Microsoft Profit Rises 79 Percent

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Jan 252008
 

All the Mac ads in the world can’t stop Microsoft from posting a 79% rise in profits. This news makes me happy. The reason, I can’t stand those Mac ads. My problem with these ads begins with the casting. The Mac character is just the sort of unshaven, hoodie-wearing, hands-in-pockets Liberal we’ve always imagined when picturing a Mac user. He’s perfect, a little too perfect. It’s like Apple is parodying its own image. If the idea was to reach out to new types of consumers they ought to have used a different type of actor.

Meanwhile, the PC guy plays the chump in these Apple ads; his humor and likability are evident. The ads pose a seemingly obvious question; would you rather be the laid-back young dude or the portly old dweeb? But I find myself consistently giving the “wrong” answer: I’d much rather associate myself with the PC guy than with the Mac guy. Mr. PC gets all the laugh lines! And Mr. Mac comes off as a smug little twit.

Microsoft profit rises 79 pct, outlook bullish

Microsoft Corp signaled confidence to a rattled stock market by raising its full-year profit outlook above Wall Street targets and reporting a 79 percent rise in quarterly profit on Thursday.

Analysts took the results as a good sign for technology companies in the face of a slowing economy, and Microsoft shares rose 4.5 percent in after-hours trade. That followed a 4 percent gain in regular trade, representing a gain of more than $26 billion in its market value for the day.

The results and raised forecasts from the world’s largest software maker come on the heels of disappointing outlooks from tech bellwethers Intel Corp and Apple Inc , which sent shivers through a U.S. stock market that shed about 10 percent to start the year, before bouncing.

Microsoft reported bumper quarterly sales of its Windows Vista operating system and Office software and said anti-piracy efforts were improving results at an above-average rate.

Previously:
Windows Vista Has Fewer Flaws Than Mac OS X

Suprise: Tony Romo Dumps Jessica Simpson

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Jan 252008
 

Here is my take. A great quarterback would never let a woman distract him. Romo was obviously distracted when he had a career-low quarterback rating of 22.2 in the Cowboys loss to the Eagles. Tony Romo is a bum!

Look at Tom Brady. He is in top form every game all while dating supermodel Gisele Bundchen.

Who is Tony Romo going to blame for next year’s playoff loss? Look in the mirror Tony!

Cowboys QB Tony Romo dumps Jessica Simpson

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has dumped Jessica Simpson, OK! magazine reported Thursday.

Dallas fans accused the entertainer of being a distraction to Romo and she was cast as a scapegoat after the Cowboys, who went 13-3 in the regular season, were sent packing in a surprise 21-17 playoff loss to the New York Giants.

“Tony is now starting to blame her himself,” an unidentified friend of Romo’s told OK! magazine. “Before dating Jessica, he was Texas’s golden boy. Now he’s become a joke.”

OK! magazine reported that shortly after the Cowboys’ Super Bowl hopes were dashed by the Giants, Romo phoned Simpson to end the affair. The source also said Romo wanted them to remain friends.

For Cowboys fans, the enmity dates back to a regular-season game Simpson attended as the star QB’s special guest. Romo gave one of the worst performances of his NFL career in that game.

The Dukes of Hazzard starlet wore a pink Dallas jersey with her sweetheart’s number on it, and looked on as he threw three interceptions in the 10-6 home loss against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Three days later, star Dallas receiver Terrell Owens said that Simpson is “not a fan favourite in this locker room or in Texas Stadium,” though he later apologized.

The rumours flew again when the pair took a week-long vacation in Mexico prior to the playoffs, which fans were quick to blame for the upset against New York.

The breakup came about after the couple couldn’t agree on living arrangements — Romo refused to move to Los Angeles, and Simpson refused to leave.

“It was the moment he realized it wasn’t going to work with Jessica in the long term,” the source told OK!.

Prior to the Simpson affair, Romo’s worst performance of his career came last season, also against the Eagles, with then-girlfriend Carrie Underwood cheering him on from the stands.

Previously:
Free Jessica Simpson Mask for Panthers Game Saturday

The State of the Union As Seen By An Ordinary American Citizen

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Jan 242008
 

At this time of year, the president normally issues his State of the Union address to the nation and the Congress. After the president has spoken, the Democrats usually respond, in both English and Spanish.

All of the speeches are usually loaded with outrageous hyperbole and exaggerations, if not downright lies. The real problems facing the nation will be grossly underestimated or ignored. Achievements will be vastly overstated and misrepresented.

For a change, our politicians need to hear the State of the Union from the perspective of an ordinary American citizen.

This citizen proposes the following State of the Union message:

Mr. President, members of Congress:

The state of this union is: In grave peril and in danger of collapse!

Due to inappropriate actions and or inaction on the part of those entrusted with managing this great nation–that would be YOU, ladies and gentlemen–
the United States of America is on the brink of declining into a third-world cesspool.

It is imperative that our government recognize the fact that the people are FED UP with the attempt to undermine American sovereignty, homeland security, and culture.

In short, the people are:

FED UP with plans to merge the United States into a North American alliance with Canada and Mexico. Such a plan would destroy American sovereignty and is totally unacceptable.

FED UP with the refusal of the federal government to secure our borders at time of war.

FED UP when Mexicans illegally cross our borders and assault and or kill Americans, yet our government takes no action, and refuses to even protest.

FED UP when Americans defending the U.S. from drug smuggling illegal aliens are sent to federal prison, while invading criminals are to be forgiven via amnesty for violating our borders and laws.

FED UP with the fact that upwards of 38 million illegal aliens are currently in America, and cost taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars every year.

FED UP with politicians who refuse to enforce immigration laws and who claim it is “impossible” to deport criminals here illegally.

FED UP with illegal aliens who can not and/or will not speak English.

FED UP with taxpayer dollars being wasted to print documents in foreign languages.

FED UP with illegal aliens who dump their medical bills on the backs of U.S. taxpayers, but who send $30-40 billion a year back to Mexico each year.

FED UP with the fact that providing free medical services to illegal aliens drives hospitals out of business, making those facilities unavailable to American citizens for whom the medical centers were intended.

FED UP with our schools being invaded by non-English speaking children who impede the learning process of students who genuinely belong here.

FED UP with the fact that federal, state, and local penal systems are overrun by illegal aliens, again costing taxpayers billions each year.

FED UP with the fact that, on average, illegal aliens kill 12 Americans every day.

FED UP with the fact that the overwhelming majority of felony crimes being investigated in Los Angeles have been committed by illegals from Mexico.

FED UP with politicians who refuse to round up and deport millions of illegal aliens who are destroying American culture and language.

FED UP with politicians who pamper illegal aliens with driver’s licenses and free public services, which encourage even more invaders to come to America.

FED UP with the attempted Mexicanization of America. Mexico is a third- world slum, and we are FED UP with those who want America to be like Mexico!

Finally, Mr. President and members of the U.S. Congress, people are FED UP with those who consistently work on behalf of illegal aliens and the state of Mexico, and against the interests of the American people!

Please do not underestimate the dissatisfaction and rage swelling in the hearts of patriotic Americans on this vital issue.

The state of this union is untenable and must not continue.

We DEMAND our great country back!

Texas Man Has Pig Races to Protest Muslim Neighbor’s Plans To Build Mosque

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Jan 242008
 

Speaking of Muslims and pigs…

It’s obvious that this man has the right to do whatever he damn well pleases with his land. If his Muslim neighbors don’t like it, they can go somewhere else, preferably somewhere covered with sand.

Pig races on Friday afternoons, brilliant! Now he just needs to set up the track so that the pigs race towards Mecca.

Texas Man Stages Pig Races to Protest Islamic Neighbor’s Plans to Build Mosque

When an Islamic group moved in next door and told Craig Baker the pigs on his family’s 200-year-old Texas farm had to go, he and his swine decided to fight back.

In protest of being asked to move, Davis began staging elaborate pig races on Friday afternoons — one of the Islamic world’s most holy days.

Craig’s neighbors, the Katy Islamic Association, have plans to build a mosque and community compound on the 11 acres they purchased alongside his farm.

Baker, 46, a stone-shop owner whose family has owned the farm for two centuries, says the association knew about the pigs when they bought the property, and it’s not fair for them to ask him to get rid of the animals.

“I am just defending my rights and my property,” Baker said. “They totally disrespected me and my family.”

Initially Baker and Kamel Fotouh, the president of the 500-member Islamic Association, were on good terms. But things turned sour at a town meeting, where Baker says Fotouh insulted him by asking him to move.

“That was the last straw for me … calling me a liar, especially in front of three or four hundred people at that meeting,” Baker said. “Mr. Fotouh said it would be a good idea if I considered packing up my stuff and moving out further to the country.”

Fotouh says his group has to construct the mosque because the others in the Houston area don’t provide the kind of environment they are looking for.

“We feel that these mosques are not fulfilling the needs of the community as they should. So, our vision is to have an integrated facility,” said Fotouh.

He said the pig races no longer bother him or his members, and they’re going ahead with their plans to construct the mosque.

Muslims do not hate pigs, he added, they just don’t eat them.

Neighbors have been showing support for Baker’s races, even coming in the pouring rain and giving donations ranging from $100 to $1000 to sponsor the events.

Last Friday, more than 100 attended the pig races, and many say they don’t want the mosque either. Some fear it will appear out of place and hurt their property values.

British Government Agency: Three Little Pigs Story May Be ‘Too Offensive’ To Muslims

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Jan 242008
 

Muslims are offended by the idea of wolves trying to eat pigs? I guess if the wolf was a suicide bomber then they would accept it.

This is just another case of some Liberal idiots thinking they are taking the high road and showing their peaceful Muslim neighbors they care about them.

Three Little Pigs ‘too offensive’

A story based on the Three Little Pigs fairy tale has been turned by a government agency’s awards panel as the subject matter could offend Muslims.

The digital book, re-telling the classic story, was rejected by judges who warned that “the use of pigs raises cultural issues”.

Becta, the government’s educational technology agency, is a leading partner in the annual Bett Award for schools.

The judges also attacked Three Little Cowboy Builders for offending builders.

The book’s creative director, Anne Curtis, said the idea that including pigs in a story could be interpreted as racism was “like a slap in the face”.

‘Cultural issues’

The CD-Rom digital version of the traditional story of the three little pigs, called Three Little Cowboy Builders, is aimed at primary school children.

But judges at this year’s Bett Award said that they had “concerns about the Asian community and the use of pigs raises cultural issues”.

The Three Little Cowboy Builders has already been a prize winner at the recent Education Resource Award – but its Newcastle-based publishers, Shoo-fly, were turned down by the Bett Award panel.

The feedback from the judges explaining why they had rejected the CD-Rom highlighted that they “could not recommend this product to the Muslim community”.

They also warned that the story might “alienate parts of the workforce (building trade)”.

The judges criticised the stereotyping in the story of the unfortunate pigs: “Is it true that all builders are cowboys, builders get their work blown down, and builders are like pigs?”

Animal Farm?

Ms Curtis said that rather than preventing the spread of racism, such an attitude was likely to inflame ill-feeling. As another example, she says would that mean that secondary schools could not teach Animal Farm because it features pigs?

Her company is committed to an ethical approach to business and its products promote a message of mutual respect, she says – and banning such traditional stories will “close minds rather than open them”.

Becta, the government funded agency responsible for technology in schools and colleges, says that it is standing by the judges’ verdict.

“Becta with its partners is responsible for the judging criteria against which the 70 independent judges, mostly practising teachers, comment. All the partners stick by the judging criteria,” said a Becta spokesman.

The reason that this product was not shortlisted was because “it failed to reach the required standard across a number of criteria”, said the spokesman.

Becta runs the awards with the Besa trade association and show organisers, Emap Education.

Merlin John, author of an educational technology website which highlighted the story, warns that such rulings can undermine the credibility of the awards.

“When benchmarks are undermined by pedestrian and pedantic tick lists, and by inflexible, unhelpful processes, it can tarnish the achievements of even the most worthy winners.

“It’s time for a rethink, and for Becta to listen to the criticisms that have been ignored for a number of years,” said Mr John.

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