Friday--Welcome to Spring

We should have sun (after the clouds clear off) and warmer temps making it feel like spring--for today and part of tomorrow, according to the forecast, before the temperatures go back down.  In other words, we can expect the typical weather roller coaster.

For most of this young century we have been bombarded by messages wailing about the "shortage" of STEM educated workers.  We have seen a major push to emphasize STEM education in primary and secondary schools (elementary and high schools).  This U.S. News article calls bulls**t which supports my skepticism about the whole issue.  We, as a society and as individuals, have spent huge amounts of money to prepare for jobs that either aren't there or don't pay enough to justify the expense (often borrowed) or time invested.

An interesting point with regard to semantics: who is an expat and who isn't?  And why?  File under: Hell, yes, language matters.

Charles Hugh Smith at Of Two Minds encapsulates exactly why I am ambivalent about Obama's plan to provide free community college or about a critique of that plan I read earlier today by an author I usually agree with which contends that we should have free college education for all.  Experts/Pundits have touted a college diploma as the ticket to the socioeconomic up-escallator.  Over the last twenty (maybe thirty?) years that has proven bitterly wrong.  See the paragraph above on the disappointment STEM graduates have found.