Billionaire Andy Beal beat Ted Forrest (and the corporation) out of $10 million in a poker game at the Wynn. Right after the victory, I overheard Beal confirming his travel plans with Beal Bank VP, Craig Singer. Towards the end of the call, he added, ”And see if they’ll bump us up to first class.”
As shocking as Beal’s win was — I think [...]

I moved to Austin in March of 1993, just a couple of weeks before the SXSW Music festival. I bought myself a wristband for $35 and spent three days hiking the streets of downtown, listening to hundreds of mostly unsigned bands from around the world. The weather was warm. The margaritas were cold. And the music was [...]

Since Biloxi, I’ve been fighting viruses — a cold and a computer virus.  The cold was also picked up by the Shrink and rggator. We don’t necessarily blame Idouru, who had one while we were all in Biloxi. (cough, cough). I can’t quite pinpoint the source of the computer virus, howver, although I suspect it was a fake Facebook email.  [...]

Like most of y’all, I’m on the Poker Players Alliance’s email distribution list. I think I may have been a member once. Don’t get me wrong. There are clearly some things they’ve done that have had value. They did some good work in PA and MA and they arranged for some responsible and coherent testimony at a Congressional hearing. But more [...]

I was having a total WTF moment on Friday, trying to ride out the market’s bank nationalization paranoia and the new rabid bevy of speculators who profit on the short.  I needed to make a decision about a bank preferred stock that was getting hammered. I thought it was way oversold. But the problem with investing is [...]