California Students Out of Shape

I've maintained for years that physical education has been a failure in this country. Here's more proof: Majority of California students fail fitness test: "A 14-year-old girl should be able to hit the mile mark in under 11 minutes. "

From my own experience, the abrupt transition from grade school to junior high was marked by having to take PE classes. Previously I had run about with boundless energy and whacked at balls to my heart's content three times a day. Suddenly, this type of play was replaced by formal classes where I had to learn how to participate in organized team sports; in addition, there were calisthenics and intimidating quarter mile tracks. Any infraction in attire or attitude was dealt with summarily and savagely, and heaven help those of us with breathing problems. PE was made up of equal measures of boredom and terror. And let's not forget about naked communal showering. Certainly adds a prison-like flavor to the whole experience. After I learned that colleges didn't look at junior high PE grades (or any other grades in junior high for the matter), my PE performance became perfunctory and less than half hearted.

So let us fast forward to the 21st century, where American children, when not glued to their couches, are are grossly overweight, short of breath, and have great difficulty in deciding where their right leg might be when asked to move it forward. What is the priority and pedagogy of a modern California PE class? Looking at one school (http://www.vvuhsd.k12.ca.us/vhs/pe.html) I couldn't guess, other than there is the same obsession with locks and uniforms (what does wearing a uniform with a school's name has to do with health and conditioning?). The culture of the whistle blowing redneck with a crew cut lives on, and another generation learns nothing about being healthy or what the human body is truly capable of doing.

Intro of PS3 in California Leads to Riot

The other night at Safeway I overheard the cashier and bagger (actually they were talking to each other and ignoring me while I was waiting). Their animated conversation centered on the merits of the PS3 over the XBox360. I would have thought that young aimless males in their 20s would have other matters to ponder. This was my first inking that the PS3 was generating tremendous excitement among people otherwise old enough to have lives.

Honest this isn't an Onion article. Two arrested after crowd stampeded store to buy PlayStation 3: "Two people were arrested after a crowd waiting to buy Sony's PlayStation 3 rushed an electronics store, trampling people in the parking lot of a Fresno shopping center, police said."

Recession Proof Investing

I've wondered for years about about how well a mutual fund could do if it concentrated on alcohol, tobacco, and gambling. The answer is quite well. In addition the "vice" fund invests in the defense industry; thus, hitting the trifecta of alcohol, tobacco, and firearms: The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Casino, tobacco, alcohol stocks beat market: "...these sectors should perform even better — relative to the overall market — if the economy slows, as most financial experts predict. That's because people will smoke, drink and probably gamble during a recession."

Lego Mania!

In the future our modern era will be known as the "Lego Age," and here's why: OddPeak - 10 Coolest Lego Creations