Grading entertainment

I have a large number of students in my non-majors class that have been raised in a Creationist or semi-Creationist form of faith and so I make a big deal about evolution.

As a homework assignment I ask them to describe the theory of evolution by natural selection and summarize the evidence supporting it. There is more to it but that is sufficient to enjoy this little quote given as an example of evolution. Try and get past the really poor writing, this really was written by a fairly intelligent student although you wouldn't know it from this assignment. I've added the ellipses to cut out the less entertaining bits.

"...for example two big guerrillas their offsping would probably also be large... if that large of guerillas could either scare off the smaller guerillas [sic] and ensuring that their offspring would also have that advantage. Continuing in this thought experiment, those smaller species of guerillas [sic] by chance find a new environment where their smaller size might help them survive and adaptive radiation would occur and in if the population of guerillas became isolated for a long enough time sympatric (should read allopatric) speciation would occur..."

I just have this image of really fat (or buff) and really petite guerrilla fighters competing for resources, reproducing and evolving to form new species of guerrillas.

And now for something completely different.

In the spirit of Laurie's Drunken Cat Sweater Contest:


This is from I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER, and it's the best I can do given that I would not knit a sweater for my cat (or any other) ever.

why should you care about farm subsidies?

Congress has recently been involved in passing a new farm bill that largely maintained various farm subsidies in spite of violating international law. This seems all very esoteric and we can all get behind the feel good idea of supporting our domestic family farmers but there is another side to it all. You could read Omnivore's Dilemma or just check out these two food pyramids.

For those wondering, I have basically fallen off the face of the planet. I (big surprise here) have completely over committed myself at work and am spending 12-14 hours a day at school.

Have I learned my lesson? Probably not, but if I survive spring semester, I might finally get a clue.