You probably remember that school bully, the one who would steal your lunch or make fun of anyone who couldn't play kickball.

Even though we're not playing jacks or Four Squares in the playground anymore, we're still co-existing with bullies.

We're working with them.

Workplace bullying is more common than you probably think. According to a story in today's New York Times, 37 percent of American workers — that's more than 1 in 3! — said they experience bullying on the job.

Of course, the workplace bully is a little different than the one we recall on the playground.

These bullies are more subtle in their harassment:

It may start with a belittling comment at a staff meeting. Later it becomes gossip to co-workers and forgetting to invite someone to an important work event. If the bully is a supervisor, victims may be stripped of critical duties, then accused of not doing their job, says Gary Namie, founder of the Workplace Bullying Institute, an advocacy group based in Bellingham, Wash.

This month, researchers at the University of Manitoba reported that the emotional toll of workplace bullying is more severe than that of sexual harassment. And in today’s corporate culture, supervisors may condone bullying as part of a tough management style.

The bad part about turning a blind eye to bullying is that this creates an unhealthy work environment. Some victims say they become physically ill from the stress, suffer with depression and anxiety, and even display symptoms of post-traumatic disorder.

New York is considering anti-bullying legislation. New Jersey and Connecticut have introduced such measures but with no success.

Have you experienced workplace bullying? And do you think this creates enough of an unhealthy environment that the state should do something about it?

Shock and outrage by parents from two public high schools this month are raising that age-old debate about sex education in the classroom.

Last week some parents of students attending Kahuku High & Intermediate were upset about a graphic skit performed on campus that was intended to teach the students about teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

Then yesterday a Kalani High parent expressed shock at a similar program presented by the Life Foundation at the school. (Read more in today's Advertiser here.)

In both cases the purpose wasn't to promote sex -- as some parents may fear -- but to discuss openly sexual diversity, sexual health and responsibility, STDs and pregnancy.

According to the story in today's paper, the Kalani High parent, John Iervolino, said part of the presentation promoted sexual promiscuity and, overall, it was inappropriate for the students:

"We sat there for five minutes listening to a young man tell us how he used his finger to have sex with his girlfriend," Iervolino said. A female student had to read off a cue card about how to have hand sex with a person who has HIV and how to get his penis erect, Iervolino said. "They had a dildo stuck to the board," he said. "There it hung, flaccid."

Now, I don't have a problem with sex education in the schools -- as long as what's being taught is balanced and appropriate. I mean, my experience was having to read from a textbook in fifth grade -- OUT LOUD -- with Sister Mary Ann ready to send us to the principal's office if we giggled. (Yes, I ended up in the principal's office that day.)

But who decides what's appropriate and what's not?

What do you think should be taught in the schools -- and what shouldn't?

If you're like me, you never feel like you're getting enough sleep.

I mean, there are many, many mornings I wake up -- usually around 5 a.m. -- and I ask myself, literally, "How am I suppose to make it through the day?"

But I do -- and I'm sure you do, too. But that doesn't mean we're resting nearly enough to be healthy.

Humans spend on average about one-third of their lives asleep. And getting enough of it is as healthy as eating leafy green veggies. (Learn more about the biological purpose of sleep in this CBS's "60 Minutes" story.)

But knowing how important sleep is -- we can actually feel its benefits -- why don't we sleep more?

We're working longer hours, thanks to our 24/7 lifestyle. Twenty percent of Americans are working night shifts. Even journalists -- including those at this newspaper -- pull overnight shifts. (Read more in this story in the Los Angeles Times.)

This lack of sleep can raise the likelihood of obesity, cancer, reproductive health problems, mental illness and gastrointestinal disorders.

Yet, here we are, wasting sleep time in front of the TV, checking our e-mail or searching Facebook.

But not all Americans are sleeping less.

According to a new study by University of Maryland sociologists, Americans average as much sleep as they did 40 years ago, if not more.

So what are your sleeping habits? Do you find that you need more sleep? Got some kind of sleeping problem or disorder? Do you have to taking sleeping aids to fall asleep? Wish your workplace instituted nap time?

It started out as a clever public-relations campaign by a British directory assistance company and a London nonprofit earlier this month.

But the result was a lot of chatter about the disastrous combination of texting and walking.

A recent video (below) shows some London pedestrians so pre-occupied with texting on their cell phones they're walking into street signs, lampposts or trash cans.

Along trendy Brick Lane in East London, lampposts were wrapped with white cushions — similar to what you'd see around football goalposts.

The cushions were only up for about 24 hours — but the debate about this so-called "iPod oblivion" has lasted much longer. (Read more about this in Time magazine here.)

Should people be allowed to cross busy streets with earphones wedged into their ears? Should text-messaging while walking be banned altogether? Should government be involved in protecting pedestrians from themselves?

What do you think?

OK, so I admit it.

I'm a loyal fan of MTV's "The Hills," which is back for its third season Monday night.

I mean, loyal to the point I almost think Lauren Conrad, the show's protagonist and former love-lost star of "Laguna Beach," is one of my closest friends. Like I could call her right now on her Sidekick and tell her to ditch Brody and find a guy who's actually into you — and not just to be on MTV. (To catch up on the show, read ABC's primer here.)

Of course in the real world, this ultra-cool, uber-chic twentysomething would probably look at me as if I just arrived from Planet '80s. But on TV — reality TV, at that — L.C. seems so approachable, so real.

And that's what has made this show so wildly successful — even outside its underage target demographic. (See a clip from tonight's show here.)

Do I want to see Lauren find love? Yes!

Do I want to see Heidi finally dump that jerk Spencer and mend her friendship with L.C.? You bet!

Do I want to drop-kick Brody for breaking poor Lauren's heart? Hell to the yeah.

It's one of the few reality TV shows that seems, well, scripted. I remember watching the first season of "Laguna Beach" and wondering, "Is this a reality show — or a scripted teen drama?" It's THAT good.

For those of you who can barely stand waiting these several hours until the first episode airs, dish here. For the others, I'll post something else soon!