God knows people can go a bit peculiar when they get a little poorly, but identifying Microsoft Windows with your illness, that's going some.

Actually, it isn't. We recall the late, great playwright Dennis Potter calling his cancer Rupert after the Australian... sorry, English... sorry, American nationality-changing media tycoon. And now we have one Thom Duncan, a senior editor at Novell's DeveloperNet, comparing of his own gangrenous gall bladder with the Beast of Redmond's main product - on Novell's official Web site.

"1. Your gall bladder is small (Micro) and soft.
2. Everyone gets one with their body (computer) whether they want it or not.
3. It doesn't add any value to the body.
4. It makes you throw up.
5. When you remove it, the system manages to get along just fine.
6. They're both sacks of bile."

Sounds pretty damn close to us.

Duncan was in hospital last week undergoing surgery for his afflicted organ, and we hope he's making a rapid recovery. And that Windows will no longer be causing him acute indigestion and discomfort... ®