Dear Commons Community,

I am just back from  a week at the Sloan Consortium Conference in Florida.  It was quite an event for those of us interested in online learning.  Regardless there is a lot of news to catch up on.

First, the tragic story of the sexual abuse scandal at Penn State has reverberated around the country.  I was with Penn State colleagues at the Sloan Conference and they can’t believe how this could have happened and been kept secret for some many years.

Second, last night was yet another  Republican debate.   I thought John Huntsman had the best insight of any of the candidates especially his comments about bringing  American troops home now from Afghanistan.  He stated we cannot be engaged in nation building when our own country needs so much major attention to economic and education development.  On the other end of the spectrum, Michelle Bachmann and Herman Cain proudly boasted that they would resume using  waterboarding

Third, Maureen Dowd has a column on the new J.Edgar Hoover movie starring Leonardo DeCaprio and directed by Clint Eastwood.  The title, Dirty Harry Meets Dirtier Edgar,  says it all.

Lastly, there is an article in the NY Times about a different type of Occupy Wall Street movement among an order of nuns, the Order of St. Francis of Philadelphia.  Essentially they use the investments in their retirement fund to become minimal stockholders in companies and then ask to meet with CEOs to present social issues.  A NY Times article describes their activism:

“The nuns have gone toe-to-toe with Kroger, the grocery store chain, over farm worker rights; with McDonald’s, over childhood obesity; and with Wells Fargo, over lending practices…We want social returns, as well as financial ones,” Sister Nora Nash said, strolling through the garden behind Our Lady of Angels, the convent here where she has worked for more than half a century. …. “When you look at the major financial institutions, you have to realize there is greed involved.”

Indeed!

Tony