Last two days I've been dealing with a bunch of medical nonsense -- an abnormal mole here, a whacky thyroid there. Nothing major but I find it ironic that it all happens just days before my COBRA insurance from A&E runs out. And I'm not sure which is more disturbing -- the premiums for health care for the self-employed or that fact that I was laid off 18 months ago and have been unable to find a full time job in my field.

Which is a large reason for my decision to pursue a masters in education degree. But the more I read about what's happening in schools today -- not to mention the insanity of the NCLB debacle -- I'm starting to have my doubts there too. Or maybe it's just Saturday morning and I haven't had my coffee yet.

The NCLB has the right goals and it sounds good in theory -- but it's not a piece of legislation that's based in reality. Or real dollars. And the second irony of the day (all before 10 am) -- for years, I interviewed town board and school board members who railed against Albany legislators over unfunded mandates. Now it's the state legislators who know what it feels like on the really local level. And who'd have thought that education would be the subject to resurrect the ever-present states rights v. federal rights debate in this country. Who da thunk it?