Open Thread

Talking about French women: my French roommate has her daughter (30’s) visiting and is she dressy. I asked her today how on earth she packed all those clothes (and boots, and scarves and vests) and she just laughed. Guess it’s for her to know and others to wonder.

She’s making lunch for us today…so far it’s been 1-1/2 hours!

There is a much lower percentage of women with kids in Manhattan than in Brooklyn. And the Manhattan moms tend to have a lot more money, therefore more help with kids and cleaning, etc.

Most Park Slope parents schlep their laundry to the laundromat–a downside of Brownstone living unless you own the brownstone and have a machine in the basement.

WHERE’S STEVIE B and the other TARP haters???????

TARP May Cost Less Than One-Tenth Initial Estimate
Sept. 30 (Bloomberg) — Bailed-out banks, insurers, and automakers are a sore spot for millions of Americans hit hard by the financial crisis. Candidates running in November, especially those waving the Tea Party banner, are using “no more bailouts” as their mantra to attract voters. Yet there’s a disconnect between the political rhetoric and the facts on the ground.
The U.S. Treasury Department’s investments in banks through the Troubled Asset Relief Program have done surprisingly well, Bloomberg Businessweek reports in its Oct. 4 issue. Lower-than- expected losses on auto and insurance company rescues, as well as the financial markets’ return to strength, mean the $700 billion rescue plan launched in October 2008 will cost less than one-tenth its initial price tag.
“The TARP may well be the best and most useful federal program that has ever been despised by the public,” says Douglas J. Elliott, a fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former JPMorgan Chase managing director.
As Treasury gets ready to shut down the spending phase of the TARP program on Oct. 3, it now expects to turn a $16 billion profit on the $250 billion it plowed into banks in 2008 and 2009. And TARP’s final price tag is expected to be about $50 billion, according to an Obama Administration official.
The Congressional Budget Office in August had estimated a
$66 billion loss. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is expected to brief President Barack Obama today on the brighter outlook.

“When all is said and done, this program will be viewed as one of the most effective and least costly forms of assistance” in the financial crisis, says Herbert M. Allison Jr., the former Merrill Lynch executive and Fannie Mae official who has shepherded the rescue effort for Geithner and leaves the job today.

it’s because most women who live in manhattan are on the prowl for a man, usually a man with as much money as possible. then once they find them they trade their hot clothes, move to brooklyn and start wearing gross yoga fart pants. honestly you might be right. maybe park slope really IS full of fuglies. i guess i never notice cuz normally i keep my head down and dont look people in the eye when im walking around.

*rob*

>However, regarding wearing one BACKWARDS…I would never talk to a man over 10 wearing a baseball cap that way.

>but let’s discuss some of these messy men in Park slope – I mean come on!!! why are you wearing Teva’s and board shorts in 50 degree weather with your old college sweatshirt?

Agred PS men (and men in general) are bad. I was surprised when I moved here and would invite people over and the men wouldn’t make the least effort to not look slobby. I think I’ve been affected by this after 10 years, I don’t dress up much, either. But at least I never wear sneakers.