My (Relative) Love For Microsoft

I love Microsoft!

Actually, I don’t, but that is neither here nor there – what I ABSOLUTELY LOVE is their announcement that they will charge DOUBLE for Windows 7 to buyers in European Union nations!

When faced with adversity between two groups I don’t like, I often hope both parties lose, but in this case I dislike the EU so much that my minor problems with Microsoft are inconsequential.

The EU has sued the pants off Microsoft for things that are normal business practices, like bundling an internet browser with their operating system, as if that is some sort of crime. The Internet Explorer browser came with my operating system also, and it is the only browser that my Multiple listing System will recognize – but that is all I use it for.

It took me no time, and no money to download Mozilla Firefox to use as a browser. It would take a European the same no time and no money to do the same, but the EU loves to fine American corporations for billions of dollars.

I guess Microsoft figures that if the European Union wants income, it will get income that came from the European buyers of the product.

I hope they stick it to the EU!

There is some suggestion that the double price is to atone for the Value Added Tax in EU countries, but I doubt it. Almost everything costs so much more in Europe because of the VAT, I guess we will find out soon enough.

Are we France, yet?

How About A Little Leadership?

Is Anthropological Global Warming (AGW) a threat to the universe?

Beats me!

But I’ll believe that it is when I see those who believe it is, act as if it is.

When: The President replaces his fleet of Suburbans with hybrids, and his Boeing 747 with a Gulfstream 5.

The White House is fully solar powered.

Al Gore reduces his carbon footprint to, say, 5 X  my carbon footprint.

Our “Green” Governor lives in the Sacramento Governor’s Mansion instead of flying a Gulfstream 5 to and from LA to Sacramento several times a week.

The Royal Family in England, so concerned with the environment, spend less than $66 million a year in travel, and solarizes the Royal Palace.

The President, who said we could no longer have our homes at 72 degrees, kept his winter White House a LOT warmer than that…let’s see some leadership from the top.

If AGW is a threat, I wonder if the special jet used by House Speaker Pelosi could make a few less cross-country jaunts?

I was mentioning my Moscow trip on a previous Blog entry, and that reminds me of what I saw there…the nomenclatura, high government officials who had special shops where only they and tourists like me could shop. I had a pretty 21-year old woman in St. Petersburg offer to spend the weekend with me if I would take HER money and buy her a mink coat! She could not shop in stores where I could shop.

Soviet citizens were not permitted into tourist hotels. I had a friend who married a beautiful and highly educated (Ph.D.) Soviet woman, but the woman was forbidden to attend HER OWN wedding reception because it was held in a tourist hotel! Even the attending US Ambassador, Jack Matlack could not get her entry! She was finally permitted when it was made clear to the authorities that future tourist activity could be severely harmed by that activity.

The Green movement has it own nomenclature, the ultimate of “do as a say, not as I do” group.

“Free” Enterprise

Back in 1986 I was in Moscow for the Perestroika speech, and I was at the University of Moscow that week to talk to students about computers.

Their interest in computers was vastly overshadowed by interest in my home, my cars…and “free enterprise” in general.

I tried to explain that the coming “free enterprise” meant that they would have to give up their subsidized subway tickets, their subsidized food, their subsidized medical, their subsidized rent…

“No!  No!” they replied! “We want to keep all of that, but we want free enterprise – you know…more money!”

With the Obama administration, perhaps the Moscow students were closer to reality than was I.

The Coming Airline “Tax”

The airline industry has read the bill Cap and Trade Bill that the House of Representatives failed to read – and they have estimated that the bill will add $5 billion in cost in 2012, and $10 billion in 2020.

Of course you know that is a lie. The airline industry will pay zero. Those are costs that will be transfer to the buying public.

The youth that put Obama in power, will pay the price.

Are YOU a Terrorist?

Karen Bass, the Democratic Speaker of the California Assembly, called everyone who has protested the Sacramento rush to tax a “terrorist” and anyone who promoted such protests as practicing “terrorism.’

Since every County in the State voted against that tax raid by the Democrats, this State has a LOT of terrorists.

Obviously, Madam Speaker is seeking cover. Chris Reed, an editorial writer for the San Diego Union-Tribune has a Blog he calls America’s Best Blog. He writes:

“How obnoxious can you get? Karen Bass calls her biggest critics ‘terrorists’

This is from a Saturday Q&A with the Assembly speaker in the L.A. Times:

Q: How do you think conservative talk radio has affected the Legislature’s work?

A: The Republicans were essentially threatened and terrorized against voting for revenue. Now [some] are facing recalls. They operate under a terrorist threat: “You vote for revenue and your career is over.” I don’t know why we allow that kind of terrorism to exist. I guess it’s about free speech, but it’s extremely unfair.

This is mindboggling for many reasons. The short list:

1. It is anti-democratic to liken criticism of elected officials and organized, peaceful attempts to hold them accountable for their decisions to “terrorism.” Bass would prefer a state full of sheep who just dutifully accept tax hikes and union payoffs. Earth to Karen: This is a democracy. If you want an obedient public, move to Pyongyang.

2. The “terrorism” remark makes the utterly idiotic presumption that conservative talk-radio hosts are the only reason there is anti-tax sentiment in California. Earth to Karen Bass: Voters of all parties don’t like tax hikes. Measure 1A failed in San Francisco, for God’s sakes. Talk about being in a bubble. Karen Bass and George W. Bush: peas in a pod.

3. The “terrorism” remark is pathetic on a personal level. Karen Bass’ biggest critics are two talk-radio conservatives in her hometown, John & Ken of KFI-640 in Los Angeles. Instead of just trotting out the usual clichés used to knock such hosts — they just want to create controversy to boost their ratings, etc — she calls them “terrorists.” This is obnoxious. It’s a lot closer to hate speech than what John & Ken are doing to Republican turncoats like Anthony Adams.

Etc. http://weblog.signonsandiego.com/weblogs/afb/