I wish to expand on what I wrote last nite...

Mr. N. A boss I had. From Persia... not Iran... Persia, bitchez.... He emigrated to Austria the same year I did. And we had a TERRIBLE confrontation per telephone between me in Graz, and he in Vienna.

Because, you see, the tourist board of Tunesia was coming to visit for business with tourist people, and he wanted to be splendiferous, wonderful. Candles in the rooms, which were against our fire laws. Big welcoming baskets. I sorta nixed the candles, but... he wanted fruit juices and booze on the tables.

And I said, 'WHAAA?' NO, no way, will not DO that.'

And he got into his usual coaxing sweet-talking mode, and brought up one of his Persian sayings, 'You aren't supposed to go over 60 miles an hour on the Autobahn, but people do it...'

And told him an anecdote about how I unintentionally insulted an Egyptian in the Olympic village, which I will not relate. There was an Austrian businessman outside in the lobby pretending to read a paper, and was off the charts for 'amused.' And I said, 'I'm sorry, Herr N..... there is no WAY I would risk doing that again.'

He was quiet for a moment. And he said, 'You're probably right. If they want to do that, they will find a way.'

I was going way out on a limb about that. It wasn't about what I thought. It was about not being corrupt in any way, and swaying people in a way they might have regretted.

Herr N. respected my decision.

We came up with things that were good, in the end analysis.

I worked with him.... and he could make me laugh, and was very kind. I met his family, and his son was his world. He only had one child.

So... we got on. Had disagreements. But respect for one another.

It would be a wonderful world if people could act like that.