In North Carolina, a state where the constitution promises an education as close to free "as practicable," students at the state's institutions of higher learning might well ask, "Who's defining 'practicable' these days?" Because substantial increases in tuition and fees over the last decade and then some have made the hill, the financial hill, steeper for students at all campuses of the University of North Carolina system.

Many folks with elderly relatives in assisted living facilities or nursing homes are familiar with the routine: a problem with a resident, perhaps congestion or something fairly easy to diagnose, is discovered.

Here in the Bible Belt, there are few things that people find more entertaining than organizations like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). We've read our Holy Book and we know God gave us dominion over creation.