The Wolf of Wall Street

Once upon a time ago, in the bull market of the 1990's there lived a man named Jordan Belfort that made millions on Wall Street as a stockbroker by ripping people off. He was jailed and stripped of his assets and has recently been released. Now, he wishes to share his story to his rise of fame and dramatic fall in his new book, The Wolf of Wall Street.

It's amazing how that part of the business works.

Check out the book--it's a great read and I can't wait for the movie.

Viva Narcissism!

A news segment on Jordan Belfort and his greedy empire:


A clip of Belfort addressing his brokers:

25th Hour Broker Scene

More finance stuff.

Enjoy!

When Times Were Good on the Street

With Bonus Time Around the Corner Opt for a Bentley, er Breitling . . .

For all of you young professionals on the Street, I know you have been working hard through these horrible times in the market. However, we still only have a few more months to go to get our year end bonus--HORAY!

So, what do I suggest you do with some of that bonus. Go out and get yourself a Breitling for Christmas and pat yourself on the back for another year of grinding it out on the Street.

I personally like, and have my eyes set on, the Breitling for Bentley:

Food Network Uses Subliminal Messaging

Jim Kramer - Bear Stearns Is Fine???

Damn, did he really say this? I guess we can't win them all . . .

Palin Being a Moron Again . . .

Nothing new . . .

FRIDAY HUMOR: McDonald's Racist Commercials!

They should be ashamed of themselves over at Mickey D's! lol

Matt Damon Calls Sarah Palin's Ticket a "Really Bad Disney Movie"

Which, kind of makes sense . . . lol

The Government Bails out AIG

Looks like the United States Government finally realized the financial mayhem that would have been caused if it would have allowed AIG to fail. The government decided to bail out the large insurer by offering them an $85 billion short-term bridge loan.

I guess now most people are wondering why the let Lehman die and not AIG. Well, the answer is obvious. Lehman just doesn't matter. Too many firms worldwide have exposure to AIG and imagine the collapse that would come if it would have failed. Yup, lots of payouts of credit default swaps. Hey, let's not forget that it was the repo market that ultimately put the bullet in Lehman's head.

Well, Uncle Sam, you've saved the world for now . . .

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

AIG is the Next to Blow!

With the fall of Lehman and the recent acquisition of Merrill Lynch it now looks like another firm in the financial services industry is about to go under.

Word on the street was that AIG had about 48 - 72 hours to live if it couldn't raise a few billion dollars within this time frame. Well, they were downgraded and have to raise about $75 billion to survive.

The world is dying . . .

"Damn, I told you we should have cashed that damn check!"

COVER OF TODAY'S JOURNAL

Pretty scary stuff

Bank of America and Merrill Lynch to Merge?

The Wall Street Journal Online reports that Merrill Lynch and BofA are in talks to merge. Personally, I think this sucks; but, if it's for the better good of mankind then let it be.

LEHMAN BROTHERS IS DONE!!!

Barclay's recently announced that they are walking away from talks to purchase the ailing investment bank. Now, with no purchaser, we could be awaiting a market meltdown in the morning.

Curious to see how this plays out . . .

Throwback Video - Common "I Used to Love H.E.R."

FRIDAY HUMOR: Is Gordon From Sesame Street a Reformed Pimp?

Remember Gordon from the old-school Sesame Street back in the day?



Well, here's Gordon's secret past!

More Wall Street Humor: The Dull Life of a City Stockbroker

Funny to see how the British view the world of finance careers. Here's a funny skit from an old Monty Python episode about a City (British version of Wall Street) stockbroker:

ALBUM REVIEW: I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II

I know that Killer Mike is not the best rapper out these days. Actually, he is kind of whack, but okay listen to (kind of like KAnYe). That's probably why Outkast kept him on the back burner. Andre shunned him and Big Boi had some mercy and brought him over to Purple Ribbon. Eventually he caught beef with Big Boi and decided to venture out on his own hence the I Pledge Allegience to the Grind series.

I've never heard Part 1; however, I decided to go out buy Part 2 (don't ask me why) and the album is actually hot. The production is dope and the guest appearances, which range from Shawty Low to Ice Cube to Eightball and MJG to Chamillionaire are on point (no signs of the Dungeon Family though). The album is actually a banger. Though, I could imagine it getting more bump in the south than up here in New York; but, hey . . .

If you have an open mind and/or have been wondering what Killer Mike has been up to lately then check out "I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind: Vol 2". Trust me when I say you will be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Happy Monday . . .

today . . .

. . . and tomorrow

STOP SNITCHIN!"

Banker Goes Crazy and Destroys Office!

An investment banking associate goes crazy and trashes his office after he learns that he won't only be missing out on a bonus this year; but, he's not getting promoted to VP.

It sucks, but it's funny as hell how he gets his @ss kicked at the end.

New Business Card

The Dopest Rolex: Yacht-Master II

This watch is just sooooooo SEXXXY!

FRIDAY HUMOR: Banned Racist SONY Commercial

President Bush Photographed Doing a Bump!

A chest bump that is . . .

SNEAKER ALERT: Adidas Star Pack

Some dope Ah-dee-daz to look forward to . . .
















As you can see, they currently come in "NYPD Blue", "Blood Gang Black & Red" and "Usain Bolt Green."

Enjoy!

McCain Ad Calls Obama the Anti-Christ

Well . . . sort of . . . Just listen to the quotes from the Book of Revelation.

Obama Disses Clarence Thomas During Interview

Here is what Obama had to say in a recent interview with Rick Warren when asked what Supreme Court Justice he would not have nominated:

Barack Obabma: "I would not have nominated Clarence Thomas. I don't think that he, I don't think that he was a strong enough jurist or legal thinker at the time for that elevation. Setting aside the fact that I profoundly disagree with his interpretation of a lot of the Constitution."

Here's the clip:

Damn Barack, that was just plain cold!

Want to Increase Sales? Then Drop the Dollar Sign

The Wall Street Journal reports that a recent study by Cornell University researchers found that restaurants that dropped the dollar signs from their menus actually saw an increase in sales.

Though the study is geared toward to restaurants it is believed that its findings can be applied to all businesses.

To be honest, I can truly say this works. Now that I recall, if I look at a menu that doesn't have dollar sign I tend to order more expensive dishes or add on extra drinks, appetizers, dessert, etc. This effect is enhanced if the menu displays the prices in a single or two digit format (i.e. 34 versus 34.00).

Next time you're out eating, be on the lookout for this.

Happy Eating!

THE BEARS ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!

An old clip; but, I still think was funny when I saw it on ESPN last year. I can't help but to laugh at this guy.

What a sore loser. I think this will be my saying for the rest of this month when I do something wrong.

What Makes Michael Phelps So Damn Cool?

As you all may know, Michael Phelps broke the record and has obtained the most gold medals in a single Olympic competition.

Go Mikey!

But, what really makes Michey "The Flying Fish" Phelps cool is his "hype music". According to The New York Times Phelps likes to listen to Young Jeezy, Jay-Z and Rick Ross to liven him up before his swimming events.

Here's the quote:

"Before a race, he tunes out the world by listening to artists like Young Jeezy, Jay-Z and Rick Ross. The music transforms him. His goofy grin dissolves into a glower, his eyes turn cold as ice. The hip-hop beats have a hypnotic effect on Phelps, who sometimes, after a race, is unable to recall the songs that locked him into his groove."


Yeah, Phelps, let them know that Hip-Hop doesn't just cause young kids to sell drugs and commit crimes!


Now with that million contract from Speedo, you'll really be ballin' with these guys. Hey, you don't even have to buy the jewelery because you have eight new pieces of bling you can wear out to the club when you're popping those bottles of Dom P.

Obama to Shortly Name Running Mate!

Word on the street is that Barack Obama will shortly announce his choice for a running mate and possibly as soon as tomorrow!

Currently, the top three choices (in no particular order) are:

Evan Bayh of Indiana
Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia
Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware

-FGE

Things Look Bad for Freddie and Fannie

At the end of Monday's trading shares of Freddie Mac were down 25% and shares of Fannie Mae were down by 22%. To make matters even worse, both stocks are down over 90% from a year ago.

This huge drop in price is attributed to market concern that the two mortgage giants will be unable to avoid a government bail out. The reason being that Freddie and Fannie will not be able to raise enough money to offset resent losses due to mortgage defaults.

To matters even more worse, the price of Freddie and Fannie bonds have fallen and the spreads between Freddie and Fannie debt to Treasuries have widened to an increase in yield. Yields on debt instruments increase as risk in the issuer rises in order to compensate bond purchasers for the decreased likelihood that they would see a return of principal and future cash flows from interest payments.

With total losses between the two firms totaling over $14 billion in the last four quarters, it's hard to see how this is going to play out.

McDonald's is Doing Alright!

I believe on July 24th I posted a little article on how McDonald's would be a good stock pick to add to your portfolio. Well, I hope some of you listened because it has been going for a pretty nice ride since then.

When I wrote my post in favor of the "golden arches" it was trading at $58.37 and it closed this past Friday at $64.20. That's right, if you would have picked up a couple shares of Mickey-D's you would have made a nice little premium.

Yup, I'm going to run some analysis on a few other picks and we'll see how I do.

Ed McMahon House in Danger of Foreclosure, "The Donald" Helps Out

For television star, Ed McMahon, is in danger of his $7 million Beverly Hills mansion going into foreclosure. However, all is not to fear as Donald Trump has recently stepped in to buy a lien on the mansion and is renting it back to McMahon--good for you Donald!

After sustaining a neck injury, McMahon was unable to earn income from making commercials and as a result ended up defaulting on this multi-million dollar mortgage. Countrywide was the issuing bank of his loan.

If you don't know who Ed McMahon is, he's the guy that acted as Johnny Caron's sidekick on the Johnny Carson show.

What I really want to know is what's in it for Trump. You know he's not going to help this guy out of the kindness of his heart.

Being that Ed is 85 years old and suffering from a neck injury, I suspect Trump's bet is that this guy dies within the next 3 - 5 years at which point he'll sell the home for a premium.

Looks like no one is safe from the "mortgage crisis."

Donald Trump A.K.A. The Devil Himself: "Ha ha ha! Eddie Boy. You only have three more years left of living then I can flip your home for 10 times the price I bought it for!!!! Ha ha ha ha!"

Ladies and Gentlemen, Usain Bolt . . .

This guy is so fast that he slowed down to celebrate during the last 15 meters of the race and still won the gold.

Bumba-clat bwoy!!!!

Sien!

Irie mon, a new world record!

O-Mazing Grace!

Happy Sunday, folks! And an equally early Merry Christmas!



Hey, he has a lot more courage than me.

Phelps Did It--Eight Gold Medals!

Just finished watching the relay and boy was it amazing. Take that Aussies!

Tyson Gay -- LOSER

Do you beleive that this fool didn't even qualify for an individual race in the Olympics? What a loser. I say send him home now!

Spain Just Doesn't Give A F***!

Yup, the men's Olympic basketball team was seen taking pictures with their eyes "pulled in Oriental fashion" and now the tennis team jumps on the band wagon.

Damn, I could imagine the jokes they have about black people over there. I'd hate to see the pics these guys take if the game were ever held in Israel. Yeah, I could these fools sporting thin mustaches and swastikas.

FRIDAY HUMOR: What ever happened to Hamburglar?

The glory days of good old Hamburglar:



Where he is now:

Chinese Teachers Given Bonuses to Send Students to College

Teachers in China are given bonuses based on the amount of students they send to top universities in China and around the world. That's right, teachers actually are given an incentive to produce good students and educate them well.

It looks like we can learn more from the Chinese than how to use chop sticks and win gold medals.

Stockbroker Loses it At Work

How many of us have felt like doing this at work?

Just watch:

SNEAKER ALERT: ZOOM TEAM EDITION SUPAS

Look for these kicks at a sneaker store near you. These are sick, sick, sick, SICK!

Friday Humor: Gentrification is Not Only Affecting Harlem, Sesame Street Has Been Hit Too!

. . . and Trump is to blame!

WATCH OUT LEBRON!!!

This kid will prob be the best basketball player ver.

New Era Dark Knight Collection

Just when you thought the hype could be stretched no further over The Dark Knight, New Era launches a line of fitted hats inspired by the film.

However, I'm particularly feeling the yellow "Joker" fitted.

Check the official site here: http://www.neweracap.com/darkknight/

Don't Tell Garnett He's 7 Feet Tall

Or, he'll correct you on live television!

Throwback Video - Ice Cube "Today Was a Good Day"

Ex Bear Managing Director Points Finger at Goldman for Firm's Failure

A former senior managing director at Bear Stearns has announced that he is writing a book that details the events caused the collapse of the financial firm.

Reports reveal that the unpublished manuscript goes in heavy detail about what was going behind the scenes at the investment bank before it failed and was eventually bought out by JPMorganChase. However, the real juicy part of the story is that the anonymous author states that Goldman caused the firm's demise when a certain Goldman official sent an email stating that they will no longer act as the intermediary for Bear and its investors. As a result, the firm's stock was sold short and investors and creditors pulled money and debt off the books like Cabbage Patch dolls in the Christmas of '85.

I'm curious to read this book when it's officially released.

Merrill Pays New Employee $40 Million for 5 Months of Work

I guess you'll only see things like this in a few places: the NBA, the NFL, MLB and on Wall Street. A franchise that is losing money decides to dish out millions to a new start player in hopes of winning in the future.

I mean, the Knicks do it every time they renew Marbury's contract. Well, I guess now it's Merrill's turn as they recently hired Thomas Montag, a Goldman alum, as the new head of sales.

So yup, this guys is definitely balling out of control and can even keep the $40 million if he decides to leave before the end of the year.

Damn, why couldn't I have this guy's job?

UNDERGROUND ARTIST HIGHLIGHT: Kid Cudi - Day And Night

This is my song from and underground artist from Ohio that goes by the name of Cudi--Kid Cudi that is.

Check it out!

SNEAKER ALERT: Jordan Classic 87

I think that these are a nice pair of sneakers. Personally, I am a glutton for retro sneakers and the old school Jordans are some of my favorites.

At an MSRP of about $104 I think these are a good pick to add to your arsenal.

WALL STREET by Oliver Stone

HAPPY MONDAY!!!

As another week starts and we all begin the grind all over again I would like to spend a special dedication to all of my fellow people working on the Street--Wall Street, that is!

The movie that motivated and continues to motivate us all--Wall Street by Oliver Stone:

Being a Good Athelete Makes You a Good Trader

Jordan Men's AJF 3

Another Jordan/Air Force One Fusion.

MEN'S STYLE: Getting the Introductory Rolex for Less

For those of us young professionals crooning over the elegance and beauty of a hand crafted Rolex, there may be a way for us to get our dirty little hands on one much sooner than we had once thought. And no, I’m not suggesting purchasing a knock-off. The alternative I propose is purchasing a certified pre-owned Rolex timepiece.

Yes, that’ right. It’s kind of like buying a used car, in a way. For example, you can have a brand new Honda Accord or a three year old BMW 5-Series. The choice is simply yours and depends on your preference. However, I would rather take the luxury item. This same principal applies with purchasing a Rolex, which may even appreciate in value as your model becomes vintage.

A used Rolex can be had for about the price of a brand new Tag and a Movado. For example, the Oyster Perpetual Datejust, circa 1980, with 14kt gold trimming hovers somewhere around $3,500. At that price you can take your bonus and drop half the price in cash and finance the rest and be “blinging” in no time. You can keep the watch for a couple of years and possibly sell it for a small profit and upgrade to nicer one.

The best thing about this is that you can impress the ladies at the bar, become the envy of your friends and enjoy the level of satisfaction from a “piece of mind” knowing that your timepiece is fully authentic.

Bling on bretheren!

One of the Funniest Songs and Videos Ever - Trial Time by Mr. Bigg

"Mr. Bigg got those chickens!"
"You better bring the Navy because I'm about to bring the Army"
"They know about the vacation trip I took to China"

SNEAKER ALERT: REEBOK FREESTYLE MARRIED TO THE MOB

A must have for the ladies! Look at those lipstick marks . . . just plain sexxxy!

Nike Jordan Barcelona Jersey

I know jerseys have plaid out years ago; but, I still like to buy them from time to time. Not to wear them; but, to frame them and hang them on my wall.

Here is one that I will definitely be hanging up in the den.

New Era Spike Lee Joint 1.0

Being a die hard Yankee fan you know I had to post this one. New Era has released a Yankee fitted cap that is adorned with every Yankee World Series ever won. The title for this piece of fitted treasure--Spike Lee Joint 1.0.

With the closing of Yankee Stadium this year, I think that is the perfect hat to commemorate the legacy behind "the House that Ruth Built" and the "Bronx Bombers." Look for it and cop it, for about $50 - $60 that is.

Does Your Company Keep Track of the Race of Its Employees?

Some time ago at firm that I no longer work for, I decided to look at my employee profile on the intranet. It was a boring night and I had just finished the first twelve hours of my work day with about five more to go and I decided to take a look at how happy I looked in my intranet picture. If I were to asked to take that picture over again my looks would be drastically dissimilar to the smiling beacon of energy and brainwashed new employee showcased on the site.

I then take a sigh of self-pity and began to crunch numbers into the night to ensure that a few reports and several tasks that directors at the firm had asked me to do around 8:00 PM before they left for the evening. About a few hours later I glance at the time on monitor and realize that it’s ten minutes past midnight and decide to check my payroll history to see if my money had been direct deposited.

Like most employee self-service human resources sites, they have this one thing in common—they are just as useless as HR themselves. So after taking about eight minutes to figure out how to check my payroll I came across my record in the employee database and noticed an interesting field: “Race.” Believe me when I tell you that as sure as day my race was listed as African-American.

I ran this same test at several other firms and noticed the same thing. Pretty interesting and I wonder if all companies keep track of this information. Check it out next time you’re on the intranet.

Words From the Wise - Gordon Gecko - Money Never Sleeps

Friday Humor - Bushisms

I thought it would be good to set us off into the weekend with a quick funny clip of our great leader, George W. Bush:

Americans Believe the Economy is Getting Worse

Scary stuff!

Manny Ramirez Wants Out of Boston

Manny Ramirez recently had and interview with ESPN Deportes where he stated that the Red Sox "don't deserve a player like him."

Apparently, the Red Sox are in the works to trade the big slugger to another team. Rumors have popped up reporting that he could either be on his way to the Marlins or the Phillies.

Manny, why don't you come to New York and don the pinstripes of the Bronx Bombers!!! That would be the perfect way to get your revenge on Boston.

R. Kelly Steals Rev Run's Son's Girlfriend!

It looks like our good old buddy R. "Lil Drawls" Kelly has struck again. Yup, more youngins for our boy and this time he took Rev Run's son's girl! Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that her name is Baby.

Can I get a TOOT! TOOT! or a BEEP! BEEP! lol

Come on Kelly, at least try to be discreet with it! lol