My friend and his band, because he IS a rockstar

My friend CV, also known as Mr. Van Nasty, is in a band. You don't care, you say? Everyone is in a band, or wants to be, or dreams of being a rockstar? Yes, that may be true, but my friend had a sold out show. His band is called Level 12, and you really should check them out here. Besides, if my friend becomes famous, I get to be his #1 groupie, which means he supports me as my sugar daddy. But we still get to see other people. It's a beautiful arrangement, you see. So go on, take a listen. And if you're in the East Bay area, go to one of their shows. Because once he's famous, I benefit, and that is surely what you want.

My sister, the comic genius

"And then I ate my guilt sandwich, and was like, *groan*"

Heehee

Where Are The Dogs Humping.com

I HATE MY JOB

Let me just repeat, I HATE MY JOB. I used to love this job, it was awesome, I was very autonomous, it was flexible, and I felt appreciated. Now, I no longer have any autonomy, the flexibility has become rigid, and the appreciation evaporated. It's the group, not me, causing these things, so at least I know I'm not a total failure. A month ago, I was in charge of both our volunteers (15 of them) and our publications/printed materials. Now I'm doing internet research that a monkey could do. I did NOT come to law school to research S&P's 599, or the Dow Jones Industrial Average. I want to be an environmental lawyer, not a stock analyst. And yet... I really just want to cry I am so frustrated, because essentially these guys have totally screwed me, but I still have to give them my time. And I don't even get anything out of it, because I work for work study, which is money that I could just get as loans if I didn't have to sit here deciding what financial information I think should be a part of the interface that we use to analyze corporate pledges. I AM NOT A MONKEY, but I sure feel like one. Also, my total inability to stand up for myself and tell them that I don't really like being treated like a chimp (or chump, whatever you prefer) doesn't help.

The Great Sand Dunes

Spent the weekend down at the Great Sand Dunes, camping and playing and just generally having a good time. I'd just like to recount a couple of the highlights:

- After passing a large sign reading "Point of No Return" and telling drivers that high-clearance vehicles with 4WD only should pass the parking lot at that point, a not-so-bright middle aged man continued on in his low-clearance 2WD minivan. He got stuck. And therefore blocked the road. His wife/some woman with him proclaimed about the sign that was directly applicable to her, "yeah, but even then..." No, lady, not even then. Obey the sign telling you to stop and avoid making a long line of 4WD cars wait for you to dig your idiot asses out. This scenario became funny when the two children, tagging along with angry stuck-daddy said, "Dad, why don't we use four wheel drive?" It appears that the children could read even though dad could not. Dad replied, angrily, "we don't own four wheel drive." Yes, that's why they put up the "Point of No Return" sign-- so that you would know to stop.

- Once past the stuck minivan on our way to the dunes, a man leaning against his Durango flagged us down. AL rolled down his window, and the guy says, "there's a lot of, uh.... sand up there." We were driving to the sand dunes, and were about 100 yards away at that point. Yes, sir, there is a lot of sand at the Great Sand Dunes. Thanks for the most helpful advice.
-The Murder Chop House, aka the bathroom in an old train car. Three stalls. One nailed shut. At one point, one was operable. At another point, zero were. If we pay for bathrooms at the campground, it's helpful if we don't have to pee on the floor. Good news was, we could just pee in the woods.

-Pancakes fried in butter. I will be making these every chance I get.

-And, of course, hiking the dunes. But really, running all the way down.

Obama the "apostate"

From my favorite source, the NYTimes, an op-ed piece about Obama's Muslim heritage. It's a really interesting lesson in Muslim culture and how it could affect Obama should be be elected as our President. You have to read the whole piece--halfway through you kind of feel like it's just another Obama-bashing article (especially if you link to it from my site!), but that's not all there is to it. It's just an interesting tidbit I hadn't thought about.

Here's the gist: Obama was born to one Christian parent and one Muslim, but apparently there is no such thing as "half-Muslim," it's simply not permitted. Anyway, Obama renounced his Muslim roots in favor of the Christian side, and is wholly Christian (we know this--remember Reverend Wright?). Well, under Muslim law, renouncing the Muslim religion is punishable by death (it's worse than murder, and murdering an apostate as they are called is not a punishable offense at all). The point is that Obama would probably not be able to travel to areas of the world with Muslim populations, because Muslims are essentially under an obligation to kill him. Islamic security guards couldn't even do their job, because it would be contrary to their religion. So, the idea that having Obama for our President would elevate the status of the United States in the minds of Muslim countries is probably false, and in fact, it may just have the opposite effect.

A weekend of NOT being in Boulder

Rex and I are going on vacation. Given our extremely limited budget, we are only going about 50 miles away. BUT, we get to stay in a hotel. Which is INCREDIBLY exciting. We get to stay in this little charmer of a room--with an in-room jacuzzi! Thank goodness for a few days off to do absolutely whatever I want, which will probably include mostly nothing plus a little time in the jacuzzi. And eating.

The NYT does NOT like Augusten today

I finally got around to perusing the New York Times today, because I am utterly sick of studying. One of their writers reviewed Augusten Burroughs' new book, a memoir about his father. Man oh man, did she hate this book. You might take a stop by the NY Times to read it, because she slams the hell out of him and it's actually kind of interesting to read. I, for one, will still be buying his book in hardcover. I actually liked Possible Side Effects and Magical Thinking, even though the reviewer says they were about nothing. That's the problem with book reviews--what you like is just that, a subjective preference. Though I have found spectacular reading material by following the New York Times' advice--maybe I'll hate A Wolf at the Table. Maybe I love anything that's not a casebook. Maybe you don't care. Now I'm just rambling to avoid studying the Clean Air Act anymore, because I am tired of reading about what the Administrator shall do. Even though he never does, because he's a government employee. Just like I might be one day.

Remember when?

Remember when I used to have time to read the news and then tell you what you should be reading from NYTimes.com? Remember? I don't. Now it's all just library, library, library. On the upside, I've finished three finals. Only two more. Plus a 30 page paper. Oh how fun it is to be me.

Also on the upside of things, I have an interview with EPA on Monday. The job doesn't pay, but I hear that they are great to work for. Imagine me, a government worker (or slave--isn't that what you are if you don't get paid?). It's pretty much the last thing I would have thought of, but I also never thought I'd be a lawyer. Back to the downside, I'll have a 45 minute commute each way, and if you know me, you know that if I can't walk there I'm probably not going. Unless it's shopping or eating, but a job is neither.