September 24, 2007
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Today Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the current president of Iran, will take the platform at Columbia University to answer questions posed to him by students and faculty members. And apparently a bunch of people are upset about it. But I don’t see why they should be. If you think the leader of a foreign nation is truly a whacko, then what better way to parade it for the world to see then by letting those without political lives at stake, such as college students, take him to town with a few nuanced and preruminated questions? The facade of timidity or political naivete would work as a great premise for asking questions. Who wouldn’t want Ahmadinejad at their college so that some naive frosh can galumph to the microphone and gauchely ask, “So, um, you say you’re not a terrorist? But, it like, you know, really seems like you are. What gives?” Or in light of Ahmadinejad’s denial of the holocaust one could ask, “So you deny the historicity of the holocaust, right? Well, by my last count there have been six million Jews playing hide ‘n seek since 1945. Have you, like, found them or something?”
I took a road trip once where I noticed that they post the height of overpass bridges on the highway. The height of the bridges varied from one to the next, and were usually anywhere from fourteen to eighteen feet high. Presumably, I thought, the purpose of the signs would be to warn a vehicle uncapable of passing below the stated height. But then, isn’t it a bit late by the time they’re heading 70 MPH towards the overpass to realize they aren’t going to make it? Or if it isn’t for that purpose, what would it be for? Perhaps it would be for bored drivers to calculate the average height of overpasses on long car trips?
Comments (5)
It’s the latter. Remind me to do that on my next road trip.
I honestly don’t know what to think about the Mahmoud Ahmadinejad thing. It seems like a pretty big deal, but I don’t really know what to do about it.
Who better to ask questions then those who have nothing to lose no matter what the answer? Or at least, when they think that.
I’ll ask my brother about the bridge height thing. He’s a trucker.
The vehicles most likely to encounter trouble with these overpasses are those labeled “Oversized Load.” These have warning/scout vehicles running in front of them, and the operator of that vehicle could warn the truck driver. I recently saw such vehicles with flexible telescoping poles attached to the front of them. Presumably, these poles are preset to the specific height of the oversized load that they go in front of, and act as sensors to prevent accidents.
Redwall’s under your interests, that makes me very happy.
I never thought of that before….if he does indeed deny the Holocaust…where are all the jews?? He’s got some explaining to do doesn’t he??