Putting The Tools of Career Advancement (dancing pole!?) Into Kids' Hands

Children living in Palo Alto already have an uphill climb, living amidst rampant poverty and one of the nation's highest homicide rates. Fortunately, there are those who would help the kids. One of the more unorthodox is 64 year-old William Fried, president of Foster City's Precision Selling, a management consulting firm, who recently spawned an outcry by suggesting that stripping and exotic dancing could be wise career paths. Mr Fried has been an annual guest at Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School, but this year caught some flak when he told students that "stripping and exotic dancing could be lucrative career moves for girls, offering as much as $250,000 or more per year, depending on their bust size. " There are many hidden laughter jewels in this USA Today article. A few highlights:

• Fried's presentation is called "The Secret of a Happy Life."
• One mother complained to the principal, outraged that "her son announced that he was forgoing college for a career in a field he truly loves — fishing."
• The best quote comes from school board member Mandy Lowell, on the defensive: "I don't think that your natural or implant-inflated bust size is what our schools aim to nurture"