Kelly Black

Remember when Houston-based fish-meal huckster Zapata Corp. tickled Wall Street’s funny bone with its $1.7 billion buyout bid for Excite back in 1998? The utter stench that made the Internet’s most infamous me-too wannabe the laughing stock of cyberspace has only grown worse with age. Last week, the fishmonger announced plans to scrap one of […]

Lehman Brothers Equity Analyst Holly Becker succeeded in making a name for herself by taking on Yahoo! this week, one of the only remaining Teflon Internet graybeards. The investment bank maintained its “neutral” rating on the portal giant, while expressing concern over the company’s future revenue numbers tied to softening advertising sales. Shares of Yahoo! […]

Dear Kelly: Well, it should not surprise you that I disagree with many of the statements and most of the assumptions that you make in your article about the company. I think your reference to the company as a “cockroach” clearly states how you feel, and hints to your objectivity. However, my primary concern is […]

Today, the Big Board will be dragged kicking and screaming to initiate the first phase of a five-legged race to swap fractions for pennies in a planned rollout that will change all U.S. stocks and options trading to decimals by next year. Ironic that you learn both fractions in decimals simultaneously in grade school, but […]

In an effort to boost its bruised ego, CMGI announced it would acquire the naming rights to the New England Patriots’ yet-to-be-built $325 million stadium. In exchange for the “CMGI Field” vanity plate, the Internet venture capitalist will pony up $120 million over the next 15 years for the privilege. Investors cheered the deal, sending […]

Despite a crackerjack job at covering the crime beat, APBNews.com looked headed for the dot-com boneyard when it axed 140 employees and filed for Chapter 11. The company’s story isn’t any different from the growing list of start-ups that have run out of gas by the side of the road. But, every now and again, […]

More than 30 gazillion addicts will be offline on Wednesday with eyeballs stitched to CBS’ Survivor finale. With just four lucky contestants remaining, the late night soap plans to sign off with a bang. Air-brushed onto a tropical island in the South China Sea, the show’s original cast of 16 has at times shown absurd […]

Altavista was forced to eat crow Monday. As if the Web portal hasn’t already had its share of problems, the latest caught-with-their-pants-down episode revealed the company’s attempt at passing off vaporware to consumers and the press alike. After weeks of badgering by the British media, led by the irreverent IT rag, The Register, calling on […]

She’s a material girl in a material world. So, little surprise that the diva of pop is on the prowl to claim the Madonna.com domain name under the World Intellectual Property Organization’s shameless arbitration authority related specifically to “famous and well-known” brands. But in this case, there’s a catch. Showing she’s not the sharpest tool […]

I like a cup o’ Joe as much as the next gal, but just because you know how to make a mean double latte doesn’t prove you know a hill of beans about investing in Web start-ups. Try telling that to Starbucks . The hip coffee roaster momentarily lost its senses during the tulip frenzy […]

Straight out of an episode of VH1’s Where Are They Now, investors are still wondering the same thing about last year’s high-flying who’s-who of e-tailing. One flavor of the month that particularly caught exuberant investors’ attention was the Gen-Y hyperbole. And whatever did happen to those pimple-popping chic fashion retailers anyhow? Like any wretched case […]

Real Networks recently unveiled its grand plan to monetize its more than 140 million eyeballs by charging users $10 per month to access RealPlayer GoldPass. The new service will offer users exclusive features like rock concerts and documentaries. But I’ve got two words for Rob Glaser – good luck – you’re gonna need it. While […]