Bonus Bananas April 5, 2013

1) MF Global Trustee's Report Blasts Former CEO Corzine (Wall Street Journal) - Good God. Is it possible this scathing report will be the wooden stake through the heart of Jon Corzine's career? Seriously, how many chances does one guy get? I wouldn't let this guy work the register at McDonald's.

2) Former Goldman Trader Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud (Dealbook) - I almost feel bad for Matthew Taylor. He's 34 years old and facing three years in the can for basically fabricating $8 billion worth of trades while at Goldman in 2007. He cost the firm $120 million in losses plus another $1.5 million in fines, all to save his $1.6 million bonus. Thems the breaks.

3) Survey Says 35% Of Hedgies Feel Pressure To Break Rules (FIN Alternatives) - With the arrest of Michael Steinberg and the ongoing investigation at SAC, it seems like everyone in the hedge fund world is nervous right now. And if you're wondering why it's because they all think the competition is cheating, and they're feeling the pressure to cheat just to keep up. Pretty fascinating survey results here.

4) As Market Heats Up, Trading Slips Into Shadows (CNBC) - Over the past few weeks as much as 40% of the trading volume in stocks has taken place off-exchange in unregulated dark pools. That's probably okay, right?

5) Henry Blodget Is Quietly Planning a Stunning Return to Wall Street (AllThingsD) - It's no secret that Blodget got one of the rawest of raw deals on Wall Street in the days before Eliot Spitzer became known as Client #9. He's turned himself into a force to be reckoned with in the media world, but his lifetime suspension from the Street has always stuck in his craw.

6) Why Asia's elite is signing up for American MBAs (CNN Money) - If it seems like there are more Asians in business schools around the US it's not an illusion. Demand for American MBA degrees is skyrocketing in China, and some Chinese executives are stacking American MBAs on top of the Chinese MBAs they already hold.

7) HOW TO MAINTAIN MOTIVATION WHEN YOUR GOALS ARE EPIC (Fast Company) - Here are the motivation strategies of seven BSDs across various industries, and it's some really solid advice. Leah Busque's contribution reminds me of the old adage, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time."

8) Russian Billionaire Wants to Create Cyborgs for Real (Mashable) - Are you ready for the Singularity? Dmitry Itskov is. And he's laid out a plan to get us there by 2045. If the sound of traveling around the globe at the speed of light and living forever appeals to you, check this out.

9) Troy Knapp, a Ghost in the Backcountry (Men's Journal) - After seven years on the run in the wilderness from one of the largest manhunts ever organized, Troy Knapp was captured on Tuesday. Here's his incredible story.

10) Surrender to Tim Ferriss: The Dynamo Behind the ‘4-hour’ Books Should Run Your Life (And Maybe Our City) (NY Observer) - Great interview with Ferriss about health policy, the NYC soda ban, and why it should be illegal for women with more than 20% body fat to wear stretch pants with "Juicy" on the ass.

Bonus Bonus Banana:

11) If Game Of Thrones took place entirely on Facebook: Season 3, Episode 1. (Happy Place) - I can't believe this. Two weeks in a row with a last minute entry too good to skip. Absolutely. Fucking. Glorious.

Video of the Week:

The following movie trailer is fascinating on a lot of different levels. The movie is called The Purge and it tells the story of an American future where the unemployment rate is 1% and violent crime is virtually non-existent. How, you ask? It's because once a year for 12 hours anything goes: you can commit any crime you want, including murder, and there are no consequences. Presumably folks blow off enough steam during this one-night orgy of violence to behave themselves the rest of the year. It got me thinking: is this what America needs to get back on track? Do we just need to blow off steam in a really big way and then get back to work? Check it out, and you're gonna wanna go FULL SCREEN on this one:

That's it for this week, guys. I'm off to Honfleur for the weekend to enjoy a little of the terroir. Let me know what you think of this week's Bananas in the comments, and have a tremendous weekend!