Thanks for sharing, aggroed. Are you a New Englander, or were you raised there? I grew up in NH.

And I completely endorse your view on the value of a strong education. It's a shame that so many (in the States at least) are priced out of a quality education. I'm heavily considering going back for a grad certificate in Business Analytics, and the biggest hangup isn't time, motivation, or quality of the program; it's the outrageous cost of it. A strong foundation in a quality education is one of the best weapons we have to protect ourselves from our broken financial & governmental systems.