181350...

...is the approximate number of words of student writing I've had to read in the last five days. And of that, there have been four essays on dieting (common opinion: being fat and ugly and unstylish is bad, but so is "possible gastric rupture arising from forced vomiting to prevent absorption of calories intake"), two on pollution ("we should saving the planets and energetic for our sakes' children") and fourteen on population control. And the best line so far? It came from an essay in support of euthanasia, and it rather accurately sums up my feelings about my current line of work:

"'To be or not to be, it's a question.' For help stop the extra pain, I think he should be helped to end him suffering.

That, my attendance-challenged friend, is exactly what I was thinking.