One, Killing Zoe is a pretty dope movie. It is one of the few movies out there that depicts the often overlooked “Heroin Heist Man/ Grunge Heist Man” era of the early 1990’s.
I remember this era well from back when I was a young cub. I vividly recall going over to these older G’s crib in my hood and seeing them shooting up “post heist” (I often bought weed from them and rolled by their crib to see what was going down). They were all high as a kite and there was some “dye-pack ruined” dollar bills in the bath tub. Pretty ugly scene.
But that’s neither heron spikes or Mike and Ike’s.
The other thing I like about the flick is that it covers the typical drug fueled night with locals that everyone has experienced multiple times while traveling.
Also, there is a great lesson to be learned in the movie: getting the loot it is one part, getting away with it is another, exchanging it for dough is the most important.
Lastly, this version of Killing Zoe is in Spanish. So its good for language practice. Additionally, it is great to sit back and watch it with a beautiful Colombian Girl in your palatial apartment on the northside of Bogotá, Colombia while sipping on Malbec and taking a break from the frenetic nightlife of Zona Rosa and Parque 93.
Not like I would know anything about that though.
Ha. Life is good.
In Boxing News, Lucas Matthysse defeats DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley.
In one of the most dubious refereeing jobs in recent memory, former world champion DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley was allowed to be dropped NINE times in dropping about to Lucas Matthysse via eighth round stoppage in Mendoza, Argentina.
Matthyse softened Corley up over the first four round before dropping Cor twice in round five, once in round six, three times in round seven and two times in round eight.
Most of the shots were hooks to the body and ironically the last knockdown looked like Matthysse clearly missed Corley but Corley slipped and the referee waved the bout off.
Matthysse, 139 1/2 lbs was fighting for the first time since his first professional loss which came last November to Zab Judah is now 28-1 with twenty-six knockouts. Corley, 138 3/4 lbs of Washington, DC is now 37-16-1.
Michael Mason: I like Ozwald Boateng, however I have mad respect for all the cats on Savile Row (one of my favorite streets in the world). I made a stop by Ozwald Boateng on Savile Row last September when I was in London. I picked up some dope shirts and they were really hyping me up on thinner ties so I picked up a few. Top notch blokes. I rolled with them a little during London Fashion Week as well.
Question: You have mentioned before the Custom Suits help a G gain “access”, can you elaborate?
Michael Mason: Sure. Here is a perfect example:
I was in Miami Beach a month or so ago doing some biz and some sparring at the legendary, newly re-opened 5th St. Gym. I wrapped up dinner early and had nothing to do. I decided to swing by the Fountainebleau Hotel for a drink. Nothing was really happening there except this private party which had mad people and tons of fly girls. Everyone was Suited Down.
Since I was Custom Suited Down myself, I had no problem slipping into the gig (I saw a few weesh underdressed “regular guys” get denied entry) and gorging myself on pro-bono cocktails and Stone Crabs. Made a decent biz connect and left the gig with two fly girls in cocktail dresses and high-heels a few hours later.
If you can pull all of that off in jeans and a T-shirt, you should be selling “Game lessons” to the masses at 100k per pop.
Question: Do you think girls like men in suits?
Michael Mason: Of course skippy. Here is a little tale:
One of my good friends is the opposite of a Suited Down G. However, he is still straight G, a pro surfer; but he typically just rocks boardshorts if it is up to him.
Recently, he pulled me aside at this nightclub and said, “I have to admit after all this time, you are right. My girlfriend told me the other night, that she loves when I wear a Suit.”
And this is coming from a fly rich Southern California beach girl who conventional thinking would lead one to believe she would hate guys that are Suited Down.
Question: Do you always wear a tie?
Michael Mason: I go through phases. A few years ago, I almost always wore ties. Lately I haven’t worn them at all (unless the gig called for it). I think I am on the verge of going on another heavy “tie run”.
If you are not wearing a tie, make sure you wear a pocket square. Matching or non-matching are both dope.
My tie collection is so ill, I figure why not?
Question: Which venues do you think Custom Suits work best?
Basically everywhere a G finds himself on a typical day or evening.
Question: Can people really tell the difference between an Off-the-rack suit and a Custom Suit?
Michael Mason: If by “people” you mean the majority of fly girls you want to swoop, then no.
However, when I first walked into my current tailors’ shop for the first time, I was wearing a Gucci Suit and he proceeded to rip it apart so badly that I would only probably wear it now if I was going to go hang sheetrock or something.
So yes, the trained eye can easily tell the difference.
Question: Which body types work best while Suited Down?
Well, lets see. If you are in mad good shape, a Custom Suit is crazy dangerous. If you are mad skinny, you can look super fresh in a dope suit. If you are a fat f*ck, then you better wear a suit.
So I would say all body types.
Question: What is a “must-have” accessory to a Custom Suit for an up-and-coming G on the rise?
Michael Mason: A pocket square of course. But maybe more important is a lit cigarette. Watch this if you need to know how its done:
Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong – Old 50’s Live show
The Rest is Up to You…
Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA GFK, Jr.
AKA The Sly, Slick and the Wicked
AKA The Voodoo Child
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
(Side note: To my friends that have been away in prison for the last five to ten years and are reading this now just as you got out, a little clarification might be needed. When I was referring above to “glittery shirts and super tight jeans” I was referring to how guys dress these days, not girls. And yes, I am being serious. Amazing as it may seem for someone who has been “away”, American “males” now actually wear shirts with glitter on them and splotchy designs and guys wear tight jeans. It’s true, there is only so much I can do to keep our country in check).
Anyways, I will answer some of your questions below.
Question: Are there certain cities where being suited down wouldn’t be an advantage or may even be a disadvantage?
Michael Mason: Well I know for sure it is an advantage in NYC, LA, New Orleans, Las Vegas, SF, Miami Beach, Beverly Hills, DC, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle, ATL as I have come up Aces in all while Suited Down. Internationally, the list would get pretty long.
In the last year I can confirm: Buenos Aires, Barcelona, Sevilla, London, Riga, Latvia. I didn’t go Suited Down in Cartagena, Colombia which is coincidentally where I took a loss to Gabriel García Márquez.
Not sure about Rancho Cucamonga, CA, Deadhorse, AK or Surprise, AZ. Nor do I intend on finding out. Why don’t you check for me and report back? Fair enough?
Question: Do you think there’s a big drop off in results with quality of suit. For instance, can a guy swoop girls in a $200-300 suit that looks decent and get 90% of the results of a guy in a custom made suit?
Michael Mason: I love how people always want shortcuts.
That being said, you are in luck as from my experience the answer is yes. A little story: back when I was a super young proto-type G cub, I went to a super sick wedding on top of The World Trade, Windows on the World. (Pre-911 obviously). Let’s put it this way, the cake supposedly cost $75,000.
It was West coast Newport beach/Hollywood money meets NYC Hedge fund money flush from the Internet Bubble. All kinds of competition from heavy finance cats and actors. I was a young up and coming Playboy on the Rise in a $300 suit.
Came in with so much swagger I swooped the flyest girl at the wedding right out from under everyone.
Clean KO. (Disclaimer: I was the best friend of the oldest brother of the bride. So I did have a “leverage point”.)
That was the first time I cracked the Top 100 American Playboys list.
So yes, it can be done. And done against top-flight competition as well.
Question: Who is your tailor? Who is this “mystery man”?
Michael Mason: Do me a favor. Actually, it is pretty easy to figure out. He is the best tailor in America and has a supreme clientele of famous people you know. However, I am his favorite client.
He is a super cool old-school cat that knows all the heavies from years gone by. Sometimes I just go hang out in his tailor shop and rap out with him for hours. I consider him a key member of my “team” and a great friend as well.
Question: Do you ever fear you will come off as a cheesy Wall Street Guy when you wear Suits?
Michael Mason: No. But then again, with my ethnic mix (half IRA, half ETA) and since I look like a slightly more Irish-Blooded “Manolo” in Scarface or young Andy Garcia, I get accused, more often, of looking like a high-end drug smuggler more than a Wall Street Cat. Which I have come to realize isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
(Another Side note: Seriously, if Martin Scorsese or Francis Ford Coppola ever wanted to make an epic about drug smuggling, they would be remiss in not casting me in the part of the brutally handsome young drug smuggler with South American, Miami Beach and California Connections. I would of course turn down the role. This “Life as an International Playboy” thing I got going on is way too good to sacrifice.)
Plus my suits are different than theirs.
Question: What are your thoughts on the current state of men’s fashion in America?
Michael Mason: I have said it before and I will say it again, My Grandfather always told me; “Style and Taste are for men. Trends and Fashion are for the ladies.” G’s stick with Style and Taste.
Since fashion has 98% of American men wearing either glitter on their shirts or tight jeans these days, it’s not too much of a stretch to think American fashion will have the majority of American men wearing skirts and dresses in a few years.
Is it?
To be continued…
Third Side Note: Sometimes I don’t know what is weirder; the fact that 98% of American males wear either/or glittery shirts or tight jeans, or the fact that I am the only one that seems to question this fact.
(Fourth Side Note: I have that same sports coat with the big houndstooth check that Benny Siegel is wearing above. Of course, I had to have it custom made).
The Rest is Up to You…
Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA GFK, Jr.
AKA The Sly, Slick and the Wicked
AKA The Voodoo Child
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
2010 turned out to be a pretty good year. Lots of travel, swooping, boxing, personal development, Money, Custom Suits, and swooping. As it should be.
Here are the Top Ten G Manifesto Posts of 2010:
Mardi Gras: The G Manifesto Way: “Mardi Gras is the flame that burns in the city’s soul, the elaborate overture that tells us what the city is all about. It’s a baroque fantasy, a vibrant flower, a circus, a nightmare, a temptation from the devil.” I would be lying if I didn’t say this was simply the best Data Sheet ever written on New Orleans in general and Mardi Gras specifically.
Buenos Aires and Beeks: Game sold through the narrative. Just a typical funny night in Buenos Aires.
Cracking The West Coast Hipster Girl Code: Go to the dopest block of the coolest hood in almost any city in the world and you will hear the dopest hoods say the same thing, “Sure, that guy Michael Mason, is an amazing International Playboy. One of the best. But he can only pick up high-end girls in top-shelf spots, wearing Custom Suits.” In this one I switch up speeds like Bruce Lee riding the Fuji in the movie.
The Salsa Swoop Move New moves from the newest Chambers of The G Manifesto. I have used this one tons since then.
Language Lessons: One of the best moves you can do to invest in yourself as an International Playboy. A Classic “Win-Win-Win-Win” scenario.
How to Win at The Kentucky Derby: Here I break down a little known move to the public that is has been going on ever since they first put horses on a racetrack and someone said, “I bet you that horse will win!”
Fame VS Game in Newport Beach: A all-time classic from my proto-type G years. The good old days. I almost became a musician.
Nightlife Generalship and Nightlife Princesses in Barcelona: I come up Aces on my first night in what seems to be many top notch International Playboy’s Waterloo: Barcelona. Deadly Game told through the narrative. One will learn more about Real Game from reading this than any $45,000 bootcamp taught by a weesh guy with multi-colore hair and glittery shirts. But you knew that already.
Las Vegas Broken Down to The Organic Compound: People constantly ask me, so I wrote this so I won’t be bothered anymore. The places I hang out in Las Vegas broken down in a very detailed manner that you will only find on The G Manifesto.
Maybe I have a bias since I run a Commodity brokerage and recently set up a CTA but I believe commodities are currently the best game in town. Please do not misinterpret me that does not mean commodities should be perceived as a get rich quick scheme or commodity trading is even appropriate for every investor. Trading commodity futures and options is extremely risky and not for the faint of heart. In my eyes commodity investors must posses two things, first the financial wherewithal and second the intestinal fortitude. We suggest conservative investors have 5% of their portfolio exposed to commodities and aggressive investors have no more than 20% of their portfolio exposed to commodities.
Reviewing what happened last year in commodities: Metals traded higher for much of 2010, standouts include copper and gold reaching record highs while silver appreciated nearly 85%. As did more obscure markets like pork bellies and cotton trading at record highs. Sugar and cocoa hit their highest level in three decades. And while oil is well off its 2008 peak near $145 trading at current level prices are higher than before the collapse of Lehman Brothers. It has been a good two years for commodities as a whole; the Dow Jones-UBS Commodity index was higher by 16.8% in 2010 after an appreciation of 19% in 2009. The run higher in commodities is largely due to unquenchable demand from China and other emerging markets. We see no let up on demand in the immediate future and identify further complications by the slackening growth in drilling, exploration, mining and farming. More money chasing fewer opportunities could also be a contributing factor. Capital is finding its way into this asset class via hedge funds, pension funds and institutional investing. According to Barclays Capital as much as $136 billion of new money may have found this space in the last two years.
There is no question bulls were in the driver’s seat in the metals complex in 2010. Gold continued to shine last year marking its 10th straight positive return. Economic instability and fear of inflation were contributing factors but perhaps increased investor demand may have been the major catalyst for gold performance. Platinum and palladium were along for the ride jumping on the back of a global recovery in the automobile industry. Resurgence in industrial demand helped lift copper to record highs and aided in a near 85% appreciation in silver as well.
Last year in agriculture we started out seemingly with a supply/demand balance but circumstances quickly changed. A drought in Russia sent wheat prices soaring with corn and soybeans along for the ride. Corn ended the year up gaining over 50%, soybeans just under 35% while wheat racked up a respectable 58% appreciation. Floods in Pakistan cut the cotton harvest short and Chinese imports soared resulting in record high prices in cotton. Coffee gained nearly 80% due to some weather issues in South America, so Mother Nature played her role in 2010 increasing price instability in a number of commodities. We are not out of the woods yet as dry weather in South America currently could threaten the size of the harvest once again causing price spikes in agriculture markets in 2011. A further game changer is what decision farmers make domestically when choosing what crop to plant and how much acreage to allot.
The energy complex had its moments in 2010 but for the most part the headlines in commodities were elsewhere. Robust demand globally was tempered by record-high stockpiles. The stock market and oil for most of the year were heavily correlated so large economic forces were a bigger factor in 2010 than in years past. Prices of WTI oil remained within a $30 band in 2010 ending the year higher by just 15%. According to the IEA global oil demand was at an all-time high in 2010 and expected to expand in 2011 so it would not take much to see the price spikes in oil that we’ve grown accustomed to in recent years. On the supply side a number of producers have curtailed their spending due to the financial crises and have yet to come fully back on line. The distillates (HO and RBOB) followed suit tracking oil for most of the year and that should remain the case in 2011. Natural gas was among the worst performing commodities in 2010, down 20%. Prices were weighed down by increased supplies and weak demand.
Find above the major happenings in the commodities market and below the major events that shaped 2010 as a whole:
Major happenings in 2010, in no particular order:
GM predicted they would make money in 2010, a bold prediction for a business that exited bankruptcy in the summer of 2009.
The CBO predicted that the nation’s jobless rate will not return to 5% until the middle of the decade.
Ben Bernanke won Senate confirmation for a second term as Federal Reserve chairman.
The Dow finished down 3.5% in January, its weakest month since February 2009.
The New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl, suggesting an up year for stocks for believers of the Super Bowl Predictor theory.
European leaders refused to let Greece succumb to a credit crisis.
Iraqi elections opened to violence and fraud claims.
The Federal Reserve announced they will end their purchase of $1.25 trillion of mortgage-backed securities. One of its main supports for the economy.
The House approved a historic healthcare overhaul.
President Obama signed the healthcare overhaul into law.
Greece won support for a deal that could lead to a bailout, as leaders of the 16-nation euro zone backed an accord that the IMF would serve as a back drop should the nation’s debt intensify.
President Obama proposed more oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
Q1 ended on a positive note with the Dow gaining 4.1%, in a volatile three months.
Alan Greenspan came under criticism as the former Fed chairman for his role in the financial crises.
President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed an arms-control pact, dubbed New Start.
World leaders pledged to secure nuclear fuel by 2014.
Ash from an eruption of a volcano in Iceland drifted across Europe causing the largest airspace shutdown in years.
The Dow closed above 11000 for the first time since September 26, 2008.
A BP operated oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded and sank spewing oil for months.
Greece’s credit crises spreads to Portugal.
New York’s Time Square was evacuated as a car-bomb plot was evaded.
“Flash Crash” Dow closed down 3.2% after an apparent trading glitch sent the index down nearly 1,000 points intra-day.
President Obama picked Elena Kagan as his Supreme Court nominee.
The European Union agreed upon a $955 billion bailout plan for the euro-zone.
Goldman Sachs reported they did not have one single daily trading loss in the Q1.
David Cameron took over as Britain’s prime minister.
General motors reported its first quarterly profit in three years.
Germany banned some types of naked short-selling in an attempt to avoid “excessive price movement.”
BP came out reporting that the oil leak was far bigger than originally estimated.
The Dow dropped 7.9% in May, its weakest May since 1940.
BP began its “top kill” operation to stanch the oil flow.
The SEC signed off on new “circuit breaker” rules designed to tame volatility in individual stocks.
The UK government unveiled a shake-up of its financial regulatory system that will consolidate power within the Bank of England and dissolve the FSA.
China’s decision to make its exchange rate more flexible showed a desire by the government to set its economic diplomacy on more sustainable footing.
President Obama relieved Gen. Stanley McChrystal of his Afghanistan command.
House and Senate Democrats took a decisive step toward a historic remapping of financial regulation, reaching a legislative compromise that will put the banks and financial institutions under tighter government control.
Russian and US officials completed a spy swap.
The US issued a new ban on deep water drilling until November 30th.
Congress approved an overhaul of financial regulation, its biggest expansion of government power since the Depression.
China passed the US to become the world’s largest consumer of energy.
European banks passed a round of government stress tests.
US bank failures topped 100 for the second consecutive year.
July became the deadliest month ever for US troops in Afghanistan.
Wheat prices surged 8% after Russia announced a ban on grain exports.
Japan’s Nikkei slipped into bear market territory.
Dow fell 4.7% in August; it’s worst August in nearly a decade.
Five year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
Central banks around the world laid out Basel III; intended to ratchet up capital requirements.
US poverty rate hits 14.3%; a 16 year high.
Silver traded to levels not seen since 1980.
Gold closed above $1300/ounce for the first time ever.
BP’s Gulf of Mexico well was declared as permanently sealed.
The Dow had its best September since 1939; ending Q3 up 10.4%.
The White House lifted its ban on deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
The GOP took back the House and the Democrats held the Senate.
The US military began accepting openly gay recruits for the first time ever.
The Fed announced it will buy $600 billion of Treasury’s over the next eight months in a bid, known as quantitative easing hoping to stimulate the economy.
A key gauge of US inflation date fell to its lowest level since 1957; when record keeping began??
Gold topped $1400/ounce for the first time ever.
General Motors went public.
Europe issued a $90 billion bailout of Ireland and crafted a blueprint for its rescue.
Silver traded to a 30-year high approaching $30/ounce.
The Treasury sold the last of its Citigroup common shares.
President Obama announced a tax deal that would extend the Bush cuts, reduce payroll taxes, extend jobless benefits and set the estate tax at 35%.
Moody’s warned about Spain’s ability to service its debt.
Congress approved the new tax legislation.
All the major US indices finished the year in the green; the Dow higher by 11%, the S&P ending higher by 13% and the NASDAQ jumping 17%.
Many other important events took place during the year, but a generation from now, as we read the history books we will see these as the highlights.
Find attached the 2010 high, low, open and close data for the major commodities.
Risk Disclosure: The risk of loss in trading commodity futures and options can be substantial. Past performance is no guarantee of future trading results.
