On the lighter side...

A young cowboy from Montana goes off to college.  Half way through the semester, having foolishly  squandered all his money .... he calls home.

"Dad," he says, "You won't believe what modern education is developing! They actually have a program here in Alabama that will teach our dog, Ole' Blue, how to talk!"

"That's amazing," his Dad says. "How do I get Ole' Blue in that program?"
 
"Just send him down here with $1,000" the young cowboy says  "and I'll get him in the course."

So, his father sends the dog and $1,000.  About two-thirds of the way through the semester,  the money again runs out. The boy calls home.
 
"So how's Ole' Blue doing son?" his father asks.
 
"Awesome, Dad, he's talking up a storm," he says, "but you  just won't believe this -- they've had such good results they have started to teach the animals how to read!"
 
"Read!?" says his father, "No kidding! How do we get Blue  in that program?"
  
"Just send $2,500, I'll get him in the class."
 
The money promptly arrives. But our hero has a problem. At the end of the year, his father will find out the dog  can neither talk, nor read.  So he shoots the dog.
 
When he arrives home at the end of the year, his father  is all excited.
 
"Where's Ole' Blue? I just can't wait to see him read something and talk!"
 
"Dad," the boy says, "I have some grim news. Yesterday  morning, just before we left to drive home, Ole' Blue was in the living room, kicked back in the recliner, reading the Wall Street Journal, like he usually does. Then Ole' Blue turned to me and asked, so, is your daddy still messing around with that little redhead who lives down the street?"
 
The father went white and exclaimed, "I hope you shot that lying SOB before he talks to your Mother!"
 
"I sure did, Dad!"
 
"That's my boy!"
 
The kid went on to law school and now serves in Washington D.C. as a Congressman.