The worlds of war and psychometrics collide
Fellow psychometrician Tim sent me a link to a Washington Post story about the lavish life of Iraq's former deputy prime minister Tariq Aziz. He's a fluent English speaker, an educated man, and the only Christian among the elite of Saddam's Baath party. He's been out of sight since our troops neared Baghdad. And buried in the article is this fascinating little snippet:
In a ground floor office are photographs of a man in his forties who appears to be Aziz's son. White business cards bearing the name Ziad Tariq Aziz are on a large oak desk. On the floor is a box of cigars, a backgammon set and a bottle of Cartier cologne. Brochures advertising Smith & Wesson and Remington firearms are scattered on the office floor. A Princeton Review test preparation book, titled "Cracking the GMAT," is marked with notes in the margins.
Wow. From Princeton Review to Baghdad. Just imagine, this senior Iraqi official, poring over his test prep book,scribbling in the margins, and fretting about the GMAT just like thousands of US students do every year. Wonder if PR will use him as a success story if he pops up at a business school in the US?
Update:Hey, here it is on The Best of the Web today as well.