Twitter Followers

I don't really pay that much attention to who follows me on Twitter, but I did notice that that number had increased by a couple over the past few days, so I decided to take a look.  Interestingly enough, I'm being followed by both Senator David Vitter (obviously, for a bit, since he's way down in my queue) and this entity hookers4vitter.  That gave me a little laugh.

I know what I'm going to get when I start reading some of the carrying-on and yes, there it is, most all of this person(s)' (entity, alien, bot, enviro-whacko leftjob) tweets carry the lovely #p2 hashtag.  You can click on the hyperlink to read the definition, but think MoveOn.org, algore, George Soros-flavor douches.  Yes, I'm going to vote for Vitter--no, I'm no card-carrying, Bible-thumping rightwing nutjob.  Vitter just represents what's important to me, in the Senate (basically, stay the f*ck out of my checking account, Mr. Big Government) than the incredibly brain-dead, Obama-leg-humping, pandering Charlie Melancon would.  Not  to mention, Charlie cried like a fat kid who just dropped a Snickers bar, in a House committee meeting, on national TV...with EVERYONE in Louisiana knowing it was a show--his bad hairpiece dangling in the wind--and generally looking like a clown.

So, without further blathering, here are some new Twitter IDs that should appeal to Charlie Mel-an-cholly supporters:

Useless Welfare Moms for Charlie (twitter.com/WelfareMoms)
Useless Lazy Educators for Charlie (twitter.com/LazyEducators)
Useless Union Workers for Charlie (twitter.com/UselessUnions)
Useless Chicago Thugs in the White House for Charlie (twitter.com/BARACKOBAMA or twitter.com/RahmboEmanuel)

They're actually all pretty easy to find...you can just search on the hash tags "#douche" or "#leftist."

From a former Chancellor

As published in today's Advocate:

2theadvocate.com | Opinion | Letter: La. universities’ value analyzed — Baton Rouge, LA

I believe that the statistics presented in Chancellor Wharton's letter are demonstrative of the fact that LSU is concerned about LSU--the students be damned.  As evidenced by the fact that they are A) more interested in maintaining their "Research I" designation, B) recent budget-cutting focused on elimination of instructional delivery staff and C) their go-forward plan with construction of new facilities focuses more on research, rather than classroom space--it's pretty evident that the "powers-that-be" at LSU WANT undergraduate enrollment for the sake of boosting numbers for the purposes of funding, rather than delivering a product that the State of Louisiana needs.

We complain, in Louisiana about "brain drain" and our inability to attract business and industry which require an educated workforce.  Simultaneously, LSU alums are more interested in how the football season is going to shape up, than the graduation rates for entering freshmen classes.  Quite obviously, our priorities are NOT aligned with our wants.

LSU OBVIOUSLY has their priorities aligned with their wants--if you're job is to educate and your budget is cut, common sense dictates that you do away with functions not directly related to instructional delivery.  But not if your priority is to maintain the status quo.  LSU went about chopping positions related to turning out an educated commodity--NOT cutting the countless numbers of useless administrative assistants, program directors and other civil service functionaries who do nothing but take up parking spaces.  Why--because they want to have a basis for keeping their funding levels up...

My thinking on LSU is not popular from an alumni standard, but admitting that you have a problem is the first step toward solving it.  If those of us who have chosen to remain in Louisiana, post-graduation, don't start raising hell about this, it's not going to get fixed.

Some sense from Southern U....

As reported in The Advocate:

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/47970706.html?showAll=y&c=y

With the state facing some serious money issues, and our constitution being what is, higher education and health care are about the only two places to make budget cuts. Of course, the educators are howling and the rich hospital administrator lobby is lying on the airwaves. EVERYONE hates having the tit pulled out from their mouth.

That being said, some of the powers that be at Southern University are speaking a truth that's been lost on the rest of the state--get rid of the administrators and keep the people who get the work done. In higher ed, this means faculty.

Granted, there will be some faculty cuts at Southern, but there is a recognition that it is administration that needs to be pruned.

This is a lesson that this state needs to take to heart....

Have you ever been to Atlantic City???

It was the fifth paragraph of this piece that caught my eye. Take a look for yourself:

http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=74900

More offshore drilling will negatively impact tourism? Huh? Have you ever BEEN to Atlantic City? The only thing that would help that place out is a high-yield nuclear device leveling it and rendering it uninhabitable for a million years.

A few platforms off the coast might actually give the place a little class.