Abnormal Interests

Now *that's* what I call marking your territory!

Mind you, without the camera, would anyone have noticed? The smell in many university buildings suggests the practice is common-place.

Tsk tsk, why can't we all get along? If it happened in the English department, I would have suspected alcoholism but, being that the culprit in question was a math professor, I suppose other variables need to be taken into account. Hehehe.

It seems like a bad omen for one of the scholar's careers.

Yes! Omens! Is it time for an apt quote from Shumma Alu perhaps? Surely the Babylonian scribes had something to say about urine and doors; they covered everything else! And, Duane, you did hint at urine omens before, haven't you? Perhaps if he performs the right sacrifices to the right deities, his career may be salvaged just yet (... or maybe not).

Roger,

When I told one of my kids, both of whom teach at the University level, about your comment I got a hearty, acknowledging, laugh.

Jim,

A bad omen indeed. By the way, does one list something like this under “Service” on one’s CV?

Glen,

Yes, I did post a few times and even published a paper on omens about pissing against a wall, not from Shumma Alu but from Ziqīqu, the Assyrian dream book. I know of no omen about pissing against a door. As book two of the Odyssey says, “Many birds there are that fare to and fro under the rays of the sun, and not all are fateful.” That said, this is still a bad omen of the professor. He surely pissed away his career.