GET OFF YER ASSES… How many college students does it take to turn the country around? More than voted in the last presidential election.

According to a new, nationwide survey conducted by the PANETTA INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY, a whopping 53 percent of AMERICA’S COLLEGE STUDENTS say the country is headed in the wrong direction—an increase of 15 points for a similar survey the Institute conducted last year. Similarly, 67 percent say they’re worried about the future, and 79 percent say that they would like to see the next president take the country in a new direction. And only 29 percent approve of the job President GEORGE W. BUSH is doing, while 66 percent disapprove.

Squid admits Squid, too, is worried that the country is headed in the wrong direction, and disaproves of Bush’s performance. But Squid votes.

How many 18 to 24 year olds voted in the 2004 presidential election? Almost 53 percent. So where were the other 15 percent who say they are worried? They had better step up in 2008.

COURT AND SPARK… Squid loves office gossip—especially when it’s other people’s offices and gossip. Like the Monterey County courthouse, always good fodder. Take Gov. Schwarzenegger’s most recent appointments to the Superior Court bench, for example—DENINE GUY AND SAM LAVORATO, JR.

Guy, a long-time Monterey County prosecutor and well-respected legal beagle, was appointed to the Santa Cruz County bench. She spent years in Monterey’s consumer fraud division, and served on the sex crime team before that. Yep, nice pick.

Then there’s Lavorato, who was appointed to the Monterey County bench a few weeks back. Squid’s got nothing against Sammy. But judge? Hmm. Then Squid snuggled up to the water cooler and listened. Those evil gossips say Little Sam got the job because Mom and Dad—Sam and Shirley Lavorato—are big Republican campaign donors, even entertaining ex-Prez Bush and the Missus when they’re in town. Nonsense, Squid thought. Then the tipsters rattled off the names of the others who’d put in for the job: Monterey lawyer GARY GRAY, prosecutor ANN HILL, Commissioner TIM ROBERTS, and defense attorney Jim Dozier. Of that respectable and qualified lot, the most rational choice would have been Roberts. He’s level-headed, been around a while, is a former prosecutor, and is a whip-smart guy. Yep, Squid—and Roberts’ colleagues—think Roberts was robbed.

But Lavorato’s no slouch, and he’s got the respect of his bench brethren and the legal community. He’ll be dandy. Squid just hopes the next time Schwarzenegger exercises his authority to appoint judges, the pool is a whole lot deeper.