The|DT Entrepreneur|NNP Is|VBZ the|DT New|NNP Madonna|NNP 
Dear|RB Joe|NNP ,|, 

I|PRP know|VBP what|WP you|PRP mean|VBP about|IN being|VBG a|DT journalist|NN .|. 
Almost|RB every|DT assignment|NN is|VBZ a|DT challenge|NN in|IN a|DT different|JJ way|NN and|CC it|PRP never|RB seems|VBZ to|TO get|VB easier|JJR .|. 
I|PRP often|RB feel|VBP as|IN if|IN I|PRP only|RB get|VBP half|PDT the|DT story|NN sometimes|RB ,|, so|IN I|PRP typically|RB do|VBP a|DT massive|JJ amount|NN of|IN reporting|VBG that|WDT is|VBZ most|RBS often|RB much|RB more|JJR than|IN I|PRP will|MD ever|RB need|VB .|. 
I|PRP think|VBP that|WDT is|VBZ why|WRB I|PRP welcomed|VBD doing|VBG a|DT book--it|JJ gives|VBZ one|CD the|DT ability|NN to|TO use|VB so|RB much|JJ of|IN what|WP is|VBZ left|VBN on|IN the|DT cutting|VBG room|NN floor|NN of|IN daily|JJ journalism|NN .|. 

Think|VBP of|IN all|PDT the|DT good|JJ stuff|NN we|PRP all|DT collect|JJ daily|JJ in|IN our|PRP$ reporting|VBG that|IN we|PRP never|RB add|VBP to|TO stories|NNS .|. 
Most|JJS often|RB reporters|NNS recount|NN these|DT tales|NNS with|IN each|DT other|JJ and|CC with|IN their|PRP$ sources|NNS rather|RB than|IN share|NN them|PRP with|IN the|DT general|JJ public|NN .|. 
Much|JJ of|IN it|PRP ,|, of|IN course|NN ,|, using|VBG the|DT standards|NNS of|IN top|JJ newspapers|NNS ,|, cannot|NN be|VB used|VBN since|IN it|PRP is|VBZ largely|RB gossip|NN we|PRP are|VBP repeating|VBG ,|, although|IN it|PRP certainly|RB could|MD make|VB for|IN some|DT very|RB good|JJ stories|NNS .|. 
I|PRP often|RB wonder|VBP when|WRB a|DT really|RB great|JJ fictional|JJ book|NN will|MD be|VB written|VBN about|IN this|DT era|NN (|( probably|RB decades|NNS and|CC decades|NNS hence|RB as|IN it|PRP is|VBZ too|RB close|VB )|) .|. 
In|IN any|DT case|NN ,|, there|EX certainly|RB is|VBZ no|DT lack|NN of|IN information|NN available|JJ about|IN the|DT moguls|NNS of|IN technology|NN now|RB as|IN they|PRP all|DT become|VBP our|PRP$ current|JJ pop|NN icons|NNS .|. 
I|PRP would|MD posit|NN that|IN Bill|NNP and|CC Michael|NNP and|CC Steve|NNP and|CC Jerry|NNP have|VBP become|VBN the|DT Madonnas|NNP of|IN the|DT current|JJ age|NN of|IN stock|NN market|NN mania|NN and|CC celebration|NN of|IN the|DT entrepreneur|NN .|. 

So|IN the|DT shift|NN in|IN the|DT image|NN of|IN Gates|NNP has|VBZ been|VBN an|DT interesting|JJ one|CD for|IN me|PRP to|TO watch|VB .|. 
The|DT smart-boy|JJ technologist|NN is|VBZ now|RB being|VBG painted|VBN as|IN the|DT whiny|NN bully|NN .|. 
I|PRP personally|RB always|RB thought|VBD it|PRP was|VBD a|DT risk|NN to|TO pin|VB the|DT image|NN of|IN Microsoft|NNP on|IN just|RB one|CD man--at|JJ AOL|NNP ,|, for|IN example|NN ,|, there|EX was|VBD a|DT conscious|JJ effort|NN to|TO develop|VB other|JJ "|'' characters|NNS ,|, "|'' for|IN lack|NN of|IN a|DT better|JJR word|NN .|. 
So|RB there|RB ,|, while|IN you|PRP think|VBP of|IN Case|NNP ,|, you|PRP also|RB think|VBP of|IN Pittman|NNP and|CC Leonsis|NNP and|CC increasingly|RB a|DT range|NN of|IN other|JJ executives|NNS .|. 
Steve|NNP Ballmer|NNP ,|, of|IN course|NN ,|, is|VBZ now|RB getting|VBG a|DT lot|NN more|JJR attention|NN at|IN Microsoft|NNP ,|, but|CC it|PRP still|RB seems|VBZ to|TO be|VB Bill|NNP 's|POS show|NN over|IN there|RB .|. 

While|IN I|PRP did|VBD not|RB attend|VB the|DT trial--|JJ I|PRP was|VBD lucky|JJ to|TO be|VB able|JJ to|TO read|VB your|PRP$ highly|RB amusing|JJ and|CC informative|JJ dispatches|NNS ,|, several|JJ of|IN which|WDT made|VBD me|PRP spit|NN up|RP my|PRP$ lunch|NN laughing--it|JJ certainly|RB seemed|VBD as|IN if|IN the|DT image|NN of|IN Bill|NNP Gates|NNP took|VBD a|DT beating|NN and|CC the|DT insular|NN culture|NN of|IN Microsoft|NNP did|VBD not|RB look|VB so|RB good|JJ .|. 
That|DT 's|VBZ ironic|JJ ,|, since|IN I|PRP think|VBP it|PRP was|VBD just|RB that|DT insularity|NN that|WDT helped|VBD them|PRP ,|, much|JJ in|IN the|DT same|JJ way|NN that|IN AOL|NNP has|VBZ benefited|VBN from|IN being|VBG in|IN the|DT Virginia|NNP suburbs|NNS rather|RB than|IN in|IN Silicon|NNP Valley|NNP .|. 
AOL|NNP would|MD never|RB have|VB existed|VBN if|IN it|PRP had|VBD been|VBN founded|VBN here|RB ,|, I|PRP am|VBP sure|JJ ,|, since|IN its|PRP$ employees|NNS would|MD have|VB been|VBN mocked|VBN into|IN obscurity|NN by|IN the|DT digerati|NN .|. 
Out|IN in|IN the|DT D.C.|NN area|NN ,|, they|PRP looked|VBD positively|RB exciting|JJ next|JJ to|TO all|DT the|DT government-oriented|JJ contractors|NNS .|. 
I|PRP wonder|NN if|IN that|DT means|VBZ geography|NN is|VBZ destiny|NN ,|, and|CC it|PRP 's|VBZ still|RB location|NN ,|, location|NN ,|, location|NN .|. 

From|IN where|WRB I|PRP am|VBP sitting|VBG ,|, I|PRP think|VBP the|DT Microsoft|NNP trial|NN has|VBZ been|VBN the|DT really|RB obvious|JJ turning|NN point|NN between|IN the|DT computer|NN era|NN and|CC the|DT digital|JJ age|NN .|. 
I|PRP think|VBP it|PRP almost|RB does|VBZ not|RB matter|VB what|WP the|DT judge|NN does|VBZ since|IN it|PRP 's|VBZ clear|JJ that|IN the|DT balance|NN of|IN power|NN is|VBZ shifting|VBG again|RB ,|, although|IN it|PRP not|RB clear|JJ where|WRB it|PRP will|MD land|VB .|. 
Will|MD the|DT strongman|NN of|IN the|DT era|NN be|VB AOL|NNP ,|, AT&T|NNP ,|, Microsoft|NNP ,|, or|CC one|CD of|IN the|DT big|JJ media|NNS companies|NNS ?|. 
Or|CC will|MD it|PRP be|VB none|NN of|IN them|PRP because|IN the|DT Internet|NN allows|VBZ and|CC encourages|VBZ a|DT plethora|NN of|IN strong|JJ companies|NNS and|CC a|DT complex|JJ interconnection|NN of|IN businesses|NNS where|WRB none|NN are|VBP allowed|VBN to|TO dominate|VB ?|. 

I|PRP always|RB use|VBP two|CD simple|JJ words|NNS when|WRB people|NNS tell|VBP me|PRP that|IN one|CD company--whether|JJ it|PRP is|VBZ AOL|NNP or|CC Microsoft|NNP or|CC Disney--is|NNP in|IN charge|NN of|IN all|DT our|PRP$ destinies|NNS :|: Babylon|NNP was|VBD .|. 
That|DT incredible|JJ empire|NN dominated|VBD the|DT world|NN and|CC I|PRP imagine|VBP it|PRP did|VBD not|RB seem|VB possible|JJ to|TO people|NNS living|VBG then|RB that|DT anyone|NN could|MD loosen|VB that|DT empire|NN 's|POS grip|NN on|IN humanity|NN .|. 
But|CC we|PRP all|DT know|VBP how|WRB that|DT story|NN turned|VBD out|RP .|. 

Now|RB I|PRP am|VBP getting|VBG way|NN too|RB philosophical|JJ ,|, but|CC this|DT is|VBZ my|PRP$ final|JJ missive|JJ ,|, so|RB why|WRB not|RB ?|. 
Perhaps|RB you|PRP could|MD hasten|VB a|DT prediction|NN of|IN where|WRB this|DT is|VBZ all|DT going|VBG .|. 
As|IN for|IN me|PRP ,|, I|PRP 'll|MD stick|VB with|IN my|PRP$ philosophy|NN of|IN reporting|VBG and|CC ,|, I|PRP guess|VBP ,|, life--nobody|JJ knows|VBZ .|. 

Cheers|NNP ,|, Kara|NNP 

