West Berlin, meanwhile, had transformed itself into a giant fairground, and the Wall was its biggest ride.

BBC: Eyewitness: The night the Wall came down

Last time around, LTRO sparked a risk rally that took U.S. equities on a joy ride, with major Wall Street names like Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Citigroup rallying.

FORBES: ECB's Liquidity Injection Doesn't Justify This Rally, Could Derail It

Behind a high fence in Menlo Park, Calif. a gray, tuna-shaped robot glides on a monorail around 20 solar panel arrays attached to steel poles, like WALL-E on a Disneyland ride.

FORBES: How Robots Are Making Solar Power Cheaper