Even though Facebook’s nerdy founders are suing everyone and their cousin because their share price fell slightly after the IPO, they really shouldn’t complain.  The company is now valued at $90 Billion, which makes them larger and more valuable than . . .

1… Read full post »

I’m spending waaaaay too much time thinking about Facebook, I know.   My pre-IPO skepticism has now carried over into an unhealthy obsession with reading post-IPO disaster explanations.  The latest – which I am also skeptical of – is that the IPO an… Read full post »

36 year old blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangchen arrived in New York City yesterday, on his newly grandted student visa.  No word yet on what he plans to study, but I guess safe arrival was the main priority.

I apologize for my skepticism that Chen would appear in the… Read full post »

(Full disclosure – parts of this post are factual, others are my own best guesses.  The differences are marked)

New Facebook gazillionaire Mark Zuckerberg married his girlfriend Priscilla Chan the very day after the IPO.  (fact)

The wedding date was set… Read full post »

10 – This proves there is a god – how else can you explain the fact that the moon and the sun are EXACTLY the same size?  I suppose you atheists will claim its just a coincidence?

9 – So do people on the moon ever see an eclipse of… Read full post »

I’m mad as hell, and I’m not gonna take it any more.  

We must have strict new regulations to ensure that losses like this can never happen again!!!  They guy at the top must be personally held responsible when things like this happen.  The justice… Read full post »

Think of  yourself as Spaniard.  A prudent worker – you didn’t wrack up crazy/dangerous levels of credit card debt.  No “flip that house” ginormous sized, zero-down mortgages.  You even put some money in the (Spanish) bank, for a rainy day.

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Well, thank goodness at least SOMEBODY believes in Obama’s Beatles-esque mantra to “tax the rich to feed the poor ‘till there are no rich no more”.  Maryland last night raised state income taxes by $260 million, targeting everyone with incomes over $100… Read full post »

Boy, this guy can’t catch a break, even when he does the right thing.  Or almost the right thing.  And who cares if Obama's recent ephiphany was just to shake the money tree for campaign contributions from Mrs. Buttersworth Democrats (their counterpart to “Log Cabi… Read full post »

 The The story so far - Chase Manhattan Bank (ticker symbol JPM) loses $2 billion in  just 2 months in the addmittedly difficult Jeopardy category "Euro Debt Crisis".  

President Obama, behind in the polls, then says “Aha!  Here’s a campaign issue to help… Read full post »

Dear Mr President –

Thanks for your announcement yesterday that although you were always in favor of equal rights for gays, you’re even more in favor of it now.   Well done.   It’s a mark of statesmanship and open mindedness when one can take… Read full post »

For your tireless work to convince politicians at all levels, not just president Obama, that gay marriage is not a political favor to be withheld by obsterperous public officals, or decried by those who feel their personal religion should inform our nation's secular public policy.

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My dad used to tell me that I “had all the answers, but no conception of the problem”.  (To which I would snark under my breath “What’s your problem, dad?”)

Even though I rock watching jeopardy at 7pm weeknights, munching on brie and asiago… Read full post »

Kahlid Sheikh Mohammed is having his day in court.  Nearly four years after promising to close Gitmo, the Obama administration is finally holding KSM’s trial . . . at Gitmo.  Is this a great country, or what?  From the start I’ve continuously posted that no on… Read full post »

French pollsters were right – voters rejected Nicolas Sarcophagus, and installed Francoise Hollande as their brand spanking new president.   Oh, and he’s a socialist, which is sure to gladden the hearts of those who believe Obama is a tool of Wall Street, LOL.

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If you’ve been following the case of Chen Guangchen – the blind Chinese activist who sought refuge in the US embassy, then was induced to return to his captors, then (3rd time's the charm) declared “I want to come to America” – you’re probably w… Read full post »

(Full disclosure – many of my posts are snide and cynical attacks on those who hold power failing to do the right thing. I have eschewed any satire for this update on Chen Guangchen)

The media is full of it this morning.  By that I mean finger pointing and sca… Read full post »

(disclaimer – the following report contains both true facts and BA’s own opinions, which are clearly marked)

Fact - Earlier today blind dissident Chen Guangchen was escorted out of American embassy in Bejing by the US Ambassador, after receiving assurances that Mr. Che… Read full post »

At the "In and Out Burger", Encino, California.  Singing gospel with a Pentecostal choir in Mussel Shoals, Alabama.  At the Bride Mart in Queef, Pakistan. 

On this, the 1st anniversary of Bin Laden’s reported death, the sightings still pour in, many of his lo… Read full post »

If yesterday is any indication of the kind of campaign Mitt Romney intends to run, Obama is certain to retake the White House.

Mitt rushed to the microphones to decry . . . (drumroll) . . . not the unemployment rate; not the tsunami of forclosures; not the deficit .… Read full post »

. . . and the Ambassador asks: “Where’s the dalai lama?”

“He was shot by gun a that didn't make any noise” the dissident replies.  “But at least he didn’t get captured and sent to that mental hospital where they’re holding Liu X… Read full post »

At last – some good news out of Global Warming.  “Giant Shrimp”  I kid you not – these things are a foot long, and are now taking over the gulf of Mexico.

I was ready to attribute the appearance of giant shrimp to the BP oil spill, much as Godzill… Read full post »

Just in time to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the Marlon Brando film of the same name, we are seeing the return of the Ugly American.  The location has shifted (mostly to latin america) and the names have changed, but the plot is essentially unchanged. 

It didn&rs… Read full post »

Like most Open Salon posters, I’m no friend of mega-banks which took huge TARP baliouts and then raised fees 10 ways from Sunday.  Or who backtracked and cancelled those fees after public outrage.  The usual suspects – Citibank, Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo… Read full post »

The Arizona immigration law – which requires state and local cops to stop and harass anyone who looks mexican –  is probably going to be struck down by those awful right wing supreme court judges.   And that’s a good thing.

Set aside for a mo… Read full post »