Ask me about self-publishing your blog or continuing an abusive relationship, and I will give you hope. I can't think of a bad decision without wanting to buy it dinner, maybe spending a year together before we grow too different and are only in it for the sex.

The students have returned from break and the third weekend of March is almost upon us. For hockey fans, that means excitement and anticipation. The best part of the season is approaching, and the major trophies are about to be put on the line, but for Boston University students it is more than just the general playoff excitement.

I visited my sister at her college dorm room in San Francisco over spring break. On Tuesday morning, we awoke in her twin XL bed with a picture of her wearing a funny hat and holding an alcoholic beverage staring down at us.

Tuesday was St. Patrick's Day, a day of revelry, celebration, Hiberno-American pride and moderate imbibing of intoxicating substances. It is appropriate then to turn our attention to the actual Emerald Isle, which, were it not for tourists, would probably see the day as a mostly religious event.

Like every other state, Massachusetts is struggling financially. Currently, the state is facing a budget deficit of more than $3 billion. What the Bay State needs now is effective leaders who will make the tough decisions necessary to save money. Unfortunately, this leadership is nowhere to be found.

This week on Capitol Hill, Republicans and Democrats found something they could finally agree upon: the huge insurance company American International Group is way out of line in its plan to award bonuses of at least $1 million each to 73 employees after being given $170 billion in bailout money from the federal government last year.

The Boston University Student Union may have been successful in increasing attendance for Monday's General Assembly meeting, but the fact that there was no mention of the Board of Trustees' decision to increase tuition and housing costs by a combined 3.75 percent is truly shameful.

The country may not be in a cheery mood given the current recession, but it appears that President Barack Obama is going to try to get Americans to lighten up a bit. On Thursday, Obama will be a guest on 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,' marking the first time that a sitting president has taken part in a late-night talk show.

It's St. Patrick's Day, and you know what that means: life-changing dilemmas. Perhaps you can't decide whether you should get your significant other a box of Lucky Charms or a bottle of whiskey, or whether you'd rather wear something green or be groped by strangers.

I want to give credit to the Muslim Student Association for engaging in a pretty clever 'bait-and-switch' strategy for Tuesday night's presentation. The presentation was promoted as a panel discussion on the situation in Gaza.

Another year, another tuition increase for Boston University students. The 3.75 percent increase, which will bring tuition to a staggering $37,910, is relatively low compared to previous years, and it is encouraging to see that the BU Board of Trustees took into account the harsh effects the economy has had on students and their families. Some sort of tuition increase was inevitable, considering BU's declining endowment and $10,000,000 budget gap.

Boston City Council President Mike Ross continued his crusade against college students living off campus during last Tuesday's City Council meeting as the council pledged to continue its efforts to force Boston-area universities to release the addresses of students living off campus in the name of preserving Boston's neighborhoods for families.