And what do you do?

Well, I used to be a horse trainer and riding instructor (I have a bachelor's in Equestrian Studies) but then I changed careers.I moved into specialty food retail and have done cashier, floor sales, buying, professional tasting, instruction and training, merchandising and consulting.I currently do all of these things for a small specialty grocery in a small New England town with a lot of tourist activity.My background in science gained through my formal education laid the groundwork for much of my participation here, interest-wise. Intro to Biology 101 was a difficult course but I loved it (and earned one of only two A's given in the class ), but there was another course that was highly influential called The Nature of Scientific Inquiry. I really warmed to the whole idea of how science operated and how one could recognize and arm oneself against fallacies and flaws in thinking, and recognize it in other places. I saw the course as instruction on how to think effectively.I also married a person who eventually became a scientist (a Cognitive Psychologist), so his influence is obviously significant.So, I suppose my career doesn't affect my participation here all that much, other than I do very much enjoy teaching, which I suppose debate can be seen to incorporate some of.Edited by nator, : No reason given.

Oh, oh, oh!!!I loved those books.I hope the films don't suck.And do you ever meet any of the talent? My very favorite actor of all time is a Brit.Edited by nator, : No reason given.

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fucking loans

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One of the top 30 liberal arts schools in the country, Davidson College, has just announced that it is no longer going to offer student loans. All of it's financial aid is through work study, grants, and scholarships.They are doing it because they don't want to saddle graduates with tens of thousands of dollars in debt.Isn't that nice?

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Also, I wash dishes at a nearby (right below my apartment) restuarant.

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Which restaurant?(I was born and raised about an hour north of the 'Burgh, lived there for three years, and hope to settle there someday)

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The Pleasure Bar in Bloomfield. It used to be quite popular back in Pittsburgh's heyday in the 70's; the Pirates would always hang out there.

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Oh, no, you have got to be KIDDING me! I've eaten there a lot, since my husband and I lived in Friendship on Graham Street. Love the baked ziti and the potato balls!

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My great grandfather actually started it in the 60's, but sold it in the 80's. I think they let me work there because they get some delight out of having the original owner's family work for them (we sold it to a 'rival' family, or something along those lines).

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Lemme guess you sold it to the family that owns Dell's down the street, didn't you?But anyway, listen to this.My mother lived above the Pleasure Bar over 40 years ago when she was a student at West Penn nursing school! She tells stories of the owner picking her up and sitting her on the counter (she was tiny then as now, under 100 pounds).I am willing to be that that was your grandfather!Small world.