The proposed anti-trust settlement agreement with McSoft leaves me beyond belief at our pathetic judicial system. They were tried and convicted of mis-using their market dominance to kill competitors. Nothing has changed within the company. They are arrogant and unrepentant and Windows XP was designed to kill off yet another handful of software companies. Behind the scenes they are buying up assets of several small cutting-edge companies; effectively killing them as well. And their punishment? Allow access to the opening screen? Who will be left to make use of it? That's akin to sentencing a convicted serial murderer to leave his front door unlocked, but he's still allowed to shoot anybody who enters it. Oh well.

I had hoped for better, but the American ideal remains intact. Punishment for wrong-doing is inversely proportional to the size of your wallet. That's the way it always has been. Now let's look at Osama, who is reportedly wealthy (though varying figures emerge). Afghanistan is not. Any bets on who's going to take the brunt of the punishment there?