one step closer to being Professor Snape

I started my new job today, doing chemistry bidness on fruit and, occasionally, stinky fish. It's QA for a large company that makes canned fruits and vegetables, tuna and pet food. I guess the dog food is probably going to be stinkier but I haven't had to deal with that yet. I seriously had to breathe through my mouth the entire time I was working with the tuna.

I got to do lots of different stuff today. I think they're going to train me on the whole procedure so I can take over whichever bits of it as the need arises. Today, I helped set up tests for amounts of beta carotene in spaghetti sauce and tuna and for pesticides in some fruits. We had to grind up the fruit samples in a blender, it was exactly like making smoothies. Delicious acetone smoothies.

It's crazy, I just heard about this job because I happened to go to a temp agency, thinking to pick up some very short-term clerical work just for the money, and they had this job doing stuff that's actually more relevant to my biochem degree than either of my previous jobs. AND two of the scientists I'm working with also went to Davis.

I figure chemistry is about as close to potions as a Muggle's going to get. Now I just have to stop washing my hair and get a black robe and legions of adoring, pervy fangirls.

No on 85 stickers!

I saw a sticker today from last year's election but unfortunately it still mostly applies: it said:

"Yes on 73
Protect Our Daughters"

They didn't bother to cross out the 73 and write 85 but it's the same idea: they want to amend our state's Constitution to require parental notification and a waiting period for women under 18 who need an abortion. Right, because forcing a minor to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term is really going to help society. And we all know how teenagers think carefully about possible consequences before engaging in any type of sexual behavior. In the case of a minor who's pregnant as a result of rape, possibly by the parent who under this law would have to be notified before she could terminate that pregnancy... well, she shouldn't have gone around brazenly having a uterus, should she? Will they never learn?

Anyway, for those of you who are California voters and don't have your heads up your asses, I've made my own stickers, for sale at my Café Press store. They say:

"No on 85
Protect Our Daughters' Civil Rights"

And I pledge to donate 100% of the profits to Planned Parenthood. Which will go on top of my usual monthly donation. So there.