Tuesday will mark two weeks that the state of Pennsylvania has operated without an approved budget.

And with so much time having elapsed since the 2008-09 budget became history, it's troubling that lawmakers are only now talking about tactics and maneuverings aimed at finding a compromise. Such talk proves what state residents who have been following the budget stalemate have surmised: Up to now, the word "compromise" has not been part of the General Assembly's "dictionary."

Just like in contract negotiations, when the best agreement is one in which neither side is totally happy, Republican and Democratic lawmakers are going to have to come to grips with the fact that neither side is going to get everything it wants in the current budget-preparation exercise. And, more emphasis on compromise rather than partisan politics prior to the end of the fiscal year on June 30 would have averted some of the frustration and animosity that currently is in play at the state capital.

Instead, as an article in Friday's Butler Eagle reported, House Democrats were readying floor debate on a no-new-taxes Republican budget that the Democrats hoped would ultimately fail. Meanwhile, House Republicans were reported to be developing what they described as a responsible alternative that could pass the House and avoid doomsday scenarios being pushed by their colleagues across the legislative aisle.

Those maneuvers don't indicate compromise, the getting-serious mode that the commonwealth's budget crisis demands — the working together to achieve a workable end.

As of June 30, the state's budget hole remained at about $3.3 billion — about the same as estimated weeks before last fiscal year ended. There's no indication that lawmakers of both parties have agreed to anything yet that actually would cut that deficit significantly.

The budget crisis is about two weeks old and counting, and Pennsylvania lawmakers are again making a mockery of one of their basic legislative responsibilities.

They and Gov. Ed Rendell ought to be locked under the capitol dome and not be permitted to leave until they complete one of the most important tasks they were elected to perform. It wouldn't be long before they'd tire of the ongoing nonsense — the nonsense over which state residents already are experiencing great deja vu and disgust.

Mars Borough officials are right in heeding the recommendation of a borough business owner about prohibiting dogs from accompanying their owners to events such as the community's Independence Day parade.After a discussion of the issue at Monday's council meeting, council President Mike Fleming asked solicitor Douglas Weinrich to investigate the borough's options in prohibiting animals at events.The business owner, Mike Macri, whose business is on Grand Avenue, described a dogfight that occurred in front of his shop during the Independence Day parade.According to Macri, a German shepherd, a pit bull, and another dog fought viciously on the sidewalk, knocking down a woman and hurling a child off his chair.The dogs were on leashes but in too close proximity to one another prior to the fight.During the fight, their owners initially tried in vain to separate the animals.For Weinrich, the task assigned to him by Fleming might be able to be accomplished by just one contact. The city of Butler has an ordinance that excludes dogs anytime Main Street is closed for an event such as a parade, the Fall Festival or Cruise-A-Palooza.Dogs also aren't permitted at the Big Butler Fair and Butler Farm Show.During Monday's meeting, Patti Marburger, the Independence Day parade organizer and a longtime councilwoman, lamented the trend of canine companionship at public events. Councilwoman JoAnn Rogers agreed.Events such as the Independence Day parade are for people to enjoy, not pets. Animals can become excited or agitated in the midst of such goings-on, and this year's parade testified to what can happen.Fortunately, nobody was injured seriously during the dogfight.Prohibition of pets hasn't hurt attendance at Butler's events, and such a rule isn't likely to curtail the popularity of Mars' events either.

Increasing awareness that the brain needs to be exercised to stay healthy, much like muscles in the body, is leading to improved mental fitness and better quality of life in seniors.The latest trend is computer-based activities designed to keep seniors' brains active and healthy.Passavant Retirement Community in Zelienople is among 30 or so senior living communities in Pennsylvania using computer programs by Posit Science. One program is Brain Fitness and the other is InSight.Working with the Brain Fitness program, participating seniors at Passvant spend one hour a day, five days a week through an eight-week program. And the effort is worth it, according to Laura Roy, executive director at Passavant. Roy says Passavant residents using the program have noticed positive changes in their daily lives, such as easier recollection of names and phone numbers or an overall boost in self-confidence.The brain fitness progams use visual and audio clues to help focus, observational skills and memory retention. The programs also adjust to the users' abilities, getting easier for someone struggling and more challenging for someone demonstrating higher skill levels.According to Roy, various studies of those using these computer-based mental fitness programs can mean, for healthy aging adults, a gain in memory skills equivalent to the level attained 10 years earlier.The emerging science surrounding neuroplasticity, or the brain's ability to adapt and change at any age, offers encouragement for more seniors to continue to enjoy fulfilling and satisfying lives.