I homeschool my two granddaughters and have the freedom to choose the curriculum we follow. I've been using math based on the "National Core Corriculum" for 2nd and 6th grades. It's much more advanced than what the public schools teach. If you want to see what is being taught under that standard go to IXL.com/math. I agree with the inability of our school systems to sort out the sheep from the goats. We seem to believe that everyone is capable of being a brain surgeon but then teach to the lowest common denominator. The smart kids must be terribly bored.

Environmentalists are dangerous people. If something comes out of their mouth it's at best an exaggeration, at worst an outright falsehood. Having them in the governing process costs the country billions of dollars, most of it wasted. But thanks to California I know how to reply when I'm asked in the grocery store, "Paper or plastic?" Give me plastic!

Sucrose (sugar) is half glucose and half fructose. High fructose corn syrup is 55% fructose and 45% glucose. Glucose goes straight (in most cases) into your bloodstream and is used for fuel. Fructose goes directly to your liver to be metabilized into trigliglycerides (fatty acids and glycerol) before being stored in the adipose (fat) tissue. They ain't much difference between the two. Price determines what will be used.

The selection shows from the various try-out venues of The American Idol clearly demonstrates the results of false praise for children and young adults. Someone told these kids repeatedly what wonderful singers they were. The end result for many is a tearful, embarassing moment on national television. I hope someone learns something from the experience but somehow I doubt it.

The real lesson of Hurrican Katrina was that those dependent on the government become helpless in a crisis. Most people in New Orleans used their initiative to get out. The wards of the state were clueless.