Answer:  Greedy banks.

All these terms being tossed around, sub-prime mortgages, adjustable rate mortgages, home owner insurance, housing bubbles.. they’re all rooted in plain and simple greed.  And lack of accountability.

First, the greed.  We can’t blame these institutions for trying to make as much money as they possibly can.  That’s their job.  They have a duty to their stockholders to do so.  But that’s what happened.  How else do you explain the share buybacks and the lax mortgage policies?  It was a high-risk, high-reward scenario.  Fair gamble, right?  Wrong.

This is where CEO accountability kicks in.  If CEO A goes out and takes this gamble, two things can happen.  One, things will work out, he’ll be a legend on Wall Street, and he’ll walk away FILTHY STINKING RICH.

Two, things will flop, the company will lose money, he’ll be the goat of Wall Street, and he’ll walk away FILTHY STINKING RICH.. with his severance package.

Do you see what I’m getting at?  Would you be OK with making a fool of yourself, if it bags you around $20 million?  Me too.

These CEOs have very little incentive to not screw up.  Sure, they’re given bonuses for doing well, but they screw up?  Here’s a slap on the wrist, and $20 million in severance pay.  Is that right?  I don’t think so.

I say CEOs who leave their company worse off than when they got it be required to pay off the margin of difference, or at least some of it.  Put guidelines in place.  Maybe pay the CEO in stock, a large amount of which he must default if the company becomes worse off.

There’s a plan in my head somewhere for this, I just can’t quite get it in writing.  So see you later.

Remember my post a few days back, about winning ALL my basketball games?  Last Friday doesn’t count.  Technically, I didn’t lose any games, but I didn’t win ALL of them.  Two games didn’t finish.  That doesn’t count.

Sometimes, I need to light a fire under my ass, I think.  I’ve noticed periods where I’m just standing around, not doing anything productive.  So, I’ve made up a list of things to do next time I feel like I could be doing more.

• Chris Paul’s one-hand cross
• Jamaal Crawford’s behind the back hopstep
• The ball-fake drive
• The other ball-fake drive

Wish me luck!  All this is happening tomorrow night!

How’s everybody been affected by the economic crisis?  OOH LOOK!  A shiny new change of topic!

Anyway, times are tough.  So tough, I’ve been selling out, as you must’ve all noticed.  What can I say?  With so much issues with liquidity, it doesn’t make sense to NOT grab all the cash you can get, spare change or not.  More on this later.

I’ve also been getting fat.  Just went on a binge, lately.  There’s some science to this, but I’ve decided I’d rather keep the waistline small.  Hence, I’ve decided to cut calories, but added some Kool-Aid to my post-workout nutrition.  Spike those insulin levels up!

That’s it for now!  I know you didn’t understand a single word I wrote here, but it’s money in the bank.  Peace, one love.

But every time these two schools meet in the finals, it’s always electric.  I can understand rivalries, sure.  But come on.  Even people who are neither from Ateneo nor from DLSU are going crazy over this thing.  Including me!

I remember my first ADMU-DLSU memory.  It was the Finals.. I don’t remember what game or year it was, but DLSU still had Cortez and Cardona, and ADMU already had Tenorio.  I saw the game live, with some good friends.  It wasn’t as clear as it would’ve been on TV, but the energy was something else.  I remember Cortez even had a dunk in traffic!

(Incidentally, this game changed my whole playing style.  I saw Cortez  bring the ball down, and then just pull up for a jumper at the free-throw line.  Sound familiar?)

Enough of nostalgia.  My prediction?

ADMU wins convincingly.  Why?

1. Nonoy Baclao is as good a defensive anchor as I’ve seen in a long time.
2. Rookie Buenafe is a bad matchup for any DLSU player.  He’s not GOOD, but he’s a bad matchup for anybody.
3. DLSU’s offense revolves around Casio creating and taking his OWN shot.
4. Maierhoffer(sp?) keeps shooting those threes!  WTF is wrong with you?
5. It’s hard guarding a 6-6 guy who can shoot the ball out up to 15 feet, with great finishing skills.

Ah well.  I don’t mind so much because Chris is a friend and a good guy.  But next year?  Screw ADMU haha~

Spartan training is going alright.  But maybe some alli diet pills would make this whole thing easier.  Maybe not.

This is a song I wrote a few years back.  Never made it to the studio with the rest of the band because we broke up before we got the chance.

Drama Drama Drama.

(more…)

Anyway, I’m just hoping for the best.

I’ve been trying to cut a few demos with it past few days, using GarageBand.  Yeah, I know we sort of dissolved the band, but I’ve been listening to Steely Dan, The Guess Who, and all sorts of other Jazz + Soul music lately.  It’s the kind of stuff that makes you wanna jam, man.  I need a couple of things, though.

First, I need a plug-in to plug-in my guitar to the Mac.  Also, I need a better mic.  And to soundproof the den.  And better speakers.  I wonder if I can buy cheap computer speakers online.  If not, maybe I’ll just go for a good set of earphones.

Tsk.  Reading all that, I feel like such a sell-out.  I bet Burton Cummings of the Guess Who (teehee cummings) never  complained about his equipment.  I bet D. Fagan of Steely Dan (teehee Steely Dan) will rock out, no matter what he had.  I’m a victim of capitalism!

..and now I’m blogging instead of making music.  FAN-TAS-TIC.

Makes me wonder what’s going to become of me when I’m some old fogey.  I actually have fears of growing older.  I don’t want the liver-spotted skin, the saggy muscles, all that stuff.  I look good now, and I want to look good forever.  And I’ve got plans.

Now some people might want to get some homecare in Alpharetta Florida, but not me.  If I’m about to go, I’m going for the gusto.  I’m going skydiving, skiing, scuba-diving, all things high-risk.  That’s the only way to go, baby.

Anyway, the whole point is, I’m getting old.  Just wanted to share.

OOH, hey, remember Voltes V?  You do?  Then you’re getting old, too. 

You know what we need?  We need a whole contingent of people telling us what’s up.  I wouldn’t mind a worldwide information service where multiple sources povide the latest news.  That’d just be snazzy.  Oh sure, we’ve got the blogs and everything, but I’m talking just ONE site.  Just one place, where everybody lets you know what’s happening in their part of the planet.  That’d be cool.  

Imagine, having every single person’s thoughts online in one place for the world to see.  We’d have like a planetary consciousness, like the Zerg.  I hope they come with it soon.  Until then, I’ll stick to my Fortune and broadsheets.

Oh, and I also read one tabloid, just to see who’s cheating on who in showbiz.

Ladies, be careful with whom you go home with.  There’s a community of guys who call themselves pick-up artists (LOL) going out to get laid (what else is new), and posting PHOTO reports of their lays.  On the internet.  And we all know the internet is the poster boy for posterity.  Get it?  Poster boy?  Posterity?  ANYWAY.

Just be careful, ladies.  Moving on.

I know I’m not REALLY Canadian (but seriously, no one’s REALLY Canadian.  We’re a country of immigrants!), but sometimes, I am SO CANADIAN.

I caught myself watching The Guess Who’s Running Back to Saskatoon concert on BETAMAX the other day.  Not their 2006 Running Back to Canada reunion DVD, but the BETAMAX of 1984’s Saskatoon concert.

If that’s not Canadian, I don’t know what is.

OOH, I’m assuming we all caught the ADMU-DLSU game.  It was bad.  I hate ADMU, but DLSU practically gave that one away.  Where’s the D?  Where’s the confidence?  Where’s the swagger?

If you don’t think your shot’s going in, it won’t.  People were choking.  Come on, Jack!

Ah well, Chris is a friend and a good guy, so I guess I won’t feel too bad if ADMU wins the whole thing.  Or WHEN ADMU wins the whole thing.

Oh, but DLSU’s system is.. wow.  They played three types of presses on one possession.  For those who don’t understand that, it was done in less than 8 seconds.  They started with a zone press, THEN a 2-2-1, THEN went into a man press, which caused the turnover.  Wow.

I find it really funny that I had to post a link to Wikipedia for BETAMAX.  I am so old.  And what does work holding mean?

And for those who asked, we were The Conceited Man Band!  I played guitar, wrote our songs, and sang some.  Plus, eye-candy.  On to my angry post!

On Friday, I’m playing basketball.  It’s going to be the first time this week, and I’m going to rock it.  I’m guaranteeing all wins and no losses.  Yeah, I said it.

I’m not even going practice til Friday.  I’ll use this week to focus on weight-training and eating well.  I think the time you spend off the court is just as important as the time you spend on it.  For example, stronger legs and more upper body strength will be my passport to more hang time.  Friday will take care of itself.

Went to a friend’s dad’s birthday/company blessing last night.  Everybody’s telling me I got thinner.  Which is something I don’t really want to hear when I’m trying to add mass.  Ah well.