For a few weeks, I managed to keep this column a Microsoft-free zone (an increasingly rare situation anywhere). But this week
the company we love to hate did not disappoint, giving Santa even more reasons to put rocks in their stockings.
In the black: Last month Microsoft paid the Computer & Communications Industry Association nearly $20 million to drop its antitrust actions
against the company. Nearly half that cash flowed into the pockets of CCIA prez Ed Black, formerly one of the Redmond Rascals’ most vocal critics. Memo to Microsoft: Pay me $10 million and
I’ll stop bad-mouthing you, too. Heck, I’d do it for five mil and a well-aged slice of cheese toast.
Casino Royale with cheese: Turns out the blessed Virgin Mary grilled cheese sandwich was purchased by The Golden Palace, an online casino. (No word
on whether they paid the winning $28,000 bid entirely in quarters.) The casino site is displaying the “Holy Toast” on a make your own sandwich" page, where you can insert your own mug in place of Mary’s. Apparently, even our most precious dairy products are no longer sacred.
Hotmail under the collar: Cringesters are fuming because they can no longer access Hotmail from Outlook or Outlook Express unless they spring for a
paid account. Microsoft says it made the change to thwart spammers who were using the e-mail programs to bypass Hotmail’s
junk mail protection. Here’s an idea: Why doesn’t Microsoft just buy off all the spammers? Surely a few billion would cover
it.
Joint ventures: The proposed Sears/Kmart merger apparently has Target in a tizzy. This week the store’s Web site advertised “marijuana” for
the tempting price of $25.25. Also for sale on the site: crack cocaine and female companionship. The store didn’t respond
to requests for comment but removed the pages shortly after hearing about them. I’m guessing the site was, like, compromised
by some highly relaxed hackers, dude. There is no truth to the rumor, however, that Target plans to name Ziggy Marley its
new director of marketing.
Got hot tips or hemp-inspired Web sites? Send 'em to cringe@infoworld.com and you may get a baggie -- err, bag -- in return.
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