Despite the incredible “power” of Office’s productivity, Microsoft’s own depiction of its software running on its hybrid tablet results in a $500 error. Charged with adding up just seven rows of numbers, Microsoft Excel running on the Surface comes up with a total of $9,000, as can be seen in the zoomed in detail below.
Frank Shaw’s head must have exploded.
This is one of the more simple responses to being stuck in church. When I first became an militant atheist my first assault against the faith-based legions was not to tip the Church when my friend’s kid was baptized. Ironic note is that my friend was an atheist, but decided to go along with the ceremony to keep his wife happy.
Confession: I grew up Baptist. No, not the pro-slave Baptist (i.e., Southern Baptist), but Baptist all the same. I grew up in a church where the cross was bare — nothing but wood and poorly sublimated guilt. Walking into a Catholic church for the first time at age 16 was quite the experience for me. No one told me that every Catholic church was rated R due to violence. I mean, there is a guy up there who was having the worst day in his life. (Cursing the fig tree wasn’t one of his best moments, but crucifixion trumps that.)
Religion can ambush any atheist, no matter how prepared he or she may be. For example, I was going to a reception for a friend of mine who had just came back form her honeymoon. I was expecting alcohol (she’s English, and likes the drink), a few pictures, and good times. However, what I wasn’t prepared for was a prayer circle. What’s worse is that the hygiene requirements for joining the circle seem pretty low. There was no five minute buzzer to alert people to wash their hands before the event. Disturbing on so many levels.
Me? Yeah, I got into that circle for a few reasons.
When I fist started dating my wife we went down to visit my parents in Florida. Now my then girlfriend grew up in a happy Massachusetts liberal church (obviously they didn’t read 80% of the good book). Hell wasn’t discussed. It was all about the love. Not so much in my parents mini mega-church. (It was a big place, but not a full blown Apatosaurus size church.) There was hell, homosexuals in hell, and families bringing their bound third generation family Bibles to the service. I tried to warn her, but you can’t really comprehend the hive-mind unless you see it up close.
That giant manger display that’s up every Christmas on municipal property in the city where you live bugs the crap out of you? Contact the FFRF. That’s why they’re there.
I used to go into Southie, traditionally an Irish enclave in Boston, back in the day to see the St Patrick’s Day Parade. During those times I was Andrew McWhateverIrishNameICanThinkOf. Why take my chances when being in a mob fueled by poverty, alcohol, and love of the Pope?
I was at an open mic in Somerville a few nights ago and one of the comics spent her entire time onstage talking about her reaction to the doctrine of transubstantiation. She grew up Catholic, and when her priest told her that the communion wafer magically became the actual body of Christ, well, she had a hard time swallowing it.
She was funny — almost as funny as that comic who did a bit referencing Occam’s Razor.
The following is a true story. I was dating this girl years ago, and after we had sex she told me about this group she belonged to that offered a two day intensive seminar at the low price of 800 dollars. The seminar offered the student (adherent?) ground breaking strategies on how to improve his or her life. The organization then allowed you to take more classes — at a very low cost — to make your life even more awesome.
“That sounds like the most stupid thing I’ve ever heard,” I replied.
Not the smartest thing to do, let me say that. I had come across much more stupid crap than that.
You would think my quip and the fact that she belonged in some sort of cult (the group turned out to be The Forum, which is a kinder gentler version of EST (Erhard Seminar Training)) would’ve ended the relationship quickly. But would greatly underestimate my ability to be in a dysfunctional relationship, my friends.
Well, this could be my last post here, depending on the final fate of Winston.
To be honest, I’ve talked to a few atheists who have become
apathetic due to the godless infighting.
Me? Not so much. I’m just here for the jokes.
"Siri, are there any delivery places for alcohol and Fargo the awesome my God Canada about alignment car?"
“Siri,car?”
Siri: “I’m not aware of any events about ‘awesome my God Canada about alignment car,’ KB.
"That “That is definitely not what I said." said.”
Thanks to @KathieBea, who should get her phone’s ears checked.
Peter Burrows and Dina Bass, reporting for Bloomberg:
Stephen Elop, a candidate to replace Steve Ballmer as Microsoft Corp.’s chief executive officer, would consider breaking with decades of tradition by focusing the company’s strategy around making the popular Office software programs like Word, Excel and PowerPoint available on a broad variety of smartphones and tablets, including those made by Apple Inc. and Google Inc., said three people with knowledge of his thinking.
Elop would probably move away from Microsoft’s strategy of using these programs to drive demand for its flagship Windows operating system on personal computers and mobile devices, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the 49-year-old executive hasn’t finalized or publicly discussed his analysis of the business. Most of Microsoft’s software has been tied to running on Windows.
Whether that’s actually a good plan for Microsoft, I don’t find all that interesting. What I do find interesting is how Bloomberg landed this story. Either (a) this is Elop’s way of tacitly leaking his “Here’s how I would run the company if I get the CEO job” plan publicly, or (b) three of Elop’s confidants have betrayed his trust. I’m going to go with (a). Not sure why he’d do that, though. If I were on Microsoft’s board, trying to decide on Ballmer’s successor, I’d look unkindly upon a candidate who leaked like this.
Also fun:
Doug Dawson, a spokesman for Nokia, declined to comment or to grant an interview with Elop.
“We appreciate Bloomberg’s foray into fiction and look forward to future episodes,” said Frank Shaw, a spokesman for Microsoft.
I really do enjoy Frank Shaw.