For Paul Allen
Amazing, Paul Allen’s Super Yacht Octopus! Yesterday I went to meet some friends here in Vouliagmeni at the main beach. Some 5000 people who obviously could not afford to go for the usual holiday break during the week-end of August 15 were hanging out in the Vouliagmeni bay with a direct view on the Super Yacht Octopus belonging to Paul Allen.
Imagine the people here on the foreground being some 20 meters away from my camera while the yacht is about half a mile off the coast! With its over 126 meters its the 12th largest private yacht worldwide.
Bad Microsoft Image
Imagine now, 5000 people having paid some 150 Euros for their Windows in bankrupt Greece having the beautiful view polluted by Microsoft Co-Founders Yacht a whole Sunday in the immaculate bay of Vouliagmeni! 5000 people paying 150 Euros, thats 750 000 Euros or about 1 Million of Dollars contributing to Paul’s 200 Million Dollar Yacht.
Back in 2003, when the Super Yacht Octopus was delivered, people had already bought Windows 95, 98, Millennium, 2000 and just started upgrading to Windows XP …. not to speak about Office!
And while I was calculating and imagining Paul sipping Champagne on the Air Conditioned deck his Guests had fun with the Jet Skis and the ballet of the Helicopters polluted acoustically the place.
Up to now, I was a Windows freak, may be also just because there is nothing better out there. But as I am sitting in front of Windows all day long, frankly, I don’t need to sit in front of Paul’s Yacht he has screwed out of my (and other’s) wallet when I am taking a day off at the beach!
If this is the way Microsoft is building its image, then, believe me, there is no big future wherever Paul parks his Yacht.
When a week ago I spotted the Super yacht for the first time here, I thought it was funny …. yesterday when sitting at the beach, I thought it was more of a provocation and my friends agreed.
Paul Allen’s Dream – our Nightmare
I know, Americans love to talk about The Dream and Americans have been kept dreaming into the biggest dept ever created on earth by People like Paul Allen who have raked in the Billions while the stupid crowd has been kept dreaming. Sure Greece is Bankrupt and in bad shape; the USA are not much better and the per capita debt may even be bigger than the Greek debt. The difference is however that the American Households are debt ridden as well while here in Greece, the households have a positive net value.
Paul, your impressive Yacht is a beauty but it is the wrong time and the wrong place for it here. Take your boat and go back home to where you come from – Seattle may appreciate your show-off more than we do here. May be you should think of using your money in a more intelligent way than to screw up the summer break of Greeks who are happy to get away from Athens for the week-end of the 15th of August ( just for your educational shortfall: the 15th of August is the second most important religious holiday here – but I cannot expect that you care about other people’s culture and the places where you park and pollute the place with your provocative Octopus).
A Chance for Paul Allen’s Philanthropy
Like so many people having been able to accumulate big fortunes, Paul Allen is called a Philanthropist. A Greek term meaning etymologically someone who “loves Humanity”. Here is something you can do positively Paul: next time you park in Vouliagmeni, pick me up with one of your helicopters or tenders for a cool drink and a guided tour through your superb Yacht. May be at the same time we can discuss business as it is my business to publish better online. I will prove it to you, making sure that my views about your local Philanthropy here get to the top of Google.
You can reach me by phone in Vouliagmeni at +30 210 8960637 – your time is mine :-).