Distant Thunder

I've hit higher education repeatedly. Our challenges cry out for research and education, but American collegs and universities are increasingly mediocre, overpriced, and smothered by cancerous administration. The situation is unsustainable and we may see a bursting tuition bubble.

A leaked report in Der Spiegel has made the rounds on the internets. Why? It is a German military study of the potentially drastic effects of Peak Oil.

Many stories this week also about a current global food crisis and the connection to climate change. This includes a bad wheat crop in Russia and substantial crop failures in Africa. At the moment the UN dismisses the idea of a global crisis.

On a local level, this has been the hottest summer in 116 years of record keeping in Delaware. By itself that means nothing, but four of the five hottest summers will have occurred in the last 8 years.

Surreal and strange Sunday

Another way to avoid taxing the rich, pay to speed.

Snakes almost on a plane.

The Netherlands does Rhode Island, but remain uniquely themselves.

Not really odd, but for some reason it makes me feel the need to burp. This however, is strange.

There's a cliff in Delaware?

Ahhh, Jersey.

And the moment you have been waiting for.....the Chupacabra update:

They're on a rampage in Old Mexico, killing 300 goats (well they are goat-suckers). Fortunately intrepid cryptozoologists are on the case. Apparently they're into decapitation now as well. In any case, "research" into their origins continues.

Age of McMansions over? Thank God

Pssssst Southern Chester County PA and New Castle Co. DE - your McMansions that you love and that you destroyed many a farm field to build are now going the way of the dodo.

And all the Teabag Parties in the world ain't gonna save them!

Misplaced priorities in education.

A private Delaware school, the Red Lion Christian Academy, has been accused of athletic recruiting and playing violations. Then again we shouldn't be surprised given the nature of the school and the parents who choose it. The attitudes of the parents are amazing, one is proud to call herself a "helicopter parent", and the article continues, "Another parent, Michelle Hoffman, who lives in a development adjacent to the Red Lion campus, remembers how moved she was in 2007 when she looked out her windows the night the football stadium lights were on for the first time and saw the cross atop the church through the glow." Are these people for real?

This sad little tale also reminds us that misplaced priorities regarding student athletics starts before the college level.