Printed in the Providence Journal


Issue of the week: "Microsoft, What Byte Through Yonder Windows Breaks?"*
by Seth Brown

*with apologies to William Shakespeare


Y2K or not 2K - that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler at this time to buffer
The ones and zeroes that would crash our fortune
Or to buy charms against PC's of troubles,
And hope Windows won't rend then. It cries, a beep-
No more. That final beep does bring an end
To spreadsheets and a thousand filed stocks
Unless prepared you - 'tis a computation
You'll shout that you have missed. It cries, a beep-
A beep and then you scream: "Ay, what a flub!"
For in that beep of death you'll feel quite dumb,
When your computer's just a worthless coil
With many flaws. You can't expect
That you'll get amity while in this strife
For you were aware the chips would break in time.


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