the Summer Field HQ of Latin Boot Camp is undeniably well-apportioned. mess, latrine, and bunk facilities are all small but manageable. wireless streams into my room like manna from heaven, and the radio was already tuned to NPR when I got here. there is a "working" TV, but the cable (which is free) is also incredibly spotty.

on a related note, I have never before seen a television "play dead" as effectively as this set. in the middle of the 1st quarter of game 5 of Pacers - Pistons the device simply rolled over and pretended to die. everything about the set went completely dead; the display, the sound, and all of the buttons as well. thinking the set had gone off, I pushed the power button, and it made the "I'm shutting off now" noise. then I pushed it again. nothing. again. nothing. so I unplugged the TV, re-plugged it in, and turned it on again. it turned on. but no picture and no sound. the upshot of all of this is that my interest in sports has atrophied in direct proportion to my ability to watch them. I understand that the Pacers are no longer playing basketball and the hockey playoffs are lurking out there somewhere. but these are no longer facts that affect my day in a significant way.

it would be nice to say that I was having wacky adventures and living an exciting life on a minute-to-minute basis. however, the most exciting thing I have done in the last 48 hours or so is to bring my University ID Card total up to 3 from 2.

advantages of UC Berkeley ID:
shiny sticker enhances aesthetic as well as getting free bus rides
colorful blue and gold stripe delivers powerful aesthetic punch
cartoony signature gives strongly personalized feel

disadvantages:
rear of card is drab and unappealing
goofy picture leaves me wondering whether or not I am actually half-fish
cartoony signature appears to have been scribbled by a four-year-old
barcode strip disrupts otherwise appealing card front