29 April 2005
blind old ladies
Much like the Bible, A level religious studies textbooks are an infinite resource of seriously bizarre imagery and argument (I wouldn't much fancy answering '"Jesus is Lord" - but is he God?' in an exam, though it certainly appeared on a past paper). Teaching Wittgenstein this week (in half a lesson - ah, the depth of learning FE provides). I was explaining the relationship between forms of life and the rules that bind communities of speakers. One of the students sticks up his pudgy hand and says: 'Miss, can we play one of these language games?' They couldn't work out why I was laughing, so I reassured them that it was a wholly adorable thing to say. Well, you have to keep 'em on side, else they might sit on me and that would seriously hurt, given that most students appear to the spawn of blue whales and mammoths.
Apparently, 20 years or so ago, it used to be de rigueur to sleep with the students if you were an FE lecturer (well, perhaps not de rigueur, that would be weird. Perhaps just de facto, or something less French). Even if I were an amoral creature with a penchant for 'barely legal' religious studies students (and I hasten to add I'm not!), I would surely be crushed by these kids and their futuristic giant bones. What happened in the past decade? It's not like I grew up with rationing. Breast milk must be more like milkshake these days, or something.
The debonair and baroque sphaleotas turned up last night, which was a cavalcade of classical allusion and wit, as usual. First class putdown of the night (of some academic philosopher who shall remain nameless): 'she's written more books than she's read'. Just so.
One of the best nights out for a long, long time the other day for Simon Reynold's booklaunch/discussion panel. All the speakers were great - Morley in particular (but guess he's had more practice than most). Raincoat Gina Birch was neat - her passion for conceptual art and desire to make music in the wake of Patti Smith and the Slits was expressed articulately and honestly, as was her surprise that the band had influenced so many. I briefly asked her what she made of the Raincoats mention in that not-so-bad US teen flick 10 Things I Hate About You (a modern-day Taming of the Shrew). She said she wasn't sure about the casting of the lead character, but otherwise thought it jolly. How sweet!
From this fortnight's Private Eye
K-Punk thinks this comparison is unfair to Lemurs.
Let's just hope Gorgeous George won't have fathered 10% of the world's population in a few generations' time. Though let's hope he beats Oona: 'the first ever white, black, female, Jewish Muslim since Michael Jackson' (also care of PE).
We liked this one a lot. Something less 'whimsical' to follow....er, you never know.
