Gates On a Plane: Alaska Airlines Inflight Entertainment Stars Bill Gates (miamiherald.com)
theodp writes: On Tuesday, it was announced that Alaska Airlines will make a new Code.org series of six short videos starring Microsoft's Bill Gates on How Computers Work available as inflight entertainment. "Because students and adults alike can learn from these videos," wrote Code.org CEO Hadi Partovi, "we are pleased to announce Khan Academy and Alaska Airlines will make them available beyond Code.org classrooms."
The original submission notes that Gates (and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) have contributed millions to both educational groups, but Alaska Airlines calls the videos "entertaining and approachable," and says they'll start appearing on their flights in April.
But the videos are also available online, and besides Gates also feature appearances by former Apple designer May Li Khoe and Nat Brown, one of the creators of Microsoft's Xbox gaming system.
The original submission notes that Gates (and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) have contributed millions to both educational groups, but Alaska Airlines calls the videos "entertaining and approachable," and says they'll start appearing on their flights in April.
But the videos are also available online, and besides Gates also feature appearances by former Apple designer May Li Khoe and Nat Brown, one of the creators of Microsoft's Xbox gaming system.
I have had it with these motherfucking Gates on this motherfucking plane!
Fine, rich bloke lectures kids on how stuff works in a trivialised manner.
Just as long as he doesn't have a foot-long hotdog and wiggles his arse as he walks away. Still traumatised by that, k guys.
I'll choose another airline then.
"We mustn't be caught by surprise by our own advancing technology" -- Aldous Huxley
But commercials are obviously commercials., This will be masquerading as a documentary.
I can just imagine the first video:
"Hi, I'm Bill Gates, and this is a computer. To run a computer, you must have software that tells the computer what to do. The most important software is the operating system that controls every aspect of the computer's operation."
"Windows is an operating system created by Microsoft, the company I founded. So let's put Windows on this computer. Now let's make few adjustments to Windows so that our competition's programs won't run on it any more. Now let's sit back and let the money pour in." (At this point dollar bills start showering down on Bill.)
"Let's make it better. Let's cut deals with computer manufacturers so that Windows is the only operating system they will install on their products. Now even more money pours in." (The shower of dollar bills increases.)
"Now let's charge hundreds of dollars for Microsoft products, because only our software will run on our operating system. Boy, are we making money now!" (The torrent of money buries Bill up to his neck.)
"And now I'm one of the richest people on earth. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how computers work."
I'd be a lot more entertained watching Bill Gates being thrown out of the plane.
Progressivism: Parasites helping parasites to help themselves - to other people's stuff.