Deschooling…

Hmmm:

The operation of a peer-matching network would be simple. The user would identify himself by name and address and describe the activity for which he sought a peer. A computer would send him back the names and addresses of all those who had inserted the same description. It is amazing that such a simple utility has never been used on a broad scale for publicly valued activity.
–Ivan Illich

That sounds familiar, though Illich wrote it in 1971. He also wrote a lot about substituting “webs” of learning for “funnels,” meaning the learn-to-work training mission of modern education. Unfortunately, management shamans have got hold of things even more than they did in 1971, assessment and accountability and other such empty buzzwords drive curricula, and students learn to toe the line or else. Same as it ever was. I teach in a college, and can’t ever quite tell if I’m helping people learn and explore and find meaning, or if I’m just another fool who thinks they can “change the system from within,” otherwise known as Jerry Rubin syndrome. And I guess I won’t ever know, and it’s probably not as bleak as it seems, there are good people teaching here and there, I’ve been taught by some of them… ah well. Sometimes it’s reassuring to know you are too far gone to ever be properly assimilated.

264) Kool Keith: Black Elvis/Lost in Space

Lots of great, funny songs, and I’m a fan of the pre-grime production beeps and fuzz bass wobbles on here, some is Sadat X, some is other folks… and he drops Stretch Armstrong, Chairhead Chippendale, Argonauts, Ringling Bros, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, and the Vulcan Neck Pinch in one verse, for god’s sake.

265) Loudon Wainwright III: Attempted Mustache

Loudon and Kool Keith, that makes sense somehow, they should do a song together. I like watching Loudon on M.A.S.H., but all the clips of him from that show on YouTube have been taken down, so instead, the first song on this CD:

266) The Kinks: Muswell Hillbillies

One of their best, most consistent recordings; even the fluff (“Have A Cuppa Tea”) is inspired, and the band sounds tight and bluesy, and, and, and, well, even if it only had “Complicated Life” and 10 versions of “Louie Louie” I would buy a copy. Really: