A Jones for Rhythm and News

Its not unusual," laughed the Lynx when he heard that 65-year-old Welsh singer Tom Jones was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace March 29. "What is unusual is watching The New York Times report that Google has faced the fact that hiring lobbyists­­­—nonevil ones, we hope—is a necessity when dealing with the powers that be in D.C.," cackled the Kitty.

Enjoying the green, green grass of home for a change, the road-weary Rumormonger got a call from a Microsoft watcher attending the software giants annual Convergence conference in Dallas. According to the watcher, besides sharing his technological vision with attendees, Bill Gates gave the crowd a rare glimpse into his personal life. When asked during a Q&A session whether his kids were into technology, Gates said his 6-year-old son Rory was really into cars and has been frequenting auto dealers Web sites to price options on various models.

Gates added that one car company contacted the lad online believing he was actually in the market to buy. Whether or not the young Gates passion for cars will one day win him a collection of speeding tickets like his famous father once amassed, the lad sounds like a chip off the old block when it comes to monetary matters. Chairman Bill claims that the youngster asked him and his wife Melinda why they were giving so much money to the Gates Foundation and not to him.

El Gato noted that tech kinder seems the subject du jour, pointing out that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer mentioned his munchkins in a March Fortune magazine interview. When asked if he owned an iPod, the Stevenator said no and noted that the Ballmer bambinos didnt, either. "Ive got my kids brainwashed: You dont use Google, and you dont use an iPod," said the frenetic father figure.

Skatting off to lunch at Legal Sea Foods with a barrister buddy visiting Beantown on business, Spence was intrigued when the legal eagle said that former CA execs Sanjay Kumar and Steven Richards were granted a delay for their upcoming securities fraud and obstruction of justice trial. Lawyers for the duo claimed that they needed the time to pore over 150,000 new documents that the defendants recently acquired. The $2.2 billion accounting fraud case is now set to go to trial May 8.

While Spence was savoring some scrod, the KattPhones new ring tone, "Whats New Pussycat?" alerted him to a call from a Cupertino crony who said Avadis "Avie" Tevanian, Apples chief software technology officer, is stepping down to pursue "other interests." After hanging up, the Tabbys tort-toting friend noted that Londons High Court has begun hearing the dispute between Apple Computer and the Beatles Apple Corps over a 1991 agreement that Jobs and company would stay out of the music biz. Alas, Judge Edward Mann, who is presiding over the case, admitted that hes an iPod user. "The Beatles lawyers may need to twist and shout to get the judges ear," mused the Mouser.

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