From the 'there was a reason 21 used to be the age of majority' department - From a HuffPost sponsored blogger: "Now, four years later and $40,000 in debt, I'm still going to school, this time at more urban (i.e. more expensive) private school, Sarah Lawrence. As if my mounting debt and larger-than-life-interest rates weren't bad enough, I'm going to school for creative nonfiction writing -- a field I've loved since high school and came to appreciate in undergrad, but which offers little direction or lucrative endeavors after these next two years of grad school. * The problem with me is that money never seemed important or essential; I always thought I could make whatever I wanted a reality through talent and initiative. * The whole borrowing experience is vague and confusing and seemingly more innocuous than I know it will be once I graduate. And that scares me. * But why are my poor peers and I being punished for wanting to do what we love in the first place? * But why are my poor peers and I being punished for wanting to do what we love in the first place? Is my generation not one of information-hungry self-starters? Are we not the focused dreamers raised on Harry Potter and ADHD medication? Really though, why are we encouraged to make something of ourselves -- whatever we want -- and then punished for the rest of our lives with bills that far outweigh the original cost of tuition?" -- Student loans not only have exceeded the total credit card debt, the loans given (literally given) to the instant gratification generation have topped $1 Trillion dollars. Government programs and directives have hooked this generation in debt, and the 'debt bubble' will burst as surely as 'the mortgage debt bubble' , and potUS Arpege is out promising these debt ridden fiscal know-nothings that he'll forgive their debt in exchange for their votes. Letting 18 year olds take out loans when they've had no concept of the values of money is just wrong, no matter what the liberals consider 'good intentions'. --- Online story: "Vermilion in Alexandria, Va., is one of the most recent establishments in the spotlight after President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, dined there on Valentine's Day. * "That kind of exposure has helped drive business without a doubt," general manager David Hammond said. "A lot of our regular diners have been congratulatory. There's a real positive buzz." * While the contemporary American restaurant – which changes its menu weekly based on local and seasonal availability – would not reveal what the Obamas ate, the special four-course menu for the holiday included grass-fed beef "tartar," Chesapeake rockfish and chocolate truffle tart." -- No wonder potUS Arpege wants to model our government after the French; he obviously loves the eating habits of Marie Antoinette. ('let'em eat cake') --- WTVM9 story: "The LSU fan police say was sexually assaulted at a Krystal's on Bourbon Street after the BCS National Championship Game has filed a lawsuit for premises liability and battery. * The lawsuit names the man charged with sexual battery in the case, Brian Downing, and the two companies that owned and operated the Krystal Burger restaurant on Bourbon Street, the Krystals Company and Big Easy Enterprises, LLC. * The suit also alleges that the Krystal Burger employees did nothing to stop the lewd behavior." -- This guy must have a LSU lawyer engaged. He forgot to sue the liquor companies for putting alcohol in his drinks. This really sounds more like a case of being trampled by 'pink elephants' more than Bama ones. --- Online headline: "Charlie Sheen's Biggest Regret" -- How superficial can one idiot get! I hardly think Sheen could even remember all the things he should regret, but I'm sure there are even bigger regrets in store for him in the future. --- potUS Arpege now states he is tired of terrorism being used so viciously in election ads. I agree. Of course, he could help the country and himself by getting Pelosi and Reid to retire. --- Passed on by a fellow BCer: Ever think you would see a Muslim kissing a pig?

--- I have an interesting question about the new City budget: Has there been a meeting of the minds between P&R director Worsley's $1.2 million dollar budget deficit for the Natatorium, and REALITY? --- L-E headline: "PANETTA REMINDS TROOPS ABOUT CHARACTER, VALUES * Secretary of defense dodges 3rd Brigade’s questions about cuts " -- Obviously the potUS Arpege mantra about character & Values is not a two way street. --- L-E's "Thought for Today": “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.” — Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, “father” of America’s nuclear navy (1900-1986). " -- Hmmm, and we have a School Board that discusses Ron White and not being able to fix "stupid", and Ron White won and the MCSD board lost. --- L-E headline/story: "Economy blamed for decline in minority voters * Voter rolls typically shrink in non-presidential election years, but this is the first time in nearly four decades that the number of registered Hispanics has dropped significantly. * That figure fell 5 percent across the country, to about 11 million, according to the Census Bureau. But in some politically important swing states, the decline among Hispanics, who are considered critical in the 2012 presidential contest, is much higher: just over 28 percent in New Mexico, for example, and about 10 percent in Florida. * For both Hispanics and blacks, the large decrease is attributed to the ailing economy, which forced many Americans to move in search of work or because of other financial upheaval. * “The only explanation out there is the massive job loss and home mortgage foreclosures which disproportionately affected minorities,” said Antonio Gonzalez, president of the William C. Velasquez Institute, a nonpartisan policy group that focuses on Latinos." -- "The only explanation"? If that's not enough explanation what else could it be? Surely minority voters haven't decided that potUS Arpege is not the 'messiah' he claimed he was? --- L-E headline: " Promises, promises: No new ones from Obama " -- Is that a promise? Of course, he doesn't need to make new promises.... the old ones got him elected, and he can still campaign on fulfilling those without having to make any of those come to fruition, too. --- L-E's "Late laughs": "I WAS just reading about this. Qantas Airlines will start attaching electronic tags to luggage to keep it from getting lost. And they’re going to start doing that once they find the suitcase containing all the electronic tags. - Jimmy Fallon" -- Just a parlor trick! What needs to be implemented is a law that says airlines MUST put your personal luggage in the aircraft you're flying in! On our honeymoon, we watched the luggage carousel for over an hour waiting for ours two bags to come out. When I finally got to ask a Delta employee, he suggested I look in other places. We found our two pieces of luggage in two other separate places. The cruise company had picked up our luggage while we slept, and delivered it to Delta which put it on two separate flights from Seattle that left before our flight, and our luggage was sent to two different unclaimed baggage locations in the Atlanta terminal. There is no such thing as 'lost baggage", just Ron White examples of policies. --- L-E headline: "Spencer High School: Columbus police investigate alleged rape of 14-year-old girl on school grounds; Principal denounces student's claim on Facebook" -- Hmmm, another "Ron White" caliber MCSD principal. How's the MCSD board gonna handle this one....badly....again? --- The right side of my brain works quite well; I'm ambidextrous in most things. I also cannot sing on any key (other than the 'off' one), nor have any drawing talents, but the left side of my brain is also developed enough to make me realize those limits, and to not try to force them on other people. * Providing music, arts, sports and other non-core functions are indeed 'pluses' for a good education, but most students gravitate to those areas because of a God given talent and interest, but the teacher who can motivate a student in areas that the student may not understand the importance of until later in life is the teacher that should get the recognition. --- P.I.E... Partners-in-Education.. a great idea then and now, but is it being done to the best benefit of all the schools? Many companies have more emphasis on the program and work harder at it than others; different companies have different strengths it brings to the plate. Would not some sort of rotation plan where business partners moved from different schools every year or two expose more benefits to more students? --- L-E story: " ATLANTA — State officials are considering paying retiring University of Georgia President Michael Adams more than $2 million over five years after he steps down from the helm of the state’s flagship campus, according to documents released Friday. * Under an agreement signed by Chancellor Hank Huckaby last week, Adams would get $660,000 per year for two years and $258,000 annually for three years. That’s in addition to $600,000 in deferred compensation “for significant contributions to the institution,” according to the agreement released under an open records request by the University System of Georgia. " -- Who does this guy think he is...the football coach? His salary while active is one thing, but he should responsible for his on retirement benefits, not basically some 'buy out' plan for not working. --- L-E headline/story: "Man sitting under ‘No Loitering’ sign busted for pot * A 17-year-old man was charged with drug offenses Tuesday morning after officers spotted him sitting under a “No Loitering” sign, reports state." -- Oh, so a 17 year old sitting under a "No Loitering" sign is a man, but 17 year old Trayvon Martin is a 12 year old child.