Masters Tourney ; Beautiful Courses, Great Event, But It's 2012..Don't You Think It's Time To Allow Woman Members?

I don't think anyone could dispute that the Masters Golf Tournament is Special. The courses are are a thing of beauty , immaculately maintained and with its "southern charm " it is the premier golf event in the world and a well-recognized major sporting event. Those who are not even regular PGA Golf watchers, I'm sure tune in to watch at least on Saturday and Sunday . The Tounament and it's prestige are comparable to Wimbledon .
So what is wrong ? I don't know. I get an uneasy feeling about a golf club and its members who only started admitting African-American members in 1990 to avoid a major public controversy. I'm sure they've employed African-American caddies, locker-room attendants, shoe shine personnel and greenskeepers. Don't you think? Now they refuse to admit woman as members . Do you think the members still engage in weird, old world rituals with with black robes, blindfolds and vows of secrecy ? Animal sacrifices ? Do you think when members' wives come to the "Club " for dinner and drinks they are blindfolded from the parking lot until they reach the coatroom?
What is the big fu_ in deal about admitting woman ?
You know what? It might even spruce things up ...The same old, pasty faces, wearing green jackets and striped pants downing Martinis or Johnny Walkers in darkened bars can get old real quick....Did anyone say time warp?
Ok, I got a compromise . How about admitting "redneck transgender members "? That would be a start! Who knows what would be next ?(shssh, a Jewish member(woman).Oy vey. Ok, let's not get wild and crazy. Time to consider important things like pin placement.

This has been "Redneck Golf Analyst " SF "Winthrop " Goldman reporting . And don't forget your 1960's polyester green sport jackets. "Fore "!

John Edwards' Pe__ker Getting Him in Trouble Again!

Well, one good thing former Senator Edwards has going for him, is that his first name ,"John" matches exactly what he's accused of doing. Yes, being a "John " . Edwards has been mentioned as being a customer of "Millionaire Madam" , Anna Gristina . Edwards, whose life has flipped upside down in recent years , allegedly "hooked "up with a " high-end lady of the night " while in New York during his Presidential Campaign "swing " several years ago. Swing being the key word here .
I can just see see his exchange with his Secret Service team leader.
Edwards: I have a meeting in an hour to work on my oral skills.
Team Leader: Should I send a detail ? You know I have to stay " on top of things ".
Edwards: Don't worry I'll stay " on top of things "!
Team Leader : Mr. Edwards: Is this going to be like Indiana where you said you were going to the basketball courts to work on your "inside game "?
Edwards: I actually did need work on my "lay-ups".
Team Leader: Or San Jose , where you said you wanted to go in through the " back door " of that .....Or Nome, Alaska, where you wanted to travel "doggie-style"?
Edwards: ok, I get the point . You know afterall, I am in New York to "raise"......
Team Leader: Money Mr. Edwards sir.
Edwards: Hey, can you lend me some cab fare I'm late ....And, hmmm, the Secret Service Platinum Card. Thanks . And remember I snuck out on official ("monkey") business.

Poliyical Analyst, S.F. Goldman III, reporting.

MF Global ; Emails of Final Days Transactions Released..You Gotta See This!

Hot news flash...These emails between Jon Corzine and his Chief Financial Officer in Chicago were just released:
CFO: Jon , we're overdrawn again .
JC: Shit! Which bank ?
CFO : JP Morgan. Our "favorite overdraft institution ".
JC: Now I'm really pissed...It's going to cost us $30 in overdraft fees . I wonder, since I'm a a former Wall Street Titan, US Senator and Governor of N.J. , will they waive the $30 fee, or at least half ?
CFO: Jon, JP Morgan not happy. They're threatening to shut down our whole US Operation, embarass you, sling mud on your legacy and eventually force you to lie under oath if we don't cover the overdraft ASAP!
JC: Easier said than done. Hmm, can you float us a quickie loan personally ? Unsecured of course . Worst that can happen is it will get extinguished in Bankruptcy .
CFO: No can do . It's $220 million . Jon , can you lend us some $ from your "Goldman Sachs "mortgage backed securities account "?
JC: $220 million ? Holy shit . You think I'm going to use my own money socked away in "secret Swiss and Grand Cayman bank accounts " avoiding taxes to save this sinking ship ?
CFO: Any better ideas Chief ?
JC: Hold your horses, I'm thinking . (And while I'm busy thinking and stalling start destroying emails and bank records!)
CFO:Done! Well ?
JC: I got it . Why didn't I think of this before?
CFO: Not the old using customer $ , pretending you don't know where the money is really coming from and then if the "shit hits the fan" denying it till the end of the earth ?
JC: You mean we used this one before ?
CFO: Are you kidding JC ? It's your personal favorite . Has kept us going for the past 7 years . You should patent the process .
JC: Ok then . Let's do it ! Remember , I am Sgt Schultz here. I know nothing . Hey you know what? I think the regulators who I have in my pocket and those nitwits on Capitol Hill will buy it .Hopefully the Times will too . Ok, then I guess you know what to do.......

Wall Street reporter Steve Goldman signing off.

Breaking News, Tim Tebow to Play Back-up QB,Fullback, Tightend,Defensive End, Return Punts, Serve as Backup to Jeremy Lin and Act as Jets Chaplain !

So the big press conference was today. The Stage Deli has already named a sandwich after him . His ancestry has been traced to Hackensack 350 years ago and not even a single snap has been taken . All for the bargain price of $2.5 million.
Interesting comment . Rex Ryan was asked where would the Jets play him . Rex said he'll play, " he's a football player "! That reminds me when you asked someone about a girl in high school if she was cute, and the answer was "she's a nice girl ". Get my drift?
So is this town big enough for Jeremy Lin and Tim Tebow? Can they share one pulpit? I mean stage. Will they, Lin and Tim replace "Boomer and Carton " in the morning? Does Tebow like Chinese food ? Living in New York will he become a registered Democrat? Why are you asking me all these questions?
Hey, while I applaud Woody Johnson's business acumen, the jury is still out as to how Tebow will fit in with the Jets . He's a competitor and will probably work harder in the off-season than most.(Not Sanchez you say). Look if if makes 4 or 5 short first downs each week and takes 5 more snaps he can be an asset . Let's hope and pray. I couldn't stop myself. Sorry.
Maybe Mark Sanchez will even let him sleep on his couch.
This has been Jets beat reporter Steve Scoop Goldman reporting.

US Supreme Court ; Justice Kennedy, Nice Job Upholding Accused's Constitutional Protection...You Were "Right On "(Not Right Wing) With Your Vote!

Holy cow! Justice Kennedy , a loyal member of "the Right Wing Five " actually joined the liberal 4 (Ginsberg, Sotomayor et al) and upheld our beloved Constitution .Yes , can you believe it ? Justice Kennedy's vote amazingly resulted in a 5-4 vote in favor of a criminal defendant's right to have "effective legal counsel " during the plea agreement process . Did someone say" no more being sold down the river "?
The most shocking aspect of the vote was that this Supreme Court had been on a steady diet of eliminating individual's constitutional protections ? Scary stuff. Can you imagine if Rick "No Concept " Santorum got in the White House? His Supreme Court Nominees might include Judge Judy, Judge Wapner, Billy Graham Jr., Rick Perry, Ronald McDonald and Sara Palin . A fine group of experienced Jurists as you may well concede .
But for the moment reason, rationality and the strength of the Constitution has defeated the hear no evil, see no evil , say no evil dimwits on the the other side of the bench. Right has defeated wrong...Wait, I'm confused..Right has defeated "Right"..Oh you know what I mean! Keep the" faith" ..Oh sh_t, bad choice of words. Hang(ok no death penalty..I get it) in there!

This has been US Supreme Court analyst S.F. Goldman reporting.

Knicks Win Fourth Straight, Why Did it Take a Coaching Change to Get Maximum Effort From Players?

Hey Mike Woodson is making his presence felt. Defense, effort, defense and more effort are his mottos . Are my eyes deceiving me or are Melo and Amare actually playing defense with effort and intensity? Bottom line with Woodson is if you don't, you'll sit! No matter who you are . Lin is playing under control. Getting familiar with where Melo and Amare like the ball . In this crazy, topsy-turvy season, the Knicks are currently fun to watch.
But one disturbing question comes to mind, why do high-paid professional athletes making "sick money" need a coaching change to put forth maximum effort? Even my friend Joe K , who is almost 60 puts forth maximum defensive effort every game when he plays hoop at the YMCA.
So yes, I'm glad we have effort for the past four games...Will it continue? Time will tell.

Sixers will be a good test tonight...Defense, defense!

Madoff, Wilpon, Katz, Mets, Picard, Bankruptcy Court, District Court....What a Classic "Cluster F__k!

Ding dong the witch is dead. Which old witch ? The wicked witch! Ding dong the wicked witch is dead ! Yes, it's true. After two years of Bankruptcy Court, mediation and District Court, Wilpon et. al and Irving Picard have settled their lawsuit .
While the numbers on paper say $162 million , the reality is that no more than $29 million may actually change hands. Why you say ? Because in addition to the Trustee's claims against Wilpon and Katz, they have claims of their own against Madoff totaling $162 million. So the long and the short of it is, if the Trustee doesn't recover $162 million in the next 3 years for Wilpon's claims then Wilpon and Katz will only have to fork over $29 million to Picard.
This is the biggest Grand Slam the Mets have hit in the last 10 years! Biggest strikeout for Picard.
So what was really accomplished here by Picard? Wilpon and Katz were dragged through the mud. The Mets are in disarray. Picard's law firm earned tens of millions of dollars in fees on this case alone . Judge Rakoff is uniformly recognized as an excellent jurist. And all for what ? A whopping $29 million dollars!
If you ask me I think Picard has been a huge disappointment. Of the nine billion he has recovered, $7 billion was a gift from the billionaire's widow in California. On top of that Picard's law firm has billed a measley $275 million. From the initial claim against Wilpon of $1 billion , $29 million will be paid.
Who were the real stars here? Wilpon's attorneys....That's who!

Let's play ball...Opening day is upon us!

Steve "Scoop " Goldman reporting .

Dennis Kozlowski, He May Be Coming Home...How Time Flies?

Remember Dennis Kozlowski, the former Tyco chief? You know the guy whose million dollar birthday party and $6000 shower curtains essentially got him convicted and a trip "upstate "(8-25 years). Well after serving 7 years, getting time off for good behavior and being a model inmate he has been transferred to a little-known minimum security(work release program) in Manhattan, just north of Central Park. His parole hearing is scheduled for the first week of April.
Kozlowski is 65 or 66 years old and could be out on parole by August 25th? Did someone say second chance ? It's up to him to make the best of his freedom. Does he have any money left? Any family ? Friends ? A place to live ? All interesting questions !
My hunch is that we have a smart, motivated, rehabilitated guy who will be extremely appreciative of his second chance . Only time will tell.

Wall street analyst Steve Goldman reporting.

Knicks Finally Win...Feels Like Deja Vu!

Knicks are 7 and 15 . All hope is lost. No chemistry. They're going nowhere quickly. Carmelo and Amare can't play together . D'Antoni is a bum. No defense. No intensity . No boards . Team is almost unwatchable . Then out of fu__in left field comes Jeremy Lin and "Linsanity " and we're taken on a three week " magic carpet ride "!
But lo and behold reality sets in . It's Melo's fault . It's Amare's fault . Lin has weaknesses. Too many guys in the rotation! D'Antoni must go.. It got ugly real quick. Would they ever win again?
Well last nights' win to me gave me that same feeling as the win against the Nets last month.
Relief, hope, renewed expectation. Interest again. Excitement. Maybe, just maybe playoff basketball in New York on Mother's Day ! Did they actually play "D" last night or was Portland so pitiful? (Figment of my imagination).
I gotta confess. I fell asleep in the 4th quarter, Knicks up 25. When I got up this morning and was drinking my "5 Hour Energy Drink, I was hoping and praying they did not collaspe and blow the lead.
You know what? Even with the NCAA's starting in earnest today, I'm looking forward to Friday nights' game against the Pacers. Are we all gluttons for punishment? Your thoughts?

Dow Hits 13,200, NASDAQ at 3000, Not Bad!!

Is it more jobs? Manufacturing on the rise? More credit? More consumer spending ? Some possible European stability ? Increased investor confidence, or a combination thereof? Whatever the rationale or explanation the DOW and NASDAQ are at or near their all-time highs.
Go figure! Will it continue ? Your thoughts .

This has been market analyst Steve Goldman reporting.

MF Global ; Relief in Sight for Customers, Barclays, RBS and Seaport Group Line up to Buy Claims!

MF Global . Corzine . Commingled funds . Missing customer $$$. Bankruptcy. Congressional hearings. Millions tied up in Britian's Bankruptcy System. Secrecy. Corzine getting a pass . A sequel to Madoff . Auditors, accountants...No answers .
Then lo and behold, a breath of fresh air . Barclays , Royal Bank of Scotland and the Seaport Group ,as reported by The New York Times today, are lining up to buy US customers' distressed claims for 90 and 91 cents on the dollar. Sounds like an offer to good to be true. The "big banks " are betting that all or a great percentage of MF Global's funds will be recouped and they will make money on the spread.
For now, I have two word of advice for MF Global customers...Grab It!!!!!!!!

This has been market watchdog Steve Goldman reporting.

Mike D'Antoni; Fire Him Now or At Season's End?

As positive as things were during the "Lin Streak ", things have gotten negative and nasty quickly . And the negative spiral is only picking up momentum and getting worse. Five straight losses, "no D ", Lin having a rough stretch, the rotation not working ...and shooting woes continue . Frankly, nothing is working ! The Bucks are suddenly on our tail and there is no relief in sight. I know the old adage, the coach doesn't play, the players do...but something has got to give.
Two weeks ago we were basking in a sense of " feeling good about the Knicks ". Now we're all left shaking our heads and slumping our shoulders. What is wrong ? While I don't dislike D'Antoni I have never been in love with his style geared towards offense, offense, offense. Yes it worked to a point with the Suns, but he had "all the Kings' horses and all the Kings' men " . After contemplating my navel over the past two weeks, I have come to a cold, hard conclusion ..The Knicks defense is subpar and you need strong defense to win in the NBA. Chandler plays good "D" . Shumpert is excellent . Jeffries plays hard..But Melo, Amare, Lin , Novak, Baron Davis. Come on. Give me a break. The effort and intensity is just not there. Can Melo and Amare play "D"? I don't know the answer to that question. Do you?
I can tell you one thing . D'Antoni is not the answer . Mike Woodson is . Make the move now, salvage the season. Don't wait till next year ! Still 27 games to go. Your thoughts?

Mets and Madoff ....Was it All Worth it ?

Lets put it this way...The last several years for the Mets, financially and performance- wise have been painful. Attendance down. No money to spend on free agents or to keep em. " Madoff " haunting the Mets' brass every step of the way. I almost feel sorry for the team.
Now , a bad ruling from Judge Rakoff of Federal District Court which effectively rules that the Met owners " were "net winners " from their Madoff investments could force them to "pay back " up to $83 million in fictitious profits . Wilpon and Company will also have a jury decide in a trial set to begin on March 19th whether they are liable for damages of up to $300 million for "willful blindness" . Willful blindness means "that one purposely turned away from learning something because there was a high probability that you would learn something bad that would render improper what you were doing ". Of high significance is the fact that Judge Rakoff has expressed real skepticism about the prospects of the Trustee and his legal team proving this at trial. We shall see !
So with all this looming and Wilpon's empire potentially dwindling from post-Madoff seismic waves, the $64,000 question must be asked , "was getting in bed with the devil himself really worth it " ?
I gather that question will be answered after the upcoming trial is concluded. Your thoughts?

All-Time Stupidest Statements; Rush Limbaugh Calling Sandra Fluke a Slut!

"Right Wing Rush has done it again! Yes , his beyond idiotic statement last week calling the D.C. college student "a slut " ranked right up there in all-time stupidity . He actually apologized ,which is probably "too little , too late" . What is even more mind-boggling is that Limbaugh's syndicated radio show is the most listened to radio show in America ...600 affiliates . Can you imagine?
Let's put it this way, I wouldn't ever admit to listening to that "assinine show " , even under the imminent threat of waterboarding. Actually , being forced to listen to that show for 4 straight hours is probably more extreme torture than being waterboarded . Close one.
So this morning more bad news for Rush. Sponsors have abandoned him, "woman's groups " are unifying to protest and Sandra Fluke may sue(It aint no "fluke"). Rush may be wishing he used a somewhat different word to describe Ms. Fluke .
Oh well . If it all goes to the crapper for Limbaugh, he can take solace in the fact that he'll always have a job as Rick Santorum's campaign manager . Did someone say two peas in a pod ? VP for Ron Paul ? Or maybe Billy Graham's accountant. You get the point.
This has been political analyst Steve "Left-Wing"(not chicken wing you dummy) Goldman reporting.

"Take the Last Train to Clarksville, And I'll Meet You at the Station, You Can Be Here by 4:30 Cause I've Made Your Reservation...Don't Be Slow..

Oh no, no , no".....Davy Jones, the heart-throb(British born) member of the original Monkees passed away at age 66 . Jones the only British born member of the group started with the group in 1966 . They were part of my childhood. Had a tv show too which won 2 Emmys.
I remember one of the happiest days of my young life was when my dad(whose law firm apparently had done some legal work for Don Kirschner) brought me home a black and white autographed picture of the "Monkees " .Signed by everyone. Had it taped (with scotch tape)to my bedroom wall for years! Man, how time flies.
Will always remember their theme song ," Hey, hey we're the Monkees, people say we monkey around , but we're too busy singing to put anybody downnnn....."
You will not be forgotten.