On stage at DEMO 07 ... Barry Bonds?

Did I stumble into a baseball card show? Or a pharmaceutical industry convention?

Don't know how else to explain what I am seeing as I type here at DEMO 07: Barry Bonds - the Barry Bonds, baseball's most controversial/reviled figure - is up on stage during a break in the show taking some publicity pictures. When the audience returns this afternoon, Bonds reportedly will be back on stage with his Web designer (just another member the entourage, I suppose) and a company called Bling Software. Bling is unveiling an AJAX-based Web client for mobile handsets.

Yikes! Who would imagine that one of the poster children for steroid abuse in baseball would be up there making a pitch instead of hitting one. Oh, how I regret that the DEMO format doesn't allow questions from the audience. (He's clearly busy at the moment. A colleague is inquiring about interview opportunities, but something tells me that's unlikely.)

But let's see, what might we want to ask Mr. Bonds?

Hey, Barry, what technical obstacles remain before mobile 'Net users can expect the same rich experience they get at work and home?

No, wait, that's not it.

Hey, Barry, what do you think of Linux in the enterprise?

Wrong again.

Barry, how's it feel to be within a decent season of Hank Aaron's home run record while also knowing that most baseball fans believe you cheated to get there and are hoping against hope that you don't make it?

Yup, that's what I'd ask if given the chance.

(Update: Bling's demo was impressive, went off without a hitch and ended with a cameo wave to the crowd by Bonds, who was warmly received. No booing, which I will admit surprised me. I'm told Bonds is an investor in the company.)

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