And this is the week that was....As a reminder, send me what you've learned at mark.delfranco@gmail.com
The details coming out of the Raffaelo Follieri (AKA Anne Hathaway's ex) case ) are mind-blowing. To give you an idea of the scope of the con the feds nabbed watches, jewelry gifts, and other items from his $37,000 a month Manhattan penthouse. There was no way this was going to last. It does prove one thing: If you act the part, dress nice, (It helps to be Italian and claimto have ties to the Vatican) you can get a movie star chick like Anne Hathaway. Man! What few account for? What happens when you get caught? That's what few con men consider. This case is going to make a great movie--too bad Hathaway will never take the role.
That Newsday story that broke over the Summer detailing the breakup of the Mike and the Maddog Show? It was given to columnist Neil Best by Mike Francesa...
Speaking of Mike, he'll move his simulcast radio show off of YES and onto the MSG network after YES contract expires....
There's worse ways to spend a Thursday morning than sipping coffee in Bryant Park watching the scenery during Fashion Week.
That politicians do not belong in the City during 9/11. It's tantamount to grandstanding and the traffic tie-ups are maddening! Stay the hell away!
Sometimes you have to lose the battle to win the war.
Just because it's your name doesn't mean you own the product (see Johnson, Chad or Cinco, Ocho)
Friday, September 12, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Finally....The Truth About Oil Prices?
Allow me to take a break from the important issues of our day, such as Tom Brady's ankle injury. Who saw this report from AP? Maybe once Obama and McCain finish calling each other names in November, perhaps somebody can put a junior staffer on this...These are issues that need "change"--not who called whom what. (if that makes sense)
(AP) Speculation by large investors — and not supply and demand for oil — were a primary reason for the surge in oil prices during the first half of the year and the more recent price declines, an independent study concluded Wednesday.
The report by Masters Capital Management said investors poured $60 billion into oil futures markets during the first five months of the year as oil prices soared from $95 a barrel in January to $145 a barrel by July.
Since then, these investors have withdrawn $39 billion from those markets as prices have retreated dramatically, the report said. Oil traded at about $102 a barrel Wednesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
"We have clear evidence the fund flow pushed prices up and the fund flow pushed prices down," said Michael Masters of Masters Capital Management, calling the amount of money moving into oil futures markets by large institutional investors in the early part of the year "way off the scale."
Masters said its analysis shows investors "began a massive stampede for the exits" on July 15 and that this caused the price decline.
"These large financial players have become the primary source of the dramatic and damaging volatility seen in oil prices," concluded the report.
The report was released Wednesday by House and Senate sponsors of bills to put additional curbs on oil market speculation and comes in advance of a report on oil market speculation expected possibly this week by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission. The commission regulates commodity markets--END Story.
Of course, there's two sides to the story. Officials are calling the report flawed. In other news, the sun came up today.
(AP) Speculation by large investors — and not supply and demand for oil — were a primary reason for the surge in oil prices during the first half of the year and the more recent price declines, an independent study concluded Wednesday.
The report by Masters Capital Management said investors poured $60 billion into oil futures markets during the first five months of the year as oil prices soared from $95 a barrel in January to $145 a barrel by July.
Since then, these investors have withdrawn $39 billion from those markets as prices have retreated dramatically, the report said. Oil traded at about $102 a barrel Wednesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
"We have clear evidence the fund flow pushed prices up and the fund flow pushed prices down," said Michael Masters of Masters Capital Management, calling the amount of money moving into oil futures markets by large institutional investors in the early part of the year "way off the scale."
Masters said its analysis shows investors "began a massive stampede for the exits" on July 15 and that this caused the price decline.
"These large financial players have become the primary source of the dramatic and damaging volatility seen in oil prices," concluded the report.
The report was released Wednesday by House and Senate sponsors of bills to put additional curbs on oil market speculation and comes in advance of a report on oil market speculation expected possibly this week by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission. The commission regulates commodity markets--END Story.
Of course, there's two sides to the story. Officials are calling the report flawed. In other news, the sun came up today.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Did you guys catch this?
Busy week, but did you guys catch this?
MSNBC has relieved Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews of election hosting duties. It seems the suits at NBC finally watched the circus going on at their cable outlet. How else could you explain why NBC allowed the bias to creep into both convention telecasts? Somehow, Keith got the news/commentary thing separated. During a brief moment on camera, Brokaw looked a tad embarassed.
Anybody catch the infomercial on the CBS Halftime show Sunday? OMG. I tuned in expecting to hear the latest on Tom Brady's injury...instead I got Randy Moss in a kitchen plugging something called CBS Scene--a new theme restaurant. Wow. How did we get here? I expected more from CBS--the network of Murrow. I expect this stuff from FOX.
Now that the Aaron Rodgers saga is over...Can we go back to our lives? My word. With ESPN leading the back, naturally. While we're on the topic..what have they done with MNF anyway? It's barely recognizable. Why do I get the suspicion that if they got a Porsche, the producers would trick it into a ride with "he got jacked up" emblazoned on each side?
Still having a hard time getting used to Mike without the Maddog. Here's a little nitpick: Is the name of the show "Miked Up?" Or is it "Francesa on the Fan?" Both are used interchangeably. And let me say this: That opening jingle will never be confused with radio gold. Can we get Chernoff to go back into the studio and rework? It's old Mike and the Maddog jingle with minor modifcations "He's going at it as hard as he can, it's Mike Francesa on the Fan" That's akin to showing up to a party with the new girlfriend; only she looks exactly like the old girlfriend. Creepy.
The Yankees now sit in fourth place in the division after a 12-1 pasting at the hands of the Angels. But yesterday, the baby boss said Girardi will return next year. Unreal.
How great would it be if Torre's Dodgers made the playoffs and the Yankees didn't? Could happen.
MSNBC has relieved Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews of election hosting duties. It seems the suits at NBC finally watched the circus going on at their cable outlet. How else could you explain why NBC allowed the bias to creep into both convention telecasts? Somehow, Keith got the news/commentary thing separated. During a brief moment on camera, Brokaw looked a tad embarassed.
Anybody catch the infomercial on the CBS Halftime show Sunday? OMG. I tuned in expecting to hear the latest on Tom Brady's injury...instead I got Randy Moss in a kitchen plugging something called CBS Scene--a new theme restaurant. Wow. How did we get here? I expected more from CBS--the network of Murrow. I expect this stuff from FOX.
Now that the Aaron Rodgers saga is over...Can we go back to our lives? My word. With ESPN leading the back, naturally. While we're on the topic..what have they done with MNF anyway? It's barely recognizable. Why do I get the suspicion that if they got a Porsche, the producers would trick it into a ride with "he got jacked up" emblazoned on each side?
Still having a hard time getting used to Mike without the Maddog. Here's a little nitpick: Is the name of the show "Miked Up?" Or is it "Francesa on the Fan?" Both are used interchangeably. And let me say this: That opening jingle will never be confused with radio gold. Can we get Chernoff to go back into the studio and rework? It's old Mike and the Maddog jingle with minor modifcations "He's going at it as hard as he can, it's Mike Francesa on the Fan" That's akin to showing up to a party with the new girlfriend; only she looks exactly like the old girlfriend. Creepy.
The Yankees now sit in fourth place in the division after a 12-1 pasting at the hands of the Angels. But yesterday, the baby boss said Girardi will return next year. Unreal.
How great would it be if Torre's Dodgers made the playoffs and the Yankees didn't? Could happen.
Having His Say: Mets Fans Rejoice at Yankee Ineptitude
Why are Mets fans taking so much glee from the disappointing Yankees season? One Mets fan lists his reasons...
Yankee fans are so used to winning they become so cocky. It's the sense of entitlement that the post-season belongs to them. Ever go to a game at the Stadium and the Yanks are losing? The fans still cheer because they expect a comeback. Worse, every offseason, my Yankee fan friend tells me the latest free agent stud they are pursuing because, as we all know, money's no object: They were getting Beltran, Guererro, and how great it was going to be when Nomar comes to play second with Jeter and A-Rod. Last year they were getting Santana. This year my friend tells me, oh don’t worry about it the Yankees will be getting Sabathia next year. That’s what I mean about expectation. They just expect the Yankees to get these players and expect them to make and win the World Series every year.
So it’s a tremendous pleasure to see them sulking and now how they say “oh I’m so tired of them this year, they suck.” Yankee fans have no idea how to handle this type of situation, it’s foreign to them. Maybe it’s not the fans fault since their team has been so great for so long. They are so used to getting all the great players, and not really because of the money they spend but it was because the players always wanted to play for the Yankees and not the Mets. Thanks to Curt Schilling, not only has he just about single handedly removed the “Curse of the Bambino” but he made it chic to turn the Yankees down to play for them.
Now that the Yankees season is just about over, I haven’t watched a Mets game in a week and they played 3 major games against the Phillies this weekend. I can walk down the street and talk to any Yankee fan and know that as I am talking to them I am laughing inside because they are not making the playoffs for the first time since 1993. They are squirming. What’s even funnier is that it’s going to be so hard for the Yankees to get back to the playoffs next year and beyond now that Tampa is better and even the Blue Jays have so much better pitching. At this moment, the Yankees are maybe the 7th or 8th best team in the American League--not to mention fourth in their division.
Getting back to the Mets, I understand that they have not been in the World Series since 2000, but they have a great core of players. Wright and Reyes along with Santana will keep them on top or close to the top for a long time. It’s up to GM Omar Minaya to fill in the pieces correctly. As long as they are going in the right direction, I’m happy.
Let me just finish by saying what all Mets fans are thinking: Win or lose, the season has already been a success knowing that the Yankees will not make the playoffs.
This is the second piece from Wayne Davis, who's glad he didn't get stuck with Tom Brady in his fantasy draft
Yankee fans are so used to winning they become so cocky. It's the sense of entitlement that the post-season belongs to them. Ever go to a game at the Stadium and the Yanks are losing? The fans still cheer because they expect a comeback. Worse, every offseason, my Yankee fan friend tells me the latest free agent stud they are pursuing because, as we all know, money's no object: They were getting Beltran, Guererro, and how great it was going to be when Nomar comes to play second with Jeter and A-Rod. Last year they were getting Santana. This year my friend tells me, oh don’t worry about it the Yankees will be getting Sabathia next year. That’s what I mean about expectation. They just expect the Yankees to get these players and expect them to make and win the World Series every year.
So it’s a tremendous pleasure to see them sulking and now how they say “oh I’m so tired of them this year, they suck.” Yankee fans have no idea how to handle this type of situation, it’s foreign to them. Maybe it’s not the fans fault since their team has been so great for so long. They are so used to getting all the great players, and not really because of the money they spend but it was because the players always wanted to play for the Yankees and not the Mets. Thanks to Curt Schilling, not only has he just about single handedly removed the “Curse of the Bambino” but he made it chic to turn the Yankees down to play for them.
Now that the Yankees season is just about over, I haven’t watched a Mets game in a week and they played 3 major games against the Phillies this weekend. I can walk down the street and talk to any Yankee fan and know that as I am talking to them I am laughing inside because they are not making the playoffs for the first time since 1993. They are squirming. What’s even funnier is that it’s going to be so hard for the Yankees to get back to the playoffs next year and beyond now that Tampa is better and even the Blue Jays have so much better pitching. At this moment, the Yankees are maybe the 7th or 8th best team in the American League--not to mention fourth in their division.
Getting back to the Mets, I understand that they have not been in the World Series since 2000, but they have a great core of players. Wright and Reyes along with Santana will keep them on top or close to the top for a long time. It’s up to GM Omar Minaya to fill in the pieces correctly. As long as they are going in the right direction, I’m happy.
Let me just finish by saying what all Mets fans are thinking: Win or lose, the season has already been a success knowing that the Yankees will not make the playoffs.
This is the second piece from Wayne Davis, who's glad he didn't get stuck with Tom Brady in his fantasy draft
Friday, September 5, 2008
What I Learned Friday 9/5/08
From the meteoric rise of Sarah Palin to the Yankee flameout, here's what I learned this week:
The media giveth and taketh away...
A Community Oraganizer is almost like being in the City Council, except you have to do things. This was classic! In one week's time Sarah Palin went from WHO? to OOH! Only in America. (Did you also see Harry Reid of Nevada use the word "shrill" to describe Palin? Dig the language. Shrill is not too far down the road from the b-word. Did you ever hear a man described as shrill?)
I always found it odd how people who detested Howard Stern listened anyway. Now I have the same thing. Only it's not Stern, it's MSNBCs Keith Olbermann. I'd like to fight him in a WWE-Style Hell in a Cell Match. KO wants to show off his phony erudition and faux Dennis Miller wit. I like to scream at the television when Keith is on. (Historical note: Best Match Ever: Undertaker vs. Mick Foley, Hell in a Cell, Pittsburgh. On the bottom of my blog you'll see a search box for YouTube: Type in Hell in a Cell Go ahead. Look it up...I'll wait)
Fantasy Football drafts pretty much started with Ladainian and ended with Titans K Rob Bironas...
The Dallas Cowboys are the chic pick to get to the Super Bowl. I know, i just jinxed them. This is like when you're on roll in blackjack and the house sends in a new dealer to change up the cards. BTW, Tony Romo and Wade Phillips have won exactly zero playoff games. I have Dallas winning 12 games with no problem. (Historical note: The opposing NFL coach in the Jan. 2000 Music City Miracle playoff game between Tennessee and Buffalo? Yup. Wade Phillips.)
It's laughable how the YES voices pretend the Yankees have even a remote possibility of making the playoffs. But there was pre- and post- host Bob Lorenz shilling for the house team this week. Good job, Bob. Ugh.
Each September, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin will get his 15 minutes of fame.
How bad are President Bush's approval rating when he can't show up at a political convention...full of CONSERVATIVES? C'mon. McCain's relief that night reminded me of how Ray Liotta's character felt in Goodfellas when Robert DeNiro called off the hit on Maury.
The media giveth and taketh away...
A Community Oraganizer is almost like being in the City Council, except you have to do things. This was classic! In one week's time Sarah Palin went from WHO? to OOH! Only in America. (Did you also see Harry Reid of Nevada use the word "shrill" to describe Palin? Dig the language. Shrill is not too far down the road from the b-word. Did you ever hear a man described as shrill?)
I always found it odd how people who detested Howard Stern listened anyway. Now I have the same thing. Only it's not Stern, it's MSNBCs Keith Olbermann. I'd like to fight him in a WWE-Style Hell in a Cell Match. KO wants to show off his phony erudition and faux Dennis Miller wit. I like to scream at the television when Keith is on. (Historical note: Best Match Ever: Undertaker vs. Mick Foley, Hell in a Cell, Pittsburgh. On the bottom of my blog you'll see a search box for YouTube: Type in Hell in a Cell Go ahead. Look it up...I'll wait)
Fantasy Football drafts pretty much started with Ladainian and ended with Titans K Rob Bironas...
The Dallas Cowboys are the chic pick to get to the Super Bowl. I know, i just jinxed them. This is like when you're on roll in blackjack and the house sends in a new dealer to change up the cards. BTW, Tony Romo and Wade Phillips have won exactly zero playoff games. I have Dallas winning 12 games with no problem. (Historical note: The opposing NFL coach in the Jan. 2000 Music City Miracle playoff game between Tennessee and Buffalo? Yup. Wade Phillips.)
It's laughable how the YES voices pretend the Yankees have even a remote possibility of making the playoffs. But there was pre- and post- host Bob Lorenz shilling for the house team this week. Good job, Bob. Ugh.
Each September, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin will get his 15 minutes of fame.
How bad are President Bush's approval rating when he can't show up at a political convention...full of CONSERVATIVES? C'mon. McCain's relief that night reminded me of how Ray Liotta's character felt in Goodfellas when Robert DeNiro called off the hit on Maury.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
The Football Version of All About Eve...
You can't make it up....
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP)—Detroit Lions running back Rudi
Johnson says his luggage was taken from the team’s practice
facility by Tatum Bell.
Johnson was waived by Cincinnati, met with Lions president
Matt Millen on Monday and signed a free-agent contact.
During the meeting, his two duffel bags were taken from the
team’s headquarters.
Johnson said Wednesday he was shown surveillance footage
Tuesday afternoon that captured the theft.
A message seeking comment was left Wednesday with Bell’s
agent, Kennard McGuire. Johnson replaced Bell on Detroit’s
53-man roster.
The empty bags were returned Tuesday evening, but Johnson
said he is still missing $200, his ID, credit cards and
clothes. Johnson said he had spoken with Bell and did not
plan to involve the police.
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP)—Detroit Lions running back Rudi
Johnson says his luggage was taken from the team’s practice
facility by Tatum Bell.
Johnson was waived by Cincinnati, met with Lions president
Matt Millen on Monday and signed a free-agent contact.
During the meeting, his two duffel bags were taken from the
team’s headquarters.
Johnson said Wednesday he was shown surveillance footage
Tuesday afternoon that captured the theft.
A message seeking comment was left Wednesday with Bell’s
agent, Kennard McGuire. Johnson replaced Bell on Detroit’s
53-man roster.
The empty bags were returned Tuesday evening, but Johnson
said he is still missing $200, his ID, credit cards and
clothes. Johnson said he had spoken with Bell and did not
plan to involve the police.
Friday, August 29, 2008
What I learned Friday 8/29
A busy week. Ready? Here's what I learned:
Say what you want about the Clintons...They have good speechwriters. HRC must have a comedy writer on staff.
What the hell happened to MSNBC's Keith Olbermann? What an obnoxious, biased creep...Was he always like this on ESPN? A little of Keith goes a long way.
McCain picked whom? From where?
That Joe Biden takes the train daily. (Enough already. We get it!)
Note to Pres. Bush. Wanna save your legacy? Hi-tail it down to the Big Easy and start sand-bagging for Gustav.
Despite yesterday's 3-2 Yankee victory, it's still over.
Take the Corleone approach when drafting your fantasy football squad: it's business not personal.
I re-learned that the writing in Bull Durham is pretty clever.
America hides behind voicemail.
Short of Michael Vick, what do you have to do to get kicked out of the NFL? Say what you want: PacMan Jones is still a thug. And now he plays for my team, the Cowboys.
Say what you want about the Clintons...They have good speechwriters. HRC must have a comedy writer on staff.
What the hell happened to MSNBC's Keith Olbermann? What an obnoxious, biased creep...Was he always like this on ESPN? A little of Keith goes a long way.
McCain picked whom? From where?
That Joe Biden takes the train daily. (Enough already. We get it!)
Note to Pres. Bush. Wanna save your legacy? Hi-tail it down to the Big Easy and start sand-bagging for Gustav.
Despite yesterday's 3-2 Yankee victory, it's still over.
Take the Corleone approach when drafting your fantasy football squad: it's business not personal.
I re-learned that the writing in Bull Durham is pretty clever.
America hides behind voicemail.
Short of Michael Vick, what do you have to do to get kicked out of the NFL? Say what you want: PacMan Jones is still a thug. And now he plays for my team, the Cowboys.
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