a bit stumped

There are a number of things on my mind today, starting with the fact that campus is a little crazy, being overrun with profros and George Bush on the same day. I was sent to go pick up SLE evaluations, and what with the registrar being over by Encina while they do construction at Old Union, my usual route is straight by Hoover Tower, which was just beginning to be swarming with security. I read in the Daily they're having snipers at the top of Hoover tower? Goodness. What's really crazy is when you realize that no matter where Bush goes it must be crazy swarming with security. And now there's a bunch of shouting protesters walking by outside. Protests embarrass me. Oddly, I have approximately the same feeling about protests that I have about gyms, athletic events, and giving birth--I don't like to express pain, effort, or extreme emotion in front of other people. (The exceptions, I suppose, are sex and tears, but even both of them I do fairly quietly).

Second on my mind is a problem of money. Not my usual lack thereof--though that is always a concern--but this time, it's that I actually HAVE some money--my uncle gave me a late graduation present--and it seems like it might be sensible to invest it. My dad says I should put it in the same mutual funds that he has. But I realized that I don't feel comfortable sticking my money in any old mutual funds, 1) because I don't know ANYTHING about economics, the economy, or basically, anything useful; and 2) because I don't want to be accidentally supporting oil companies or something like that. But I'm at a complete loss, because I've realized that I don't know how to learn anything if I don't take a class on it. And I also realized that I'm skeptical of anything learned in a class that doesn't have exceptional credentials, like being part of a major university. I don't want to pick up any old book on investing, just as I don't want to pick up any old book on how to write a novel (another current dilemma of mine), because, after all, how do I know that they really know anything?

Maybe I'll write more later. Right now, it's back to processing those good old evaluations. . . and trying to stave off the major boredom OF MY LIFE.