Microsoft's offices gutted in Athens arson attack Microsoft's Greek headguarters in Athens have been attacked by arsonists, who caused serious damage but didn't injure anyone. The software giant said that the assailants drove a van up to the entrance of the building in the early hours of this morning and made the security guards keep away while they set fire to the vehicle …
I assume that's 60,000€ and not Kangaroos (as my old maths teacher would say to any missing units).
I'm sure they can reduce that bill, there are plenty of out of work builders about, so a bit of contract bidding should drop it nicely.
Oh you've just brought back nasty memories of a COBOL fund accounting system I had the misfortune to work with. Exchange rate field was 3.8 and on the daily import, the Turkish Lira rate (then well over 1000 to the pound) lost its most significant digit. Data admin had to manually type in a rate of 999.999... every morning because that was the closest they could get.
That and the currency table had only 50 rows, so if they wanted to trade a currency not on the list they had to first find one not currently in use and delete it. To be fair though, the original developers asked the users how many currencies they would need and were told 'about 6' so 50 seemed a reasonable limit - it was one of those projects developed for one desk and inevitably rolled out across the whole company.
I blame eulampios, who is on record here on the Reg comments as wanting Microsoft to die (I quote), no matter what they do.
Generally, fines don't get paid until all appeals are out of the way. They've only just finished the appeals process, so I'd guess payment will be made very shortly...
No need to make Microsoft out to be avoiding payment here, well other than going through appeals of course.
Years ago, I did some contract IT work for a certain large construction company. At the same time, they were having their head office refurbed.
Some surly git of a builder went into the boardroom and dragged a screwdriver down the 20-odd foot length of the solid oak boardroom table. He was caught on CCTV.
Just before they sacked him and pushed him down 15 flights of stairs, they asked him why. His answer was along the lines of, "Well if I can't have something like that, why should they?"
Not sure whether the motivation here is similar, mind you.
Yep because it the %1 would have never have used Goldman Sachs to cook the books to get Greece in the EU where they could borrow even more money, destroy the country but only after looting it and moving their money offshore.
And your point is? Are you trying to tell us that this was not done with the eagerly assistance of Greek politicians elected by a majority vote?
Are you trying to tell us that the same politicians are no longer in charge of the country? 'cause if memory serves me right the interim prime minister was the ex-president of the central bank and I am having some trouble digesting the idea that he did not eagerly partake part in destroying his own country future.
I hate to be blunt here, but as long as they are not prosecuted under the applicable law for financial fraud there will be Greece Version 2 (aka Spain), Greece Version 3 (aka Italy), Greece Version 4 (aka Cyprus), Greece version... Further to this - any money we give them will be wasted the same as before.
From what I have read/heard about/viewed , the Bankers/Financiers/Bureaucrats have managed to get the Greeks by the Balls. So their Hearts and Minds will be following.
There is an ex-Wall Street Broker on a TV station " Russia Today" (and on RT.com) who predicted all this shambles in Europe months ago , when it seemed like fantasy , but it has all become true with the Bankers etc, getting obscenely wealthy as the citizens poverty stricken.
"There is an ex-Wall Street Broker on a TV station " Russia Today" (and on RT.com) who predicted all this shambles in Europe months ago"
Plenty of people saw it coming and told everyone who would listen. What happens is that establishment media would thoroughly ignore them. You could however hear and read those analyses in outlets such as Russia Today, Le Monde Diplomatique, and even The Financial Times. But then again, who listens to a bunch of ex-communists, or French intellectuals, or buys a newspaper that costs two quid a day?
Methinks you confuse Greek activists with chavs?
Whatever you may think of anarchists / anti-capitalists / anti-globalisation / anti-whatever in Greece, a bunch of illiterate drunkards they're not.
I spent a little time at a Greek university years ago, and while disagreeing with these people on most issues, I was impressed by their ability to hold an intelligent and informed debate. They are of course also capable of action, as this story demonstrates. I respect them even if I don't share most of their goals and disagree with their tactics.
Of course, there is also a bit of this going on sometimes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDJeTnLKLEI
Problem: Lack of readily available cash.
Solution: Burn down expensive buildings.
AC 21:28, uni students may be intelligent but they're also some of the most naive people on the planet. I certainly wouldn't want them deciding the economic future of my country.
"on most issues, I was impressed by their ability to hold an intelligent and informed debate."
Yes, well, I seem to remember there were a couple of 'colleges' - the Stoa and the Peripateia come to mind, where debate was the norm, after which, presumably, they'd all go off to a 'symposium' - i.e., a drinking party, or as we might say nowadays 'a cheese and wine.'
<- no beer in Attica!
You may want to read about the situation in Greece before shooting off your Daily Wail inspired rant.
Social Security financing? What Social security, it's pretty much disappeared to the extent their is no "social housing", people can't afford the prescriptions for critical illness and people are going to charities for food.
You have 50% youth unemployment and about 23% overall, some areas it's as high as 80%
So STFU until you know what you are on about.
It's a sad situation however it comes down to this - voters generally vote for the politicians who promise the most, not for those who were realistic about what they can deliver. Politicians know this, so they will promise the earth, and whenever possible (such as if they can borrow money at low-looking rates) they will give goodies to the people so they can get voted for again.
Bottom line, it's the Greeks' own responsibility for spending all their cash during the times of plenty and not saving anything up, thinking a rainy day will never come (fable of the ant and the grasshopper?). Also it's a lack of straight thinking and civic duty. High tax evasion + demanding of extensive government services = selfish mentality. Clearly not all Greeks were doing it and I don't like generalising the behaviour of a whole nation... but equally clearly, enough people were behaving selfishly for the whole house of cards to collapse.
>Why are you declining Latin, when this is a Greek tragedy?
>(Insert line from Mark Twain about declensions here...)
"It's obvious, really: the Greeks would never suggest bewaring of themselves, if one can use such a participle (bewaring that is). And it's clearly Latin, not because timeo ends in "-o", because the Greek first person also ends in "-o" – although actually there is a Greek word timao, meaning 'I honour'. But the "-os" ending is a nominative singular termination of a second declension in Greek, and an accusative plural in Latin, of course, though actually Danaos is not only the Greek for 'Greek'; it's also the Latin for 'Greek'. It's very interesting, really."
..Ok, not a Mark Twain line, but a Bernard Woolley one. And not really an answer to the question, but any excuse..
"That's the way to solve a financial crisis, nice one Greek rioting people"
Strangely enough, there some jobs as MS for builders, painters and electricians now so yes burning and looting does create employment and help solve the crisis (OK maybe not the best way but a way never the less)
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