This is how Wii do P.E. -In what is considered by some critics as the certain decline of Western education, students at the University of Houston are not grabbing text books, but video game controllers before they head to class. Students can now earn college credits by playing video games like hula hoop and yoga on the Nintendo Wii.  This definitely isn't your father's Physical Education class, but it can earn you the same amount of credits as traditional sports classes at several colleges and Universities nationwide.  UH converted a racquetball court on campus into a Wii classroom, complete with individual stations and a number of games that are designed to get students moving and improve their physical fitness. The argument is that many students aren't getting the exercise that they need, so adding the Wii class brings in a new demographic of student to the world of physical fitness.  Not surprisingly, the Wii classes attract students from all majors and disciplines and seats fill up very quickly.  So are these students getting a workout or just having fun?  The answer's not out, but watch out world - America is now producing Grade A video game players.

Kid Genius - Could Einstein's Theory of Relativity be a few mathematical equations away from being disproved?  Jacob Barnett of Hamilton County, IN., who is just weeks shy of his 13^th birthday, thinks so. And, he's got the solutions to prove it with an IQ of 170. While most of his mathematical genius goes over our heads, some professors at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey - you know, the U.S. academic homeroom for the likes of Albert Einstein, Kurt Godel, and      J. Robert Oppenheimer,  - have confirmed he's on the right track to coming up with something completely new. Barnett's didn't speak until the age of two. He was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a mild form of autism, so his parents thought he might have problems in school. Instead, they were astounded when he started solving 5,000 piece puzzles by the age of 3. The 12-year-old taught himself calculus, algebra and geometry in two weeks, and can solve up to 200 numbers of Pi. He left high school at the ripe old age of eight and has been attending college-level advanced astrophysics classes ever since. Right now, Barnett is being recruited by Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis for a paid research position. We figure he'll find a way to pencil that in between dating his girlfriend and playing Halo: Reach, one of his favorite video games. Yes, he can play classical music by memory on the piano, but he also enjoys watching shows on the Disney Channel and sci-fi movies. In many ways, he's your typical 12-year-old boy.

The Mommy Test - I was out walking with my 4 year old daughter. She picked up something off the ground and started to put it in her mouth.  I asked her not to do that. "Why??" she asked.  "Because it's been laying outside and is dirty and probably has germs." At this point, she looked at me with total admiration and asked, "Wow! How do you know all this stuff?"  Uh,"  I was thinking quickly, " . . . everyone knows this stuff.  It's on the Mommy test. You have to know it, or they don't let you be a Mommy."  "Oh," she said in amazement. We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but she was evidently pondering this new information. "I get it!" she beamed. "Then if you flunk, you have to be the Daddy." To all the other mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day!  We're glad you passed the test!!

Returning Meaning to Memorial Day - This year Memorial Day falls on May 30^th.  May 30^th was the original date designated in 1868 as the annual observance day for honoring fallen soldiers.  Flags were flown at half-mast and communities held parades leading to local cemeteries where flower petals were scattered at the grave sites of fallen heroes.  For over a century Americans joined together each year on that very day to pay their respects to the men and women who paid the ultimate price for freedom.  However, in 1971 Congress declared Memorial Day an official holiday and altered its observance to the last Monday in May.  While for most working Americans this made for a three day weekend "kick off" to the summer, many including Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) would argue Memorial Day has lost its true meaning.  And while several measures have been introduced to Congress to return Memorial Day to its original May 30^th observance day, none have been successful.  As Americans, brought together this week by the death of Osama bin Laden, it is our privilege and duty to honor our brave military personnel for their service to our great country.  Let this be the year we take time to share with our children and grandchildren the true meaning of Memorial Day.  To all of the brave men and women who helped us get one step closer to ending the War on Terrorism, we are eternally grateful.  To all of our veterans, soldiers, and families of those who sacrificed their lives for ours, we salute you!