Interesting reading...

[pod]

http://www.comebackalive.com/df/index.htm

All about going to dangerous places and maybe coming back alive.

Good dissuasive material for spoiled rich kids wanting to "experience" other cultures.

The general advice seems to be that you're stupid to go to 70 percent of the countries out there. Is your life worth seeing some scenery or a group of savages in the wilderness? I tend to agree with the author, the world isn't all one big National Geographic special. It's more like the worst parts of the CNN daily news rolled up with the worst parts of Abu Gharib prison and so forth.

But if you must go, this site gives you wonderful advice on how not to look like a tourist schmuck.

I won't travel outside of the US, Canada, the UK, or Western Europe without at least a battalion of soldiers. ;D And even to those countries I'd still bring a few bullyboys with me.

[shannon_coolj.]

yeah...so many of those countries are just SCARY!

my dad used to work for HP and when he went on business trips to Brazil, HP provided him with enough bodyguards to protect a world leader.

seems the Brazilian criminals have a penchant for kidnapping american businessmen....

[pod]

Most foreign criminals do, actually. The site states an American will net them on average a million. That's a lot to someone who likely hasn't seen a million of anything in his or her life.

It is sad really, I'd like to think that despite the actions of the Shrub and Dick, most Americans are decent folk.

It is a vicious set of circumstances...the people in other countries are pissed off at their lot in life, that they live in a mud hut, have to shit in a stream outside, and live off of a slice of bread a week...then they see how well off Americans is, and their feelings of jealousy are stirred...and then there's the fact that some places are just outright sketchy to begin with.

Sad again that some of these places do have a lot of historic and scenic wonder, but are not worth the risk of getting killed to go see. And I mean killed as in murdered...it is one thing to risk your life in climbing a mountain...the threat is constant, and you can minimize the danger...it is another to combat the danger posed by your fellow, unpredictable man.

[LeVeL]

I recently went on a trip to Brazil for a business trip to visit some clients and we went over there with some ex- navy seals to supply us with security. Let me tell you it felt very uncomfortable going overthere especially when you have some guy watching your every step and everywhere we went it was so noticeable that the people knew we had security with us.

[pod]

That's the whole thing about having that kind of security. People notice, and don't fuck with you. It is like the Secret Service...they're guys in suits, but by their demeanor, no one's gonna fuck with the President.

Hell, when GWB goes overseas, it's the Secret Service times ten...in the motorcade is a shitload of guys with orders to shoot first, ask questions later if trouble arises.

Secret Service rocks, I want that for my security detail.

[bcnjunkie]

We did an event for the president of Uruguay and secret service was there. The secret service chicks look just like in the movies, hot, blonde in a suit with the hair tied back in a pony tail (just like in the movies), They look delicate but I'm sure that's about it !