I'm not exactly sure what we're supposed to do with this but a (soon to be?) former Bear employee just bcc'd us on this message to a higher up at the bank so we'll put it out there. That's what we do at DealBreaker, give voices to those who cannot be heard. We're practically a human rights watch group, wouldn't you say? I just wish we'd been non-blind carbon copied, in which case it would be appropriate to re all with "Yeah!" or "We concur!" or something to that effect. If anyone else has a message they'd like to more widely disseminate, send it our way.
It saddens me that you have so simply, arrogantly and cruelly changed the severance classification of the equity research department personnel on the very day no-less that layoffs commenced. This change is reprehensible and you-can-bet grounds for litigation. Many of us in the research department were persuaded to stay and await final determination of our employment status because of the way the severance packages were structured; mind-you, a very deliberate structuring on JPMorgan/Bear's part for the very reason to dupe us into staying at Bear. Shame on you! You lied! And, of course, the loyal employees your glib lies hurt the most are those who earned the least, the Associates.
Posted by blndebnker , May 09, 2008 11:20AM
Oh man I am SO going to start BCC'ing you guys on my emails. If I get laid off, you'll get bumped off to a regular CC.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 11:22AM
You may want to tell them to lay off the "I'll sue you bastards" stuff and lay on the "I expect to be treated fairly and in concert with your comments, written, in the press and made to me and documented by me."
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 11:24AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8skTAHctaPU
A little T&A makes everything better
Posted by Investorcluzo , May 09, 2008 11:28AM
oh snaps! hell hath no furry like a woman scorned (had to be a woman sending that email)...seriously, do you really think you should put that in writing? it's not going to change anything. how about getting a band of people together and shop your case to best law firm willing to fight for you and your cohorts. oh wait, that's what the folks at bofa did - I hear they are now 60 strong. anyone know how that case is progressing. good luck to our friend (formerly) in research at bsc.
@blndbnker: was that an appropriate use of "oh snaps"?
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 11:31AM
Just when Jimmy Cayne thinks things can't get worse he finds out one of the Associates in Equity Research is pissed off. Oh, the humanity!
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 11:31AM
@cluzo- thanks for that sweeping generalization of the female sex.
"oh snaps"? had to be a gay man writing that.
shoot, now i'm no better than you.
Posted by ab , May 09, 2008 11:34AM
i'm sure JC can do something to get his mind off of this stressful situation.
Posted by blndebnker , May 09, 2008 11:34AM
@Investor - I think it's "Oh snap!" singular. However, that phrase doesn't have a rotation in my vernacular so I might not be the best source. I'm more of a "this motherf*cker" kind of girl.
Posted by Investorcluzo , May 09, 2008 11:35AM
@11:31 - c'mon now, had to throw that out there (plus, it's research). I've got plenty of gay friends and they would never say that (okay, perhaps my old assistant), but I'm not gonna' hate on you.
@11:24 - it's a bit early for that type of stuff, but let's just hope you can find a woman that can work a tool like that tonight.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 11:39AM
@ 11:35 Testosterone is better than coffee, slight hangover sorry.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 11:56AM
Its been said before, but HR in these places is good, VERY GOOD in fact, at structuring firings in a way that avoids. Its in their DNA. This isnt the post office. You are employed at your firm's will Even though you might get some emotional jollies from joining in a lawsuit, I wouldn't waste yr time. Move on. As its also been said here before, when things turn you don't want to be looking for a job while marked with a reputation as a troublemaker.
Posted by mrpink , May 09, 2008 12:01PM
FINRA Arbitration.... hahahah... I don't think she/he looked at the fine print.
Enjoying my 'Wall Street Welfare'.. more later =)
-mrp
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 12:03PM
Here I am minding my business, head down working hard for a few days. Finally a chance to come up for air and I find 1) Pink has been fired. Bet though that he's a real survivor 2)people accusing gay boys of saying stupid things like "oh snap"? Talk about stereotyping.
Cluz: Q1: you have tons of gay friends. Nice. The new thing. Its like it was to know a Negro in the 1950's. They ever take you to any of the tamer venues around town, like Therapy, Vlada? Did anyone there try and hit on you? Or more subtly throw a cruise: glance at you longingly? Good for the straight boy ego to feel wanted by everyone, right? Tell us. Q2: A gay assistant? Bet he was good. Loyal, hard working, stylish, organized. Didn't wait for orders, but instead anticipated where you needed to be next. Lucky dog. I have an Italian woman that mothers me but is basically dim. GAnalYst
Posted by Investorcluzo , May 09, 2008 12:08PM
@11:56 you are correct, hr at i-banks excell at (some may say even live for) this $hit. my view is that employee lawsuits are much like class actions - much better for the lawyers than the plaintiffs. that said, if you want to get your ounce (definitely won't get a pound) of flesh and don't mind waiting for your payout - join in. case in point: I know a guy from CSFB who was shown the door over a year ago and decided to fight his severence (which I thought was decent). he is at another i-bank (so no taint for being a troublemaker) but his suit drags on ...
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 12:18PM
I'm unfamiliar with the specifics here, but I don't think the author of this email is even slightly out of line. Telling people to stay because they will either 1) get a job, or 2) get treated decently on severance - and then changing the terms of that severance at the final hour - that is really dirty pool. While it might be legal, it is still obviously unfair and unethical.
Wall Streeters are fond of suggesting a just-move-on approach to these matters. I sometimes agree, but this seems like a case where fighting the man is justified. First off, I think Bear/JPM would cave before seeing its "good" name repeatedly besmirched in the pages of the financial press. Secondly, assuming there is a decent number of employees effected, I think the reputational risk and time commitment is far less.
Posted by Investorcluzo , May 09, 2008 12:20PM
@GAanlYst: being the black man that I am, perhaps the gay population feels as though I can relate to their "minority" status and that I am a little more thoughtful.
A1) aside from playing golf with them, we don't go out in the city. one of the guys likes "dark" places and I'm not trying to have a drink at a bar with a bunch of "bears". as for being hit on - I got approached several times at the gym I belonged to down near wall street (I now work out at the place in my building).
A2) my assistant moved back to san fran. he didn't get along well with the higher ups in "assistant-dom". he was good. better than the hipster chick who was more into her band and not showing up on time (you can read about hipsters in yesterday's postings). can't say he was all that stylish or that he anticipated my "orders". but he did make sure the cars waited outside instead of coming inside to baggage claim. his replacement actually came from bsc - she's a nice italian woman who keeps trying to set me up with one the associates in the group (not gonna' happen).
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 12:24PM
"telling people to stay" - is that in writing? Did they have a contract? More likely, it was suggested that a fair arrangement will be made for those that stay. The arrangement came out and it wasn't deemed fair. Tough shit.
Its been said before, but theres nothing like an axing to send the everyone-for-himself-rugged-Wall-Street-individualism ideal out the window fast.
Posted by miami , May 09, 2008 12:30PM
Jamie Dimon just pwn3d Bear from the top to the bottom of the org-chart. He should get some sort of award.
Tarped associate, you should be grateful to learn how to play the game from the Masters. The simplest solutions are often the cleverest.
If you actually add value, you'll be re-hired in no time!
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 12:36PM
Interesting Cluz. I golf, but not too much. Enough to not be embarassed in front of a client. Thought I was the only gay boy with the skill.
You hang with stright white guys? I'm gonna throw out an observation from behind the anonimity of DB: in NY, despite the rep for being liberal, the races dont mix much. Ever see black guys or women hanging or living Upper East? Rarely. My buds have observed that invariably when you see a black dude hanging with white guys, the group is gay. GAnalYst
Posted by Investorcluzo , May 09, 2008 12:46PM
@GAnalYst: man you've got it all wrong.
1) I have an "affinity" for blondes (last 4 gf's, okay, 1 or 2 had a little help);
2) as a banker, most of my friend/colleagues are white guys (mostly straight);
3) I'm finding out that there are plenty of gay dudes that like to hit the little white ball with sticks - not to mention most have the money to join exclusive clubs (anyone notice that gay dudes tend to have lots of cash?); and
4) listen to yourself, black people living on the UES (or UWS), south of harlmen? c'mon man! there are a handful of us that can afford to own (or rent) in these areas - meaning we're in finance or law (ok, or entertainment). thus, most of my friends are SWM and SWF's.
Posted by Lowly Assistant , May 09, 2008 12:51PM
Anyone looking to bring litigation against Bear or JPM regarding the March madness will be terribly disappointed. You will get absolutely nothing. Honest injun.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 1:03PM
Lowly Assistant -
You are correct in your take on the probable success of litigation in the New York courts. If they file in State Supreme, it will immediately get removed to Fed. In light of the Rosenberg decision last year, one has to believe SDNY is EXTREMELY sympathetic to Wall St. firms in employment matters (yes, I know Rosenberg was a 2nd Circuit case, but SDNY got the message).
Posted by Lowly Assistant , May 09, 2008 1:21PM
@1:03,
Totally agree, but a potential employer will not need to look at a U-5 to know what they're getting; furthermore, layoffs/mass firings are bullet proof. The packages and "deals" are compiled using an assembly line (i.e., everyone gets the same shit, just personalized). If the courts even glance at a case in a wrong way, a precedent is set and everything would flip. I don't see anything positive for the minions.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 1:33PM
What do people expect working at a bank...they pretty much just screw as many people as they can...clients, employees, peers.
Posted by onetwo , May 09, 2008 1:43PM
@Cluzzo - you have my permission to take girl out. Great comments.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 1:51PM
Cluz: thanks for setting me straight. Re the blond GF's, a gay black friend of mine goes to Sweden for work 2x a year. When he returns his dick is practically bleeding from all the sex. Those scandanavian boys wont leave him alone. Keep it in mind. Oh, as far as gay boys liking nice things. That I know. All the places in NY where you can swim naked (R&T etc.)are filled with them. GAnalYst
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 1:59PM
i think he's calling you gay, cluz.
Posted by Investorcluzo , May 09, 2008 2:05PM
@onetwo: thanks, will have to set something up - hopefully, you guys don't have bedbugs ( ;
@GAnalYst: I heard iceland and sweden were prime areas for well dressed brothers (such as myself). not to mention, during the summer you can golf for practically 24 hrs straight. I'll let your boy take care of the dudes and I'll handle the fairer sex...
@1:59: hate to disappoint, but I'm not playing for home team. that said, I often get those comments from girls - but by the time they find out that I'm straight, I'm already inside them ( ;
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 2:09PM
@cluz- i think in giving you permission to date girl, 1-2 was conceeding that there's zilch going on between them, so doubtful there's a communal bed.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 2:13PM
cluzo@12:46,
Most blackamoors do have an "affinity" for blondes.
Thankfully, most blondes do not have an "affinity" for blackamoors.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 2:14PM
girl care to chime in on this? you guys are making more assumptions than level 3 assets.
Posted by Investorcluzo , May 09, 2008 2:15PM
@2:09 - he didn't give me permission to "date" girl, he said I could "take girl out". subtle difference, but telling. this is related to yesterday's post about me owing her as I have added to her already bad insomnia...
Posted by blndebnker , May 09, 2008 2:16PM
Speak for yourself, 2:13pm.
Posted by Investorcluzo , May 09, 2008 2:20PM
@2:13 - nice use of the word "blackmoor" (I had to google it), you clearly went to an ivy. my ancestors weren't likely to have been field slaves. I resemble more of a golden brown color (kinda like obama)...
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 2:23PM
@2:15- i'll be you my bear severance girl and 1-2 aren't an item.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 2:24PM
obama? so your mom went for the continental sex trifecta as well?
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 2:26PM
@2:23 i bet you a bear severance and raise you a JPM severance that blndebnker - is a brwnbanker - downstairs.
Posted by Investorcluzo , May 09, 2008 2:28PM
@2:24 - no, and if you knew who my mother was, you would bite your tongue. my parents are not bi-racial, was just explaining that I'm not a "blackamoor" because that refers to a "dark skinned" person. if you're going to use the word, understand what it means. further, if you knew anything about "black culture" you would know that there is a differnce between dark and light skinned ones...how about you go watch school daze and report back.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 2:32PM
"no, and if you knew who my mother was, you would bite your tongue"
With the anonymity offered here....why even bother with a comment like that?
Posted by girl , May 09, 2008 2:33PM
No, I don't care to chime in on this actually.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 2:34PM
cluzo@2:20PM,
All blackamoors came from the dark continent. Your obama-like coloring makes you no less of one.
You are deluding yourself when you claim that your "ancestors weren't likely to have been field slaves". That is how they all started in America.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 2:37PM
girl punts. cluzo?
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 2:38PM
@2:34 I wasn't aware people had the ability to magically tell someones ancestry through the internet.
Posted by girl , May 09, 2008 2:39PM
2:34,
Yeah and every white person here came over on the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.
Dimwit.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 2:41PM
@2:13
"Thankfully, most blondes do not have an "affinity" for blackamoors."
So what about almost every black NBA player?
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 2:44PM
@2:41 careful. he said most. also, proportionately high amount of blondes have an affinity for $$$$$.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 2:45PM
guest@2:38PM,
cluzo did bring up his ancestry as a topic of discussion.
His use of the phrase,"weren't likely to be" indicates that cluzo has no clue about his ancestors either.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 2:47PM
Just for the record, I wasn't calling Cluz gay. Just typing fast. Extrapolating from my friends scandanavian guy experiences, I was pointing out that Cluz could probably score like mad with the women there. I do however admire how comfortable his is with the whole gay thing. And also his grace in handling the more foolish of you. GAnalYst
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 2:51PM
Guest @ 2:45
Cluzo has more of clue than you do
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 2:51PM
Guest @ 2:45
Cluzo has more of a clue than you do
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 2:52PM
girl @ 2:39 -
how could one person come over on all three ships? wouldn't they have to pick either the nina, the pinta or the santa maria?
(I love it when people say stupid things and then call others 'dimwit.')
Posted by Lowly Assistant , May 09, 2008 2:53PM
Oh yeah, there we go. Nothing like some good ol' fashioned hate speak to kick off the weekend. I was all bummed out by the shitty weather outside; down in the dumps. But then I saw that the racist DB spirit was still alive, and everything fit right back into place. Can we start talking about pedigree also? That usually brightens everyone's mood the same. Sailing, anyone? Sailing on LI Sound?
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 2:55PM
girl@2:39PM,
Your lame comment about the Colombus voyage indicates that you are in fact the dimwit.
You must have been asleep during history class when "The Peculiar Institution" was discussed.
Posted by girl , May 09, 2008 3:03PM
It was just as lame as his racist crap comment that every African American in this country came over on a slave ship- DUH. If you didn't understand the inference I suggest you just give it a rest and get crappy hour started early.
Posted by BSD , May 09, 2008 3:03PM
Ok kids - the etymology of Blackamoor is fairly obvious - a Black Moor (think Othello). The word was first used to describe well dressed brothers in Italian Renaissance - so the term is actually spot-on for Cluzo, even if the original guest didn't realize it.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 3:06PM
The guest who posted twice @2:51PM is also clueless.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 3:07PM
BSD, close:
usually dressed in a colorful costume, used as a support or as decoration during the Italian Renaissance
Posted by Investorcluzo , May 09, 2008 3:09PM
step out for a moment and a veritable $hit storm erupts, where do I begin?
@2:34 – I wasn’t disavowing my “blackness”, I accept it and revel in the fact that I continue to defy the odds that were so heavily stacked against me at birth…what odds have you overcome beyatch!
@2:37 – I’m not gonna say anything other than the fact that I am committed to making sure that girl gets ample penne a la vodka so that she is able to rest well at night.
@2:45 – I do have a clue as to my ancestry. however, as with any search of historical facts, you can not assume that there were no shenanigans (remember, jefferson has some black kids) at the record halls in the days of old. in fact, I can tell you that my great grandmother (God rest her sole) was the daughter of a certified slave. so before you opine on what I do and don’t know, you should think twice.
@BSD – good work on english lesson.
Posted by blndebnker , May 09, 2008 3:10PM
@ 2:26pm - How crass. I think I'm offended.
Posted by Anal_yst , May 09, 2008 3:13PM
@ cluzo
I may have missed something, but I vaguely recall girl lusting for some penne AND vodka, as opposed to penne ALA vodka.
Somehow though, I think penne ala vodka (food) + vodka (drink(s)) may work out poorly though...
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 3:18PM
who cares? Any laid off chicks want to teach bsc/jpm a lesson and get drunk and have sex with me let me know. I have a cardboard box on 63rd & 5th, I can get some fine, fine red wine (after the bar throws away their recycling) and it;ll be like springtime in paris (after the nazis invaded)
So, you get sex, europe, nostalgia and the outdoors all rolled in to one, and I'll be rolling into YOU!!!
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 3:20PM
blndebnker,
Apologies - didn't mean to offend (while acknowledging it was offensive). Was an apparent futile attempt to divert the deteriorating conversation.
Sorry it was at your expense. I had to think quickly and - well - that subject matter is on the tip of my tongue (so to speak) especially on Friday afternoons.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 3:20PM
BSD@3:03PM,
It sounds as though you are trying to fabricate an ancestry for the blackamoor, cluzo.
Italian Renaissance? The well-dressed brother in his ancestry was probably the one on a Harlem street corner wearing a purple fur hat, Converse All Stars, and shit-fly green pants.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 3:22PM
@2:26 Yes, blndebnker herself acknowledged last week that the carpet "doesn't exactly" match the curtains. It was a fun discussion while it lasted, but it's over.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 3:24PM
@3.22--unless you plan on matching your sheets to her pubes, who cares???
Posted by diablo , May 09, 2008 3:26PM
The guest who spelled it Colombus is also clueless, or French or Belgian...
Posted by blndebnker , May 09, 2008 3:27PM
@3:20pm - No worries. I was only mildly offended and I can appreciate that mindset on a Friday afternoon. Kind of serves me right for choosing "blndebnker" as my handle.
Posted by blndebnker , May 09, 2008 3:29PM
@3:22pm - I caved to intense questioning and extreme boredom.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 3:31PM
blnde, - I appreciate that you can appreciate. Which serves you right? Calling out your colors? Or the tip of my tongue? I raise you another ML severance its the latter.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 3:31PM
so, blndy, think some of your hot girlfriends want to start posting here to drive all the boys crazy? I mean if these guys think the comments to date drive women crazy, imagine if you said you were showing some cleavage....
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 3:35PM
"imagine if you were showing cleavage" through words, on an anonymous internet message board.
Posted by blndebnker , May 09, 2008 3:41PM
@3:31pm - Well if I had hot girlfriends in finance, I would encourage them to do so but sadly, most of my female finance friends are on the homely side.
Posted by blndebnker , May 09, 2008 3:43PM
@3:31pm - I'm a lady and will not reveal the answer to that. You can draw your own conclusions.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 3:47PM
Lowly Assistant@2:53PM...
Sailing on LI Sound is a good topic for a Friday afternoon in May. Glad you mentioned it.
We don't get to sail the Sound every year, but we have brought our boat up from the Chesapeake several times over the past 10 years.
The Guy from Delaware
Posted by Investorcluzo , May 09, 2008 4:02PM
damn conference calls…
@anal_yst – you do parse the words well (attention to detail, it's not just an IB saying). good point, I will take that under advisement.
@girl – I’m headed to cali tomorrow, when are we dining on italian? oh, what kind of vodka do you prefer (I like belve)
@3:20 – y’all are reading too much into this blackamoor $hit, and if I was pimped out, I’d be hanging my hat near credit suisse’s offices. you know that was one of the favorite loops for ladies of the night back in the day – park ave to lex from 25th – 27th.
@blndebnker – never take anything personal on these boards, that said, I’m not judging you by the color of your carpet or your curtains – you just be you.
Posted by blndebnker , May 09, 2008 4:09PM
@Cluzo - I don't actually take it personally but thank you. That was sweet.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 4:43PM
cluzo@3:09,
"Defying heavily-stacked odds against you at birth"??
All you had to do was have a modicum of ability, learn to read, and keep out of trouble.
Revel in your blackness if you like. Blackness and Affirmative Action are what what moved you along. A blackamoor with anything on the ball has many doors opened for him.
You pat yourself on your own back way too much.
You are correct though about your blackness. It has way more to do with anything you've accomplished than any abilities you may have.
Stanley O'Neal, formerly of ML and now disgraced is another Affirmative Action character.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 4:58PM
some observations, after reading 4:43 1) are you Clarence Thomas? Or Thomas Sowell. Sounds like them 2) Your attitude bubbles under the surface of most folks, which is why Obama's not gonna win. No way. He's gonna loose PA, OH and maybe even NJ. He'll win NY, but not by much. Part of it is his own fault: sitting for so long in Wright's pews destroyed the myth that he's post-racial.
Posted by mrpink , May 09, 2008 5:05PM
damn i missed all this today??!?!?
I was busy milking my free bloomberg service (wall st welfare LOL) here at home and working on emailing like a lil bitch. It is 5PM, thus I am off to Chelsea-dom.
-mrp
Have a good weekend all.. I'll read up on all these comments this w/e.
Posted by Investorcluzo , May 09, 2008 5:11PM
@4:43 – damn, you are smart one. you found me out! affirmative action not only got me into that institution of higher learning (that our president attended) but also paid for it (and got a guy to take all my tests because I couldn’t pass on my own, right?)…not. what’s ironic is that you are one of the a$$clowns who fails to understand what it is really like to not have a silver spoon. as for patting myself on the back, was I? trust me, I can do a lot better than that little comment. but hey, this america, you’re entitled to your views no matter how ill or un-informed they may be. finally, I believe it’s safe to say that good ol’ (disgraced as you say) stan has a lot more money than you ever will see and the last thing on his mind is that you think he’s an affirmative action character. riddle me this you great sage of wisdom – who are the african americans who aren’t affirmative action characters?
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 5:16PM
Hey cluzo,
What's up with using the dollar sign ($) instead of the letter S in some of your postings? Is that some kind of black thing?
What are you attempting to tell us?
Posted by Anal_yst , May 09, 2008 5:28PM
@ 5:16
Are you serious? I'm not even going to dignify that with a response (and give you, deseveredly or not, the benefit of the doubt that it was an ill-conceived joke)
Posted by Investorcluzo , May 09, 2008 5:29PM
@5:16 - until I get my 40 (acres - you can keep the mule), I need to remind folks that I am still owed - affirmative action wasn't enough ( ;...unlike wesley, I pay my taxes - I'm just making my own personal statement.
okay kids, meeting up with folks (straight white guys) for drinks. have a good weekend, mr. p - keep it real and best of luck on the next gig.
the end.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 5:30PM
Why is it acceptable to say something here that you would never dare say to someone's face. Not because he's gonna smack you, but because the comment is just so cheezy and classless you wouldn't want to be associated with it. Everyones assignment for the weekend is to think about that. Even if yr studying for CFA. I'm outta here. GAnalYst
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 5:39PM
I'm disgusted by the faux sophistication of all the "blackamoor" comments. What, do we have the ghost of William F. Buckley haunting this board?
I am furthermore disgusted that someone thinks all blacks descended from slaves (not true, there were free black immigrants in the pre Civil War north), and that the presence of a slave in one's ancestry might be an insult. Who is pretentious and irrational enough to think anyone controls the circumstances of their birth?
I also think it's disgusting that someone thinks that all the intellectual and professional achievements of blacks stem from affirmative action and nothing else. Get over it.
Inspector Cluzo doesn't have to respond to all the anti-black comments, nor do GAnalYst and Mr. Pink have to respond to all the anti-gay comments. Can't we expect some minimal level of tolerance from people who have supposedly received educations? Let's try to keep our heads in the 21st Century.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 5:44PM
@lowly Assistant. I sail on long island sound. It's great. I'm not a blue blood though. I'm from Chicago
-sailing girl
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 5:50PM
cluzo@5:11PM,
I baited you with that Stanley O'Neal comment because I knew you'd strike and bring up money. A lot of people have money. So what?
I do think that Stan's failure and disgrace are having a much greater effect on him than money can assuage. Stan knows that he was in way beyond his abilities.
Your blackness is coming out in your writing though. Using run-on sentences and not inserting Capital letters when appropriate indicate that you are writing from a position of weakness. You are clearly rattled and on the defensive.
Yale or Harvard? So what if you went to one of them? They are both left-wing shit holes. Affirmative Action got you in, paid for it, and pushed you along just as you said. You told us the truth about that.
As the poster @4:55 wrote, my attitude mirrors that of most folks. You rode that Affirmative Action bus, and you are still on it. And you know that you are still black, just like obama.
To answer your last question, I will say that those blacks in America who are very financially successful but not products of affirmative action are either some kind of pro athlete or some kind of criminal. Take your pick.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 6:03PM
@ Guest 5:50 You are nuts. There may be some people who got places due to affirmative action, just like there are some people who got into good schools because their daddies are rich and are alumni, or daddy donated, or knows somebody. Most of the actors on the big screen today are someone's kids or other relative. White people get places because of influence - people who know people who can help them. Mamie Gummer is on stage in NYC right now because of who her mother is (look it up)
But as for once you get to that place? You still have to earn it every day. Esp in Wall Street, as you would know if you actually did anything useful on the street.
I would bet that maybe Cluzo did get into a good school partly because he's black. BUT - he didn't get his job because he's black. And he isn't keeping it, and earning his bonuses because he's black. He's earning it because he's good. He makes money for the company, plain and simple, Just like everyone else on the street. You have to be good to stay here.
So stop saying idiotic things.
Or if you really want to say racist stupid things, have the balls to sign your real name.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 6:08PM
This appends my just above comment. I found this on the other page in DealBreaker, the one about Morgan Stanley and the cabs --
I didn't write this, another guest did - but look - all these Texas A&M guys helping each other proves my point.
This is really white guy affirmative action, right?
Didn't GS have a guy at some high level in mortgages just leave after 20 successful years? That guy is a Texas A & M grad. Texas A & M may strike you as nothing more than a southern aggie school, but believe me, they have an unbelievably fierce tradition of loyalty which translates into one grad helping another grad -- for life. A lot of their graduates go into finance. So if there is a Texas A & M intern, there probably is a Texas A & M grad in management.
The current governor of Texas was a yell-leader at Texas A & M. That might strike you as an insignificant accomplishment, but it catapults one into the highest echelon of Texas A & M bonding. He got to be governor of Texas in part because of his statewide network of loyalists from A & M.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 6:14PM
@5:50pm. You're an out and out racist and a coward. Why are you going out of your way to stir up animosity anonymously? Inspector Cluzo writes witty and well-informed comments on this web. Most of the people who comment like what he writes. No one would know that he is black, but he volunteered the information. His writing style is not "black." A lot of people ignore capitalization and use run-on sentences in online postings; it's part of the style fostered by quick online communication.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 6:24PM
More white guy affirmative action --
Sopranos creator David Chase just landed a one picture deal with Paramount Pictures.
This is Chase's first big screen adventure.
The CEO of Paramount Pictures is Brad Gray.
Gray was an executive producer on Sopranos before landing the CEO gig at Paramount.
It's so - friends helping friends.
I'm not saying they don't all deserve it, they do. But friends helping friends is how white people roll.
Black people need some affirmative action at the beginning (schools and such) to level the field a bit.
But they only get to stay on the street because of skills. I believe (I've followed his comments here for a long time) that Cluzo has skills. So @5:50 shut the f**k up. Ok? Go comment on a kkk site, stick to your own kind, yeah?
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 7:03PM
To all you shit cakes who posted between @6:03 & @6:24,
I love it how my 5:50PM posting and my earlier "blackamoor" comments just riled the hell out of all your guilty white liberal asses. You are idiots.
As for my doing something useful on the street, for all you (@6:03) know, my hand just might be one of those that was holding the knife as it plunged into Stanley.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 7:25PM
I had posted earlier about the research associate getting laid off from Bear Stearns and JP Morgan switching the severance deal at the last minute. I think that comment got lost in all the uproar about race.
I do think JP Morgan made representations like the research associate describes to the Bear Stearns employees, but I don't know if they were ever reduced to writing. Other Bear Stearns employees have explained the severance guidelines to me in essentially the same terms. I do think he or she got screwed over.
Employment lawsuits are a hard way to make a mark, win money, or achieve revenge. However, I don't agree that the HR Department has made JP Morgan "bullet-proof." There's been a lot of institutional confusion and switched directions in this process.
For instance, you can't lay an otherwise qualified disabled person off just because he or she is disabled. A disabled person can go along with everyone else in a mass lay-off, but not every single one of them if you keep only non-disabled persons to do the jobs the disabled are qualified to do. In those circumstances, a court may find you have a policy of choosing to lay off disabled people, and that's not allowed.
As another example, you can't choose to lay-off all women and employ only men. Etc. So there are some rules. It wouldn't suprise me if JP Morgan, which has basically acted like an out-of-control elephant in an Asian village, has broken some of the rules along the way.
Sending an angry letter to a person responsible for a lay-off is always a bad idea. People who do that seem to always make errors of fact and law, and letters ridden with typographical errors and angry accusations never make anyone look good later.
If you want to contest an employment decision, don't sign the severance agreement and consult a lawyer. Act only after you have received some competent advice and thought through the negatives.
One negative to carefully consider: there is a lot of merit to the contention that an angry letter or an employment action will hurt your reputation with the next employer. Also, professional schools and licensing boards may ask you later about any lawsuits you have been involved in.
Finally, I don't think JP Morgan is going to settle early to avoid bad publicity. JP Morgan has been the focus of what many would consider bad publicity for its tactics in the Bear Stearns takeover. The low share price payed for the firm and the subsequent losses to employees holding stock has scandalized Wall Street. It hasn't stopped JP Morgan for one moment. There is off-setting publicity about the shrewdness of Jamie Dimon in making the deal, and I think he revels in publicity that is interpreted to burnish his reputation as a hard-knuckled cost-cutter. I think he could care less about his reputation for fair treatment of "excess" employees that come into his employ.
Bear Stearns research associate, if you're reading this: best of luck to you!
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 7:31PM
@7:03pm. I may be many things, but there are a few things I know about myself: I am not a "guilty white liberal ass." Nor am I an "idiot."
I think your comments show disturbing psychological pathology, particularly your latest about "holding the knife as it plunged into Stanley."
Get some help.
Posted by guest , May 09, 2008 9:16PM
Natural boobs are awesome! So much better than silicone.
Posted by guest , May 10, 2008 7:00AM
@5:50/7:03 et al - I failed to see the comment you referenced "the poster @4:55 wrote", perhaps it is YOU who is on the "defense". Further, to imply that you had any hand on the "knife" that felled Mr. O'Neal is sheer madness. You need to continue clearing trades and keep your head down. Instead you continue to write your frivolous and incendiary comments on this bully pulpit from which you seem to draw such great gratification - despite the anonymity in which you hide. I draw here the analogy to your brothers who troll the back woods in white sheets with hoods covering their faces. A little knowledge is dangerous my friend. I think you have just enough to have hung yourself. My first suggestion would be to look up Langston Hughes (this is a "shout out" to GAnalYst). If you are so inclined, you should then try to read some of his writings. You may learn something. Please note, affirmative action had nothing to do with his success. Your rantings are, at best, a reminder of how far we still have to go as a society. I applaud your efforts; however, I pity you and your lost sole. The First Amendment protects your right to free speech, so write on if you are so inclined. My hope is that one day, you will look up from that cubicle and realize that you can catch more bees with honey than vinegar.
-The Real Rev. J. Wright
Posted by guest , May 10, 2008 1:41PM
I have natural boobs. And I'd never date a racist.
Posted by guest , May 10, 2008 2:22PM
Whenever I hear these Wall Street scum weeping about injustice all I have to do is bring up a mental picture of them smirking and chuckling at the end of a long week of screwing teachers pension funds. The punishment for these scum is never harsh enough. Instead of 2 years
of library hours and ping pong at Slap on the Wrist Federal Recreation Facility they should be spotted in chained in road gangs with big signs around their necks.."I Was a Senior Investment Analyst".
Posted by guest , May 10, 2008 3:27PM
guest@ 5/10 2:22pm. What a lovely sentiment. Have you thought about having it made up into a greeting card?
Posted by guest , May 11, 2008 12:11PM
guest@7:00AM,05/10,
The real rev wright might at least know how to spell "soul", and he would try not to use the spelling that normally refers to the bottom of one's shoe.
Also, I did say @4:55; I should have said @4:58. Check there, and you will see the comment I referenced.
Posted by guest , May 11, 2008 4:55PM
The New York Times posted an interesting comment on 5/9 in the Dealbook, called "Euthanizing Bear" by Deal Professor Steven Davidoff. Davidoff, a lawyer, neatly summarized the pending litigation seeking to stop the JP Morgan/Bear deal from going through. Summary: No federal or state judge will stop the Fed Reserve backed deal from taking effect, but the door if left open for shareholders to prove at a later time they are entitled to more compensation.
Posted by guest , May 12, 2008 12:12AM
An individual by the name of Ami de Chapeaurouge, an attorney licensed in both Germany and New York, posted a comment to the NY Times Deal Professor article claiming that a German business newspaper published on March 20 that Deutsche Bank had wanted to bid on Bear Stearns the prior weekend. U.S. government officials allegedly blocked the bid by asking Deutsche Bank to post a $100 billion guarantee before being allowed to conduct due diligence.
Ami de Chapeaurouge claimed that the story, published in Das Handelsblatt, was never picked up the English language press, but is still being discussed in Europe and Asia.
I don't know the reputation for reliability of either de Chapeaurouge or Das Handelsblatt.
Posted by guest , May 12, 2008 10:05AM
@2:22 The lack of understanding in the post accusing Wall Street of "screwing teacher's retirement funds" is too good to pass up. Lets keep it simple. Teachers, like anyone else covered under a defined benefit pension plan (where the benefit is fixed), don't need to worry about the performance of the underlying fund. The sponsor - which in the case of the teachers, is the taxpayers - does, because underperformance will require additional contributions. That said, wheres the evidence of WS screwing these funds? They actually perform very well. They represent very large pools of capital and have access to good managers at fair prices. Don't comment on things you know nothing about.