In an interview after yesterday's iPod refresh announcement, Apple CEO Steve Jobs admitted that he could "stand to gain 10 or 15 pounds," but told CNBC's Jim Goldman "I'm doing fine, really." Jobs said he blamed what Goldman called "the rampant speculation and rumors on the blogosphere about the issue" on "hedge funds with a big short position in Apple." Jobs is wrong.

The story got big because hordes of tech reporters, including Goldman himself, noticed Jobs's sickly appearance at the iPhone 3G launch. Katie Cotton, who as best we can tell is Jobs's personal flack on Apple's payroll, tried to deal with them by telling them Jobs simply had a "common bug." It was an obvious lie and it only added mystery to an already juicy story Apple shareholders had every right to understand. If Jobs is looking to blame someone other than himself, Cotton makes a convenient target for his famous wrath.

Contact information for this author is not available.