Steve Lurkel and my little brother Nicholas Alfonso Mason, AKA The Jaguar reminded me of the Smut Peddlers version:
“song was also sampled by the smut peddlers, this beat’s better b/c it uses that ‘blue, blue! my world is blue!’ part”
smut peddlers – the red light
and reminded me:
“exile also produced this mobb deep track, which you should check out if you havent heard it, amazing beat, 50 cent kills it”
“Pearly Gates”- Mobb Deep ft. 50 Cent
Which of course samples:
The Judgement Day- Taraves
The Rest is Up to You…
Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA Your favorite International Playboy on the Rise’s favorite International Playboy on the Rise
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com
Thanks to Doug and El Miz for making me aware of this.
Andrew Lahde, manager of a small California hedge fund, Lahde Capital, returned 866 percent betting against the subprime collapse.
Last month, he shut things down, claiming dealing with his bank counterparties had become too risky.
Here is his Goodbye Letter. Smooth.
“Today I write not to gloat. Given the pain that nearly everyone is experiencing, that would be entirely inappropriate. Nor am I writing to make further predictions, as most of my forecasts in previous letters have unfolded or are in the process of unfolding. Instead, I am writing to say goodbye.
Recently, on the front page of Section C of the Wall Street Journal, a hedge fund manager who was also closing up shop (a $300 million fund), was quoted as saying, “What I have learned about the hedge fund business is that I hate it.” I could not agree more with that statement. I was in this game for the money. The low hanging fruit, i.e. idiots whose parents paid for prep school, Yale, and then the Harvard MBA, was there for the taking. These people who were (often) truly not worthy of the education they received (or supposedly received) rose to the top of companies such as AIG, Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers and all levels of our government. All of this behavior supporting the Aristocracy only ended up making it easier for me to find people stupid enough to take the other side of my trades. God bless America.
There are far too many people for me to sincerely thank for my success. However, I do not want to sound like a Hollywood actor accepting an award. The money was reward enough. Furthermore, the endless list of those deserving thanks know who they are.
I will no longer manage money for other people or institutions. I have enough of my own wealth to manage. Some people, who think they have arrived at a reasonable estimate of my net worth, might be surprised that I would call it quits with such a small war chest. That is fine; I am content with my rewards. Moreover, I will let others try to amass nine, ten or eleven figure net worths. Meanwhile, their lives suck. Appointments back to back, booked solid for the next three months, they lookforward to their two week vacation in January during which they will likely be glued to their Blackberries or other such devices. What is the point? They will all be forgotten in fifty years anyway. Steve Balmer, Steven Cohen, and Larry Ellison will all be forgotten. I do not understand the legacy thing. Nearly everyone will be forgotten. Give up on leaving your mark. Throw the Blackberry away and enjoy life.
So this is it. With all due respect, I am dropping out. Please do not expect any type of reply to emails or voicemails within normal time frames or at all. Andy Springer and his company will be handling the dissolution of the fund. And don’t worry about my employees, they were always employed by Mr. Springer’s company and only one (who has been well-rewarded) will lose his job.
I have no interest in any deals in which anyone would like me to participate. I truly do not have a strong opinion about any market right now, other than to say that things will continue to get worse for some time, probably years. I am content sitting on the sidelines and waiting. After all, sitting and waiting is how we made money from the subprime debacle. I now have time to repair my health, which was destroyed by the stress I layered onto myself over the past two years, as well as my entire life – where I had to compete for spaces in universities and graduate schools, jobs and assets under management – with those who had all the advantages (rich parents) that I did not. May meritocracy be part of a new form of government, which needs to be established.
On the issue of the U.S. Government, I would like to make a modest proposal. First, I point out the obvious flaws, whereby legislation was repeatedly brought forth to Congress over the past eight years, which would have reigned in the predatory lending practices of now mostly defunct institutions. These institutions regularly filled the coffers of both parties in return for voting down all of this legislation designed to protect the common citizen. This is an outrage, yet no one seems to know or care about it. Since Thomas Jefferson and Adam Smith passed, I would argue that there has been a dearth of worthy philosophers in this country, at least ones focused on improving government. Capitalism worked for two hundred years, but times change, and systems become corrupt. George Soros, a man of staggering wealth, has stated that he would like to be remembered as a philosopher. My suggestion is that this great man start and sponsor a forum for great minds to come together to create a new system of government that truly represents the common man’s interest, while at the same time creating rewards great enough to attract the best and brightest minds to serve in government roles without having to rely on corruption to further their interests or lifestyles. This forum could be similar to the one used to create the operating system, Linux, which competes with Microsoft’s near monopoly. I believe there is an answer, but for now the system is clearly broken.
Lastly, while I still have an audience, I would like to bring attention to an alternative food and energy source. You won’t see it included in BP’s, “Feel good. We are working on sustainable solutions,” television commercials, nor is it mentioned in ADM’s similar commercials. But hemp has been used for at least 5,000 years for cloth and food, as well as just about everything that is produced from petroleum products. Hemp is not marijuana and vice versa. Hemp is the male plant and it grows like a weed, hence the slang term. The original American flag was made of hemp fiber and our Constitution was printed on paper made of hemp. It was used as recently as World War II by the U.S. Government, and then promptly made illegal after the war was won. At a time when rhetoric is flying about becoming more self-sufficient in terms of energy, why is it illegal to grow this plant in this country? Ah, the female. The evil female plant – marijuana. It gets you high, it makes you laugh, it does not produce a hangover. Unlike alcohol, it does not result in bar fights or wife beating. So, why is this innocuous plant illegal? Is it a gateway drug? No, that would be alcohol, which is so heavily advertised in this country. My only conclusion as to why it is illegal, is that Corporate America, which owns Congress, would rather sell you Paxil, Zoloft, Xanax and other addictive drugs, than allow you to grow a plant in your home without some of the profits going into their coffers. This policy is ludicrous. It has surely contributed to our dependency on foreign energy sources. Our policies have other countries literally laughing at our stupidity, most notably Canada, as well as several European nations (both Eastern and Western). You would not know this by paying attention to U.S. media sources though, as they tend not to elaborate on who is laughing at the United States this week. Please people, let’s stop the rhetoric and start thinking about how we can truly become self-sufficient.
Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA Your favorite International Playboy on the Rise’s favorite International Playboy on the Rise
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com
Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins dismantles Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik
Seventeen years his senior, Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins completely rips the heart out of previously undefeated Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik in a historic 12 rounder.
If you have been reading The G Manifesto for a while, you know that I used to roll in B-Hop’s Entourage in the late 1990’s and constantly back him. I didn’t cover this fight beforehand because I didn’t want to effect the betting line, which went off at almost 5-1 for Pavlik before the fight. (You need to get your paydays where you can during the Down Economy).
Here is a round by round.
Round 1: Hopkins starts out with lateral movement, and using footwork. Lands the cleaner shots. 10-9 HOPKINS
Round 2: Pavlik stalking but X lands the clean shots. Left hook behind the ear has Pavlik already shaky. Pavlik having trouble with the movement of Hopkins. 10-9 HOPKINS
Round 3: Hopkins showing amazing ring generalship. Winning all skirmishes. 10-9 HOPKINS
Round 4: Where is the Pavlik double jab? Looks like he left it back in Youngstown, Ohio. X lands great body shot and continually gets off first. Pavlik tries to step it up, but B-Hop keeps landing the classic left hook to body, right hook to head combo. 10-9 HOPKINS
Round 5: The Executioner keeps feinting and landing the left hook. Starts to beat up Pavlik. 10-9 HOPKINS
Round 6: Hopkins pot shots Pavlik. Least action round so far. 10-9 HOPKINS
Round 7: Pavlik showing nothing. Hopkins showboats and lands a la Muhammad Ali. Big round Hopkins. 10-9 HOPKINS
Round 8: Hopkins combo. Pavlik loses point for holding and hitting which was unnecessary. 10-8 HOPKINS
Round 9: Pavlik bleeding from a right. Hopkins loses a point for holding. Seems like it was done to even up point taken from Pavlik in last round. 9-9 Even
Round 10: Hopkins gives 2 for every punch Pavlik lands. 10-9 HOPKINS
Pavlik looks finished between rounds.
Round 11: Lots of wrestling. Boring round. X lands a right. 10-9 HOPKINS
Both corners spill into ring as B-Hop still goes after a completely beaten Pavlik.
Hopkins glares at the Media assembled at ringside.
Unanimous decision Hopkins.
Hopkins claims Obama will be the next President during post-fight interview.
Unreal performance that conjures up memories of Hopkins dominating Tito Trinidad. Or George Foreman defeating Michael Moorer at age 45.
A Masterpiece.
The Rest is Up to You…
Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA Your favorite International Playboy on the Rise’s favorite International Playboy on the Rise
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com
Bernard Hopkins Highlight/Tribute Video
Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins Beyond The Glory 3/4
Irish bookie calls US Presidential race over, pays off on Obama
The race is over as far as Ireland’s biggest bookmaker is concerned.
Paddy Power PLC says it is so sure Barack Obama will win the U.S. presidential election next month that it paid off Thursday on all bets it had taken backing the Democratic candidate. It said it shelled out more than euro1 million, about $1.35 million.
“We declare this race well and truly over and congratulate all those who backed Obama — your winnings await you,” the company said in a statement.
Powers said the biggest winner among the Obama bettors was someone who gambled euro100,000 and got back a total of euro150,000.
The most visionary bettor, though, was the “punter” who put down euro50 on Obama in 2005. At the time, Obama was listed at 50-to-1, so the bettor got euro2,550.
Despite calling the contest, the Dublin-based bookmaker said it is still taking new bets on the race. A John McCain victory Nov. 4 on a bet placed Thursday would pay off euro5 for every euro1 bet. By contrast, each euro1 bet on Obama would net just 11 euro cents.
Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA Your favorite International Playboy on the Rise’s favorite International Playboy on the Rise
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com
Old School G: Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal Rest in Peace
Bookmaker and former casino boss Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal died in Florida on Monday at age 79, according to family members and a source at his high-rise condominium complex in Miami Beach, Fla.
Rosenthal was a minor celebrity confined to the world of gambling, organized crime and Las Vegas society until the 1995 movie “Casino,” which was based on his life story, propelled him to a much higher level of fame — and notoriety.
Rosenthal’s passing marks the close of yet another chapter in the transformation of Las Vegas from a gambling destination of ill-repute to a global destination celebrated by everyday tourists, politicians and corporate leaders who invest billions of dollars in resorts.
“He was the innovator and creator of what we know today as the race and sports book in Las Vegas with all the modern accoutrements,” said Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, a former attorney who represented Rosenthal in high-profile scrapes with Nevada regulators, including now-Sen. Harry Reid. “He was an uncanny bettor and won a lot more than he lost.”
The 1995 movie, “Casino,” directed by Martin Scorcese and starring Robert DeNiro as a Sam “Ace” Rothstein, was essentially an idealized version of Rosenthal and boosted Rosenthal’s fame later in life.
He also maintained a Web site that offered gambling “tips and tricks.”
On Tuesday, Goodman said there was a side to Rosenthal that was largely unknown to moviegoers, gambling regulators and business associates.
“What I saw through representing him since 1972 until I was elected a mayor was a different side, a loyal friend and a loving parent who doted over his kids,” Goodman said.
Rosenthal himself told the Sun-Sentinel his Las Vegas story was poorly told, especially by those in law enforcement.
“Rumors and bull(expletive),” he told the paper. “That’s the No. 1 industry in Nevada.”
Here’s a sample of reactions from locals who knew Rosenthal at the height of his power.
“It’s been said you should never speak ill of the dead,” one former federal organized crime prosecutor said. “There are exceptions to the rule. Frank Rosenthal is one of those exceptions. He was an awful human being.”
Upon hearing the rumors of Rosenthal’s demise, a longtime Spilotro friend said, “I hope it’s true.”
To settle such disputes, I like to turn to the irrepressible gambler Lem Banker, who knew Rosenthal well and respected his handicapping knowledge — as well as his game-fixing skill.
“He was an egomaniac,” Banker said. “But he was a smart sonofabitch .”
Right on both accounts. Rosenthal arrived in Las Vegas from Chicago via Florida in the early 1970s and handicapped out of the Rose Bowl sports book, where the action was surpassed only by the Runyonesque characters. Marty Kane and Joey Boston worked for Rosenthal and became two of the most successful sports bettors.
After “Casino,” you’d think Lefty’s ego would have finally been sated. Hardly.
Even 10 years after his inclusion on the “List of Excluded Persons,” Rosenthal audaciously told me, “You couldn’t put out a newspaper without Frank Rosenthal.” What he lacked in stature in the new Las Vegas Rosenthal more than made up for in unabashed self-confidence.
He would ask, “Who ‘invented’ the modern sports book?” Frank Rosenthal, of course. Who brought vision and innovation to the casino industry? Mr. Frank Rosenthal!
All true. But who fixed ballgames and cheated bookmakers from coast to coast? The right-handed guy nicknamed Lefty.
Who could justify a life underwritten by the Chicago Outfit and argue with a straight face that he wasn’t associated with gangsters?
Back in the 1970s, Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal ordered his security crew to crush the right hand of a card cheat he caught at the now-defunct Stardust Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas — just as Robert DeNiro did in Casino, the 1995 film based on Rosenthal’s life.
“NOW-DEFUNCT” – THAT’S NEWS TO ME, AND THE STARDUST. THE RIGHT HAND CRUSH. THEY (THE BANDITO’S) GOT LUCKY. SO DID WE. HAD HE AND HIS GROUP OF PROFESSIONAL THIEF’S BEEN LESS GREEDY (THEY WERE UP 50K AND COULD HAVE CASHED IN) AND MORE SELECTIVE, THEY COULD HAVE “MILKED” US ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH. THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. THEY WERE LOOKING TO TURN OUR LIGHTS OFF, AND THAT, PLUS A BIT OF LUCK FROM OUR SIDE WAS THEIR DOWNFALL. ADDITIONALLY, THEY WERE MEMBERS OF A VERY SOPHISTICATED GANG THAT PREYED ON WEAK DEALERS, AND CLUELESS MANAGEMENT. HAD THEY BEEN ORDINARY SUCKERS LOOKING FOR AN ADVANTAGE, WE WOULD HAVE SIMPLY GIVEN THEM A WARNING NOTICE, AND AN 86. “ALL’S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR.”
“He was part of a crew of professional card cheats, and calling the cops would do nothing to stop them, so we used a rubber mallet — metal hammers leave marks, you know — and he became a lefty,” Rosenthal admitted to The Herald last week while dining at the Blue Point Ocean Grill restaurant adjacent to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood. “I didn’t care if they tried to scam other houses, I just wanted to make it clear that they couldn’t do it at mine.”
THE MESSAGE THAT WE WERE SENDING WAS, DON’T COME BACK, AND CRIME DOESN’T PAY.
Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA Your favorite International Playboy on the Rise’s favorite International Playboy on the Rise
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com
