Second Opinion

Bad Boss: Authoritarians in Finance (FINS) Big Freaking Surprise: Look! Here are four shocking new behaviors that are "linked to" (but not the cause of?) premature death. (BusinessWeek) I Needed This: Your Mom's Guide to Facebook changes, and how to block them. (GigaOm) PS I know the date is old on this article, but I accessed it via my BusinessWeek "Most Popular" feed. Interesting that BusinessWeek's most popular stories are the ones it syndicates. Best Video I've Seen Today: Huffington Post has compiled five minutes worth of metaphors used by news commentators on the Goldman Sachs Fraud case. It covers everything from tainted meat and castration to antique cars and casinos. (View it after the jump)

Deal Spec: Dow Jones Investment Banker of deal rumors-what makes sense, and what is nonsense. (DJ) Delicate Balance: The economic crisis has revived the old debate about whether firms should focus most on their shareholders, their customers or their workers. (Economist) Summer Reading List: The B-School Edition: Take a look at what B-schoolers will be reading poolside for enlightenment and entertainment. (Businessweek) New Mezz: Is mezzanine the answer for entreprenuers? (Private Equiteer) Investors' love-hate relationship with Wall Street: The post-dot com bubble backlash gave us knew regulations, but had little impact on Wall Street's business. (New Yorker) And also: The Economist covers the financial reform developments with Synthetic/Derivative.

You Know What They Say About Magazine Covers: Former eBay CEO / current California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman is on the cover of BusinessWeek. (BusinessWeek) What Wall Street Could Learn From KFC's Double Down Sandwich: "UNTHINK!" (Atlantic) Schumer's Balancing Act: He's undecided on Obama's financial regulation bill. He's a friend of Wall Street, but he's also a Democrat. (WSJ) Yikes: Check out these scathing emails from the ratings agencies. (FINS) For Fun: The 50 ugliest cars of the last 50 years. (BusinessWeek)

Good News! Hiring for private equity is on the rise! (FINS) Did You Hear? Obama came to Wall Street today. Lloyd Blankfein was there. Wall Street's response to his call for financial reform was some variation of Step Off. Oh, and for some reason the NYPD took this as an excuse to steal a ton of bicycles because they might have pipe bombs in them? (But the bike racks, barracades, stop signs, cars, basically everything else, is all fine.) Ridiculous. Michael Lewis: The bond market will never be the same after Goldman. (BusinessWeek) Not Helping Guys: The recession is over so conspicuous consumption is apparently ok again? Financial news thinks so with two pieces called "How to Spend Your Bonus." This one's on Diamonds. This one's on Vintage cars.

Excuses, Excuses: Here's why Maria Bartiromo, someone with access to the top banking execs in the world, doesn't ask the hard questions (keeping that access being reason number one...). (Business Insider) List: Three questions for Entreprenuers (HBR) Acquisition Opportunity? I know you guys are sick of old media and all, but Disney may be ready to unload ABC once and for all. Anyone tempted? (MarketWatch) Follow-Ups: The FT echoes what we reported yesterday: Secondary buyouts are booming in the UK, too. (FT)

Go Tumblr Go: The simplified blogging platform raised $5 million. Here is its plan for the future. (All Things D) Where Goldman Really Went Wrong: It doesn't matter if Goldman broke the law-was what they did wrong? (Fortune) Annnd the Beating: Deal Journal liveblogged Goldman Sachs's Q1 conference call. (Deal Journal) Rachel Sklar: Where are the Women in Tech (Again)? (Mediaite) How Transparent are PE Fund Managers? As a journalist I'd say not at all, and even, gleefully so, at times. (Not Too Proud)

Buzzy: The blogosphere was a-buzz today over New York Magazine's cover story on the NY Tech scene and how it's overthrowing Old Media. "Tweet Tweet Boom Boom." (NY Mag) Imagine: Facebook is planning a way for you to "like" button everything on the Internet. Next stop, real life. (Mashable) Obviously: By now you've probably seen Gizmodo's big coup. They found Apple's next iPhone. In a bar. (Gizmodo) Ha: If you like New Yorker Cartoons and are in finance (which, if you're not in finance, than why are you reading peHUB?), you may enjoy this one about caps of the market variety. (New Yorker Via Churchill Financial's On The Left.) How to Say Eyjafjallajokull: That is, of course, the complex name of the Icelandic volcano. Watch this instructional video at your own risk, because man are these ABC hosts annoying. They ask their Icelandic translator if she's been getting a lot of calls from broadcasters who don't know how to say the volcano's name. She answers that yes, she's been getting calls, but from friends who are worried about her family's safety. Meanwhile the bozos on the couch are yukking it up at how "cute" it sounds when she speaks Icelandic. Yeesh. (ABC)

Oh Brother: This isn't helping the "private equity fat cats" image: Sir Peter Paul Rubens' beautiful and ornate painted ceiling gazed down upon the most successful figures in the private equity industry last night, as they gathered in the Banqueting Hall on Whitehall for the Private Equity News Awards for Excellence in Private Equity. (City AM) A Day In The Life Of An Analyst: A cartoon you may be able to relate to."I just spent all night working on the model you said you needed for today." Director/Associate: "Don't worry about that - I never needed that." Analyst: "Thank you." View it here: (Clusterstock) Live from Tulane: M&A IS BACK. Have ya heard? (If you haven't by now you may want to reevaluate your career as a dealmaker...) (Dealbook)

Goldman's Reputation: Better than ever or in the shitter? (Reuters) Robustness: Joe Weisenthal spends the night with Nassim Taleb. (Business Insider) Deep Thoughts With Crossing Wall Street: Some simplified aphorisms on investing. (CWS) Thorn in Private Equity's Side Removed: Andy Stern is resigning from the SEIU. Collective sigh of relief for private equity? (LBOWire) Chips No Longer Dipping: KKR and Blackstone were relieved at Intel's strong earnings this week, which bodes well for their big semiconductor bets. (WSJ)

* Cuomo Says Greenberg Denials ‘Incredible, Irrelevant' * Atlantic Monthly Goes Against the Economic Cheerleaders. Newsweek and Businessweek have both proclaimed that America is BACK. * No Time to Worry About CalPERS Felix Salmon called CalPERS's response to Stanford's policy brief "well done." * Tax Season is over. Here's how accountants are PARTYING IT UP. * Krugman: Andrew Ross Sorkin Owes Several People An Apology. It's a feud. With words. *Oh God. Finance and music do not go hand-in-hand. This WaMu version of "I like Big Butts" (changed to "I Like Big Bucks," oh the hilarity), proves it.