Introducing the Council

[HeadRat]

Well, with any good thing there has to be control. The Website and Rat Pack Members has grown every day that the site has been in existance, but not just one person can control it all.

SOOOOOOOOOO, I've created a Rat Pack Council, you might have noticed this little title under their names in posts. These people are true, hardcore RATS and have been around the bock, not once, not twice, but more times than any Frequent Flyer miles program would like.

The Hiarchy is like this:
Owner/CEO/President and final VETO power: HeadRat (what can I say, creating and running the website has it's perks)

Rat Pack Council:
RatBro
TheJester
Diablo
TMMCD
The Wild Rover

I'm not saying you have to kiss these guys butts, but if you REALLY want something to happen you think is right or an injustice, you probably would start with them. :LolLolLol

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to PM or post a question to them as they will mostlikely be able to help you if you don't hear from me right away. But mostly, use this section to voice your opinions about the PACK ITSELF, not jobs or gossip. If you would like to see something change or have an idea you think should be implimented, voice it here and it will be debated, then voted on.

With all that said, would the Council Members please post up and introduce yourselves?

[TheJester]

I guess I'll start.

I AM GOD HERE!!!

Nah, just kidding, but as the name suggests, I'm the joker of the site. Well, this one and any job site I'm on. That's actually why they keep me around. It isn't all bad, you have to have someone that is hardly ever serious in a place this is TOTALLY serious, right?

All kidding asside, I want to see this site be what I think it can be and do for others what I Truly thing it can. Don't be affraid to post a message to me or PM me questions being as I do all the tech support.

I've been on a ton of boards like this and know a lot about them. I'm still learning somethings, but it will all pan out.

As new members or old ones, you and I both know this site is better than any other one and can only be improved by more people and more participation. Like you always here, "information is power", well, as workers we got it and it is time to put that power back in the hands of the craftsmen.

[The Wild Rover]

Brother and Sister Rats,
I have been in the building trades all of my life, from Aprenticeship to Journeyman, and various electrical licenses later, and working for too many contractors with all their bullshit, to working overseas for the past 13 years, and 40 odd countries. And I do believe everyone needs to pay their dues, and be skilled...No one rides for free!!! We don't need anymore Fuller brush salesmen that know a brother's cousin who is a carpenter, getting a job for $30/hour tax-free overseas... Believe me, it is coming to that lately.
I am just a working man, with working man ideals. I believe WE, the American Worker, should re-direct the work and CONVINCE the American contractors that we are what they need, instead of the contractors bidding the Gov't jobs for full per diem and MI+E based on American skilled labor, then turning around and giving it to the local (i.e. sub-standard, shit work) labor and contractors,....And I believe We, as a close knit group of American workers, with a great site like this, can promote American craftsmanship, and a high quality and standard of work and OSHA SAFETY where it shows!!!...overseas. Safety is greatly overlooked....ever work on a bamboo scaffold? Ever see guys wear flip-flops on the job? I have. I believe all American Facilities built overseas should be Cleared Americans building them, from the ground up...we don't need any more African or Russian brick layers and Afghani and Turkish" so called construction" workers.... consider the amount of money our Gov't. pays for these facilities, when we have skilled people living below the poverty level in the U.S... This site can help direct the work to Americans, willing to do the work.... There is too much of our work that is called sensitive, so why are we still using local labor? Didn't Moscow teach the Gov't anything. Is the Gov't blind to the fact that terrorists look to our installations for their weakness'!!! Fuck the terrorists, support our troops and American facilities and hopefully we can right this wrong. Anybody that needs help, just ask. I can only promise that I will try to help. This is what this site is for...Overseas Workers, it can be great, and we can do it.
The Wild Rover
No issue is too small. All opinions count. Everyone has a chance, and a voice.

[RatBrother]

The Wild Rover,
You use your tounge prettier than a 20 Dollar whore. I am Totally behind you. I too wish that these sites where closed off to nothing but cleared u.s. help. Moscow should have been a wake up call to those in power. With the amount of money that is being spent on these facilities, and now, Add in the Terrorist factor, why are local help, laying out our floor plans ??? Big question Mark there!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I too have gone thru the Appentice ship, and Initiation of overseas And Embassy work. I have graduated from the school of H. F. K. It stands for Hard Fuckin' Knocks. I got Kicked in the Balls, before, being Kicked in the Balls was Fun. Guess what, A kick in the balls really sucks, no matter how hard you train for it !!!
Enough of that, What I really need to be telling yall that are trying to break into this kind of work is; It is not Impossible, We need GOOD help. LOTS of it actually, There Is Billions of Dollars of contracts that will be awarded over the next decade. state.gov will confirm what I am saying. The pool of Craftsmen willing to travel , and do this type of life style is Very shallow.
That is a fact, It is also a fact that, the contractors that bid these jobs, know this fact. At this point, as long as you do not have a Felony Conviction on your record, or ever day dreamed about finger fucking your dead grand mothers corps, you'll get a clearance. Trust me on this one, Your government will know if your lying. On this forum, We dont wanna know !!!!
Just to back track a minute on the counsil members, and let yall know what they are about, if you have any questions;
Myself, Ratbrother; Pipefitter/Plumber
The Jester & The Wild Rover; 2 of the best FUCKING ELECTICIANS I ever met.
In our book we just call them F.E.'s.
Diablo; He can weld a monkey's ass to a plate glass window and help you get it fitted up.
Tim McDaniel; Here is a tough one, But if your ever in Brazil and get thirsty, just mention my name.

[TMMCD]

FIRST OF ALL, KNOWING THE OTHER RP COUNCIL MEMBERS, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT IN THE NEXT 4 YEARS I PLAN ON LOWERING TAXES AND IMPROVING EDUCATION……………SORRY WRONG SPEECH.

THE OTHER GUYS HAVE HIT ON SUBJECTS THAT I AGREE WITH 100%. MYSELF I STARTED WORKING OVERSEAS IN 1991 AS A CARPENTER. THRUOUT MY LAST 14 YEARS I HAVE DONE A LITTLE OF EACH TRADE , ANY THING THAT HELPS TO GET THE JOB DONE. THAT IS WHAT A RAT IS.
THE REASON THIS SITE WAS DEVELOPED WAS TO BRING TOGETHER THE PEOPLE THAT PUT PRIDE IN THE TRADE THEY WORK IN. THIS HAS GRADUALLY DISAPPEARED AND IT HAS TO STOP IF WE ARE GOING TO SURVIVE AS SMALL ELITE GROUP.
IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE NEW BLOOD IN THE RANKS OF OVERSEAS PROFFESIONALS, BUT IT HAS TO BE EARNED AND NOT EXPECTED JUST BECAUSE YOU RECEIVED A CONTRACT. THIS LIFE IS A HARD LIFE, BUT IT CAN BE VERY REWARDING IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT ATTITUDE. IT HAS GIVEN ME A VERY COMFORTABLE LIFE SO FAR AND I DO NOT WANT TO GIVE THAT UP.
SO BRING ON THE NEW BLOOD, JUST DO NOT INSULT THE ONES THAT WORK WITH PRIDE TO GET THE WAGES AND BENEFITS THAT YOU WILL ENJOY. THAT’S WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT. MYSELF, I WILL TRY AND HELP ANYBODY THAT ASKS.
BY THE WAY RATBRO IT WASN’T MY GRANDMOTHER’S CORPSE! AND DON'T MESS WITH MY BARNEY ON VIAGRA!

[HeadRat]

Just need Diablo to post now and you will see I have selected the full "gambit" for a council:
Two Yankees, Two Southern Boys, and a clown

[TheJester]

Bontom, In an effort to keep the site cleaner, I moved your posts and related posts to a thread in New Members as New To Overseas Questions or just click this link:
http://www.ratpackinternational.com/packchat/showthread.php?t=262 It's not like what you are saying/asking is not important, but we need to keep on topic in each Thread or we will end up searching all over the site in different threads to find info we want. If you have an off topic question or post, go head and find the appropriate catagory, click it, then click new thread and post it there, Thanks.

Diablo, can you STOP tearing it up for ONE FREAKING NIGHT and post up, your the last Council Member that hasn't posted yet.

[RatBrother]

To the Head Rat,
I was reading up, AND there are 33 people on the site that have never posted JACK. !!!! That is way wrong as two guys kissing. I think you should move this message to every forum . I know that you can do this.
I'l be God damned if I will give out info to people that are going to take money out of my pockets. ;;;;;; Notice that I said Pockets, because it takes more than one to fill them !!!!
33 people, that is alot, enough to man up a job site.
Yes, I try to help folks out, but what about takers and non givers ????
Where is the line drawn ??? Should we send this straight to clear Core, along ith our resume's ?????

[HeadRat]

All Valid points, RatBro, any idea as to what incentives we can give to get them to post, or I guess, threats?
As it stands right now, from what I understand, the PayPal account should finally be set up so that Job Listings can and will be converted to a paysite.
This should cut back on the amount of people just lurking on the site to get job info, but not contribute anything. Several new restrictions are going to be implamented,
Example: Right now when you come to the site, you can only see the main page of the forums (can't see the full page and options), but can't get into anything. Then when you register, you can see all the forums, read them, but can't post a reply. Completing the registration process of submitting a resume gets you all the way in.

[TMMCD]

Get rid of the 33 non posters! You have to take a stand and stop babysitting.If they want to be a part of this they have to contribute. I still do not like that we are giving anything for free ........30 days. Start paying from the getgo and you will not have to deal with the deadweight. Remember that this site is for information for overseas PROFESSIONALSand not a e-commerce site catering to wannabes.

[HeadRat]

Start paying from the getgo and you will not have to deal with the deadweight. Remember that this site is for information for overseas PROFESSIONALSand not a e-commerce site catering to wannabes.

The Horny Dino guy is making a good point here.

[global]

I 2nd that...............fuck the 30 days!!!!!!!!
If your scared....say your scared :wtf

[TheJester]

Uh, I know this is off topic, but on the main opening page did anyone else see that there were 141 (ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY ONE!!!!) people online at the same time this morning?

[diablo]

Okay, jester and ratbrother, you can get off my ass now, but I am going to keep this short

Well where do I start, it's hard to follow up with anything that the other council members haven't already said. Just in case you haven't noticed by now, all of the council members have just about the same views on overseas work, we have all worked together and most of us have worked several jobs together, we work well together and get along great outside of work and that is what it is all about, work hard and play hard. I started working overseas in 1998. I am a firm believer in doing a job right the first time and I hate having to go behind people and fix things. I will welcome anyone into overseas work as long as they are willing to work and try to do it right, we don't need anyone who is going to watch us work. :2cents

[TheJester]

Nyaaaaaaaaa, for the retarded kid!!!! He finally signs in. :crazy3

Now, anyone got a topic they would like our views on or have questions about?

[TheJester]

Hey, this is the last day in Tashkent, Uzbekistan for RatBrother and I. I'm heading home for a couple weeks then to California or Pakistan. Where are all the other Council Members at?

[The Wild Rover]

I am currently working in Germany. It looks like I'll be finished at the end of July, and then to the States for six months for my wifes visa status/green card requirements, and then, I'll probably be back out as an electrician somewhere. We'll see, maybe I'll just tramp around or something.
The Wild Rover

[TMMCD]

Getting ready to go on R&R. Then back to Africa and finish up the end of September. After that I'll take a month off before heading to Panama.

[Incognito]

Hey,
is this thread just for the members or can anyone add to this ???
I have read all the enties so far,, along with 380 other people.
No one has called you a bunch of Jackass' so far ! That might be good.
However, nobody is giving you this either :zbj:

[The Wild Rover]

I think I feel sick...

[RatBrother]

Personally, I have had a run in, in with a few comments and threads, but never Flat out called out .
And Jester and Bontom exchanged a few words .
I just guess everyone has an opinion . That is one of the reasons we are all here.

[Bontom]

Personally, I have had a run in, in with a few comments and threads, but never Flat out called out .
And Jester and Bontom exchanged a few words .
I just guess everyone has an opinion . That is one of the reasons we are all here.
Not me anymore, I'm no longer getting involved with purely emotional disscussions. I like to deal with facts, not feelings. I will not lower myself to name calling either. You boys have a good life.