America has always been touted as the melting pot of cultures. Somehow that is tough to swallow if one considers that laws have to be enacted to promote desegregation.

The Supreme Court’s decision to disallow the use of color in deciding which public school kids go to surely brings up mixed emotions.

I think segregation these days is more along socio-economic lines  than along race and color. It just so happens that a lot of African-Americans find themselves in the lower socio-economic class.

Should there be a compulsory mix of socio-economic classes to ensure equality and diversity?

A child from a lower socio-economic background can be very uncomfortable around the “rich kids.” It can be so bad that going to school can be torture. On the other hand, it can also act as a motivator to achieve.

Then is the matter of difference in education that different kids from different backgrounds have. Lumping kids with very good educational backgrounds with those who have some catching up to do can hinder both groups.

Interests vary widely among the different races in the US. Just go to a high school football game and check out the bands and cheerleaders. There is a huge difference between those with primarily African-American students versus those with whites. Such diversity is good and must be preserved.

My point is, even though a part of me fears the 5-4 ruling by the court as a sign of resegregation, another part of me knows that you cannot forcibly put together cultures and races and viewpoints and interests.

Maybe, just maybe, this time around, we need to find another way of doing things. Maybe we should let the schools settle along the lines that divide us. Maybe the starkness of those lines may force an elevation of those schools that need to be elevated by those who stand to benefit from it’s elevation. Unfortunately, it will involve those in the lower socio-economic group and without outside help, it is an impossibility.

So the question is, what should that help be? More laws? No-child-left-behind? School vouchers? The status-quo?

I wish I knew.

jnkdg

Remember Zofran (ondansetron) - the first 5HT3 antagonist? It was so expensive one had to get a presidential edit to give it. So most people used dolasetron (Anzemet) or granisetron (Kytril).

Now ondansetron is “off-patent” and much cheaper than the other two.

• Ondansetron $0.72/4mg
• Dolasetrom $9.50/12.mg
• Granesetro $4.64/0.1 mg

These doses are seen to give similar effects.

So people, save your departments and groups some money and make the switch.

jnkdg

Ghana is slowly re-emerging as one Third World country with a lot of potential – a budding democracy, a strong press and freedom of speech and religion and an educated workforce.

An energy crisis is threatening to derail this hopeful story. Ghana has for years depended on the Akosombo dam for it’s energy needs. Due to drought, the water level has been dropping steadily and with that came the need to ration energy. Rolling blackouts are the order of the day.

On a recent visit, I was sitting in the office of a friend who runs a publishing and advertising firm. I asked him, “How is business in Ghana?” At that very moment, the power in his office went out. He looked up and said, “This is business in Ghana.”

Energy is as important for a thriving economy as food is for living.

So, the need is for the exploration of other energy resources. The recent announcement that several million barrels of oil have been found along the coastline does not help in the short term. Nothing really helps in the short term apart from rationing and conservation.

The need is to look at alternatives like solar, wind and biodiesel. There needs to be tax incentives for people to introduce these alternatives. I would not encourage nuclear energy – remember Chernobyl?

People, lets strive to make our country attain the status it deserves.

nana