Bonus Bananas November 25, 2011

1) Death of a currency as eurogeddon approaches (The Telegraph) - We've been preoccupied with Thanksgiving in the States this week, but Wednesday's disastrous bund auction may prove to be the stake through the Euro's heart. As German sovereign debt rates rose above those of Britain, it is a clear signal that investors want nothing to do with the Eurozone and even former safe havens like Germany have a massive crisis on their hands. The wife and I have been sort of casually looking for the next place to call home, but this is definitely gonna speed that process up for us.

2) Insight: Extreme makeover BofA: An asbestos solution (Reuters) - As BofA appears ready to slip into the $4 range (maybe as early as today), some interesting solutions to their mortgage exposure are being tossed around. The litigation expenses alone could top $50 billion. Maybe it is time for a one-size-fits-all fix to make the problem go away.

3) IBs, FCMs, and the Impact of MF Global (Wall Street Oasis) - Okay, I've never done this before, but I suspect that many of you were so turkey-drunk yesterday that you missed the piece I promised to write explaining the different relationships in the futures markets and the potential impact that could be felt across all asset classes if it is proven that MF Global misappropriated client funds.

4) 15 BANNED Google Interview Questions That Will Make You Feel Stupid (Business Insider) - We've seen a lot of brainteasers lately on WSO, so I thought you guys would appreciate these that were banned by Google. A couple of them are pretty silly. But that's what happens when you wear roller skates at work and you're not a drive-in waitress.

5) Five Posts Earn 7 Figures At Hedge Funds With $1B+ AUM (FIN Alternatives) - Wanna make a million dollars a year at a hedge fund? It's easy! All you have to do is become CEO, manage over a billion dollars, and you're set!

6) Focus Media Challenges Muddy Waters' Accusations (Wall Street Journal) - I know some of you got short Focus Media after Muddy Waters published a new report claiming the company was the next Sino-Forest. But it turns out Muddy Waters may not have accounted for almost one-third of the LCD screens Focus has in service. It'll be interesting to see how this one shakes out. Unlike Sino-Forest, my sources on the ground in China tell me that Focus screens are everywhere.

7) Wells Fargo Launches Hedge Fund Manager Holdings Index (MarketWatch) - Ever wanted to go head-to-head against the major hedge fund managers but didn't have a way to track their results in real time? Yeah, me neither.

8) At planned Sunny Isles Beach condo, cars and drivers ride elevator home (Miami Herald) - I can't decide if this is baller, or just silly. At a planned new Miami condo complex called the Jetsonesque (yeah, I'm not kidding about the name), you no longer have to deal with a pesky parking garage. You just drive your car into the glass elevator and enjoy the view as you're whisked up to your de-luxe apartment in the sky. I can't wait for the first time the robot arm goes apeshit and tin-cans somebody's Murcielago.

9) Shop owner’s gun apparently will land him back in prison (Washington Post) - If this one doesn't make you feel a little outrage you might not be awake yet this morning. I get why it's a good idea to prohibit felons from owning firearms, but if you own a business in this neighborhood and don't keep a gun behind the counter, you're just asking to be victimized. This is a real shame.

10) 8 Reasons for Freshmen Girls Not to Gain the Dreaded Freshman Fifteen (Not Safe For What?) - Okay, first of all DO NOT open this link from a work computer. Next, do not open this link if you're easily offended. Now that I've got the disclaimers out of the way, enjoy this horribly un-PC piece on why it's a good idea for freshmen girls to hit the treadmill a couple times a week. Remember what you're old Uncle Eddie always says, fellas: You can drink an ugly girl pretty, but you can't drink a fat girl skinny.

The Video of the Week this week is a recent interview with rock star finance author Michael Lewis. It's a great interview because the interviewer clearly doesn't know who he is, or is at the very least completely unaware of his body of work. In spite of that, Lewis is completely gracious and carries the interview. The guy is all class. Truth be told, I was actually kinda pissed when I first saw this, because I couldn't figure out how she got the interview when I've tried to get him on WSO off and on for a couple years now (and I'm even named after someone from his books, for chrissakes). Be that as it may, the interview is worth watching if only to see his man cave, where all the magic is made. Enjoy:

As always, let me know what you think in the comments, and have a great weekend!

 

4) I actually see nothing wrong with most of the questions (or maybe it's because I'm interviewing with consulting firms). I guess it's okay for the interviewer to ask those brainteasers, provided that they look at how the candidates approach the problems rather than the exact answer.

@the video: Of course you can't get Lewis on WSO Uncle Eddie, you look nothing like that piece of pinky dress ;)

My formula for success is rise early, work late and strike oil - JP Getty
 

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