When I heard the state was having a shutdown, I figured, "Who cares?"

This crap isn't really going to effect me anyway, right? After all, the people in Trenton could use a few days off from corrupting us citizens, stealing funds from the state treasury, and having homosexual, extramarital affairs.

Then, it hit me. I walked into my local convenience store to cash in 4 winning scratch off tickets. After waiting in line for 10 minutes behind two men who were conversing in some Hindu dialect, I handed my tickets to the man behind the counter.

"You no can get money, " he told me. "Only buy ticket."

According to my understanding, that means that I wasn't able to collect my winnings....however, he was more than eager to sell me more tickets.

I was pretty upset that I wouldn't be strolling out the door with my $8 in winnings...especially since I had already purchased a sandwich for $8 next door and didn't have my wallet on me. Once again, politicans are screwing the country.

Such is my luck.

I did see the National Education Association is working to reform No Child Left Behind (NCLB). To many of you, that doesn't seem like much or the reform is a cop out by the country's teachers, who are too lazy to instruct the youth of America. For those who aren't aware what NCLB means in a nutshell it's a piece of legislation that links test results to federal aid. It's supposed to hold schools accountable for their students' performance through Adequate Yearly Progress (a series of steps that show the school is making strides toward being proficient on state assessments).

On paper, it makes sense. In the real world, it's not the case. The standards apply to ALL students, including special education students -- some who can't even read effectively or are 3-4 grade levels behind their peers. Basically, some students don't move as rapidly as other in the curriculum and the assessment is way too advanced for them. Plus, the law requires special education teachers are required to be "highly qualified" by taking a standardized test in their respective subjects. It is possible for a special education teacher to teach 5-6 different subjects in one school day. Most people are strong in 1-2 subjects but having mastery across the board at a secondary or high school level is a challenge.

The problems don't ends there....the federal government hasn't fully funded the program and parental support for many students is severely lacking. To add to the confusion, the tests that Texas gives might be easier than the ones in Northeastern states. Not everyone has the same curriculum. As someone who was a lifelong Republican and praised the work of one Alex P. Keaton, this piece of legislation has made me consider a switch.

Just another reason why Dubya is screwing up the country. Which brings me to this long but humorous link. Enjoy the First Lady refusing to shake Mr. Colbert's hand at the end.

If you get a chance, check out Mr. Sandman's list of the top 108 bands of all time. He's linked on the side of this page. While he has several noteworthy omissions, it's still an amazing piece of work.

I'll be posting my top 108 batch droppings of all time later in the month. Yes, the time when I did the deed while the plumber was working in my basement will make the cut. I never heard a man shout out so many expletives in my life.

Happy 4th to all!