From: "roger" <diogenes.jones-AT-attbi.com>
Subject: Re: How it happens...
Date: Mon, 26 May 2003 22:53:31 -0700




> Well, i whish you some more strength for the next weeks.
> I did some "higher" studying a couple of years ago (managed to get a
degree in "documentation, library and information science" just at my
40th birthday). I doubt i could do that again. But since the first of
april i got a real job at the Royal Institute of Artistic Heritage of
Belgium, where i have the obligation to get a Ph.D. in Art History in
a couple of years. This seems hard, but the good part of it is that i
get two to three days a week off to work on my thesis. I plan to
succeed before my 50th birthday (2009). The best thing about this is
that i get paid by the State to do this and the subject of my thesis
is "the link between art and anarchism in the Belgian avant-garde of
19th and early 20th century".
>
> Kind greetings
>
> Erik
>

hi Erik,

fabulous.  the state finances research into the foundations of it's
own illegitimacy.  very post-modern.  not sure what to make of a
thesis that has the words "avant-garde" and "Belgian" in it, though.
kinda like "amerikan" and "subtle" or "german" and "funny" or
"english" and "culinary,"  some concepts just don't go together
without a bit of imagination :)

sounds like you have a good deal however.  i'm lurking about the
academic swamp myself; my job has lots of educational perks and school
is kool.

roger