I'm not even close to teaching writing yet (other than "don't scribble on the wall"), but plagiarism, and frankly any cheating in general, is bigger than just the ethical problem. Kids cheat when they struggle to manage their time, or when they struggle with perfectionism, or when they don't have a grasp on the subject matter (or proper citation), or when they live in fear of the consequences of a poor grade. I think the temptation to cheat is strongest when the student is not academically prepared for the assignment and doesn't know who or how to ask for help. I don't think it's a coincidence that colleges are reporting more plagiarism along with a growing number of ill-prepared students. I'd refuse the paper, and have a long talk with the student and the parents. Throwing the kid out of the class isn't going to address the deeper issues, as some of those issues may lie with what the parents are (or aren't) teaching.

DH was not able to get active duty after commissioning. Scores, grades, branch preference, and graduation date (summer, instead of spring) all played a role. He's in the Reserves. :glare: He has a great civilian job, we live close to family, and he was able to be here for the births of his children, but if we could have done it all over, he would have either fought harder to get active duty or passed up military service completely. Hindsight, you know.

I flash my lights at oncoming drivers, not as a courtesy to the speeders, but for the safety of the officer up ahead. I used to dispatch, and one of our patrol cars was hit by a vehicle as the officer was pulling off the shoulder to catch a speeder. Also, depending how far down the road you're flashing your lights, the officer may have already pulled someone over and is trying to get out of their vehicle to approach the speeder. Flashing your lights at oncoming traffic, for a speed trap or accident or construction, warns the other drivers to pay special attention, especially on roads where visibility is limited.

I can't believe my first post is about video games... The campaign modes of Halo and Halo 2 will work on an Xbox 360. However, multiplayer gaming is no longer supported for original Xbox games. Not all original Xbox games will play on an Xbox 360, only ones that are "reverse compatible" will work. Here's a list of Xbox games that are reverse compatible: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/backwardcompatibilitygameslist.htm HTH