>I'd have to agree with you that MS *has* been clear for years that they
>IMHO people would do well to consider whether/how we might efficiently expend energy to improve our lot. "Bashing heads on a brick wall" as you aptly put it, is not the only option. Is there another pressure point it might be more efficient to address?

No, I don't think so. I don't see any scenario where the demand for VFP is going to increase relative to other languages. IMO, the best option is to make the transition to .NET and SQL Server. Although .NET is not guaranteed to succeed, it's hard to see a scenario where Microsoft gives up on it within the next 3 years. SQL Server, IMO, is already established and demand for it is growing.