Job Search, Day One

As I was perusing the job ads this morning, I came across this little bit of prankery. I can't believe this has remained on the Chronicle site for so long, but I've preserved it for prosperity just in case:



When I first saw the ad, I honestly thought, "Afghanistan? Shit, I could work in Afghanistan." After all, the Preznit tells me we've liberated these people, that freedom is on the march and whatnot. Who cares that the Taliban is back in control of much of the country, that opium production has surged to the levels last achieved during the Russian-Afghan War, or that Karzai's government will survive only so long as it continues to kiss the ring of its American sponsor. Oh, and we've pretty much forgotten about the entire country while more or less giving up on finding that douchebag -- I forget his name, Saddam or Osama, something that sounds freedom-hating. You know, the guy with the facial hair.

Fuck it! Freedom is on the march, baby! And I need a new job!

Then I read this:

Founded in 1819, Maryville College is one of the oldest baccalaureate-granting institutions of higher learning in the South. Consistently ranked in the top tier of Southern colleges in national magazines in recent years, the College is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, USA and appears on the John Templeton Foundation's guide to "Colleges that Encourage Character Development." The curriculum is notable for its strong liberal arts core program and the two semesters of Senior Study research required of all students. The student body, numbering 1150, is drawn from the Southeast, Middle Atlantic States and the Midwest. Located in Maryville, Tennessee, Maryville College is ideally situated between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state's third largest city.

Sounds lovely . . . but it ain't Jalalabad.