Hi my name is Sam. How can I help you?

I was calling a support line for my Proxima Ultralight s520 LCD projector and man who was obviously based out of India answered the phone. Being a world citizen I did not balk at an inconvenience of trying to decipher his meaning through a thick accent. Instead, I welcomed the opportunity in deciding for myself if globalization produces more proficient support for products. Although at one point the man had to spell out a question he was asking, and actually got a bit discouraged by raising his voice, this gentleman and I got along just fine, though I still didn't have much faith that anything could be achieved through this process. After putting me on hold to consult the support inroads on the product, he returned to tell me "thank you for you being on hold" and that they weren't supporting this product any longer. I wasn't surprised in the least. He did tell me I could "trade-up" my product for a new InFocus projector and then left the phone by wishing me to "Have a nice day." I just did have a nice day. Talking with a gentleman from India about an old LCD projector just made me realize how small the world really is insomuch that I am able to communicate, albeit not entirely well, with a person living halfway around the world as if he was down the street. And knowing that Technical Support positions pay well in India and not in America, I would rather talk with an employee enthusiastic about his job than a disgruntled one . Thanks Sam.

March Madness 2007

As predicted, March Madness and "Bracket Watching" consumes the sports fan these days. The perfect amount of games to offset the blowouts and nailbiters. Duke getting upset by a hungry Virginia Commonwealth squad just put icing on the already-sweet cake. Winthrop comes through for me big time with a defeat of Notre Dame. Another victory would vindicate my faith placing them in the Sweet 16.

Best in Sport?

I have always wondered what the pinnacle moment in sports is, and what sport that moment comes from. I am not talking about actual events that have taken place, there are certainly many moments that cannot be compared. Here I am focusing on a specific play that occurs in a particular sport (i.e Touchdown from a Hail Mary, Bottom-of-the-ninth scenario, soccer goal late in the second half to tie the game etc.). Buzzerbeaters form perhaps there own category, as some sports are controlled by the clock and once that clock hits zero there is no more play. Basketball, soccer and hockey, among others, are in this category. Other sports have time restrictions but play is not dead when the official clock hits 0:00. Time is suspended at 0:00 when the game clock runs out and the play is allowed to be concluded before the game is over. This leaves the characteristic "last play" where there is a definitive conclusion to a game on the field. The game does not finish in the middle of an action. With sports that are not run by a clock, but controlled by game criteria, the result is that there is always a last play. In fact, the game cannot end without the last play. Baseball is the best example of this type of contest and unless there is a pre-mature conclusion due to inclement weather, the game must end with two-outs in the ninth inning with either the away team behind in the top of the inning or the home team losing in the bottom. Can there be a better ending than in a sport where the game's outcome is decided by the last play? Is there anything better than the prototype game-winning-homerun-in-the-bottom-of-the-ninth? Perhaps, but it would be hard to out-do it.

Illegal Immigrants [in America] III. Cultural Identity

CULTURAL IDENTITY

Before this recent mass migration of latin workers, young men and families from Europe and Asia had come to America looking for work to improve their lot. They migrated to America to start again. Many had the dream of simply work hard and my kids will have better opportunity than I. They dreamed of their sons and daughters having the chance at an education and being somebody important, successful or even just rich. These opportunities were not available for them in their native countries. Latino workers do just the same, however, the close proximity to America allows them to go home for good when they get enough to survive on. This is probably the biggest fear and the reason many Americans support anti illegal immigration legislation...They don't want to become us, they just want to make money off of us. This is not to say that many don't want to move here for good, it's just that so many are here with no intention on becoming citizens and with their families elsewhere, there is no community to pledge allegiance to. There is no desire to keep neighborhoods clean and healthy, no reason to report crimes, no reason to become part of a greater community. They also make it harder for latino immigrants to assimilate here. With so many illegals in such small enclaves, the latino culture is difficult to lose. Spanish is not broken and it is possible to live entirely in spanish speaking communities without ever having to learn English. That's fine, except that because this country is a predominantly English-speaking country, in order to be successful, it is completely necessary to speak English, and by that I don't mean pidgeon English. What incentive is their for foreign workers to learn the language if they don't plan on staying?

"1491" meets a "Flat World"

After reading half of The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman, and listening to Charles C. Mann lecture on his recent bestseller, 1491: New revelations of the Americas before Columbus; I have become to understand more about a world that belongs to everyone. For too long have certain societies and certain histories been selectively available for mass consumption. With cross-disciplinary research by collaborating scientists, anthropologists, ecologists and historians, Mann has unearthed and uncovered a wealth of incredible new insights and knowledge and the flat world’s connectivity means that these revelations are not lost on paper but spread by wires and satellite to the world. The context of these facts is unmistakable. Facts can be hidden no longer. Only those nations with their leaders’ heads-in-the-sand won’t be able predict the implications of this. There will be no more Tiananmen Square massacres that won’t see immediate exposure and events such as Abu Ghraib cannot be brushed under the rug. We are heading towards a future of global digitization and the prospects for true democracy around the world are more promising than any show of force America can export. “You can’t stop the signal, Mal”.

http://www.amazon.com/World-Flat-Updated-Expanded-Twenty-first/dp/0374292795/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-1078576-3763925?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1173051153&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/1491-Revelations-Americas-Before-Columbus/dp/1400032059/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-1078576-3763925?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1173051384&sr=1-1

Going South...

To go south: "To abscond, to disappear to Mexico or Texas reinforced by Native American belief that the soul journeys south after death.

The American South has long been a curiosity. Overturned after the Civil War, but never really defeated in the heart, the south is now disappearing one state at a time. All of the fringes of the south are being encroached upon by the expanses of American corporations and the rest of Americans: The Research Triangle in North Carolina has become a collection of northern settlements for American high-tech interests [see acronyms for Cary, NC]; Northern Virginia, once the leader of the antebellum south, is a suburb of Washington, DC and scarcely retains a southern identity; Murtle Beach, Hilton Head and the rest of South Carolina's beaches have become an alternative vacation spots for non-southerners; Asheville, North Carolina is becoming an alternative retirement destination for Florida; Atlanta, once the railroad hub of the Old South, is now one of several international airline hubs of America (Delta); Florida was the retirement location for New Yorkers and now ground zero for those Americans looking for new opportunities and for other northerners escaping the harsh winters. Once, just south Florida was fair game, but now even northern Florida cities such as Tallahassee and Jacksonville are fair game. Before Katrina crossed the shorelines of SE Lousiana, Mississippi and Alabama, it appeared as if the American Riviera would be the next real estate blowup. As the next generation of carpetbaggers descends upon the south, it is interesting to examine the concept of "south" that transcends national bounds and puts what we may call the "second reconstruction" into a larger context.

The English word south [Old English: "suð" ('ð' is pronounced 'th') ] itself comes not from latin but rather curiously from Nordic through a Proto-German word (sunthaz) meaning "in the south" with a similar root to sunnun, "a place in the sun". This is possibly because the south side of a street would typically receive more sunlight on their entrances than those facing them on the other side. While the root definition of south rooted in the sun may not be eye-popping excitement, it is atleast interesting that the origin of all the western romance languages for the word "south" come from the Germanic base rather than the latin. The latin word for "south" (L. australis) appears in two examples I can think of in modern language in the form of the nation states, Australia and Austria. Both of these names are interesting for separate reasons. Austria's name is really from the German "österreich" meaning "eastern empire" and although superficially it could have mean "southern land", it has no relation to a latin origin. Australia, on the other hand, was named Terra Australis (16th c.) or "southern land". However, just to confuse the etymology of Australia further, on May 14, 1606, Pedro Fernandes de Queiros landed at Vanuatu and claimed possession of the lands to the south pole (he assumed the land continued to the south pole) for the Spanish monarchy. He named the lands Austrialía del Espíritu Santo after the House of Austria for which in Spain, the Hapsburgs were known. It seems although Austria was the original basis for the nation's name, its transition to the southern land was a result of the Spanish spelling for Austria (from österreich)! After all that, both prominent hopefuls of latin stems, disappoint. It is this German notion of South which prevails in western Europe and dutifully the Italian, Spanish and French languages take note.

The US does not have a monopoly on cultural disparities between northern and southern, worker and peasant, and wealthy and poor. North can be characterized as being urban, cultured and industrialized while south can be described as being provincial, rural and backward. Of course these descriptions have everything to do with where one may be from as I could just as easily described north as being unfriendly, filthy and greedy and south as being quite the opposite; warm, welcoming and generous. With these descriptions, the country, in this case being the US, can be replaced with many nations and places but here, specifically two. Italy provides an interesting parralel to the US in that instead of a civil war, it was unification that was divisive. France, is more of a reflection of an urban-rural conflict but the differences in dialects and at one time, language, mirror a narrowing gap in culture that is now merging. Paris will always be Paris, and likewise for the provinces, but the difference has been substantiated in recent years by location rather than culture.

Italy certainly has a marvelous history of empire and enlightenment. Ancient Roman ingenuity and Renaissance creativity and discovery, propelled Italians to the forefront of technology and learning. After, regions were governed by stagnating municipalities, and Italy remained fragmented. In the 19th century, the cities of northern Italy, dreamed of tying together all of these city-states under one Italian flag and stepping on to the political and economic scene of Europe's industrializing nations. There was only one problem to that plan of unification: All of Italy's regions were somewhat different, reflected by each region’s distinct dialect (sometimes a different language entirely) and local customs, which were especially transparent with culinary cultivations and local varietals of Vitis vinifera. Thus, we have alla bolognese or alla toscana when regarding regional food styles and Nebbiolo, Sangiovese and Montepulciano to name a few varietals of grape. These distinctions took a long time to develop and then were then instantly thrown together. Unification, led by wealthy liberals of the northern cities, delineated the clear differences of these regions but particularly the north and south, between the royal Piedmontese in the north and the impoverished Sicilians to the south. This was frequently mean-spirited as providing a contrast for how modern the north was compared to the backward south. In 1860, A general from the north, reporting on the conditions of the south to Count Cavour in Piedmont wrote, "This is not Italy. This is Africa!".3 By unifying Italy, both the north and south did not become closer in culture and politics, instead, the process "accentuated their differences".

"Massimo d'Azeglio [one of Cavour's ministers, following Italian unification]: “…having created Italy, all that remained was to create Italians."
With the many different regions and cultures spread throughout this new state of Italy, many speaking mutual imcomprehensible dialects of "Italian", eating different foods, and each celebrating its own regional and local customs, it was not clear what was meant by "Italian". This concept is lost on the world but not to Italians. This is apparent in Italian food. If traveling abroad to America for example, the majority of Italians would not consider most Italian-American restaurants to be Italian food, rather they would consider it International. This is because the menu comprised of many different national styles, Tuscan, Neapolitan, Sicilian etc. Food and Language are two of the many differences that pull Italians apart.

"L’Europe finit à Naples." (Europe ends at Naples) Il Mezzogiorno
The south of Italy served the north as an example of how far advanced (northern) Italy had become from their agrarian past. The world had shifted from the Mediterranean to Central and Northern Europe. In the past, conquest and conduct had tended to face southwards, positioning Rome and Naples with vast importance. While the scientific enlightenment and industrial revolution promoting Eurocentrism and nationalism, Italians grabbed all principalities together, used Rome as a swivel and repositioned itself facing north. No longer was Italy's wealth determined by its contact with the Orient, it's toehold in Europe would carry on the torch. However, even after the unification in 1860, the south was left woefully behind and the "Southern Question" developed as a result. Rather than a question, the situation is more problematic and painful than mere inquiry. Two-thirds of all poor Italian families are in the south. Of the 20.7 million people (36.1% of Italians) living in southern Italy, 7.3 million (35.4%) are poor, living on less than €521 per month. Some 4.6 million of these people (63.3%) are extremely poor, living on less than €435 per month. If southern Italy were independent of northern Italy, it would have the highest poverty rate in Europe. Healthcare is suffering as a result. Four times the average new-born death occurs in southern Italy. Those in need of medical treatment frequently travel north for what are perceived as better quality facilities, even though medical treatment in Italy is free. Italy’s National Health Service (NHS) ranks second on the World Health Report’s best health care systems, but also ranks first in dissatisfaction among Italians. Predictably, only 19% of Sicilians were satisfied with the NHS.

France and Occitania (Lingua d'oc)
France could not be a better state to describe a cultural shift between the primate city of Paris, and the rest of France, but especially a shift to that of southern France. There are many contrasts of Paris in the north with the provinces of the south. And as we can see from the case of Italy, there can be no more appropriate indicator than languages to determine cultural borders. Up until the turn of the century (19-20th c.), people in southern France still spoke a Gallic dialect different from that of the north. They spoke a regional blend of lingua d'oc or "language of yes" (from the word for "yes" in the south, oc) and modern French, which was based from lingua d'oïl (from the word for "yes", in this case oui). From this language bears the name of a great portion of southern France, Occitania. We also get the province Languedoc-Roussilon, formerly the territory of a county independent from the French kings. Already in the names of these regions language becomes a disparity. Gradually, the French bridged that gap and because of a strong central government and sound communication with its provinces, the influence of Paris swept across the country.

Provence
Named by conquering Romans, nostra provincia, our conquered land, because it was the first province outside of the Italian peninsula, modern Provence in southern France retained its unique seaside rural identity through invasion after conquest in the wake of Roman rule up until the second half of the 20th century. The blend of poor to mediocre soils could not sustain large populations until technological innovation reduced the need for farm labor and the land became suited for a relatively novel human activity: travel and leisure. With less than 30 days of rainfall per year, and mild winter temperatures, Provence has benefitted with ideal conditions for vacationing. However, those tied to the land through agriculture have not. Recently, housing construction along the Mediterranean coast from Provence to Languedoc-Roussilon has increased dramatically, but somehow I don’t believe that it is Provençal families that are lining up to buy the beachfront condos and coastal villas. Long been known for its small medieval towns, slow pace of life, and agricultural fields, Provence has been besieged (again) by developers looking to escape the over-hyped, excessively-wealthy pleasure playgrounds of the French Riviera cities such as Nice and Cannes. Within the last decade an artificial coastline has replaced the old natural one with less than a raised brow.

Efficient water-delivery systems, rapid transport of goods and services, and telecommunications and the internet have allowed human settlement outside of these traditionally restricting limitations. The Romans conquered water-delivery systems in their great stone aqueducts. Perhaps no better example exists than the Pond du gard, a massive three-tiered stone aqueduct bridging the River Gardon to supply nearby Nimes in the modern region of Languedoc-Roussilon. Rapid transport of goods and services continues to be improved upon with every technological innovation. Starting with water transport and the wheel, to the railroad and the automobile, and finally, the aeroplane, goods can be sent nearly everywhere on the planet. Rapid transport has allowed goods and services to spread but it is the internet and phone lines which has allowed instant connectivity to the world. This means work can be done from anywhere wired. It is not necessary any longer for an Italian to do business in Torino when one can enjoy the sun of Sicily or to be in grey Paris in the crisp winter when in France one can enjoy the mild temperatures of Aix or Nice. The same questions can be asked of the northern US. Why north when there is south?

With all the talk of global warming so prevalent in summer months harping on every record high temperature (and for good reason) it is easy to forget the north gets cold and I mean very cold. This winter took some time to get going, but now, the frigid air has hit us full force. For older Americans living in the north, just one harsh winter stands in the way of their departure for a warmer climate down south. For businesses and factories, the south was out of the question because of its incapacitating summers. However, innovations in air conditioning and with resentment ebbing every year since the civil war ended two centuries ago, the south is ripe for invasion again.

What does it mean for the residents of these “southern” regions when there is a flux of people migrating and immigrating to their towns and communities from other regions? One thing is for sure: Local customs and traditions are gradually erased as change is necessary for advancement. Old neighborhoods will be destroyed for new ones and small buildings will be replaced by bigger ones. Roads will be widened for more parking and some will become two lanes. Strip mall development will suck the old town’s life blood dry and people will be drawn to mega Walmarts and McDonalds rather than the local appliance stores and restaurants. Wait a second, this has already happened in almost every town in America. So much so, that most towns are not distinguished by any pertinent landmark or square, just by similar parking lot after parking lot. Each town loses its identity by welcoming in these outside influences.

For good or bad, while globalization flattens the world as Thomas Friedman writes, nationalization, if you will, flattens the barriers from each state creating intense forces that hasten the melting pot. The local flavors are diminished. Culture and custom are lost. No longer can celebrate holidays of local importance because corporations are run on a national schedule and don’t partake in regional holidays. History is dismissed and we all learn to march to one drum and tap to one beat. And with the change, a new culture and society is bred more apt to be better equipped to deal with the daunting change of pace that the modern world not only offers, but forces upon us. There is no time to lament. Capitalism has chosen the paths we must take and the survival of each society is dependent on how quickly and successfully they are to adapt to these changes. The Riviera will continue becoming developed and the old ways of locals unchanged for thousands of years will finally be forced, not at gunpoint, but by fiber optics, to either adapt or move away. There will be a time when the Mezzogiorno and Sicily will enter the 21st century because of high-speed internet, not high-speed trains. These changes are almost inevitable because the cheaper land and labor costs will allow them to compete with the steep costs of doing business in European markets. There is only so much stereotype and discrimination can disrupt economy.

In large measure this transition has happened. America has already seen a substantial change to the south. The research triangle in North Carolina contains the highest number of Ph.D's per capita in the US and is the biggest research park in the world. Cummings Research Park in Huntsville, AL is 3rd in Ph.D's and the world's fourth largest research park. Parts of the south boast some of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. Automobile manufacturing from Mercedes and BMW have located factories in the south. Corporations have relocated their corporate offices to the south. Surprisingly, Alabama ranks 21st nationally with the number of corporate headquarters in the state.

But with all this attention on the south, be it in Europe or the US, there has been things that have not changed. The growth in the south stands for opportunity. And in opportunity lies redemption. Going south has meant now more than ever, a place to disappear and begin again.

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=south&searchmode=none&p=0 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy#Geography http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/9195/9195.intro.html http://ressources.ciheam.org/om/pdf/a15/92605078.pdf http://www.iht.com/articles/2000/09/15/trprov.t.php http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1188255
Eurostat. The social situation in the European Union. 2004 http://reports.eea.europa.eu/eea_report_2006_6/en/eea_report_6_2006.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_United_States

Notes on US Soccer’s victory over Mexico in Glendale, AZ., Feb 8, 2007.

The US has dominated Mexico in soccer, winning the last two matches by identical 2-0 scores. In the latest round of this international rivalry, the Americans blanked the Mexicans with one set-piece goal off a corner and the other, a deflection off of an official that took a decided American bias and landed to the foot of striker Landon Donovan who sidestepped Mexican goalkeeper, Oswaldo Sanchez, and netted the clincher in the 1st minute of stoppage-time. The Mexican frustration was demonstrated after the game-winner as Sanchez tried to foot swipe Eddie Johnson running to celebrate with Donovan. Moments later the whistle was blown, the Mexican team walked from the field without shaking hands, and 50,000 of the near 65,000 fans in Glendale, Arizona were left to retreat to their homes, unhappy.

Wait, did I say 50,000 of the 65,000 fans were supporting Mexico? Surprised? Not really. As the rivalry grows between the American and Mexican soccer worlds, American fans certainly haven’t. While a few thousand fans were there in red, white and blue to offset the hue of los Tricolores, they were heavily outnumbered. Essentially it was a home game outside of Mexico City’s Azteca stadium. Mexican fans flocked from all over the United States (Mexico and Canada) to see a game, which to Mexicans, means so much more than just futbol. Beating the United States would give Mexican-Americans and immigrants intense pride (pages could be written about any kind of Mexican victory at the expense of Americans) as well as lift the goat that has cursed the Mexicans playing on US soil this century. [US 7-0-1 vs Mexico at home since 2000]

With the Mexican players in-season (in Mexican leagues and in Europe) and the American players’ seasons ending in late fall, this victory seems even odder. With a huge pro-Mexican crowd with their players in mid-season form, the Mexicans coming up short was sadly, not wholly unexpected. Simply put, they haven’t scored in almost 800 minutes on American soil. That is not a strong way to pave the groundwork for victory, lest to say, that they should not expect to win without scoring. However, they outplayed the Americans for large stretches of the game, and had numerous scoring opportunities that were thwarted by a mix of good (but not great) defensive stops and off-sides flags. They had chances to score but simply didn’t.

Watching the Mexican team last night, I thought of talented young baseball players trying so hard to hit the baseball they inevitably would fail to hit it. It seemed that with all the intensity of their play, collectively, they were trying too hard to score. Sometimes some finesse in sports outranks pure intensity and the Mexican determination outdid themselves. The Mexican team played well, and the Americans scored all the goals. It seems that the Mexican team has continually failed to realize that the American strategy is based on counterattacking. The Mexican players, coaches and media can go ahead and blame chance or luck, but without a changeup in game plan, the Mexicans will continue to play into American hands, err feet.

Promotion and Responsibility

Staying at a hotel in CT, I noticed a blonde-haired woman dressed in a tidy grey suit excitedly given orders, recommendations and instructions at such a frantic pace, I hardly recognized her. Although I recalled her Boston accent and energetic manner, seeing her giving instructions (not recommendations) to other employees was strange. Usually playful and willing to bend and break rules for our group, the grey suit spelled out the end to that. With quick smile and "hello" she recognized me in the dining room in front of my laptop, but quickly reverted back to supervisor, warning one banquet employee that her hoops need to be changed.

I knew they had been asking her for months to take on more responsibility and a promotion to managing the banquet staff. This means she finally had given up resisting and had taken the opportunity. When she had finished with her troops, she welcomed me with her usual warm, inviting way and hugged me. She explained about her new position and said it was easier taking on the promotion than dealing with the hotel constantly asking her about taking it. After showing me her task list and confiding to me a few minor complaints, she was off again, cleaning this, arranging that and giving more instructions.

Responsibility is a mean deal. Personality traits that were endearing as a co-worker can be unbearable as a boss. Once, there was kinship between workers and a feeling of being in it together. After, the responsibility of management supercedes friendship and instead, the new supervisor becomes the enemy. Workers choose not to complain about work details in front of their new boss and a wedge begins to grow in the place of their former working friendship.

I saw the beginnings of that today. Some of the other members of the hotel staff were already motioning away from her view how crazy their new boss (old friend) is, frantic about getting everything accomplished under her watch. Before, when things did not get accomplished or they got accomplished in a way that was not correct, the blame was spread out among several members of the staff. With a manager in place of the banquet staff, blame is now fixed on one individual. Therefore, the shared responsibility becomes the responsibility of one.

The new boss must be able to conduct his/her workers in a effective manner to make sure things get done right. Whether or not they are successful is determined by how well they can get workers to accomplish customer and management's needs and requests along company guidelines. Good luck to my friend, and I hope that her allegiance to co-workers does not cloud her better judgment getting tasks completed or that her new promotion doesn't force her to forget how it was on the banquet staff.

Illegal Immigrants II. The Job Issue

THE JOB ISSUE

Here is the main point for Americans and the most important issue of this debate. Foreign workers and the end of the American Dream. It was not long ago when an AVERAGE worker could afford to buy a house, car and have enough left to send their children off to college. Those days are gone. There aren't any jobs for even skilled laborers anymore that can support hardly one person let alone a family. With the influx of so much labor that can be purchased for less than minimum wage, the effect is a stagnation of the rising minimum wage. The system has been worked for almost two centuries to a point where labor in this country was given decent wages, benefits and hours because the constant flood of cheap labor had been removed. Immigrants from south of the border that are here to work and leave, dont have to pay for all the community costs of native workers and therefore can afford to work at smaller wages because their cost of living is based on Chihuahua or Juarez costs of living: there is a supreme mismatch. Americans can't afford to work as cheap.

What right do we have in this country to have higher wages and standards of living? Because Americans became a nation based on meritocracy and ability rather than how white your skin was and who your father was, that's why. Everyone had the opportunity to work hard and play ball as long as they play on an equal playing field (That's not to say it was without some advantages and disadvantages but it was more fair than anywhere else). When that field begins to be pulled from beneath, who wouldn't be concerned? This balance of power, the equilibrium that developed over the years had prevented big business from running away with all the money, but with so many workers in play, they can pick their team, paying far less. Thats what the constant influx of foreign workers does to the labor force. It floods the market driving prices way down and profits way up. Because we are citizens in this democratic country, it is our right to restrict who can come and go through our great country. This is any sovereign nation's free right. Besides, it is probably harder for an average American to get a job in Europe or Australia or NZ than it is for anyone else to get one in American and yet because we want to limit illegal workers from entering, we are at fault? I don't think so.