The course covered a broad range of topics including:
- Quality hamburgers and the American dream... A hands-on practical class looking at the proliferation of the American dream (quality fast food) throughout the Americas. Professor B explains that this dream has been guiding American foreign policy in the region for decades.
- Coke, the hard drug of choice. (Although blind taste testing confirms that Professor B prefers Pepsi... made with cane sugar not corn syrup and out of a glass bottle not plastic or aluminum... a connoisseur can tell these things...)
- Manipulating media moguls: a discourse on the American media. (for discourse read rant)
- Faith based politics, (because no one has faith in politics).
- Law & Order: The death penalty and tipping your server.
Associate professor Jason Alexander joined us for 2 months and lead an enlightening discussion series on modern Christianity and the benefits of 'diet' soda.
Professor Baumeister was careful to be both fair and balanced in his topic coverage, and I would thoroughly recommend the course for anyone wanting a deeper understanding of the American psyche.
Dean of the school John Burden flew in all the way from a corn field for the graduation ceremony and presented me with the much coveted star spangled bandanna. I felt as American as apple pie... with a side order of freedom fries. The bandanna he said would make me look like a real biker. I think dean Burden was under the impression we had been doing the tour on Harleys.
Much to the dismay of my fellow Americans I proceeded to proudly don the bandanna and head out into town, down the beach, restaurants, and even the cinema (which was a disaster as they only served popcorn and soda in sizes small, smaller and extra small; we filed a lawsuit against management and didn't let it spoil our Hollywood magic.) Apart from the anti Americanism in the cinema we were surprised to receive a very warm response to the bandanna with cries of 'Hey Obama' and 'Yeah Obama'. A far cry I'm told from the response we may have received just a few short weeks ago... which reminds me, check out this Robin Williams stand up performance:
For more information about the course including course date and fees contact professor Baumeister at www.panambikeride.com
(photos coming soon)
