I'm sure that everybody is familiar with Dave Ramsey. My in-laws really like this guy, for obvious reasons. They buy his books for anybody they think needs financial help, which means that we've gotten one or two over the past few years. His financial advice, however, is of fairly limited value. (At least to me. I live off of a stipend and student loans, and there is no way to make that better except by graduating and getting a job.) He assumes that you have a sufficient income, it's just that you're too stupid to budget it properly. I really dislike the victim blaming that is implied. Like all other financial advice, people are supposedly poor not because the financial gurus on Wall Street pissed away their life savings or because the captains of industry keep wages low to boost profits. No, they are poor because they buy too many lattes. The other major reason I dislike him is because of his chapter on money and marriage, in which he states that women are emotional and just don't like facts. If I had a nickle for everybody who told me that my vagina makes me stupid and emotional I wouldn't need any financial advice.

I am continually surprised by people who think that I, as a biologist, should extend any courtesy whatsoever to creationists.

doot, doot, doooo, lookin' out my back door...

I hiked up Mt Diablo on Saturday! Ok, it was the North Peak, which is the second highest of the four peaks at Mt Diablo (I got to another one of the four peaks as well). The website everytrail.com has this to say about the trail that we took to get to the peak:

My favorite path to North Peak is definitely the hard way: five miles and over 3,000 feet of climb on some of the steepest trails in the Bay Area. The struggle has rewards beyond knowing you've walked from near sea level to one of the highest accessible points in the region. In springtime, the hillsides light up with wildflowers; in winter, rains cleanse the skies so you can see the snow-capped Sierra peaks hundreds of miles away; in autumn, tarantulas prowl the trails in search of mates. Summer's about the only time when it's too hot to attempt this hike.

This hike also has a bonus: a jaunt along the Mount Olympia Trail, notorious as one of the steepest in the Bay Area.

Pics will be on Facebook :D

My wonderful husband has spent quite a few hours creating a website so I can ........ launch my own home cake decorating business! I'm officially online and ready to bake and decorate! Please check my website out and save June 18th to come support Dorcas House & celebrate the launch of 70 Degree Cakes.

Compromise on female genital mutilation? Bullshit. It's not OK to cut up your kids, not even a little bit.

Has anybody else noticed the assholes are really coming out of the woodwork on Facebook regarding Arizona's new immigration law?

I realize this is long overdue, but I just watched the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And it's awesome. Joss Whedon is my master now.