The Smartest Guitar Hero

Blake Peebles might be the smartest kid alive. (Or maybe he has the dumbest parents.)

He has single-handedly convinced his parents to let him quit school so he can "train" (er, play) video games to become a competitive force. Apparently all the kid had to do was complain enough about school until they let him quit.

Okay, it's not as entirely bad as it sounds. Apparently Mom and Dad Peebles pay for home tutors, and they feel confident about their decision because their son seems happier. (No shit. The kid doesn't have to go to school AND stays up as late as he wants playing video games -- which he calls "working the late shift." Cute.)

His game of choice at the moment is Guitar Hero III, and his tournament winnings thus far include: about $1,000 in gift certificates and gaming equipment and 52 combo meals at Chick-fil-A.

This kid is obviously going places. [Please note the sarcastic tone]

I always thought you had to be a bloody phenom to convince your parents to let you quit school to concentrate exclusively on a skill. Had I known I just had to kick a few asses at some local gaming tournaments and win some Happy Meals or something to get out of school, my life would have been drastically different. I was awesome at Super Mario 3, too. Oh, what could have been!