... people do the darnedest things

I remember way back when I was still in high school. Unlike in my father's day, we had pens and note pads and things.

I remember getting caned (yes, with a bamboo stick, straight on my buttock cheeks) on my second day of high school for not doing Physics homework.

I was by no means a genius in high school. Sometimes I felt lazy. And when I felt lazy, I wouldn't do anything. I quickly learned that there were repercussions. Like getting smacked on the ass with a stick by a man who had a chip on his shoulder.

Sometimes I would study for tests. And other times, if it was something that would have required an incredible amount of studying - like say European history in the 14th century - I would just try wing it and hope for the best. Some terms I'd have great grades. Others, not so much.

So imagine my surprise when I found the following news item online. Silly boy. Just plain silly:

"Ala. boy fakes kidnapping to hide bad grades

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -An 11-year-old boy gets high marks in storytelling after staging a hoax to cover up his bad grades.

Police said the boy faked his kidnapping Friday to avoid bringing home a bad report card, saying that a man with a pistol snatched him after he left Ed White Middle School. The boy said the man forced him into a "beat-up car" and threatened to kill him.

The student said he escaped by jumping out of the car but wasn't able to grab his bookbag, which contained the report card.
He ran to his grandparents' house and later confessed to lying. His grandfather called police to apologize.

Sgt. Mark Roberts said police were suspicious that the boy was able to "escape" with his band instrument, but not his bookbag.

Roberts said the boy faces no charges at this time."

Now if that was me, I would have received a thrashing and a lamb-basting from my father.