Banning the "Zero" in Grades. Dog Ate Your Homework? No Problem!

The Wake County (NC) public school system is evaluating whether to eliminate giving students a "zero" grade when work is not turned in on time. Students would be guaranteed the right to turn in late work for credit and retake exams to get higher scores. The logic behind this thought is that the current system allowing students to get zeros is "too punitive." The lowest score students would be able to receive under the proposed guidelines would be a 50, even if they don't turn in the work. Fortunately, some members of the Wake County School Board don't think it's a good idea. Member Jim Martin was quoted in the (Raleigh) News & Observer that "not giving a zero protects a slacker." Hear hear Mr. Martin! What kind of signals are we sending to students who will have to face deadlines and expectations once they enter the workforce? Mr. Martin is also quoted saying “Turning in your work is frankly a behavior of your job that you need to do.” Sure a zero can wreck a grade average really quickly, but if students don't face the consequences of not turning work in on time, instead turning it in "when I feel like it," is not teaching them what they need to know later in life. I know that if I had received a zero on an assignment in school, it would have been my first and only one! let's teach our kids some responsibility and make them accountable. They will thank us later.

Oreos Addicting? Oh Brother!

So a team of researchers at Connecticut College has determined that Oreo Cookies are as addictive as cocaine. The study, which will be presented at the Society for Neuroscience’s annual conference next month, also made another discovery: Rats, like humans, like to eat Oreo’s creamy center first. In the study, laboratory rats were put in a maze and given the choice of Oreos or rice cakes, and the rats chose the Oreo. Duh! Maybe that just shows the rats like things that taste good! The research reports that the cookies activated the same pleasure sensors in the brain as cocaine or morphine. Actually, the pleasure from the Oreo was more intense. I wonder who funded this study, and why we care? The researchers say it was to determine why some people can't resist high fat/high sugar foods even if they know the foods aren't good for them. At least we found out the rats wanted to eat the cream filling first, so they know where the good part is. As for me, pass the milk,please!

More Nanny State News: School bans footballs, tag and cartwheels from recess to keep kids from getting hurt

In the latest nanny-state move to keep kids from being kids, a Long Island middle school has decided that playing games at recess can be dangerous. News reports say that Weber Middle School has instituted a ban on footballs, baseballs, lacrosse balls. Games of tag or cartwheels must be supervised by a coach, or they are not allowed. Tag, really? Nerf balls are allowed, because "The Port Washington district said the softer foam balls put students in the best situation to cut down the chance of getting injured." Port Washington schools Supt. Kathleen Maloney said the change in policy is warranted due to a rash of playground injuries. One news report goes on to say "Without helmets and pads, children are much more susceptible to getting hurt, experts said." Wow! I always thought one of the rites of passage from childhood was that broken arm or scar on the chin or knee. Somehow I survived my childhood with out bike helmets, knee pads or Nerf balls. I am waiting for the day when parents are required to send their kids to school wrapped in bubble-wrap. Don't laugh, that day is coming.

Can your iPhone operating system make you sick? Apparently so.

iPhone users all over the country who have downloaded the new Apple iOS 7 are claiming that the new operating system is making them sick. They claim the icons flying into the screen and the other animations make them feel "car sick." I am having a really hard time believing that the motion from a tiny iPhone screen can have that effect on someone. I have to admit I downloaded the new operating system with some trepidation: I had heard that it was a battery hog, so I did some research and turned off many of the settings, including the one that makes the icons seem to float on the home screen. That seems to be the source of most of the discomfort by users. Still, even that feature seems to be a stretch as a cause of being sick. One user stated "Have headaches and nausea for past 3 days. Can't stand to look at my phone screen anymore while opening/closing apps. I just close my eyes or look away." Hmmmm. Maybe it's just a case of tearing yourself away from the phone instead of staring at it constantly throughout every waking minute. Step away from the phone........