Archive for the ‘General Stupidity’ Category

Another Patent Troll Surfaces…

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

paltalk-logoSeems there’s another company (they breed like cockroaches) with patents on an idea that’s as basic to today’s world as breathing.

PalTalk Holdings (note: holdings…which means, we can’t make money doing anything so we have to buy some patents and sue people) managed to convince Microsoft it wasn’t worth pursuing a $90 million lawsuit. They settled in a way that sounds like Microsoft either agreed to pay a couple million a year in licenses or a nice lump sum of a few million more for a lifetime license (something these trolls love to do).

Now, CocksuckTalk Holdings is pointing its grubby little paws at MMO makers, SOE, Activision Blizzard, NCSoft, and Jagex (the makers of Runescape). With Blizzard pulling in over $1 billion a year with WoW, you can imagine what these cocksuckers are seeing. I’m sure they’re hoping they can get a solid settlement that adds up to tens of millions of dollars a year or a lump sum closer to $100 million so they don’t have to worry about their in ability to produce something worth selling.

This sort of trolling sickness has got to be stopped. It’s 100% counter to the point behind a patent system. I’m telling you right now, the more this sort of bullshit is allowed to continue the less innovation as a method of advancement and commerce will be seen as worthwhile.

If you’re going to patent something, patent it to protect what you’re producing. And, the USPTO needs to learn to stop allowing generic patents through.

And, assuming the patent isn’t that generic (this article hints that it was more specific and thus wasn’t even applicable), Microsoft handed PalTalk what it needed to make life hard for a lot of people. Mind you, most aggressive trolls suffer the consequences of their greed but time will tell if we’ll be able to see PalTalk’s bankruptcy filing in the near future.

Hey, PalTalk, you’re ranking high on the list of those who just can’t suck enough. Go fuck  yourselves and find something better to do…

Boy, I hope they piss off someone at Blizzard enough for them to invest a few million in ripping you to shreds. And, as you shiver and moan in the aftermath, all you see is all that money you were hoping to make off this go towards buying back all your credibility you left behind in a pool of your own blood.

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Posted in Bad Business Model, Games, General Stupidity, Greed, Patents | No Comments »

July 4th: Exploding hands day

Saturday, July 4th, 2009

Ladies and gents, it’s Independence Day here in the US. You know what that means? It’s the day when we barbecue and set fire to explosive devices containing gunpowder.

Now, I love fireworks when you go check out a show…been doing that since I was a kid until I got bored with just sitting and watching fireworks at shows…but I’m soooo tired of idiots in my neighborhood (and likely yours) that decide it’s their turn. Whether it’s legal or not, some jackass is going to go buy a shitload of fireworks because they think it’s a) cool, b) bitchin’, or c) better than watching Oprah.

So, this jackass now has all these fireworks but if you’ve ever lit one up you’ll know they don’t look that pretty during the day. Just a puff of smoke and a little light. Hey, let’s wait until it’s dark and blow some shit up!

Thus we arrive at my setup…nothing says stupid like the fact that people want to keep me up at night firing off their fireworks. Even better, they’ll fire off those boomers that do nothing but explode with a loud boom…no fancy light show. It’s just fun to blow shit up at one in the morning. Better yet, some of them aren’t even fucking Americans…immigrants. WTF? What the hell are you celebrating? This isn’t even your country (yet)! Is it that you can light up a firecracker without worrying it might start a firefight between the rebels and the government?

How about the “shows” some people put on in the street…it’s got all the trappings of a national pasttime…family and friends, BBQ, fireworks, slow-mo shots of the American flag waving.

What’s my problem you’re asking? My problem is this: do you understand what the fuck you’re doing? What exactly are you celebrating? Do you know? Do you think it’s better to set off fireworks, blow off a hand, or set fire to your neighbor’s lawn by lighting that shit up or is it better to thank someone who serves this country (soldier, police officer, fire fighter, etc.) since you’re not serving? Maybe you can think about how easily you allowed the Bush Administration to remove some of your freedoms you’re supposed to be celebrating (full disclosure: I’m a fan of better tools for cops…I’m not a fan of corrupt cops or government using those tools inappropriately).

You want freedom? Then maybe it’s time to start requiring 1-2 years of mandatory military or law enforcement service for all adults reaching the age of 18. You can treat them different from career military (i.e. they don’t get deployed to Iraq unless they volunteer) but teach them some discipline and teach them the skills they’d need to take out a terrorist or a criminal. Make it harder for this country to become a victim of terrorism because more people are likely to kill you on sight when you yell Allah Akbar.

And, if you want to go see fireworks, go to the MANY shows that are likely in your area, especially if you’re in a city. They look better, are bigger, and you get to be social too.

Here’s to looking forward to when my neighbors learn their lesson and end up doing damage to something or someone. It seems higher brain functions are optional around here…they gotta learn from doing rather than figuring it out on their own.

Happy 4th!

out

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Posted in General Stupidity | No Comments »