Banking isn't Boring

Syracuse University students greeted banking graduation speaker with a blow up doll today.

Merkley-Levin Amendment summary (as it remains) in the Reform Bill:

1. Bank traders can no longer act like hedge funds.

2. Financial firms will not be able to bet against their own customers.

3. Banks will still be able to securitize loans.

4. Banks will be able to hold clients money but not use bank funds.

   Goldman, JPMorgan, and others will have time to sell off these accounts/

   Divest of accounts they managed with bank dough.

5. Non-banks can gamble, trade, and bet against their own customers, but they must create cash accounts against their speculations.

The Germans no more “nakedshorting”  (gambing of short selling bank stocks without having cash in an account to cover) badly spun the stock market by surprise yesterday.

Germany came out today with approving a huge bailout program for the weak members of the EU, this calmed our stock market fears a little.

So will the banking reform bill be a ping-pong match in the coming weeks?

Trash Burning At Pelican Hill

Newport Beach Fire Department responds to fire in

Trash Truck at the Arches of Pelican Hill.

Under the elegant and posh massive arching gates (created to imitate Roman aqueducts or grand Italianate structures) a fire started inside the belly of the trash pickup. Garbage was strewn all over the street, which was blocked by numerous fire trucks that responded. I’m surprised the event was not reported in the O.C. Register, as the smell could be detected from the top of Newport Coast. The odor of rotting and burned junk- not what Newport Beach real estate needs today…The good part of the morning’s event was seeing those handsome Newport Beach firemen working with great care to douse the smoldering flames. It is assumed someone packed fireplace ashes in their Hefty bags.

Lancaster Community Hospital Kicks a Man who can't move to the Curb

Al Smith is not famous; he is a nice guy who came upon hard times. Al is homeless and went to Lancaster Community Hospital last week when he had weakness in his legs. The hospital performed surgery on Al and they say they removed a cancerous tumor on his spine. Al walked into the hospital and now is a paraplegic. Lancaster Community hospital Director Bob Trautman is unavailable for comment as the hospital plans to kick this man to the curb (who can’t walk, can’t eat, and can’t release his own bowels.)


I know Al because he did some work for me a year ago. Al is a quiet person who would not complain. Hospital personnel told him the have a social worker processing his Medical, but it is not completed for an unknown reason. I asked the hospital receptionist would she treat her dog this way?

No shelter will take him because the amount of care he needs ( he has numerous tubes in and out ) is far beyond their means.