I don't know if you've seen my thread about how Windows XP and MIDI are not working on my computer. No doubt everybody gets these fits of rage.

I thought everybody might enjoy seeing this actual bit of dialogue from an actual mystery story I just read. The book is "Certain Prey" by John Sandford, and in it Minneapolis detectives are tracking a contract killer with roots in St. Louis. They hope to use her to break up organized crime (headed by a mobster called The Guy) in St. Louis through her. Here's what they say:

"If we get this Guy, the guy who probably ran her...he knows everything. If she was willing to pin the tail on him, we could show him the same set of electric chairs and gas chambers. If he talked, two years from now, St. Louis would be cleaner than...I don't know, Seattle."

"Seattle has Microsoft."

"Okay." She showed the tiniest of smiles. "Than Minneapolis."
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It did my heart good to read it.