Why Halliburton is the most corrupt corporation in the world.

If you know me you know my utter contempt for that coporation, what it represents, and who it represents. Outside of no bid contracts becasue of course Halliburtion is the only company that has the expertice in cleaing toilets, or cooking food in Iraq or bilking taxpayers out of billions in fradulent fuel charges(for the record gas costs about .85 a gallon in Kuwait retail and they were charging somewhere in the area of 5 dollars a gallon). The kicker, when I thought they could go no lower I found out that Haiilburtion/KBR employees have to PAY half the plane ticket to go home.

How screwed up is that. I mean what business on the planet makes you pay your way home? What makes it worse it that of course Hailliburtion charges the goverment for the full ticket fare but do they reimburse the employee? No, they don't and I've found that some of the people here come out here for around 55k/yr so the cost of a plane ticket is enourmous on that salary.

KBR you suck. Must be nice to have friend in high places.

Everytime Bad news comes from Iraq

I get a call, or an email, of a smoke signal or something. People always ask me if I know the people or if I was there or something like that. If I do or don't I never say. I mean when I get the calls I'm not sure if family members have been notified and even then what is there to talk about?

Whenever Marines or Soliders die there is a noticeable pall around the base. It's like every Marine has a bit of personal reflection as if to say "that could have been me". However I've rarely seen that pall last more than a day. It must be the training because they are back at it the next day. Marines tend to say things like "I have a job to do" that's how they look at the situation. This is their job and this is what they do. Nothing more nothing less.

It's part of that coping mechnism, like I said that pall doesn't last long the Marines have a job to do.

What I tend to find bizzare is that people back in the states (and usually those that have nothing to lose) are all gung-ho about sending troops into harms way and then seem all shocked and abhored when they die. This make no sense to me, I think Americans no longer grasp the concept of sacrifice.

Too hot to wear shorts

God it's hot here. I mean other level type hot. I tried wearing shorts yesterday and the heat was burning my legs. The tempature hovers around 125(51) or so during the middle of the day and even at night it only cools down to about 110. Only in the early morning hours does it creep below 100. Between these cold winters and hot summers I don't see how anyone would want to live here. Give me one or the other but, both that's just horsepucky!

Making the best out of a bad situation

Since I've been back I've been crazy busy. So much so that it doesn't leave me much time for anything let alone posting. Besides I don't have much to post about. Not that there aren't things going on because they most assuredly are but, it is against my policy to speak ill of people and situations here (on the blog at least) unless it is in the most extreme of situations.

I mean it's not all bad although I'm dreading the day Mahi-Mahi leaves. He's been around ever since stuff around here imploded and we just spend our time laughing about the situations because they are so crazy. We have so many inside jokes that it doesn't even make sense. We have whole conversations in code. He is leaving soon and he's already gone in to brain dump/I don't give a damn mode. Which we all do the closer we get to the exit date.