It is true, Bill Clinton Screwed Monica!

Dubya is screwing everyone else...

R_wu. I have no idea about Bill gates' past just things I have heard led me to believe he was scrambling for money to get started.

That's the cultural Horatio Alger myth at work on your subconscious Rug. If you work hard too, you can be just like Bill Gates.

DrPep,

Although "Algerisms" are rare these days (as you know, the gap between the have's and have nots is growing), it's still a very strong tool used by modern conservatives to place blame on America's lower class for not succeeding. A favorite is "any kid in the ghetto can succeed if he tries." Hogwash!

However, there still are folks out there that get an even break, but as Alger would say, it usually depends upon at least ONE upper class sponsor. I got an good break a few years ago, but it took many years of hard work and dedication to succeed. All of that work though, only paid off when I got my "break."

Alger was wrong.

Adroomi, How is the gap between the have and have nots growing? What evidence of this do you have? Not saying it isn't mind you, just asking you to explain it to little dumb me.

Wags,

Post 15 proves:

A. you value money more than character.

B. you realize your wealth is purely a function of where you live.

C. You lack some basic class.

D. All of the above.

So be thankful you don't live in a red state and go count your money and make yourself proud.

Excuse me if I don't give you an "atta-boy" and high five you.

rugrunner, it’s true that Bill Gates III was scrambling for money to get started. He needed $100,000 at that time and went to his dad, but Gates II turned him down but instead worked with him to write a formal business proposal to raise money.

Now you have to understand that 100 grand is like pocket change to the Gates (even back then), Gates III’s personal trust fund (which he couldn’t access at that time due to preset age requirement) alone was worth millions. The reason his dad didn’t want to give him the money, because he wanted to make it a learning process, boy he sure did learned well!

So his dad flew with him to NYC (any bank in the west coast would have granted the loan right away upon seeing his last name), they were turned down several times before finally getting a loan.

I think the younger Bill owes a lot of his success to his dad. How many rich dads will go that kind of length (the loan was just an example) for their son? I mean he could instead take the same “business trip” with a young mistress!

Gates III turned out to be a great family man (married average looking girl, without prenup, 3 kids, no affairs) just like his dad- another not so “average” quality.

His partner, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen came from a much more “average” family, coattailed Billy to became the third richest men in America while exhibited much more “average” American lifestyle.

About all those Blue state, Red state talks. It’s funny, I live in a city with less than 10% of the voters supported Bush, yet we are happy with our Republican governor and not long ago reelected our Republican mayor by the overwhelming majority.

So are we a Blue state or Red state? Blue city or Red city? Frankly I don’t care, we are a great American city and our state is part of this great Union and that’s all it matters. May the best candidate get the most votes when the next election comes.

And thank God we won’t have to choose between Bush or Kerry again!

^ True dat bro.

The genious aspect was in the marking of windows for MS and then being able to take, or buy, ideas of others, and having the legal team to counter any of the claims against them.

J

johnfs, they didn't even wrote the original ms-dos!

not a single major technology was developed by microsoft in house, yet they're the no. 1 technology company in the world and they impacted people's life more than any other company in history!

bill gates realized alexander the great's dream- conquered the whole world with almost nothing!

With lots of money!

Charlie

They are, somewhat, struggling now and the future is not a great prospectous.

J