**BG** NOW ya have me laughin' in sympathy.

When Control Data won SBC from IBM it was decided a party was in order. The Houston office was full of your "black ties" and the cadre of coders wanted no part of them at the fete. No one could come up with a legitimate reason to exclude them and my brother (now an Control Data employee) voiced his concerns to me a few days before the event. He was in charge of the thing and right in the middle of it all. He was the chief SA there. I suggested a "Cut Tie" party. Everyone had to have a tie and it was to be cut off after arrival to gain entry. A memo was sent out to all the brass in the traditional manner except it was delivered by hand AFTER the party started and timed and dated that morning (and people wonder how memos get "lost" that get them fired).

It was a real treat watching the brass burn on this one. When the honcho put up too much of a snit, I'd hand them a 3 inch wide monster with polka dots in exchange for their Countess Mara originals (yes, I kept the ties) because the clincher was ALL the cut ties had to be knotted together and "flown" from the flagstaff out front for 7 days. Funny thing, none of the ties were reclaimed. I wonder why?

And, I promise not to tell a soul. *G*