Bits and Pieces

Interesting article in the Wall Street Journal the other day. It was reporting on an article coming out next month in the journal Heart. The article discussed the benefits/damage of excessive running on older athletes. While the focus was on runners, I would assume the results would be the same for an old guy who runs, cycles and boxes. The gist of the thing is that there can be too much of a good thing as we get older. Might explain some of my issues. I need to remember to read the full article when it comes out. I'm looking to fine tune my exercise program so I  might be able to incorporate some of the findings or substantiate some of my ideas with a more informed opinion.

There's a billboard right across the street from my old school stating that 28% of students drop out of high school. While having breakfast the other day with a former colleague, she stated that roughly the same number of students in Indiana are on free or reduced lunch. Just might explain a few things.

The fuzzy photo is one of the faculty at the college doing some "community service". Not the kind where you've been naughty and have to atone for it. Rather, this is the let's do something nice for the community because we can and it's good PR. Don't know where the world would be without shop teachers but I'd be willing to bet that 28% drop out number would be substantially higher and a lot fewer things would get built/fixed for churches, libraries, non-profits, and individuals in need. If you read the post the other day, who but a shop teacher would build prosthetic legs out of Toyota Corolla parts?

Since the weather was unseasonably warm over the weekend, I figured it would be a good time to hook up the wiring on the fog lights. Took a little longer than anticipated but it was a nice day to be outside puttzing around on something. I need to get them aimed as per the instructions yet but no biggie there.

I hit 50,000 visits here at the Shop Teacher Bob blog the other day. That's a pretty respectable number for the subject matter covered here. I try to post twice a week at a minimum and have done so quite diligently since 2008. Since I normally lose interest in things I tackle long before four years has gone by, I'm kind of proud of myself. I hope I've been able to draw attention to some of the great things my students and others in education have done. Plus, I get a chance to vent a little here. That takes a little load off the Missus - she's heard it all before. Thanks to all who've stopped by.

And speaking of venting, the same Wall Street Journal I opened with had an editorial about the real deficit we have in this country, not the much less but still outrageous figure that normally gets thrown around. Due to less than transparent financial reporting, it's way worse than what most anyone knows. Trillions of dollars worse. And in the NWI Times a couple of days later, I see an article saying that Indiana doesn't have any money for roads and bridges because the gas tax revenues are less than projected and they already spent all the money from leasing out the toll road. Another article said that because the government decided we needed to put ethanol in our tanks, food prices are and will continue to go up. Everything those knucklehead politicians touch turns to s**t. It's like they have the Midas touch only in reverse. Since they'll continue to meddle, don't look for things to improve any time soon. In fact, I'm thinking relatively high unemployment and deficit spending is going to be the new normal. What we've got now is what we're going to have until the bills come due and it gets worse. My advice in this is to pay off your debts and start looking at the seed catalogs.

Photo From Here

Just so I don't end on a sour note, here's a cool looking Guzzi Cafe bike. They've got a few more at their site. Nothing flashy, just simple motorcycles that speak of torque and handling. Lot to be said for a back to basics approach whether it's motorcycles or life.