The James Logan Courier

McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)

The following editorial appeared in the Chicago Tribune on Saturday, July 21:

The House and Senate have passed bills that could dramatically refigure the financing of a college education.

Out: $18 billion to $19 billion in subsidies that the federal government would have doled out to companies that provide student loans.

In: $17 billion to $18 billion in aid to students.

Differences between the House and Senate bills will have to be worked out in conference committee. The legislation passed by the House would cut the interest rate on federally backed loans that many middle-income students take to finance their educations to 3.4 percent from 6.8 percent. It would increase the maximum Pell Grants — need-based federal grants for low-income students — to $5,200 a year. The Senate doesn't have an interest rate cut but has a larger increase for Pell Grants. Under both versions, students who take public service jobs after graduation would qualify for a break on their loans.

Congress is moving in the right direction.

By Mitch Albom
Detroit Free Press (MCT)

We can be a pretty lazy nation, but one thing that gets us riled up is our health, right?

When a baby is sick, look out. When a father or mother isn't getting good care, we scream. When we find our water is being poisoned, or something we're ingesting causes cancer, we get angry.

Don't we?

So why have we been so silent after the former surgeon general of the United States just testified that the Bush administration repeatedly muzzled him, ignored him or told him not to issue reports?

McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)

The following editorial appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday, June 24:

Americans, pressed for time and eager for dish, love lists.

Not surprisingly, well-known people or institutions that fare badly on well-known lists tend to be less fond of them.

So, at first blush, you might think sour grapes was on the menu this week as a gathering of college presidents blasted the influential U.S. News & World Report rankings of "America's Best Colleges."

But wait. The Annapolis Group, the association of liberal arts colleges that just pledged to help develop a better alternative to the U.S. News list, includes every one of the colleges in the magazine's Top 10 national liberal arts colleges. That list includes Swarthmore (No. 3) and Haverford (No. 9).

From wikipedia:
Isaac Emmanuilovich Babel, (July 13, 1894 – January 27, 1940) was a Soviet journalist, playwright, and short story writer.

Early years
Born to a Jewish family in Odessa during a period of social unrest and mass exodus of Jews from the Russian Empire, Isaac Babel survived the 1905 pogrom with the help of Christian neighbors who hid his family, but his grandfather Shoyl was one of about 300 Jews murdered.

Listen to An Isaac Babel Celebration, free from National Public Radio affiliate KCRW.

By Ghost Mentor, Courier Staff Writer

The Ten Commandments of College

Student was searching for divine inspiration. Student walked high on the mountain of knowledge and came across God. Student asked God how to live life as a college kid should. And God said unto him, follow these Ten Commandments and you shall be all a college kid is. And Student thanked God and it was good. And Student spread the Ten Commandments of College to all.

I- Thou Shalt Nap

And God gave unto Student a great gift, the gift of napping. God said to him, You shall spend half your day napping. You shall nap in class, in your room and in your friend's room. And God said, if you don't nap, you will not be able to stay up all night drinking. And Student said, Nap I shall, and it was good.

By David Moberg
(MCT)

The eight-hour day is slipping, and we need to do something about that.

A century and a half ago, workers typically toiled 12 or more hours a day, six days a week. No wonder they wanted a shorter workday. Their slogan was "eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, eight hours for what we will."

It still makes sense today.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)

The following editorial appeared in the Chicago Tribune on Friday, June 8:

Every time a song is played on the radio — whether it's Internet, satellite or old-fashioned terrestrial (AM/FM) radio — the broadcaster is required to pay a royalty fee for use of that music. Fair so far. How the fees are assessed, however, is not so fair.

Terrestrial radio only pays royalties to composers. Performers are not compensated, because radio stations argue that drawing listeners to their music is essentially free advertising.