1. Taboo Plaza

Microsoft has a problem with how the world is working right now.
Microsoft may seek restitution in the court of law if Microsoft must.
Microsoft is out to take back the streets.  Or at least Microsoft will fire a couple of shots over some people's bows.
Microsoft apparently will take on the world and everybody in it, if necessary.  Microsoft is prepared to go the distance, maybe.  Free and open source software is the issue and Microsoft wants it stopped.  Microsoft claims to possess over 200 examples of patent infringements taking place right now.
That means Microsoft has a legal right to sue.  Microsoft legally can claim personal loss.  Microsoft is entitled to recompense from people using Linux and other softwares like it. 
The people at Linux seem peaceful like hippies.
Microsoft has many faces.  There are people like James in Finance, or Product Manager Dametra and of course Dave in Recruiting.  Then there is another face of Microsoft.  A face of seven white guys, a black guy and a lady.  This face hides yet another face that benefits from the positive motions of Microsoft. 
And I want to make clear that I have no personal problem with Microsoft! 
My problem is with the fact that our country allows this many people to hide behind the identity of Microsoft.  Or Home Depot.  Or Bank of America.  Or whatever other corporation you can name. 
Corporations are duck blinds. 
When a group of men can secretly gather and make mutual agreements while disavowing personal responsibility: nothing good will come for long.  Corporation extends tyranny to hands once kept relatively unsullied.  Corporation is the equivalent of handguns in the United States of America. 
A corporation is joined with the understanding of relative anonymity.  Burden the system with boring meeting minutes and mounds of financial data then the public will soon grow weary and allow you your way unfettered. 
Unobserved right out in the open.
Can corporations be used for good?  I suppose they may be; however, I must then ask why?  Why bother with a corporation, if what you intend will offend no one?  What legal protection do you really require when what you are doing is right?
Can you justify to me a reason why corporations are not so bad?  I'm sure you can, but nonetheless little changes the fact that a corporation has the same rights as a person. 
In fact, they have more!
A corporation can disband and fade into the public unrecognized and virtually unrecognizable.

2. Current Affairs

 And the beat goes on...

3. Then Humans Discovered...(The Chronicle of Mirn part 3)

Continued from April 1st posting.
Mirn brought fire back to the Group.  He did it for exceedingly selfish motives though.  While driving away the Others, Mirn found himself confronted by a group unwilling to accept the teachings of Mirn.  They resisted prostrating themselves at the behest of Mirn.
A blunt strike drove the doubters away; however, restlessness seemed to grow within the group.  Ga-song, leader of the blunt strike, sensed weakness in Mirn because Mirn was growing old.  Ga-song frequently began to interrupt Mirn's drawings in the sand for the possibility of game hunting.
Mirn determined to change their mind.  One evening lightening struck nearby the Group.  While others ran away in fear or cowered in the darkness, Mirn steadied himself and walked toward the spot of impact with an unknowable determination.  Moving through darkness, Mirn easily saw the bright light of flames consuming a spot in the forest.  He remembered the actual telling of Krunk's tale though.  While others cowered in fear he was superficially comforted in the knowledge of what Krunk did.
It took all of the strength that Mirn possessed to keep from cowering in fear.  Mirn moved uneasily forward toward the flames.  His mind was consumed by the vague thought he would disappear at any moment from the face of the Earth.
The light at first caused him to tremble.
The heat made him look away several times before he could stare.  As he stared, he made the connection of Krunk.  He saw a loose tree branch flaming on one end, but dry on the other.  Mirn slowly reached out his hand to grasp the unburnt portion of the branch.  He picked it up slowly and then dropped it.  Then again he picked it up, only to drop it once again and run away into shadows.
Finally, after much trial and tribulation Mirn grasped the tree branch steadily in his hand.  He gazed into the flames and within his grasp he knew power.  With his teeth bared he ran back to the Group.
When he ran into camp with his flaming tree branch, he was the object to which the Group bowed prostrate.

4. Weird Happenings Taking Place in North Dakota
Last week's batch of Senators averaged 18 years in public office as U.S. Senators. This week's batch of Senators average 12.5 years as U.S. Senators.
 
Elizabeth Dole (Republican, North Carolina)
Religion: Methodist
1958: Duke University, B.A.
1960: Harvard University, B.A.
1983 to 1987: U.S. Secretary of Transportation
1989 to 1990: U.S. Secretary of Labor
1991 to 2000: President of American Red Cross
2003 to present: U.S. Senate

Richard Burr (Republican, North Carolina)
Religion: Methodist
1978: Wake Forest University, B.A.
1995 to 2005: U.S. House of Representatives
2005 to present: U.S. Senate

Kent Conrad (Democratic-NPL, North Dakota)
Religion: Unitarian Universalist
1971: Stanford University, graduated
1975: George Washington University, graduate degree
1981 to 1986: North Dakota Tax Commissioner
1987 to present: U.S. Senate
Was not a candidate for reelection to his seat in 1992, but was elected in a special election on December 4, 1992, to the unexpired portion of the term ending January 4, 1995, left vacant by the death of Quentin N. Burdick, which he assumed on December 14, 1992; reelected in 1994, 2000, and again in 2006 for the term ending January 3, 2013.

Byron Dorgan (Democratic-NPL, North Dakota)
Religion: Lutheran
1964: University of North Dakota, B.S.
1966: University of Denver, M.B.A.
1969 to 1980: North Dakota Tax Commissioner
1981 to 1992: U.S. House of Representatives
1993 to present: U.S. Senator
Appointed by the Governor to begin serving on December 14, 1992, to fill the vacancy left by Senator Kent Conrad, who assumed the seat left vacant by the death of Quentin Northrop Burdick, and took the oath of office on December 15, 1992; reelected in 1998 and in 2004 for the term ending January 3, 2011.

5. Our Nation is Dumber for This...Thank You for Your Participation!

   And the beat goes on...

6. Down On Rage Street
      And the beat goes on...

7. I Sure Do Hate It for You
      And the beat goes on....

8. Tip of the week

Life is not about having fun.  If you live that way, forget it.  Life is about the pain and misery. 
That is where knowledge lies. 
Avoid the pain and you avoid understanding reality.  Reality is not what you want it to be.  That's why they say that money has no correlation to happiness.  Money doesn't change reality.  You may be able to rent reality, but to change reality you must possess a power of which you do not possess.
If life is fun, then have fun with the notion of pain in mind.
There may be reason to take this life seriously.

9. Birthday Shout Outs (5/13- 5/19)

May 13th

(1914) Joe Louis-  He inspired many a black man.
(1939) Harvey Keitel- He's been involved in some really good movies.
(1950) Stevie Wonder-  The brothers just bad.
(1961) Dennis Rodman-  One of the bad boys from Detroit.  He's part of the reason I started watching basketball.
(1964) Stephen Colbert-  Much smarter than he looks.

May 14th

(1943) Jack Bruce-  He jammed with Cream and they were out there.
(1944) George Lucas- Without George there would be no Star Wars.
(1951) Robert Zemeckis-  Without Robert there would be no Back to the Future.
(1952) David Byrne- The Talking Heads are under-appreciated.
(1957) Vader- One of the scariest men to ever step into a professional wrestling ring.

May 15th

(1957) Kevin Von Erich- The only brother to make it.  He was a hell of a wrestler in a hell of a promotion.

May 16th

(1964) John Salley-  Another bad boy from Detroit.
(1965) Krist Novoselic- Working in Nirvana, he aided in the glorification of the art of mumbling.
(1966) Janet Jackson- Without Janet there would be no Penny.

May 17th

(1936) Dennis Hopper- He's been in more cool flicks than Harvey Keitel.
(1956) Bob Saget- This guy is filthy.
(1965) Trent Reznor- Very cool music maker.

May 18th

(1942) Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka- An innovator.
(1949) Rick Wakeman- He jammed with Yes and they jammed.
(1970) Tina Fey- One of the sexiest women doing comedy.

May 19th

(1925) Malcolm X- Without Malcolm X, the red-necks would've mistaken Martin Luther King Jr. for the radical "nigger."  Long live the memory of brother Malcolm.
(1945) Pete Townsend- The Who had their moments.
(1946) Andre the Giant- He would make the list for The Princess Bride alone.  Nevermind the attention he commanded in a wrestling ring.
(1954) Phil Rudd- AC/DC may quite possibly be the greatest get-drunk-rock band of all time.
(1957) Bill Laimbeer- And yet another bad boy from Detroit.  This guy was so out there that his own team mate busted his hand punching him in the face.