Update 2: Ex-Microsoft Exec Sued Over Google Job - Forbes.com

Update 2: Ex-Microsoft Exec Sued Over Google Job - Forbes.com

This just reinforces the fact that Microsoft hates competition. An ex-programmer of theirs leaves the company to work for a company with a better public image (Google, in this case) and all of a sudden the Micro$oft lawyers are manning the battle stations.

God forbid that free-thinkers and innovators strive to put their expertise and experience to use building a better product that anything that MS can put out. We can't have competition in the world. Microsoft owns everything and you better get used to it.

If you ask me, this is just another desperate attempt by Microsoft to hinder competitors who are actually better at what they do than Microsoft could ever dream of. It's just another example of Bill Gates not having the shiniest toy at the playground anymore, so he has to complain about it and try to destroy it.

They claim there is a non-compete agreement in effect that the new hire is violating? I doubt it. Would Google actually take the legal risk if that were the case? Not likely. Google didn't get where they are today by being clueless. Once it all unfolds, I'm sure that Microsoft will once again have egg on their face.

Ebbers sentenced to 30 years in prison - Corporate Scandals - MSNBC.com

Ebbers sentenced to 30 years in prison - Corporate Scandals - MSNBC.com

My first thought on reading this was "Who?" Then I realized that's why he was was found guilty - he's not a household name. If 95% of the populace has never heard of you, or couldn't pick you out of a lineup, your chances of getting convicted of ANY crime, despite a complete lack of evidence, goes up exponentially.

Three high-profile cases come to mind: OJ Simpson, Martha Stewart (who WAS convicted, but received a lighter sentence due to her celebrity status) and the infamous Michael Jackson cases.

Before I go any further, I should probably preface my comments with this disclaimer: I am not stating that I think these people are innocent or guilty - just that if a non-celeb were to be put in their position, the verdict would have been guilty and the punishments more severe.

Let's say yours truly is speeding down the freeway, being chased by the police because my wife was found dead at the house. The officers pull me over, arrest me, find her blood in my car, as well as other evidence that may or may not link me to the crime. Guess what? I'm going to jail. I'm no celebrity, no one will really miss me anyway, and its a good way for the police to improve their "solved homicide" count.

What if I get caught participating in insider trading? Granted, I don't play the stock market, but a few years back I DID have some shares of a high-profile stock as part of my employee benefits. The company I worked for would announce when a stock was going to split and we were basically put on notice that we were NOT to divulge this information to ANYONE. We weren't even allowed to discuss it at our desks in case a customer on the phone overheard the conversation. Martha Stewart, on the other hand, got caught and while she did receive a jail sentence, someone like myself would have received a much harsher punishment.

In the Michael Jackson case, we have not only an accuser, but an eyewitness that witnessed the act. The lawyers involved managed to manipulate the jury into thinking that the trial was actually about which witness gave the best performance (And the Oscar for best performance in the Michael Jackson trial goes to...) rather than keeping the focus on the crime itself. If a person testifies over and over again that something happened, does it make a difference how many times it happened? The simple fact is, kids get nervous especially when thrown into a situation like that. For the kid to say that it happened three times, then later say it happened four times doesn't make him a liar - it makes him a kid that is scared out of his wits. Of course, the defense said that since the kid changed the number of times that it happened, that naturally means he's a liar and that the jury shouldn't believe him. In the meantime, a modern-day Leatherface (c'mon, look at all that surgery he's had!) is sitting there grinning inside, knowing that he will get away with it. If an average citizen of the US of A were to be brought up on these same charges, complete with an eyewitness that saw him molesting a child, that jury would have reached a guilty verdict within an hour. (Not that it matters, since the courts seem to like to release child molestors with a stern warning of "Now don't do that again!" - people, it's a DISEASE they have. They can't help it. They are sick - it's not something they can control, therefore it's almost a given that they will do it again. Life sentences are the solution here - or execution. But I digress...)

Back to my original point, while Mr. Ebbers is a very important and powerful person, he does not have celebrity status. He's not a household name (at least not in my house...and I just checked with several of my friends and they haven't heard of him either) therefore the jury had no qualms in convicting him for his crimes. Some people will say "Yeah, but he stole billions of dollars! Thats pretty bad!" - well, my friends, so is murder, insider trading, and child molestation. The fact is that crimes should be tried equally, regardless of the criminal's status in society, but that just isn't the case. Ebbers' only mistake was not getting a guest shot on Baywatch or appearing on the Surreal Life. If either of these had happened, society as a whole would have lifted him upon their collective shoulders, believed him to be perfect and incapable of doing wrong, and when it all came down to wire, everyone would have had a good laugh over it while shaking their finger at him as if to say "That crazy Bernie - he's always pulling stunts like this! Let's go get a beer."

Come to think of it, I think I'll go get a beer now. Cheers.

GTA Hidden Adult Scenes

Hidden adult scenes in the Grand Theft Auto - San Andreas game have raised some eyebrows. According to many news articles, there is a sexually explicit scene that ships with the GTA-SA game that can be unlocked by downloading a mod from the internet. The modder, Patrick Wildenborg, says that his program does not do anything but unlock the hidden scene by clearing a censor flag. The particular scene in question is called Hot Coffee, and apparently it has something to do with one of the characters stopping by his girlfriend's house for some coffee, which leads to, um, other things happening.

Naturally (and understandably) many people are upset about this. The potential for exposing minors to pornography is HUGE. Rockstar Games, the company that create GTA, hasn't publicly made any comment on this issue, but according one website, it is common for programmers to disable portions of a game and leave them on the final release. These features would never be seen during normal gameplay, but they are there just the same.

It's safe to say at this point that there are going to be a LOT of ticked off parents who caved in and bought the game for their kids despite the game's Mature rating. Imagine the look on mommy's face when she walks in to find her 10 year old running a modded version and getting a good dose of Sex Ed - San Andreas Style.

It's also quite likely that there will be a slew of lawsuits stemming from this - however, before you get your attorney on the phone, let's remember one thing: Its not the job of Rockstar Games, your lawyer, your internet provider, or anyone else for that matter, to raise your child. It is YOUR responsibility to determine what is appropriate for your children.

Nothing bugs me more than to see someone on TV suing MegaGameCorp or SuperSizeISP because their child saw a nipple or a thong somewhere. Parents, you need to monitor your children - filter what is allowed into your house. If you buy video games, educate yourself BEFORE you buy them the lastest and greatest title. If your child has a computer in their room, monitor their activity to make sure they dont accidentally become exposed to something you don't want them to see. There are tons of affordable programs that allow you to do EXACTLY that, and lets not forget the time honored tradition of TALKING to your kids about what is right wrong. They will listen, if you take the time.

Scotsman.com News - International - Nasa sued as horoscope fails to make comet sense

Scotsman.com News - International - Nasa sued as horoscope fails to make comet sense

*blinks* What? We hit a comet a billion miles away and now some psycho Russian chick says that we have screwed up her horoscope, and she wants to be compensated? Maybe I'll start a class action suit here in the US...after all, I have PLENTY of evidence that my life is messed up (at least in some areas) and I FINALLY have someone to blame. I may even take it all the way back to the Mars landings, citing that the rovers have upset the balance of the planet, etc.

Or maybe I'll engage my brain and just say "Cool"...