Hover over this image for caption and link ↓↓↓

Here’s some dark Monday humor as we head into a week that’s likely to confirm dropping home prices and rising job losses. Andy Samberg’s cocaine-addled character sings about how it’s going to be a great dayyyyyyy … as long as he gets plenty of stimulus. If the U.S. economy was a person, it might very well be this man.

Turns out this ‘grassroots’ Elizabeth Warren rap video that made the rounds last week was produced by Hollywood bigwig composer Hans Zimmer, the music man behind many of the biggest movies of the past 25 years … from Rain Man to Gladiator to Pirates of the Caribbean to the latest Batman movies and Inception. NYT reports that the rapper in the video is a TV salesman at Best Buy. The video was passable as a grassroots effort, but if it’s being graded in the we’re-pros-but-it’s-supposed-to-suck Andy Samberg sense, then it fails. Warren is Obama’s top pick to head the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, a new office created by the massive Dodd/Frank financial reform bill. Thanks to Sugarleg who sent us video in first place.

As financial markets froze this very week in 2007, the real-time media market was catching fire. So instead of summarizing it all with a 140 character Tweet, below we offer some broader perspective by bringing everyone’s favorite obsessions together: mortgage rates, Twitter, and iPhones. Stat-filled timeline and rate chart are included.

Home prices started falling in 2006 but it wasn’t until 2007 that the full impact of loose credit was felt. Loans made to unqualified (mostly U.S.) borrowers underpinned bond funds around the globe and countless derivatives were created from those bonds. Because of this, Nouriel Roubini was one of the first economists to note that “we have a subprime financial system, not a subprime mortgage market.” more…

About 15 months ago actor Kal Penn joined the White House Office of Public Engagement, and 2 months ago he returned to Hollywood to make a third installment of the “Harold & Kumar” cult-favorite stoner movie series. In the last installment of the movie, Penn’s character Kumar smoked a joint with George W. Bush. And below is the last installment of Penn’s White House duties: a financial reform consumer ‘education’ video voiced by Penn … which raises the question: Is the Obama administration high? Politicians brag about how smart our country is, but this is what they really think about The American People’s ability to understand market basics.

For those who don’t truly know what’s going on with financial reform, we offer this simple analogy using beloved movie The Hangover. While the market has been shaking off its post credit boom hangover with a new credit boom (hair of the dog is the best cure, right?), Senator Chris Dodd drafted financial reform legislation to make sure markets don’t forget what caused the hangover. His bill, after being fudged up with hundreds of amendments, passed the Senate today and now it’s onto Obama to become many new laws. Plenty more to come as the unintended consequences of the bill play out in the coming months and years. But for now this is our Hangover tribute to Chris Dodd who, like Alan (played by Zach Galifianakis), is simply trying to bring structure to the chaotic rituals of crazed men.

Below is the ‘One Man Wolf Pack’ speech Alan gives on Caesar’s Palace rooftop before the forgotten period. All you have to do is change “Sin City” to Washington DC, “Doug” to Barney Frank, “you guys” to the rest of the Democrats, “Las Vegas” to America, and “strippers and cocaine” to greedy bankers and fed-up voters. Then darkness falls on Dodd’s day. Cue the cash-soaked angst of Kanye’s Can’t Tell Me Nothing (aka When I Get My Money Right). Media gums flap about toothless reform in mornings to come, yet haggard consumers and lobby-less banks get attacked by the proverbial naked crowbar swinging psychos hidden in the trunks (aka amendments) of this bill. Cheers. Now let the mayhem begin. more…

TheBasisPoint’s posting has been light this week, and we only wish it was because we were watching World Cup games back to back. Alas we’re just bogged down in market activity and appointments. But that didn’t stop us from using this Brazil jersey name generator. Find out your name in seconds. But we’ve got dibs on jersey number 01 (of course because a basis point is .01%).

Another massive $100m+ art heist was just pulled off clean in Paris. The prize: a Picasso, a Matisse and three other masterpieces. Can people who do this move art in the circles they run in? Probably. Or maybe they just do it for the thrill. Either way, everyone loves a good caper, so we’re just letting you know. Here’s more Great Recession era caper stories.

This week has been quite gut wrenching in the markets, so it’s time for a bit of fun. This awesome diagram originated on San Francisco blog TheBoldItalic along with a good piece on the demise of Hippie Hill—which is the meadow and accompanying hill as you enter Golden Gate Park off Haight Street. It’s a hilarious statement on the identity crisis of young adults.

As for me, I’ve had my more hipster days but now if I self-apply any label, it’s working dad. Even if there are days when I still feel cool, I would never want to be known as a hipster because like Dr. Evil said to Austin Powers: “There’s nothing more pathetic than an aging hipster.” And so on the weekends I prefer to take my kid to Golden Gate Park to watch him run around and join in the drum circle at the base of hippie hill. I’ve even bought him a few drums. Only now that I’m seeing this picture, I fear for what I may be doing to him. But I’ll roll with it because it’s either the drum circle or subjecting him to the market carnage. And I think we’re all a bit better off knowing that there are people out there keeping the beat for us working dads … and moms, to whom I wish you all the happiest of Mother’s Days.

Displayed below are three pictures of the same velvet painting entitled Ride The Storm.

The first photo of the painting was taken on August 11, 2007 when massive market storms took root. The second photo was taken August 3, 2008. The third photo was taken last weekend: April 17, 2010. The obvious physical change in the painting’s appearance over these years serves as a proper metaphor for what has become of institutions and individuals participating in the markets during this period. more…

To The Makers of ‘Kick Ass’: Saw your movie Kick Ass topped Friday box office. That’s great for you. The movie’s title does indeed do what it says, but not as much as the title from this mock Beavis & Butthead movie poster we unearthed.