Barista: Can I get your name?
Spy: I feel uncomfortable with this line of questioning
Barista: Sir, I just want to put your name on the cup so you know when you coffee is ready.
Spy: I don't know I think answering this question could compromise my cover.
Barista: Sir, I swear I just want to make sure you get the correct coffee.
Spy: I need to push this up the line. Make sure I can get clearance to give you my name
Barista: Never mind your coffee is ready. Here you go. Would that be cash or credit.
Spy: Credit here you go.
Barista: Thank you Mr. Smith have a nice day.

Suck it up Nancy! It's called the economic environment we live in. Personally I like it. It has gotten rid of the useless IT professionals that thought they could just draw a good paycheck so they got into the field. It's not for the faint of heart. The people that are good at what they do can more then handle the environment you describe. My last job I had triple the environment you described and I handled it myself.

Q: What do you get when you require a Top Secret Clearance?
A: A poorly skilled employee that can pee clean and has never had a life.

The reason Apple's upgrade are so expensive is to take advantage of those people that are told to by a Mac because they are easy to use. They do not know any better its like the guy in the tv ad this computer has 2GB of sheep :)