Diversity of thought, what's up with that?

I hear that this movie will be show on Pitt's campus soon. Be there at 8:30 PM on Wednesday, Nov 10, at 203 David Lawrence Hall, University of Pittsburgh.

City schools seeking input on athletics

City schools seeking input on athletics

PPS has been in the a mode that seems to only try to "manage decline."

If sports are dropped, the decline would accelerate, for sure.

If sports reform brings less hope in terms of competitive balance, then the decline will continue too.

The outward migration needs to turn around -- and with sports (and all afterschool activities), IMNSHO, there is an opportunity to stop the decline and loss of student population.

Of course, its sports as well as INTRAMURALS, EXTRA-MURALS, and music, etc. that needs to be a part of the mix for the opportunities for the students, from HS on down to the wee ones.

If PPS cuts sports, the district would die quickly.

If PPS does sports reform poorly, the district dies.

If sports reform is done well, with that complete overhaul, with the Citiparks cooperation, with the volunteers energized, with the coaches hired by talent/skills and big accountability elements -- then PPS can begin to build spirit and rebound in many ways.

Frankly, playing with our kids is not that expensive.

City kids and their school sports teams can compete with the WPIAL schools if competitive balance is understood and implemented. Fifty other things have to happen too, but landing the programs in the right classifications is MANDATORY and should be a prime discussion point.

WESTINGHOUSE, for example, can play against SINGLE A teams in the WPIAL. Same too with LANGLEY. Likewise, Obama/Schenley's girls volleyball squad can play in AA in the WPIAL -- if there is NO "Coop".

But it all goes down the drain when they combine ("coop") the sports teams so athletes from 1 or 2 or even 3 schools are bussed into another schools for sports participation. Those teams are then playing against the 'big boys' of the WPIAL (NA, PH, WH, BP, USC, etc.) Then we'll have hooey multiple times every week until everyone quits.

Hope to see you all on Monday, November 9, 2010, at 6 pm at Oliver High School.

More chatter at Pure Reform blog.

Meetup: Sheriff Mack in Westmoreland County

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

---

From: Gary <dragonflydreams2@hotmail.com>

Sender: ronpaul-1834-announce@meetup.com

Date: Sat, 6 Nov 2010 16:00:09 -0400

To: <ronpaul-1834-announce@meetup.com>

ReplyTo: ronpaul-1834@meetup.com

Subject: [ronpaul-1834] New Meetup: Sheriff Mack in Westmoreland County

Announcing a new Meetup for The Ron Paul Revolution: Pittsburgh!

What: Sheriff Mack in Westmoreland County

When: Saturday, November 13, 2010 6:00 PM

Where: Adamsburg Volunteer Fire Department
495 Edna Road (1/2 mile off of Rte 30)
Adamsburg, PA 15611
724-527-6250

During Richard Mack's tenure as sheriff of Graham County, Arizona, federal officers informed the sheriffs of the state that they would be required to enforce the so-called "Brady Bill" handgun control law and run background checks at their expense under the law. In 1994, Mack and six other sheriffs from across the country, challenged the constitutionality of the Brady Bill and ultimately fought it all the way to the United States Supreme Court. In a 5-4 decision, the Court sided with Mack and struck down portions of the Brady bill that violated the Tenth Amendment. Today, he tours the country lecturing and conducting seminars on constitutional issues relating to gun control, law enforcement, States' rights, the farce, otherwise known as the drug war, and as a member of Oath Keepers, the importance of remaining faithful to one's oath of office. He has also been a consultant for lawyers, and people in general helping them with cases of unlawful arrests and police misconduct and is the author of The County Sheriff, America's Last Hope

On Saturday, November 13th, Richard Mack will be speaking at Adamsburg Volunteer Fire Department, 495 Edna Road, Adamsburg, PA. Directions

For more info and to RSVP to this Meetup:
http://www.meetup.com/ronpaul-1834/calendar/15362210/




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Meetup, PO Box 4668 #37895 New York, New York 10163-4668 | support@meetup.com

Grant did survive the charge from this hippo

We (Catherine, Grant, Mark, Erik) are standing for a photo in front of a hippo at a water hole in South Africa. A few minutes later, Grant would be standing at the water's edge and be scared out of his shoes and need to outrun a hippo charge.

Yep. That's our story and we're going with it.

More people die each year by hippo attacks in Africa than all the other animals combined. Go figure.

Thanks to Dave, a fellow traveler, for the photo. Images and story of the brush with the leopard and Grant should be posted soon. Stay tuned.

Panel debates merits of legalizing marijuana use

Way to go Duquesne. Offer an educational experience that is filled with a big blind spot.

Panel debates merits of legalizing marijuana use: "None of the panelists would go so far as to advocate legalizing recreational marijuana like Proposition 19 in California would have done had it not been defeated 54 to 46 percent at the polls this week."

Talking about solutions to the War On Drugs but not talking about the legalization of pot is foolishness.

Yep, We saw some animals in our trip to South Africa.

Schenley High School Basketball at the Civic Arena in State Finals

Blast from the past:

Part 1:


Part 2:


Part 3:


Part 4:


Second Half:
Part 1:


Part 2:


Part 3:


Part 4:

East Pittsburgh Job Fair with more than 80 employers -- Please share out

Part time and full time positions are available. Please forward this information out to your contacts. Attached is copy of the flyer that has all the employers listed.

November 9^th East End Works JOB FAIR

The East End Works Collaborative, made up of more than 20 city-wide organizations, is hosting a Job Fair on Tuesday, Nov. 9 from 3:30-6:00pm at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 250 N. Highland Avenue (across the street from Home Depot).

The Job Fair will feature more than 70 employers from banks, healthcare, education, retail, and more. Find a job or move up the ladder. Dress professionally and bring your updated resume. For more information, call the Eastside Neighborhood Employment Center at 412-362-8580.

Light Up Night in Pittsburgh with a Fireworks Paddle

Light-Up Night Fireworks Paddle

When: Friday, November 19, 2010 7:00 PM

Where: Newport Marina
929 W. North Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15233

Pittsburgh's Light-Up Night has changed a lot over the years. Originally a kickoff for the Downtown Christmas shopping season, it's becoming a real festival, with stage shows, parades, the lighting of Christmas light displays, a big party on the Clemente Bridge with food and music. And of course, since this is Pittsburgh, fireworks! Join us for a short November paddle up the Ohio River to Downtown to check out the festivities and watch the fireworks.

We'll put in at the ramp at Newport Marina on the North Side. It will be a short 1.5-mile paddle up to the Roberto Clemente Bridge. There will be lots of activity on the bridge, people all along the riverfront, and boats lit up with Christmas lights. Let's be part of the spectacle! I'm lighting up my kayak with one or two strings of battery-powered LED Christmas lights, $10 each at Target (among other places).

The water will be 50 degrees, so everyone should think a little about safety. PFD's are mandatory, as always. Wear a wet suit or dry suit if you have one. If not, you should at least bring a change of clothes in a dry bag, just in case you take an accidental swim. I'll have my marine radio on board, bring yours if you have one. Worst case, if one of us went in the cold water and had difficulty getting back in their boat, River Rescue would be a couple of minutes away.

Directions -

• Come across the Ft. Duquesne Bridge (or down I-279 from the North Hills) onto Rt. 65 North.
• Take the Chateau Street exit at the West End Bridge interchange.
• Follow Chateau St 1/2-mile.
• Stay to the left, and take the U-turn under the highway onto Beaver Avenue.
• Two blocks ahead, turn right onto North Avenue.
• Meet in the parking lot on the right, at the end of North Ave.
• The marina is across the parking lot, along the riverfront trail.

This is the last-chance paddling event of the year for all but the most hard-core kayakers. Last year, there were two dozen kayakers on the water, at night, late in November. This year, I'm sure there will be more. It's a fun event - hope you can make it!

RSVP to this Meetup:
http://www.meetup.com/kayaking-129/calendar/15305837/

We've been doing some traveling...

That's me with the camel back (filled with water) as we hiked out into the bush of South Africa on foot, single file, behind the guide / ranger who was armed with a rifle.

David Batzofin of Joberg was with us at Idube, part of the Sabi Sands section in central South Africa. Sabi Sands is connected to Kruger National Park in terms of how the animals walk. David is a great travel companion and he had a great camera with us on the walk and in the Landrover. He was on assignment as a travel photographer and journalist. See his blog at http://davidbatzofin.blogspot.com.

Blogging about Idube: http://davidbatzofin.blogspot.com/2010/11/idube-game-reserve.html

Fwd: Mt. Lebo school renovation

for your amusement...from Larry Evans:

Signage of the Times

At recent Mount Lebanon Commission and School Board meetings, exasperated residents have testified that they are practically going out of their minds over all the delaying tactics tossed at the Mount Lebanon High School renovation project.  Well, I'm already there – completely bonkers - over this controversial issue.  Not so much over whether we spend 75 or 113 million – either way we all know that we will get what we pay for. To me this ain't so much about the kids anymore.  It's coming way too late to benefit my two.  What's driving me nutty is a nitwit neighbor of mine trashing my "Save Our School" lawn signs - 3 times now and counting.  Could this sign stalking midnight marauder still be mired in that 70s tune "Signs, Signs, everywhere Signs, blocking up the scenery breaking my mind" (thank you 5 Man Electrical Band) or what?

Now I would argue that lawn signs define our civilization just as usefully as billboards and bumper stickers keep our attention focused on the road.  Sloganeering signage has probably put more dents in fenders than in voter opinion.  The most bold and amusing of bumper stickers I saw in Manhattan. It read "Can't you see I'm on the phone!"  I remember handing out a whole box of McGovern/Shriver buttons in '72 and somehow we still lost that election plus the Vietnam War to boot.  Heck, it was only with this recent Obama election that I morphed from signage challenged to signing on to Barrack's hopemobile. The idea of plopping America's global melting pot poster boy into the White House was just too delicious to pass up for a previously hopeless liberal such as I.

And I was proud enough of my Obama stickers to keep 'em on a whole year until 2010 census work made me cover up my left wing leanings.  I enjoyed my G-man work immensely by the way – wore an Elliot Ness overcoat covering my always at the ready imaginary tommy gun, parked anywhere I damn pleased and made census avoiders scurry like rats into their basements and defiant libertarians spew their bizarre conspiracy theories all over their front porches while peering ever so nervously up to the sky at my hovering black helicopter friends…but I digress.

Let me tell you what happened these last two weeks to my signs.

I placed 2 in my yard on Kurt Drive, another couple on a fellow soccer dad's lawn up the street facing Lakemont Drive, plus gave out two more to Tour de Lebo bikers to place on Folkstone and Sunrise Drives.  Had the neighborhood pretty much covered. So that's 6 signs times 3 thefts which equals 18 signs times $3 per which is a collective $50+ heist. Add my pain and suffering and it's really way over a hundred bucks of virtual visual vandal damage.

Dashed was my dream of that star spangled summer evening round about 3 years down the road when our town's July 4^th fireworks  would light up the sky and we Leboites would not have to lay our collective squint on some shoddy, moldy and last century oldie school building – but rather we would instead spy upon a glistening new Lebo High Spaceship lifting our kids and grand children to Emerald City educational bliss and Friday Night Football heights which would make Upper Saint Clair, Bethel and Peters town folk rue their days of excessive haggling over their meager school do-overs! 

When I surveyed the initial theft scene, my first impulse was to simply electrify my next pair of "save our school" signs.

This was a promising plan but then my wife reminded me of the many canines that tended to relieve themselves on our premises and the image of a pee line transforming into a doggie death ray led to her confiscation of my extension chords.

This imposed cease fire got me to thinking "What would Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction do in this situation?" That's right - I would "try real hard, Ringo, to be the Sheppard!"

So I re-set the new placards in the exact same spots but this time attached a brilliant red balloon to each figuring that this kind of guy just might need a balloon and knowing no-one would consciously abuse a red balloon – especially not one just like that kid's in that Red Balloon book we all have most assuredly read several times.

The next morning the sun again rose wondrously over our blue and gold skyline and I peeked out the window and saw that the SOB had run off with my second round of signs - plus savaged them all over the street, red balloons popped.  This was not good. Not good at all.

So I got out my magic markers, and quickly drew up a poster that read "hey (followed by a rough drawing of a screw and a ball)!  Quit stealing our signs!"  And scribbled below that "it's wabbit season" signed E Fudd. Heh, heh, heh.

Plus I got my sledge hammer out and pounded the steel spikes of this looney toon warning and 4 new "Save Our School" signs as far into the ground as they would go figuring that would hinder the next rip off attempt.

 At daybreak, after gathering my PPG and checking to see if Luke Hagy had scored his usual 3 Blue Devil TDs, I glanced towards my signage and there stood practically smoldering  - 4 naked, bent steel towers looking like ground zero. The sign stealer had somehow grasped that the signs actually slipped off very easily from their steel stems…

What was different this time from the earlier attacks was that there was no evidence lying about on the pavement, no chance for retrieval and proper burial. My signs were now hostages in the clutches of an anon nutcase.

The new sign reinforcements weren't in yet so my lawn was to remain a battleground lost for several days…unless I would muster the singular courage to go on the offensive.  So I drew up a second hand made placard showing Bugs Bunny proclaiming "This Means WAR!" (thank you Mel Blanc) and I email blasted a cry for help and found that indeed others had endured similar attacks on their signage as well as veiled threats to their very personhood.  The targets included school board members and mild mannered musicians… Police reports had been filed and suspected bad guys fingered.  Lo and behold two suspects lived right down on Lindendale!

This made me shudder since only a while back I unwittingly precipitated a runaway softball incident that rained down unmercifully on Lindendale folk and it occurred to me that maybe some lindendaleones might still harbor a grudge of some kind...

Are you still reading this?

Good.

Here's what happened…It was a dark and stormy evening when I parked my van heading up Kurt Drive so that my fastpitch softballing daughter Jen could run into the house to escape the rain. I got out my driver's side and opened the back hatch to fetch the equipment and was clobbered in the groin by a tumbling ball bag that Jen had hurriedly propped on top of the unstable bat bag and also neglected to zipper up and it plunged onto the street and a good two dozen greenish yellow softballs bounded to freedom past me and down our very steep incline.  Unfortunately coming up the hill were some cars. An elderly man drove the first, and having witnessed the entire episode, stopped in his tracks and pounded his steering wheel hysterically laughing at my pathetic attempt to run down a few of the escapees. A lady in the car behind him, fearing the worst, did a duck and cover.  A third car driven by a teenager tried to do a u-turn but only provided a tempting broadside target for the rapidly accelerating balls. Some of the balls made it clear to the Lindendale curb and bounded right, careening all the way down to Cedar Blvd, I guess to find a waterlogged resting place as close as possible to the softball fields. Others hung a hasty left and were unceremoniously gobbled up by a hungry sewer. Still others catapulted over the curb and into the several yards seemingly safely tucked away far below street level.  The crashing noises and the screaming subsided after only a few minutes and I wondered whether this softball debachle would ever come back to bite me…

So honorable commissioners, this is probably why these few isolated, scared neighbors of mine continue to haunt your chambers to oppose soccer fields, swimming pools and adequate police protection. They obviously detest sports and shiny new buildings and have taken to cannibalizing signage and now are ganging up on your "Commissioner's Parking Spaces"… something I and maybe you never even knew you had and I bet they just found out about as well...

Oh I so long for the daze when we just sipped our tea and acted civilily!

That's all folks!

Larry Evans

Water polo clinic and all stars

American Water Polo is proud to inform you of the 2010 Collegiate Water Polo Association's Eastern's Clinic and All-Star game hosted at Bucknell University on Saturday, November 20^th.

 The Eastern's Clinic will begin at 8:45 am and run until 11:15 am. Immediately following the clinic will be the all-star game, starting at 11:30 am. Once again, two-time Olympian Brad Schumacher will be making the trip from California to host the clinic. It is open to male and female athletes ages 10 to 18. We ask that your athletes register by November 5^th.

This year the Eastern's All-Star game will be between the Pennsylvania all- stars and the East Coast all-stars. The East Coast all-stars will be comprised of all athletes from all states other than Pennsylvania. The decision to make a Pennsylvania all-star team is based on the fact that the Eastern Championship is hosted in Pennsylvania. Each all-star team will have a roster of 14 players. In order to determine the top 14 players, we ask each coach to nominate 1 to 3 players, in order of rank, and have their nominations in by noon on Wednesday October, 27^th. We will be announcing the team by Friday October, 29^th. If your team is a public high school, your nominees must be seniors.

The Eastern's All-Star game and Clinic are both great opportunities for your athletes to be scene by college coaches. American Water Polo has specifically coordinated these two events to be held on the same weekend as the Men's Division I Eastern Championship. The top eight east coast programs will be competing to advance to the Men's Division I final four. Your athletes also have the opportunity to witness first hand some of the best water polo being played on the east coast.

Please contact myself or Tom Tracey as soon as possible. We will be selecting the all- star team in the afternoon of Wednesday October 27^th. Nominations that are received after 12 pm on the 27^th will not be considered for nomination.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you,

 

Alex Bond

American Water Polo, Membership Services

320 West 5^th Street, Bridgeport, PA 19405

610-277-6787 Office 610-277-7382 Fax

The death of an open water swimmer in a meet at UAE is so sad.

Wow. We are shocked at this news.

Fran Crippen, 26, died Saturday during the last leg of the Marathon Swimming World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

This is bad, bad news.

My wife and I went to the UAE in May of this year. We did visit a beach but didn't swim in open water -- but -- I wanted to do so. And, we even had a companion, a master swimmer from Omaha, that was about to join us. Swimming around The Palm was in our sights, but, the hours were pressing. We went to the pool instead.

UAE has some places that have great skin diving along a reef.

UAE's tradition also includes lots of pear diving where guys in boats worked with weights tied to their legs to easily get to the depths -- and then are pulled topside with bags while wearing gloves.

Ugh.

We are in South Africa now and did a little swim today at the resort pool. No open water is in our future here -- yet. Durbin would be the place to do it but we didn't have any time there. Just into the new airport and a drive to the Campagne Sports Resort at Drakensberg. Won't be interested in open water in Kruger either.

Our driver the other night told us of some folks who swim to South Africa from the neighbors to the north, fleeing border guards. They travel the width of the river with a chicken on a rope at the end of a stick on the back of a croc. No joke. They use the animal for a ride by climbing on its back.

I asked what about another joining in to grab the chicken before one had covered the width of the river. Then what.

This had been a rumor here, but, was confirmed by a journalist who went to find the area and witnessed such a crossing.

Later in South Africa there is a water polo match and it would be great to find its location and try to get there, but, we'll see.

Had a great talk yesterday with a ENT doctor from Cape Town who had been to Pittsburgh twice. He has two sons, like us, who are exactly the same ages as Erik and Grant. And he is a master swimmer. He would have been in the SA Masters Championships this weekend, but this conference is in the way.

We are at the 46th Congress for South African Society of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery in assocation with the South African Association of Audiologists and South Africa Head & Neck Oncology Society.

Got to run. Tennis under the lights is in ouer future. Played 18 holes of golf today. Grant is hitting par and often 1 over par by a foot. We are hitting the cup with the putt from 10-foot, and it rims out.

RIP Crippen. Peace to all.

Save the date: Nov 8, 9 and 18th at 6 pm

There are some public meetings slated for 6 pm to 8 pm on November 8, 9 and 18th at various Pittsburgh Public School buildings. Details later. Save the date. Your participation welcomed!

Fw: Urgent.. Are you attending the Lights On After School Event TODAY?

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

---

From: RFlanag@aol.com

Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2010 12:32:04 EDT

To: <rflanag@aol.com>

Subject: Urgent.. Are you attending the Lights On After School Event TODAY?

Show your support for After School Programming.  Attend today's event.

 

 

 

 

 

Contact: Stephen MacIsaac, Executive Director                    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tel. 412.363.1914 office - Tel. 412.519.6793 cell

macisaac@wireless-neighborhoods.org

 

'LIGHTS ON AFTERSCHOOL' EVENT CELEBRATES CITY-WIDE PROGRAMMING

After-school programs to be celebrated through national awareness campaign

 

(Pittsburgh, PA –October 20, 2010) – After-school programming, an essential function of the development of Pittsburgh's youth, will be celebrated tomorrow at the "Lights On Afterschool" event.

 

This event, one of 7,500 similar events nation-wide, is part of the Afterschool Alliance's effort to raise awareness about the importance of afterschool programming. It is an exciting chance to learn more about programs taking place in the community, and it a great opportunity this year to show support for American youth.

 

Afterschool programming plays a significant role in Pittsburgh's communities.

·         26 % of Pennsylvania's K-12 children are left unsupervised after school (American After 3 PM, 2009)

·         The hours between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. show the highest instance of juvenile crime and experimentation with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and sex (Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2002)

·         32 % of PA Children not in an afterschool program would attend, were one available. (America After 3 PM, 2009)

 

Activities will include:

·         "Best Practices" Showcase: An opportunity to see afterschool programs in action!

·         Provider Fair: Meet the community partners who make afterschool programs possible

·         Youth Entertainment: Our kids aren't just smart, they're talented too!

·         Guest Speakers: Local leaders share how afterschool programs have affected their lives.

 

This event is hosted by Wireless Neighborhoods, Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation, Pittsburgh Public Schools and many valued community and faith partners. Attendees will send a strong message to lawmakers and community leaders that Pittsburgh's youth are valued and afterschool programming is recognized and plays in the growth and development of Pittsburgh's children.

 

                   Where:          Pittsburgh Peabody High School

                                      515 N. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206

         

When:           Thursday, October 21, 2010

4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

         

 

For more information on Wireless Neighborhoods, please visit www.wireless-neighborhoods.org.

###

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fw: First Tee Mentor Program

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

---

From: Firstteepitt@aol.com

Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:16:18 EDT

To: <firstteepitt@aol.com>

Subject: First Tee Mentor Program

Hi First Tee Friends,

 

The First Tee of Pittsburgh (TFTP) will be starting a mentor program with our friends at East End Cooperative Ministry (EECM) this fall and we are looking for male mentors, (our program for girls will begin in six months).

 

TFTP is a non profit youth development agency that uses golf instruction as a vehicle to teach kids life skills in four target areas: interpersonal communication, self-management, goal setting and resilience skills.

 

EECM is a faith based social service agency whose youth programs reach out to kids facing the challenges of delinquency, family dysfunction, social detachment, academic underachievement, and violence in their neighborhoods.

 

At this stage we are planning to hold our sessions on Thursday evenings from 5:30 - 7:30-ish every other week for a total of 32 sessions.

 

These sessions will include a First Tee Life Skills clinic, led by one of our coaches who will prepare a complete lesson plan, an informal dinner with the mentees, and opportunities for dinner speakers, mini-workshops, tutorials, and more.

 

In order to let potential mentors better understand the scope of the program and the commitment we are inviting everyone to attend an informational meeting at the Bob O'Connor Golf Course in Schenley Park on Thursday, November 4 at 7 PM.  At that time we will present all information and answer your questions.

 

We are very excited to be launching "Phase II" of our mentor program and to have EECM as a program partner.  This is a wonderful way to have a positive effect on a young person that will have life-long impact.

 

Please share this with any friends or fellow employees who may be interested. We look forward to seeing you on November 4.

Marc Field
Executive Director
The First Tee of Pittsburgh
5370 Schenley Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
(412) 682-2403
(412) 682-2405 (Fax)
www.thefirstteepittsburgh.org

The First Tee of Pittsburgh is a United Way Donor Choice Agency.
You may direct your United Way contribution to #1436656

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A Big Step for the Independent Sports Blogosphere

A Big Step for the Independent Sports Blogosphere

Want To Reduce Concussions NFL? Ditch The Helmets

Want To Reduce Concussions NFL? Ditch The Helmets

The foolish thing about all this is that the easiest way the NFL can actually prevent helmet to helmet hits is to do one very simple, yet controversial thing…get rid of the helmets.

That’s right, get rid of em. Ditch em. Forget about em. There have been a number of studies that show that the helmets themselves are probably the cause of a lot of these injuries, if you wanna read an excellent article on it, check this out from the Wall Street Journal last year.

NFL fines Steelers' Harrison $75,000; Harrison: 'It was a legal hit'

NFL fines Steelers' Harrison $75,000; Harrison: 'It was a legal hit'

Steelers linebacker James Harrison has been fined $75,000 by the NFL for his helmet-leading hit that caused Browns wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi to receive a concussion. Harrison was not suspended.

Read more: http://post-gazette.com/pg/10292/1096447-66.stm#ixzz12qMfRHmn

Ouch.

I told my sons that in 10 years, football will be dead. Boxing is. Football is next. Just a prediction. I don't really want to see that come to pass, but all this buzz about head injuries is not to be ignored.

Education Week: Gwinnett County, Ga., Wins $1M Broad Prize

Education Week: Gwinnett County, Ga., Wins $1M Broad Prize

The Gwinnett County, Ga., school district, located just outside Atlanta, has been awarded the prestigious Broad Prize for Urban Education for 2010. The annual award, announced today, honors large urban school systems that demonstrate the strongest student achievement and improvement while narrowing performance gaps between different groups based on family income and ethnicity.