October 18, 2002 | 2:18 PM

Went to an incredible symposium today at work entitled, �America�sFoodEnvironment: TheNewHealthHazard?�

It was fucking riveting, and just one more reason working here rules so much.

There was a panel of four speakers�2 were very famous public health professors. One of the professors is on the cutting edge of nutrition research. His pioneering work resulted in the abysmally unhealthy FDA food pyramid (which had told us all for years to eat lots of bread, pasta, and cut out meat and fat) being scrapped recently. The other professor was from the Health and Social Behavior dept. and is also brilliant and cutting edge.

The panel was rounded out by representatives from McDonalds and the Dairy Industry.

Everyone was very cordial and respectful of one another, but the two corporate wonks got slammed. SLAMMED. They did not have a fucking leg to stand on. It was wonderful to see. And I felt so privileged and lucky to be there. AND THAT I WAS GETTING PAID TO BE THERE!!! Holy shit. I wish I had the time to describe everything that happened, but I�m actually really busy today at work, so it will have to wait.

I�m thinking about going into science, which is something that never occurred to me until today. It might just be the kind of practical application that would be worth going to college for. And it would allow me to have a career where I could be absolutely ethical, make positive changes in the world, and have job security. I could work here (or another school like this) for the rest of my life�not doing what I�m doing now�but doing say, epidemiological research concerning health and nutrition and eating disorders etc., since that has been a major theme in my life. It�s a thought, anyway. And I am seriously entertaining it.

There needs to be more intuitive creative types in the science field. Those are the people who change the world.

If only I were better at math.

OH yeah, by the way...