PSoTD

Something to reset your mind.

I have a couple of hoodies that I wear. I wear the hood when it's cold, for example yesterday when I took our son to his T-Ball practice. But I have to admit to a suspicion whenever I see some young guy wearing an oversized hoodie in a "warm" place. I saw some kid driving with one on yesterday, a big old hoodie that had to limit his peripheral vision for driving. I think that's just stupid - just like I think wearing any big hats while driving is stupid, because it can only serve to impair visibility.

You see younger people wearing hoodies indoors at lots of places - the video store, the movies, etc. I admit, I just don't get it. And I hope the practice is well over by the time our kids get to later teenage years.

Now I see the reputation of the hoodie has now lead to its being controlled in schools.

When McKeesport Principal Tim Gabauer noticed more and more junior high students wearing trendy hooded sweatshirts, he decided that "hoodies" are as much a problem as they are a fashion statement.

In an era of low-rise pants and midriff tops, McKeesport and other school districts have decided that hoodies simply cover up too much.

Students say they like hoodies for comfort and convenience.

But McKeesport and other school districts have banned the jackets and pullovers because they can conceal contraband or even indicate gang involvement. Many schools are restricting how hoodies are worn.

"It's much easier for kids to conceal something and have access to it (in a hoodie)," Gabauer said. "We want to do what we can to provide a safe atmosphere. It didn't seem like anything radical, just a way to enforce safety."

Indeed, police reports often describe robbery suspects wearing hooded sweatshirts to hide their identity.

And if you peruse a news search on Google for the term "hoodie", you do find it quite often in robbery stories:

93-year-old woman is victim of theft bid

Baskin Robbins reports fifth robbery in 2007

Area men face theft charges

Mom chases down suspected bike thief

I doubt we'll be buying the kids many hoodies...

Granada High School, in Livermore, California.

I ran track, and it's one of my fonder memories of high school, so I figured a picture of their relatively new track hits home as well as anything for me. The track when I was there sucked - dirt track that puddled up during the winter, and then in the spring the mud was scarred by our track spikes and we dug ruts in the inner lanes from mile and 2 mile practice, and then it dried up like concrete and the inner lanes were almost impossible to run on because of the ruts and spike tears. This is a big improvement.

You know you're getting old when you don't recognize the names of almost all the teachers at your high school. I looked at Granada's faculty list - I remember two names. TWO!

Of course, it has been 30 years since I graduated from there...