messiestobjects

Irritated-hate-my-government griping grrrr

AAAAAAGGGGHHHHHH!!!! What is it about freaking New Year's in Iraq? I just got an email from the stand-in boss from Romania that I have to get rid of half of my Iraqis by January 1st. AGAIN! I of course am going to fight it tooth and nail, but dammit, I'm sick of this. Our client doesn't trust Iraqis, even ones who are Christians, not Muslim, and who have been working closely with us for over a year now. They are again pushing to get them out of the camp.
I mean, it may not matter, as the fact is that we still may get our butts booted out of here in a month or two anyway, but it's the principle. I hate being in the position of having to fire people who work really hard, and who I really like, because my stupid countrymen can't accept the fact that WE live in THEIR country, and if they're going to be that paranoid, then perhaps they have chosen the wrong line of work.
Or maybe I have. God I hate these government types.
I think I'm feeling a tad too bitter to go on at the moment, please send condolences. Also, I'm thinking of starting an Adopt-an-Iraqi program. I've already adopted a sort of surrogate family, but if anyone wants to help some people out, let me know. Also, If anyone knows anything about laws which govern State Department hiring procedures for embassy work in foreign countries, please contact me because I think that legally, any American company running a business in a foreign country MUST hire a certain percentage of local nationals, & I think we're being forced to violate that law by being made to get rid of our Iraqi workforce.
Grrr.

No News is... no news. Meanwhile, in other news...

Sigghhhh... so life is much less interesting to blog about now that I'm back to work and not flying all over the place... writing about Baghdad is even dull, as I'm afraid I don't get out much and therefore have little subject material. Scott, Jeff & I did get to hang out with Darren Adams and Steve Steltzer yesterday, for any Chiemseers reading. They're doing pretty well over at their little happy camp. Darren now has 7 Sri Lankens whose jobs are to fill water baloons all day. Jerk.
Meanwhile, on the GBG war front... no news. It's fairly obvious that our client wants us out of here pretty badly... the question of when is still somewhat up in the air, however. We have to finish all of our current construction projects for them by the end of the month, or we're out, and then our contract is up for re-bid in early March anyway... lots of factors.
Still no word from our imprisoned leader... not likely to hear anything from him for quite some time. I don't even know if a trial date has been set. They've arrested a third person in the case, a military guy which brought more clarity to the money laundering/gun running aspects of the whole sordid thing. Yay! I think it's neat-o that events surrounding my life have such hollywood overtones.
A couple more people have quit, therefore tightening the noose that much more. I'm just going to continue smiling and getting paid for it.
My Iraqis were all happy to see me come back; apparently there was some question among them about whether I would or not... unfortunately, my coming back didn't magically make everything go back to the way it was, as some of them seem to have hoped. Well, we'll keep trying, anyway. I feel really awful for some of them... work is getting more and more difficult to find around here, not to mention more dangerous, anyway. But we're still employed at the moment, so...
As far as any ideas about what I can possibly do after all of this is finally over? Um... yeah. Maybe I'll try what my friend Jen once attempted and try to break into Chinese children's television programming. (9!) Too bad I'm not small pretty and blonde.
I got my Space Adventures video! I do kind of look like a space-tard in it, but there's some cool scenes too... only half of the video works, however. Bad DVD. So while I write to Space Adventures and await another copy, I will contemplate whether I allow anyone to ever see it. It does capture me falling flat on my face while attempting to make a joke to the very intimidating Russian Mig-25 pilot, Alexander Pavlov, and his oh so stony response. But then it shows me having a good excited laugh when he does a roll in the Mig-25, which is kind of cool. And it shows my camera getting a little floaty when we reach our peak height. Watching it really made me want to do it again! But I probably won't. I will re-attempt to do the zero-g program though, someday.
So a skeleton walks into a bar and orders a beer and a mop...

Back in the saddle of the mechanical GBG bull

Well, I made it back to Baghdad... yee haw. Before I even made it to the camp, while en route from the airport on route irish, I got a phone call which, to make a long story short, led me to the conclusion that 2 of our most entrenched employees are attempting to sell off company assets without company approval... the rats are abandoning ship and following Phil's fine moral example. So I've got some work cut out for me...
Anyway, there was just an explosion just now, so I'm feeling right at home again! Good to be back. Well, I have to go do some stuff. I guess.