Salsa Beat

From: spencer_katt@ziffdavis.com

Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 12:42 AM

To: eWEEK readers

Subject: Girl Scout Blues; Microsofts apprentice; CA-remlinology

“How about some Katt tips on demand?” demanded El Gato of an amigo hed coerced into buying him lunch at a local Chilis. “Well, I know something thats not on demand at some IBM offices—Girl Scout Cookies,” shot back the pal. It seems a recent corporate memo to employees reminding them of IBMs strict no-in-house-solicitation policy noted that the policy covered the diminutive Thin Mints dealers and that they would be personae non gratae in the workplace. “Im picturing Brownies in trench coats outside Big Blue locations selling their cookies out of a tarp so they can pick em up and run like Big Apple street vendors,” cackled the Kitty.

Digging into some chips and salsa, the pal also told Spence that RIMs BlackBerry Enterprise Server will support DB2 in its 4.1 release later this year. The server, which connects BlackBerry devices to corporate mail servers, has supported only Microsofts SQL Server database since its inception. RIM had planned to include DB2 support in its recent 4.0 release, but the pal heard that DB2 implementation took longer than expected, so it was put off to get 4.0 out the door.

Suddenly, “For the Love of Money,” the KattPhones new ring tone, blared forth, startling the Maven of Murmurs amigo, who made a mess of his margarita. The caller was a Microsoft watcher who said a Microsoftie was going to be a candidate on Season 3 of Donald Trumps “The Apprentice” reality show. Thirty-one-year-old Verna (NBC doesnt release contestants last names) touts an MBA in business communications and is responsible for product management marketing and driving large-scale, multimillion-dollar projects for Redmond. “If shes so smart, why would she wanna work for Trump? Then again, maybe shes a mole for Bill Gates, who plans to embrace and extend the reality concept,” laughed the Lynx.

As the Grimalkin gorged on guacamole, he asked the pal if hed heard how Volkswagen has vigorously distanced itself from a viral ad campaign circulating on the Internet that appears to be for the European version of the companys Golf automobile, called the Polo. The video shows a suicide bomber detonating a bomb inside the car outside a restaurant, but the vehicles interior manages to contain the explosion, followed by a tag line that reads, “Polo. Small but tough.” The pal had indeed heard of the spot and that it may have been the creation of the folks at LeeandDan.com, as a spec piece only, but which was accidentally leaked out onto the Net. “Certainly not your fathers car ad,” tittered the Tabby.

As the pal picked up the check, the penurious Puss asked about the latest word on the ongoing executive shuffle and potential reorg at Computer Associates. The Furballs friend claimed an Islandia insider recently relayed this sardonic tidbit: “In the race for butt kissing, peoples lips are pursed, but they dont know where to land them. Its very tough on the jaw being in a perpetual state of pursed.”