Stupidity is contagious. It gets us all from time to time. Even respectable companies can catch it. As I do every week, let's take a look at five dumb financial events this week that may make your head spin.

1. It's why they call them diehards
GameStop (NYSE:GME) shares took a hit on Wednesday, after Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) announced that it would be selling 25 of its more popular software titles at 15% to 20% off through the end of the holiday season.

Why should GameStop catch a cold if Wal-Mart sneezes? Well, GameStop isn't really in a position to begin matching price cuts. It needs to protect its used game business, which happens to draw substantially higher margins than its new wares.

GameStop is already coming off disappointing same-store sales in its latest quarter, and there was always the hope a strong holiday showing would bump the specialty retailer back in the right direction. A price war is the last thing it needs.

2. Drove the levy to the Chevy, but the Chevy was dry
General Motors must make uncomfortable cars to drive in. I heard the latest guy couldn't last on the hot seat for more than seven months.

Yes, GM canned CEO Fritz Henderson after barely half a year at the top. Many are applauding the move, because Henderson was a 25-year veteran at the company. They love to point to Ford's (NYSE:F) Alan Mulally, an industry outsider who came in and righted the wrongs at GM's stateside rival.

However, it's not so easy to catch a Mulally in a bottle. In fact, Henderson's short leash should spook any potential CEO candidate. It's bad enough that running GM will likely be a thankless job, under the cruel heat lamp of taxpayer scorn and staunch federal oversight. So, really, do you think that even Mulally could turn GM around?

One can rightfully argue that GM's culture needed some cleansing, but isn't that what's been happening for most of the past year already?

3. Making green mountains out of molehills
I've been coming down on Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (NASDAQ:GMCR) for entering a bidding war for one of its more popular K-Cup companies, so I wasn't too happy when Green Mountain once again raised its bidding card to become the top offer for tiny Diedrich Coffee.

Green Mountain's latest offer is for $35 a share in cash. The original suitor's price for the company was $26 a share in cash and stock a month ago.

There may appear to be nothing wrong with Green Mountain wanting a little more skin in its K-Cup ecosystem game, but its voracious pursuit has to be upsetting to other companies that help keep its Keurig single-cup brewers humming along with portion-pack refills. Green Mountain is creating a conflict here that will eventually become a conflict of interest.

4. Out of touch
Dell's (NASDAQ:DELL) latest computing gadget is a laptop complete with a 17-inch multitouch screen. The Inspiron 17 Touch is as awkward as it sounds. Part laptop, part tablet, it's hard to peg the market for the $899 device.

Unfortunately, Dell has a long way to go if it ever wants to be a tastemaker again. It ignored last year's netbook craze. It jumped in too late into the smartphone market. Now it has a system that's either an overpriced laptop or an awkward tablet.

5. Too many Nooks in the kitchen
Remember when Barnes & Noble (NYSE:BKS) turned heads with the specs for its Nook e-book reader? It now appears to be turning calendar pages.

Nooks were supposed to begin shipping out for the earlier pre-orders on Monday, hitting stores shortly thereafter. Well, it's been a bumpy rollout. The first batch was supposed to ship this week, but now the retailer has no idea when it will begin stocking them in actual stores. Demo units will only be going to high-traffic stores next week.

Remember when Amazon.com's (NASDAQ:AMZN) Kindle had its Oprah moment? Amazon blew it by having a supply shortage between Kindle generations after Winfrey's plug. Well, the Nook was promoted this week on Ellen DeGeneres' show, only she wound up having to give those in her audience $300 gift cards because "it's not even in stores yet."

If you're going to launch an e-reader, beware of the talk-show jinx!

Let's beat the dumb drum: