QOTD: About Those Amazon E-Book Sales…

“As a former Amazon Associate, I can tell you that a great many sales of Kindle Books are for the 99¢ complete Dickens, etc.”

–Movie critic and Web publisher Roger Ebert, providing some context for Amazon’s stat about Kindle e-books outselling print books.

QOTD: Still Think the Apple Store’s a “Painful Mistake” Now, Dave?

“I give [Apple] two years before they’re turning out the lights on a very painful and expensive mistake.”

— A 2001 prediction by David Goldstein, president of Channel Marketing, about Apple’s newly launched retail stores, which celebrate their 10th anniversary this week.

QOTD: Secret Service Agent Decides – Not a Fox Fan

Had to monitor Fox for a story. Can’t. Deal. With. The. Blathering.

— Message posted yesterday to the Secret Service’s official Twitter account. The agency later told the Washington Post that an employee “mistakenly believed they were on their personal account.” The tweet has been deleted, and the agency says it is “conducting appropriate internal follow-up.”

QOTD: Microsoft Finally Gets to Take Off the Ankle Monitor

“Our experience has changed us and shaped how we view our responsibility to the industry. We are pleased to bring this matter to successful resolution, and we are excited to keep delivering great products and services for our partners and customers.”

Microsoft on the expiration of its 10-year antitrust consent decree

QOTD: You Mean Google-Assisted Suicide?

Most companies don’t get murdered, they commit suicide.

EDventure’s Esther Dyson on Twitter

QOTD: And Another Similarity–Al Qaeda Doesn't Discuss Its Succession Plans Either

“Al Qaeda Inc. might suffer some initial setbacks from Osama bin Laden’s death, but so did Apple Inc. when shares dropped over rumors of Steve Jobs’ illness. But it did not take long to realize that Jobs has established a highly functional corporation, and the shares bounced back. The same can be expected for al Qaeda.”

CNN jumps to an early lead in the Most Repugnant Analogy of the Year competition.

QOTD: The World's Most Famous Live-Tweeter Doesn't Want Your Money

I do know that ‘monetization’ is an option for me, and I do realize that I have been ‘missing out on some big bucks’ and not ‘milking the media for what it is worth’ – I just don’t have the energy or motivation to think in that direction. Or maybe I’m just plain stupid.

Sohaib Athar, who became a celebrity after unwittingly live-tweeting part of the Osama bin Laden raid, explaining that he’s not charging for interviews. Athar has just published a FAQ that attempts to cut down on the need for more interviews, and it’s well worth reading.

QOTD: The World's Most Famous Live-Tweeter Would Like a Nap

Bin Laden is dead. I didn’t kill him. Please let me sleep now.

Sohaib Athar, the Pakistani IT consultant who unwittingly live-Tweeted the bin Laden raid, and who has since been inundated with media requests.

QOTD: That Would Explain The Dell Streak …

I’d say [the] rapid rise of the tablet. I didn’t completely see that coming.

Dell CEO Michael Dell on what’s surprised him most about the evolution of the tech industry

QOTD: You Know What Sounds Cool? Another Facebook!

“I know it sounds crazy, but our new company, http://altly.com, is building an alternative to Facebook. More details soon :-)”

— Former Veoh CEO, and, more recently, former MySpace Music CTO Dmitry Shapiro, setting some not-very modest goals for himself via Twitter.