Should Horse go to Baghdad?

[MrFun]

here's a carpet

[Dr Strangelove]

OK, Why not go to Baghdad and bring your family with you? Be sure to go everywhere together, such that the terrorists will have to take the whole family. Imagine the propaganda coup when al-Qaeda is forced to execute the whole lot of you when the government of Australia refuses to cede New South Wales in exchange for your release!

[Starchild]

Personally, I wouldn't go. As my dear sweet grandmother says, "Headless corpses can't spend jack**** of their hazard pay".

[Alexander's Horse]

yes, life is too short as it is.

[Patroklos]

I take a greater risk driving to work every morning due to American traffic statistics than averge American in Iraq does right now.

What does that mean?

Crunching numbers is bull****, go and do something different interesting and helpful. Especially since the odds are astronomically in your favor off returning.

[axi]

Don't refuse Iraq because you're afraid. Refuse Iraq because IT"S WRONG!

Working there means helping them kill more civilians. Don't get your hands bloody.

[Theben]

How interesting is the job?

[Dinner]

Originally posted by MrFun
here's a carpet

The carpets there suck. Most of them are made in China and they try to sell them to westerners for four times the price the carpets would have cost in downtown LA. There are some good hand woven Iranian rugs to be had there but the prices are very high, $2000-$6000, where as if you went to Iran the prices would likely be half that.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
yes, life is too short as it is.

**** happens, life is short, and there really isn't much risk in going there. Not that I'd go back but that's just because I've already been there; if and when I go on another little adventure I think it will be to Afghanistan.

[Patroklos]

I bought two rugs in Bahrain for $1500, one wool and silk rug from Kashmir and one pure silk rug from Iran (shhh don't tell customs).

Had an informal apprasal done by a carpet/funiture store owner who is a father of a freind, and he said you could sell them to a dealer for 5000, probobly sell them myself the third parties for between 8-10,000. I think that is too high but I would defintetly get a few grand. The demand for them is amazing here in the states.

I decided to buy them because another officer I know has a runs a little buisness every time he goes over there. He advertises and has people give him pictures of what they want. He goes to the various rug flops that officers stationed there throw for visiting ships, and matches them best he can. Then he brings them back and marks them up to whatever he thinks he can get the origninal party to buy them for (which is great because you haggle for them in the first place). Makes about 10-12 grand a trip. And because he is a Supply officer like me we have no end of places to hide this stuff on the ship to get them through the cursory customs check we get when we come home (I didn't even try to hide mine and they didn't find it).

Btw, a rug flop is when someone who lives there invites a wardroom over to his house and has a rug merchant come by and show their wears. The merchant will bring booze and food to make you drunk and happy before he starts the show, and then just unrolls one rug after another on top of each other telling you about them as he goes. If you like one, you just let him and instead of covering it up he pulls it aside for you to look at later. Good gig, alot of us bought rugs.

I don't think I will actually sell mine for profit though, the longer they sit in my appartment the more I like them. They are gorgeous, and to think it took an Iranian family a year to make one just fills me with respect for the craftmaship and effort.

[MRT144]

so a rug flop is like a tupperware party

sissy boys

[Lefty Scaevola]

Re: Should Horse go to Baghdad?

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
the money is good

How good, and how good compare to the bomus/hazard pay USAians are getting there.

[Alexander's Horse]

Originally posted by Oerdin


**** happens, life is short, and there really isn't much risk in going there. Not that I'd go back but that's just because I've already been there; if and when I go on another little adventure I think it will be to Afghanistan.

You are a siren

[Ben Kenobi]

Tough decision.

On one hand, to go away somewhere and get paid for it, on the other one, with wife and kids at home, and being gone for a year.

Your wife seems keen on you to go, so why not? Spend a year away, and then come back.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Oerdin


The carpets there suck. Most of them are made in China and they try to sell them to westerners for four times the price the carpets would have cost in downtown LA. There are some good hand woven Iranian rugs to be had there but the prices are very high, $2000-$6000, where as if you went to Iran the prices would likely be half that.

But it's all for capitalism.