Random quotes

Energy is like love: the more we use, the more we find we have!!

the importance of our telephone

Research indicates that 52% of callers hang up when placed on hold and experience one minute of silence; 13 % hang up when music is played; 2% when there is a spoken message. Those who had music felt they were on hold for a shorter time, but those in silence felt the minute was more like five minutes. The British Henley Centre research report concluded: "During our research, we found that 86% of people said if they experienced one badly handled call, they would rather not deal with that organization again.

A thought for us all:

Lord, thou knowest better than I know myself that I am growing older and will someday be old. Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking that I must say something on every subject and on every occasion. Release me from craving to straighten out everybody’s affairs. Make me thoughtful but not moody, helpful but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it all, but Thou knowest, Lord, that I want a few friends at the end.

Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details; give me wings to get to the point. Seal my lips on my aches and pains. They are increasing, and love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by. I dare not ask for grace enough to enjoy the tales of other’s pains, but help me to endure them with patience.

I dare not ask for improved memory but for growing humility and a lessening cocksureness when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others. Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be mistaken.

Keep me reasonably sweet; I do not want to be a saint – some of them are so hard to live with – but a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the devil. Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places and talents in inexpert people. And give me, Lord, the grace to tell them so.

Amen.

It could be a small world

If we could shrink the Earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the human ratio's remaining the same, it would look something like the following:

THERE WOULD BE:

57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 from the Western Hemisphere, both North & South
8 Africans
52 would be female
48 would be male
70 would be non-white
30 would be white
70 would be non-Christian
30 would be Christian
89 would be heterosexual
11 would be homosexual
6 people would possess 59% of the entire world'swealth and all 6 would be from the US
80 would be living in substandard housing
70 would be unable to read
50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would be near death - 1 would be near birth
1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education
1 would own a computer

When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, the need for acceptance, understanding, and education becomes glaringly apparent.

I just liked it

Trust

We cannot afford to ignore the emotional fallout from our own inappropriate behaviour and/or poor management practices and policies, nor those of our organisation. People get hurt. When it becomes chronic, it is an enormous distraction and makes people sick. They become de-motivated. Job satisfaction and productivity suffer. There are significant economic costs to the organization.

The healing process needs the understanding of honesty in dealing with each other, knowing the difference between right and wrong, having courage to do what is right, and caring about relationships.

Employees don’t trust information unless they know it has meaning for them. It is not enough to communicate the information with talks and memos; employees need to be able to question directives, and managers need to be open about their reasoning, why they made their decisions. Creating trust requires interactive communication, dialogue based on values of respect and continual learning. Employees need also to trust that management will not punish mistakes or criticism but will use them as a basis for learning.

Get the red rose

A woman saw a little rose
It bloomed there in bright heights
She asked her man
if he could fetch it for her
She wants it and that's fine
So it was and so it will always be
She wants it and that's the custom
Whatever she wants she gets
Deep wells must be dug
if you want clear water
Get the red rose
Deep waters don't run still
The man climbs the mountain in torment
He doesn't really care about the view
Only the little rose is on his mind
He brings it to his sweetheart
She wants it and that's fine
So it was and so it will always be
She wants it and that's the custom
Whatever she wants she gets
Deep wells must be dug
if you want clear water
Get the red rose
Deep waters don't run still
At his boots, a stone breaks
Doesn't want to be on the cliff anymore
And a scream lets everyone know
Both are falling to the ground

Merry Kitchmas

Looking for that perfect gift?

Try the twelve days of kitchmas!


http://ship-of-fools.com/kitschmas/index.html

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER by Erma Bombeck (Written after she found out she was dying from cancer)

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."
There would have been more "I love you's."
More "I'm sorry's."
But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it ... live it ... and never give it back.
Stop sweating the small stuff.
Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what.
Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.
Let's think about what God has blessed us with.
And what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally, as well as spiritually.
Life is too short to let it pass you by.
We only have one shot at this and then it's gone.
I hope you all have a blessed day.

What Makes A Good Teacher?

This was the heading on part of a major article on boys in schooling, published in The Australian on 6 January. The points made by the boys were:

Listens to what you have to say.
Respects you as a person; treats you like a friend and adult.
Is relaxed, enjoys their day, and is able to laugh, especially at mistakes.
Is flexible, adjusts rules and expectations to meet the needs of individuals and particular circumstances.
Explains the work. Makes the work interesting. Finds interesting things to do.
Does not humiliate you in front of the class.
Does not write slabs of work on the board to be copied.
Lets you talk and move about in the classroom.
Does not favour girls, or boys who do what they are told.
Does not keep picking on people who have a reputation, pushing them to retaliate.
Does not mark you down because of your behaviour.
Gives you a chance to muck up and learn from it.
does not keep telling you that you're no good and should leave school.
In most schools, fewer than 10% of their teachers were thought to meet the above criteria.

Generosity

"Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who will never find it out."

What we can learn from dogs

Things that we can all learn from a dog...
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them
Run, romp and play daily
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm
Be loyal
Never pretend to be something you are not
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride
Allow the experience of the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy
When it's in your best interest, practice obedience
Let others know when they've invaded your territory
Take naps and stretch before rising
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently
Thrive on attention and let people touch you
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do
On hot days, drink lots of water and lay under a shady tree
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body
No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout...run right back and make friends
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk

No matter what you may think of Rudy Giuliani's accomplishments as mayor of New York City, no one disputes that he stepped up to the challenge of leading the city in the aftermath of September 11. Now on the lecture circuit, Giuliani gave the following leadership tips at a recent seminar:

Have a set of beliefs. "You can't still be wondering who you are and where you're going," he says, "because you'll get confused and go in all kinds of directions. Ronald Reagan was the same Ronald Reagan he was as governor, as president and when he left office. You may not have agreed with him, but you knew what his beliefs were."

Become an expert. "When people come to you to ask for advice and information because you know more about a subject than they do, that's a sign of great leadership," Giuliani says.

Be respectful. "People know when you're talking down to them, and they will not respect you," he says. "Be forceful and honest but plain-spoken and respectful," he adds.

Discourage yes-men. "Create a team that complements your strengths and weaknesses rather than mimicking them," Giuliani says.

Understand good leaders, not good leadership. "read biographies of leaders you admire," he says. "That will tell you more about leadership than any leadership book."

An Anecdote

A ‘crossed wires’ conversation between a Yr7 student and myself in class the other day brings tears to my eyes about the idiosyncratic nature of language. (This Yr 7 does have Learning Difficulties). If you feel it is suitable and you can use for a little light humour for teachers………..

"It had been the usual hectic morning in the multi-aged Yr4-7 classroom when I found myself at the end of my fuse concerning the continual verbal barrage I was receiving from Mr Off-task Yr7 who had just thrown another question out into the ether. As soon as my sarcastic reply was uttered I was sincerely apologetic and offered him my apologies for such a put-down.
Bewildered he looked at me and asked…."What! Are you taking me to the vet?’

It truly took effort on my behalf to stop from laughing out loud and totally defused me….
I decided it was one of those stories to keep for the memoirs.

Random quotes

A learning organisation sees the environment as messy, complex and volatile. It picks and chooses its way, attempting to use certain events as catalysts for action, to turn constraints into opportunities, and to blunt or minimise the impositions that do not make sense...because they know that that is the only way to survive and prosper in a complex environment. Michael Fullan

Spider Kama Sutra

They are playful and romantic and kinky and enthusiastic and ferocious and savage and exotic, and really know how to have a good time. I thought I'd share a few of the pretty pictures and details of the arachnid sex life with the readers of Pharyngula—so if you're mature enough to handle it, exuberant enough to enjoy reading about interesting animals doing fun things, and aren't too squicked out at the idea of closeups of spider genitalia, read on.First, a little anatomy, and we'll start with the female. Here is the underside of a generic spider.


http://pharyngula.org/index/weblog/comments/spider_kama_sutra/