Slimy, scaly, moist, slippery, creepy, crawly, slithery, these are all words we think of when we think of reptiles. Now would anyone happen to know why people want these things as pets? I guess reptiles are cool in the sense that they are scary and strange creatures, but other than that I don't really get it.

A snake, or a turtle, or a toad can't love you, they can't cuddle with you, or comfort you. How do you get attached to them? How do you form a pet-owner relationship? Isn't that the point of getting a pet? You get a pet so it can love you no matter what, and comfort you when you are sad, and cuddle up with you at night when you are alone.

If you feel the same way as me I would suggest not taking Biology 2. Unless, you are very strong-stomached and open-minded. This year in Biology it has seemed like everything has been a test of my abilities to stomach whatever activity we have coming up next. First it was the bug collection. You have to go out, hunt bugs down, catch them, and then the worst part of all: you must stick pins through all of the bugs' little bodies (if you didn't figure it out that means you actually have to TOUCH the bugs). Nasty, I know, but that is just the beginning. After bug collections we had worm dissections. Sounds fun, right? We had to slice open a dead worm's body and play with its insides, and it smelled bad. I'm sure it was quite entertaining for the class to watch the four of us girls try and dissect this slimy little creature.

Then Jim Thompson came to school. This is always an awesome experience just because Mr. Thompson is so interesting, and the fact that he takes care of so many animals is astonishing.

What I have realized is that even though these reptiles and creatures are incredibly disgusting, they are intriguing. There is a certain mystery behind them and it is entertaining to sit and watch them for long periods of time. Biology has also helped me conquer my fears in some ways. I am at least more open to being around all of the animals but I still am quite a bit squeamish when they are too close. I also realize that having a guy like Jim Thompson come to your school is a once in a lifetime opportunity and passing up the chance to hold cool snakes, turtles, and such is something I would regret. So, even though it is gross, I did it.

Future adventure for Biology: Pig Dissection. Can't wait!

In today's society it is so easy to point out the negative things in life but rarely do we point out the positive.

This is the first time I was a key player in an event such as the Harvest Moon Festival. It makes me proud to be from of the city of Trenton.

When donations were asked for, the businesses went above and beyond my expectations.

When citizens were asked to volunteer their time, even at 4:00 a.m., we had many people there to help. I would like to thank everyone who had any part of making the Harvest Moon Festival a success. Thank you for your time, donations, and most of all your dedication to our city.

You are truly appreciated!

I'm always intrigued by the political machinations in Louisiana, which I still consider my "home" state. Even though I haven't lived much more than five percent of my life there, it's the state where I was born, where my parents were raised. Once a Louisianan, always a Louisianan.

Dating back to Huey Long, politics in Louisiana has been legendary. The kingfish was among the first to recognize the value of demagoguery in political life.

It's a lesson that's been learned pretty well by politicians ever since, but nobody's perfected the art of the pander like Huey. Even after Long was exposed as a liar and a cheat and an extortionist extraordinaire, he continued to enjoy phenomenal popularity in his home state.

I don't think that means the voters of Louisiana were fooled by Huey Long. I think the poor and disenfranchised in the state found someone who delivered on some of his promises to them, and made their lives better, if only marginally so. And I think they were willing to look the other way as to the methods Long used. Hunger will do that to you. Make you forsake your principles.

I figure it was a case of voters assuming that if you can't beat the devil at his own game, you enlist the devil on your side.

More recently, Louisianans were faced with the choice of electing as governor one of the more corrupt politicians in memory, Edwin Edwards, or David Duke, a rising star in the Ku Klux Klan. Wow. Edwards won, but geez, what a choice.

When we visited Louisiana this past summer, there was some discussion as to whether Edwards, who served several terms, should be pardoned for his crimes, being old and ill and a sympathetic figure to many who saw him in the same light as Huey Long. A guy who knew how to play the system. Edwards admits he broke the rules, but he says he did so not for personal gain but for Louisiana's gain.

While we were there, it was the subject of a fairly spirited discussion between myself and my cousin Junior, a retired school administrator who felt Edwards should be pardoned. "He's done a lot for Louisiana," Junior said by way of explanation. Junior's about 20 years older and about 20 years more pragmatic than I am.

The inherent corruption in Louisiana politics was stripped naked following Hurricane Katrina. As much as it highlighted the incredible incompetency of the Bush administration, it also cast a pretty bright light on the inefficiencies of Louisiana government.

Which brings us to now, and the historic election of Piyush "Bobby" Jindal, a first-generation American of Indian descent. Jindal, a Republican, is a rising national star in that party at the tender age of 36, not without some justification. He attended Harvard, was a Rhodes Scholar, and just got elected governor of the great state of Louisiana. He is the first Indian-American ever elected governor of any state in U.S. history.

If it seems odd that in this most xenophobic of times in America the first person of Indian descent would be elected governor of any state, to most it probably seems even stranger that it occurred in Louisiana.

But given its political history, why not? The point here is not to associate Jindal, with the crimes of his predecessors, but there is a parallel reason for his success--the independent nature of Louisiana voters.

There's no reason, really, to doubt Jindal's sincerity or his patriotism, but you have to admit there's a prevailing mood in the country right now that wouldn't seem to make it the right time.

Here's a guy who seems well qualified for the job, but let's face it, he'd have a hard time making it on a plane without being pulled out of line and frisked.

Many of the Louisiana residents who voted for him might look suspiciously at Jindal if they passed him on the street, but when it comes to government, there's a longstanding tradition of practicality. The electorate there simply believed Jindal was the man for the job, and that seems like a pretty good reason to elect a guy, whether you're right or wrong about his effectiveness.

There seems to be little doubt that Bobby Jindal is an exceptionally bright guy, but the world of Louisiana politics is a rough-and-tumble one. Jindal's top stated priority as he enters the governor's mansion is to institute ethics reform. In a state not known for its ethics, that could be one of the biggest challenges he faces, and it's probably the most important one.

It could be that Jindal's only paying lip service to a reform agenda, but even if he's a true believer, it's hard not to be cynical as he launches his effort to clean up Louisiana government. In addition to their independent streak, voters there have proven in the past that when push comes to shove, they'll usually choose the way they know over the way they don't.