Mash Up Time

New Girl Talk album out for free download...

http://www.illegal-art.net/allday/

Worth checking out...he mashes up a lot of great tunes.

Literary Achievement

Great video.  Yes, I wore a white shirt.  And yes, I got spaghetti.

People actually purchased this book.  Good job, America.

What Do I Do?

The most frequent question an investment banker receives is 'Can you give me a stock tip?'

In actuality, investment bankers put together deals to be transacted in the capital markets to finance companies.  For analysts (those beleaguered youth), that means creating financial models, pitchbooks, and offering documents to help in the origination, registration, execution, and closing of these transactions.

The reason for this post is that I found a hilarious video of an analyst attempting to explain to his mother what he does, which is possibly the most difficult part of the job.

Hunter S. Thompson “Open Letter To The Youth Of Our Nation” (1955)

Young people of America, awake from your slumber of indolence and hark-en the call of the future! Do you realise you are rapidly becoming a doomed generation? Do you realise that the fate of the world and of generations to come rests on your shoulders?  Do you realise that at any time you may be called on to protect your country and the freedom of the world from the creeping scourge of communism? How can you possibly laugh in the face of the disasters which face us all from all sides? Oh ignorant youth, the world is not a joyous place. The time has come for you to dispense with the frivolous pleasures of childhood and get down to honest toil until you are sixty-five. Then and only then can you relax and collect your social security and live happily until the time of your death. Also your insolent attitude disturbs me greatly. You have the nerve to say that you have never known what it is like to live in a secure and peaceful world; you say that the present generation has balled things up to the extent that we now face a war so terrible that the very thought of it makes hardened veterans shudder; you say it is our fault that World War ll  was fought in vein; you say that it is impossible to lay plans for the future until you are sure you have a future. I say Nonsense! None of these things matter. If you expect a future you must carve it out in the face of these things. You also say that you must wait until after you have served your time with the service to settle down. Ridiculous! It is a man’s duty to pull up stakes and serve his country at any time, then settle down again.

I say there is no excuse for a feeling of insecurity on your part;there is no excuse for juvenile delinquency; there is no excuse for your attitude except that you are rotten and lazy! I was never like that! I worked hard; I saved; I didn’t run around and stay out late at night; I carved out my own future through hard work and virtuous living, and look at me now: a respectful and successful man.

I warn you, if you don’t start now it will be too late, and the blame for the end of the world will be laid at your feet. Heed my warning, oh depraved and profligate youth; I say awake, awake, awake! 

Fearfully and disgustedly yours,       John J. Righteous-Hypocrite.        

When Ego Turns Bad

He is absolutely obnoxious, but Kanye has to be one of the most interesting creative artists out there.  He teamed up with Spike Jonze for a cool video, "We Were Once a Fairytale."

Not really sure what I thought about the song he performed at the VMAs yesterday, but I do like "Power." I look forward to his next album and hope that it doesn't have too much Auto-Tunes dragging it down.

Wow. Great Idea.

Could be the greatest idea I've heard in a long time.

Betting on your own grades?  Cool.

What Type of Entrepreneur Are You?

In my quest to become an entrepreneur and develop "the next big thing," I am constantly processing information in order to become either a better businessman/leader or uncover new ideas/opportunities.

An article featured in Inc. magazine on types of entrepreneurs is a helpful tool in this journey.  Most people would not realize that there are (according to the author) five types of entrepreneur.  This self-assessment is a useful tool in helping you strategize and plan how you should run your organization, grow your idea, and best utilize your strengths.

My Thoughts Exactly...

In response to the statements by the new Russian Nets basketball team owner that he does not have a Twitter account, blog, email account, etc., Bill Simmons made the following comment about the potential wisdom in that viewpoint in his article:


"Do we REALLY need all this information? Like, right now -- you're reading this column and hopefully enjoying it, but ultimately, could you have survived the weekend if you missed it? I say yes. Just about everything online fits that mold -- you have to sift through loads of bad writing and irrelevant information to find the occasional entertaining/funny/interesting thing, and even then, it's not something that's making or breaking your week."

Healthcare Bills and My Lack of Thrills

So, many of you have seen this lovefest for the new healthcare bill.  And yes, it's great, let's give people health coverage.  I'm all for it, I feel every American should have the privilege of receiving care.

But yes, people, hear you me, I said "privilege."  When Hancock and the Revolutionary Brethren signed the Declaration, they resoundingly stated the basic human rights of each citizen of this great country, which were later sought to be protected by the Constitution.  And when the Civil Rights Act and subsequent rights acts were made law, they sought to reiterate that sentiment and clearly state that no citizen should be treated differently in the eyes of the government or law due to race, gender, disability, etc.

Nowhere, however, does it state that people have to get drugs to heal their ailments.  Why?  Because that costs money, and the use of that service/product is for the use of the individual for his or his individual benefit.  But defense costs money, right?  And so do parks, and funding for the EPA and SEC, right?  Yes, they do, but those expenditures are for the public good.  Defense keeps our citizens safe, parks are for the enjoyment and use of all citizens, the EPA protects our environment and its organisms to protect the livelihood and well-being of all citizens, and the SEC monitors the capital markets so that all citizens have the security to invest in a (supposedly) even playing field for the protection of and creation of wealth.  Whereas no one benefits if I am able to get antibiotics for my ear infection.  Except me.  And people can make do in their lives without pharmaceuticals.  Today's Americans may deny it, but there was life before Pfizer.  Viagra is not essential to anyone's survival or the survival of our species.  Thus, privilege.

Yet I feel that our society is in a state in its life cycle that national healthcare should be a recognizable goal.  We are a mature economy, with a national defense and education system and the resources to provide healthcare.  We should find a way, and I feel there are viable means to providing healthcare to the masses.

However, I truly fear our sense of entitlement as a society.  Frivolous lawsuits, welfare abuse, unemployment fraud, tax evasion, egregious civil damages from the courts...it seems that Americans across all demographic strata feel that their personal needs are greater than all those around them.  If you don't get your "fair share" (whatever that is), you will go to any length to make sure you get it.  Your doctor messes up in the operating room?  Used to be called "human error" and was a risk associated with getting an operation, is now called a "lawsuit."  Your kid disrupts class and the teachers reprimand him or try to remove his influence?  Used to be called a "generally dislikable and unteachable student" but now the teachers are blamed for "discrimination" and they are no longer allowed to discipline.  You crash your car into someone?  Used to be called "your fault," now you're supposed to keep your mouth shut and let the insurance company's legal team try to prove it was the other driver's fault to have them pay for your repairs.  Whatever happened to "mea culpa" and taking responsibility?  What happened to everyone has an opportunity to excel, to pursue happiness, and thus we should lift each other up because helping one benefits all?  I have seen no evidence of our nation's desire to better itself.  People just expect higher wages, whether their skills have improved or not, more government handouts, and the means to have what their neighbors have, whether they have earned it or not.

Basically, I don't see this whole healthcare situation going well.  Remember when Florida had hurricane problems and insurance companies were suffering losses?  They fled Florida in droves and no one could get homeowners' insurance.  The State had to step in and build an (expensive) insurance segment to backstop the policies and urge insurance companies to stay.  Want to see what happens when insurance companies suffer massive losses from having to cover people with pre-existing conditions or poor personal health habits?  China's not such a bad place for an executive to live.  I'd move my whole operations over there and start insuring the billion people over there that my actuaries tell me are intelligent targets for insurance.  To be honest, their GDP more closely resembles capitalism than ours at this point.  Go there; come back and tell me it doesn't.  And say I don't want to leave and go open up shop in China?  I'll just threaten to do so until the U.S. government steps up and says it will guarantee my losses.  That should work, since we know that massive corporations can pay monumental salaries to executives but still suffer losses so large that the government has to step in, and they receive barely a slap on the wrist.  So why go into meltdown; just have the government guarantee you from the outset.

So you say "Well, insurance companies, bah, we live in a capitalist economy, someone will step up and figure out how to securitize/hedge the risks and profit."  Great.  But what about malpractice insurance?  How long until an overworked doctor (because we aren't going to have enough practitioners to handle the influx of patients) or an undertrained doctor (same story here) slips with the knife or doesn't diagnose properly and gets sued for some ungodly amount?  Thanks to bus stop and late night television advertising, anyone can dial an 800 number and get a lawyer to sue the bejesus out of a doctor.  They make a lot of money, right?  They can afford to pay me when they mess up.  Nevermind that they slaved away in high school, college, medical school, and a residency and amassed massive debts in order to get where they are.  But I work eight hours a day, why don't I get paid that much money!?  You didn't go to medical school and suffer through a residency, that's why.  That sacrificed years of their lives to earn that salary and that position.  So anyway, either we're going to have to pass legislation (more of it, you see, that's why our politicians have jobs, because we can't restrain ourselves or admit responsibility so someone else has to) putting caps on damages or backstop malpractice insurance.  Or else eradicate lawyers more stringently based on frivolous lawsuits, which may provide a nice solution.  If only the Bar would take a more aggressive stance on the issue.

Which leads me to another issue: student loans.  Like I mentioned, a lot of doctors amass huge debt loads to get through school.  So do lawyers, MBAs, and...well...just about everyone who does not have wealthy parents or are wildly successful teen entrepreneurs.  Remember (back when I was in school) when you filled out an application, a bank reviewed it, and if it met its lending standards, the bank would loan you the money at really low interest rates?  Well, those low rates were possible because the government was subsidizing (or guaranteeing, thus reducing the risk and therefore the necessary interest rate charges) your student loans.  Guess what?  The government screwed it up a few years ago; changed the whole system.  Then, a couple months later admitted that they had screwed up.  But instead of reverting back to the old, working model, they decided to put another new system in place.  Not as good as the original, but workable, for now.  A number of lenders fled the student loan market, but there were enough remaining to keep equilibrium.  But now, this administration is proposing we shift all student loans to the federal government.  Great, more risk, more cash outflows on the US balance sheet.  Remember when the private lending sector overloaded on risky loans and put them on their balance sheets instead of allowing outside investors to purchase them to spread risk across the system and lessen its impact?  I remember, because Lehman and Bear Stearns (who employed people far more intelligent and financially savvy than the US government) eventually collapsed under the stress on their balance sheets.  Stress that could have been avoided had they not decided to keep everything to themselves.  So now, instead of highly specialized institutions issuing loans to students and assuming some risk, we're going to have the government issuing all loans and taking on alllllll the risk.  Sounds like genius.  Remember over the past year how many times you've heard that "too big fail is *" (*insert expletive here)?  Well, does that apply to our government as well?  Who's going to bail it...I mean, US, out?  Did you notice my double entendre there...us meaning the possessive we or the acronym for our nation?

Now, back to my original thought...I don't see this healthcare thing going well.  So let's look past the issues I've raised thus far, ignore the hurdles to the actual realization of an efficient, workable system of nationalized healthcare.  Let's instead focus on another sobering issue: the fiscal reality of it all.

This is where it gets interesting.  So I keep hearing that the plan is going to cost $948B and reduce the deficit by $138B.  And I understand that a lot of time and effort and calculation went into determining those figures. Good for the number crunchers in the Congressional Budget Office.  I'm sure they're very talented and do a great job.  One caveat...they only do what they're told.  Here's the situation: you're supposed to look at a static situation, apply the inputs/assumptions and the specifics of the policy and discern the composite impact.  Guess what?  Don't know if you've noticed, but the economy is not static.  Go ask one of the hundreds of quantitative hedge funds or regional commercial and mortgage banks that blew up over the past three years if the economy is static and they'll give you a very swift answer. So ask the CBO if they included the number of small businesses that would cut their employee health benefits plans, forcing their employees onto the government plans.  With 9-10% unemployment and plenty of employable talent, I wouldn't care about providing health insurance to my employees.  If you're replaceable, no insurance for you!  Build that into your model, CBO, I dare you.  Small businesses employ the majority of Americans.  If they start shedding plans to save costs and offload them onto the government, guess how that changes the budget.

So, as you can see, all of my apprehension stems around cost.  Unforeseen, unmitigable, unrealized risks associated with increased costs of the program.  A good program?  Maybe...time will tell.  But a program that costs what they say it will and will - get this - decrease the deficit?  Good luck.

Which brings me to the crux of my fears: our out of control government spending.  Is government necessary?  Absolutely.  Should our country nationalize most major programs?  Worthwhile debate.  But should our government be digging holes that may lead to the country's firesale to Chinese, Japanese, and Middle Eastern debt holders in ten years' time?  No.  Like any good Chief Executive, his management team, and his trusty Board of Directors, our President, his Administration, and our Congress should be doing some serious cost-benefit analysis on ALL segments of the government and making the tough decisions.  "Change" is not always for the good.  We should not change simply for the sake of change, as we did with student loans and healthcare.  We should be assessing the current state of our nation, and understand that we have a lot of issues to resolve and a lot of inefficiency to eliminate.

We need to fix our infrastructure.  We need to reform our tax code and minimize the IRS but maximize tax revenues.  We need to set up a solid carbon credit or other environmentally conscious method of capping emissions and pushing for cleaner production.  We need to seek alternatives to foreign energy dependence.  We need to aid our most vulnerable states in their financial crises.  We need to stabilize the real estate markets by getting people jobs and encouraging rational spending and economic stimulation.  We need to enact more precise regulatory measures on our financial markets to avoid corporate collapse and fraud.  We need to do some soul-searching on education and determine why our system is lagging the other rising world powers.  We need to revisit our political stance in foreign affairs and devise a strategy for dealing with international conflict more effectively.

What do all of these issues have in common?  They are all issues facing our nation, but they are all issues that can save massive amounts of taxpayers' dollars and shrink our deficit....if solved correctly with implementable strategies.  And then - THEN - we could put a comprehensive health care bill in front of our leaders, and they would evaluate it, revise it, and pass it with flying colors.  I didn't see a lot of bitter feuding surrounding the validity of providing health care to our citizens.  I saw a lot of feuding surrounding how we are going to pay for it.  And that, in my estimation, is the key aspect here.

The Enigma of Wake BBall

I am a diehard fan, yet will never understand the curse that is Wake Forest basketball.  The Wall Street Journal analyzed the last 20 years of the NCAA Tournament and determined that we are the biggest underperformer in the entire field.  And yes, we are a small school of 4,000 kids and it is recognized that we perform at a high level in relation to student body, but so does Duke.

But it's not only the wins and losses, it's how we win and lose.  Tonight was the fifth overtime game of this season for the Deacs.  Fifth.  All of which we held a lead and let a team back in the game.  We were beating Texas handily late in the second half by 12, then let them all the way back to tie it up and go to overtime.  Then, instead of coming out and reasserting ourselves, we let them go up by 8.  Luckily this team found its heart.  Last year, when the going got tough in the tourney, the team (2 of whom are now in the NBA) packed it in and decided that the Final Four wasn't worth fighting for.  But this team has Ish Smith.  Not since Taron Downey have I believed in a Wake player so much.  Ish and Taron have that Brad Pitt as a gypsy in an underground fight in Snatch quality where they never realize they're down and should be out, but instead pop right back up swinging and take you to the brink before sinking a dagger in your heart.  And tonight, Ish's dagger found its mark and sunk the Longhorns in OT.  So while I will always be puzzled by Wake's uncanny ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and choke at the highest level, tonight I will bask in the happiness that accompanies a solid NCAA Tourney victory.  At least until Saturday when we face #1 seed Kentucky...

March Madness

If you are like me, March Madness is a time of fun and exciting basketball, but also of extreme frustration and angst.  Every year, I fill out brackets, and every year I doubt my picks and second guess my basketball knowledge.  And every year I pay hard-earned money to participate in a bracket.  And every year I lose that money.  But not just to anybody; usually to someone that has NO CLUE about college basketball.  Which just goes to show you that it's anybody's guess who wins.  All the analysis, watching games all year, evaluating the brackets...doesn't end up having a bearing on how well you do in the pool.

In the end, these are 18-22 year old kids playing in strange cities in front of boisterous crowds on national tv with nothing but school pride and a love for the game driving them.  Some are showcasing skills for that million dollar a year paycheck, but most are simply out there because they want to be.  They represent themselves, family, college, hometown...in the end, they play because of emotion and a desire to win.  And when that is the case, anything can happen.  And it usually does.

My alma mater, Wake Forest University, straps up for a trip to New Orleans as a #9 seed to play #8 Texas. Having lost four games in a row before snapping the streak, only to get annihilated by a focused Miami squad in the ACC Tournament, my bet would not be on this team.  The Deacs are not playing well and I'm sure confidence is low.  But that's what makes this matchup interesting.  Texas is a similar team; almost identical in terms of profile.  Athletic, experienced teams with some great non-conference wins battling in tough major conferences, but suffering from inconsistency and bipolar disorder on the floor.  One of these teams will turn it around, and one of them could contend if the momentum goes their way.  When you have seniors on the court for potentially their last organized basketball game of their career, uncommon valor abounds.  This will be a dogfight, and I'm not going to give up hope until the final buzzer sounds.  And hopefully my dog is the one left standing.  I know I will be...I'll be on my feet for 40 minutes, cheering and holding my breath for every shot.  Because isn't that what March Madness is all about?

Bronson

Stylish, hilarious, insanity at its finest...this is Bronson.  A biopic on the notorious British criminal whose boxing name came from the American film badass, Charles Bronson, this film is amazing.

Warden:  69 days, was it?  69 days all to yourself; another of your prison records broken.  So tell me, Charles Bronson, what exactly did you do with yourself for these 69 days.
Bronson:  I was building an empire.  Mmhmm.
Warden:  You're ridiculous.

Tom Hardy was simply brilliant as Charles Bronson.  Borderline psychotic yet outrageously hilarious, he is larger than life and makes this one of the most fun films I've seen in a long time.

If you don't mind challengingly deviant films dealing with fighting, mental instability, fighting, prison, and fighting, then check this out.  It is definitely an enjoyable trip.

Cameras

For her birthday, Sarah wants a camera.  She did the research and for any of you looking, it may be of some help in making your decision.

Her assessment:

I think the right fit would be an Digital SLR:

According to reviews, the two most highly recommended choices are as follows and reviews are basically even;
Nikon D3000  (or D40 or D60 is the same thing with a few tiny additional features)
and the Canon EOS XS and XSi

They both take beautiful pictures and I cannot find any discerning difference.  Apparently in the photography world you are either a Nikon person or a Canon person and from there you chose one or the other.  The Nikon and the Canon are both good for beginners - you can use as a point and shoot and start to play around with features.  Once you become more advanced they are a good base if you buy lenses, etc....

The Leica is a beautiful camera but considered a "compact" not an SLR.  I think it is basically more for photographers who don't want to lug around their equipment to weddings, traveling, etc.  It does not have as many features/things to play around with which is why I thought a SLR might be better for me to learn how to take pictures.

Also, the Wall Street Journal among other publications have written about it too much in trend peices and they have since jacked up the price $300 to around $800 since the fall.

The Kid Stays in the Picture

I had heard of Robert Evans before, being an avid movie buff, but never realized the extent to which he has had such an impact on my love for film.  An actor, producer, and former head of Paramount, Robert Evans was behind some of the most influential and important movies ever to come out of Hollywood.

But that is not why I write this post.  Robert Evans, and this well-done and gripping documentary based on his memoirs, also stands (in my mind, at least) as a metaphor for the Hollywood dream.  From the chance meeting that launched his career to the battles with Francis Ford Coppola that created a movie that defined the medium in the Godfather, his story embodies the highs and the lows, the glamor and the drama, and larger than life personas that drive the dream.  For those of us that have the same dream, his story documents that it can be done; that passion can drive success; that hard work and a commitment to your vision can breed success; but that also it must be nurtured and cared for or just as easily lost.

I am not captivated by movie stars - particularly today's breed where talent is often overshadowed by a beautiful face or the ability to entertain the paparazzi - but instead am enthralled by the personas that drive the industry and help create the films that affect lives and inspire creative revolution.  Robert Evans was one of those personas.  To anyone who shares my interest, I recommend you give this film a deserved viewing.

WFU Soccer: The Franchise

I always enjoyed watching my friend Vicente Bastidas as he starred for the Wake Forest soccer team, typically ranked in the top five in the country. Then, a couple years after we graduated, they went to three straight College Cups (Final Fours) and won a National Championship.

This past week, they set the record with four first round draft picks. Pretty impressive for Jay Vidovich and his squad.

Excerpt from this article:

San Jose selected Wake Forest defender Ike Opara with the third overall pick. Opara marked the first of a MLS-record four first-round draft picks out of the same school. Demon Deacons teammates Zack Schilawski (ninth overall to New England), Corben Bone (13th overall to Chicago) and Austin Da Luz (14th overall to New York) rounded out the complement.

"We call it the franchise because (Wake has) produced so many players," Opara said.

Great Quote

"From whence shall we expect the approach of danger? Shall some trans-Atlantic military giant step the earth and crush us at a blow? Never. All the armies of Europe and Asia...could not by force take a drink from the Ohio River or make a track on the Blue Ridge in the trial of a thousand years. No, if destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men we will live forever or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln

Me on Fox Business

So I was getting drinks with my boss and a client at the Waldorf Astoria's Bull and Bear Bar today...they also happen to film Fox Business' Happy Hour there...check me out in the background of this clip...I'm the handsome guy in the sharp suit drinking a Crown and Coke.

Nails

It's almost a year old, but this was a great article on the downfall of Lenny Dykstra.

Growing up and playing baseball, I was the smallest and, most of the time, fastest guy on the team. The way I stood out was to play harder, be tougher, and do the little things better than everyone else on the field. Which is why I loved guys like Dykstra, Brett Butler, Ryne Sandberg, Kirby Puckett, etc. These guys played the game that way and I looked up to them as guys who did things the right way.

Unfortunately, personally they represent some of the worst guys in the game. Kirby Puckett, although he gave heartily to his community, was a womanizer and abused women. Brett Butler chewed tobacco constantly and was known to give it out to children, knowing the addictive and life-threatening issues associated with it. And Dykstra...well, his megalomania and paranoia know no bounds, as evidenced by this article. Which is sad, because the Street could use a guy like him...someone with flare, charisma, and who didn't graduate Ivy and get handed a post at a bulge bracket investment bank. Someone that everyday people can associate with and show that by watching the markets and learning about different products and strategies they too can participate in the game. But, again, we see the evil side of another sports star, another flashy guy in a jet out there pushing a dream that is not based in reality, and the innocent, hard-working people get hurt. Seems like a common theme in too many ESPN and Wall Street Journal articles.

Officiating

Great article on officiating. In two games in the ACC this weekend, including one for my very own Wake Forest Demon Deacons, an egregious no-call in the final seconds sent the game to overtime when it never should have gone there. I believe in letting the players play...anyone who knows me knows that I do not believe in calling many fouls...but when it is glaringly obvious and intentional it must be called. Particularly in the final minutes. There is no excuse for that. Good thing Wake won anyway, otherwise I'd be livid.

The WriteMinds Concept

Great blog by Clay Jones on one of our projects...look forward to getting it out there and moving. Will do my own writeup shortly.

Movie Trailer Music

Thus is solved one of the great mysteries surrounding music in entertainment...good thing that car commercials don't do the same thing or else we'd all be screwed.

CNN Article on Movie Trailer Music

They forget to mention, though, the greatest use of Carmina Burana in the history of filmmaking...the intro scene to Jackass.

My DJ Booth

RGreenTown on Blip.fm

My Neighborhood

Yorkville is my section of the Upper East Side of NYC...here is the Times' slideshow on my place of residence

Welcome to RGreenTown

Thus begins my personal blog...

My name is Ryan. This is me:

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=7203174

Twitter - http://twitter.com/RGreenTown

LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/ryangreenwfunyc

Myspace - myspace.com/rgreentown