Ok so here I am standing in front of the building I was staying in Which also happened to be Saddam's Intelligence Ministry, you knwo the one where people were tortured, raped, and probably died a horrible and unspeakable death. There is a mini prison on the compound used to house political disidents. This isn't a country club like Gitmo, this is serious shit where people were truely tortured for false confessions and used for sport and then killed. Ok, ok.... Enough of the soapbox I'm really trying to watch it so back to the building, you can see it was damaged pretty badly during the ass whooping the Iraqis got in the opening days of the war. This is also the building that took three mortor rounds while I was living in it. That sounds worse than it is, we were not in any immediate danger from the mortars. This location is in the heart of the stink there in Baghdad, less than 10 kilometers from Al Sadr and his militia boys. They like to hope over every now and again and shoot off Iranian supplied mortars and rockets and then hide amoungst woman and children. Who says chivilary is dead!! Anyway I stayed at this location for about three weeks working on equipment that is destined for locations far from baghdad. They will be helping the Iraqis control there borders and perhaps catch some munitions coming in to take out our boys. The systems I have been working on have found some interesting things, including munitions, gold and money....oh and people. I guess smuggling people never goes out of style. They stuff the human body into some interesting places! Anyway not much time here so I will end it before the soapbox comes back out! Well here is pic for all you who wanted to see me alive and healthy if not hot as hell!

Saddam the Idiot

Saddam is the worst poker player in the world. Here is his victory palace that wasn't completed and probably will never be done. It has a few new holes in it courtesy of the USAF. I was running all over Saddams old compound looking at the extravagence of his regime. He had everything in the world and pissed it all away on a poker hand with nothing in it. What meglomania will do to you!

One Month in Iraq

Well it has been an interesting month really, I have have been in a couple of location and I like being here. Call me crazy and many will, but I'm working on equipment that is trying to keep the soldiers and marines here safe. Yes it is more dangerous than riding a desk in America but not all of us are cut out to do that. I just happen to be one of those individuals, the other thing about being here is don't listen to the news. They are always wrong, the details aren't right, they have there own agenda. I do have to say one thing, the government has been slow to field the HumVee replacement and I'm not sure why. That single piece of equipment is going to save so many lives it isn't even funny. I have settled down into somewhat of a routine of getting feed and washing my ass. I work all hours it depends on the heat of the day, it is always hot but some days are much hotter than others so there is usually a mid-day break. I won't always have this luxury so I will take it now. I still don't understand these people and I still think there way of life is about 6 generations behind the rest of the civilized world but then again who am I. I wish they could govern themselves and I wish they could let go of the religious BS and the tribal mentality but they won't. They would be happy for us to run there country for them forever. We pay better than the muslim extremists! Anyway not sure what will happen here if we leave but I don't care, we will deal with the ramifications one way or the other. But if you get anything from this post is that the news is always wrong about the situation here. I know I'm here on the ground.