You and your students may remember the 'Ridiculous' column from the August issue of brass. The article discussed the prices people pay to have a piece of memorabilia from their favorite stars. For instance, someone paid $107,000 for the bat that Babe Ruth used in his final appearance in Yankee Stadium. Items like wooden legs, false teeth and used chewing gum have also fetched large sums.

This is the title of a plaque that hangs on the wall of my boss' office. I've read it a million times and just recently decided to "Google" it. After hitting the 'enter' button I came up with part of a great interview with legendary basketball coach John Wooden. A portion of the interview centered around why he decided to become a coach and teacher.

There is a new tutor in town...YouTube. Students are increasingly turning to this online video site to watch more than their friends performing backyard stunts. They're getting help with their homework, courtesy of videos posted to the site by teachers and professors. You might remember the global warming video created by an Oregon high school teacher. At last count, it has received 1,696,026 views.

One of the best parts of my job is working directly with students. I had the opportunity to speak to two classes at Elmira High School in Elmira, OR last week about brass and about how they can share their money knowledge with their peers by becoming contributors. The students in teacher Jeanie May's class had some great ideas, and I really enjoyed their enthusiasm. A special thanks to the students and staff of Elmira, particularly Jeanie and Vice-Principal Jackie Turle for inviting me and showing me around for the day.

Around the world, business teachers are finding that they need to add a new 'R' to their syllabus: recession. No doubt you and your students have had several discussions about what is happening in the economy right now. Young adults are very curious...and concerned. A recent ABC news poll found that 75% of teens who said that their parents were worried about the economy also indicated that they were worried.

The National Financial Literacy Challenge begins on November 3rd and runs through November 26th. This is a great chance for your students to test their knowledge for an opportunity to earn awards and scholarships. The 35-question test covers a variety of financial topics and was taken by over 46,000 students last year. Learn more about the challenge here or click here to register.

When I was a teacher, I tried all kinds of techniques to inspire my students. I dressed in costumes, brought in props...you name it, I tried it. This is why the story of teachers participating in the Weightless Flights of Discovery Program caught my eye.

One of my favorite elements of the TRC is the video player. We've featured a music video, magazine preview and you can now hear the story of brass from CEO Bryan Sims. If you like a particular video that we've had in the past, just click the 'menu' button at the bottom of the player to see a list of all videos. The November issue of brass has gone to press, and we will be loading the latest video magazine preview sometime next week. Now, let's get on with the show!

I am currently in Appleton, Wisconsin getting ready to present a workshop at the Wisconsin Business Educator's Association annual conference. As I was thumbing through the complimentary copy of USA Today, I came across an interesting take on one of the biggest debates in education today - accountability and education reform.

With all of the news surrounding the bailout of financial firms, I thought it would be interesting to find out exactly how much $700 is. For a class exercise, have your students research and come up with a list of how much $700 billion is. We'd love to hear what they find out. Students can also check out the latest brass|BLOG entry, for more information on the recent happenings on Wall Street.