Ch..ch..ch..changes...

Well, I know it's been a while since I updated, but I've been a busy mental case.

The old pal I went to visit decided he wanted to remain "just friends"... then quit talking to me. That pretty much convinced me there was no such thing as a decent single guy left, that they had become extinct. So, I decided with the lack of "Mr. Right", I'd start seeking out "Mr. Right Now" - the guy you meet in the bar, don't bother with a last name and get home before daylight. The only flaw in that plan was that most guys are looking for slim, pretty 20 to 30somethings at the bar... they usually had ex-wives that looked like me.

So, I started spending my nights playing online solitaire and chatting with other players. One fellow was mentioning that the downside to Texas was not being able to find fresh mozzarella and semolina bread. I gave him a web address for a chain of gourmet grocers. After a couple of nights of chatting, he mentioned he'd be willing to drive up to one of the stores close to me. I offered to take a half day off and play tour guide for him. After a stroll through the store, double espressos, dinner and lots of talking, I discovered that nice guys may not yet be extinct but they are an endangered species - and I've put this one under my personal protection.

Another change, and not for the better: the announcement came that the job I got back in February is being outsourced. Fourteen people have provided pre-sales technical information and support for a major corporation's entire United States and Canadian sales force for 15 years. The company has decided it costs too much to do this from the US, so they're moving the operation to foreign soil. Last month, they did this with over 100 other jobs in the same facility, splitting those jobs between two foreign countries. It's bad enough that America no longer has manufacturing capabilities because it's cheaper to build products in Asia and Mexico. America could survive as a service economy - call centers, troubleshooting, repair depots - if you leave them in this country! The new threat is not southern Asia or Russia - it's Canada. You know why? Because Americans can understand a Canadian on the telephone and employers don't have to pay health benefits in a country with socialized medicine.

Here's how you fight back: before you buy a product, ask where their support center is located. If they won't tell you, don't buy. If it's not in the US, tell them why you won't buy. A working America is a strong America, in more ways than just politically.

If any politician reads this, propose a bill that DOUBLES the taxes for any corporation that ships jobs out of the country, and reduces them for any company that returns all the outsourced jobs. It may be time to seriously look at health care for all - because too many go without now.