Washington, DC
It's great to be back in DC after almost two months away. People slogging through the humid air in poor-quality, poorly tailored suits and sneakers, going to their mindless jobs as mid-level bureaucrats; large, imposing buildings surrounded by security personnel; and the magical fantasy land in which so many residents inhabit, believing that politics is the single most important thing in life.
My apartment was a mess of dustbunnies - spent a day and a half cleaning it (hadn't cleaned it for at least 2 months before I left for 2 months - it really needed it). Also had my first day of classes yesterday.
My first day of classes and last one for the week (I only have classes on Mondays and Tuesdays this semester) was marked by a certain professor's statement that international terrorism is being sponsored by the Russians. Islamic fundamentalist groups, he argued, are not about religion, or any economic and social factors, but rather are being funded by the Russian mob which is working for the Russian government who wants to control Middle Eastern oil, and sponsors attacks at the U.S. in order to defeat their sworn enemy - 'the Cold War never ended' the professor said, as I desperately tried to submerge images of Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind circling words in magazines to decode the Soviet messages.
Our assignment - to find out the truth that has been hidden from us - to find proof of Russia's deviously brilliant involvement (which is occuring at the cost of its own people, says the professor) - no small task - but one that, according to our professor, could make our academic careers - but more importantly, one that will reveal the truth. I feel oddly like Jeff Bridges in Fisher King, about to embark on a futile quest for the Holy Grail with a complete madman.
I love DC. Only here could such paranoid delusional lunatics be tenured professors. Or wait, maybe that's just academia.
My apartment was a mess of dustbunnies - spent a day and a half cleaning it (hadn't cleaned it for at least 2 months before I left for 2 months - it really needed it). Also had my first day of classes yesterday.
My first day of classes and last one for the week (I only have classes on Mondays and Tuesdays this semester) was marked by a certain professor's statement that international terrorism is being sponsored by the Russians. Islamic fundamentalist groups, he argued, are not about religion, or any economic and social factors, but rather are being funded by the Russian mob which is working for the Russian government who wants to control Middle Eastern oil, and sponsors attacks at the U.S. in order to defeat their sworn enemy - 'the Cold War never ended' the professor said, as I desperately tried to submerge images of Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind circling words in magazines to decode the Soviet messages.
Our assignment - to find out the truth that has been hidden from us - to find proof of Russia's deviously brilliant involvement (which is occuring at the cost of its own people, says the professor) - no small task - but one that, according to our professor, could make our academic careers - but more importantly, one that will reveal the truth. I feel oddly like Jeff Bridges in Fisher King, about to embark on a futile quest for the Holy Grail with a complete madman.
I love DC. Only here could such paranoid delusional lunatics be tenured professors. Or wait, maybe that's just academia.
posted by Nixie at 7:54 PM
2 Comments:
Great post, my first day of classes was also today, and I'm sad that I have no eccentric profs like you do.
Sorry if this is a wierd comment, I just stumbled on your blog using the navbar, and found your post rather interesting.
Your professor is actually right. It is the same theory I have had for a number of years. On what information do you base your dismissal of his idea? That you've never heard the idea before? Or just because you don't like him? I am sure you have some fascinating and insightful understanding of global geopolitics that you could enlighten us with. What is the professor's name by the way?
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