The Villany of Islam

People have often heard me say that I consider modern Islam's education policy to be the single greatest villany in the world. What do I mean by that? By villany, I mean the willful use of power to subjegate a whole region of people through generations. In fact, I don't know of a single philosophy that has caused more long term harm and sowed more discontent among a populace that has no ability to raise their station.

60% of all people living in the Middle East are illiterate. The number goes even higher is you just count the women. Civilization has no hope if women can't read. Women have always been the protectors of culture and civilization. If the mother can't read, the child has no hope. This functional illiteracy means that the system creates people who are completely unemployable except for the most menial labor. The problem is then that the same system teaches these young men that they deserve the world. It teaches them of the great conquests of Islam and how Allah has only glory planned for them. Islam completely denies the validity of any feedback so it eradicates its chances for growth. No muslim can question the word of the Koran under the penalty of death. What's even more sad is that many of those who quote the Koran liberally have never read it- indeed lack the ability to read it.

A friend of mine with much more ME experience than me once said that the problems of the modern ME exist because the men have a fundamental inability to have a normal relationship with a woman. Because the men are so frustrated- they cannot read; they cannot get a job; they cannot provide- they take it out on the women which dooms their civilization, such as it is, to dwell in the worst of the past.

Relativism simply doesn't apply here. In fact, it's completely irresponsible. The ability to read is a fundamental human right. It should come before anything. Without reading, man is no better than an animal. Man has no ability to change his station without literacy. Islam used to be the cradle of learning. We would not enjoy the Greek classics (which I love) if not for the Muslims. What happened? What was the problem? I don't particularly agree with Prof. Lewis's agrument (The Problem with Islam). I believe the problem lies in Islam itself and its complete inabiility to look inward.

Denying literacy under the guise of religion is the single greatest villany of modern man. I will never tolerate it or capitulate to its existence.

Tommy

This is my favorite Kipling piece. Catch me on a good night out and I'll recite it for you.

Tommy
-Rudyard Kipling

I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:

O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins," when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's "Thank you, Mr. Atkins," when the band begins to play.

I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove in the stalls!

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's a "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' huslin' drunken solderis when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.

But it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy how's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.

We aren't no thin red 'eroes nor we aren't no blackguard too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints;
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;

While it's Tomy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind,"
But it's Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind.
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind.

You talk o' better schools for us, an' schools an' fires an' all;
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess around the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face.
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Savior of 'is country," when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tomy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you pleas;
But Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool- you bet that Tommy sees!

Proud to be Grateful

When did it become such a burden to be grateful? When did it become so uncool? There's a whole segment of the American population that doesn't understand the debt we owe our servicemen and women. If that's the way you feel, I doubt I'll be able to change your mind but bear with me for a second.

We enjoy a standard of living above any nation in the world, first world nations included. We have more choice, better infrastructure, more opportunity to achieve. This is all pretty great stuff. That being said, what is the primary condition necessary for all these things to happen? I promise not to get overly Maslowian here but the answer is freedom from violence. Nothing really grand can happen until you are free from violence. That's a fact of life.

Another fact of life is that not all men are good at violence. In fact, most aren't. True, any man can oppress and subjugate the weak but to fight and win against a viable opponent requires more than that. And of those men who excel at this dirty and difficult thing, they can either choose to defend or destroy. That's it. Fight because there's something worth protecting or fight for the sheer fucking badness of it.

Priopr to 9/11, America went through the world like a beautiful woman. Whatever their internal difficulties, beautiful women have it easier than anybody in the human race. Folks like to say that 9/11 changed everything. I like to say that it changed nothing. It just woke some people up. The conditions that created 9/11 still exist and unfortunately will continue to exist for the time being. Yet another fact of life. Market economies and globalization are the only things that can raise the standard of living in the poorest or Gap countries. Yet, the countries most involved in supporting terrorism and/or anti-US activities have educational systems that are all Koran, all the time; preparing their students to fail miserably in the modern world. They instill pride and a sense of entitlement and give their students no way to achieve it. It is the single greatest villancy in the history of the world as far as I'm concerned.

If our ways of life are incompatible and they are, we need men and women who are willing to stand on that wall and protect us from those who would destroy just to have sowed destruction. If you can go to work, home or out to play without worrying too much about violence, you have our military to thank. Gratefulness is not a burden. It doesn't require more of you than to acknowledge it. Don't be the spoiled child who feels indignant rather than grateful. I'm very grateful for every single serviceman an woman serving right now regardless of what they do. That they are there holding the line earns them the deepest gratitude of my heart. Happy Memorial Day!

Distinctions of Personal Value (not values...)

I like to divide people into groups. While I don't believe that you can generalize about everything, there are certainly a great many things you can generalize about. Indeed, our laws themselves, common or otherwise, are nothing but codified rules of general behavior. But why do I like to put people in categories? Well, because it's saves me time. For example, a well-meaning gentleman tried to engage me in a conversation about policy. He went on and on for a good bit, obviously repeating a well used oratory. When he stopped to take a breath, I asked him a simple question. "Do you believe redistributing wealth is Government's primary role?" Simple enough question but one he had trouble answering. Finally, after I pressed him a bit, he finally agreed that he did believe in redistribution. I then informed him that we were having the wrong conversation. If he wanted to argue about something, we should argue about that because if we disagreed so vigorously about the basic role of government, then a discussion about the finer points of policy would get us nowhere. So by defining the large group of "redistribution/anti-redistribution", I can ask one question and save myself a whole bunch of time and aggravation.

One of my ex-girlfriends is immensely proud of her family history. In fact, her self-esteem is based entirely in her family name and the accomplishments of basically one man. Because of this admittedly impressive lineage, she believes she deserves respect and deference that would normally be reserved for him solely because of her relation. Her greatest personal accomplishment was graduating from college but you'd never know that from the way she behaved. You'd have thought she cured cancer or something. Interesting enough another friend of mine has the same attitude but it was born of a Buddhist perspective. This friend told me once, when I was feeling down on myself for my lack of contribution, that even if I sat in a room and did nothing for 20 years, I'd be worthwhile as a person.

Well, I disagree with both of them. I don't think that your value as a person has anything to do with your lineage or exists solely because you exist. I know far too many people who don't contribute to anything at all. Your value is based in your accomplishments. Period. The problem here is how we define value. In my opinion, value is rated in how much you contribute to your fellow man or raising the level of humanity in general. And I don't believe that you're ever off the hook as long as you are alive. There may be some moments in every life where you cannot contribute for personal or health reasons but beyond that, I don't believe that there is any point in time, no matter how much you've already done, that you can just stop and say, "I've done enough."

So that's a distinction I've been thinking a lot about recently. I think it's am important issue because it's at the very core of so many of our issues today from welfare to immigration. Is this a policy issue or a personal one? I'm not sure. I do know that it has nothing to do with love. You can love something that has no value hence my fascination with Family Guy. But value still has its place. It is against the liberal predisposition to want to place value on people but we do that everyday. Instrinsic value matters, even if it's just to the person who must define it for themselves. I believe that it is the human inclination to agree with me but the sad fact of life is that many of us do not become the men we once thought we might. It is also human to make excuses rather than take responsibility. I just don't believe that's any excuse to stop trying.

Above the Law by Fiat

Years ago, I got the chance to work with the Miami-Dade SRT which was then the Metro-Dade SRT. Through this interesting experience I made several law enforcement friends from the various jurisdictions. During one of our training exercises is Hialeah, I got to talking with a local officer who proudly told me of the history of corruption in his town. Apparently, the current mayor had served time for racketeering and corruption. Okay, he paid his debt to society but he was convicted while he was mayor of Hialeah before! The crook (way before Barry) got reelected! The prevailing sentiment was that guy was corrupt but knew how to get things done which was preferable to the opposite. That reminds me of the French saying that translates roughly into: "That man is so good, he's of no good to anybody." Okay, I get the point but if that's the general feel, how bad do you have to be to actually get convicted? The utter idiocy of the electorate will never cease to amaze me.

Now on to William Jefferson of the beleagured New Orleans. He's under investigation for accepting bribes to use his influence to pave the way for high tech firms to make entry into Africa. Let's look at the facts thus far. He's been caught with the money. For God's sake, the FBI have him on videotape accepting the money. And he's been implicated by two other people who have plead gulity to bribing him. This case might even be more airtight than Marion Barry's motel hooker party. And true to the Barry mold, Jefferson is already talking about running for reelection where (if Ray Nagin's reelection is any indicator), he'll do just fine.

But it funny to me how we get bipartisan outrage at the FBI's raid of his office. Claiming congressional privilege, Jefferson wants the seized documents returned, unopened. How can any congressional member support him? Why should any of these people be treated any different than any citizen. There is so much money in Congress and so much opportunity for corruption, there should be more transparency, not less. Whether or not he's guilty is not even the issue. Congress should be concerned about the mere appearance of impropriety and work, as Caesar's wife, to be beyond reproach.

The question is quite simple. Should members of Congress enjoy rights specifically pertaining to criminal prosecution that we as ordinary citizens do not enjoy? Citizen or Subject? Where do you stand?

Half Empty? Half Full? WTF?

How are things in America today? It depends on how you look at it. Is the glass half empty or half full? That's the wrong question. In fact, it's a question posed by spoiled kids. Let's be happy we have water in the glass. There is no cosmic guarantee, no divine water tap that we may draw from if the glass goes empty. I laugh at the idea that we are bullies and cowards because our troops fight with the advantage of technology both hard and soft. We started off just like everybody else. We have no sanction from Heaven, no divine guidance to create new technologies simply because we are Americans.

The only thing that matters is the amount of water we have in our glass. My favorite zen parable: Two glasses sit on a table. From the standpoint of their function as glasses, it matter not whether one is larger or smaller but that both are full. Let's worry about filling our individual glasses. That way the perspective question is a non-issue.

Fiat Justitia- Ruat Caelum

I went to see Da Vinci Code the day it opened and enjoyed it immesely. I loved the book too so I was rather surprised that I enjoyed the movie as much as I did. Of the people who did not like the movie, I find that they fall into one of two camps. 1- They thought the movie departed from the book in significant way and didn't do the chracters or plot justice. 2- They disagreed with the movie on religious grounds. I'm not here to discuss the quality of the movie as a movie. I don't know anything about film so I'm hardly qualified. I can only say that I liked it enough that I would pay 10 bucks to see it again. What does interest me is all the religious opposition this book and the movie has caused. As far as I can see, the question is about the divinity of Christ.

Christ's divinity is not something that is written in stone as far as my reading goes. Whereas the Christology of the Gospels of John and Paul are high, it is decidedly not so in Mark, not to mention Thomas if you want to include that. But more than that, a thing cannot validate itself. People who point to the Bible itself as proof of its own accuracy are making a very poor argument and one that would be thrown out of any serious discourse.

But his bring me to where I am now. Does it really matter if Jesus Christ was a divinity? If he wasn't, does it make his lessons any less true, his example any less inspiring? I don't think so. I have never understood why people so violently defend something they cannot prove and has no empirical effect on their lives. Whether or not Jesus was the actual Son of God changes nothing in my life. If tomorrow, I were to receive unimpeachable testimony that Jesus was, in fact, a divinity, it would not make me instantly become a member of his congregation. I will not join anything simply because it is is powerful- even the most powerful.

Ever since I was a little kid, I always understood the importance of free will. I knew early on that good deeds could be performed at the point of a bayonet or in my case, a serious beating with various implements. I also learned that intentions matter for nothing if you cannot act in accordance with them. Integrity- consistency in thought, word and action- is the only thing that matters and raises Man above the base.

A very dear friend of mine told me recently that the way I move through the world and the intensity with which I live my life makes many people around me uncomfortable. I wasn't sure if it was meant as a compliment or an insult but I suppose I can see the truth in it. But how can I live any other way? I don't ask anyone to live up to my standards which I reserve for myself. I may demand that they interact with me a certain way but no more so than anyone with a sense of Self would. Mediocrity doesn't work for me and if pursuit of excellence distresses others, then we must simply agree to disagree. Fiat Justitia- Ruat Caelum.

I remember watching the movie Amadeus as a kid. Soliere said something in that movie that I think about everyday without fail. "The cruelest joke God can play is to give someone talent but only enough to be mediocre." Mediocrity terrifies me and much of my life has been spent trying to alleviate that terror. And I pray that God is not playing a joke on me.

Africa's Shame

It's always been clear to me that rape is a crime of violence. But unlike other forms of violence, this one has no positive face. There is no defensible rape. No rape that can equated with the violence of a defender. Unfortunately, rape also has a rare power and is a singular terror. Living the life I have, I have endured my share of beatings but I've never ben raped and I can't imagine it.

It is also the ultimate act of power. It so invalidates the existence of the other person that without an active support system, full recovery (emotional) becomes impossible. That is why it so prevalent among primative culture conflict. Rape hurts 2 people intensely. The woman who suffers most must live with its physical and emotional consequences. Her man or father must deal with the fact that he wasn't man enough to protect her. In cultures where manhood is important, being found wanting in such a way is ample cause for suicide.

Recently, there has been much attention brought to the systematic rapes occuring in the Democratic Republic of Congo and rightly so. But crimes such as these are happening in Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia and many other African nations. Rapes in these countries aren't just standard rapes. There are usually multiple assailants with various penetrating implement including guns and knives, taking place over several days. Surely this is a crime against humanity. If oil is a good reason to fight (and I believe it is), then this has got to be a good reason too. This doesn't require a huge policy shift or a nation building action. It would just require a group of hand picked American men willing to mete out the ultimate punishment for those who would treat women in this way.

And that's the real question. What kind of man would treat of woman like this? What kind of moral code, social engineering, creates beasts that thing nothing of a 3 day rape fest? Again, because of the collective and genetic guilt of White America, we fail to address these issues clearly. A culture that promotes actions like group rape is not equal to my culture. There is no cosmic arbitor of justice that would find our cultures the least bit relative.

There are those who deserve to die. The vicious rapists of Africa are first on my list.

No Sympathy for the Stupid

Before I begin, I just want to say that I recently had surgery on my wrist and typing causes more than a little pain. Having said that, I felt the need to stuff my pain in a box and say my peace about the criminally stupid Ray Nagin, the reelected mayor of New Orleans.

It is often said that an elected official represents his electorate. In the devastated areas of New Orleans, 58% of the voters voted for Nagin while in the less devastated areas, the majority of the votes went to Landrieu. It's pretty clear that the vote went down racial lines. Nagin, cunning if not learned, played to the lowest common denominator of human nature and got himself reelected to a job that he knows he is not qualified for.

At this point, I don't mind that so much of our tax dollars are going to revive New Orleans. True, it's pretty stupid to put a major city there, but historically, it has a place in our hearts and if we can save it, we should. But now that the citizens of New Orleans have reelected the same man who left them to their diaspora, I no longer have any sympathy for them. Put simply, if anything further happens to New Orleans on Nagin's watch, I don't believe that federal dollars should be used to bail them out.

Stupidity is dangerous. It's rare that we can point to such a egregious event. But since we can, we should call it what it is and do what we can to lessen its influence. I am not white so I have zero guilt about the slavery of Black Americans. I also have no guilt of what my Country has done to become the sole superpower in the world. Until White America can adopts the same attitude, we'll never solve the problems that race-baiters like Nagin create. He is a racist in the worst sense of the word.

If I'm an asshole, you should be able to call me on it wihtout me being able to defend myself by calling you a racist. Playing the race card has its place but people like Nagin lessen its power by diluting it's morality. I'm not surprised he was reelected, sadly. I am genuinely concerned for their safety this hurricane season but lessons will be repeated until learned. And it's clear the citizens of NOLA haven't learned theirs.

On His Own Merits

Continuing with his administrative shake-up, President Bush is seeking to replace DCI Porter Goss with Air Force General Michael Hayden. A decision like this, timed as it was, was sure to raise eyebrows even in among a group of politicos as hugely out of touch as the Bush Team sometimes is. After all, Gen. Hayden is the architect of the no-warrant wiretapping protocols that has raised the ire of so many. That’s a legitimate point of contention. But as far as I can see, it’s the only one.

There has been much talk about a military man running a civilian organization. For a junior officer, this might be a concern but for a very senior one who has already run a civilian agency, the charge is ridiculous. The problem with civilian organizations is civilians. Military organizations are inefficient when their members behave like civilians. If the struggle to confirm Gen. Hayden becomes to acerbic or partisan, he will not be able to accomplish anything in his term because of internal sabotage. Civilians, generally trusting in their own judgment instead of those appointed above them, will see no problem with leaking sensitive information, stonewalling decisions. Conveniently forgetting to forward data until it is OBE…

A great many civilians in our Country still have no clue about the military. Very recently, I had dinner with a group of well-educated people who didn’t know that Officers had to have a college education. They didn’t even know the difference between Officers and Enlisted. In many places, being prejudiced against the military seems to be growing in popularity.

Point being that Gen. Hayden should be appointed on his merits and not be held to account for the preconceived notions of the uninformed. The more we struggle with this, the weaker we look to our enemies and we must remember our enemies. Sometimes, I think we get caught up with our motivations. Our self-absorption will be our downfall. Second guessing yourself in a dangerous, fluid environment is the surest way to doom.

Sloppy Thinking = Bad Legislation

"Sloppy language breeds sloppy thinking." One of my professors told me that years ago and there is hardly a moment in my day when his words don't ring in my years. Linguistic precision is not the mark of a snob. It's the end result of a trained mind and make no mistake, a mind must be trained if it is to be useful and productive. Case in point is the recent demonstrations organized by immigration activists called "A Day Without Immigrants."

A more honest title would have been "A Day Without Illegal Immigrants." The thing is, the organizers know better. What they are trying to do is create linkage between illegal immigration (which has negative connotations) and legal immigration (which is mostly positive). It's amazing to me how many people have come out in favor of breaking the law.

Immigration is a serious issue that needs to be resolved by serious thinkers. Personally, I'm new to the debate but just a cursory view of the various positions show most if not all to be unwieldly, unworkable, or just plain stupid. We cannot resolve this issue be pandering to an election base or cozying up to a particular constituency. The questions are really quite simple.

1. How do we control our borders better?
2. What do we do with the illegal aliens currently inhabiting the U.S.?

That's it. Not too complicated, right? But this isn't an abstract question as people try to make it. It's a question of functionality. There will be no point to all of this if we enact a bunch of new laws that we either refuse to enforce or are de facto unenforceable.

I don't have a solution yet but like I said, I'm new to the game. But I do know that the first thing we must do is be precise with our language for the ideas born from these stark words will frame the debate for good or bad.

The 3 Day Plan

This installment will fulfill an obligation of honor made many years ago to a young boy who is now an impressive young man. Years ago, I had made a promise to a young teenager that I would share with him my foolproof 3 day plan for getting a date with any cocktail waitress when he graduated from St. Cyr. (There was never any doubt that he was going) Unlike like his father, I was not dashing, debonair, rich and titled so I had to resort to planning for such things. As always, a disciplined mind and a willingness to plan had always been on my side.I did not remember this promise but he reminded me recently of it as he is graduating soon from St. Cyr and will take his place on the line. So here, Laurent my nephew, from a proud Uncle is the plan. It may take some practice but once mastered, use with caution.

The first thing you must remember about cocktail waitresses is that they get hit on by everybody. They've heard every line, every come on, absolutely everything. Approach them with anything sounding like a line and you'd better be rich, famous or look like Brad Pitt if you're hoping to get anywhere. If she's been a cocktail waitress for longer than six months, she will generally have a pretty low opinion of men. Your job is not to be one of those guys.

So let's say you have a cocktail waitress in mind. Be willing to devote some time and money to this endeavor. If you're just looking to get laid, well there are easier ways to go about it and I don't have very much interest in being of assitance. But if you're looking for a real shot, I can help. First of all, avoid the bar at peak hours when she will be busy, anooyed or probably both. Go at the beginning or end of it. That's good too because it helps to separate you from the crowd. The first day of your plan, don't make eye contact with her at all. Find a spot at the bar nearest the station where she gets her drinks from the bartender. If it isn't open, wait. Once you get there, keep quiet and slowly over the course of a few hours, make friends with the bartender. Remember, no eye contact with the lady in question. This process depends on you beind socially adept to befriend the bartender. If you can't do that, then you better start with that skill before you move up the food chain. Let me give you a tip to help you on your way though. Order a man's drink. Nothing fruity. Nothing in a martini glass unless it's an actual martini. Take the time to learn about different alcohols. If you don't know, ask. Don't be pushy or demand that you be treated like a VIP. Be patient and it will all fall into place.

Let's suppose you're not a total Barney and you've made friends with the bartender. You're laughing and joking around and he's calling you by your first name. Eventually, the waitress in question will have to interupt your conversation to get a drink. Apologize for getting in her way, smile at her and then don't look at ther again. You're night is not over until this has happened. If it never happens for whatever reason, consider Day 1 unfinished business. Tip the bartender well, far more than you'd normally. I figure 20 bucks for every hour you've spent at his bar. This wil tell the bartender that you value his time. Your social interaction earlier with him will tell him you're not trying to buy influence and are just throwing Daddy's money around. Leave quickly after paying. Don't say bye to her. Don't make eye contact. And for Christ's sake, don't get drunk or close down the bar.

Day 2 should happen no later than one week but not the next day. You might have to play Espion a bit to make sure she's working. Do not ask any of her coworkers about her schedule. This time, go the bar later in the evening, maybe an hour or two before closing. After drinking and continuing you good rapport with the bartender (who will remember you and introduce you to the other bartenders if he hasn't done so already), ask if there's any after hours joints. Ask where the bar staff goes to blow off steam after work. They will go somewhere. And trust me, where they go will probably be about as much fun as you can have in that city. Now the bar shuts down and the bar staff goes to their local with you in tow. Don't be loud. Don't attract attention to yourself. The object of your desire has to deal with pushy men all night. Be different. Once you get to the Local, don't talk to her until somebody introduces her to you. I'll leave it up to you to find a way to be in her vicinity for this to happen. When it does, be nice and casual and talk about her. Very important: remember her answers to questions you've asked because she will. Keep in mind that she's going to be immediately suspicious of all new men in their group. It is your goal to slip past those defenses by easing her mind. If at any point her defenses go up, well, you've blown it. File the experience under "learning" and move on. This will go nowhere and you'll waste your time and look like an ass if you continue to pursue. But if it goes well, you should be having a nice conversation and she should be saying to herself, "Wow, he's not at all like the assholes I have to serve." Leave before everybody else does, like you have someplace else to go, even if to bed because you have something important the next day. Say bye to everybody the same way.

Now if you've done this correctly, she will be wondering about you and a wondering woman is a curious woman and an uncontrollable woman. This can either work to your favor or not. Here, if she's wondering, it's defintely in your favor. She'll aske the bartender about you. He'll say that you're a nice guy who knows his liquors, keeps to himself, and tips well. She'll say to herself, "A guy who obviously spends time in bars but not to hit on chicks. Interesting." And she will wonder about you.

Day 3 is the big day. If you've done your prep correctly, she'll be really happy to see you. Again, no longer than a week, but not the next day. Sit by her station and talk to her whenever you can. If the feeling is right, and you'll know it because she'll be asking you if you're going to do anything else that evening, ask her for a drink when she gets off work. If she closes, offer to take her to get something to eat- even Denny's. The point is alone time but in a casual non-threatening way. If she starts to look uncomfortable, make it sound like you're inviting the bartender and whomever too. You read the situation incorrectly and should continue your Day 2 plan of action until she is more comfortable with you. If you have tickets to something cool or an activity planned, you can also ask her if she would like to do it with you. If she into art, do your homework and offer to take her to an art museum. Don't act like you know anything about it if you don't. Don't lie. We're not trying to trick anybody here. If everything has gone smoothly, she'll accept, particularly if it's a daylight thing, and then you're on your own.

Like I said, a cocktail waitress is up to her eyes in assholes. Her defenses are way up. You have to put in the effort to bring them down if you hope to get anywhere. I'm going to assume your intentions are honorable. You don't have to marry the girl but be clear with her about where you stand. You'll probably crash and burn your first few times out so practice on women who aren't necessarily your Sophie. That way you'll be ready if your Sophie does happen to be a cocktail waitress. Interestingly enough, I've shared this process with all my teammates and it works in every country we've been to that has a thriving bar scene. One caveat: If you're an asshole, none of this will matter. But I'm not worried about that with you, Laurent.

The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Greencard?

The Latino community is a bunch of whiners. What a bunch of entitled crybabies. And what's more, this "Day Without Immigrants" is mislabled and racist. How can legal immigrantsof Latin descent find solidarity with illegals? It's a different thing entirely. And it's not a day without immigrants. It's a day without illegal latino migrant or low wage workers. Their boycott may make things a minor nuisance but it will hardly have the impact they think it will. Their leaders have misplayed their hand. They are negotiating from a position of weakness and this day of demonstration will show that. This isn't going to have any effect on the economy. A successful boycott takes months. Nothing happens in a day.

Compare this with the Chinese immigrants of NYC's Chinatown. CNN reports that they are all showing up to work either unware or unconcerned with the rally. Apparently they are all too busy to worry about such a thing. I havr an idea. We reward the illegal aliens who actually went to work on May 1 with greencards instead of the crybabies and whiners. Wouldn't that be something.

I haven't placed much thought into this immigration issue because it seems to be an issue of enforcement rather than legislation. Illegal aliens are illegal. That's all there is too it. We might let you stay but you don't get to make trouble. Create a problem like this, block traffic on the way to work, inconvenience me in any way and I'll ship your ass home. Consider your time here probationary. It would be truly bold to have the INS show up at the rallies to check green cards. After all, you got them all in once place. Problem with enforcement? Not now.

It's really just the sense of entitlement that bugs me. Rights are for citizens who have earned them. Not for freeloaders who haven't contributed to the Country.

Happy May Day. May Day is Lei in Hawaii.