In the last week, the nation marked two grim milestones: the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq and the 4,000th American troop fatality in that war. Both served as bitter reminders of the human impact of war, away from the sterile numbers and graphs through which the conflict has been measured in the media.
A contentious issue still before the state legislature this term is funding for public education in the next fiscal year. Thanks to lower state tax revenues, early estimates project an education budget shortfall of half-a-billion dollars for fiscal year 2009, which begins in October.
Each time I tell someone the topic of my first feature story for my Media Features course, without fail, they wrinkle their nose, look at me quizzically and ask me why.
They assume, of course, my topic was one that was forced upon me, and they automatically suppose it is one I would never choose for myself. It isn't that it is a topic with few possibilities or even one with a high degree of difficulty — that is not their issue.
Ah, it's springtime.
Time for the world to turn vibrant green and for sheltered toes to see the light of day. Time for itchy sweaters to move to the back of the closet while moving funky-colored tanks, skirts and capris to the front of the line.
This is also the time of year when tanning salons make an absolute killing.