Why Education Failed You: Commentary on The Case Against Education

I’m a few percentage points into the Kindle version of this and I can tell you the case is already well made that school fails the students and the parents on such a massive scale I struggle to understand why we still have them.

Well, it is a good daycare system.

The issues of the state, the nanny state, the system of education, the unions, the agendas are all there and are all valid, but what really sticks me is the observation that nearly no schools teach for-reals job skills.

Seemingly no schools teach copywriting, e-commerce or entrepreneur skills, or marketing. I got as far as Algebra II and I can tell you I have not algebra-ed since then ever. Not once.

I know, they teach you “how” to think. Nope.

The book illustrates how that actually isn’t so, how nearly no students retain what they’ve learned in a short time frame, and by no means in a long time frame, but more than that, those who are not math majors or require higher math ever used trigonometry or calculus after class.

It is an easy thing to ask why are we still letting the school system fail our kids? I see no reason to think the world of employment will bear anything to the world of work I learned and started in. Yeah, there will always be some fast food chain and food service industry for work, but those are scarce jobs and the pool of employees is much larger than the quantity of jobs. Isn’t the smart thing to do teaching our kids how to be entrepreneurs, how to make and sell items on-line? A transportable income stream, or income streams which can follow Johnny and Sally everywhere? Maine, Seattle, Burma, Japan, Iceland or anywhere they see fit to live, as long as there is electricity and Wifi, they have income. But, that’s getting ahead of the rest of the class.

Buy the book, learn what’s not right and then work with your kids to mend those errors. Education is properly a life long process and what Charlemagne did or ate whenever he did or ate those things really makes no difference in your’s, mine, or your kid’s life. I was visited by a young man seeking employment as the lawn care kid. He was so poor at his presentation, not his fault, that if he had a shovel and I 3 feet of snow I would have passed on his offer. Gumption cannot be taught, but some of the skills of presentation, marketing, fix the pain-point can be taught, and are not. What, then, are they learning, from whom are they learning it (not entrepreneurs) and why not other things? That’s the meat.

Go buy and read. Then fix.

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How Many Thymes Have I Told You

Does Anybody Really Know What Thyme It Is?

With the possible exception of bay leaves, thyme is probably the most popular herb on the planet. Yes, I know parsley is an herb. I like parsley fine, but don’t long for a parsley infused stew or roast.

English thymeThyme has the unfortunate latin name Thymus Vulgaris, and, like many other herbs, is in the mint family. Common terms for thyme are English thyme, garden thyme, common thyme or thyme. It is an impressive ground covering, offers a pleasant aroma and has pretty flowers or purple or white.

Spindly thyme with pretty flowers
The spindly, challenging stems.

One of the interesting features is variation of how the stems grow and the ease, or not, of removing the small leaves from the stems. I’ve purchased thyme in which each stem was only that, and the leaves came off very easily. Then there have been times when a stem has a dozen or more branched from it and the leaves do not come off those branches well, for the branches are so fragile. Fragile branches are a frustration when seeking only the leaves, but the good news is they are edible and choppable. The woody, almost stick, stems do offer flavor and are good wrapped in a coffee filter to flavor stocks or soups, but cannot be eaten.

Maryland Blue Crabs

As flavor goes, the whole plant has thyme flavor. As palatability goes, the leave are far easier and more pleasant to eat than the sticks.

Defining A Flavor

Continue reading “How Many Thymes Have I Told You”