What Do Bernie Madoff, the Loch Ness Monster, and Alex Rodriguez Have In Common?

They are in the 2009 edition of Topps’ Allen & Ginter series of Trading Cards. The set will consist of 350 cards: 230 baseball players, 30 rookies, 25 historic figures and 15 world champions. It also will include 50 short-printed cards. Among the unusual inclusions to the basic set are Old Faithful (the Yellowstone geyser), … Read more »

Madoff in Limerick Form

Freakonomics ran a contest for the best definition for Bernie Madoff in limerick form. They had special guest judge Chris J. Strolin, founder and editor-in-chief of The Omnificent English Dictionary In Limerick Form announce The Winning Definition of “Madoff,” in Limerick Form. The best of the best was #98 by sqlman: His investments’ ascent: like … Read more »

Real Money Laundering

The October 2008 edition (.pdf) of The SAR Activity Review, Trends, Tips and Issues published by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, has a great story on page 29 about a marijuana smuggling and money laundering operation. The organization was concerned that the cash smelled like marijuana. The benk tellers even noticed the smell of marijuana … Read more »