My laptop is ailing and in the shop, which seriously cuts down on the amount of time I'm on the internet. On the upside, I'm learning a lot more in my classes and adding valuable days between now and when I finally need to get glasses. On the down side, I'm not as in touch with what's going on in NC.

I hear that Richard Burr's office arranged for him to speak to community college leaders at an "economic development summit" where educators learned how to aggressively pursue federal grant money. I've got to hand it to him: it's a good thing. There's a fair amount of money out there for those willing to write a proposal, and encouraging NC community colleges to get it can't hurt. If I had to make a list of what NC's top education priorities should be, strengthening community colleges would be in my top five.