Dakryn's Batshit Theory of the Week

[The Ozzman]

Microsoft gets owned in Europe:

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070917/eu_microsoft.html?.v=25

Microsoft Must Share Code With Rivals
Monday September 17, 8:29 am ET
By Matt Moore, AP Business Writer
Microsoft Loses Appeal and Must Share Code With Rivals and Offer Windows Without Media Player

LUXEMBOURG (AP) -- Microsoft lost its appeal of a European antitrust order Monday that obliges the technology giant to share communications code with rivals, sell a copy of Windows without Media Player and pay a $613 million fine -- the largest ever by EU regulators.

The EU Court of First Instance ruled against Microsoft on both parts of the case, saying the European Commission was correct in concluding that Microsoft was guilty of monopoly abuse in trying to use its power over desktop computers to muscle into server software.

It also said regulators had clearly demonstrated that selling media software with Windows had damaged rivals.

"The court observes that it is beyond dispute that in consequence of the tying consumers are unable to acquire the Windows operating system without simultaneously acquiring Windows Media Player," it said.

"In that regard, the court considers that neither the fact that Microsoft does not charge a separate price for Windows Media Player nor the fact that consumers are not obliged to use that Media Player is irrelevant."

But it did overturn regulators' decision to appoint a monitoring trustee to watch how Microsoft had complied with the ruling, saying the Commission had exceeded its powers by ordering Microsoft to pay for all the costs of the trustee.

Microsoft, which made $14.07 billion in profits during its last fiscal year, can appeal the decision to the EU's highest court, the European Court of Justice, within two months.

"I don't want to talk about what will come next," said Microsoft lawyer Brad Smith in answer to questions about the possibility of an appeal. "We need to read the ruling before we make any decision."

The mood at EU headquarters was one of elation and the court's decision was hailed as a big victory for the EU's competition policy and for consumer rights.

"The ruling confirms more than ever that Microsoft must comply," said EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes. "I will not tolerate continued noncompliance."

Kroes said however that the victory did not yet mean that software customers have more choice than they did three years ago, when Microsoft was slapped with the original EU fine.

"The court has confirmed the Commission's view that consumers are suffering at the hands of Microsoft," she said.

She refused to say what the implications of Monday's decision would have on other ongoing legal fights between the EU and Microsoft.

The European Committee for Interoperable Systems called the ruling a good result.

"It's a very good day, for it signals that there will be fair competition for the sector," said Maurits Dolmans, a lawyer for the group.

In its 248-page ruling, the court upheld both the Commission's argument and its order for Microsoft to hand over information on server protocols to rivals. Microsoft had claimed these were protected by patents and the Commission was forcing it to give away valuable intellectual property at little or no cost.

The court confirmed "that the necessary degree of interoperability required by the Commission is well founded and that there is no inconsistency between that degree of interoperability and the remedy imposed by the Commission.

AP Business Writer Aoife White contributed to this report from Brussels, Belgium. Associated Press writer Robert Wielaard contributed to this report.

 

[genocide roach]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/merseyside/6986986.stm

awesome!
~gR~

 

[genocide roach]

nebraskan state senator sues god for terrorism.

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/09/nebraska-senato.html

Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers (D - Omaha) filed suit against God Friday, asking a court to order the Almighty and his followers to stop making terrorist threats.

The suit (.pdf), filed in a Nebraska district court, contends that God, along with his followers of all persuasions, "has made and continues to make terroristic threats of grave harm to innumerable persons." Those threats are credible given God's history, Chambers' complaint says.

Chambers, in a fit of alliteration, also accuses God of causing "fearsome floods, egregious earthquakes, horrendous hurricanes, terrifying tornadoes, pestilential plagues, ferocious famines, devastating droughts, genocidal wars, birth defects, and the like."

Likewise the suit accuses God of having his chroniclers "disseminate in written form, said admissions, throughout the Earth in order to inspire fear, dread, anxiety, terror and uncertainty, in order to coerce obedience to Defendant's will."

Chambers, who has represented Omaha, Nebraska since 1970, asked the Douglas County district court for summary judgment or to set a quick hearing date "if the Court deems such a hearing not to be a futile act."

The senator also wants the court to issue a permanent injunction prohibiting God from issuing plagues and terrorist threats. It's unclear how this could work since God is usually understood to be all powerful.

Chambers does admit that God is omnipresent and omniscient, however. Since God is everywhere, the Nebraska court has jurisdiction, Chambers argues, and since God is all-knowing, Chambers need not serve him with a notice of the lawsuit.

The lawsuit indicates that Chambers attempted to make God appear in order to serve him by saying "Come out, come out, wherever you are," but the Almight declined, like many defendants, to make it easy for a plaintiff to serve him with court papers.

Chambers filed the suit to make a point that the state constitution allows lawsuits to be filed for any reason, according to WOWT.

Attempts to reach Chambers for comment were unsuccessful.

God did not immediately respond to a non-denominational prayer for comment by this reporter.

The suit is Chambers v. God.

fuckin brilliant
~gR~

 

[ForeverMetal]

"20-year-old captures abusive police officer on tape"

The cop shouldn't be suspended, he should be thrown in jail and off the force. What he did was harassment and intimidation, both illegal.

As for OJ, he will go free. Wait and see. Its almost guaranteed.

 

[Vimana]

Heres some news, I'm tired as fuck, everyone else in my school is, yet we have to be in school at 7:25.

 

[skeptik]

Popular Enoshima aquarium seal dies after 10 1/2-year run

YOKOHAMA (Kyodo) Minazo, Japan's largest seal, died this week having charmed visitors for 10 1/2 years at Enoshima Aquarium in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, aquarium officials said.

The 11-year-old male, 4.5-meters long and weighing about 2 tons, was the largest seal ever raised by a Japanese aquarium. The animal died Tuesday after its appetite began to rapidly weaken the day before, officials said. The cause of death was not immediately known.

Minazo was brought to Japan from Uruguay in 1995. The seal soon mastered a variety of comical feats, including a popular stunt in which he held a bucket with one flipper while sticking out his tongue.

Minazo quickly rose to stardom at the aquarium, where his three shows a day proved a hit with visitors.

The aquarium has set up a space in front of Minazo's water tank to allow visitors to leave flowers in Minazo's memory, the officials said.

RIP

 

[Zephyrus]

RIP Lawlrus

 

[zabu of nΩd]

Anyone seen this video yet? It's pretty hilarious.

http://video.nbc6.net/player/?id=157250

It was taken during a speech by John Kerry at the University of Florida this week. The video begins just as one of the students (Andrew Meyer) has taken the mic out-of-turn during a Q&A session.

 

[A8]

taser vid?!?

 

[skeptik]

God, what a fucking moron. This guy is more stupid than the last one.

 

[Pessimism]

R.I.P. you elegant behemoth

 

[zabu of nΩd]

I love the quip Kerry makes while they've got him on the ground -- "Unfortunately, he's unable to come up here and swear me in as President."

 

[Rabid Headbanger]

I'm pretty sure Kerry is just as retarded as president bush.

 

[General Zaroff]

 

[A8]

every presidential candidate is retarded?

 

[Pessimism]

They charged the guy with inciting a riot?

What kind of fucking bullshit is that!?

 

[skeptik]

He was riling people up, son, all fuck could've broken loose and many babies would have been trampled underhoof.

 

[Rabid Headbanger]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070910/sc_nm/vikings_dc_1

chances are only krig and myself wil find this interesting, oh well
~gR~

Problem: Only norse warriors go to valhalla, and only the good ones.

Obviously the person writing this article is retarded and doesn't know the difference between the various norse afterlives.

SHeesh.

 

[Rabid Headbanger]

THey shoud have tazered him in the fucking face and then just kept the juice flowing.

 

[Pessimism]

Point is that even if he had limited microphone time, that was certainly not a way to handle him as a problem.

Six officers and one nonviolent (albeit vocally aggressive) person. Of course they arrest him right as they bring up the skull & bones crap (which is going to fuel conspiracy fires everywhere); and the tazering? Hell, that's just icing on the cake isn't it?

Goodbye free speech, goodbye right to protest.

They could have just cut his mic - the problem was they didn't. Even his statements at the end about "big brother" and "they're going to kill me bro!" did't warrant the excessive forced used on him prior to that. There was no reason for his arrest, at most they could have asked him to leave the premises.