Hammer Mill Days

Hey... did you hear that? Those footsteps outside... the creak of a rusty metal door... the grating sound of a mailbox flag being lifted tentatively upright. That can only mean one thing - mail's in! What's that you say, Marvin (my personal robot assistant)? No mail ? *sigh* No one writes the colonel. Oh, well.... Marvin, check the Web mail. There are always good tidings in there... Ah, now that's better. Let's just open the old digital mail bag and see what we've got here. Hmmmmm.... this looks like a good one. From a fellow named "Jordon Lex"... Paris Hilton presentation! This photo is stunning! Only 1 day trial - get this Stunning presentation now! Jordon Lex, Pornville, Texas Well, thanks for writing, "Lex". And thanks for the generous offer. Of course, I'm a little slow at answering my Web mail, so the 1-day trial is most certainly past. Very regrettable. Still, we'll keep the Hilton in mind next time we're in Paris. Though I sho...

Heard a story on public radio this week ( here it is ) about some Iraqi nationals - educated people - who had worked for the U.S. military and U.S. contractors in Iraq. The ones the reporter spoke to were among the very few who have managed to immigrate to America. Now they are out of work, out of money, and essentially unemployable except at the very bottom of the service economy. One man, speaking of his experience back in Iraq, told of how an American officer once told him that "working for the American government is a future". Now this unfortunate fellow is contemplating taking another job in Iraq - no small consideration, since doing so could easily cost him his life. Here all he can find is janitorial work at McDonald's-level wages, though he is a trained engineer. His expectation had been that in return for having served this country, he would be taken care of. All the government seems willing to do for these people is bring them here, get them hooked up with some ...