After a year of keeping an ailing PC running, I finally gave up and bought a Mac Pro. Talk about an upgrade. I haven’t found a single thing that makes this computer work hard.

I bought the Mac Pro so that I can officially launch MZ Web Productions as a business. I’ve owned the trade name for years, but I haven’t really done anything with it. Hopefully, that will change this year.

Also while I was buying computers, I bought a white MacBook for Susan. Now the house is PC free, and everything just works.

We had planned a motorcycle ride to Mon Ami Winery, but the weather didn’t cooperate. So we drove out in our cars for dinner instead.

We had a good time and good food. Their Lobster Bisque is a must-have. Susan, Arch, and Jamie had Prime Rib, Brian had bacon wrapped scallops and french onion soup, Laura had the bisque and a salad, and I had the Fried Perch sandwich.

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Mon Ami Winery

Susan bought a share of Apple Inc stock for my birthday. The stock certificate just arrived in the mail this week.

Now, I can buy whatever I want from the Apple Store because I’ll be helping to increase my stock price, right?

Needed aviation bill held up in Senate

As the summer travel season quickly approaches, it is frustrating and disappointing that the U.S. Senate has still failed to pass a comprehensive Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization package.

Recently, the Senate voted 88-0 to consider this important legislation. Unfortunately, the bill quickly fell victim to procedural gimmicks and partisan wrangling and has been put on hold.

This vital measure contains significant steps to increase ground and airspace capacity, including airport construction funds such as delay-reducing runway expansion projects, funds for the development of new air traffic control technology, and provisions to stabilize the depleted controller workforce.

It is time for the Senate to move forward with FAA reauthorization, address the rights of air passengers, and create a safer and much more efficient system.

Our new privacy fence just got installed this week.

Momii appears in a news conference following the high court ruling on the near miss accident in Tokyo on Friday. The Tokyo High Court has found two air traffic controllers guilty of professional negligence resulting in injury following a near miss between two Japan Airlines planes in 2001, overturning an earlier district ruling that had declared them not guilty.
The court sentenced Yasuko Momii, 39, to 18 months’ imprisonment, suspended for three years, and Hideki Hachitani, 33, to one year imprisonment, also suspended for three years.

It was the first ruling in Japan holding air traffic controllers responsible for a near miss accident. Their lawyers plan to file an appeal against the ruling. In handing down the ruling on Friday, Presiding Judge Masaru Suda said, “Aviation accidents can end up as catastrophes, instantly claiming the lives of many passengers. To ensure safety, an extremely high standard of care is demanded from air traffic controllers.”

The judge accepted a causal relationship between the mix-up in flight numbers and the near miss, saying that the accident would not have occurred had the defendants provided correct air traffic instructions.
Lawyers for the pair argued that it was impossible to foresee the accident, but the court rejected their claim.

I figured if I could spend hours playing Guitar Hero and not learn anything, then I could spend the same amount of time learning to play a real guitar.

So I picked up an Ibanez acoustic electric from Guitar Center. It’s a decent guitar, and it sounds pretty good.

I forgot to mention that Brian bought a MacBook while we were up at the Apple Store for my repairs.