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Microsoft Slapstick 98® (2/4/98)
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Some days, it really seems like some benevolent deity is acting on our behalf, crafting real-life events so bizarre that even we couldn't make them up. It seems that Microsoft head guy Bill Gates was heading into a building in Brussels to meet the Prime Minister of Flanders when he was hit in the face with a cream cake, Bozo-style. There's an Associated Press story about the event, including a great photograph of Messy Bill and even Quicktime footage of the fracas.
To make things even more surreal, the "attack" was a premeditated and carefully planned conspiracy; one guy created a diversion while another threw the cake at Bill. The Belgian news agency says that four or five people were involved, and they even had a stack of cakes ready just in case the first one missed. (Don't believe any government commission who tells you it was a Lone Cakeman.) And for the final touch of zany madcap humor, Reuters suspects that Noel Godin was involved. Noel, it would appear, is a Belgian who "has made a name for himself and a lucrative business out of hurling custard pies in the faces of the rich and famous." If we at AtAT had only known that such a hobby could be lucrative, we would have taken it up years ago.
It's uncertain at this point whether or not Microsoft Europe will press charges, but we want to make one thing perfectly clear: AtAT was not involved in this monstrous attack. Not in any way, shape, or form. Scout's honor. It's just a completely unconnected random event which has bestowed a wonderful cultural icon upon our technocratic society; the Cream-Covered Gates will remind us always of the fundamental absurdity of any human's existence, no matter how rich he/she is. Or something. (We've made the photo into a screensaver.)
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SceneLink (421)
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 2/4/98 episode: February 4, 1998: In a dramatic shift of strategy, Cupertino floods the airwaves with new ads that actually mention a product. Meanwhile, Microsoft's Bill Gates gets a facefull in Brussels in a bizarre scenario even we couldn't dream up, and Netscape's sagging stock price takes a sharp upturn amid rumors of a buyout by Sun...
Other scenes from that episode: 420: Think Different Again (2/4/98) How 'bout that? Apple finally did a TV commercial that continues its "Think Different" advertising campaign. And hold onto your hats-- even though it's only fifteen seconds long, it breaks two cardinal Apple ad rules; it focuses on an actual product, and it makes a direct comparison to the competition. This long-awaited new commercial features an Intel Pentium II processor getting a piggy-back ride from a snail... 422: More Buyout Rumors (2/4/98) The 'net is abuzz with more buyout rumors, but for a change of pace they're not talking about Apple. This time, Sun is said to be considering a buyout of Netscape. Bloomberg News reports that Netscape's stock jumped a little this afternoon because of the takeover whisperings. Netscape, as you know, just posted a sizeable loss at the end of its last quarter, and is laying off hundreds of employees as a result...
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