No Mans Land

I was having a business lunch with a colleague in Lexington yesterday , and for convenience we had chosen to meet at McDonalds in Palomar off Harrodsburg Road. He and I both are always on the road and eating out of drive thrus, so even the dining room of Big Macs was a step-up for us. Now normally I just use the restroom, refill on cokes, and go on to my destination. An earlier stop at the Golden Arches in Tates Creek Center reminded me of my inadequacy in bi-lingualism, as every one of the 15 or so employees were Mexican and speaking rapidly to each other in Spanish. How do you say "Large Coke" in Spanish? Gracias I know. Back to Palomar we found a table in this little alcove area, sharing space with two other tables. The two other tables were occupied by single , older gentlemen , busy reading morning papers. Now I've seen this in every type of fast food dives across this country. Older , retired men getting up early to find something to occupy their time. What I don't know is the ettiquette and proper behavior associated with sitting in this area. My friend and I were talking about business and plotting strategy for the coming weeks , and I casually asked him about his current main squeeze during a break in the business conversation. He said she was driving him crazy and had called him five times the previous evening. I asked him why she called so many times and he said ,"She's just insecure and needs to talk to someone." He said it gets on his nerves , and I told him she was probably just lonesome and needed someone to talk to.He agreed but still reiterated that she got on his nerves, at which I observed that he needed to try to understand women more. At this point the gentlemen on my left looked up from his Lexington Herald and dryly observed," If you'd tell me how to understand women I'd appreciate it." Not to be outdone , the man at the table on our right said,"I was about to say the same thing!" My buddy and I just looked at each other and laughed, but I'm still perplexed. Were we in something like a Free Conversation Zone where everyone is allowed to participate in conversations to complete strangers as they feel a need ? It was not a rude comment and was done in a very friendly manner, and my buddy and I were not offended ,but the whole episode was like being in situation comedy on tv. As I went home I realized that these guys were in their element and that was not an abnormal situation to them. Maybe we had some other regulars' seats and we were just initiated into the club.Either way I think we were in A No Mans Land where we didn't know the rules. Speaking of rules, there seem to be no rules on how to handle the mess our economy and the business world has gotten in. What I think is that the people of the United States have become so polarized on issues like liberal and conservative that we have been taken to the cleaners by the greediest group of people ever born on this earth. This group of people I am speaking of is "Smart Assed White Boys", who have quietly looted and pillaged all the banks and financial world while the country was fighting over Iraq, Afghanistan, and social issues.Then when we are at the brink of financial collapse, the panicked Federal Government starts throwing billions of dollars at the problem . AIG executives are given millions in bonuses for looting the company.Madoff and his Ponzi scheme bankrupted hundreds of thousands . He goes to jail without a get-out free card. This whole country has become a gigantic Monopoly Board. Game pieces are Porsches and Mega yachts. There aren't any railroads left, but the utility spots are hot.Huge houses lie empty, and I think they're going to be empty for the near future. THank you Smart Assed White boys for the mess we're in. We've been worried about Mexicans coming across the border while you guys have been at the Pebble Beaches and spas plotting and stealing our investments. I guess you can only buy so many McMansions and Range Rovers without having to seek more funds.I bet these Smart Assed White Boys have never known the pleasure of checking out movies at the Red Box or of listening to Kid Rock cruising up Highway 58.I will also bet they don't understand women or how to discuss them in the No Mans Land.