New Investment Program!!

Some time after 2000 there was a New Yorker cartoon showing a mope on a beach with a magnet-on-a-stick  seekin’ money in the sand, saying, “This is my new investment program.”
So in late 2009 we learn that life has imitated art, with a guy similarly treasure-huntin’ who found a bunch of buried gold and silver out in an English field which has now been valued at U$5.4 mio!!   A couple of museums are tryin’ to raise money to buy the stuff and pay him half!!
NYT 27 Nov 09, p. A.14

Is Sammy Fencin’ the Swingers?

A real estate agent has sued Sammy Sosa down in the Dominican Republic for 2 hundred grand commission on the sale of Sammy’s house for $ 3 mio, as well as 43 grand for a fancy watch and 10 grand for getting some reggae guy to perform at Sammy’s 41st birthday soiree. It’ll be fun to watch what happens on this one!!
NYT 27 Nov 09, p B.10

Do You Want Fries With That Traffic Ticket???

It appears that a hot-head-cop pulled a driver over on April 19th, yelled at him about supposedly fibbin’ about his name and stated that he was writing the driver up.   But the cop didn’t until April 21st when the cop was taking an “unauthorized” lunch break at the IHOP, decided that now would be a good time to  run the driver’s tag and write up a couple of tickets – - – all without telling HQ what was really goin’ on.   The poor driver only learned about the tickets when the Municipal Court sent him warrants when the tickets were ignored!!    The cops union is appealing the cop’s suspension…
Ft Worth Star-Telegram 25 Nov 09, p. 3.B

A “Kelo” Grows In Brooklyn

Here’s a quick law-lesson – - – in 2005 the Supremes ruled that Connecticut could grab private homes and businesses for the building of a research place for a drugs company.   Now, fast-forward to late 2009 and lo and behold the New York High Court ruled that New York can grab around 20 acres of private Brooklyn land to build a sports arena for ( are you ready??? ) the New Jersey Nets plus, commercial and residential stuff.   How the hell??? You ask… Well, after Kelo, many states changed their Constitutions to stop this crap but NY did NOT, so the developers won and the li’l property owners get some money.
NYT 27 Nov 09, p.  A.3

Sing Now: “Take me Out of The Ball Game”!!!

In August ’08 a fan at Yankee Stadium decided to go take a leak during the 7th Inning Stretch – - but me made the mistake of walking past a patriotic cop while the music was playing a Kate Smith recording of “God Bless America”.   So the cop got him and bounced him out of the Stadium, later claiming that the guy was drunk, up on his seat swearin’ during the song.   Witnesses say no such damn thing happened.    When confronted, Yankee officials slyly pointed out that the cops at the Stadium weren’t “on duty” but were on their own time workin’ as security guys.

 
NYT 4.16.09, p. A.20

More New York Pension Stuff

Damn!   It was a busy spring ’09 for the NY SEC office!!
In one case they got $150K from some investment outfit that does money management for the Hunt Oil Family ( who own the Football Chiefs ) in an investigation with the NY AG about shady conduct with goodies to get NY Pension fund money.
In another, some outfit called GT Brands, which works with a private firm Quadrangle Group, paid almost $ 90 grand to get DVD distribution rights to a movie with the charming title “Chooch” which was produced by a guy named Loglisci, who was the Pension Fund’s chief investment officer.   Surprise!!   About 3 weeks later, Quadrangle got $100 mio in business managing stuff for the Pension Fund!!

NYT, 4.16.09, P. A.20

Pension Fraud in New York

In the spring of ’09 we get reports that the AG in New York has charged some old guy in his mid-70’s with essentially spending the past 3 decades taking bribes from various entities and people to the tune of almost $ 1 mio;   one of the reasons he needed the loot was his cool son got caught up in a ’05 scandal with child porno and embezzlement.  Nice family…

NYT 4.16.09, p.  A.20

Slightly inconsistent…

Some 25 plus states have outlawed “driving while texting”, but most of them have a safety service to warn drivers of various traffic problems they might encounter.   The safety service is sent to the driver (  are you ready???  )   by TWITTER!!!
Harpers Mag. Nov. or Dec. ’09, don’t remember page

Text and Distraction and Lawsuit

In the late summer of 2008 a lady was hit and killed in her car by a 20 year old mope who was babbling on his Mobile Phone, ran the red light.   Now the lady’s daughter in Oklahoma City has sued Samsung and Sprint Nextel, seeking to show in court that they should have “foreseen” dangers and that they failed to have sufficient warnings of the dangers.   Most courts which have heard similar cases have declined to let the plaintiff recover, on one theory or another, but this lady hopes that the local court will say that there’s enough of  this accident while babblin’ on the Mobile to make it foreseeable.    Stay tuned…

NYT, 7 Dec 09, p. A.23

I left my Hearts, Spades, Diamonds & Clubs in San Francisco…

Hey suckers!!   The Indians want to get back at you – - – through your stupidity, your greed and your wallet!!   The most recent angle is some tribe wants to build a Casino overlooking San Francisco Bay!!    This is more than 100 miles from the tribe’s reservation!   There is some USA law from 1988 allowing Indian tribes to have gambling ( now worth $26 bio ) with a errr… loophole which  allows off-reservation gambling.    It’s already being done in Milwaukee and Spokane.  The SF gig is to put up a casino-resort with more than 1,000 hotel rooms, shops, tribal housing and a shoreline park!    Roll them dice!!

Ft Worth Star-Telegram 25 Nov 09, p. A.6