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Thursday, March 26, 2009

03/26/09 Former Greenwich Resident Fake Jake DeSantist: "I didn't do nothin' .... Besides I deserve All That Cash ......"



Jason DeSantis (above) lives in a house
once owned by Mark Twain


BY Oren Yaniv, Edgar Sandoval and Helen Kennedy

An AIG exec who got a payout of over $1 million quit his job Wednesday in a huffy public letter that was meant to generate sympathy - but instead landed like a lead balloon.

Jason DeSantis, 39, argued that because he had worked hard and didn't cause the firm's problems, he deserved to get his promised bonus.

"We in the financial products unit have been betrayed by AIG and are being unfairly persecuted by elected officials," DeSantis, vice president of AIG Financial Products for 11 years, wrote to company CEO Edward Liddy.

"I am disappointed and frustrated over your lack of support for us," he wrote. "You didn't defend us against the baseless and reckless comments made by the attorneys general of New York and Connecticut."

The letter was published Wednesday in The New York Times, and DeSantis was greeted with a standing ovation when he walked into his office, according to a source close to the firm.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal wasn't moved. He pointed out that DeSantis glossed over a key fact: Without a massive taxpayer bailout, AIG would have collapsed months ago.

"His company and his contract and his bonus would simply be nonexistent without the taxpayer, and that critical fact is ignored," Blumenthal said.

The letter caused a big ruckus online, where many branded it more unseemly whining from an entitled fat cat who still doesn't understand the pain financiers have wrought.

"Cry me a river," read one typical comment.

Adding insult to injury, DeSantis said he didn't need the money, acknowledged that he was overpaid, and said that he was taking his bonus - "$742,006.40 after taxes" - and giving it to charity instead of back to AIG, as Blumenthal and New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo have demanded.

"I at least deserve to dictate how my earnings are spent, and do not want to see them disappear back into the obscurity of AIG's or the federal government's budget," he wrote.

He did not mention that since AIG is now 80% owned by the taxpayer, returning his bonus would have returned it to the taxpayer.

"I commend his motivation in wanting to help people who have been harmed by the economic downturn, but this is taxpayer money," Blumenthal said.

DeSantis, an MIT scientist who went into finance and made tens of millions at AIG, lives with his wife, Erika, in a gated community in Redding, Conn., in a house once owned by Mark Twain.....

....In his letter, DeSantis took a shot at Blumenthal and Cuomo for threatening to out the names of execs who don't return bonuses "even though attorneys general are supposed to stand for due process, to conduct trials in courts and not the press."

Cuomo had no comment. Blumenthal said he hasn't made anyone's name public: "He put his own name in the public realm,".....
DEAR AIG, I QUIT
New York Times

......The Arrogant Little AIG SOB That Refuses To Give Back

His Neighbors Hard Earned Tax Dollars Continues.....
....I take this action after 11 years of dedicated, honorable service to A.I.G. I can no longer effectively perform my duties in this dysfunctional environment.......
..... Even Though Cry Baby Jake DeSantis Refuses To Ask For Forgiveness For Stealing From All Of His Neighbors .....

He Still Wants Everyone To Love And Feel Sorry For Him:....
As most of us have done nothing wrong, guilt is not a motivation to surrender our earnings. We have worked 12 long months under these contracts and now deserve to be paid as promised. None of us should be cheated of our payments.....
Be Sure To Read Bonus Bum
"Fake Jake" DeSantis' Fine Print:
....On March 16 I received a payment from A.I.G. amounting to $742,006.40, after taxes ......
(Jake DeSantis Is Such An Unethical AIG Bum That He Has Obviously Visited An Accountant To Calculate The Amount Of Taxes To The Penny. DeSantis Is Such A Greedy SOB He Couldn't Add $933.40 Of His Own Money To Make The Taxpayer Funded Package An Even $743,000)
....In light of the uncertainty over the ultimate taxation and legal status of this payment, the actual amount I donate may be less...... (Greedy Con Artist Jake DeSantis Really Has Hug Balls. This AIG Scamster Says I Am Going To Act Like A Big Shot Donating Your Tax Dollars, But If He Miscalculated The Tax Ramifications ..... He Is Going To Use Your Tax Dollars To Pay Any Additional Tax Liability That He May Incur. As Leona Hemsley Said,"Only The Little People Pay Taxes.")
.....This choice is right for me. I wish others at A.I.G.-F.P. luck finding peace with their difficult decision, and only hope their judgment is not clouded by fear......
......Spoiled Disloyal Bonus Bum " Fake Jake" DeSantis
Gives No Notice To AIG:

He's Just Going To Take His Neighbor's Money And Run.....
....Mr. Liddy, I wish you success in your commitment to return the money extended by the American government, and luck with the continued unwinding of the company’s diverse businesses — especially those remaining credit default swaps. I’ll continue over the short term to help make sure no balls are dropped, but after what’s happened this past week I can’t remain much longer — there is too much bad blood.....

WHAT AIG BONUS BUM "FAKE JAKE" DESANTIS WONT TELL YOU IS......

That he and the other AIG Bums decided to accelerate by three months more than a quarter of the amounts due under the contracts. That action probably net him $250,000.00 in taxpayer money and allowed him to stash $185, 501.60 after taxes in the bank......
.....Here Is How The Jake DeSantis Ponzie Scheme Will Probably Work:

First AIG Bum "Fake Jake" DeSantis Will Use Over $250,000.00 Of Your Tax Dollars To Pay His Tax Bill. Then He Will Claim Huge Tax Deductions For Donating $742,006.40 Of Your Tax Dollars To Help Those "Who Are Suffering From The Global Downturn".

Greedy " Fake Jake" DeSantis Will Then Be Able To Carry The The Taxpayer Funded Deduction Forward Three Years, Thus Allowing Him To Pay Virtually No Taxes.

The $742,006.40 Of Mr. Desantists' Neighbors Tax Dollars Will Need To Go Into A Financial Vehicle Like A Private Foundation To Distribute The Tax Dollars.

Of Coarse, There Will Be Expences Involved With Distributing Your Tax Dollars So Greedy "Fake Jake" Desantis Will Have To Be Compensated. Desantis May Even Need To Hire Friends And Family Members To Help Disburse Your Tax Dollars To Help Those "Who Are Suffering From The Global Downturn".

Then There Is Greedy Jake Desantis Mission Of Distributing Your Hard Earned Tax Dollars To Help Those "Who Are Suffering From The Global Downturn".

This Mission Statement Includes Virtually Everybody In The World .... Greedy Jake Desantis' Laws .... Greedy "Fake Jake" Desantis' Golfing Buddy ...... Greedy Jake Desantis' Business Associates ..... Etc.....

You Will Notice That Greedy "Fake Jake" Desantis' Wont Say I Am Giving Your Tax Dollars To Underprivileged Children.

You Will Notice That Greedy "Fake Jake" Desantis' Wont Say I Am Giving Your Tax Dollars To Pay The Medical Bills Of Uninsured Families.

You Will Notice That Greedy "Fake Jake" Desantis' Wont Say I Am Giving Your Tax Dollars To Senior Citizens In Danger Of Losing Their Homes

All Of The Above, Charitable Mission Statements Would Be To Narrowly Focus And Make It Too Hard To Abuse.
MOREOVER:

Fake Jake DeSantist Wont Tell You That
The Other AIG Shoe Has Not Dropped Yet.....

WHY ISN'T ANYONE LISTENING TO GREENWICH ROUNDUP

THIS WAS ONLY THE FIRST ROUNDOF BONUS PAYMENTS TO THE AIG FAT CATS
LIKE "FAKE JAKE" DESANTIS

THE CLOCK IS TICKING ON A SECOND TAXPAYER FUNDEDAIG BONUS PAYMENT TO "FAKE JAKE" DESANTIS

The AIG Employee Retention Plan Has Two ComponentsThere Are Two Sets Of Bonus Payments

There Are Two Sets Of Bonus Payments
For "Fake Jake" Desantis And The Other AIG Pirates

This Was Only The First Bonus And Covers December 01, 2007 To November 30, 2008 That Was To Be Paid No Later Than March 15th of 2009.

And As We Read Above ..... The Greedy AIG SOB's Like "Fake Jake" Desantis Couldn't Wait Till March 15, 2009 So They Accelerated 25% Of The Bonus To Be Paid In December.

Most People Don't Realize That
The Clock Is Already Ticking On A
Second Round Of Bonus Payments For
"Fake Jake DeSantis And The Other AIG Pirates:

The Is Second Bonus Payments Cover December 01, 2008 To November 30, 2009 That Was To Be Paid No Later Than March 15th of 2010.

MORE ON THAT ECELERATED
DECEMBER BONUS PAYMENT:
PLEASE ALSO SEE:
The Fact Is That "Fake Jake's" Desantis' AIG Retintion Contract Would Not Have Been Worth The Paper It Was Written On If His Nieghbor's Hard Earned Tax Dollars Had Not Been Stolen
Self Outed Public Figure Jake DeSantis Is Encouraged By Greenwich Roundup To Respond To This Post If He So Chooses.

================================================================
Please send your comments, news tips and press releases to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com or click on the comments link at the end of this post.
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03/26/09 Ace Reporter Ken Borsuk Reports The Truth And Lets The Chips Fall Where They May, While The "Yellowich Time" Puts It's Head In The Sand

Gang Members Threaten Wilbur Peck Residents With Retribution If They Call Or Talk To The The Greenwich Police Department

Failed Green Kitty Litter Liner, Managing Editor, Bruce Hunter Is Too Afraid Of Greenwich Police Chief David Ridberg Reaction To To Report The Facts

Hearst Newspapers Rookie Reporter's Were Too Scared To Go To Wilbur Peck And Interview The Residents Who Have To Deal With Criminal Activity On A Daily Basis - That's Why The Greenwich Time Only Published One Side Articles That Only Quoted Police And Housing Authority Officials

Wilbur Peck Senior Citizens And Children Live In Fear, Because Greenwich Police Chief David Ridberg Lets A Gang Of Punks Run An Open Air Drug Market On Town Property

Some in fear as Wilbur Peck calls for more patrols
Greenwich Post

Written by Ken Borsuk, Staff Reporter

Residents of Wilbur Peck Court are demanding action from the town and from police in the wake of a March 14 incident that left three police officers with minor injuries and several residents under arrest. ....

.....Wilbur Peck resident Aldina Portu said she has long been sounding the alarm about the Flores brothers and the overall problems in the complex, but neither the Housing Authority nor the police have done anything about it. She said there is an overall lack of security in the complex and the brothers and their friends are constantly harassing people, drinking, doing drugs and threatening people they think might be speaking to authorities.

Ms. Portu has been a resident of the complex with her eight-year-old daughter for two years. She said she filed complaints with Housing Authority Executive Director Anthony Johnson and Deputy Director Terry Mardula well before the incident.

“They chose to ignore me,” Ms. Portu said. “They promise things to us that they never deliver and we don’t feel safe. I told them that someone is going to be seriously hurt or killed. I told them to take action but they didn’t do anything.”

Ms. Portu told the Post residents are afraid to go out at night and people are afraid of retribution. She said the central problem in the complex is the Flores brothers and their friends, and the complex needs increased and regular patrol presence by police.

“All of the trash in Greenwich comes to visit the Flores brothers,” Ms. Portu said. “They’re drinking and doing drugs and committing vandalism and no one is doing anything about it.” Speaking to the Post on Tuesday, several Wilbur Peck residents, some of whom declined to go on the record due to safety concerns, said there has been a long-term problem at the complex.

Candice Smith said she constantly finds drugs, empty beer bottles and used condoms around the grounds.......

....Another resident, a senior citizen who declined to give her name, said she has been insulted with profanity to her face and had rocks and bottles thrown at her door. She also criticized the Housing Authority for focusing on small issues......

.....Ms. Smith said she wants to see more residents of the complex standing up, too.....

......Stamford attorney Mark Sherman, who is representing the Floreses in court, told the Post on Monday that the issues at Wilbur Peck Court go beyond the brothers.

“These problems are not the result of just a few people,” Mr. Sherman said......

PLEASE SEE:
Greenwich Time Hates To Tell
Failed Greenwich Time
Managing Editor Bruce Hunter
We Told You So, But.....
.....Eby Kerekes, 52, an eight-year resident of Wilbur Peck Court, said she is constantly disturbed by a group of young men she sees hanging out from her window."I have no peace," said Kerekes.
"You have to walk on egg shells around here. It keeps getting worse."Ramone Medrano, 86, who has lived at Wilbur Peck Court for 20 years, said he often hears a group of men drinking and making noise late at night."Every day it's the same thing," he said.....
What's Terry Mardula Hiding?

....Terry Mardula, deputy director of the Greenwich Housing Authority, said he was aware of residents' frustration over a group known to cause disturbances and they are taking the matter seriously.

However, he said that there is no simple solution to solve the problem.

"People think this wouldn't have happened if there was more security there, or if there were more cameras. That is not the cause of this. These are young adults who abuse alcohol and do not like to be directed on what to do," said Mardula.

While Mardula said the Wilbur Peck complex is equipped with security cameras, he declined to comment on their condition or disclose how many there are. Residents said the cameras only monitor the garbage areas.....
....Ridberg Pussy Foots Around The Gang Question

...."It depends on how you classify a gang. If it's a very general description of two or more people engaged in criminal activity, then yes. .....

This Kind Of Reminds One Of When
Former President Clinton Said,
"It Depends What Your Deifinition Of "Is" Is

At Least Mardula Is Willing To Tell The Taxpayers The Truth About The Violence

....While he noted that some behaviors are correctable, like a noise violation, others, such as behaving violently, are not.

"For me, it's hard to see how this is correctable," Mardula said
PLEASE ALSO SEE:
......Greenwich Officials Continues To Ignore Byram Gang Problem As Gang Fight Comes To Davis Avenue Next To Bruce Park.

Greenwich Police Officer Caught In The Middle Of Gang FightJust Blocks From Greenwich Avenue

Calls for backup brings, almost the entire, night time shift to bring the down town street under control.

Will The Greenwich Police Department release copies of the radio tapes of the gang incident to the press and the general public?
This all happened Friday over night just blocks from Greenwich Avenue.Greenwich Police Officer and Backup Officers are forced draw weapons on the armed gang members on Davis Avenue.

Four Or Five Gang Members Arrested By Greenwich Police Officers.Knives, Bats and Other Weapons Confiscated From Gang Members who will appear in court on Monday morning.
Luckily no Greenwich police officers or innocent civilians were not injured in bringing the disturbance under control.

Port Chester Gang Members Were Involved......
......Bruce Hunter And Lazy Merideth Blake Need To Learn That There Are At Least Three Sides To Every Story And They Need To Include All Of The Vioces Of Greenwich Society.

In This Case There Is At Least Four Sides, The Meyhem With The Police, Gang Activity In The Area, The Greenwich Police Departments Community Relations And The Minority Police Officer's Lawsuit That Alleges That Discrimination Is Pervasive In The Greenwich Police Department.

Lazy Greenwich Time Reporter Meridith Blake Ignored Everything Except The Meyhem With The Police Department And Then Only Used One Sourse .....

Sgt. James Bonney The Head Of The Greenwich Police Union.....
....Police Officers Tell Greenwich Roundup That
Jorge Cardenas-Rey Holds Some Type Of Leadership Position
In The Gang That Greenwich Police Chief
David Ridberg Says Doesn't Exist.

Further, Greenwich Police Officers Are Angry That It Was Not Released That Jorge Cardenas- was arrested on Valentines day morning and charged for a very similar incident that did not escalate in to an out of control situation.

In The Valentines Day incident Jorge Cardenas-Rey
was arrested for interfering with a police officer
and disorderly conduct.

Greenwich Police Officers say after that the Valentine's Day arrest, and many after other previous incidents, they have repeatedly complained that Gang activity is getting out of hand in the Davis Avenue Area.

But, Greenwich Police Chief David Ridberg just ignores their complaints.....

MORE INFORMATION:
For What It's Worth

EVEN MORE INFORMATION:

Please Read About Another Gang Incident
Reported In Greenwich Roundup:

Please Also Read How Greenwich Citizens Are Complaining
That Nothing Is Being Done About Gang Activity:

04/21/08 - Reader Submitted Comments: Nightmare On Pemberwick Road

Please Also Read About TheGang Graffiti Problem In Byram:

================================================================
Please send your comments, news tips and press re;eases to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com or click on the comments link at the end of this post.

It Is Going To Be A Long Hot Summer In Downtown Greenwich If Greenwich Police Chief David Ridberg Fails To Tackle The Drug And Gang Problems In Central Greenwich
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03/26/09 The Raw Overnight Greenwich News Feed

Sent from above: St. Paul congregants help homebound with food
Greenwich Post
Eighty-seven-year-old Ann Jambriska of Greenwich gets a hot meal every Monday afternoon, and she doesn’t have to cook a thing. The homebound congregant of ...

Young voices are heard in C-SPAN studentcam competition
Buffalo News
The $3000 first prize (high school) went to “Requiem for the Honeybee,” by Charles Greene and Eliza mcnitt of Greenwich High School in Connecticut, ...

For suburban commuters, MTA fare hikes hurt over and over
Lower Hudson Journal news
Since the increases don't affect Connecticut, fares from Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Harrison and Rye would be capped at the fares from Greenwich, Metro-North ...

Greenwich Post

District officials say Hamilton Avenue School is not facing the same old problems in its new building despite the discovery of mold there.....

....“Based on my observations, the air test results and the information that has been provided to me, it is my opinion that the steps taken have effectively eliminated any microbial hazards,” Mr. Brown said in the letter.....

....Former school PTA President Laura DiBella, an outspoken critic of the district’s past performance during the mold issues plaguing the modulars, said that while she wished parents were informed earlier about the concerns, she was pleased with how the district responded here. Ms. DiBella said she questions why neither the contractor nor the town building inspectors noticed the problem with the pipe when it first occurred and correct it then.

Men's Lacrosse: Highly touted recruit at home on turf
Princeton University The Daily Princetonian
And though he played in Greenwich, Conn. — not exactly a hotbed of high school football talent — colleges came calling. Highly competitive football programs ...

Playing the race card—Part I
CU Columbia Spectator

“I am the daughter of African immigrants,” said a classmate of mine, “and I’m going to exploit that for all it’s worth.”.....

.....It worked—she got in. Friends of mine grumbled that she didn’t deserve it, and they might have been right. She maintained tacitly that she’d done nothing wrong—she definitely hadn’t. With college admissions being what it is, who could blame her?.....

.....What’s “diversity”? To the New York Times op-ed board it means running a Bob Herbert column twice a week. Herbert grew up in Montclair, a community in New Jersey a half-hour from Midtown. His family owned several upholstery stores, and was well-off, “middle-class” in the same way that a hedge-fund manager from Greenwich and a lawyer from Chappaqua would be middle-class. ...

Nestle invests $15.6 million in Sweet Leaf Tea
Austin American-Statesman
Last year, the company received $18 million in capital from Catteron Partners, a Greenwich, Conn., investment firm. Nestle is the biggest bottled water ...

AIG resignation hits close to home
Greenwich Time
By Susan Tuz

REDDING -- Former Greenwich resident Jake DeSantis' resignation from a job with AIG Financial Products unit Wednesday came as no surprise to ...

Trinity players still in NCAA tourney
Norwalk Advocate
Julie Ireland (Greenwich Academy) had a goal as Middlebury (20-4-4) beat Wisconsin River Falls 3-2 to finish third in the NCAA Division III tourney. ...

Belgian court rules Golder extradition illegal
Stamford Advocate
Golder was arrested by Belgian authorities in December 2006 after Greenwich detectives spent nearly a decade tracking him down in connection with burglaries ...

AIG and the Big Takeover: Matt Taibbi on “How Wall Street Insiders ...
Democracy Now
They have one that’s in Greenwich, Connecticut, and one that’s in London. I’m assuming most of these employees are Americans. But, you know, the key thing ...

Local Attorney To Lead Youth Into Wilderness
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle
... 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. Items up for auction include a round of golf at the renown Baltusrol Golf Club, a sailing trip in Greenwich, Conn., and a week's stay at a cabin in Alaska. Hon. Lewis J. Douglass, a retired Brooklyn Supreme Court justice, will be ...

Yale credits a new attitude
Connecticut Post
By Chris Elsberry

Yale's Sean Backman of Greenwich celebrates his team's 5-0 win over Cornell in the ECAC tournament championship hockey game in Albany, NY, ...

Town resident caught up in blackmail scam
Greenwich Post
A Greenwich man using an adult Web site to meet women found himself the target of a blackmail scheme, according to Greenwich police. ...

Brush fire at GHS extinguished
Greenwich Time
A small brush fire broke out in a wooded area at Greenwich High School property Wednesday afternoon, fire officials said. Firefighters responded to Hillside ...

Finding the time to regenerate
Norwalk Advocate
Even in high school at Greenwich Academy (especially in high school at GA), many peers already knew that their one goal throughout college would be to ...

Community almanac
Stamford Advocate
THE NURSE IS IN From 9 am to 1 pm at Eastern Greenwich Civic Center, 90 Harding Road. A registered nurse is available to take blood pressure and health ...

Himes hears seniors’ anger about economy
Greenwich Post
Jim Himes (D-4th) stopped in to speak with constituents at the Greenwich Senior Center Monday morning. After delivering a brief overview of his first few ...

Rams Remain Unbeaten with Win over Purchase
Farmingdale Rams
... Harrison Grinnell (Greenwich, CT/Greenwich) 8-4, improving to 4-0 on the season as a 1st doubles team for Farmingdale State. ...

Orders from factories up in February
Wilkes Barre Times-Leader
RBS Greenwich Capital analyst David Ader agreed. “Durable goods was firmer than expected but with the caveats of downward revisions and the bounce ...

Populism and paranoia
Beliefnet.com
In any case, the reason the wealthy took up residence in mansions of westchester county, NY and greenwich, ct is because they wanted to escape the public ...

Mold Found in Hamilton Avenue School
WSTC-AM Norwalk
Greenwich school officials say mold was discovered in the newly-reopened Hamilton Avenue school building Tuesday.


GREENWICH, CT—Landmark Capital Corp., an investment bank that does equity raises for early and mid-stage companies, plans to open a ...

EPL stock being removed from NYSE
KATC-TV Lafayette
.... In January after a major investor _ Wexford Capital LLC, based in Greenwich, Conn. _ called for a shake-up, including the firing of all top management, a sharp reduction in costs, debt restructuring and a ...

Cancer gene therapy talk next week
Greenwich Post
This lecture is free and open to the public, and is sponsored by the Sisterhood of Temple Sholom and Greenwich Hadassah.

Casino Companies: Tropicana owner, creditors agree on plan to emerge from bankruptcy
Las Vegas Review Journal
... downturn and the tight credit markets. A group led by billionaire financier Carl Icahn and Silver Point Finance, a Greenwich, Conn.-based hedge fund, has expressed interest in buying the New Jersey property. The Icahn group has agreed to assume a ...

Edward J. Bowden Jr.
WisInfo
... he was a helicopter instructor. Survivors: wife, Marilyn Jo Bowden of Savannah; two daughters, Deborah Schmidt of Greenwich, CT and Marilyn Bowden of Chicago, IL: two sons, Edward Bowden III of Larson, WI and Al Bowden of Lexington, SC; seven ...

===============================================================
Please send your comments, news tips and press releases to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com or click on the comments link at the end of this post.
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03/26/09 Commentary: Grab a laugh, Mr. President

Jane Condon says people turn to comedy in hard times so they can laugh -- and forget.


GREENWICH, Connecticut (CNN) -- I saw President Obama laugh last week on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." I saw the president giggle on "60 Minutes."

"You're sitting here. And you are laughing," Steve Kroft said in his interview with the president. "You are laughing about some of these problems. Are people gonna look at this and say, 'I mean, he's sitting there just making jokes about money.' How do you deal with, I mean, explain the ... mood and your laughter," Kroft asked.

All I could think was thank God, he knows how to take care of himself, considering the amount of stress he is under. Grab a laugh, Mr. President, when you can. He was right to tell Kroft, "There's gotta be a little gallows humor to get you through the day." Everybody needs to use comedy in hard times.

More than a year ago, right before a New Year's Eve show for more than a thousand people, a prominent New York economist named John Tepper Marlin came up to me and said, "Jane, you should really do a joke about mortgage-backed securities." And I thought, "What is he talking about?"

Turns out the joke was on me (and us). Now we all know about mortgage-backed securities, collaterized debt obligations and credit default swaps. The economy has become a topic of choice among comedians.

My own favorite joke these days is: What did one Somali pirate say to another Somali pirate? "Thank God we didn't invest with Bernie Madoff!"

Why do people turn to humor in hard times? (Think of sitcoms like "The Cosby Show" rising out of the ashes of the early '80s recession. "Seinfeld" became popular during the 1990-91 recession.) Why are some people watching the fake news on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" rather than the real news on the networks?

Two reasons really: They need to laugh, and they want to forget. Decades ago, Norman Cousins told us "laughter is the best medicine" in his book, "Anatomy of an Illness." He watched the Marx Brothers and "Candid Camera" to help heal himself; to reduce stress. Why? Somehow, he knew that laughter releases endorphins. Endorphins help us relax and sleep.

People are flocking to movies these days for comedy. (Total United States box-office revenue is up 23 percent so far this year.) They go to comedy clubs as well because they want to forget.

After one of my shows, a social worker from Brookline, Massachusetts, came up to me. I had talked with her before the show. I knew that her 41-year-old son had just been diagnosed with lung cancer. I also knew that the overall survival rate these days is 15 percent, because my father had died of the very same thing when I was 15 years old. And she said, "Thank you, Jane. You're very funny. ... And you made us forget for a half-hour." That's when I realized: That's why I do it.

Even in the worst of times, I think people are programmed to look for the funny. It's a release, an escape valve. Almost a reflex.

I was entertaining a crowd of cancer patients and their caregivers, families and friends one Sunday afternoon at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York.

A 14-year-old boy with a bandanna on his head to hide his lack of hair and an IV tethered to his side yelled out, "Can I get up there, lady?" I said, "Sure, what's your name?" He said, "Leroy." I said, "Leroy, where you from?" He said, "Pediatrics!" So that was his intro. I turned to the audience and said, "Let's give a warm welcome to Leroy from Pediatrics!"

Leroy moved center stage so fast that his IV tilted over. He made air guitar motions and sang a James Brown song with total abandon and glee, "I FEEL GOOD (strum, strum) SO GOOD (strum, strum). I GOT YOU! (His fist punched the air.)" People jumped to their feet to give Leroy a standing ovation. He deserved it. He made us all forget. He made us all feel good.

Editor's note: Jane Condon is a comedian who has appeared on "The View," "Girls' Night Out" and "Last Comic Standing." Visit her Web site.
================================================================
Please send your comments, news tips and press releases to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com or click on the comments link at the end of this post.
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03/26/09 Is It Chris Fountain's Fault That Housing Prices Are In Recovery

"Yes We Can Have A Housing Recovery !!!!!!"

Maybe There Will Be A Housing Recovery Is In Spite Of Chris "Doom And Gloom" Fountain "Talking Down The Local Market" At His "For What It's Worth" Blog......

Theregalcourier.com

... Michael Darda, chief Economist, MKM Partners in Greenwich, Connecticut. "Home prices should begin to flatten out after inventories fall to 7-8 months, which we expect before the year is over"...

Strong jump in US home sales fuels hopes of turnaround
The Independent
... "There is hope," suggested Stephen Stanley, the chief economist at RBS Greenwich Capital in Greenwich, Connecticut. "This is exactly the progression that needs to happen, so today's data represents an ...

Inventory Collapse Shows U.S. Taking `Important Step' to Economic Recovery
Bloomberg Business News
... Stephen Stanley , chief economist at RBS Greenwich Capital in Greenwich, Connecticut, said in a note to clients, “This is exactly the progression that needs to happen, so today’s data represents an important step on the road to recovery.”

The report bolstered forecasts that the world’s largest economy will begin to expand in the second half of the year after a likely contraction in the first six months of 2009. Retail sales, residential construction and home sales last month have all been stronger than most economists projected.
...Retail sales, residential construction and home sales last month have all been stronger than most economists projected......
.....Sales of new houses unexpectedly climbed 4.7 percent to an annual pace of 337,000 last month from a record low in January, the government also reported today. Two days ago, the National Association of Realtors said purchases of existing homes rose 5.1 percent, also confounding forecasts of a drop.

FOR THE RECORD:

The Independent Greenwich Roundup Switched Sides And Bailed Out Of The Failed Policies Of The Bush Administration, While Chris Fountain Has Chosen To Be A Die Hard Conservative Republican Supporter To The Bitter End

Luckly The Majority Of Greenwich Voters Agreed With Greenwich Roundup And Not The Fox News Wanna Be Of Lower Fairfield County, AKA, The Green Kitty Litter Liner, AKA, The Greenwich Time

Ex-Greenwich Time Managing Editor Jim Zebora Was Out Of Sync With His Readers When He Chose Not To The Local Hearst Newspaper Endorse Barack Obama.
The Crazy Part Is That The Local Newspaper, That Greenwich Blogger Bill Likes To Call The "Yellowich Time", Will Benefit Financially As Housing Ads Start To Once Again Roll In Under This New Administration That They Opposed.

Soon Greenwich Realtors Will Be Saying .......

"Yes We Can, Once Again Start Selling
Million Dollar Houses In Greenwich"

================================================================
Please send your comments, news tips and press releases to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com or click on the comments link at the end of this post.
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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

03/25/09 READER SUBMITTED COMMENTS: Excellent reporting on Greenwich Hedge Fund behaving badley


READER ALERTS US THAT THERE IS
MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE:

I saw you followed the bloomberg story on the battle between Wilbur Ross and Bruce Rose of Carrington Capital yesterday. I just thought you'd enjoy two stories that not only out reported Bloomberg story on this but also were first to break this news last week.



If you want to post a photo of Bruce Rose and his wife you can find one here. There are not many out there but it's on NACA's home page because they are calling him an financial predator:


Hope you enjoy the read.

PLEASE SEE:


Bloomberg

That’s why Greenwich, Connecticut-based Carrington’s hedge funds, which owned the riskiest kinds of bonds, stands to gain from delays. ...

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03/25/09 Please Be My Friend At Facebook

facebook
Narsing Brahanpure" src="http://profile.ak.facebook.com/v227/596/5/s566811346_3755.jpg" name="Narsing Brahanpure">
Narsing Brahanpure has:
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Facebook


Hi Greenwichroundup,

I invited you to join Facebook a while back and wanted to remind you that once you join, we'll be able to connect online, share photos, organize groups and events, and more.

Thanks,
Narsing

To sign up for Facebook, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=566811346&k=46DU4XWXSXXM5CACTJ25SV&r

See who else has invited you to Facebook:
Chris AbrahamChris Abraham
3580 friends
96 photos

Dear Narsing,

Thank you for your kind offer.

Greenwich Roundup is just not a social networking kind of guy.

However, I did just join the social networking site at Harvest Time Church here in Greenwich.

Recently, I almost joined the Fresh Air Fund social networking group, when I was invited, but I backed out at the last minute.

The site is called HT Together.

I also was forced to join Multiply, when this social networking site bought MSN Groups. I was the founder of MSN's largest and most active news group for stamp collectors.

The Group was called,"All Nations Stamp Club.

The transferee went poorly and I lost about 1,500 members. The members that did transferred are totally lost on the social networking platform and are not that active now.

My assistant club managers are now helping me rebuild the club at Yahoo Groups.

Many webmasters have told me that joining social network groups wold attract new readers to Greenwich Roundup.

The reason that I have not joined social networking groups is I am afraid that I will get messages like.

"What's Up..... I just made a bowl of chili."

Maybe later I will get involved with these groups later on.

sincerely,

Greenwich Roundup

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03/25/09 Good News For Greenwich Realtors: More New Yorkers May Move Here

NEW YORK DEFECTOR: Dentist Larry Rosenthal is eyeing a move to Greenwich now that pols are pushing a wealth tax in New York

$Queezing Them Out
New York Post

NYERS EYE EXIT AS RICH TAX LOOMS

DIANE RAMIREZ is successful in business, lucky in love, and a die-hard New Yorker. But don't push her too far.

She might walk.

"I love New York. I don't want to leave." But the thought of adding a so-called millionaire's tax which could affect couples making $500,000 is making tough New York life unbearable.

"This is the straw that's breaking the camel's back," said Diane, 61, the president of Halstead Property, who's considering Connecticut

"It's that one extra little thing that changes the balance. The thing that makes you think, 'Is this city the place you want to live?' "

Dr. Larry Rosenthal is a dentist to the stars perfecting the smiles of Saudi princesses and Hollywood royalty. He also loves New York. But does he love it enough to pay as much as 50 percent more in tax, on an income in excess of a million a year?

"I'm thinking of moving to Greenwich, Connecticut," said Dr. Rosenthal, who lives on the East Side, has a son in private school and gives a nice chunk each year to the American Cancer Society and Lou Gehrig's disease research. If he goes, so does all that.

"I could commute," said Rosenthal. "I could open a practice there. It's not far away. It's very approachable. It's sad, because we're the people who keep the economy going, paying mortgages and private school. Still, I have to consider what it costs to live here."

State government has put a target on the backs of folks like Larry and Diane, who face a potential hike on income estimated at a half-million to $700,000.

But all the millionaire's tax will wind up doing is chasing out folks who donate to charities, contribute jobs and pay the bulk of taxes. When these people are run out of town, what happens to everyone else?

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03/25/09 FORGET ABOUT A BOX OF CANDY: Greenwich Mothers Should Run Up To Ridgefield And Run In A 5k On Mothers Day

'Run Like a Mother' on Mother's Day in Ridgefield
NewsTimesLive.com

RIDGEFIELD -- If you are a mother of young, or even teenage children, you're on the run, double time, for a good part of the day. If you have a job, the pace triples and the days race.

Which is why you might ask why, on Mother's Day, you should start out with a 5K race?

Exercise, solidarity, fun and a flower for everyone who crosses the finish line? Those are at least some of the answers for those who join in the second annual Run Like Mother road race here on May 10.

"People told me last year 'It's the best Mother's Day I ever had,'" said Megan Searfoss, the organizer of the event. "You get a T-shirt, you get a flower and your husband gets off the hook about serving you breakfast in bed.".....
....The idea for the race started a year earlier when Searfoss and her friends -- who call themselves, informally, The Ridgefield Racy Ladies -- held a private run for themselves in town on Mother's Day and had about 30 people join in......
... When Searfoss' husband, Chon, got a job in Greenwich three years ago, the Searfoss family -- Chon, Megan and their three daughters Abby, 16, Sarah, 11 and Jane, 9 -- moved to Ridgefield and they settled in. ...
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03/25/09 Greenwich Short Seller Douglas Cliggott: “We haven’t hit bottom yet



U.S. stocks fell as the nation’s top two banking officials called for stronger regulation of financial firms and Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman said the government will have to seize major lenders.

Citigroup Inc. and Bank of America Corp. retreated after the shares jumped more than 19 percent yesterday on the Treasury’s plan to purge toxic assets from banks. Southern Co. led a gauge of utilities to a 2.2 percent drop amid concern the U.S. will levy fees on fossil-fueled power plants. Walt Disney Co. slumped 3.3 percent following a downgrade by Goldman Sachs Group Inc., which said the stock is expensive.

... “When you’re buying equities, you’re buying a stream of earnings and current earnings are in freefall,” said Douglas Cliggott, the Greenwich, Connecticut-based manager of the $81 million Dover Long/Short Sector Fund, which beat 97 percent of its peers last year. “We haven’t hit bottom yet.” ...
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03/25/09 PRESS RELEASE: Senior Project Manager at R. S. Granoff Architects in Greenwich, achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ....

Attached please a Press Release announcing Ms. Sarah Snow’s LEED AP achievement for our firm. Could you please list it on your webpage?

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Thank you,

Darlene

March 24, 2009


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SARAH SNOW, Senior Project Manager at R. S. Granoff Architects P.C. in Greenwich, achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED AP) accreditation by the U.S. Green Building Council, a nonprofit trade organization based in Washington, DC.. Ms. Snow heads up the firm’s commercial interiors practice, which focuses on the design of professional offices, trading floors, medical facilities, retail stores and restaurants. As the leading architecture firm in Greenwich, with a professional staff of 20, R.S. Granoff Architects has recently completed and is currently working on many green projects in the area, some of which are LEED Certified.

For further information contact:

Richard Granoff at 203-625-9460 x18 or rg@granoffarchitects.com

_______________________

Darlene Enright
R.S. Granoff Architects, P.C.
30 West Putnam Avenue
Greenwich, CT 06830
T: 203.625.9460 x10
F: 203.625.5325
mailto:ide@granoffarchitects.com
www.granoffarchitects.com
_______________________


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03/25/09 The Raw Greenwich News Feed: This Just In.....

The Latest Greenwich News Briefs:

Greenwich goes deep to pool in another title
Norwalk Advocate
By David Fierro Greenwich High School boys swimming coach Terry Lowe knew his team was strong entering the season, but he wasn't sure if it was capable of ...

Tight league race shows a real balancing act
Stamford Advocate - Stamford,CT,USA
Trinity Catholic went 11-1 in the FCIAC to compile 22 points and earn the top seed for the conference tournament but it was fourth-seeded Greenwich that got ...

The Latest Greenwich Blog Posts:

The Blonde Excuse
Cat People - Sorry for my absence lately, but I have good reason. I got a job! Well, sort of. It's a temp-to-hire job so I have a job if they decide after some unspecifie...

For What It's Worth By Riverside Blogger Chris Fountain
Whew, he did it! 2 months in office and the Messiah has ended the war on terror! - Henceforth, it will now be referred to as “Overseas Contingency Operations”. I bet you think I’m kidding, don’t you? Click on the link and ...


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03/25/09 The Raw Greenwich Overnight News Feed (Updated)

US orders hoofs off Spanish ham, plans tariff
Chicago Daily Herald
The tariff also is being challenged by Nestle Waters North America, a Greenwich, Conn.-based subsidiary of Switzerland-based Nestle SA that sells Pellegrino ...

Greenwich Jaycees Membership Open House
Stamford Plus Magazine
We will answer your questions - Who are the Greenwich Jaycees? How to become a member? Membership benefits? How to get involved with Jaycees International? ...

MTA proposes eliminating trains
Connecticut Post
The New Haven Line cuts would eliminate a 1:34 pm run between Grand Central and New Haven which now stops at Greenwich and Stamford before making other ...

Area stocks
Greenwich Time
Among the gainers, Greenwich-based Blyth Inc., which designs, manufactures and markets candles, home fragrance products and Sterno, closed at $25.49, ...

Newcomer mulls Senate bid
Stamford Advocate
Fresh off his stint as US ambassador to Ireland, Greenwich resident Thomas Foley is adding his name to a growing list of potential ...

Business People
Stamford Advocate
Paul Sacco, of Old Greenwich, has been promoted to vice president of STV, a provider of construction management, engineering, architectural, planning and ...

Stamford, TC have first-team cheerleaders
Norwalk Advocate
Other first team selections included New Canaan's Melanie Ng, Molly Stayman and Erin Queally; Greenwich's Sarah Stallard and Alana Guida; and Danbury's ...

Old bags auction
Greenwich Time
A "Bags Collection" luncheon was held recently in the home of Greenwich resident Cathy Dann, where Old Bags Luncheon committee members and friends donated ...

In town
Greenwich Time
The YWCA of Greenwich is offering a $100 discount off each session of its summer camp "TA-YI-TO" for children registering by Tuesday. ...

A tree grows in Greenwich
Stamford Advocate‎
With the number of trees on Greenwich Avenue dwindling, the Greenwich Tree Conservancy is trying to save one more from removal. ...

No. 16 Dartmouth Scores 12 Unanswered to Down Fairfield
LaxPower
Shannie MacKenzie (Greenwich, Conn.) was solid defensively and scooped up a team-high three ground balls. Fairfield struck first in the game with a goal ...

Putting The Advocate in some historical perspective
Stamford Advocate
Joel Mann of Greenwich for his anti-Masonic views. Early issues of the Sentinel contain many quaint local advertisements. For instance, an advertisement for ...

Three community leaders elected to the board....
Norwalk Plus Magazine
The Fairfield County Community Foundation in Norwalk announced that Vicki Craver of Greenwich and Mary-Jane Foster and Bruce Hubler of ...

Greenwich Boys and Girls Club has new librarian
Connecticut Post
Pictured with new Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich librarian Ilana Klein are club members, from left, back row, Ashleen Menchaca, Naomi Edouard, ...

Fairfield County Calendar
Stamford Times
The Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich. 869-0376. Through June 14: "Dinosaurs: The Art of Reconstruction"; juxtapositions of works of painters and ...

DHS rugby club packs a wallop in year two
Darien Times
... senior division within the Metropolitan Rugby Union against long-established teams such as Greenwich, Fairfield Prep and Xavier High School of Brooklyn. ...

Where's the outrage?
Boise Weekly‎
In February the protestors disrupted the hush of Frey’s manicured Greenwich, Conn., neighborhood by chanting “Fix our loans, save our homes. ...

Suspected mold found in new Hamilton Avenue school
Stamford Advocate
GREENWICH -- School officials say the newly-reopened Hamilton Avenue School remains safe for students and staff to continue occupying ...

Help destressing in anxious times
Stamford Advocate
Much has been said about watching water boil, but these days it probably doesn't take as long as it once did.

At least not in the metaphor Dr. C. Evers Whyte uses to describe the stress people are under. A constant barrage of responsibilities, pressures and fears can make it hard for some people to cool down between stressful moments.

He opened the Stamford center in June, after operating a practice in the Riverside section of Greenwich for more than 10 years. The center recently launched ...

Ex-Citadel Trader Sethi Said to Start Volatility Hedge Fund
Bloomberg

Pav Sethi, former global head of volatility arbitrage at Citadel Investment Group LLC, plans to start his own hedge fund, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Sethi worked for Ken Griffin’s Citadel for four years before leaving in February 2008. He was previously a portfolio manager covering volatility arbitrage at JD Capital Management LP, a Greenwich, Connecticut-based hedge fund, and had worked in Morgan Stanley’s equity-derivatives trading group in London.

Tropicana Entertainment could emerge from bankruptcy by April
Las Vegas Review - Journal
A group led by billionaire financier Carl Ichan and Silver Point Finance, a Greenwich, Conn.-based hedge fund, has expressed interest in buying the New ...

Trinity and Darien stars on the All-FCIAC Boys Ice Hockey Team
Greenwich Time
Ridgefield forward Colin Scott, Greenwich defenseman Ollie Christie and Staples forward Jason Shapiro completed the All-FCIAC First Team. ...

Brunswick lacrosse looks for winning season
Greenwich Time
SHOWDOWNS: The game everyone has circled on their calendar is the April 21 matchup with crosstown rival and FCIAC powerhouse Greenwich High School at Cosby ...

Avenues for relief to be showcased
Greenwich Time
In response to the large number of new clients turning to the town Department of Social Services during the recession, department officials are planning a large multi-agency event Friday to give people the tools to find relief.

Letters from Readers - Library critics
Greenwich Time

Look past the complaints about library project

To the editor:

Regarding the Byram Shubert Library renovation ("Status of library annoys Byram,") Greenwich Time news story, March 23), it is interesting to note that there are still a few naysayers and maligners in the Byram community, which in general has fully supported the renovation project.

I have lived in Byram for over 30 years and have sometimes observed the negative and unconstructive contributions of the few. Messrs. Joe Kantorski and Mike Bocchino are doing a great job of being negative about the project, especially when their public comments are so uninformed, and when they have had the opportunity to attend the regular construction meetings to keep up to date with the renovation and to have a clearer understanding of the process this project has gone through..

I have observed this project from close range over the past six years, and know how many volunteer hours that numerous people have put into making it happen, even when these volunteers had other full-time (paying) jobs.

Come on, Mike and Joe! Smile! Be positive! The Byram Shubert Library renovation is a wonderous addition not only to the Byram community, but to the town of Greenwich.

Stuart Marsh
Greenwich

Where does the buck stop?
Greenwich Time Editorial
Bernie Madoff is in jail. Woo-hoo. Ding dong, the wicked wretch is dead. One year ago, Madoff -- along with the heads of Merrill Lynch, Bear Stears, Lehman Brothers and a long list of others -- were pseudo-gods, superhumans delivering big payoffs to investors who could not believe their good fortune.


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