Max Amore's
Incredible dinner tonite at Max Amore's. Hot Artichoke Dip, Arugula salad with orange slices and toasted almonds, Veal Saltamboca with baby carrots and roasted potatoes, Ganash Torte with Rasberry Sauce. Top it off with warmed Courvasier. Claire had a GREAT pan seared tuna... barely cooked... melt in your mouth good! David joined us for dinner... a very nice evening indeed!

Saw an excellent movie on Wed. night. Bowling for Columbine is a documentary about gun violence in America. Here are the stats on gun deaths for these countries (avg. per year?): Germany 381, France 255, Canada 165, UK 68, Australia 65, Japan 39, US 11,127. This film tries to find an answer as to the huge disparity between the USA and the rest of the civilized world. Is it violence in TV and movies? Fact is, our violent action movies are hugely popular in Europe and Asia... Video games? Most of those are made in Japan, and are widely bought by Japanese youth (only 39 gun deaths). Don't play the race card, ghettos or unemployment, because all these countries have urban centers with poverty, unemployment and racially diverse populations. This movie does not really have the answers, but does explore many of the possibilities. Do yourself a favor and check out the Website and the flick.

Yesterday was an emotionally trying day. Visited Laura's grave site with family and friends. I have always been a non-believer in things spiritual, but if there was ever evidence that there is a spirit from the departed, we experienced it Sunday. We all felt Laura's presence that day. Maybe it was generated by the intense energy of our combined yearning to remember, honor and have her back with us... but it sure felt like she was there. That wind... it was surrounding us, caressing us in an erie yet comforting way. The day was filled with intense grief, as well as a sense of peace in the knowledge that she remains with us forever.

I got a call from a classmate from New Milford H.S. She gave me the sad news that my HS friend Glen Abraham died September 1. Glen was a good friend at a time when good friends were hard for me to find. After HS, 1971, Glen and I spent 3 weeks traveling together in Israel... backpacking, hitch-hiking, youth hostels. It was a great experience. Those were the great hippy days. I remember Glen mostly by his effusive smile and love of life. He saw good in everything and every being, and that feeling was contageous when you were around him. I feel bad that I never kept in contact with Glen after our trip when I moved to Rochester. Sad, sad news.

Legal experts say Microsoft got off easy. Excerpted from this article:
"The clear message is that monopolists get a free ride, at least in this administration," said Donald Falk, a partner with the law firm Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw, in Palo Alto, California, who specializes in antitrust law.

"I thought there was some chance that (the judge) might have entered a decree that actually tried to undo some of the harm that was done," Falk said. "What the opinion said basically was, 'You robbed a bank, you can keep the money, and you can do it again, but don't use exactly the same method.'"

Another legal expert said the judge's wordy opinion does little to ensure that Microsoft will be prevented from using its monopoly on the market for desktop operating systems to illegally harm competitors in new markets.

A far cry from the original decision that would have broken up Micro$loth into seperate OS and Application companies. That is what should have happened.