So I'm in sunny Ft Collins, Colorado. The sky could not be bluer or the grass greener. I've spent a couple hours walking around each day, staring at the mountains and the grass--it really is SOOO green--and I love this town.

I have also spent the better part of the last three days inside a room with no windows. Grading essays. Bad essays. Very bad essays. Some good ones. Mostly bad ones. Today I read about 150. For my amusement, and yours, here are my top ten giggle-inducing moments of the day.

(Background: The essay question revolves around the peasant revolts in the German states, between 1524 and 1526. Given a set of 12 documents, students have to analyze the causes of the revolts and the various responses to the revolts.)

One student began her essay, "As in all stories one really must start at the beginning...." The same is true of lists:

10. In 1524, the German pheasants began to revolt. Against the nobels.

9. Document 4 is intreperating the messy situation.

8. There were people who thought a peaceful solution to the revolt would be edible.

7. Martin Luther denounced the revolt unequivolicaly.

6. Because the Count is noble, he dislikes that the peasants are revolting him.

5. Lords believed peasants to be their rightful ownage.

4. The peasants, craftsmen, and soldiers decided they were fed up and needed to rampage. They acted savageously.

3. Both sides, peasants and nobles, were smugged by their own opions and agendas.

2. You can't trust Document 1. It's byassed.

1. And you, dear friends, would be amazed at how many students argue that really, the peasants (100,000 of whom died in these revolts) "just wanted the lords to listen to their feelings." I knew there were too many pop-psychology books out there.