My "conspiracy" friends have assured me that Obama's presence in Copenhagen means that Chicago will be the winner.  Their reason for such confidence?   They believe Obama would never endure the "humiliation" of being present for a vote that is lost.  Hence, he's coming to Copenhagen because he already knows the outcome.  

But that type of "inside information" could only come about through illegal activity, meaning that Chicago officials would have had to participate in fraud, graft, corruption.................oh, wait.  Nevermind. (again, it's just a theory).

Uh oh....Chicago was voted out in the first round of balloting!  I've just fired my conspiracy friend.
I am absolutely stunned.
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EDUCATION - If i've mentioned this before, I'm sorry to repeat myself. 

What's the most important transaction that nearly every high school graduate will engage in during their life?  

If you guessed the purchase of a home and multiple purchases of cars (over a lifetime) you are correct!

Knowing this, what does our educational system do to prepare graduates to understand the significance of these purchases? 

The "experts" continually talk about teaching our children the critical "life skills".  I think understanding how a mortgage works, as well as understanding the REAL cost of owning a house and car (insurance, property taxes, depreciation, interest rates, etc.) deserves probably one full year of a class.....maybe two years.

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