So, I feel it is my duty to let you know that I have apparently been hired by Apple (AAPL: sentiment, chart, options) - of all places - to be their Senior Vice President of Devices Hardware Engineering. Don't ask why I am going to work for the enemy, just know that I owe all my success to you, my loyal readers ... wait, what's that? Oh, it appears that I read that announcement wrong and I wondered why I was granted such a lofty position when I have zero experience in computers. It appears that Apple has hired Mark Papermaster as Senior Vice President of Devices Hardware Engineering. It is good to see that the paper branch of the Master family tree is doing some good ... you see, way back when, Masters had a choice to work in paper or the gladiatorial realm, leading to the Papermasters and the Fightmasters ... you know which way my branch went. But I digress.

Seriously, Apple named former IBM (IBM: sentiment, chart, options) executive Mark Papermaster to head its iPod and iPhone development team. IBM does not like this move, and has vowed to fight it in court. Until late October, Papermaster was vice president of IBM's Blade Development unit, which develops computers for corporate use. Last week, IBM filed a lawsuit to prevent the hire under the premise that Papermaster had access to IBM secrets and that he agreed to not work for a competitor for a year. An IBM spokesman stated that the case is proceeding, noting that the company will "vigorously pursue this case in court." I bet that this situation will be getting a lot uglier. At last check, Apple is slightly higher, as is IBM.