Wheeling and stealing

Handstands are a favourite pastime of little girls in the playground. But if you do one at Sydney's Drummoyne Public School, there are consequences. In the latest school newsletter, parents are told: “We have consulted the State schools' sports unit for policy advice and have been informed that such activities are prohibited unless under the specialised supervision of a trained gymnastics teacher with the correct equipment mats. These activities therefore cannot be condoned during lesson breaks.” But parents say that's ridiculous, and 250 of them have signed a petition. And besides, kids are always going to get hurt. You hurt yourself, you cry, you get back up, and you try it again. That's the nature of being a kid. And at least they're not stealing Pillow Pets like some bellend in southern California did. That's right, a Danny Ray Wright stole 3,500 of the popular animal-shaped toys from a warehouse in Oceanside and sold about one eighth of the ill-gotten haul on eBay. Wright pleaded guilty to grand theft and burglary and was sentenced on Tuesday to 15 days of community service and three years of probation. He was lucky to avoid jail time for such a stupid act. In other news, the Paralympic Games have begun on a golden note for New Zealand after swimmer Sophie Pascoe surged to a record-breaking victory in London. Pascoe, who won three golds at the Games in Beijing four years ago, opened her London campaign in dominant style by winning the women's 200m individual medley SM10 final.