Uh oh, they’re closing in on me!

New York investigating lawyer who doesn’t exist. Hey, it was a good gig while it lasted and it beat joining the Army.

Let’s not be niggardly in our praise for these idiots

The Maine legislature has outlawed the word “squaw” out of deference, it says, to Indian sensibilities. Hogwash. This lunacy got its start when an “Indian expert” on Oprah said that squaw referred to a female’s genitalia. Absolute utter nonsense and thoroughly debunked time and time again but now the claim is that “it’s the perception, not the truth, that matters”. Good lord. When even facts are subject to change to suit political correctness, we’ve lost the battle. But not the war, damn it.

Walt Noel may be spared the indignity of that hot dog stand

Don't you mess with my Tu Tu!

Army eases age restrictions for recruits.

 And for you IBrs out there, if Krazy Kat’s prediction that better times are coming to Wall Street turns out to be premature, remember that three hots and a cot beat sleeping under underpasses, easily. And you’ll have a neat rifle to shoot off. Cool.

Eight long years of suffering under Bush/Cheney policy and they still have to review it?

White House still refusing to make vistor log public.

 

By Michael D. Shear

Yesterday, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration seeking the release of information about the visits of coal company executives. Also yesterday, MSNBC.com reported that its broader request for logs since Jan. 20 had been denied.

Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 17, 2009

 

President Obama has embraced Bush administration justifications for denying public access to White House visitor logs even as advisers say they are reviewing the policy of keeping secret the official record of comings and goings.

In recent days, the Secret Service has rejected requests from two organizations for the logs, which document the West Wing meetings that have helped shape Obama’s policies on banking regulation, economic recovery, foreign policy and the auto industry.

Is this good news or bad?

89 Perkins Road sold today for $3.450 million, a substantial sum for this house. It’s nice to know that we have buyers around with the cash to buy a house. What may trouble other would-be sellers, however, is the original asking price for this property back in September, 2007: $5.875 million.

So yes, it’s a good sale, and I’d estimate that the seller got at least the fair market value for this house. I suspect the $2.475 million discount is attributable to a combination of a declining market and a silly asking price. How much to attribute to each factor is hard to say.

Enron consultant, Nobel Prize winner and NYT columnist Paul Krugman shilled for the housing bubble

Well it must have seemed like a good idea back in 2002. No shame in being wrong, but denying that you were just leads to embarrassment.

Well yes, Apple’s coming, but this is months- old news

Readers of this blog will remember a discussion several months ago of the new Apple store that will open at the site of the former Greenwich Cinema. Greenwich Time has now caught up with the story but apparently couldn’t find anyone to confirm the “rumor” that Apple is in fact coming to town. I suggest they toddle off to Town Hall and check the minutes of past P&Z hearings and they can learn all they want.

Regardless, it will be fun to have an Apple store here, since I’ve always wanted to see one but haven’t, because I don’t do malls.

This could be the future of Greenwich housing

SUV shortgage at dealerships. It isn’t the case now, but when the current crop of over-grown mansions is gone, and one day it will be, it’s unlikely we’ll see spec houses built to their size for a long time. I won’t lead the wailing and gnashing of teeth over that one, but for those who like and want big houses, this is probably the time to buy one. After this, you’ll only find them at a custom price, vs dimes on the dollar today.

Any day now, but not in Greenwich

Bloomberg takes a dim view of the jumbo house market. In case you’re wondering, that would include just abut everything in Greenwich north of $1 million. As I’ve hinted here before, that’s the part of our market that’s bloated, still swelling and not moving.

“Tighter lending standards and the lack of cheap financing for these borrowers continue to be key issues,” the New York- based analysts wrote, referring to “jumbo” mortgages. That’s after so-called interest-only and option adjustable-rate loans were a “major driver” of soaring values, they said.

“Currently, we have national home prices bottoming in 2011,” they said. “However, prices for more expensive homes may not bottom out until 2012, and ultimately result in peak-to- trough declines in excess of 60 percent (compared to 40 percent nationally).”

Maybe she’ll also offer some heirlooms from Uncle Bernie

New York Magazine (and my readers) report that Marisa Noel, fresh from the humiliation of having to hawk her unfinished brownstone bought with stolen money, is now offering baubles, gimcracks and geegaws at New York jewelry stores. She promises to add boxes of old Designs by Monica smocks left over from her mom’s own attempt at business – het, it’s almost moving time at old 175 Round Hill and something has to be done with the inventory and Walter has promised to donate his golf clubs – no use for them any more – to the tag sale. See all today at a table in front of Henry Bendel’s on 5th Avenue, and meet the girl herself! Refreshments served (cash bar) by her own dad.

Dining by Walter