Newsweek ran a trend story about ivy league schools lowering tuition and giving out generous financial aid to middle class families. As the experts in the article noted, these institutions ran the risk of taking in only two types of students: those whose families could pay full tuition and everyone else who was forced to take out student loans to obtain an education.

But now that these schools are poised to take in more middle class families, state schools and second and third-tier private colleges will lose their smartest students. Nonetheless, there is a college crunch for the children of baby boomers and less money, overall, for young people to study.

Sex Toys Allowed in Texas: (Editor's Note: This item was corrected.) I did not know this, but a Texas court struck down the state's ban against dildos and "pocket pussies" on, of all days, Valentine's Day, according to Slate. Virginia, Alabama and Mississippi also ban the sex toys.

Phasing Out Plastic Bags: Whole Foods plans to stop bagging in plastic on Earth Day, April 22, according to the Washington Post. It will become the first American grocery store to phase out plastic bags.  

Patrick Swayze Has Cancer: Actor Patrick Swayze has pancreatic cancer, according to USA Today. While it appears that he is responding to treatment, this bit of news left this Dirty Dancing fan crestfallen.

Update On J-Lo's Babies: It is official. Jennifer Lopez and husband Marc Anthony did have twins, a boy and a girl, according to People magazine. As expected, they named them Max and Emme.

The new parents welcomed their son and daughter on Feb. 22. Emme was born at 12:12 a.m. and weighed 5 lbs. 7 oz., and Max followed at 12:23 a.m., weighing 6 lbs.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has touched upon a lot of hot-button issues, but an especially fierce debate as evident in the online comment boards of the San Francisco Chronicle is how to care for the homeless.

If there is one shameful facet of Bay Area life is the amount of homeless people here. Maybe it’s the nice weather, our generous services, or both, but I get hit up for money on the street at least a few times a day. I am already trained to look at the ground when I enter Walgreens or the supermarket as the same scraggly individuals -- yes, there are more than one -- ask me for "spare change." "No thank you," I murmur as if they offered me something.

The problem is so prevalent that I am struggling to find ways to explain to my four-year-old why some people live in the street, and even worse, why mami who asks him to share won’t give them money. The other day we walked out of a bakery in Oakland and a bedraggled man with beer-smelling breath asked me for change. "No thank you," I gave him my pat answer.

Ari piped up, "Mami, what did that man ask you?"

"For money."

"Because he doesn’t have any?"

"Yes."

"So you gave him money?"

"Ari, look, it’s Gwen Stefani!" I cranked up the radio and changed the subject. I wasn’t sure how to explain that I would rather pay taxes -- an abstract concept at this age -- to give the homeless services rather than give each of them a dollar every day. That I think it is condescending to give them a dollar because they cannot live on it in the Bay Area. Also, many of the homeless have mental and drug problems, and I do not want them to use my money to buy beer and drugs.