...but instead omlette-ing it go.

Hope those eggs had the right shell.

I wonder where he poached them from?

Oh well, it's nothing to fry about.

I'm sorry.

I've never seen a cow lay an egg...

Bananas would have been more appropriate.

... don'cha have to break some eggs? Mine's the white one with the chef's toque shoved in the sleeve.

The audience must have been mostly hand-picked Mico$oft lackeys.

... as my intellectual property. But please fell free to pirate it a lot, perhaps it could equal or even surpass "freetard" and "paytard" in El Reg´s noble lexicon of retarded words.

Should have thrown a chair at him instead...

He was just feeding the poor dear; he looked particularly famished giving that speech.

He "lost his train of thought". Of course it assumes that he had one in the first place.

And yet nobody accosts the other former half of the evil M$ monolith who left the company behind in 2000 one Paul Allen , who now travels the world quite extensively unimpeded !

Now now dont egg on the ttrolls(-:

too much egg-citement for mr. Ballmer and crew? I hope it went over easy, because it's embarassing to have egg on your face. You'll have to egg-scuse my bad humor, I just find this eggstremely funny.

-Will F.

Not to insult the Hungarian people but is there billions of anything lurking in their economy ?

I think when it comes to big Steve we have to go back to the original and the best

RE-tard

Lucky Ballmer didn't have any chairs handy...

Perhaps, a semi colon at the end, maybe a type at the front, perhaps equivalence or becomes equal.

Or how about a struct and then a list of what the Corruption was.

Opportunity missed there, I think, could have got some more support.

Oh, and on that point, I thought I had won free pizza, but no it was a MS marketing campaign pushed by El'Reg. Mine would be:

Microsoft != Free Pizza;

Nuff said.

great stuff...

It is amazing to me that so many people are accusing Microsoft of being evil because they make a profit, yet you never see people throwing eggs (or other foodstuffs) at the oil companies.

In 2007 Exxon made over US$40 BILLION in profits.

Profits. Not gross revenue, mind you... PROFITS.

And yet people get upset over Microsoft who made about a quarter of that.

I'm a die-hard linux fan, and even *I* can tell that Microsoft isn't as "evil" as the Oil companies.

It missed it's target by a mile.

You have never seen a GreenPeace protest I guess...

As far as MSFT running extremely dubious tax policies, that is a given and it is not just them, it is the whole software industry. The MSFT EULA specifies something that is along the lines of rent, not sale. In fact it is written in it that you "do not own" the product. As a result it should not be treated according to the tax regime for selling and buying, but for renting assets and this is subject to completely different tax relief arrangements especially in cross-border cases (usually much less).

Unfortunately the only country to pick on this fine distinction and tax them correctly so far has been India. If everybody else gets their backdated taxes from them they will go bankrupt in a jiffie. 40 billion is a severe underestimation.

The only reason why it is not being done is that the rest of the software industry will quickly follow suit.

By the way, this IMO is a clear example of illegal state subsidies as far as I am concerned. All of us making a living in-country and working outside the software industry "proper" do not get any such handouts. Why should the software industry have them?

>accusing Microsoft of being evil because they make a profit

It's not the fact the make a profit that makes them evil. That's only for banks and oil companies.

It's how they make a profit that is the point of this egg-hurling Hungarian's objection. A _usual_ tactic taken by M$ is to give a few million$ to some local government sponsored 'cause' and then, purely on merit you understand, win a governement IT contract for many more million$. Where, as I'm sure the eggy local would contest, goverment would be better off using 'free' alternatives, rather than subsidising Ballmer's office furniture habit.

Your final point, is of course, correct.

If there's one thing funnier than a pic of a complete wanker - it's a pic of a cowering wanker.

I hope the penguin eggs were free range and that no animals suffered in the making.

What gets me is how the hell the thrower missed such a big fat bloated target (just like a certain OS ?), suppose he must have been put off by the light bouncing off Balmer's head ?

Hey Monkey Boy now you know how M$ employees feel at having things thrown at them; just a shame they were not house bricks wrapped in dog pooh.

Brightened my day :)

In the past the Hungarian government paid 5 billion HUF for MS licenses. Many people thing it was too expensive. Now the government pays 25 billion HUF for that.

Another problem is the 25 billion calling for tender was illegal.

"We want to pay 25 billion for Microsoft licenses"

why not the needed software capabilities and numbers written to the tender ?

why was explicit given a vendor name ?

When Ballmer cames to Hungary, the suit against the tender is oddly delayed, and an another 10 Billion HUF agreement signed.

We speak about lot of money per computer or per capita.

(Sorry for my English)

.... someone just redefined "premium content". Now can we please have an update to DRM to protect THIS kind of content from disappearing? :)

//Svein

"I'm a die-hard linux fan, and even *I* can tell that Microsoft isn't as "evil" as the Oil companies."

So it's wrong to complain about MS until the oil industry are all saints?

That's like saying "We'll ignore the bank robbers until we've arrested all of the murderers."

...that Steve-0's first word was subtitled as Egy (I?)

Shame it wasn't anthraxy or handgrenady.

in all honest i would tazer him!

They're those massive shiny black eggs you see in freshly-cut hay fields, that's their natural habitat. The farmers take them away with tractors and stack them up next to the farm then next spring they hatch. Least I tell children that anyway...

I think you missed a trick. Since this fellow ALSO threw insults, I would suggest "cuss-tard".

PRACTICE!!!!!

and learn to throw properly...

and get several people along with you to throw as well...

I love it when a pedant makes an ass of himself.

As the article states they are not named for the red berry but for the "surname of Tom Rasberry" and if he wishes to spell his surname in that fashion and the ants are named for him then they are rasperry ants and not raspberry ants.

If so, some potential dodginess there.

From "Custard Pie":

"Chewin' a piece of your cuss-tard pie.

Drop down"

I'll leave that to the fine Reg readers and commentators to twist in dark ways, and make insuations that would send Ballmers lawyers into a feeding frenzy - I haven't had enough coffee yet.

Steven R

PS: The song isn't about bakery products, I reckon. Just FYI of anyone who is confused.

The only relation seems to be the root of the word... http://www.ochef.com/772.htm

No mystery. Obviously the chap in question had recently taken a holiday on the Isle of Wight and got his eggs from Cowes.

"Hey look he's moving like a monkey"

Truely his monkey skills (which you all laughed at) have come in handy against this Open Source hippy, to be honest here's were the scales are

Pay Microsoft Millions or Have stupid impatiant children who kill people after having to wait for Open Office and Firefox to load, I mean you lot must waste two or more weeks of your life waiting for that crap to open up.

P.S. At least Ballmers got a nice hero story for around the water cooler, "it was like the matrix"

...that throwing eggs seems to be an acceptable form of political expression. Even football fans don't stoop that low.

When I saw this video this morning I though it was pretty funny, I mean who doesn't like to watch their boss getting pelted with eggs, but the funniest was the guy who was doing it, he managed to get out one barely coherent sentence, then looked sheepish as he slowly wandered out the room. Didnt exactly get his point across, whatever that was.

I don't know what this business is with the Hungarian government, but if I was to take agentT's comments as fact then I dont understand the grievance, you say the Hungarian government bought something and then afterwards decided they paid too much. Thats the story of most consumers lives, live and learn if they think they got such a bad deal. Although lets face it, the guy throwing the eggs probably just thought people would think he was cool to throw eggs at a visiting businessman. Personally I hope he gets expelled.

As for Microsoft being evil, this is a pretty ignorant view point to take. Im not so besotted with my employer that I am incapable of objectivity. Businesses make money, in fact they have a legal responsibility to share holders to do so, so if you think MS is evil just because of the scale of the business and the size of revenue and profit then your argument is, at least to me, fundamentally flawed. Then again I am a proud capitalist, not a hippy.

On this subject, one unique feature of Microsoft, is that nearly all the profits earned by its creator, are being pushed back in to charity? The B&M Gates foundation is currently worth some $27b, is this all part of some evil plan? What about the $100m to immunise third world children. Clearly part of a masterplan to sell them software when their older....

Oh, one last thing, Anton Ivanov, the term you are searching for on the lines of rent, i think you will find is license. Software is licensed for use, its not a new thing, its not exclusive to MS, its pretty standard practice. It's the same with the music and films and books and well lots of things.

I look forward to the no doubt dozens of posts that will appear to tell me im an idiot.

Feel free to email me directly jimmy@hotmail.co.uk

WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS:

The kid was taken to a back room where he was being held by a campus security guy and my Blackwater Bodyguard #6.

I told the university staff that I was concerned about him and wanted to speak to him personally. He was handcuffed and tied down to a chair. As everyone left so I could have my little "talk" with this poor troubled soul, I instructed BWBG#6, "Nobody gets in here for the next 45 seconds!", he said, "I understand sir."

The rest of my story goes like this:

"I approached the kid and he became irrational! He screamed, tipped his chair over backwards, slammed his head into the wall several times! I tried helping him up by the neck, but he tried to bite me! I released him and he fell to the floor hitting his head on my shoe (several times)! Boy was I glad to get out of there! That guy was crazy."

The Hungarian authorities have assured me that he will never do anything like this again.

"Didnt exactly get his point across, whatever that was.

Clue: what was written on the back of his shirt?

but next time someone should use m67 eggs ;)

"go" cos i don't see an egg symbol down there. reg, add that!

That t-shirt is all wrong; it should be Microsoft == Corruption.

Mine's the duffel coat.

"When I saw this video this morning I though it was pretty funny, I mean who doesn't like to watch their boss getting pelted with eggs, but the funniest was the guy who was doing it, he managed to get out one barely coherent sentence, then looked sheepish as he slowly wandered out the room. Didnt exactly get his point across, whatever that was."

Ummm suuuure... have you seen the world news recently, pal? :D

Man, you ARE clueless.

"I don't know what this business is with the Hungarian government, but if I was to take agentT's comments as fact then I dont understand the grievance, you say the Hungarian government bought something and then afterwards decided they paid too much. Thats the story of most consumers lives, live and learn if they think they got such a bad deal. Although lets face it, the guy throwing the eggs probably just thought people would think he was cool to throw eggs at a visiting businessman."

How about checking out the FACTS before you start posting boring, utterly clueless stuff like this? Apparently following a highly controversial process M$ got a contract in the range of 150-200M USD which is pretty decent steal even in a big country, let alone in such a small market like Hungary. After the outrage the relevant agency is probing the case and after numerous errors in the proceedings the first scheduled court day was yesterday but somehow MAGICALLY, I guess, by pure COINCIDENCE, the very day when Ballmer arrived, the presiding judge has postponed the case... even if it's coincidental at least talk about it, don't be such a cheap tool, boy.

Oh wait, you're just following your M$ propaganda err, marketing manual, aren't you? You know the "let's downplay the story, let's go wishy-washy, it always work" chapter...?

Newsflash: it doesn't.

Check what happened to you in Europe recently. You were arrogant all the way and - finally! - you got b*tchslapped. You had it coming, pal - just like Ballmer, this arrogant buffon had this one coming.

"Personally I hope he gets expelled."

Personally I hope he gets a lot of free pussies and drinks and becomes some civil leader, famous and respected - unlike you, a loser licking Ball(mer)s'...

"As for Microsoft being evil, this is a pretty ignorant view point to take. Im not so besotted with my employer that I am incapable of objectivity. Businesses make money, in fact they have a legal responsibility to share holders to do so, so if you think MS is evil just because of the scale of the business and the size of revenue and profit then your argument is, at least to me, fundamentally flawed. Then again I am a proud capitalist, not a hippy."

Then again, you are clueless, we realized it by now - like most of you, obviously you didn't learn anything from history. :)

"On this subject, one unique feature of Microsoft, is that nearly all the profits earned by its creator, are being pushed back in to charity? "

Is it some unique feature of you that you constantly claim false info?

"The B&M Gates foundation is currently worth some $27b, is this all part of some evil plan?"

You mean the one that initial capital was matched by Warren Buffet? Besides I didn't know if I steal from a bank, live like a king but still give 80% to charity I can get away with a robbery...

"What about the $100m to immunise third world children. Clearly part of a masterplan to sell them software when their older...."

M$ has one of the WORST - sans former SCO :D - public perceptions in IT, you HAVE to counter it somehow. OTOH Gates never had this bad image, he was always rather seen as a not so macho rich, white kid, born with the silver spoon, whiny, arrogant geek, a bit slimey but after all not necessarily evil (albeit he also lacks business moral, it was always quite obvious.)

Ballmer is a different beast, even if he's a nice guy in person I think he has THE WORST image in the whole industry. Seriously, as I think about it literally everyone I know hates him or disgusted by him (well, along with M$' outrageous tactics, of course.)

Well, I admit for you it's a pretty obscure proposition to see Ballmer or M$ as he/it is because you inherently lack the essential knowledge (i.e. "proud capitalist" mindset) to grasp it.

"Oh, one last thing, Anton Ivanov, the term you are searching for on the lines of rent, i think you will find is license. Software is licensed for use, its not a new thing, its not exclusive to MS, its pretty standard practice. It's the same with the music and films and books and well lots of things."

Ummm, NO, it's not. Books are NOT licensed - they sell a COPY of the work. So goes with movies - I buy a COPY of the movie which I can watch ANYWHERE, ANYHOW, as I see fit. Heck, I can even resell it after I got bored of it.

Come again, "proud capitalist."

"I look forward to the no doubt dozens of posts that will appear to tell me im an idiot."

Yawn. This pretty standard and lame "preventive line" just convinced me that you are just another clueless "highly opinionated but barely informed" M$ bot, brainwashed by some cheap corporate propaganda.

... but hey, what else should we expect from the makers of such an utter crap like Vista or Office 2008?

Anyway, too bad for you, who cares.

While I understand the point he was trying to make it was quite a lame attempt, to be honest. Grease on Ballmer's face = priceless! :)

Nevertheless he did make the news so more and more people talk about the shady governmental dealings of M$.

"Software is licensed for use, its not a new thing, its not exclusive to MS, its pretty standard practice. It's the same with the music and films and books and well lots of things."

Not quite. Many recent software licences ARE rental-based; that is, they only allow you to use the software for a limited period, after which you have to "upgrade" or "purchase" (read: "rent") the new version. When I buy a book, CD or DVD however, it is mine to keep and read/listen to/watch for the rest of my life if I want, without having to pay again and again for the same item. That's the difference Anton was referring to.

But then, since you are such a proud capitalist, I suppose that making such a distinction, thereby not deceiving or ripping off the consumer, isn't part of your morality is it? Profit before people, eh?

"Businesses make money, in fact they have a legal responsibility to share holders to do so"

Not quite. Businesses that lose money do not break the law by doing that, although there may of course be some illegal behaviour behind the loss but it may all be above board (pun alert).

The problem is that (in the US, and possibly many other places now), businesses have a legal obligation to make AS MUCH money as possible for their shareholders. While this may seem like a Good Thing, it in fact encourages and appears to sanction all sorts of evil attitudes and behaviour (connection to M$ now established).

The NYSE (at the very least) needs someone with a large and solemn voice to intone across the floor, at start and close of business every day, "The LOVE of money is the root of all evil".

"Businesses make money, in fact they have a legal responsibility to share holders to do so" - not quite right. Businesses do sometimes lose money, to their shareholders' distress, but that in itself is not a crime. Of course, it may point to something blackguardly going on in the background, but it might be due to environmental pressures, it could well be above board (pun alert).

However, apparently in the US it is a legal requirement for publicly-owned businesses to make as much money for their shareholders as possible - a totally different challenge, and one that apparently gives carte blanche to all sorts of evil attitudes and behaviour (connection to M$ thereby established). That is legitimized greed.

Truly the NYSE (along with many others, no doubt) needs a large person with stentorian voice to bellow across the trading-floor at start and close of business each day, "The LOVE of money is the root of all evil". Inbetween which he could perhaps take a quick trip to Washington DC and repeat his message to the House of Representatives and the Senate. And whomever happens to be in the White House at the time.