Hello again, FMLers -- It appears that I must perform all of the tasks myself, and cannot assign a representative to take over. I can, however, have friends accompany me, both to participate and to act as a second party. It is harder to intimidate two people than a single individual! This likely disappointment means that either I run the complete bureaucratic gauntlet, or I finally give up and lose the needed money. Thank God I have the luxury of this choice, because I am not in a nightmare situation like Nancy was. It's amazing how you withstood it, Nancy -- and returned. As Renee indicated, you withstand it, if and as you must. The signs I see of social breakdown are real but, as I judge it, the situation isn't near ignition. I give that a few more years. I was talking with my (Ethiopian) doctor yesterday about it and, like other knowledgeable observant people, he agrees that things are in serious deterioration but that there is no immediate danger. Different people in the US have different opinions about whether I should simply flee or should accomplish the tasks that would improve my next few years. At this point I am working on the latter while simultaneously making the preparations that would allow me to simply drop the effort and go. In the first scenario, I'm targeting an April 15 - 30 timeframe. [Posted in FML 7755]