While our federal government readies itself for yet another year of stagnation, statehouses from coast to coast are considering plans that will dramatically impact the lives of their residents. Some of the most promising ideas will improve state educational systems by giving parents more choices and giving students more tools to succeed.

Doris “Dorie” Miller was a Mess Attendant working on the USS West Virginia. Like most mornings, he rose before dawn for a dreary day of hauling trash, scrubbing dishes and prepping food for the battleship’s cook. While collecting the crew’s laundry, the General Quarters alarm sounded. Ships have drills all the time — even on Sunday mornings — but a sailor still must answer the call.

Like many 11-year-old girls, Madison Root has braces. Wanting to help her parents’ pay the orthodontist, Madison decided to sell little pieces of mistletoe she clipped off bushes at her uncle’s farm.

The New York Times asked its readership “What Does Black Friday Mean for You?” A few choice comments reveal the tone of the other 318:To me it means getting in the car with my spouse and adult daughters and heading to Cape May...Birding! None of us buy into this nonsensical consumer binge day.

We interrupt the collapse of the U.S. health insurance system to announce that Colorado’s health exchange did something dumb.

Back when I was a wee li’l blogger just finding my way in the online world, I created a lot of Photoshops (like this, this and this).

When Washington raised the debt ceiling this week, the Beltway media breathlessly reported that the fiscal crisis had ended. Lawyers danced in hallways, bureaucrats twerked on the Metro, congressional aides kissed strangers in the streets — the Tea Party has been defeated! It was like VJ day for wonks.

There was panic at supermarkets over the weekend. Low-income Americans in 17 states were turned away from cash registers due to a computer outage affecting their electronic food-stamp cards.Outrage erupted in store aisles and even on Twitter.

October is Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, according to StopBullying.gov — a federal website that is suspiciously still operating during the government’s draconian 17% shutdown.

Back in May, our Divider in Chief trolled the critics of his disastrous "Affordable" Care Act. "It's. The. Law." the official White House Twitter account stated, along with a photo of Obama's signature on the legislative train wreck.