Why the rest of the world hates Americans: Exhibit A

This afternoon, Mr. Trend was driving to his favorite local bar in Albuquerque (O'Niells pub - check it out if you're in town), and he was flipping through the radio channels, seeking something worth listening to, when he occasioned upon a discussion of area codes.

For those who are unaware, New Mexico currently is so poorly populated, it has only one area code - 505. However, there is serious talk of adding a new area code, due to the growth of the population, part of the broader growth of the sunbelt. Suffice to say, those traditionally-minded people in the area are strongly opposed to the new area code.

The radio rant from the DJ, followed by calls in to the station, that I heard, are such strong clear examples of the "spoiled" American lifestyle, and provide insight into why people hate us.

Put simply: they were all bitching about having to dial 10 numbers in a phone call, instead of 7.

Now, Mr. Trend is from a land where they ALWAYS had to dial 10. Yet the point bears emphasis. While not all of the US enjoys the "luxury" of only dialing 7 instead of 10 numbers, much of it does. While many in Africa are starving and, in some areas, facing genocide, while many in the Middle East (currently, Israel and Lebanon especially) are facing random death, while people in South America face the squalor of poverty, it's good to know Americans are aware of their plights, relating to them through the inconvenience of the prospect (it's not reality yet) of having to dial 10 numbers instead of 7.

God bless America.

Fuck.