I'm filing this item under schadenfreude: That shameful feeling of joy we get at the failing and suffering of others, especially people we dislike intensity.

Trump Mortgage is closing its doors less than two years after it began. The venture got off to a rocky start when it turned out the man tapped to run it, E.J. Ridings, had inflated his credentials.

According to The New York Post:

Trump played down his role in Trump Mortgage, saying it was just a licensing deal and he didn't have an ownership stake.

Trump is, however, licensing his name to First Meridian Mortgage, a lender that is being renamed Trump Financial.

Of course, Trump was talking about that when Trump Mortgage was going to be the next big thing.

Trump Mortgage closes shop originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 06 Aug 2007 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Donald still stuck with his casinos originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 27 Jun 2007 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc. (NASDAQ:TRMP), the casino company fronted by the helmet-haired star of "The Apprentice," is up for sale.

Of course, those are not the words the company used. Reuters uses the diplomatic language of "weigh strategic options for financing, capital structure and other alternatives." Usually, the "alternatives" companies weigh involve avoiding getting its butt kicked by its competitors.

Trump hasn't been the King of Atlantic City for a long time. When I get the urge to gamble (my house is about 60 miles or so from Atlantic City), I hit the Borgota, or the Tropicana, anywhere but a Trump property which just aren't as nice.

Adding to the Donald's woes is the recent start of gambling in nearby Pennsylvania. Gamblers from the Philadelphia area don't have to travel far to play the slots and Atlantic City casinos now have to dole out more comps to keep their patrons happy.

Trump may sell all of its casinos or refinance them, according to media reports. My bet is that the banks aren't going to be interested in helping Trump the company out if Trump the businessman is involved at all. Trump may wind up being a brand mascot like Colonel Sanders. Still, I bet that larger casino operators will be interested in some if not all of Trump's properties that are being shopped by Merrill Lynch & Co. (NYSE:MER)

This places NBC in a bind. "The Apprentice" is predicated on the position that Trump is a huge sauces. Maybe the season of the program will feature the suck-ups -- I mean apprentices -- having a garage sale on the Atlantic City boardwalk. I would even tune in to watch.

Donald Trump's casinos are for sale originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 11 Mar 2007 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is written as part of AOL Money & Finance's Best & Worst 2006. You can vote for Donald Trump's hair as the Worst Signature Style.

Good Mr. Trump, he of the fluffy comb-over, had a heck of a year in 2006. We should all be so lucky (he would ascribe luck to none of it, of course, but that is another matter)!

Just a few of his accomplishments:

• The Iconic Donald saw his net worth rise again above a mere five billion dollars.
• He is erecting buildings all over the world, including a Trump Tower in Dubai. The Hair is literally global.
• He married a stunning model, half his age, and fathered a lovely son whom he subtly named Baron. He has stated for the record that he does not and will not change the baby's diapers.
• His television show, The Apprentice, is literally one of the top-rated shows in television. To demonstrate that his Trumpian blood line lives on, he fired his firm professionals from the show and put both of his genetically perfect children on camera alongside him. And they are articulate and on the ball, like pop.
• To put a capper on his TV dominance he put a smack down on his "friend" and Apprentice ingénue, Martha Stewart, when she attempted her own show and talked down the D-man. Nobody does that! Wonder how he handles his enemies when they cross him?

And now, at year end, he is giving foreign-policy style speeches and musing about running for president. And like our current president, the Donald does not drink alcohol. No wonder he is always so crisp.

Continue reading Best & Worst: The Donald as hair icon

Best & Worst: The Donald as hair icon originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 06 Dec 2006 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.