Fun And Games in Japan

While at the Super Bowl party, one of my friends happened to ask me if I had heard about this next topic. Since this was entirely unknown to me, I did a little research this morning, and the results are as follows:

Apparently in Japan, there is a fairly new phenomenon called 'sex happening' clubs. The well-known US fetish queen Midori recently went to investigate Tokyo's fetish scene, and regarding these clubs, she reports:

...what the Japanese have are private, membership based sex clubs called "happening bars." These are similar to swingers clubs. I went to a couple of them and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere, good facilities with serious sex furniture and friendly staff. Since so many homes and apartments in Japan are tiny, and not necessarily soundproof, these clubs provide couples with a comfortable play space away from home. Unlike a swingers club, I felt no expectations for people to engage sexually with others, but opportunities were available for those who desired it. Some of the staff would do demos or casual lessons for the members. Peer-to-peer instructions happened a great deal as well.

As I said, this is news to me. When I lived in Japan, there were the ubiquitous love hotels for private encounters, and hostess (as well as host) bars for drinking/socializing. However, I am not entirely surprised. If anyone has more info on these so-called sex-happening places, please feel free to comment.

A VERY Inconvenient Truth...

...is contained in the essay Global Warming: The Cold Hard Facts? by Professor Timothy Ball, PhD, regarding the hype of global warming. Read the whole thing. For more, I recommend MIT professor Dr. Richard Lindzen's writings on the subject. Global Warming may itself be true, but politicians and reporters are not experts, and too many scientists are rushing for press accolades to stop to actually look at the data.

Amateur Ads at the Super Bowl

Watching the Super Bowl 'just for the advertisements' has become somewhat of a tradition, and most companies traditionally use this to launch theior newest and greatest ad creation. Who, after all, can forget the classic 1984 Ridley Scott-directed ad introducing the Macintosh? This year introduced a new twist on the phenomenon- amateur-created advertisements. Several companies, from Frito-Lay (Doritos), to General Motors (Chevrolet), launched advertisements produced by non-professional advertisement makers. After watching the entire Super Bowl, in the main I thought the amateur ads stacked up pretty well against the professionals.

However, at least one member of the scribbling class was not happy about amateurs invading the professionals' turf. Writing for CBS News, Andrew Keen whined,

This is not good news. The shift from professionally produced to user-generated advertising makes us poorer in both economic and cultural terms. The arrival of user-created commercials at Super Bowl XLI represents the American Idolization of traditional entertainment — the degeneration of professional content into a "talent show" for amateurs.

Gee, Mr. Keen, are you afraid that people who are talented in more than just their own professions might push untalented hacks like yourself into actually having to do a real job? To me, this is suspiciously like the argument that 'if you didn't go to journalism school, you can't be a journalist, or, going back a few years, 'if you are not a member of the [insert union name here], you can't do [insert profession name here]. This argument is valid only in professions whose members need a professional certification. Engineering, law, medicine and other such vocations are professions where understandably, amateur practicioners are not and should not be welcome.

However, in the area of creative content creation, such as advertisement cration, music, journalism, opinion writing, creative writing, etc, there should be no bar. I am a professional musician, and have been for over twenty years. However, I know some supremely talented amateur musicians. A department chairman at a prestigious university, for example, is a talented jazz trumpet player. Just because he does it mainly for fun, should he not be allowed to entertain people with his talent? None of the Beatles went to music school. Should they have been denied permission to entertain? Additionally, what about people such as the Monty Python team? They graduated in professions that contained no relation to comedy or to acting, yet they have made some wonderful creations over the years. Should they too be denied permission because they did not attend acting school? Taking this argument (if such inanity can even be dignified buy that name), Keen writes:

Why is the work of the amateur of a lesser quality than professionally made content? There's the intrinsic talent of a lifelong professional, such as Ridley Scott, of course. Then there's the financial resources made available to the professional content creator. Back in 1984, Apple paid Chiat/Day $1.6 million to produce their Mac ad. Today, according to the American Association of Advertising Agencies, the average professionally-produced 30-second spot costs $381,000. In contrast, wedding photographer Jarod Cicon, one of the five finalists in the Doritos competition, estimates that his 30-second ad cost $150 to produce.

This argument is easily dispatched. The "Intrinsic talen of a lifelong professional"??? Many famous writers, both past and present, were entirely self-trained. Edgar Rice Burroughs, creator of 'Tarzan', wrote his first novel without any previous experience in writing of any kind. Robert Louis Stevenson was a student of engineering at Edinburgh Universioty. Should that lack have disqualified these two from writing, Mr. Keen? Much of the best commentary in current events comes from bloggers such as Glenn Reynolds. These are not professional journalists. Should they be disqualified from writing just because they did not graduate from Columbia School of Journalism?

As far as cost, reporters routinely rage against how much something costs (like gasoline), or how much a corporate executive gets paid (though these arguments somehow get forgotten when it is members of their own set who reap ridiculous sums of money- for example a Tom Cruise or a Katie Couric). If amateurs can make an advertisement for less, then by all means they should be so allowed. Or is Mr. Keen worried that if costs drop, the companies will be able to save more instead of fattening the coffers of companies like- CBS! In my opinion, competition is good for everyone.

To conclude, this entire argument simply does not hold water. Instead, it is a prime reason why creative content creation must not be limited to members of the 'elite media club'. Many reporters lack both knowledge and the ability to turn a coldly objetive eye to their subject, and essays such as Keen's show why journalism is not considered a demanding disipline- or even a real disipline at all, in this writer's opinion. Logic, research, and objectiviy too often seem to take a back seat to 'feelings', agenda and protecting privilege- the very things so many of them accuse accuse others of doing.

Vista Thoughts Redux

As a long-time fan of Apple's Macintosh as well as the various flavors of UNIX and Linux that are currently available, I freely confess that I am not a Microsoft fan.

I have become accustomed to using Windows XP at work, and I do have some fond memories of Windows 2000 (in my humble opinion, that was the best operating system Microsoft ever released), but I have long been suspect about the upcoming Vista. I used Longhorn throughout its various permutation as part of my job, and when they repackaged it as Vista, have been forced to test it. However, my impressions have not been positive. (For another reviewer's comments on the security underlying Vista, please see my post About that new Microsoft OS...).

Now, it appears that I am not alone. In a number of reviews, technology reporters share my lack of positivity regarding this new Microsoft OS. Some of the comments have been as follows:

Ironically, playing around with Vista for more than a month has done what years of experience and exhortations from Mac-loving friends could not: it has converted me into a Mac fan.
-Erika Jonietz, Technology Review

It's also going to have this spiffy new file system called WinFS (Windows File System)… oh wait, that was canned last year. At least Linux doesn't have a new file system either. Well, except for Reiser4, and so what if it may be the fastest desktop file system ever.
-Steven J. Vaughn-Nichols, eWeek.com

Nor is Vista bug-free. As I assessed final code, I ran into a variety of small but annoying glitches and found plenty of features that didn't work as seamlessly as I would have liked. I can't shake the feeling that Vista's release was rushed. So what's our verdict? Vista is good—in some respects very good—but not spectacular. Call it a nice-to-have product rather than a must-have.
-John Clyman, PCMag.com

So while there are plenty of folks out there who I am sure will rush (foolishly) to upgrade to this new release, it appears that once again Microsoft has missed the boat, releasing what is essentially beta-ware and claiming it to be final.

Muslim Hyperbole

In the wake of the arrests in Birmingham last week, one would expect both Muslims and non-Muslim Britons to understand that planning to kidnap and execute a British soldier is neither legal nor is it very compatible with the ideal of differing cultures/religions living together in harmony. At the very least, one woul expect Muslims to thank the British police for their timely arrests.

But it appears instead that Muslims prefer to engage in rhetoric. According to Breitbart News, one of Briton's leading Muslims has declared Briton to be comparable to Nazi Germany. The Muslim leader in qustion is a man named Mohammed Naseem, and according to the report,

"The country is moving toward a police state. That's not right. We have to change this," he said inside the mosque, where some 2,000 Muslims gathered for weekly Friday prayers.

Actually, Mr. Naseem, what isn't right is Muslims planning to kidnap and execute a British soldier in their adopted country. If you and your followers tried harder to fit into what is a majority Christian country, and refrained from the hateful and anti-Western rhetoric such as this statement, then perhaps the police wouldn't need to arrest your ignorant and violent followers. Perhaps you might even consider that these arrestees, if the charges prove to be true, were breaking the law in virtually every respect.

You might even consider that if you don't like living under Western laws, you are welcome to return to your countries of origin. Of course, you wouldn't have the luxury of publicly condemning your government there. After all, there is not a single Muslim-majority country that grants Christians the kind of freedom that Muslims enjoy in all Western countries. Chirstians, and non-Muslims are treated as criminals in most Muslim countries, or at best tolerated for the skills they bring.

Muslims are welcome in the West, but they must learn that they have no right to require their host countries to change according to Muslim wishes. Rather it is the responsibility of Muslims - and other immigrants - to change to fit into their adopted countries. If the West were firmer about requiring asimilation, and more robust in defending their justifiable proud culture, then perhaps we would not have these problems. Just a thought...

Democratic Perks

When they were campaigning, Democrats frequently accused Republicans of mis-using their powers and of excessive privilege. Insults flew, and a campaign of cleaning up the misuses was on every reporter's lips. However, it appears that Democrats are not averse to using public money for personal advantage either. Nor are they content with normal perks.

According to the Washington Times newspaper, new Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi is attempting to commandeer military aircraft for herself, her family and her friends pretty much anytime for any reason. The newspaper writes,

The office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is pressing the Bush administration for routine access to military aircraft for domestic flights, such as trips back to her San Francisco district, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
The sources, who include those in Congress and in the administration, said thethe Democrat is seeking regular military flights not only for herself and her staff, but also for relatives and for other members of the California delegation. A knowledgeable source called the request "carte blanche for an aircraft any time."

This seems more than a bit excessive. As the article points out, military aircraft for members of Congress are traditionally only provided for trips to military bases or for overseas junkets= not for personal trips. Former Speaker Dennis Hastert used the military planes for trips to his district following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, but even he did not go as far as Pelosi's demands. The Bush Administration should squash Madam Speaker's attempts to gain access to these planes, and Pelosi should be ashamed of herself for this brazen demand.

English Kanji (英漢字)

It seems improbable, but according to the Japanese magazine Shukan Bunshun (週刊文春), at least one Japanese calligrapher has managed to make English words into Japanese characters- known as kanji.

The calligrapher, one Kunishige Tomomi, calls her work Eikanji (英漢字)- literally English Kanji. Although there are unfortunately no pictoral representations of the her Eikanji work, the concept is intriguing. Read the whole thing.

Shielding Reporters...

In recent months, reporters have been assiduously pushing the idea of a so-called federal shield law, which would essentially allow them to pick and choose what to reveal about their sources. In my opinion, this would essentially place them above the law (which to my mind the First Amendment was never intended to do) in answering questions about their sources. Reporters and media organizations have claimed that such a law is necessary for them to report on controversial issues.

However, there may be another reason. As the trial of Lewis 'Scooter' Libby is showing, despite the job requirement of factually and accurately reporting on what their sources tell them, reporters are not very good at either taking notes or remembering exactly who told them what. And as the sad case of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune's coverage (or lack thereof) regarding Keith Ellison's ties to Muslim extremist groups showed, reporters often do not do a very good job of honestly reporting in any event- especially when they have a stake in the outcome of said reporting.

In my opinion, a federal shield law for journalists would be a very unwise move. Reporters are not and should not be above the law- and when a court of law orders them to disclose their sources, they should not have the option to refuse. Reporters already have far too much power in our society- they can destroy lives with impunity, and can write unfair and near-treasonous articles already without fear of retaliation. A shield law would place them in a position of far too much power.

Trains and Women in Japan

Hard to know what to say regarding the Shukan Post's full-scale attack on women-only train carriages. Read and consider.

The attack seems to have been brought on by Japan's railways providing female-only carriages to alleviate the problem Japanese women have with gropers- known as chikan in Japan. I have personally had experience with this, as a friend and I once threw one of these morally diminished individuals off a electric streetcar.

Personally, while I think that the only real solution to the problem is to alleviate the over-crowding that allows such despicable behavior to occur, I don't really have a problem with female-only carriages as a temporary fix. Of course, I no longer have to ride the Tokyo commuter trains either, so I do not have first-hand experience with their crowding. Anyone else want to weigh in on this?

Launching the Age of Iron

On this day in 1862, the first turreted warship made of iron, the USS Monitor was launched. With her launch, the existing navies of the world were instantly made obsolete, and a new age began that eventually saw the introduction of ships such as HMS Dreadnaught, IJN Yamato and finally USS Missouri and her Iowa-class sisters, the last battleships.

The Monitor not only introduced the turret as opposed to the broadside gun mountings of previous warships, but her iron skin made her virtually impervious to gunfire from ships of that day and age. However, she was not a perfect warship. Her main defect was her low freeboard, which would eventually cause her loss in a storm off Cape Hatteras on December 31, 1862.

Her engine and part of her hull were recovered in 2000, and her turret was recovered in 2002. These artifacts are now preserved in the USS Monitor Center, part of the Mariner's Museum in Newport News, Virigina.

The Candidates and the Polls

Well, I held out as long as I could, but the recent polls and other news have made it impossible for me to avoid mentioning the current political situation in these United States. As the estimable Captain Ed Morissey and the Powerline crew have already commented, it is very early to be starting a Presidential campaign push. However, that being said, there are some very interesting polls out already regarding both the various candidates and the potential matchups in the general election.

Although I have no intention of endorsing any candidate at this stage, I find it more than interesting that former New York mayor Rudolf Giuliani seems to be one of the front-runners- and also to be the only Republican who consistently beats any Democratic offering.

On the Democratic side, while John (bash America whilst overseas in Davos) Kerry has had the good sense to pull out, I find it interesting that John Edwards is apparently doing well. And that Barack Obama, despite his complete inexperience, is also among the front-runners- even edging out Hillary Clinton, much to that egotistical ideologue's surprise.

While I wish to hear more from all of the candidates before committing to any one, I am interested to see if Mitt Romney can overcome the seeming handicap of his Mormon background to make a serious push. But most of all, as a friend and I were discussing the other day, I would like to see the Democrats abandon the wilderness of Bush Derangement Syndrome and take an active part in governing, since they are now the majority party in Congress. Sniping from the wilderness does no good to anyone, in my opinion.

StoneHeads Revisited

Well! It is good to be back in the blogging saddle....I have been taking an extended sabbatical from posting for some time due to two developments in my life that have severe4ly crimped by ability to post regularly. I had determined that I would continue the sabbatical, but with the year fast drawing to a close, it seemed to require some comment on the year that passed, thus I have returned to blogging, though I fear that I shall be unable to keep a daily log as has been my wont.

I was not going to comment on the results of the November elections, since a wise man once said that people receive the government they deserve. Since the American people decided that the Democrats should receive their chance, far be it from me to demur- especially when the Republican majority was doing their best to cover themselves with shame. Though I do wish our 'fair and balanced' media would report in the same manner when Republicans are in power as they do when Democrats hold the reins.

However, I cannot help but to comment how now that the Democrats have safely taken both Houses of Congress, we are beginning to discover that:
A. Democrats are no more ethical than Republicans (and in some cases, much less so- see the Alcee Hastings case for evidence)
B. Democrats and their media allies were well acquainted with the Mark Foley affair (which to my knowlege was entirely legal- though morally repugnant) far in advance of the election and chose to delay their announcement until it could do the Republicans the greatest damage
C. Now that Democrats are in power, the wonderful economic performance of the last six years is beginning to see some light in the mainstream media

Maybe as we move into the Democratic reign, we will discover even more about how the United States has REALLY been over the last six years, now that their own have managed to take power, however temporarily.

More to follow....

About that claim of why Muslims hate non-Muslims....

...it does not appear to hold water after the news of Islamic terrorists attacking Bombay's train system. The Islamists have been hating all non-Islamic countries and peoples for centuries. Any liberal/anti-American/fifth-columnist who tries to deny that simply is either a paid stooge or an ignorant fool. History does not back up the "They hate us becasue of our policies" argument.

Why did they attack India? Land, pure and simple. Islam has been trying for centuries to reconquer all land that Muslims once held. Spain, Eastern Europe, etc, all have faced Muslim campaigns to take them from the non-Muslims who control them and whose native lands they are. And Islam has invaded Europe in wars of pure impreialism many times. How many times has Europe or America invaded Arabia or Muslim lands in a desire to conquer and hold? Never. The Crusades, as I must constantly remind the ignoramuses who populate American capmuses these days, were a reaction to retake the Holy Land (never Muslim property) from the Mulsim invaders who ruthlessly conquered and raped it in 1076, and closed the pilgrimage routes. Before that time, the Christians had never invaded Muslim territory in an attempt to conquer, though the Muslims had by that time been conducting a war of extermination against all non-Muslims, leading to the complete destruction of the classical North African states (and the occupation of most of Christian Spain) for over four hundred years.

In this case, India controls most of the majority-Muslim province of Kashmir. This was a result of the 1947 division of the British Raj between Pakistan and India. The afore-linked site is good, though it fails to mention that India is still Hindu- not 'secular'. the difference is that Hindu India is ruled by a non-religious legal system of law, unlike sharia-dominated Pakistan where any so-called imam can accuse anyone of anything and be upheld with or without ev idence. India, in contrast, relies on British rule of law.

Ever since the division, Muslims have been trying to take Kashmir by force, never mind how many Indian civilvians they kill or injure. The two countries have gone to war twice over the disputed province, the last time in 1965. And the Indian Hindus and Sikhs have long known of the terrorist tactics employed by the Muslims, and have first-hand knowledge of living as dhimmis- the long Mughal rule over India gave them plenty of practice!

Hat tip to Breitbart.com.

More Illegal Immigration (Good) News

Despite the failure of the Federal government to put any teeth into the fight against illegal immigration, the states and some municipalities are taking on the fight themselves. According to an article filed today by the AP, Colorado's Democratic-dominated Legislature has passed bills revoking most benefits to illegals over the age of 18. According to the article, "The bill would apply to Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, energy assistance programs and aging and adult services. (Colorado Governor) Owens has said an estimated 50,000 illegal immigrants could be thrown out of those programs."

Good. There is no earthly reason why the taxpayers of the United States of America should be paying for non-Americans' healthcare and benefits- especially ILLEGAL non-Americans. If they want our benefits, there is an easy way to get them- become LEGAL immigrants. Yes, it is not easy, but that is the only way that most Americans want it to be. Illegal aliens are not welcome in this country, and the sooner more states begin cracking down on these illegals, the better off all Americans will be. And I agree with the Republican legislators who said this does not go far enough. I also think that Colorado's citizens should be allowed to vote on the bill, as the Republicans also suggested.

Undoubtedly the illegal alien lobby will try to overturn this in court. However, should that occur, it provides a wonderful opportunity for the Legislature to tell the Courts to butt out. There is nothing in the Constitution that allows the Judiciary to dictate what legislatures can and cannot do in enforcing illegal immigration. And the Legislature shoul tell the Courts that they have no jurisdiction in this area. By law, they do have that power.

As a side-note, much of this increased enforcement of illegals is directly due to the La Raza/MEChA-sponsored illegal demonstrations that really focused American eyes on the problem. I think most of us are tired of seeing these law-breakers get benefits and services that we American citizens are not entitled to. We are tired of seeing these so-called 'day-laborers' hanging out in parking lots free of police supervision, making us worry about our children. So thank you La Raza. You did a great service for the debate over ILLEGAL immigration- and most American's are coming down on the side of America. As the Colorado legislation proves, even Democrats can see the handwriting on the wall and at least some of them on a local basis are taking it seriously. Too bad their counterparts in Washington, DC are not doing the same.

Hat tip to Matt Drudge.

Who Hates Whom?

We here in the United States often seem to hear, especially from the Press elites at the NY Times, CNN, etc how "the rest of the world hates America." Well, as in so many other areas, it appears that the Press is not exactly accurate with this statement. A more truthful statement might be "We in the Press hate the United States because most Americans don't believe in our far-leftist causes and don't elect enough Democrats." But that would require actual honesty- not something the American media (aptly re-christened the 'Drive-By Media' by the always-educational Rush Limbaugh) are known for.

However, in the area of international regard, a new survey by the Pew Research Center which was first published in The Economist magazine finds that maybe we Americans are not as despised as the Mainstream Media would like us all to think. You might also be surprised at which countries have the most positive opinions of this great country of ours. And Professor Victor Davis Hanson weighs in by pointing out that Sometimes the caliber of a nation is found not in why it is liked, but rather in why it is not. Dr. Hanson also says in his excellent article:

All that being said, the disdain that European utopians, Arab dictatorships, the United Nations, and Mexico exhibit toward the United States is not (as the Kerry campaign alleged in the last election) cause for tears, but often reason to be proud, since much of the invective arises from the growing American insistence on principles abroad.

As I mentioned above, the survey might surprise you, but the most interesting facet for me was finding that approximately 17 percent of Americans have a negative image of their own country. As The Futurist correctly states in his excellent article on this phenomenon, "8-10% of the US population comprises of active or semi-active fifth-columnists." In this, I believe he is correct. The anti-Americans are a small percentage, but because I believe that most of the US Press Corps fall into this category, they receive a much larger voice than they deserve. The Futurist has an excellent article on this fifth column, in which he expands on these thoughts.

In conclusion, on this July 5, 2006, I am even prouder that I live in a country whose current leadership is not afraid to push for freedom, whose citizenry is still largely patriotic (if one excludes Hollywood, most of the US Press and other sundry blue-state elites). And above all I am proud that I am an American.

Happy Birthday, to the United States of America. Happy Birthday, Old Glory. Your stars and stripes have lost none of their luster, and the principles that this great nation was founded upon still persevere in most American hearts- despite the best efforts of the US Media to destroy them.

Hat tip to The Futurist.

Fining the Press?

China is proposing a new law that would fine journalists and media organizations- including foreign journalists- for unauthorized or fraudulent reporting. According to the story as reported by MyWay News:

"News outlets that report emergencies without authorization or issue fraudulent reports would be fined up to $12,500 under the draft law being considered by Parliament."

While I am definitely against the reporting of emergencies without approval clause (that is simply yet another way for China to try to keep its private messes away from the rest of the world and their own people), the fraudulent reporting fines are a great idea. If possible, I think that ought to be implemented here in the United States as well.

Considering the disasters caused by the fraudulent reporting on Plamegate, the Hurricane Katrina fiasco in New Orleans and various other stories- the once-again false reports of an impending Fitzmas (the hope held by most pressies and Democrats that Karl Rove might be indicted, though no one has yet offered a good explanation of any crime he has committed) being merely the latest, the US press needs some kind of mechanism to keep them in check. Their idea of reporting seems to be "if it hurts America (or even better a Republican office-holder, especially the President), let it rip! If it hurts America's enemies (or God forbid, a Democrat), bury it and kill it quick!" Yet another reason why the world's journalists are seeing their credibility and ratings drop precipitously all over, and especially here in the United States.

A Look Back at...

...the "Treason Times", in times of yore, today sometimes called by it's lesser-known nom-de-plume, the "New York Times". Seems the Times has an even longer history of giving aid and comfort to our enemies (by the way, Bill Kellar, since you clearly have no knowledge of our Consititution other than the First Amendment, that is defined as 'treason' in Article III, Section 3) than we thought. Snicker.......

Hat tips to Power Line and Matt Drudge..

More Judicial Arrogance...

...from our beloved federal justices. In this case, a federal judge apparently thinks that dolphins are more important than defending ourselves from our enemies. Or maybe she just wants us to lose this war we are fighting against Islam. So she decided that the Navy cannot use one of their most important tools- sonar!

This is simply more proof that the sooner Congress reins in judges who are making decisions about things of which they posses no knowledge or expertise, the better off we will be. I think it is time for Congress to tell the federal judiciary they have no authority over the Armed Forces and that they also have no authority over the open seas. Where do these activist judges think their authority comes from? Certainly not the Constitution! They threw that venerable document out the window long ago in their haste to remake it into a 'living' document. Perhaps we can have Congress write a law removing the Judiciary's power of judicial review and also specifying that any judge who makes decisions like this is subject to immediate removal from the Bench. Without appeal. That ought to rein in our activist judges a bit.

Hat tip to Matt Drudge.

Photo of the Week

This photo, courtesy of RidingSun, is hilarious. Don't forget to read the captions as well.

Courtesy of gaijinbiker.

Thoughts on Vista

Microsoft's that is. An interesting letter from a computer security expert in the United Kingdom was posted on Jerry Pournelle's site. To get to the original, simply click on the link and scroll down to the 'Subject: Microsoft Vista" section. I reproduce it in full as follows:

Subject: Microsoft Vista

I think they may have gone overboard on security. Their programmer productivity has reportedly dropped to a level that they won't be able to sell Vista at its price point. Mac OS X has been beating them on price for some time now, and this may make it worse.

-- Harry Erwin, PhD, Program Leader, MSc Information Systems Security, University of Sunderland. http://scat-he-g4.sunderland.ac.uk/~harryerw
Weblog at: http://scat-he-g4.sunderland.ac.uk/~harryerw/blog/index.php

I have thought for some time that Microsoft is not doing a very good job on their new operating system. Vista is simply a repackaged and (probably) re-programmed version of the aptly-named 'Longhorn' (for the inordinately long time Microsoft has been promising it) and it is still not out. Longhorn itself was promised at least since 2003. Now I read that Microsoft has postponed the release of Vista yet again.

In the meantime, Apple Computer has managed to get OS X released, updated and made into a top-line OS. All for the price of US $129.00 on average for a single-user copy. On that thought, I agree with Dr. Erwin's analysis on the potential price point of Vista. Windows is already ridiculously expensive, and if the price goes up much more, I think more people will commence thinking of switching to a different operating system. The various flavors of UNIX/Linux are mostly free and OS X is not a budget-buster either at it's current pricing. Ergo, Microsoft had better get this new OS out and working in fairly short order, or they may find themselves in trouble, in my opinion. Even Windows users won't wait forever.

Courtesy of Jerry Pournelle.