SparkNotes

Kanye at the VMAs, Serena on the court, Representatives in Congress: 2009 is officially the year of the outburst! If you're considering a meltdown of your own, be careful. There are some situations where you should avoid an outburst at all costs:

We always suspected the cheeseburgers were controlling us! And finally, new research vindicates all us junk food addicts. A study by UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas discovered that fat from certain foods (ice cream and burgers, yummm) heads right to the brain. The fat molecules make the brain tell the body to keep on eating, even if we are full. Who knew food was that sneaky? Here are some other controlling foods to watch for.

Harvard recently introduced plans for its own line of upscale menswear. The new "Harvard Yard" line will be preppy college chic—think tweed and elbow patches.

Here are some other famous schools we think worthy of fashion collections:

According to a study out of New Zealand, imaginary friends help children develop their language skills and can help them improve their grades. Looks like it was worth it to spend our weekends having tea parties with Mrs. Beasley and Roderick von Rickles the rat! If you’re thinking of rekindling the friendship with your imaginary buddy, here are some of the great advantages of friends-that-can’t-be-seen:

Why do people always say "Everything I need to know I learned in kindergarten"? Yes, we're glad we know how to share, but some of the things we learned in kindergarten can definitely be dropped from our repertoire:

Eat paste
OK, the teacher didn’t really teach us this one. It’s an innate desire: See white goo. Use it for collaging. Put in mouth. As delicious as this cycle is, paste eating doesn’t really fly in social circles after the second grade.

It’s coming, Sparklers. Next month, school will be back in session for most of you. The rest of you have already started! Will you be ready? In case you’re worried about not being able to snap out of the summer vacation mindset, here are some simple ways to transition back into school mode:

1. Pop quiz yourself

To prepare for one of school’s rudest wakeup calls, make your own pop quizzes at home with the help of your family. Have your parents quiz you at dinner with spelling tests pertaining to the side dishes. Asparagus. A-S-P-A-R-A-G-U-S. Asparagus. Have your best friend test you on the plot points of the latest "Mad Men" episode. Compare Don Draper to Don Quixote for bonus marks. Your mind will be razor-sharp by the time school rolls around.

"What did you do on your summer vacation?" Three teachers and 20 sort-of friends inevitably ask this question at the beginning of every school year. Earlier this month, we gave you some great answers to it. But if you still don't have your story straight, and you didn’t spend the summer studying turtles in the Galapagos Islands or modeling in Paris, here are some ways to make what you did do sound more exciting:

Social media addicts everywhere were frenzied last week when hackers hit Twitter and Facebook, causing delays on both sites. The attack not only delayed our scheduled superpoking, it illustrated just how dependent we’ve become on online interaction. In case you’re too busy tweeting to notice, here are some signs you might be addicted to social media:

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For the first time since 1961, a cartoon has been nominated for a Best Comedy Series Emmy. And the nomination goes to…. drum roll please…Family Guy! Who doesn’t love embarrassing father Peter Griffin, hard-drinking canine Brian and world domination-plotting baby Stewie? We more than second that nomination, but we also want to give shout outs to great animated highlights that should have been nominated over the years:

Earlier this week, Kathryn Williams gave us her thoughts on freshman year; now it's Rupinder Gill's turn.

There are few days as exciting and nerve-wracking as the first day of high school. What to wear? What to think? How to act?

Between classes, extracurriculars, and social situations, freshman year is a maze, and finding your place can be confusing. But once you do, high school can be great. Here are some tips on navigating the maze and getting to the good stuff as quickly as possible: