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But this self-described "strange person" has plenty of corporate zeal. The business-savvy Levin, not willing to take The Fall, will not be satisfied unless his company boosts profits, doubles in size every three years and shoves Harry Potter down each and every one’s throats.

Levin, The Stranger, perhaps floating outside his body once again, recently decided it was important to increase control over consumers and artists. I'm looking forward to that happening about as much as I am looking forward to a new printing of The Plague.

The Good Side of Anthrax

Most of us are upset that terrorists (or whomever) have released Anthrax upon us. For some reason we just can't see how any good can come from it. But we are not Raymond J. Oglethorpe, current president of AOL. While expressing the opinion that the release of Anthrax was indeed "unfortunate," the ever-optimistic Oglethorpe gloated that Anthrax scares are "incredible" for the Internet because we now must send e-mail rather than use the Post Office.

Ray apparently hasn't read about Levin's vow to double AOL's size. . Oglethorpe argues that AOL is just about the right size right now. I'm not sure how a company can double its revenues every three years when it's already the right size.

Like Watching a Pot of Water Come to a Boil

We've all been pretty patient -- enduring layoffs, suffering the collapse of Nasdaq and watching the U.S. interest rate policy prove its impotency. Now Forrester Research is advising us all to hold tight for another year. They believe technology spending won't bounce back till the third quarter of 2002.

Forrester may be right, but they could just as easily be wrong. My fours years of college economics taught me that predicting the economy is about as tough as predicting Madonna's next hair color -- or husband. But I will say this. IT spending should come back. Technology is what makes us competitive, allowing us to beat our rivals and stand out in the world.