj: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance
anatomy-market-meltdown-wsj: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance
http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/113014/anatomy-market-meltdown-wsj?mod=bb-budgeting
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Yahoo! Finance http://finance.yahoo.com/
Thursday, June 23, 2011
I'll marry you ... when you get a job
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Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Yahoo! News Story - US regulator sues JPMorgan, RBS in subprime probe - Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110620/bs_afp/usbritainregulatejusticebankingcompaniesjpmorganrbs
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Thursday, June 16, 2011
Yahoo! News Story - JPMorgan dismisses mortgage head Lowman - Yahoo! News
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Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/
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Why am I highlighting this article over other similar ones posted on the internet?
This one has a bit more meat than the others and one can appreciate that if you've been in this business for awhile. My comments from this point on are in blue.
"Lowman joined JPMorgan from Citigroup in 2006. During his tenure at JPMorgan, the bank picked up bad mortgage assets through its acquisitions of investment bank Bear Stearns & Co and retail bank Washington Mutual. They make it sound as though they picked up a germy virus. No, they willingly bought the bad loans of these two companies.
acquisitions: a decision made at a meeting by all the major banks at the time and the Fed of what company among them could bear (pardon the pun) the debt that WAMU and BS had on their books. WAMU's underwriting was crap due to long standing technology issues. Among other loans purchased, BS was buying up much of the remaining RTC securitizations and repackaging them trying to make a pool of marginally performing loans shiny, newish and attractive to investors. JPMC knowingly bought bad mortgage assets by acquiring these companies. WAMU in September 2008 after a FDIC seizure. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/25/bear-stearns-fraud-emails_n_813855.html
Lowman was pushed aside in February by JPMorgan's CEO, Jamie Dimon, who assigned his top aide, Bisignano, to the company's retail banking unit to fix its mortgage business.
If you look up Frank Bisignano on Forbes.com, you can see that he has a been at Citigroup since 2000. If you look up David Lowman, you can review on the press release that he came from a place where he appeared to have no or minimal mortgage background. http://www.forbes.com/2006/10/27/leadership-careers-jobs-lead-careers-cx_ll_1027hfr.html
During Lowman's tenure, the unit was so disorganized that the bank seized homes of at least 33 U.S. military servicemen on active duty, violating federal law and prompting Dimon to apologize at the company's annual shareholder meeting. The bank has said it is forgiving those loans.
The above paragraph is particularly nasty because of the Soldiers & Sailors Civil Relief Act that was revised and went into effect in 2003 (one of the good things that came about during the Bush presidency) which grants certain protections for military troops on active duty. Protections like the fact that you cannot foreclose on the home of active military personnel.
Lowman could not immediately be reached for comment on Tuesday. Technically, he can't comment because he'll sign a paper that says he can't discuss any business dealings by his former employer. Lowman appeared before congressional committees last year ( http://www.ncsha.org/blog/house-and-senate-committees-address-foreclosure-crisis-and-loan-modification-problems ) where he was chastised for his division's refusal to cooperate with borrowers and modify mortgages. Read the article. Ahem - we learned a new word today kids - robo-signing. Now we're making up words because acronyms in the mortgage industry are not confusing enough. Reminds me of dangling chads and how the general public had no clue what the news media were talking about at the time.
I imagine Lowman was probably told by the CEO to minimize losses. Regarding loan modifications: Simply put, if you don't have an earned income (many people lost their jobs over the credit crunch), you won't get your loan modified. If you don't want to provide your financial statements (because you're trying to hide the fact that you didn't qualify for the loan in the first place), you won't get your loan modified. If you botch the documents requested of you in anyway (late, missing, erroneous), you won't get your loan modified. If you don't like the terms of your loan, they suggest that you refinance instead.
Lowman said in a June 2010 hearing that the bank was understaffed, (at that point they probably had a RIF throughout the entire organization, not just in mortgage lending) but was adding employees to work on problematic mortgages. They opened temporary regional offices called "ChaseWorks" dedicated to help distressed mortgagors.
In a hearing in November, Lowman acknowledged mistakes in foreclosure paperwork and said the bank was cleaning up errors." Mistakes happen, but they can also be fixed.