Tuesday's Oddities

My problem with student loans is that they recognized my program and authorized student loans. This enabled the school to charge ridiculous amounts of money, under the guise of tuition, that can't be recovered in the real world. There is no way that a majority of the people who graduate, can pay their student loans back successfully and still be able to live and eventually get ahead.

I paid for a medical school education that once I got the degree, I might as well have graduated from Bryman College, except that people hire them and there is the possibility of job placement. A Master's in Traditional Oriental Medicine? Not worth paper it's printed on. Since you don't get hired at hospitals or clinics right out of school and the school's idea of business management consisted of 27 hours, this leads to lots of knowledge, very little real business world application. Because when you graduate you are starting a business, not starting a practice. Surprise! Doesn't sound like much but when they want $872 a month to pay back the loan...

As I snuggled into bed the other night, I noticed I had a big smile on my face which isn't all that unusual but has been rarer lately. I do so love being warm and comfortable. Add good food, alcohol, internet access, clean air and a beautiful view and I'm a very happy camper. Yes, I am a Taurus, the astrological sign, not the car. If it looks good, smells good, feels good or most especially, tastes good, I'm all over it. I'm a very simple creature and as long as those basic needs are met, I'm happy. No fancy cars, no big house, no artificial friends, just the creature comforts. What makes you happy?

Baghdad: Mapping the violence. Wow! Fip back and forth between pre-2006 and current. Sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words.

Iraq by the numbers. Sobering. Hopefully, stats will do what reason doesn't seem able to accomplish.