I saw a similar tactic recently from a non-open-source product. We are implementing a properly licensed software package. The purchased license comes with support. I contacted support because I'm trying to use their import functionality to import an xml file, and the data wasn't importing correctly. The response that I received was "There's something wrong with your xml file. If you want us to tell you what's wrong with it, you must purchase our *Premium* support package." After running some SQL traces, I figured out that it was a bug. I was able to fix it by altering one of their stored procedures.

"Obama has let slip more than any politician I can recall in years"
Wow. People you've already forgotten George W. Bush?

"yet half the country still slavishly supports him, and thinks he's going to deliver them to some Nirvana of some sort- free from all suffering and, I dunno, rainbows and ponies or something."

No. We just think he's going to screw it up less than the other guy. You know. The one who thinks airplane windows should roll down, dogs like to ride strapped to the roofs of cars and cutting taxes magically fixes the deficit.

<irony>
jerk: someone who makes up spurious definitions to common terms and then applies those definitions in order to make other people seem less credible.
</irony>

According to Merriam-Webster:
Geek (noun):
1: a carnival performer often billed as a wild man whose act usually includes biting the head off a live chicken or snake
2: a person often of an intellectual bent who is disliked
3: an enthusiast or expert especially in a technological field or activity <computer geek>

I bet you're a lot of fun at parties....

For the record, bicycle helmets are not mandatory for adults in the US ... at least not in my city/state (Louisville, KY).

"I'm Feeling Lucky" is good enough for The Doctor, so it's good enough for me.

Cake Day, Massage Day, paintballing, etc... and you want to do more carrot less stick? If you seriously have all of these motivational perks and your team isn't responding, then I think it is time to pull out the stick. People shouldn't be in constant fear for their jobs, but they shouldn't assume they can slack off all day every day without repercussions, either.

If we remove the adjective "Brilliant", it seems that the original post is saying that people who produce things are jerks and business people aren't. That would be the opposite of my experience.

It also sounds like he's saying, "We have a guy who did all the work to get us off the ground. He's not as necessary anymore, so the PHBs want to sideline him and reap the benefits of his hard work."

Perhaps you should think about giving HIM a golden parachute like you would one of your "Brilliant Business People" buddies.

FYI, your "fact" that "the only growing sector of the economy is government" Is utter bullshit. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Government jobs have declined nationally since June of 2010 -- Remember because of all the budget cuts. Mean while the private sector has added jobs every month since March of 2010.

Wanna talk about villification, lets talk about the vilification of Government, instead.

Masturbation is mentioned at the end of that definition:
jerk (n.2) "tedious and ineffectual person," 1935 (the lyric in "Big Rock Candy Mountain" apparently is "Where they hung the Turk [not jerk] that invented work"), Amer.Eng. carnival slang, of uncertain origin. Perhaps from jerkwater town (1878), where a steam locomotive crew had to take on boiler water from a trough or a creek because there was no water tank [Barnhart, OED]. This led 1890s to an adjectival use of jerk as "inferior, insignificant." Alternatively, or influenced by, verbal phrase jerk off "masturbate" [Rawson].

"Voting for" an amendment is a bit different from "Co-Sponsoring" an amendment. The latter implies that he had some editorial control over the content.

I hadn't seen it yet, and you just gave away the ending. You insensitive clod!

Because obviously, if someone doesn't agree with your way of thinking, the only possible explanation is that they're stupid.

You said that you were wearing jeans and t-shirts, so we can assume that is within the cultural norm. I would suggest trading in the T-shirt for something with a collar on it. In order to maintain your geek-cred, you could check out the "First Party" line of shirts over at penny-arcade.

On the other hand, a tweed jacket and a bow-tie would work.

"don't see any compelling reason to use it."

Maybe...all those things you just said?