Public transportation is not like it was back in the good old days when I was riding the rods of the City of New Orleans and the Panama Limited between New Orleans, Memphis, and Chicago But I am back after a three-day delay. To make matters worse, Nitchampburg was not listed on any of the transportation schedules - train, bus, or plane. Thank you for you indulgence.

The selection committee believes that these quotes accurately reflect the "spirit of the times" at USM during the past week:

The "think piece" written by Amy Young for the Hattiesburg American last week It was a cut above and it deserves special mention. I will not reproduce it here because it is readily available from a variety of sources. A seminal piece of journalism!

Honorable Mention: Stephen Judd - "Of all the events that have happened the last two years, the loss of these three men (Stringer, Glamser, Polk), when combine with the drain of some of best the best and brightest members of our campus community -- has been the most bitter, and the most irreparable."

Honorable Mention: Angeline -  ".....Most faculty are now in self-preservation mode, meaning that many are seeking ways out of USM.....Amy Young is also right that many members of the faculty of the faculty will help pull USM out of accreditation probation, but many other faculty members are tired enough of the whole charade 'no way' - let the Administration fix it.

The Winner: Pogo Possum -  "We can't blame Barbour for everything.  All he does is reflect the social trends of the past two or three decades, which is basically described as 'the rise of crass materialism.'  Education isn't about learning anything.  It's about making money.  Fast.  Never mind working for it -- the 'smart guy' gets it any way he can.  Who can we blame for this?  How many of us expect the maximum return on their investments in the financial market?  How many of us demand that the PERS folks show the best possible interest rates in their annual reports?  How many U.S. workers have found themselves downsized due to outsourcing that happened because those same workers bought into stock option plans & began demanding bigger dividends?  We have met the enemy & he is us."