Some ground rules.

So,

With my wife and son out of town for a couple of days I've finally been able to accomplish something great! I defeated all levels of sling fire!

Really though, I'm saddened by this and must eat myself back to feeling comfortable with my status as fat guy and not nerd guy. Anyway, the thing that spawned this post occured last night before my family left me.

So there we were, eatin' good in the neighborhood (because it was on my wife's way out of town) when our waitress comes up to the table and takes our drink order. Everything is going fine until she stops and says, "Do you mind if I get to know you a little better?" So I'm thinking that they're actually going to give us a survey before we even get our food, but it's much worse than that. "May I," she continues, "ask you your names?"

Ok, now every instinct in my body wants to scream at the girl "NO YOU MAY NOT. GET ME MY DAMNED DIET COKE!" but instead my wife and I look at each other and shrug. Usually I hate the fact that waitstaff are obligated to give me their name, but now they're asking for mine?! I told my wife that I was going to have business cards printed up to give to waiters and waitresses wherever we go that outline what I consider good service. I won't even speak to them, just hand them the card. They'll take it politely, thinking I'm deaf or something and thus fealing obligated to read it, and they won't know what hit them until after it was over. My wife said that would be rude, but I wonder how it would really impact our dining experiences. It would have the following rules written on it:

1) Do not ever sit down in the booth or at the table with me.

2) Do not tell me your name or ask me how I'm doing.

3) DO NOT ASK ME MY NAME

4) Be a silent server. I don't want to know you're there, I just want your job done.

5) Do not ask me if I need change when I pay with cash.

6) When you tell me the specials, quote prices. I'm not cheap, but I like to know how much I'm spending.

7) I cannot stress rule number 4 too much

It would be titled something like "7 ways to earn a better tip from me"

I know I'm leaving some things out, but the bottom line is I go out to eat to be served, not to make friends. This is what happens when you have people work for tips. Not only should this practice be outlawed, but eateries should realize that they can charge a bit more and pay their staff what they're worth, thus getting better staff who provide better service and attract repeat customers who don't mind spending a little more.

I know people who totally disagree with this, but they are wrong. No gray area here.

Peoples, and what's holding them back.

I remember, as I was finishing up my undergraduate degree, one of my professors commenting that there was a time when religion was a major force for social and economic progress, but now it might be a weight around the neck of developing nations. (I'm paraphrasing because it's been a while.) The bottom line is he was right. I thought so at the time and I'm more convinced now than ever.

I think this needs no further explanation, but I will just ask anyone who disagrees to look at the prosperity of secular nations as compared to those governed by religious ideals. I think this is true locally as well as on the global scale. Now, I'm not condemning religion. I am only reiterating that separation of church and state is the best idea in the history of government.

My argument, however, is only related to this in the aspect that members of religions identify themselves as members of that specific group. Shiite, Sunni, Hindu, Buddhist, Unitarian, Methodist, etc., are all ways people identify themselves. Here are some others that might be familar: republican, democrat, American, white, black, Jew, immigrant, native, Texan, New Yorker, Red Sox fan. I have no problem with these groups, or identifying yourself as being a member of one. No, my problem comes whenever people complain about things done to their people.

Did that make sense? In other words, I think one thing that oppresses a people is the individuals complaining about what is oppressing their people. This isn't the only thing to blame, surely, but it definitely doesn't help. Calling on all members of a group to rally around for justice for that group only prevents the members of that group from achieving what they could have otherwise. I feel like I'm rambling, but stay with me. I think I'll be able to get it out soon. Here it goes:

If all members of a group were to strive for what was best for them as individuals I believe this group as a whole would overcome oppression much faster than trying to rally the efforts of the individual to the needs of a group. There are times when the needs of the group and the best actions of the individual coincide, but there are all too often times when the individual sacrifices for the group unnecessarily. The individuals who do focus on themselves first of often berated by members of the group who complain that they "don't give enough back," and are called names and often ostracized. This leads individuals to focus too much on the group and no progress is made.

How often is progress made by a group as opposed to an individual? Please, let me know if you think I'm wrong. All I ask is that you explain your reasons.

Brain Fuzz!

My brain has been in a fuzz for the past few days. I think it's the changing weather and the changing jobs. These last few weeks have been pretty hectic for me; I feel like I've been running everywhere for no reason whatsoever.

Part of this I blame on American Airlines. They cancled my return flight from Houston. That I wasn't too upset about. Cancellations happen, as everyone now knows. What really peaved me was the quality of the hotel they put me in, the $10 dinner voucher they provided, and their complaint department.
First, the hotel room was nasty. Plain and simple. It wasn't even at the airport, so I had to wake up early to catch a shuttle the next morning. Second, there were no places to eat within safe walking distance from the hotel, so I had to order food in. The only places that accepted the AA voucher had a minimum order of $12 to deliver! Third, I could check in 24 hours in advance via the internet, but they couldn't shoot me an e-mail that they'd canceled my flight?! At least then I could have kept the rental car for another day and not been stranded!

Ok, so I'm leaving the public library life behind on Thursday. I will now be a business librarian and researcher. It will be nice. I'm a little scared, but in a good way. I just hope I can get my brain shaved clean of fuzz before that happens!