I swear I knew her before the red light district... 

So Cuba wants to talk. Cuba is like that annoying neighbor that has that dog that won't shut up, but you've learned to blot the noise out of your mind because you know that if you were to say something to the guy, he wouldn't do a damn thing to quiet the dog. Cuba won't listen to what we say concerning civil rights, as the communist Cuban government controls the press and internet, among other things. Cubans are not even allowed to leave the country!

When now it looks as if Fidel is about to smoke his last baseball bat-sized cigar and his brother wants to open up dialogue with the US. Some may say "who cares?" Others may say "where's Cuba?" Well I say, "lets talk their ear off!" Imagine gaining an ally (which the US is in desperate need of) out of a nation that has held nearly the strongest anti-American sentiment on the globe. The message that a step like that would send to enemies of the United States is "either join us or parish."

By that I do not mean to imply that Cuba will accept America's ideals and democracy, but at the least it means that we are worthy in their eyes of talks of trade, foriegn policy and south and middle American stability. Fidel's little brother Raul may not want to begin dancing the merenge with Bush anytime soon, but he could at least send over some of those hand-rolled stogies.

Le tour...the french love their bicyclists--maybe it's the spandex. Or maybe it's the drugs. 

Marriage--a fad?

It seems that the French are getting sick and tired of saying the words, "I do." The marriage rate in France is dropping faster than a skirt at a honeymoon. (Read this article if you have a chance: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/20/AR2006112001272.html?nav=hcmodule) In America, where weddings occur at about the rate of 7.8 per 1000 people each year, there is of course an alarming divorce rate. France's 4.3 marriages per 1000 people each year appears to be a more substantial reading of the amount of quality marriages.

In the past generation in this "language of love" birthplace this "marriage rate" has been steadily declining due to numerous reasons. One is the more secular shift in French culture, another is the telling--although rather demeaning--"me-first" tag members of French society are stuck with, which is supposed to explain the rejection of long-term commitments to another person. Whatever the reason for the decline, it can only be a good thing. With the marriage rate at about half of the US's, there must be a decrease of pressure on young adults to make the "giant leap." With less pressure on people to get married, there will no doubt be fewer mistaken marriages, which lead to divorce and other problems. At least more so than Americans, the surest couples are getting hitched.

It is also slightly revealing that in France, married couples do not receive the same types of benefits married couples do here. While I am not saying this is a major reason people tie the knot (rolling your eyes at my marriage euphamisms yet?), it certainly adds to the engagement anxiety. Benefits for married couples are not even a bad thing, either. But the reason--and only reason--one person should be wed to another is that he or she loves their partner more than any other person possibly could.

I haven't posted a picture in a while, so here's one, you needy people.

I realize the reputation Amsterdam holds, but man that place is beautiful. 

China and Wall Mart--(or I could use the title, "Great Wall Mart of China"--like Newsweek so cleverly did.)

A debate broke out the other day at my new job over Wall Mart. "Tell me why you hate Wall Mart so much," my boss was asking Justin--a coworker of mine. Justin shrugged as he responded with something about how Wally World rips off manufacturors. My boss wasn't having it, so I butted in with a casual reminder of Wall Mart's horrible record when it comes to employee health care. That brought on a whole new debate about the philosophy of running a business and when the government should take charge.

Before I get too far off topic, I wanted to chime in about the recent growth Wall Mart has been experiencing in China, the country with the highest population in the world. Wall Mart seems to have adapted to a strategy that it lacked during its failed attempts at expanding in Germany and South Korea, which is to localize its stores. In China, customers enjoy picking out their dinner in a tank, and watching a clerk gut the fish in front of them. Unions are allowed in Chinese Wall Marts, a no-no anywhere else for the corporation, but only to have some of the wages filtered to the communist government, not to negotiate contracts.

In Germany, Wall Mart failed to blossom because it could not relate to its customers in the same way it could in China. After being proven to fail on European soil, Wall Mart has shown it can grow in a country that in most respects is the most dissimilar to the US. I personally hate Wall Mart like I hate Glen Beck on Headline News, but I wonder if Wall Mart might in the long run--like in the US--provide millions of jobs for an expanding middle class in China, while uplifting more out of the lower class at the same time. I guess the whole health care issue is moot as well, what with China being Communist and all.

The Catacombs in Paris--Brad's really surprised to see skulls, he thought it would be just the smaller bones. 

In the words of Michael Jackson: "Heal the World"

After all the exhausting scratching and clawing in their journey to the top of American politics, Democrats are now left to question themselves, "Now what?" Well Mrs. Pelosi, Mrs. Mckaskill, Mr. Webb and Mr. Casey, here are a few of my suggestions:

-How about asking other countries how they feel about our policies that have an impact on them. Instead of a my-way-or-the-highway mindset, how about taking into account the requests of another nation when enacting a new trade deal. Like CAFTA, for instance. If this trade deal will help poor countries like Guatemala grow exponentially, should we not want what's best for those that need the most?

-Let's listen to our enemies. I don't mean take up their cause to conduct nuclear holocaust, but I do mean use them as consultants on issues that can actually have a benefit for us. Take Iraq. Iran and Syria are two neighbors of this war-trodden country, yet we have no communication with them whatsoever. Yes they dislike our country, but if we explain to them the ramifications of a bad ending to the Iraq war (such as a mass exodus of Iraqis--for one), they will be more likely to take up our cause, even if that means only calling on their connections in Iraq to give it a rest.

Uh oh, time to go back to doing actual work.

Heineken never tasted so good