Bill Gate'sMicrosoft potential break-up under the Clinton administration's anti-trust ruling has a simple solution. Charged with illegally bundling their browser with the ubiquitous Windows operating system, Gates should display, prominently in the operating system, the procedure for removing all references to "Internet Explorer." Gates claim that his company has "done nothing wrong" can make believers if he gives computer owners the option of deleting all references to his browser. Many, including myself have spent time trying to eliminate the endless references to the question that jumps up all over Windows, "Do you want to make "Explorer" your default browser?" Those who dislike "Explorer" for one reason or another obviously install their favorite, in my case Netscape's Communicator. Many choose a favorite ISP (Internet Service Provider). Nevertheless all programmed opportunities for "adopting" MSN as ISP & browser remain in place: 'frinstance my latest computer has a feature already installed called "Instant Internet" with a keyboard button. Pressing the button brings one "instantly" to MSN as ISP. Trying to delete and replace with Netscape is beyond my capability. Thus the "Instant Internet" is useless, avoided, an application leading to an unwanted destination.

Not looking forward to the upcoming town election this fall. As in past years the Republican Party has relied on mayoral candidates who are generally unknown, incapable of efffectivly discussing issues, without the ability to secure campaign funding, or with problem areas not likely to gain voter support. Then there are the so-called perennial candidates who offer themselves time and again, and not always for the same office. Those with longer memories will recall Tony Donatelli who "tried out" for every office in the book and some more than once. A bit later Walter Forrest followed that same well-worn path from election to election, town, state, whatever. Needless to say with no success in either case. Not strictly a male dominated field one might recall Wanda Franek's many attempts to seek higher office.

Of course, in more modern times we have Susan Kniep, the pied piper for the disgruntled, those who dislike just about everything. A Republican Town Committee desperately seeking a candidate has enlisted Kniep always willing to gain headlines and to fill in an open slot on the ballet. You see, the committee is more embarrassed by an empty slot than a sure loser. Under the circumstances it's not difficult to understand why more competent individuals with credentials avoid this hopeless situation. To give one an idea of the futility of these ventures one should note Mrs. Kniep's most recent election game. Kniep has been making the rounds in election campaigns under various banners for a number of years and most recently tried to unseat state Sen. Gary LeBeau from the four town 3rd Senatorial District. Flooding newspapers and other media with heavy-handed and frequent exaggerated claims of wrong doings and other wildly expressed opinions, managed to to lose every voting district in all four towns by substantial margins.

So, being picky, I want Bill Gates to do the right thing,and in another arena, I want the GOP Town Committee to also do the right thing, rehab the approach to town elections.