Cheesemaking and Permafrost On Mars

Remember the Iowa Test of Basic Skills that you had to take if you were a grade-schooler in Illinois in the 1970s? You know that one reading comprehension part where you read a bit about something or other and then you had to put in order the key points?

Remember reading about Cheesemaking and Permafrost On Mars? Now, why in the hell do I still remember all the steps involved in cheesemaking, and various facts about permafrost on Mars? Could it be...

A conspiracy? Yes, it's a conspiracy! I bet the school district wanted to implant us with one practical survival skill/food-making process in case of nuclear holocaust. Only problem is, let's hope there are some cows left after a nuclear war so all of us implanted with the cheesemaking process can put our tenaciously-held knowledge to use. We were implanted with the permafrost on Mars stuff in case the nuclear holocaust was so bad we'd have to colonize Mars, and permafrost may hold an abundant supply of fresh, potable water, according to the short excerpt I read. We weren't filling out those fecund ovals with our #2 pencils just for the sake of gaining a percentile of glory for our school; we were being implanted with valuable survival skills! At least that's my theory. If anyone has a better explanation for why we had to read up on cheesemaking and permafrost on Mars in the first place, and you can explain why the hell after 30 years you remember all this crap, let me know.

In the meantime, I am actually interested in making a farmer-style cheese at home, and you know what? I know what to do with the rennet, thanks to the ITBS!