Fear is the mind killer

Mercury News reported (9/13/07) on the recent increased price of shares and soon to expire options of Rambus Inc., the no-holds-barred litigating protector of its intellectual property. Rumors of a takeover and possible settlement are suggested at reasons for the activity:

On Aug. 30, U.S. District Judge Ronald Whyte in San Jose ordered the companies to meet in New York with a court-appointed mediator, Judge Daniel Weinstein. The court order stated that "senior business executives with full authority to settle are required to attend." The parties are scheduled to meet with Weinstein on Friday and Saturday.

"There have been previous mediations," said American Technology Research analyst Jeff Schreiner. But, he added, Weinstein has "a significant history of bringing parties who are far apart together."

A dog can sense fear. A good mediator can smell it, taste it, swallow it and pass it as gas that beguiles the participants. Even so, Judge Weinstein will have a multi-course meal of fear to digest . . . the main courses are SDRAM, DDR1, DDR2, GDDR & its progeny, and RDRAM. Appetizers, tasty and too numerous to list.

This will be a restaurant where the prices are left off the menu until the fair is selected and agreed. Then the various members of the cartel will individually assure Judge Weinstein that they are ardent dieters, willing to leave large portions on the table.

By the cocktail hour, Samsung will make an offer that Rambus will find worthy of consideration. Rambus will swallow RDRAM - because, well, just because.

Yes, Joe, you have predicted settlement for more than a 1,000 days running and I have climbed out on the limb with you.

Would somebody please light a candle?