Bad Blueberry Buzz

Blueberries have now made the "Dirty Dozen" list -- the list of fruits and vegetables that are so contaminated by pesticides that the Environmental Working Group recommends you only buy them organic. Really unfortunate.

The good news is that frozen blueberries have only half the insecticides found on fresh blueberries. Furthermore, frozen blueberries deliver a much higher number of proanthocyanidins than the fresh variety. So even though frozen blueberries don't have that same juicy zing, they are nevertheless a delicious and nutritious alternative.

Quote of the Day - June 6, 2010

Bright Kid With World's Biggest Attitude Problem just called me to ask a question about an extra credit assignment I had given him. When I made an allusion to the BP oil spill, he said

"Oh yeah... I heard there was an oil spill or something. Like, my 8-year-old cousin was talking about some oil spill yesterday."

Period 2 Awesomeness

Turquoise-Colored Glasses: Are you telling me that french fries are bad for you? ARE YOU F***ING SERIOUS?!

~~~~~~~~~

(Holds Onto Sketch's Stuff So That Sketch Doesn't Need to Carry His Own Bookbag is unsure if he needs to complete the work he missed when he was absent.)

Adorable But Slightly Sketchy Student: Yo, you so dumb, obviously you need to do all the work you missed. You have to, like, be responsible.

Preparedness

In Environmental Science, one of my smartest and laziest students neglected to bring her packet (in which all of her unit work is contained) to class for the second day in a row. Upon questioning, she told me her packet was in her locker. But when I wrote her a pass to go to her locker, she flat-out refused to leave. I asked and coaxed and pleaded with her to go to her locker, and still she refused, telling me she "didn't feel like it." I then directed her to go to her locker. Still, a refusal. Finally, I asked her to stand outside for the rest of the class. I know that probably wasn't the best option, but I was beginning to worry about the value of my authority. And I felt that if she wasn't going to obey my instruction to be prepared, that I had to assert my authority and command respect somehow, for her sake for the sake of the rest of the class. I still don't know what the best course of action would have been.

Quote of the Day - June 2, 2010

Boisterous But Lovable: Miss, you HOT! Can we go out sometime?

I think I may need to change his pseudonym to "Sex Maniac" or something along those lines.

Popularity Pays Off

According to a study I've been reading, popularity in high school positively correlates with higher wages later in life. Specifically, one additional friendship nomination in high school is associated with a 2% higher wage 35 years later. This is equivalent to almost half the gain from an extra year of education. Shifting someone from the bottom fifth to the top fifth of the school popularity distribution would be predicted to yield him a 10% wage advantage.

Why? I'm guessing strong leadership skills and persuasive powers, especially developed so early in life, are at play here. Any thoughts?

via Barking Up the Wrong Tree (via Economix)

Quote of the Day - June 1, 2010

Precocious and Matter-of-Fact: Miss, it was a three-day weekend. So I can't learn all week.

True, we're all burnt out and checked out, and holiday weekends always require some recovery time. But even so...