HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE:

The cost of a college education has soared far in excess of the cost of health care. This is in spite of — or, more accurately, because of — massive government involvement in subsidizing and running schools. On the one hand, we have President Obama, who wants to double down and have Uncle Sam play a larger role in the classroom. On the other, we have reformers like presumptive GOP vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan, who wants to limit the growth of Pell grants while ensuring the neediest students still have access. . . . College tuition grew at almost 7.5 percent annually between 1980 and 2010, when average inflation was 3.8 percent. At less than 6 percent annually, even health care costs grew at a slower rate than the university tab.

Young people aren’t getting much in exchange for this huge outlay. While enrollment has increased, completion rates remain dismal. Barely a third of students complete their degrees in four years, and less than 60 percent earn their degree in six years, according to Mr. McCluskey. That means at least two out of five enrollees don’t finish and fail to reap the benefits of a post-high-school education. Even those who complete their programs of study and are fortunate enough to find employment find that in one out of three cases, their degree isn’t required for their work.

Indeed.

FLASHBACK: Charlie Crist 2008: Sarah Palin more qualified to be president than Barack Obama. Hey, when he’s right, he’s right.

APPROPRIATELY ENOUGH: Will.I.Am’s next song to debut on Mars.

BRET STEPHENS: Barack Obama, Global Has-Been: The president would rather be loved than feared. He is neither. Domestically, it kind of seems like it’s the other way around. But still, same result.

LOWER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: “Education special interest groups, such as the teachers unions, are experiencing a decline in membership.” Plus this:

Students headed back to school this fall will have historically high levels of dollars spent on them in the public school system. Nationally, average per-pupil spending exceeds $11,400 this year, meaning a child entering kindergarten today can expect to have no less than $148,000 spent on his or her education by the time the child graduates high school. In all, more than $570 billion will be spent on public K-12 education this year.

Sadly, continual increases in the money spent per child and in overall spending haven’t led to increases in academic achievement.

Which is why increasing numbers of parents, at all income levels, are fleeing the public schools.

CHANGE: Unilever sees ‘return to poverty’ in Europe. “Unilever will adopt marketing strategies used in developing countries in order to drive future growth in Europe, as the head of its European business warned that poverty will rise in the region as a result of the debt crisis . . . Unilever has already started to change the way it sells some of its products. In Spain, the company sells Surf detergent in packages for as few as five washes, while in Greece, it now offers mashed potatoes and mayonnaise in small packages, and has created a low-cost brand for basic goods such as tea and olive oil. ‘In Indonesia, we sell individual packs of shampoo 2 to 3 cents and still make decent money,’ said Mr Zijderveld. ‘We know how to do that, but in Europe we have forgotten in the years before the crisis.'”

PROFESSOR JACOBSON: The “you didn’t build it” meme has permeated deep.

THE ANCHORESS: “In the past few weeks I’ve heard some surprising people admit they’ve been arming themselves and purchasing ammunition — one such discussion happened all around me at the hairdresser’s while I sat and listened.”

AT AMAZON, up to 50% off on grills and grilling supplies.

Also, Blu-Ray Deal Of The Week: The Walking Dead.

TAMPA: The Rules Fight Food Fight.

CALLING OUT A BIGOT: Newt to Chris Matthews: Your thinking can be pretty racist, you know.

INTELLECTUAL DIVERSITY ON CAMPUS: It’s Not Just Left vs. Right.

NOW A TOPLESS SARAH PALIN WOULD BE BOTH ARTSY AND HILARIOUS! No, Michelle Obama Topless On A Magazine Cover Is Not “Artsy.”

OBVIOUSLY, SHE SHOULD HAVE WORN A BURQA: Christian Woman Fired from Burger King for Wearing Skirt Instead of Pants.

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Also, 60% off Spaceballs, the 25th Anniversary edition.

FEAR OF E. COLI? Why men don’t eat vegetables.

UPDATE: “What I’m resisting is the ever-irritating bullshit science that presents whatever is true of women as what’s good.” Bullshit science caters to women, because women are the primary consumers of bullshit science.

DRUDGE DOES IT AGAIN:

HEALTH: Calcium Scan Best Heart Risk Diagnosis Tool: Study.

A new study of six methods of determining a patient’s risk for heart disease has shown a CT scan of calcium build-up in the arteries around the heart might be the most accurate test.

The new study from researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina reviewed the effectiveness of six different heart disease indicators, including coronary calcium buildup (CAC), blood pressure in the arms and legs, carotid artery thickness, blood vessel health and family history of heart disease.

According to lead researcher Joseph Yeboah, any of these indicators could help improve the current standard of heart disease prediction, known as the Framingham Risk Score (FRS).

“We know how to treat patients at low and high risk for heart disease, but for the estimated 28 million Americans who are at intermediate risk, we still are not certain about the best way to proceed,” he explained in a news release.

“If we want to concentrate our attention on the subset of intermediate-risk patients who are at the highest risk for cardiovascular disease, CAC is clearly the best tool we have in our arsenal to identify them.”

Hmm. Maybe I’ll get one of these.

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Also: List: Hurricane preparation supplies.

REMEMBRANCE: Armstrong spent last years fighting for human spaceflight.

Related: As commercial space race intensifies, SpaceX, Virgin find they have company.

TEN MACHO MOVIES EVERY MAN SHOULD SEE.

THE ROOTS OF OIKOPHOBIA: “They are not my people!”

SCIENCE: Cypress Hill Played Through a Squid: Insane in the Membrane, Indeed.

OVER 2700 DOWNLOADS for National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius: Five Takes, by yours truly and Brannon Denning. Thanks to everyone who downloaded!

I hope you find it interesting. Mark Barnes at Harvard emailed to say that he’d like to use it in his health care law class, so apparently some people do.

ANOTHER GARY TAUBES FAN. Reader Nathan Wilhoit emails:

Instapundit is a regular spot I check most days, and I noted your frequent references to Gary Taubes’ books and decided to put his advice to the test. I cut to drinking only tea, coffee, and (lots and lots of) water while eating very low carbs and sugar over the summer starting in early July. Less than two months later, I have lost over 25 pounds, my BMI has gone from high 27 down to 23ish. I just did my health screening at work, and while we were sitting and waiting for blood results to come back, the screener asked some questions and found out about the diet change. She told me my cholesterol would probably be elevated. I smiled and said, “I guess we’ll see.” It came back a healthy 154. Imagine that. You mean this stuff works?

The diet change and weight loss have actually aided me in waking up better and earlier, as well. I work 60-80+ hours a week as a music teacher, so this has had a huge impact. I’ve been able eat breakfast, study/memorize scripture, pray, organize, and get some much-needed composure before facing the horde of delightful (but sometimes trying) young musicians I interact with every day. I have more energy when I interact with my wife and three young children. Life is still hard: long work days, being patient with students, finding time with my family, etc. But what a help this lifestyle change has been.

So thank you for sharing the information. I had heard/read some of the info before, but it was often distorted, incomplete, and/or confusing. For some reason, catching it on your blog was the tipping point where I looked into it and gave it an honest go.

Glad it helped!