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When PJ declared herself ill and took a holiday, I fretted that we on the IV and Yahoo SCOX boards might miss something important because I was uncertain who or how often court filings would be reviewed.
That being so, I got myself a PACER account and began pulling down the filings each weeknight and giving a brief rundown on the docket action on IV and copied to Y. But there were long stretches where there was no news, and I wanted to reassure my audience that the dockets were being looked at even if there was nothing new in them. But it gets pretty dull to say "no news tonight" over and over again.
Now over on Y before Yahoo lost its corporate mind, we were a large collection of strange characters. Occasional verse and poetry popped up, so when I ran into long stretches of no news it occurred to me to spend a couple minutes composing some throwaway doggerel to amuse.
But over time it's become a fair body of work. What scares me most is that I've gotten noticably better at it. Still, IMO, it's nothing grand, but some have found it quite amusing. Of course, as I've noted it's all dreadfully ephemeral and topical. A few years from now SCOX will be a footnote in the history books (maybe a chapter - on how not to do it - in a few law books) and the weekly ups and downs referenced by these will be obscure if not completely opaque. Still, here for your amusement...
It started in total innocence with no title, 2007-04-27:
No news tonight
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2007-04-30
Nothing happening between them,
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2007-05-01
Nothing from IBM
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The metaphor of watching a melodrama or really bad movie litters our discussions on the boards.
2007-05-02
Nothing in Novell, not a word did they say,
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Historians of the case take note that shill "backinfullforce" on the Y board was a figure of awed derision.
2007-05-03
Nothing by nothing new in these cases,
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2007-05-04
Once again, sadly, from Novell nothing new,
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2007-05-07
No rulings, no motions, no memoranda, nothing new
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Slowly the titles I put in the subject lines evolved into works more appropos of the poem than any substance. After all the substance was, more often than not, a recitation of the docket number entries. If there was any substance, it would usually be part of the poem's theme anyway. But early on there was little consistancy.
Getting Moldy 2007-05-08
Nothing new in SCO vs. Novell of late,
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2007-05-09
Through PACER again I've looked and I've slaved
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2007-05-10
Novell does nothing to break the snoring
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2007-05-11
Nothing today in SCO v Novell in PACER that I see,
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2007-05-14
Too often of late the judges and lawyers have been all too mum,
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2007-05-16
In Novell and IBM fate has given SCO time
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Jeff Merkey is/was also a nemesis of the anti-SCOX crowd, and a more serious one than biff as he actually filed suit against a few people on the boards, but after observing a while I concluded that he is a gent who parts his hair from the inside and brushes his teeth through his ears. But he has a faithful following of antagonists, whom after a while I came to feel needed their CPU's reseated nearly as badly as he.
2007-05-17
On PACER for IBM and Novell there is no news
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2007-05-18
Not a glimmer of news in PACER again,
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2007-05-19 Off Doing Yard Work
Late Friday and Saturday IBM's done nothin new
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(This is bad. They get better, promise!)
2007-05-21
Nothing new from IBM in PACER perchance
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2007-05-22
Nothing tonight found new in PACER,
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2007-05-23
Those waiting with baited breath will pass out after turning blue,
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2007-05-24
Again in this case on PACER silence reigns
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2007-05-30
While Novell is alive with haste and bustle
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(My sense of meter is getting better, if not my rhyme ;-)
2007-05-31
In PACER again today the IBM case idly sits
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2007-06-01
Nothing new for IBM tonight
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2007-06-04
The IBM case is out to lunch
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2007-06-05 Silence Must Be Golden
There's nothing new on PACER tonight
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2007-06-06 Silence of the Scams
No news again on PACER this day
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By now several motions were before Judge Kimball, fully briefed and heard. As their time "under advisement" dragged on my patience wore thin.
2007-06-07 Waiting for Godot
News again on PACER is void,
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The characterization of IBM's lawyers as the Nazgul (from Lord of the Rings should you be so ignorant), nightmarish shadows of men with infinite patience and totally lacking mercy is one I and others use incessantly to taunt SCOX. It should be obvious that we believe SCOX deserving the attentions of such.
2007-06-08 Dark
Now news in PACER for IBM tonight
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2007-06-11 (IBM) Still Slackin'
In SCO v IBM the silence still thunders
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As I had long before predicted, the Yahoo SCOX stock board had become a "garbage dump", where discussion had long given way to personal prats and tit for tat insults. But many of us on IV SCOX, where reasonable discourse remained in style, admitted to sometimes dropping by Y to express our inner child (desparately in need of attentions of a leather belt).
2007-06-12 (Dockets) Empty as a Troll's Soul
In the courts again cold are the coals,
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This isn't poetry. But in my foray into troll land over on Y I seem to have gotten under the skin of one of the trolls. In half sneering desparation he asked "Why are you here?" (Lorien's question from B5, though I'm not sure he ever noticed). This was my quite serious response. To date is has the highest recommendation of any of my posts on IV. It explains why many of us are so hostile to SCOX. Here is as good a place to preserve that understanding as any.
--
2007-06-12 Why We're Here
IR Y SCOX 425698
My name is Terrence W. Zellers, and my address and phone number can be found by anyone mildly technically aware who has three brain cells he can fire in unison. "ColonelZen" is the one and only handle I have ever used on this and related boards.
Now most of us freely admit that we're here for the entertainment - watch the train wreck that is SCOX and snack on popcorn, swill booze and laugh with each other while stepping over the dismembered bodies. This is in good taste as we know that SCOX deserves it. Many of us were there for various parts of Unix and computing history. We knew from very early on that there was no BS more smelly and less nutrient rich than what McBride and the others were spreading.
But there is a moral component as well.
Many of us OWE the creators of Linux. And F/OSS generally.
Individually there isn't much we can do about SCOX. But there is one thing each and every one of us who owes a debt and feels an obligation to the community can do.
We can bear witness.
That's what it is all about. We can witness the injustice upon Linux that SCOX has done and we can witness whatever justice is visited upon SCOX in consequence.
One who understands what it means - the responsibility of - "to bear witness" cannot stand mute in the face of a lie.
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2007-06-13
Nothing new in Novell I gather
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2007-06-14 TANJ ... or Filings
Happiness for SCOX as the dockets are bare,
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The "Who is PJ" was always an amusing subplot to this story.
2007-06-15 The Smell of Silence
The Novell case stands idle this day
So now we must respectfully say,
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2007-06-18 There Ain't No Justice
The news from PACER is no news again
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2007-06-20 Familiar Silence
No new filings today, no screwups by SCO
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2007-06-21 No Jam Today
The dockets again tell no tales,
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2007-06-22 Still No Hammer
No filings or orders on the dockets tonight.
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2007-06-25 Waiting for a Shine
If in months I did not write
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2007-06-26 Three Martinis and Brandy on the Side
Nothing in the dockets for the SCO bunch,
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2007-06-27 What Time is It?
I wish I did not need to write this rhyme
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2007-06-28 The Party Continues ...
The boys of SCOX are happy and gay
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2007-06-29
Boise's girls are good at the game,
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"recs" or recommendations are somewhat of a joke - more on the old Y board than on IV, as there are so many ways to game them. More in fun than anything else we sometimes accuse the author of a particularly good post of "rec whoring". AllParadox is a retired attorney who sometimes posts and it is an understatement to say that his contributions are highly valued ... and of course rec'd in accordance.
2007-06-30 Lament of the Poetic Rec-Ho
I see by the recs people like my rhyme.
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2007-07-02 Hoping for Firecrackers
The dockets are empty and dry
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2007-07-03 (IBM) Still on Vacation
IBM's docket looks the same way
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monsieurbobo did a Nantucket limerick in response. I was inspired...
2007-07-03
The Nazgul will cook up a feast
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From an off topic discussion on the technology of ancient computers.
2007-07-03 Chips with That (originally untitled)
if electron states and laser pits
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2007-07-05 Wake the Judge
It seems that Judge Kimball is still deeply snoring,
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Inymical responded with haiku. Of course I'm too vain not to respond in kind.
200-07-05 Mad Metaphors (originally untitled)
Metaphors are bad
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2007-07-06 Keeping the Wraiths Sleek and Hungry
Though the dockets are bare and Kimball still sleeping
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2007-07-09 The Crime of Rhyme
The excitement today is this silly rhyme
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Occasionally there is a serious subtext ...
2007-07-10 No Justice Today
The docket's the same as long it has been,
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2007-07-11 Fast as Dry Mud
The schedule says Novell will go fast
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2007-07-12 Work to Do!
Sorry I'm late with this report today
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2007-07-13 Fooling Around
The judge in Novell did not rule
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2007-07-16 Promises
Like the promise of justice by law and court
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I've mentioned before that "backinfullforce" was a "legendary" supporter of SCOX ... well not so much a supporter of SCOX as defender of their impossible assertions and "logic". This weekend - supposedly due to having lost his cool and posted a gross defamation - his account was nuked by Yahoo. By interesting coincidence I had just pointed out that the interests of one Steve Sabbath would closely match the history and personal interest of biff's elsewise anonymous character. In any event, Y's pulling the plug on "backinfullforce" is a significant milestone in the SCO history:
2007-07-16 Requiem for Backinfullforce
A liar lies under any name
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2007-07-17 In the Name of Hope
Nothing is new
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2007-07-18 The Speed of Right
The time is near to see some action
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2007-07-19 Boredom Makes Me Grumpy
Another day has come and gone
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For an historic anniversary.
2007-07-20 Justice by the Moon
Another week and the dockets are covered with dust
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2007-07-23 Cold Justice
Kimball's loud snoring still rings through the court,
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2007-07-24 Impolitely Silent
A judge should judge to earn his pay
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2007-07-25 The Price of Sleep
The wheels of justice so slowly they creep
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2007-07-26 Clowning Around
In PACER again there's not taste
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2007-07-27 Justice, American Style
Learn to do business in the great US of A
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2007-07-30 Time Will Tell
Nothing new in the docket for Novell
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2007-07-31 Summer Deserts
It appears that Judge Kimball is out on vacation
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tubby had been on Y as tubbytuba and was infamous for a while for posting limericks on a near daily basis. Over time that died out but of course was part of the "inspiration" for my efforts. He suffered a relapse ejaculating "Curse you, Zen" before expostulating.
2007-07-31 Diseased Poetry (originally untitled)
Of all the diseases a man can acquire
Looking for beat and rhyme in these words
Regular rhyme on this board came from you first
So if your old ailment to you has come back,
It won't cure the illness, of that I'm aware
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As August began we knew something had to break soon. Kimball's court schedule for the Novell case required that there be some resolution to some of the outstanding issues before the cases could properly proceed to trial.
2007-08-01 Feel the Burn
Of news of SCOX in PACER is none
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2007-08-02 No Worries, Judge
The Nazgul wait in anger
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2007-08-03 World Class
It appears the judge intends to do not a lot
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2007-08-06 Empty Lies
IBM's docket is empty,
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2007-08-07 And the Beat Goes On ...
The court may favor the local scum,
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2007-07-08 Powerful Disgust
The judge will not pronunce the truth of SCOX's shame
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2007-07-09 The Whole World is Laughing
The judge in this case, it seems to me,
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On August 10th Kimball vindicated himself and likewise the positions us anti-SCOXites had been holding for four long, wearying tiresome years, by ruling on the PSJ's almost entirely in Novell's favor. I issued a gleeful apologies for my aspersions and innuendoes in these poems on the IV board, but in retrospect I still reconsider them as valid critiques of the justice system. If it takes four years for rich and powerful corporations to get some measure of justice (and despite the PSJ's it ain't over yet, Oct 6th) out of the courts in the face of an outrageous and totally unfounded lawsuit, then "what of us of lesser estate?"
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2007-08-13 Their Pain is Our Pleasure
I love the sound of the bastards screaming
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2007-08-14 The Calm After the Storm
The dockets are empty in PACER tonight
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Microsoft provided part of the funding for the SCOX lawsuits. And it was once famously reported that at one time Microsoft president Steve Balmer lost his temper and threw a chair.
2007-08-15 Beware the Chair
The dockets are empty again,
The end is in sight
It's too much to hope
But chances are fair
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2007-08-16 Passed the Past
No news on this day that has passed
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2007-08-17 Idyl Wile
The dockets sit empty as they've been for a while,
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2007-08-20 The Pain in the Rain Falls Mostly on the Vain
No news tonight on this miserable night of rain
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2007-08-21 Why Try
There's nothing new in PACER tonight
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2007-08-24 Waiting the Fire
There's nothing new in the IBM dockets of late,
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2007-08-27 Timeless
No news I see and I can't make a rhyme,
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2007-08-28 Damp
SCOX should be worried
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Here I display my awesome powers of prognostication ... IBM filed a memo the next night. As they were ordered to do by the court.
2007-08-29 Leftovers
IBM's dockets show nothing still,
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It's far from certain, but some of our board members think that some of Darl's remarks, made as President of SCO and for which he is responsible as such, could well have put him on the wrong side of the law. I cynically suggest that any prosecution will be dependent more on politics than anything else. Personally I do think that from purely an ethics and justice standpoint McBride's willful misrepresentation of facts and willful intent to damage others is worthy of criminal punishment. He (and his boss Ralph Yarro who if less prominent is morally equally responsible) has had five years drawing a munificent salary plus bonuses and perks for running an enterprise with its primary policy being libel and extortion; an equal time in proportionately unpleasant circumstances is only justice - proper punishment demands more.
2007-08-30 Where to Find Happiness
Even though there is no IBM news tonight
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IBM, throughout this has done the smart thing for the participant in a lawsuit. They kept their corporate mouth shut in public and said what needed to be said in court. It was a wonderment that an IBM rep this day said a very few guarded words about being pleased with Judge Kimballs ruling the prior month.
2007-09-04 IBM Speaks
At long last IBM has finally spoken,
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2007-09-05 Sitting Vigil
IBM sits silent, quiet and reserved
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Even on the relatively sedate IV SCOX board we sometimes find ourselves in various spats, usually relating to politics. One of our more respected members, El Corton, had announced that he'd had enough and was withdrawing.
2007-09-06 The Cost of Battle
No news from IBM's dockets tonight
Our love of right is what makes us strong
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Something of a counterpoint as our board etiquette was basically that politics and meta-discussion were OK on the weekends but bad manners during the week or when there was real news. This week there were still low intensity conflicts going on from the previous weekend's political rows. This was spotlighted as orders came down from the court in the Novell case denying SCOX's "second bite of the apple" - basically motions to the court to change its mind or to allow an immediate appeal.
2007-09-07 What Are We Talking About
IBM's dockets have been quiet all week
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2007-09-10 The Wonder of the Bones
I wonder as the days each go wandering past
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2007-09-11 Lustrous for Fruit
Tis a pity the Nazgul now have nothing to do
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By way of idle amusement the board, even back in Y days had made a sport of guessing the next day's stock numbers. Over time a WAG came to mean any guess, entered as one would a wager. I don't know if it was exclusive to the anti-scox boards but evidently IV saw this as an interesting community building excercise and built it right into their message board software.
2007-09-12 Cigarette WAG
I wonder what IBM did this day so sunny?
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Even within the anti-SCOX community there are rather divergent views about PJ and Groklaw. At one time there were ongoing bitter and deeply (and with petulant childishness on both sides) battles fought over such matters for more than a year. By now though and for more than two years, all who remained pretty much understood each other's positions to such an extent that it was immaterial anymore. On this particular day the JEM report raised some questions about what is Groklaw's "rightful" place matters of Tech reporting. Some of us wryly observe that he is a little late to the party.
2007-09-13 The War Bore
From IBM there's nothing more,
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SCO v Novell's trial on the remaining issues was scheduled to start on Monday, September 17th. On Friday, the 14th, SCOX (SCO's stock symbol) declared chapter 11 (reorganization) bankruptcy. This had long been forseen as part of the end-game. The last roll of the dice to keep the game going as long as possible.
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2007-09-17 Dream Riders
Before the debtors court did SCO come
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2007-09-18 Winning Fools
Today before the debtors court SCO came
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Dan Lyons was one of a handful of Tech "Journalists" who, over the years, had been more accepting of SCOX's varied and sundry "stories" than those of us more critically inclined could find palatable. (Rob Enderle, Maureen OGara and Laura Didio round out the list). On the 19th Lyons published a "mea culpa" admitting that he had been lied too and was far too accepting of SCOX's representations.
The title is a little bland. I was aiming for sardonic and missed.
2007-09-19 Today in the News ...
Tonight Dan Lyons dines on carrion birds
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Tibbets, SCOX's in house legal counsel got a big bonus and big raise ... dated the very day before the bankruptcy filing.
2007-09-20 The Thunder of Plunder
Ryan Tibbets has made quite a blunder
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2007-09-21 Administrative Assurance
When the judge says the case is adminstratively closed
There's no chance that Kimball won't get his shot
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Close on the heels of Dan Lyons tearful renunciation, Rob Enderle tries his own tug at the heartstrings. However rather than admitting he was, and allowed himself to be, misled Enderle places the "blame" squarely on SCOX's victims who refused to be victimized - the Linux supporters.
2007-09-24 Enderle's Writeousness
'Tis not my fault that some people can't see
I'll write for the wrong when its the wrong that I trust
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2007-09-25 Permission Problems
It's strange to hear silence from the once brash and bold
There's no money they can spend nor any deals can they sign
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2007-09-26 Speed Kill
Faster than lightning, the streak of a meteor, or superman on meth
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2007-09-27 A Quiet Job
Linux is safe, there's nothing to fear
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Local mythology paints Maureen O'Gara as a lush - I have no real opinion save that her ongoing "respect" for SCOX hints of a certain impairment of intellectual facuties. And her relationship with SCOX is documented to be rather closer than one expects of an "objective" journalist. Just how close and deep those relationships, and the nature of her mental handicap, I do not really care to imagine - except of course for noble purposes of poetry and parody ...
2007-09-28 The Dog and this Lamb
Bert has taken it on the lamb
The trustee will only let Darl watch sports
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Over the weekend I speculated (and I genuinely don't know how seriously to take it) that the real target audience for SCOX's outlandish public pronouncements - completely divorced from the grim reality of SCOX's legal and financial futures - was Darl and Ralph's wives. Elsewise boredom and resulted in sidebar discussions all over the map including varous fauna.
2007-10-01 The Gift of Reassurance
Darl tells Andrea he's just begun
But thanks to Andrea for boredom broken,
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2007-10-02 Truth by the Numbers
Darl kept his mouth shut tightly today,
The numbers tell us at least part of their plans
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2007-10-03 Remember the Lies
The Nazgul wish that Darl remember
A great man brought to slaughter fools
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The "Big One" was Novell's filing in the bankruptcy court to have SCO v Novell unstayed.
2007-10-04 The Big One and the Wee Little One
Ralph has left Darl all alone
"To our utter destruction" the rake did cry -
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Ralph Yarro seems to have realized that there's no future in SCOX. For the past year or two he's been "persuing other interests", most noticably "fighting internet porn". Oddly enough, many of the laws he and his political cronies have been advocating would be particularly beneficial to companies in Utah with particular "technologies", and by strange coincidence those are companies in which Ralph has a financial interest. This has earned him a rather contrary nickname and we also wish Ralph to remember that there's a little bit of unfinished business regarding his tenure at SCOX.
2007-10-06 Naked Tail
Behind McBride Ralph tries to hide,
Twas his Canopy they severed first,
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There you have it, my complete opus to date. Now as poetry a couple of them might be worth a nod or two. Most of them were amusing to write and are hopefully worth a chuckle in passing as read in context of their times.
Of course I KNOW that must of them, artisticly, are pure crap.
All I have to say by way of apology to my would be critics is:
STOP SCOX NOW OR I'LL DO IT SOME MORE! (eeahhh ha ha ha ...)
-- TWZ
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