Mehdi

I worked for an architecture professor I work for on and off today. He was doing vibration testing in metal structures. I had to hit a mallet into an I-Beam, multiple times, trying to get the same consistency.

There was a lot of down time, so he told me many stories of is life, he is about 55ish i guess. He first told me about how his son discovered 'Everybody Hates Chris', and now the family watches it because it's so hilarious. he said that the writers couldn't get away with some of those jokes if they weren't black, lol. He told me about how he started out as a professor and stuff, going to job interviews. He told me I should consider getting a minor or double major in Building Construction with my masters, that's where the money lies, and it's a nice plan b. I think I might pursue that.

He told me a lot about history. He is from Iran. He was a junior in college when the Islamic Revolution happened. He then left for the States after he graduated. He told me that Imam Khomeini was a clever man. The Shah was a dictatorship set up by the US, so he promised freedom to do anything after he took over. But as soon as he got in power, it was strict Islamic rule. He says that people get arrested for eating outside during Ramadhan. The Iranian currency was 7 to 1 USD before the revolution, it became 60 to 1 USD in 4 years after, he explained to me the interest free banking and how everyone pulled their money out when that went into effect. Now it is at 2000 to 1 USD, it was 1000 to 1 USD before the embargo the US and its allies put on Iran's oil just 8 months ago. I asked why the embargo, he reminded me about the US and Israel assertion that Iran shouldn't build nuclear weapons, even though those guys have it and plus Iran says it isn't developing them. So frustrating to think about. Then the sheep nations go along with it, because its all about the $, so there goes Iran's economy.

Who are these countries to police another country about what they are independently doing? Why should Iran answer to another country simply because the other country is more powerful, and they don't agree with them? I wish people would just look through history man. The US is some bullies man. They set up the Shah, and now Iran is the bad boy for saying 'no thanks'. They supplied the crap out of the Iraqi's to defend against Iran with Saddam leading, who the US put in place. Then they turn on him accusing him of having WMD's, if he did, guess who gave them to him? But anyway, I feel one day the US is going to find itself out numbered. Once everyone realizes America has messed with all those nations affairs, and wanted nothing positive for them, only for the US's personal Imperialism. Afghanistan, Korea, Japan, Iraq, Libya, Nicaragua.... Idk, maybe that is why the US is that way. They maybe have no choice, over extended, so they think that once they step away, everyone will attack? Hmm. I say, once China and Russia and stuff, get back powerful, and knock the US off from being the sole super-power, maybe the aggression will sub-side once America has someone to worry about. It's just a military state, Ron Paul was gonna save us. Sorry, I really feel like he was the only hope. But nope, now we have two clones to choose between.

Annnnway, back to Professor Mehdi. He asked me if I was practicing, and I said yes. He was so surprised, he said he never meets American Muslims that practice faith and he was really floored when I told him I was Shia. He had a really concise statement about religion. He said he was Muslim from birth, and he was actually born on Imam Mehdi's birthday, so hence his name. He said something like 'all religions are the same, they just teach you to be a better person, and give you a reward in death' or something like that. Hmm. And he told of how he witnessed when using religion goes bad. In the war with Iraq, he had many friends die. Iran had to find land mines, but they lacked equipment, so they told the teenage boys about the virgins and guaranteed paradise for fighting the holy war. They happily ran into the mine fields knowing good and well they would die. One of his friend was a father of those boys, and celebrated when his son died. Really jarring to hear about.

Told me about how he got searched back in '88 boarding a flight to USA from Iran, and his flight was one off from the flight that had a bomb on it and exploded over Scotland. The US immediately said it was an Iranian terrorist attack. But is was really Libya. The story behind that was, Iran during the war with Iraq, used to attack ships with oil on them. They had Kuwaiti flags, but the US put American flags on them so that it would look like Iran was attacking America. Well, US responded by wiping out the Iran navy. There was a commercial flight that flew over that zone from Iran to Europe and flew over the zone, US thought it was Iran fighter plane and killed 250 people by blowing up the plane. US figured the Scotland plane was revenge.

Man, US be....

Endnote- I've lost all certainty about my identity, it's a scary thing, but a good thing....