Changes...

One thing that is inevitable is change. This past Monday, Sept. 29th I woke up and there were radical changes everywhere. Summer was gone and the cool fall weather has swept in. My best friend called me and told me he eloped with his girlfriend. A distant relative informed me that he was fired from his job just short of his sixth month anniversary because he did not make the cut. But the biggest change was what I experienced. I work in banking and Monday I woke up to find out that my company was being taken over by Citibank. If you havent figured it out yet, well now you know that I work for Wachovia. And as an employee in NYC, I was most assured of being displaced because of "synergies" (meaning duplicate job functions in the same market. Me and my colleagues were crushed. Our pensions were wiped out and Citi was buying the crown jewels of this bank for $1 a share... what the f**K???. The remainder of the bank, Wachovia Securities and Evergreen Investments would remain under the old holding company. The total cost is $2.1 billion and they would get boku assistance from the Fed. Taxpayers would be on the hook for any losses beyond the $42 billion Citi had projected to write off immediately. We were essentially being forced into a shot gun wedding and there was nothing we could do about it.

So for four days we went through the motions of doing our jobs. I now knew what it feels like when you are condemned to a fate that no one can can alter... be it death by disease or death row. I was resigned to my fate and just hoped that perhaps I could land another position prior to being excised. And then it happened. My alarm went off at 5:45am and 1010 WINS announces that Wells Fargo was buying Wachovia Bank. My eyes popped open fast and for a sec I thought, they must be buying what was left of it. While the coffee was brewing, I went online and the news was slow to filter in but in the end, it was what the radio was announcing--Wells Fargo was buy the WHOLE thing! I dont remember ever in my life screaming YESSSS!! so loudly so early! Suddenly, I felt an urge to smile. I had renewed energy. When I walked into my office every one was SMILING! It was like a heavy cloud had been lifted and now it seems that there is hope for the legacy of this great franchise and its people to survive.

Now, we will probably see some court action in the next few days. But thats ok. There was NO definitive agreement signed--it was still in the stages of being negotiated. With Wells Fargo there is a deal and I am personally confident that there is a good chance that this transaction will prevail. Its a win-win for everyone. Wells becomes a national bank that can compete with the likes of Chase and BofA. The shareholders of Wachovia become part of a storied franchise and and continue in its growth story. There is NO cost to the taxpayer! And we will at least have a chance to continue working. More to come as this saga plays out but my prediction is that if a bidding war breaks out, the winner will be the sharesholders although i cant say the same for the employees of the bank!

My Friend's Inauguration!

I am so proud of my dear friend Annette. Annette Quijano was sworn in this afternoon as the newest assemblywoman in the New Jersey State Assembly. It is the first time in my life that I have ever attended the swearing in of an elected official and it proved to be very exciting for me. My friend Armando and I drove to Trenton from NYC. Getting across Manhattan was insane with this UN nonsense happening. But the drive down there was pretty neat. Especially since she is such a dear friend. We are all so proud of her. I met Annette in PRIMER, a professional organization that is geared toward networking within the Puerto Rican/Latino network. From PRIMER were Steven, Conrad, Armando and myself.



From the moment she joined, Annette was never about having the spotlight on her. She has always been about helping behind the scenes--my kind of woman! Annette is a lawyer by trade and she has helped break barriers in NJ as a Latina, a lawyer and a civil servant.



She is a beautiful individual and she has worked very hard in state government for the last few years, under Governor Corzine. Her hard work has finally paid off. Union County is so lucky to have someone as dedicated and energetic as Annette on their side. She has proven to be a loyal and caring individual that is passionate about her work and her constituents.




The ceremony was very warm. We sat in the upper chambers and gave her numerous standing ovations. She was sworn in, with her mother and her father holding the bible as she took the oath. After the swearing in, she make a few remarks that were well received in the audience.




She received congratulations from the party leaders and fellow Latino and women legislators. With that done the guests were escorted to a lounge for a reception where we laughed and took pictures.




Then back to NYC with Armando... I know she will wow them and she will be successful. Please join me in congratulation Annette!!!

Stolen IDs

It happens to us at one point or another in our lives. Something that is personal like your ID is stolen and fraudulent accounts are opened in your name. Or perhaps you have pictures on the internet and someone has copied and pasted them on to their profiles and steal your identity. Well the former has happened to me and the latter has happened to my friend recently.

I found out that my ID had been stolen when I actually received a letter from the collection agency demanding payment for having an account with MCI and not having paying it. I challenged it and the Agency was so asinine that they put the onus on me to provide proof it wasn't mine. I decided that it was worth it. What they wanted was proof that I was not living at the billing address at the time of the charges. They also wanted my copies of my IDs. So I sent them bank statements from 2003-2005 as well as copies of my passport and drivers license with my reference numbers blacked out. Within two days they announced that I was right and withdrew the charges as well as informed the credit agencies that the derogatory had to be removed.

Many people are unaware that in New York State they are by law entitled to free copies of their credit reports once a year. And many people do not take advantage of this privilege. There are three credit agencies affected by this ruling:

-Experian
-Trans Union
-Equifax

Contact the agencies and ask for a copy of your reports! In the current environment, given the tight credit requirements, you have to keep as good a credit history as possible. And this means making sure the information is accurate and that everything listed in the report is yours.

Unfortunately, there is little recourse for the latter situation. My friend William has pictures online and he recently discovered that some jerk is using them on a hook-up website as his own. When william found out about this, he contacted the administrator of the website and they said he must register as a user (HUH???) and then submit a copy of the photo as well as a pic of himself with his own website. That is plain asinine. Apparently, we need to have some kind of legislation in place that will protect innocent folks from having their pics stolen and used by other for less than noble causes. Sad... As for those pathetic losers who have nothing else to do with their times except to steal others pics because they are so small and sadly lacking, well get a damn life. How pathetic is it that you have to lie about your attributes especially if in the end when the person meets you they will discover that the pic on the profile is not you, dimwit! Sheesh...

A day in the country

Its Saturday, Sept. 20th 2008 and I have invited three friends to come with me as guests to a tent party in an estate in Accord, NY (pronounced ACK-cord).



The fundraiser was to benefit the Hetrick Martin Institute and the many programs they administer to support the Harvey Milk School (the first public high school geared towards the LGBT teen community) and programs open to the general community.



As part of my job within New York State, I had the privilege to support this worthwhile event. The executive director of the agency, Thomas Krever, is a close friend of mine and it was only because of him that I have learned about this wonderful group and the work they do.  

It should have taken us two hours--it took three.  When you have one steering wheel and four drivers deciding which route to take because Accord does not deem street signs a necessity, it becomes a challenge to get to your destination. If we were all in drag, it would have been akin to "To Wong Fu With Love, Julie Newmar". 



(I have to wonder if Garmin would have received a satellite signal there--my cell phone came and went so i don't know...) At the end of the day I had logged in 250 miles on my car! That's alot of driving.  Accord, is a quaint upstate New York village and the people seem quite friendly. (Note that we were the only Latinos visible as far as the eyes can see both in the town and the event! That took me by surprise!) 

The even was tastefully done. Carol Schuster donated her estate to be used as a venue.  As you can see by the pics, it was a beautiful day with many lush colors and wonderfully laid out. The food was catered and good. Open bar so that everyone can get drunk and spend money on the auction (I know this is their goal hahahahaha). My friends Allen, William and Herbert enjoyed themselves.



Allen is a wonderful being with lots of insight about life. He is soft spoken and extremely sensitive to the issues that affect our communities in NYC. He and I come from the same cultural and professional background so its easy to understand why we have so much in common. While he is in transition right now, what ever company he chooses to work for will benefit greatly from his philanthropic and public relations expertise. 

William and Herbert are in the ad industry--they playfully (or maybe not???) acted more like Naomi and Tyra. Both are constantly making sure their hair is perfectly coiffed (as you can tell, I don't have this problem and if it arises, I will take care of it with a fade haircut). Both have admitted that they spend an inordinate amount of time using hair products (huh?? LOL) They are very conscientious about their appearance making sure they are perfect for the world to see and they DO look great. These two are fun to watch but sometimes, I don't know what can make them tick...



The one thing I ams sure off is that when I am with them, they remind me of a puppy and a kitten playing together--its just fun and cute at the same time and this is what Herb and Will are like... The dynamics between these both is electric and full of drama, color and laughter. William especially brings out the child in me--refreshing and always smiling. There seems to be a subtle innocence about him (in reality there is no innocence at all since he has lived life fully!).




Herbert is more of the brooding type. Reminds me more of James Dean meets Hamlet--so many things in his mind and yet he will let out a quip that will floor you when you least expect it.  We strolled throughout the estate, by the rolling hills, and around the pond.



Even caught a glimpse of a garden snake (he was one of the bigger ones i have ever seen). And lots of fresh air. In any case, these three and myself mixed it up and we had a great time up there supporting a very worthy cause.  

After we were done, we stopped by Allen's sister's house (poor soul--she actually lives up there) and visited for about 45 mins.  The sunset pics were taken from her home.  



Of course, once again, I am sure her neighbors were peering through their windows just dying to know who was making all that ruckus on the lawn and laughing and screaming about apples. When we headed back to NY we yakked all the way back and by 11PM we were finally home.  It was one of the best times I have had in recent memory and hope to have many more with these crzylatins from NYC!!!

Fish, Fish and more Fish

Aquariums--love 'em. I have had them for the most part since i was a child. Now they are my hobby. Here is the deal. I have three tanks... one is a livebearer tank (the fish actually give birth to live babies), an egg layer tank (fish lay eggs and babies be damned lol) and a nursery (any babies rescued will be placed in the nursery where they will be cared for especially and grow up to be strong adults.

Now if you are just starting out, you do not buy a fifty gallon tank and put expensive fish in it. Au contraire, my friends. Start small with a ten gallon. There is a lot that goes into setting up a tank. For starters, you have the set up. You have to clean it, rinse the gravel, place the plant (live or plastic) and condition the water
so that when you place the fish in it, its ideal.

Then you have to decide what kind of fish you want. I would not recommend that you buy anything expensive until you develop an understanding of how aquariums become their own worlds. It may turn out that you dont like fish or that you do not want to be bothered.


Once your tank is up and running, you must continually change the filters and 20% of the water in the tank every two weeks. So you see, keeping a fish tank is a major commitment and a fun hobby once you get into it.

Today I want to speak about my live bearer tank. The fish in my live bearer tank actually mate and give birth. I constantly find babies hiding in the plants or swimming away from adults that may eat them. I used to save them but i dont anymore (I once had an Alpha female red sword that gave birth to 124 fish... thats alot). The reason i dont save them anymore is because it allows for natural selection to take place--only the strongest survive.

Also, it helps control the population of the tank. Overpopulation in a fish tank can result in poisons in the water and bacteria that can wipe out your fish tank community. I have all types of fish. I have silver and marble mollies. I have different types of guppies, swordtails and platies. And I recently added varietus. Its very import to also have one pleco, one or two clown loaches and a few cories. The pleco eats the algae in the tank. Keeps the glass clean. The cories eat leftover food anywhere it falls. An the clown loaches will eat those pesky snails that seem to pop out of nowhere.

So there you have it... As you look at the pics, you can note that I have plants, stones and drift wood in the tank to give it a nice touch. Hope you like the pics.

Riding the subways

Have any of you ever wondered about the subways? The weird things that happen are for the books and their efficiency is sadly lacking.



I have seen some strange stuff happening in the trains. Like men running to steal a seat from a pregnant woman or the elderly (this usually happens sadly with foreigners who are unfamiliar with our culture--not being xenophobic--just stating a fact.) I get a kick out of the heavy woman trying to squeeze herself into a small space (one was actually yelled at by another passenger who refused to move).



I have actually witnessed a pickpocket taking place and the perpetrator was a clean cut man in his forties who looked like he was commuting home from work... of course he denied it when many, including myself accused him in front of the almost-victim. I have seen cops abuse power (there was no need especially since he had gotten off the train) and mace a belligerent passenger. I have also witnessed fights (mostly between women). Finally you have the preachers who praise the Lord while professing to all the riders their doom to hell because we tolerate gays, pre-teen sex, drugs and alcohol.



My other favorite is watching people come into the subways with take out from the local Chinese restaurant-- pork fried rice with chicken wings and an egg roll. And they eat it there! GROSS!!! On occasion you will have one with soup or pizza or a burrito. Maybe even rice with beans and the pork chop. In the mornings its a McMuffin sandwich or buttered roll with coffee. Or the ever stinker, eggs with cheese and bacon and juice... ahhhh breakfast on the Lexington Ave local. Every now and then you will come across the guy who still thinks its cool to blare rap, soul or salsa so that the entire subway car have to listen to it all throughout the ride... there is not a freaking cop around to fine them.



You also have regular cast of homeless. There is Michael who is always looking for brothers and sisters, hermanos y hermanas to help him out. There is the dude who reminds us that we are not from Hollywood, that we are from the hood. There there is the one who looks like Rubeus Hagrid (the big, heavy, bearded wizard in the Harry Potter series) who even sounds like the character. Then you have the traveling performances. There is the Homeless Doowap al capetta singers. There is the annoying Mariachis who sing the same songs over and over again. The Teen Dancers who always threaten to hit passengers or their bags as they flip in the aisle.



Riding the subways is an adventure always. If its not the passengers, then its the MTA. Lets see--how many times do we have to listen to the robot's voice berating passengers for holding or leaning against the doors??? What about when there is no local service and all the trains are running on the express track but the dumbass in the command center says nothing to the passengers waiting on crowded local platforms for the train to arrive. I love it when there is a delay because of police activity. That means you need to get off and walk 20 blocks. You will get there faster.



Then there is the occasional act of nature... so you will have floods (no service on the #6 Line), blackouts (no service on the #6 Line), passengers who suddenly become ill (no service on the #6 Line) and track fires (no service on the #6 Line). Oh... if you havent figured it out, i live on the #6 line. So here you have it people... The Lexington Avenue local is no efficient. Its late. Its Dirty. And the only one on the east side. Service sucks but its an adventure guaranteed. In the end, you just go along for the ride--"Watch your step and stand clear of the closing doors!"

Felled by Hubris

Today, Sept. 16, 2008, has been by all standards a day that will go down in history for all to remember. Lehman Brothers, the venerable 158 yr-old bank filed for bankruptcy Chapter 11 and with it went 25,000 jobs. In the same breath, Merrill Lynch, the most prestigious retail broker in the country (if not the world) was forced to sell itself to Bank of America. Only six months ago, we all thought that the fall of Bear Stearns, forced into the arms of JPMorgan Chase & Co. would have marked the end of this crisis. Well, not by a long shot.

If you are in financial services, all arrows point to the housing crisis as being the root cause to all the problems faced in the country (and the world) currently. But I say that it was something more basic. It was hubris brought upon by greed. Jimmy Cayne of Bear Stearns, Dick Fuld of Lehman Bros., Stan O'Neal of Merrill Lynch, Sandy Weill of Citigroup, Ken Thompson of Wachovia, Kerry Killinger of Washington Mutual... This readers, is a veritable who's who of GREEDY, inept, aloof, arrogant CEOs who surrounded themselves with yes-men and did not have the cojones to admit that they had no f**king idea of what was happening in their shops. All they cared about was recording record profits so that their paychecks got bigger and bigger and not thinking that their inactions would lead to BILLIONS in losses and thousands unemployed.

The one who most exemplifies this is Dick Fuld. He will be forever the posterboy of the CEO for hubris. I walked by the headquarters of Lehman today. It was so sad. Barriers had been set up to keep the press away, TV trucks all over Broadway, employees walking out with boxes full of personal effects and the most shocking-- a head hunter giving out her card by the entrance. I, for one, was glad the federal government decided to make Lehman the example of moral hazard. The taxpayer cannot be made to pay of the mistakes made by those who in the end remain unscathed with millions in the bank... insane, utter insanity. And its not over by a long shot. We have not seen the end of this and there will be more before the year is out. My prediction is that Goldman and Morgan will be wed to commercial banks by the end of the year, Washington Mutual will no longer exist and a MAJOR commercial bank will fold before the poop finally hits the fan... One could only hope that lessons have been learned but sometime in the future we will see this again--mayor entities felled by hubris. As of Sept. 23, 2008, Lehman's Operations and building for the most part were taken over by Barclays... here are some pics of the former Lehman Bros. HQ, now with Barclay's colors.