there was a lunch break

but yes it was a 4 hour interview it was crazy

hr: plane delays and possibly having to stay overnight in charlotte and buy a hotel room :'0

PS: new airsoft goggles came in today
military surplus

Moral Dillema:
So, I have an in with a company that contracts ESL teachers to the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The salary is INSANE and, i mean--It would be nice to be out of the country for a while.
Here's the issue: I'd be working for Dyncorps or Halliburton.

...

Does teaching war profiteers english make me a war profiteer?

JOB GO.

DO IT.

Seriously though... I think I'd do it.

...nah.
The bigger question is if you could live in the UAE or Saudi Arabia, and how long of a stay it'd be.

*rant on*

How many times do I have to tell people that Halliburton is, first and foremost, an oilfield services company? The reason they got so many contracts related to the iraq war is because they already have a crapton of resources in that region, because, surprise surprise, there is a crapton of oil in that region, and therefore, a crapton of oilfields. Who would you suggest contracting with to feed and house thousands of soldiers in the middle of the desert? The salvation army? The soup kitchen? Or maybe the firm that specializes in providing support services for rig workers who spend extended amounts of time living and working in the desert? Was the whole situation as ethical as it could have been? No, but quit making the company out to be a group of ruthless mercenaries specializing in no-bid contracts and war profiteering.

*rant off*

In all honesty though, a job is a job, and those aren't easy to come by these days. I'd take it in a heartbeat, but then again I go to a college where Halliburton is generally viewed favorably. YMMV...

Yeah, they're better known as an oilfield services company around here too. I was really confused at first when I heard them being demonized for their work in Iraq as contract killers and stuff. I see guys with Halliburton uniforms coming in for dinner all the time.

Thanks for explaining that! I never believed they were ruthless mercenaries, but I honestly had no idea they were an oilfield services company either.

I never really looked into it--so I always kind of assumed they were bloodthirsty mongols lead by Dick Cheney holding a white cat. Derp, ignorance.



I guess I should mention that by "UAE" i meant "Dubai" (with a salary good enough to make living there possible) so--the answer is a resounding YES, I could live there.

Contracts are yearly, and after 3 years I could just barely qualify to teach at most any international school (aka, the best teaching jobs outside of college that I know of).

Not if you donate 80% of your salary to Iraqi refugees.

I only think they're a bunch of rent-seeking profiteers who specialize in contracts that keep their subsidiaries out of the reach of the U.S. judicial system.

I think if I were completely honest with my self I might be a rent seeking profiteer, but I ain't sure. I have yet to have the oppportunity to test that moral issue.

smurfING @MAYOREMMANUEL YOU smurfMOTHERING MOTHERsmurfERS. Carl the Intern, Quaxelrod, David Plouffe, David Axelrod, Hambone and Pillow De Villa say hello. Best fake twitter account ever.

The moral issue might be living in Dubai, which was, afaik, basically built with slave labor.

That aside Dubai is cool as hell dude, umm, yeah I would probably do it.

Also, Dubai may well be bankrupt in a year...

Anyone remember the huge argument we had about dubai on the old board? around 2008 ish?

dubai was built by slaves. i could never live there in good conscience.

AF: Had to go to the hospital for emergency care

My values are efficiency. I'm of the belief Jesus just really hated deadweight loss.



Which would be funnier if a quarter of Europe might not be in the next decade...



On a moral level, yeah, Dubai is pretty much the worst. They still have debtors prison. They really are that archaic.

PS: So, I'm finished with my math structures (aka set theory) homework.
UC: That took three hours.
UC: Only halfway done with linear algebra.
UC: Still have Game Theory to do.
PS: that homework is pretty easy.
UC: still have a spreadsheet to make for macro. smurf the Laffer Curve.
HR: Class at 9 AM. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.

Yes. I think we all agreed, though, that Dubai's artificial environment and use of slave labor were repulsive. The issue was about whether "unbridled capitalism" was to blame for the situation.

ps: call from my recruiter. i impressed in my interview and they would like to hire me.
uc: because i am an undergrad applying for a grad level position, they need one more interview to make sure, AGAIN, that i have proper statistical experience.
hr: this will be the 8th hour of interviews i have had with capitol one. christ.

See this is the exact sort of thing that would make me not want to deal with capitol one.

Me: "So these fraudulent charges are all resolved?"
Cap1: "Yes, we've cancelled those charges and credited your account"
Me: "So I can use my card again?"
Cap1: "Well no we need to evaluate your account further. Call us in 8 hours..."
Me:

normally i would agree

but it's a masters/phd position and i am like right at the door now

so close x_x

Why am I always getting hurt? Had to go to the ER in the middle of the night because apparently I ripped my stitches from my past surgery. They had me on morphine and still feel it. Well at least I get a pass from school today.

At least you aren't being raped and pillaged by Vikings, bro.

...I didn't know Cap was a Roman...

He's actually Russian, but don't tell anyone.

Why is facebook not exploding with Egypt right now?

because joe biden said it's no big deal.

Big deal.

Bring back the pharaoh.

I think they're angry enough to dig him up.

This is some French Revolution smurf.

It's been so long since I've done this, I'd almost completely forgotten what it felt like for a girl to reciprocate my feelings for them, especially in their physical manifestation, but this is looking to be a pretty interesting relationship. She's an adrenaline junky, but she's allergic to a lot of stuff and has really bad hypoglycemia. Almost had to drive her home from work tonight, she was having a hard time walking at one point, but we got enough food and water into her that she was stable. Finally convinced her mom I'm not a serial killer, and her dad just sounds awesome. She mentioned that he was going to be away for the next 6 months or so.
"Where's he going?"
"Don't know. It's classified."

And she loves my car.

Your relationship sounds like the premise to a Ben Stiller romantic comedy.

UC: I might have forgotten how to not be single. This might take some practice.

PS: I love living in a house again.
Also, my fb profile pic shows how awesome my house is.

Protip: Wear pants

But that takes the fun out of it!

UC: It's too cold to go on a walk. Boo :'(

PS: It's quite mild here, and I have heat in my car now.

I HAVE HEAT


AF: Tonight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3B3C5hR1lk...feature=related

AF: Egypt is burning and the FBI is forcefully removing Anonymous' mask.

The news is fun today.

PS: The gf's mom just dialed the overprotectiveness waaaaaaaaay back.

PS: TCU may be playing at Cal this fall...

PS: freakin' airplanes.

Like shooting stars

OH smurf.

smurf yes everything's done time to go over to unc

goodbye pants

Pants...my greatest and oldest enemy.

Well half of the starters were seniors this year, so we'd probably only beat you guys by like 20 instead of the customary 40


PPPPPPS: Interview with Hawker Beechcraft next friday

Kevin Riley ended up being by far the greatest quarterback option that we had. He graduated.
The greatest news that's happened so far in the offseason is that Harbaugh left for the Niners and that we're pulling in (somehow) a Top 15 recruiting class.
The bad news is that Shane Vereen, the lone bright spot in the offense, is gone. And that Kevin Riley is gone, and I never thought I'd list that as bad news.
Oh, and we're playing over in SF in a baseball stadium next year. No one's gonna give a crap.

Bring back Joe Ayoob!