Bonus Bananas August 30, 2013
1) Has JPMorgan become a 'piñata bank'? (CNBC) - It sure looks that way. At the very least they're the flavor of the month over at the DOJ and SEC.
2) Ackman Takes Big Hit With J.C. Penney Sale After Grand Plan Fails (Forbes) - I'd love to interview Ackman, and one of the first questions I'd ask him is, "How does it feel to lose a half billion dollars on one transaction?" Because I'd really like to know.
3) Angela Merkel says Greece should never have been allowed to join the euro (The Independent) - So this has the Greeks up in arms, which is strange because Merkel isn't saying anything the whole world hasn't known for a decade now. Greece fudged the numbers to sneak into the Eurozone - it ain't exactly headline news.
4) This $7,000 Master's Degree Is Scaring Colleges (Business Insider) - It's happening. The first legitimate, recognized, all-online masters degree for a fraction of the cost of sitting in the classroom. When this college bubble bursts, it is going to be brutal.
5) Average cost to raise a kid: $241,080 (CNN Money) - What are you going to do with all the money you saved on your masters degree? Pollute the planet with your wretched progeny, of course! And you can forget about that quarter million dollar average price tag. Nobody on WSO wants an average kid. Your figure is closer to a million. Or you could just enjoy your life. Your call.
6) Theories on Why Women Don't Enjoy Succeeding at Work as Much as Men Do (The Atlantic) - This is pretty interesting stuff. I knew men and women were wired differently, but is it possible that success just doesn't excite women the same way it does men?
7) Serial Entrepreneurs – The Founders Who Pursue Multiple Opportunities (Funders & Founders) - If you liked Jared's piece on Elon Musk yesterday, you're gonna love this infographic. Billionaires are cool.
8) Inside the World's Most Dangerous Amusement Park (Mashable) - This is hands down the best thing you will read/see this week. I'd love to hear from any of you who were old enough to visit "Traction Park". It sounds awesome.
9) The Gangster in the Huddle (Rolling Stone) - This exposé on the Aaron Hernandez case will leave you breathless. It sure sounds like they've got him dead to rights on at least this murder.
10) Report: Cranston Cast as Lex Luthor (Daily Beast) - This has yet to be confirmed, but if true it represents one of the best castings in recent Hollywood memory. Even if it isn't, it got all the haters to focus on something other than Ben Affleck wearing the cowl. It even led to a
.Video of the Week:
The video of the week this week is a TED talk which dovetails pretty nicely from my post about Facebook on Wednesday. The speaker asks the question, "Why does everyone hate the millennial generation?" and then goes on to compare my generation (those born between 1960-1980) and your generation (1980-2000). I have to agree with his conclusion: we're basically a bunch of cynical dicks, and you guys are pretty cool overall.
That's it for this week, guys. Let me know what you think in the comments and enjoy the long weekend!
It's not news to the world, but its pretty astonishing that she finally had the balls to say it. Next: Round 2 of Greece asking for reparations for World War 2 and their suffering from the Nazis.
I wasn't old enough to go to Action Park, but my three older brothers use to go when they were younger. They said it was the most fun place they could go to as kids, and they never left without someone bleeding.
For #4, the 1 year MBA at HEC Montreal only costs 7k for Quebec residents and its a pretty good school
Action Park looks like the tits.
5) Geez Eddie, you sure you have two kids with that response? Haha
ITF, re:#5, I have three kids, but Eddie is right lol. I love 'em to death, but man.... It's like an 80s trading floor in my house.
In regards to #2, there is still just something about Bill Ackman that I love. Maybe it's how much I enjoyed "Confidence Game" but he just strikes me as so very interesting.
9) Crazy some of the shit that goes on in professional sports. I really can't believe some of the stuff that he got away with in regards to drug testing. How can a pro athlete be doing angel dust and still be allowed to play?
4 - It will get real interesting if schools start to offer undergrad. The issue with these Masters programs is they are legit with admissions; so this masters requires a BS in CS or something close plus the whole admissions review. If I want to expand my knowledge in a formal matter, I still only have the free courses. These are getting more substantial, but it is still a random grouping.
I heard that #10 is false, and that some fan website put this news out... still would pretty cool, and who knows, it might turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy in the end.
6 - I don't doubt that there are biological factors, but stop and think about the mindset we instill in children. If you teach them that a 'man' is in charge, then the powerful and all pervading principle of cognitive dissonance causes people to frame their reality in terms of that....a huge part of this is learned. I look over at the female MD in the group next to me and that woman openly LOVES the queen bee power. Most women I know who are very successful weren't "properly" raised to know their "role", and don't want to be bothered with other people's expectations of them. Who the hell doesn't like having a new car and wardrobe every couple of years? All hail the warrior woman, I'm a fan.
8 - ACTION FUCKING PARK BABY!! First time I went there I was like 5 years old. The rides were AWESOME and as I grew I got to go on the better ones. Scariest ride was a long ass water tunnel down a hill, in total darkness, that emptied 15 feet above water level into an pool filled by an ICE cold mountain stream. No cholorine, filters, or lifeguard, and you could see fish swimming around...just pure adrenaline. The most dangerous ride was a scooter that slid down a luge-like track (with very low sides) on the mountain using only a hand brake. This wasn't some hill, it was the same mountain that you could see ski slopes on, and you went --->FAST! If you cornered too hard or hit a hill to fast, you could easily fly off into the woods and more than a few people did. What did they do? Picked themselves up, dusted off, and dragged their cart back onto the track. There were no disclosures that I remember, booze everywhere, and the whole family came down. I think if you'd met my dad you'd have been drinking buddies: he said the park was the closest thing to his time in the Marines except for hunting, he loved that place. Aside from a cool rollercoaster here and there, amusement parks were ruined for me at an early age, nothing really compes close. Probably why I surf, I'm always looking for that rush and nothing beats the week before a hurricane.
I've avoided the TED bandwagon for some time but watched about 20 hours worth this week. They're pretty cool. I'm half millenial, being born right on the changeover, and I don't really get what all the fuss is about....this video kind of put things in perspective.
9 - I actually left with i different impression than you. I am 100% convinced that he should spend the rest of his life in jail, but I think he might walk on this one.
It's pretty clear that they have very good circumstantial evidence, but I don't think they're going to get anyone to testify that he pulled the trigger. If that's the case, his legal team should be able to get him off of Murder One. I'm no legal expert, but this seems like a disaster waiting to happen.
I'm actually quite amused you yanks think action park is a that scary. We have the equivalent of that in Australia (called Jamberoo Action Park), same rides, less sooking about how 'scary' it is.
Fuckin' A, we got Crocodile Dundee up in here
Saw the Action Park piece earlier in the week. A bunch of buddies from the East Coast had been to it and one credited the loop slide with his first ever broken nose...sad I never got to experience the mayhem
4 This is great news, and I can't wait to see how this type of education keeps evolving. I just don't see how the rising cost of higher education can sustain its trend for the long-term.
Eddie, I'm curious if you read this article from the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/08/27/the-tuition-…
Personally I don't think his argument against signaling was strong enough to convince me. In my opinion, college admissions counselors should start working for corporations and safe everyone a bunch of time and money.
The key to breaking the cycle of students and parents bankrupting themselves to obtain a degree of dubious value really rests with employers. When employers drop the more or less arbitrary requirement of a "degree" and instead focus on applicants' actual skills then you'll see the traditional university model become obsolete.
And it won't be too soon.
@Scott Irish: Yes, but you enjoy your life, don't you? :-)
I want to go to Action Park.
@In The Flesh absolutely, the little devils are worth every penny!
Boom.
The cost of raising a prince:
http://money.cnn.com/2013/07/23/news/royal-baby-costs/index.html?iid=EL
10: The below is definitely the best trailer I have seen.
"There is a Superman. Earth's true enemy... We will seek out and find this enemy, and we will destroy it." "Man of Steel 2: Superman vs Batman Trailer 2015 (Ben Affleck)":
I like the one I linked to a little better, but these fan-made trailers are getting unbelievably sophisticated. Who has that kind of time???
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