Overstock.com CEO Patrick Bryne engages is more bizarre stuff than I can keep up with. Seriously.

The guy posts on the Investor Village message board for Overstock.com as “Hannibal.” His latest rant is critical of an article on Barrons.com. If you have a hard time following Patrick’s delusions, don’t worry. You’re not alone.

The Barrons article discusses the stock market activity of terrorists. The writer’s take on it apparently doesn’t satisfy Byrne, who writes:

The Stage of Circumlocution Wow. This is wild.

“INSTRUCTIONS: You are to write an article about criminals manipulating stock markets on an international scale. However, under no circumstances will you mention ‘naked shorting’ or even ‘shorting.’ Instead, refer to ‘puts,’ even if you have to write some terribly awkward sentence like, ‘A… scenario in which terrorists buy millions of dollars of put options and blow up buildings or airplanes to increase the puts’ value….’ In addition, you will not say anything negative about hedge funds. Actually, we’d prefer if you don’t mention them. If you must, just refer to ‘substantial liquidity pools.”

Really wild.

“First they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win. Then they circumlocute.”

Does anyone else wonder if Overstock’s lawyers or auditors ever tell Byrne to just shut up already?

tracy coenen