Uzbekistan

Ever stand next to a redwood, walk around it, look all the way up, feel really small? Now pretend it’s covered with blue and white tiles, and it’s the same thing with some of the ruins in Uzbekistan. HUGE! Forget Alexander the Great or Genghis Kahn (no, not Genghis Cohen), Tamerlane’s your guy for pyramid-size monuments to himself.

Saw Lt. Kije at the opera, which has to be the silliest plot ever, but at least it was a comedy. Good thing I knew the plot, because it was done in Russian. Where’s Marina V when you need her?

I will say something about the people here: they sure bite into the propaganda hard. Reminded me of the old time Soviet Union, where the bosses are never wrong and you keep your mouth shut. Okay, so that means they’re scared of their leader and just parroting whatever they’re told to say, but still. . .

And what they were told to say was: the United States is bad. Why? Because we actually had the gall to complain when the army went into a town and massacred a whole bunch of civilians. And for that they kick us off the airbase. I guess this is one of those times I should be glad I don’t look American; some other people weren’t as fortunate.

I guess this makes Uzbek the next Bush war target, after Iran. But then, there isn’t quite as much oil here. . .

Or is there. . .?