Happy Birthday to Me!

Seeing it's my birthday, I've decided to give myself a present - a rod.

No, not really. Well, it would be cool. This is a rod on eBay at the moment that caught my eye, so I've used the pic as a virtual present.

Anyway, may everyone have a great day.

Cheers

Spot of culture

The original text placed here was found objectionable, so it has been removed.

I hope the photo is at least found to be in some way positive.

Cheers

New puppy!

Meet Bella, our new Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. The most relaxed, confident, fiesty and complete pup I've ever owned.

Literacy skills not a static commodity, they can decline

Shannon Proudfoot, CanWest News Service

Most Canadians, but especially those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, experience "significant" literacy loss as adults, a Statistics Canada report shows.

The decline in skills begins at age 25, peaks around 40 and then tapers off around 55 years old. For example, adults aged 40 scored an average of 288 on a standardized literacy test in 1994, but in a second survey nine years later, that had dropped to 275 -- a loss of reading ability equal to half a year of schooling.

Over their lifetime, the average Canadian will lose about one grade's worth of literacy skills, the report estimates. "Literacy is not a static commodity that is acquired in youth and maintained throughout life," it concludes. More education mitigates the decline, with university graduates scoring about 30 points higher than high school grads. People who didn't complete secondary school scored nearly 50 points lower than those who did, while employed Canadians scored 12 points higher than those not in the labour force.

The reading people do at work helps, but not nearly as much as reading a variety of materials for pleasure at home. The data came from a series of international literacy surveys conducted in 1994 and 2003, with StatsCan gathering the Canadian component. This report focused on native-born Canadians, though other surveys show immigrants have significantly more literacy difficulties.

Two in five Canadians age 16 to 65 (42 per cent) have inadequate reading skills to cope in our knowledge-based society, according to previous StatsCan data. When adults over 66 years of age are included, that proportion rises to 55 per cent. Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Nunavut scored significantly below the national average, while the Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan are above.

Canada is "in the middle of the pack" in international literacy terms, says Margaret Eaton, president of the ABC Canada Literacy Foundation, behind countries such as Norway and Bermuda, but ahead of Switzerland, the U.S. and Italy.
She notes that people think of literacy as simply the ability to read words, but it's about a broader ability to read a document and understand its complexity, vocabulary and significance. "In a global economy, Canada needs to be able to compete and its workforce needs to be able to compete at a high level," Eaton says. "Literacy can become a trade advantage."

On an individual level, there's a connection between literacy skills and standard of living, community involvement, health and workplace safety, she says. Studies show people with poor reading skills are more prone to accidents and illness. Gloomy statistics about literacy can easily be taken out of context, says Fran Zimmerman, a literacy worker at the St. Christopher House adult literacy program in Toronto.
"People sort of panic and think this means Canada is doing terribly and we're all undereducated," she says. "People overreact to these numbers, but to us in literacy programs, we don't see that happening."

Yes, my husband

A widower who never paid any attention to his wife while she was alive now found himself missing her desperately. He went to a psychic to see if he could contact his late wife. The psychic went into a trance. A strange breeze wafted through the darkened room, and suddenly, the man heard the unmistakable voice of his dearly departed wife.
"Honey!" he cried. "Is that you?"
"Yes, my husband."
"Are you happy?"
"Yes, my husband."
"Happier than you were with me?"
"Yes, my husband."
"Then Heaven must be an amazing place!"
"I'm not in Heaven, dear."

Merry Christmas, everyone!

May the day bring you lots of hugs
Merriment and good cheer
May the prawns only be outnumbered
By the icy cold beer.

Cheers

Horn cars 5

Administratium (Ad)

(Apologies for posting a few in advance - I'll be a bit busy over the next few days.)

Investigators at a major research institute have discovered the heaviest element known to science. This startling new discovery has been tentatively named Administratium (Ad).

The new element has no protons or electrons, thus having an atomic number of 0. It does, however, have 1 neutron, 125 assistant neutrons, 75 vice neutrons, and 111 assistant vice neutrons, for an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by a force called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since it has no electrons, Administratium is inert.

However, it can be detected as it impedes every reaction with which it came into contact.

According to the discoverers, a minute amount of Administratium causes one reaction to take over four days to complete when it would normally take less than a second. Administratium has a normal half-life of approximately three years; it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons, viceneutrons, and assistant vice neutrons exchange places. In fact, an Administratium sample's mass will actually increase over time, since with each reorganization some of the morons inevitably become neutrons, forming new isotopes.

This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to speculate that Administratium is formed whenever morons reach a certain concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as the "Critical Morass".

Christmas run - thanks

The day was bright and shiny,
The cars stretched on for miles,
The only thing larger than the turnout,
Were the owner’s smiles.
A Christmas run was to be undertaken,
Cruising to the beach and pub,
Putting miles on the cars,
Sharing beers and grub.
When but a third of the way through,
A rear tyre of mine let go,
It exploded with impressive force,
With no warning don’t you know?
My Club mates saw that I was pissed,
They dove in without pause,
Offering assistance, nuts and a spare wheel,
All donated to the cause.
For my rear tyres are quite large,
I only carry one spare,
I needed two of similar size,
To get me home from there.
But my spare was looking sad,
I’d not seen it for some time,
It looked a bit old and sadly weathered,
A long way from sublime.
One member saw the markings,
And before our eyes,
Polished them off on the spot,
I couldn’t contain my surprise!
I don’t really remember morning tea,
My mind was not quite there,
Worried about the trip ahead,
And if it would add to my despair.
About 20 kilometres later,
I could hear my spare letting go,
I pulled over and was loaned another spare,
My frustration to exponentially grow.
My Club mates were there again,
Pitching in and helping out,
Making the transition go much faster,
They know what they’re about.
About 10 kilometres later,
The tyres I decided to check,
Pulling into the next service station,
What the blooming heck?
One of the other spares was deflating,
So I added a little air,
The valve stem started whistling,
And I tore out my hair.
So, I changed the wheel yet again,
Limped home with a mate behind,
Making sure we got home OK,
A nicer bloke you’ll not find.
We changed cars to the family Ford,
Not the same as the old XW,
But at least it’s not possessed by EVIL,
And its tyres are new.
So, the morals of this tragic tale?
When travelling from here to there,
Ensure that you are well prepared,
And carry a reliable spare.
(Or two, in my case.)
But the most telling fact of all,
Only Club people understand,
Is that when you’re at your lowest,
Someone will always lend a hand.
Many thanks go to my Club mates,
You’re really a great group,
People who’re there when you’re at your best,
Or when you’re in the soup.

Many thanks to everyone who helped out last weekend – you’re a great group of people. From the helping to change wheels, to the loaning of wheels, to the support – thanks.

I have since gotten two new tyres. Apparently, the 255/60/HR15 size is quite rare now. After 5 calls to tyre places in town, only Bob Jane could find any – there’s only 11 left in Oz now. So, I have two new Yokohamas, at $281 each, thankyou. Eventually, I’ll need to make the decision to stick with them and import them through a company, or change to other wheels and tyres. I’ll procrastinate on that, though.

Have a great break, everyone – you deserve the best.

Cheers
G

Penmanship takes a back seat in many elementary schools

By Eileen Putman, ASSOCIATED PRESS , July 11, 2007

WASHINGTON – John Hancock wouldn't recognize the handwriting taught in many schools today. And his loopy slanted script might as well be a foreign language to 21st century students.
Time and technology have largely done away with traditional penmanship, leaving schools with a challenge that mirrors today's fast pace: how to teach a cursive style that's faster to write than older, ornate methods and easily readable.
The reality in many schools is that handwriting instruction has slid far down the list of education priorities. Many teachers have all they can do to ready students for standardized tests and requirements for core courses like math, science and reading.
“The printing and cursive are taking more of a back seat,” said Barbara Willer, deputy executive director of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Why teach cursive at all when computers and keyboards are so prevalent? For one thing, younger children may not have the skills to fully learn keyboarding, and not all classrooms have computers. Handwriting is how young students express themselves and develop as learners, said Steve Graham, special education professor at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College in Nashville, Tenn. Unfortunately, some who have trouble with writing mechanics have problems with other language arts skills.

Horn cars ad

Perils of invention

The two inventors of the bungee rope went to Spain to test their invention. They built a 50-foot tower and, once completed, one of the guys stood on the edge of the platform and dove into the air with the rope tied to his feet. The other guy, standing up on the platform, waited until his friend returned up so that he could grab him. The first time his friend sprung up, he tried to grab him but missed and noticed that his head was swollen. The next time, he missed again and again there was a bruise on his head and face. This time, with much concern, he dove forward to get his partner, pulled him in and asked, "What happened? Is the cord too long?" His partner replied with his face all bloody, "What is piñata?"

"Sweet Irony"

Be Grateful for Unanswered Prayers – by Jim Rohrbach

"Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers," sings country music legend Garth Brooks, who continues, "I guess the Lord knows what he's doin' after all."

And that's one of the great lessons of life... to take a leap of faith and experience what I call "sweet irony" -- how things that we fervently hope and pray for sometimes don't happen, yet we go on to find a tremendous "silver lining surprise" in what seemed to be a dark cloud of failure.

I don't know about you, but I have several personal "sweet irony" stories. I gladly share these with my coaching clients who may be struggling with difficult situations. A few of my "greatest hits" (which felt like body blows at the time):

* An apparent failure with my first coaching business endeavour in 1982. I developed a prototype coaching program over 20 years ago which became my first venture into entrepreneurship. After only six months and a little bit of debt, I came to the conclusion it wouldn't work and told myself, "Coaching is a bad idea -- I'll NEVER try that again ..." (What is it I do for a living today?)

At the time I had an easel pad with all of my coaching instructions written on its pages -- I recall throwing it in the dumpster in a fit of despair. Several years later a social worker friend of mine asked me what happened to my coaching material -- I told him I had tossed it out. He asked me if I could recreate it, so I sat down and typed out the outline, then mailed it to him, keeping a copy for "posterity."

This outline turned into the basis of the two coaching books I've authored and use to this day with my clients. The truth was, I simply didn't know enough about running a business back in 1982... after learning more in subsequent years, I've developed a thriving coaching practice.

* A romantic relationship setback with a woman who I thought would be my partner for life -- heck, we even got a dog together! After having a brief pity party for my broken heart, I began to make new dog-owner friends in my neighbourhood. One such couple invited me to their wedding reception where I met a woman who is now my wife of 8 years.

The first relationship "went to the dogs" because I failed to realize I was trying to rescue someone who didn't want to help herself. (That's never happened to any of YOU, I reckon... has it?) I needed to learn how to take great care of myself to attract a great partner, so that "dog-gone" involvement was just the wake-up call I needed.

In each case I was emotionally devastated by these events, which left me confused, scared and, worst of all, humbled by doubts about my capability to attain success with these greatly hoped and prayed for dreams. Yet in hindsight each of these temporary defeats (although at the time they sure seemed permanent) led me to something EVEN BETTER in my life ... now I look back and laugh! At these moments the words of Napoleon Hill in Think and Grow Rich can be a measure of comfort: "Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit." Sage words to follow for you to experience your own "sweet irony."

Horn cars 4

Bill

While Bill waited at the airport to board his plane, he noticed a computer scale that would give your weight and a fortune. He dropped a quarter in the slot, and the computer screen displayed: “You weigh 195 pounds, you are married and you’re on your way to San Diego.” Bill stood there dumbfounded.
Another man put in a quarter and the computer read: “You weigh 184 pounds, you’re divorced, and you’re on your way to Chicago.” Bill said to the man, “Are you divorced and on our way to Chicago?” “Yes.” Replied the man.
Bill was amazed. Then he rushed to the men’s room, changed his clothes and put on dark
glasses. He went to the machine again. The computer read: “You still weigh 195 pounds, you’re still married, and you just missed your plane to San Diego.

School gap blamed for nation's stupidity

Anna Patty Education Editor, Sydney Morning Herald

AUSTRALIA is on its way to becoming "the stupid country" through neglect of public education and a widening gap between its best- and worst-performing school students, an influential principal has warned. Chris Bonnor, who until last year represented 466 principals as the head of the NSW Secondary Principals' Council, makes his argument in a book to be released later this month.

Mr Bonnor, principal of Asquith Boys and Davidson high schools through the 1990s and until 2005, was last year made a member of the Order of Australia for services to education. His book, The Stupid Country: How Australia is Dismantling Public Education, co-written with the public school advocate Jane Caro, says populist education policies are diverting attention from government neglect of schools, particularly in disadvantaged areas.

Mr Bonnor says the Federal Government's focus on issues such as performance pay for teachers indirectly blames schools and teachers for problems in student performance. Attacks on the curriculum have been ideologically driven and have shifted attention from the growing inequity in resources between high-fee private schools and low-fee independent and public schools.

Social inequity and class differences are becoming entrenched in the growing divide between private and public schools. Rather than tackling educational problems linked to economic disadvantage, Bonnor and Caro say, the Government suggests there must be something wrong with schools, creating "an easy and populist agenda for politicians". "What passes for educational policy degenerates into competing plans for more testing, accountability, standards and anything else that addresses community anxiety, real or otherwise. "It all sits easily with calls for more police, longer jail terms … [and diverts attention from] problems that can't be boiled down into simple policies or blamed on teachers."

The Government and bureaucracy often point to "lighthouse schools that register substantial achievement against the odds, as some form of proof that the solution lies entirely within schools and that the broader context doesn't matter". Australia's top students perform well compared with those from other developed countries, but the poorest students are behind their equivalents in similar countries. Mr Bonnor said this gap was set to worsen because of the growing inequity between economically disadvantaged and well-resourced schools. The Federal Government will increase its funding to private schools by 30 per cent over the next five years to $7.5 billion and by 10 per cent to $3.4 billion for public schools.

The Federal Minister for Education, Julie Bishop, said policies such as performance pay, greater principal autonomy and national consistency in curriculum were aimed at improving academic standards "so that students across the nation have access to a high-quality education from a high-quality teacher in a high-quality environment".

Horn cars

It's a gas

The young woman sat in her stalled car, waiting for help. Finally two men walked up to her. “I’m out of gas,” she purred. ‘Could you push me to the gas station?”
The men readily put their muscles to the car and rolled it several blocks. After a while, one looked up, exhausted, to see that they had just passed a filling station.
“How come you didn’t turn in?” he yelled.
“I never go there,” the girl shouted back. “They don’t have full service.’

TIPS FOR CREATING OPPORTUNITIES

Following are some more tips for school leaders who are intent on creating opportunities for teachers to take on leadership roles.

Build on what already exists. Identify ways teachers are leading and improve what already exists. Perhaps you already have a school leadership team. Recognize that structure as one that permits teacher leadership. Next, identify what's working on the team and what you'd like to improve. Perhaps the team works well together but the lines of communication from the team to the rest of the staff could be improved. Engage teachers in finding solutions to concerns. Doing that will help create momentum and a sense of efficacy for teacher leaders.

Start slowly and proceed with caution. While collaborative structures must be in place for teacher leadership to happen, it does not have to happen all at once. When making a decision about what structures need to be in place, use student achievement and perception data to provide valuable insight. Then go slowly by taking time to learn from your experiences, monitor progress, and modify what isn't working.
Embed structures for leadership development. Create structures that help teachers develop as leaders. Such structures include coaching, mentoring, action research, and study groups. Reflecting on leadership experiences is a powerful way to enhance leadership performance.

Include all teachers. Formal teacher leadership positions can be effective, but providing a means for all teachers to participate in leadership activities is crucial. When only certain teachers in positions that take them away from the classroom can lead, the hierarchical structure is reinforced. Involving teachers in conversations about collaboration, time, and selection of teachers on teams creates informal leadership.

Collaborate with teachers. Leadership is not something principals do to teachers. Instead, leadership is a collaborative activity that teachers and principals engage in together. Create structures that allow for teachers and principals to collaborate on instructional issues. Teachers and principals must forge new working relationships that may mean collaborating as equals for the first time.
The hierarchal structure of schools makes teacher leadership a challenging prospect. The classic structure of leadership seems at odds with distributing leadership to the masses. Fortunately, it isn't an all or nothing arrangement. Principals can lead and so can teachers. It's just a matter or creating structures and eliminating obstacles.

Horn cars 3

More skunks

Two young skunks named -In-and-Out go out to play.
after a while Out got bored so he went in.
Mummy skunk said that tea was ready and sent Out, out to tell In to come in.
very quickly Out came in with In.
That was quick said mummy skunk how did you find In so fast?
Oh said Out that was easy. “IN STINKED.”

What Structures Need To Be in Place To Make Teacher Leadership Thrive?

Once principals decide to embed teacher leadership processes in their schools they often wonder how that is possible, given the hierarchical structure of schools. The historical structure of schools perpetuates a tradition in which principals lead and teachers teach. That traditional structure seems so commonplace that the idea of teacher leadership seems out of place.
It is difficult to imagine that teacher leadership can thrive given the hierarchical structure of schools -- but teacher leadership can thrive in schools, and principals are instrumental in creating conditions that make it happen.

CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEACHER LEADERSHIP
Creating opportunities for teacher leadership is the first order of business. It is not enough for principals to simply state their desire for teacher leadership. They must create structures that allow teacher leadership to develop. Teacher leadership opportunities exist within structures that make teaching public, collaboration common practice, and relationships professional and collegial. Examples of such structures include examining student work, participating on teams, and communicating about issues of teaching and learning in formal and informal ways.

ELIMINATING BARRIERS TO TEACHER LEADERSHIP
The hierarchical structure of schools creates barriers to teacher leadership because it reflects values, beliefs, and attitudes found and accepted in traditional methods of leadership. The view that principals should lead seems to make sense when considering obstacles to teacher leadership such as time, lack of formal authority, and competing demands of classroom and school.
• When will teachers find time to lead?
• How can teachers lead without formal authority?
• Is the priority of teacher leadership classroom or school improvement responsibilities?
Principals can address those concerns and create structures and processes that eliminate barriers. For example, principals can create common times for teachers work together.

Horn cars 2

Who?

If quitters never win,
and winners never quit,
who made up the saying?
Quit while you're ahead!

Learn From All: Share Your Dream with Few

by Bob Burg

According to a close friend of mine, she keeps sharing her dream (in this case we are defining a dream as an ultimate business success goal) with people who call her "silly" and otherwise put her down for having that dream.

I asked her, "why put yourself through that?"

Roy Disney was notorious as the person who always told his brother, Walt why something "couldn't" be done. Of course, Walt typically did it anyway, and quite often his projects succeeded, but he respected his brother's wisdom enough to take counsel in what he said. That's fine. I also have a "Negative Nellie" - type person I seek out to run ideas past because I know that, if he tells me it's a winner; it probably is. But, if he tells me it's a loser; even if I don't agree with him and decide to go ahead anyway, I'll usually learn a couple good points in which I need to re-think my plans. That's different from what my friend is doing.

You see, if you're sharing your dream with those you feel close to and being flat-out insulted or put-down because of this, you're not doing yourself (or your dream) a service, but instead doing something most likely very counterproductive to achieving your goals.

However, it might be a good idea to consider the source. If that person has a track record of accomplishment, it certainly would be worthwhile for her to seriously weigh that advice. And, remember what Jim Cathcart says, "....a realist is simply a pessimist who doesn't want to admit it. I've never heard a 'realist' take an optimistic posture on any topic. I like Jim's take. And, I think it's important - not only that we seek out people who, at best, support our dreams and, at worst, critique with "consideration and thoughtfulness" (meaning they are truly considering their suggestions and are filled with thought) - that we do the same when someone runs an idea past us.

This doesn't mean we should tell someone that we think their idea is terrific if we think it's a "turkey." What it does mean is that, if we don't feel it's going to be the next big success, we consider it carefully, and explain why. And, it goes without saying, that we do so with "consideration and thoughtfulness" (in this case, meaning we consider their feelings and filled with thought on how we phrase our critique).

Remember, most people are not interested in your dream. And, half of those who are interested, are only interested because it gives them a chance to say something negative about it; thus making themselves feel temporarily better.

So, choose wisely those with whom you share your dream.
Learn from everyone, but share your dream with few.

Horn cars

McLeod Ford of Rockdale, NSW was one of the most successful Ford dealers in Australia, and he supported John Goss in his racing endeavours. But he also sold to the public dealer modified Falcons and called the package, the Horn car.

Holy fish and chips!

A monastery decided to start a fish and chips store. When the store opened, a client comes in, and asks one of the clerics: are you the fish fryer? Oh, no, the cleric answers, I'm the chip monk!

Dogs

"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself." --Josh Billings, humorist and writer

Spoilers

By way of comparison, here is a genuine Phase3 fitted with the factory spoiler. Note that the feet are different, and the means of adjusting the angle of the spoiler.

Note that when the spoiler was used on Phase3 race cars at Bathurst, and also on later XB hardtops at Bathurst, the wing was cranked over to almost turn from being an aerofoil parallel to the ground to a genuine spoiler as we would think of one these days. It is worth noting that in the U.S. 1970 TransAm racing series, the Boss302 Mustangs used the same aerofoil cranked over to replicate a spoiler.

Paper cowboy

Did you hear about the cowboy who wore paper pants, a paper shirt, paper boots, and wore a paper hat?

The Sheriff arrested him for rustling.

Job selection strategy

1. Put 400 bricks in a closed room.
2. Put your new employees in the room and close the door.
3. Leave them alone and come back after 6 hours.
4. Then analyse the situation.

•If they are counting the bricks, put them in Accounts Dept
•If they are recounting them, put them in Auditing.
•If they have messed up the whole place with the bricks, put then in Engineering.
•If they are arranging the bricks in some strange order, put them in Planning.
•If they are throwing the bricks at each other, put them in Operations.
•If they are sleeping, put them in Security.
•If they have broken the bricks into pieces, put them in IT.
•If they are sitting idle, put them in Human Resources.
•If they say they have tried different combinations, they are looking for more, yet not a brick has been moved, put them in Sales.
•If they have already left for the day, put them in Marketing.
•If they are staring out of the window, put them in Strategic Planning.
•If they are talking to each other and not a single brick has been moved, congratulate them and put them in Management.

Spoilers

XBs had a "subtle" (comparatively) spoiler.

Spoilers

Mountings for the RPO8s rear spoiler.

Semi conductor

A year ago, Hans Vonk conducted the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in a production of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. During the final movement of Beethoven's Ninth, there is a large pause in the Orchestration where only the chorus sings.

Four bass players, feeling they could use this break to get out and stretch their legs, slipped off backstage and proceeded to go outside to smoke a cigarette and take a little nip from a bottle one of them was carrying.

Well, they lost track of time and became quite inebriated. Finally one of them says, "Say! We should really be getting back in... It's almost time to play our part."

"Don't worry," confided one of the other bassists with a wink. "I've fixed it so that we have a longer pause... I tied together the last parts of the conductor's score before our part begins!"

All the bass players had a good chuckle and took a few more swigs and headed in. Once they popped back on stage, they saw that conductor Vonk was absolutely furious. After all, it was the bottom of the Ninth, the basses were loaded, and the score was tied.

China takes steps to curb passion

BBC News:

China is changing the way it runs compulsory dance classes, introduced to tackle child obesity, because parents fear their children may fall in love. Sports officials say they will now encourage students to dance in large groups or by themselves.
Some parents had expressed fears that if boys and girls danced hand in hand they might fall in love and put their studies at risk. The lessons will start in September amid concerns over physical inactivity.
Obesity on rise
The Ministry of Education announced last month that seven dance steps, including the waltz, would begin in primary and middle schools. The State General Administration of Sports says changes had been agreed to calm fears of parents who hold traditional values. Administration official Yin Guochen told the Shanghai-based Oriental Morning Post: "The [children] don't have to dance with specific partners, which will be more easily accepted by both students and their parents.
"Four students will be grouped together to perform the waltz and they will change partners regularly as soon as one song finishes. This way, the risk of young love will be lowered." Chinese officials have expressed concern at growing obesity levels in children.
In a report last year, medical Professor Wu Yangfeng said that in the 15 years between 1985 and 2000, the number of overweight and obese children had increased 28-fold.
One-fifth of the world's overweight and obese people live in China and the numbers are rising dramatically.

Spoiler bracket

And what did the spacers mount on to ?

This is the factory mounting bracket, under the boot lid for a spoiler of an XA hardtop.

Skunks

A family of skunks was trapped in a thicket, surrounded by a pack of hungry wolves that were edging even closer. The Mother skunk calmly instructed her young: "Quickly children, let's put our heads together!" After they obeyed, forming a circle, she continued, "Now—Let us spray!"

Life

"When life kicks you, let it kick you forward." --Kay Yow, college basketball coach

Spoiler spacer

This is a genuine Ford spoiler spacer. Note the stamped Ford part number.

Walk a mile

Never criticize someone unless you walk a mile in his or her shoes, and then when you criticize them you'll be a mile away and have their shoes!

As Tall as You Want to Be

…..by Denis Waitley

When he was two years old, this adopted child of two college professors suddenly and inexplicably stopped growing, and his health started to fail.
A team of doctors gave him six months to live after they diagnosed him as suffering from a rare disease that inhibits digestion and nutrients in food. Intravenous feedings of vitamins and supplements allowed him to regain his strength, but his growth was permanently stunted.

Confined to hospitals for long periods of time, until the
age of nine, he quietly plotted his revenge on the kids who taunted him and called him "peanut." He recalled many years later that subconsciously "the whole experience made me want to succeed at something athletic." Sometimes his sister, Susan, went ice skating at the local rink, and he would go along to watch.

There he stood, a frail, undergrown kid, with a feeding tube inserted through his nose and down into his stomach. When he wasn't using it, one end of the tube was taped behind his ear. One day, as he watched his sister whirl around the ice, he turned to his parents and said, "You know, I think I'd like to try ice skating." Talk about two adults, looking at their life-threatened child, with glances that were beyond belief!

Well, he tried it and he loved it, and he went at it with a passion. Here was something fun at which he could excel, where height and weight weren't important. During his medical check-up the following year, the doctors
were startled to discover that he had actually started growing again. It was too late for him to reach normal size, but neither he nor his family cared. He was recovering and succeeding. He believed in his dream, although he had little else to hang on to.

None of the kids taunt him and tease him today. Instead,
they all cheer and rush to get his autograph. He has just completed another dazzling performance on the world professional ice skating tour, with a long string of triple jumps, complicated manoeuvres, and athletic moves, capped off with a racing front flip that brought him to a sudden stop inches from the audience.

Although he has retired from professional skating, he remains a coach, mentor and commentator revered by everyone in winter sports. At five feet three inches and 115 pounds of pure muscle and electrifying energy, former Olympic gold medal figure skating champion, Scott Hamilton stands as tall and as proud as any winner. Scott's size didn't limit his faith and reach. Don't let doubts and critics limit yours.

This doesn't mean that you'll close almost every sale or get promoted in record time. Scott Hamilton certainly didn't hit every triple-axle jump he ever attempted, especially during the initial learning phase. Success in developing any skill requires a basic trust in your ability that should never be allowed to waver. You can stand tall, no matter how small!

Spoiler bits

This is the factory rear spoiler as fitted to an XA GT RPO.

Notice that the spoilers sit on the bootlid on shaped aluminium spacers. The uprights for XA and XB’s are different from that of XY’s in that the boot lid is at more of a slope on the later cars, and far flatter on the earlier body shape Falcon.

Ever wonder?

- Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?
-
- Why women can't put on mascara with their mouth closed?
-
- Why don't you ever see the headline "Psychic Wins Lottery"?
-
- Why is "abbreviated" such a long word?
-
- Why is it that doctors call what they do "practice"?
-
- Why is it that to stop Windows 98, you have to click on "Start"?
-
- Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid
- made with real lemons?
-
- Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?
-
- Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?
-
- Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?
-
- When dog food is new and improved tasting, who tests it?
-
- Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?
-
- Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?
-
- You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why
- don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?
-
- Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?
-
- Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?
-
- If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?
-
- If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

Effort

"There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all." Peter F. Drucker, writer, professor and consultant

Spoilers

XBs were similar in spoilers to the XAs.

Only in America

1. Only in America......can a pizza get to your house faster than an
ambulance.

2. Only in America......are there handicap parking places in front of a skating rink.
3. Only in America......do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to
the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people
can buy cigarettes at the front.
4. Only in America......do people order double cheeseburgers, large
fries, and a diet coke.
5. Only in America......do banks leave both doors open and then chain
the pens to the counters.
6. Only in America......do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in
thedriveway and put our useless junk in the garage.
7. Only in America......do we use answering machines to screen calls and
then have call waiting so we won't miss a call from someone we didn't
want to talk to in the first place.
8. Only in America......do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in
packages of eight.
9. Only in America......do we use the word 'politics' to describe the
process so well: 'Poli' in Latin meaning 'many' and 'tics' meaning
'bloodsucking creatures'.
10. Only in America......do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille
lettering.

Failure vital for learning: teachers

The Australian: Justine Ferrari, Education writer

THE denial of failure in classrooms leads to lower expectations among teachers and reduces the intellectual challenge to students. In a submission to the Senate inquiry into academic standards of school education, the Council of Professional Teachers of Victoria argues that failure is part of the learning process, and claims it is missing in the 21st-century classroom.
The council defends teachers against charges that the profession is the cause of any perceived decline in standards, saying the constant change in curriculum and pedagogies compromises the quality of teaching. "Teach, from an early age, that some failure can be formative," the submission says. "Failure can help to develop resilience. Do not endorse inadequate effort. Encourage self-knowledge for the most effective teaching and learning strategies. This must be the very essence of community teaching."
The council is the peak body representing more than 40 professional teaching associations with more than 30,000 members in Victoria. After appearing before the Senate inquiry this week, the council's executive officer Olwyn Gray said students were being let down by the lack of intellectual challenge in their classrooms, and that the notion of intellectual risk was increasingly foreign to parents and students. Ms Gray said students had an expectation they would always succeed, which was not how the real world worked. "Life isn't a level playing field. I don't want to condemn children to an underclass of underachievers but they need to strive, to say I did well this time and this is the next hurdle," she said.
"If teachers work successfully with students who fail a particular task, you're helping these children develop resilience. "When a child fails, they go back and say, 'OK, I'll try another tack', and find they learn better a certain way. With a stronger degree of self-knowledge brought about by failure, you're not so depressed when you can't do something; you go back with resilience and it helps you take further intellectual risks."
Ms Gray said Australian students performed well on international assessments of competence in different subjects, but did less well in tests placing greater emphasis on rote learning, particularly compared with their counterparts in Asia. So many reforms were imposed on teachers, she said, and these were often viewed as being change for change's sake and left no time for teachers to contemplate and refine what they did: "Teachers are just reeling from it -- you get used to the vocabulary and methodology of one thing and then you're on to the next. People get cynical."
Ms Gray said her belief was that the problem started in teacher training courses, which were too theoretical, emphasising different theories of learning rather than providing a range of strategies for different students. "Teachers need to learn a variety of methods for a variety of students because students learn in different ways," she said. "Rote learning is one way -- you need to learn phonic combinations of letters and sounds that way, and the times tables. "But they're the basics, just building blocks."

Spoilers

The factory XA rear spoiler was now alloy, and the dealer fitted one was aluminium from Motorcraft. The front factory spoiler was plastic, and broke very easily, hence there aren’t many genuine front spoilers around.

Too much time on the computer

You know it is time to reassess your relationship with
your computer when....

1. You wake up at 4 O'clock in the morning to go to the bathroom and
stop to check your email on the way back to bed.

2. You turn off your computer and get an awful empty feeling, as if
you just pulled the plug on a loved one.

3. You decide to stay in college for an additional year or two, just
for the free internet access.

4. You laugh at people with 28.8 modems.

5. You start using smileys :-) in your snail mail.

6. You find yourself typing "com" after every period when using a word
processor.com

7. You can't correspond with your mother because she doesn't have a
computer.

8. When your email box shows "no new messages" and you feel really
depressed.

9. You don't know the gender of your three closest friends because they
have nondescript screen name and you never bothered to ask.

10. You move into a new house and you decide to "Netscape" before you
landscape.

11. Your family always knows where you are.

12. In real life conversations, you don't laugh, you just say "LOL, LOL".

13. After reading this message, you immediately forward it to a friend!

Amazing

Happy birthday!

Our youngest turns 8 today!

Bad taste

Q. What do you call a man with no arms and no legs under a car?
A. Jack!

Multi-tasking

Spoilers

XYs also copped the front spoiler treatment.

Two old men

Two elderly men were sunning themselves on a Miami Beach when they started a friendly conversation.
"I was able to move here to retire in Miami after my business burned to the ground," the one man said. "The insurance payment sure came in handy."
The other replied, "I'm here living from an insurance claim when my factory was flooded out."
The first man pondered for a few seconds and then asked, "How do you start a flood?"

The Skills We Learn Today

by Forrest Stone

Whenever teachers ask me stuff
I have no clue about
I stutter, mutter, sputter, utter
nonsense my way out
It's really quite a clever trick
they leave me there to snore
after I've made such noises
no one's ever heard before
Years from now when I'm pursuing
the career I'd like to ride
all the way to easy street
to be admired far and wide
The same approach, I'm sure,
will keep those big wheels a'turning
and I'll look back and thank my teacher
who let me wriggle out of learning

Spoilers

Front spoilers were also fitted, like on this XW.

Stamp

Q: What does a stamp say to an envelope?
A: Stick with me and we'll go places.

THE JOY OF BEING A PRINCIPAL

You know Lana in Room 5, well I’m her sister but I’m a boy".
It’s gems like this that lighten a Principal’s day and remind us of the main reason why we do this work – to provide the best possible education for children. In the midst of winter, and a cold one at that, it seems fortuitous to raise spirits by thinking about the many good things about being a Principal.
Principalship must be one of the most interesting and challenging jobs to be found. There are many days when Principals long not to be interrupted, just so some ‘work’ can get done. ‘Work’ usually means paperwork, the administrative compliance type reports that take so much longer to do than they should because of the constant interruptions. Principals carefully plan their day in the knowledge that on most days very little will be achieved. Many of the interruptions will be problems and will nearly all concern ‘people’ issues involving staff, children or parents that the Principal will be expected to solve. Some issues will be easily resolved, others will take much longer and may never be completely solved but the Principal will aim to do everything possible to negotiate and mediate in order to maintain a level of stability in the school. It is always difficult to explain the Principal’s job to anyone outside the profession. After all, it is part educator, part counsellor, social worker, handy person, first aider … As Principals we not only multi task but are able to switch roles at a second’s notice with ease. Many people would envy this variety in our lives and the many skills we have the opportunity to develop.
Self-management has empowered Principals to make a real difference to all aspects of school leadership. Principals are charged with developing a vision for the school and working with others to implement it. This is an inspiring opportunity that few leaders in other organizations of a similar size are given. A school vision usually relates to ways to maximise the learning opportunities and outcomes for children. A new era is dawning. Already we can sense a shift in emphasis in our education system from management accountability and compliance to the development of high quality learning and teaching programmes. The new NAGs, the ERO Review, the Literacy and Numeracy Initiatives and the Curriculum Stocktake all reiterate this focus. This is good news for people in schools, especially Principals. Now we can re-focus on the real purpose of our work, children’s learning. It is exciting to guide the development of programmes that enable children in our schools to make significant progress and to celebrate this with the children, the staff and parents.
There is no doubt that interpersonal connections with those around us can be the greatest stress in the job. Many sleepless hours are spent rehashing conversations and planning subsequent ones. On the other hand, for every negative experience, there are many positive ones that can uplift us if we let them. It is unfortunate that many of us tend to focus on the negative and forget those who show their positive appreciation with a smile, a warm comment or a thoughtful message.
Self–management has extended the Principal’s role in leading the professional development of staff. It is exciting to see the growth of confidence and skill in beginning teachers as they learn to cope with the interpersonal challenges of today’s schools, the over-crowded curriculum, the administrative demands and especially the children with behavioural problems that simply do not respond to the praise/ignore strategy that many young teachers have been taught. For Principals, the professional growth and learning of these young teachers is as important to us as that of the children in our classes. We learn to ‘capture the moment’ to suggest new approaches and affirm their progress.
Parents can also provide a source of support. When the governance/management partnership is working well, a school can accomplish great things. Examples of this are often in the amazing property developments that have been achieved by many schools. In other issues, there is also often a feeling of pride in school achievements as the staff and parents work together to overcome challenges and contentious issues for the good of the school as a whole. This of course does not always happen and it is a sad indictment on the system when principals say "I’m lucky, I’ve got a good Board". It should not be a matter of luck but simply as a consequence of working hard together for a common goal.
Parents can also be a source of fun as well as information. Schools need parent support when working with children with learning or behavioural needs. In these cases, often a sense of camaraderie develops in the teacher/parent relationship. One such example was in a school that was having a "P Day". For this event, children were to come to school dressed in something beginning with P. Jane, mother of Tom, called into the Office especially to let the Principal know that she was sending her son Tom with a can of fly spray so he could be the pest that he was. On the day, Tom came in his pyjamas as did many others but the Principal could not help smiling at Jane’s creative idea.!
Perhaps our greatest rewards come from the mouths of our children. One Auckland Principal was recently especially honoured when on Friday afternoon 5-year-old Johnson wished her to "Have a Happy Birthday on Monday". She replied that it wasn’t actually her birthday on Monday. He replied that, "Yes, it is, it’s the Queen’s Birthday on Monday". Needless to say, that young boy will go far!
Far too often we become weighed down with the heavy demands of our job, the relentless pace of change and the sad and the unexpected. We forget to celebrate those special moments that are very much a part of being a Principal.

Spoilers

The XY spoiler was also called a "wing". I don't know why...

:)

Work time

A blonde called her new boss to explain there was a problem with her check.
In checking the timesheets the boss noticed that she had not punched in since her first day of orientation. He tried to explain that her check was right since she had only worked the one day for the company.
The blonde went on insisting that her check was short, and that the company apparently had problems with their math in figuring out her check. She asked her boss how many days were in a year.
He said there are 365.
She asked if he knew how many weeks were in a year.
And he replied there are 52.
She went on to say that since there are 52 weeks per year in which she had 2 weekend days off per week, leaving 261 days available for work.
Since she was scheduled to work 8 hours a day, she spent 16 hours each day away from work, and that added up 170 days, leaving only 91 days for work.
She went on to explain that during the day she spent in company orientation she learned that the company allowed her 30 minutes each day for her two coffee breaks, which counts for 23 days each year, leaving only 68 days for work.
Orientation also informed her that she would be given a 1-hour lunch each day, which used up another 46 days, leaving only 22 days available for work.
The company also allowed 2 days per year for sick leave, leaving her only 20 days per year to work.
The company additionally allowed her to be off 5 holidays per year, bringing her available working time down to 15 days.
Then there were the 14 days vacation the company so generously allowed all employees which leaves only 1 day for her to work ... and well, the boss has already conceded that she did time in and out on her orientation day, so would he please get her check corrected. And if it would be easier for the accounting department ... they could go ahead and make it out for her yearly salary, since she had obviously already put in her share of work for that year.

‘How to put real value into schools – Teachers do it every day’

Article by the Director General EDUCATION AND TRAINING, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF TAFE NSW, Michael Coutts-Trotter, in the Daily Telegraph
Imagine you arrive at work to find a dead body hidden behind a curtain and being attended to by police. It’s a stranger who has committed suicide. Now imagine you’re a school principal and 600 young children will arrive in the next half an hour. What are you going to do?
The principal of a public school, who was recently confronted by this, chose not to close the school but instead to invite the children and their parents in, deciding it was better to help the children understand what they’d seen than let rumour and imagination take hold.
She and her staff gathered them together and talked with them about what had happened.
Think about that. With no notice, you’ve got to talk to children as young as five about loneliness, depression and suicide. You’ve got to help them feel safe and to learn something that will protect them, or another child, from depression.
What that principal and her staff did that day, and later, was all about values: lived values that provide a model for students and the community.
There’s a lot of drivel, and worse, said and written about a supposed lack of values in public education.
Values education can’t be taught from a textbook. It doesn’t hang from a flagpole.
It comes from a deep examination of our proud and complex history. Those Australian values have to be lived by school staff, who by their decency, self-knowledge, generosity and, yes, by their love, help to teach our children how to live well.
Understanding and respecting everyone’s worth and difference is the bedrock of a successful community.
The Beverly Hills Intensive English Centre, which receives new students from around the world, recently took teenagers from the Sudan, Palestine, China, Lebanon, the Philippines and India out to Coonabarabran High School where they stayed in the Warrumbungles, watched Aboriginal students dance and learnt how to shear a sheep.
In the wake of the Cronulla riots, many Sutherland Shire schools arranged exchange programs with schools with high Muslim student enrolments. These visits challenged stereotypes of all kinds and helped create unexpected friendships.
Is that values education? You bet it is.
In schools everywhere in Australia there are children who come to school without having eaten. At some NSW public schools, teachers and school staff, at their own expense, give a very few children a good breakfast, because you can’t learn if you’re hungry.
That’s wonderful. But what’s even better, those teachers expect their students to excel academically.
At the ANZAC memorial in Hyde Park a crowd is gathered to remember the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander veterans.
Among the throng are public school children, some Indigenous, some not - all brought there by their teachers to see, to hear and to learn more about our history, to examine the past, to accumulate facts and context to better understand the present.
Public education teaches values that inform decision-making, that equip the conscience and supply the courage to do the right thing.

Confusius

Confusius say: "Man who run behind car get exhausted, but man who run in front of car get tired."

A clever person

"A clever person turns great troubles into little ones and little ones into none at all." -Chinese proverb

Spoilers

The XB John Goss Special had a wild spoiler. I'm told that it was not factory fitted, but it could be fitted by a dealer.

Doctor

An eighty-year-old man went to his doctor to complain about pain in one knee. The doctor examined it gently and said, "Well, you know that knee is eighty years old. You can't expect too much."
"That's true," the man agreed; "but Doc, so is the other one and it's not bothering me like this one!"

Rust issues

Some CLASSROOM GAMES YOU DON'T WANT TO PLAY

Sneeze Tag

Students share colds and viruses until the teacher is “it” and they all get to enjoy a substitute teacher day.

Duck-Duck-Goof

Teachers set up three-student cooperative learning groups and disperse class problems by making sure each group has one student who will not contribute to the work.

Simon Sez

Through oral drill and practice, teachers try to break the incorrect phonetic spelling habits of their students.

Mother Mayn’t I

Students lobby their mothers for permission to neglect their homework and stay home from school.

Waiter?

A man and his girlfriend were out to dinner one night. The waiter tells them the night's special is chicken almondine and fresh fish.
"The chicken sounds good; I'll have that," the woman says.
The waiter nods. "And the vegetable?" he asks.
"Oh, he'll have the fish," she replies.

Rust

The death of another GT.

Happiness

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony"
- Mahatma Gandhi.

Sit on the couch

Jay went to a psychiatrist. “Doc, he said, “I’ve got trouble.
Every time I get into bed I think there is somebody under it.
I get under the bed; I think there’s somebody on top of it.
Top, under, under top. I’m going crazy!”
“Just put yourself in my hands for two years,” said the shrink.
“Come to me three times a week and I’ll cure you.”
“How much do you charge?”
“A hundred dollars per visit.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Jay never went back. Some time later he met the doctor on the street.
“Why didn’t you ever come to see me again? Asked the psychiatrist.
“For a hundred buck a visit? A bartender cured me for 10 dollars.”
“Is that so! How?”
“He told me to cut the legs off the bed.”

More rust

Courage

Courage, it's old-fashioned and it still matters. Courage is not about exposing yourself to physical danger -- that's the easy stuff. Courage is about facing your fears. About speaking your truth. About doing what you know is right.

Here's the big idea: courage is like a muscle. The more you use it the stronger it gets. And like training your muscles it's best to start small.

You don't have to speak your truth to the CEO tomorrow. That's foolhardy. But you can be more authentic with your team mates. You can say "I'm sorry," to your partner and mean it. You can commit to speaking up in your volunteer organization instead of sitting back.

When you act from courage and do what scares you, your life immediately improves. When you take bigger risks, you get bigger rewards. Yes, sometimes you will fail spectacularly. When that happens I guarantee that you will find that you are stronger than you think.

So today, find a way to scare yourself into a bigger life.

Late home

Harry had a bit of a drinking problem.
Every night, after dinner, he took off for the local watering hole, spent the entire evening there and arrived home, well inebriated, around midnight each night. He always had trouble getting his key into the keyhole and getting the door opened. His wife, waiting up for him, would go to the door and let him in. Then she would proceed to yell and scream at him for his constant nights out and his returned drunken state. But Harry continued his nightly routine. One day, the wife, distraught by it all, talked to a friend about her husband's behavior.The friend listened to her and then asked, "Why don't you treat him a little differently when he comes home? Instead of berating him, why don't you give him some loving words and welcome him home with a kiss? He then might change his ways." The wife thought it was worth trying. That night, Harry took off again after dinner. Around midnight, he arrived home in his usual condition. His wife heard Harry at the door and let him in. This time, instead of berating him as she had always done, she took his arm and led him into the living room. She sat him down in an easy chair, put his feet up on the ottoman and took his shoes off. Then she went behind him and started to cuddle him a little. After a while, she said to him, "It's pretty late. I think we had better go upstairs to bed now, don't you?" At that, Harry replied in his inebriated state, "I guess we might as well. I'll get in trouble if I go home anyway!"

More rust

Mr Heeblejeeble opens proceedings

Nathan was a dreamy boy. Everyone said so, not only his teachers but even his friends. He would sit in the classroom and stare out the window, or walk along with his eyes on the ground, or lean thoughtfully against the school fence with a frown on his face, or wander home along the river, gazing at the ripples on the water and hardly noticing the long grass brushing at his legs. You could call out to him and he wouldn't hear, at least not the first time, or the second, or sometimes even the third. Such a dreamy boy, everyone said, whatever does he think about?
He was as dreamy as ever on Performance Day. He wandered down the main corridor of the school with his hands in his pockets, while other children bumped and jostled around him. They bumped and jostled in the smaller corridors that led to the main corridor, as well, and on the stairs that lead to the smaller corridors. The whole school was on the move. A bobbing, bubbling river of children headed for the door of the Great Hall, carrying Nathan with it.
They poured in. The hall was divided into four sections, one for each of the four houses of the school, and each section was decorated with the colour of its house. Teachers hurried the students to their seats. They called out to some children to be quiet, and called out to other children to face the front, and called out even when they didn't need to call out because they knew if they didn't call out now they'd only have to call out later. In short, they tried to establish calm and order amongst a thousand children. This was their task, as it had been every year, for generations, when the entire school assembled on the morning of Performance Day.
At last the great oak doors of the hall were closed. The noise died away. Finally there was only the occasional giggle, or growl, or squeak when one of the children pinched another.
On the stage stood Mr Heeblejeeble, the school principal, and Mr Gopher, his deputy.
'Marvellous!' said Mr Heeblejeeble, beaming down at the children.
'Splendid!' said Mr Gopher, who had never been heard to disagree with anything Mr Heeblejeeble said.
Their voices came out loudly through a microphone at the front of the stage.
'What a wonderful day, Mr Gopher!' said Mr Heeblejeeble, clasping his hands enthusiastically.
'One couldn't ask for a better, Mr Heeblejeeble!' replied Mr Gopher.
'We're about to see some marvellous things, Mr Gopher.'
'Indeed we are, Mr Heeblejeeble.'
'Did you hear that, children?' asked Mr Heeblejeeble, beaming at them once again.
The children muttered, or growled, or groaned, or made faces and pretended to be sick.
'Marvellous!' said Mr Heeblejeeble. 'Children, in the next three hours, as we do on this day every year, we'll be going on a wonderful journey. Without leaving this hall, we'll be transported to a world of wonderful sights and sounds, fabulous stories and amazing characters.'

Miracle

A new miracle doctor was in town. He could cure anything and anybody, and everyone was amazed. Everyone except for Mr. Smith, the town’s grouch So Mr. Smith went to this 'miracle doctor' to prove that he wasn't anybody special. So he goes and tells the doctor, "Hey, doc, I have lost my sense of taste. I can't taste nothing', so what are you going to do?"
The doctor scratches his head and mumbles to himself a little, then tells Mr. Smith, "What you need is jar number 43."
Jar number 43? Mr. Smith wonders. So the doctor brings the jar and tells Mr. Smith to taste it. He tastes it and immediately spits it out, "This is gross!" he yells.
"I just restored your sense of taste Mr. Smith," says the doctor.
So Mr. Smith goes home very mad. One month later, Mr. Smith goes back to the doctor along with a new problem, "Doc," he starts, "I can't remember!"
Thinking he got the doctor, the doctor scratches his head and mumbles to himself a little and tells Mr. Smith, "What you need is jar number 43..."
Before the doctor finished his sentence, Mr. Smith fled the office.

More rust

This is an XA GT.

:(

No such thing as stupid

Where do you think you are?

During an army basic training, the lieutenant took the batch on a match and asked each of them where home was. After everyone had answered, he sneered and said "you are all wrong, the army is now your home".
Back at the barracks, he read the evening duties, then asked the first sergeant if he had anything to say "you bet I do" the sergeant replied, "men, while you were gone today, I found beds improperly made, clothes not hanging correctly, shoes not shined and footlockers a mess. Where do you think you are? Home?

Rusty XBs in Scotland

Relieve the pressure cooker

"Even though you may want to move forward in your life, you may have one foot on the brakes. In order to be free, we must learn how to let go. Release the hurt. Release the fear. Refuse to entertain your old pain. The energy it takes to hang onto the past is holding you back from a new life." Mary Manin Morrissey

Relieve the pressure cooker

"Even though you may want to move forward in your life, you may have one foot on the brakes. In order to be free, we must learn how to let go. Release the hurt. Release the fear. Refuse to entertain your old pain. The energy it takes to hang onto the past is holding you back from a new life." Mary Manin Morrissey

Why did they call it that?

Travis and McGee met over a beer in the local pub. After a while the subject of sports came up. Travis asked McGee, "Do you play golf?"
"Sure," said McGee, "I play well enough to know why they call it 'golf'."
Puzzled, Travis asks, "Why do they call it 'golf'?"
"Because," replied McGee, "that's the only 4-letter word left!!"

Rusty XBs in Scotland

XB Falcon

The XB featured a slight restyle of the previous model, featuring a cleaner but more aggressive front end with a forward sloping bonnet and a wide set, ‘egg-crate’ split grille. The design was very reminiscent of the 1971-73 U.S. Mustang. The tail lamps were also neatened. Many mechanical enhancements were made including the introduction of optional four wheel disk brakes, and the fitting of locally manufactured 302ci (4.9litre) and 351ci (5.8litre) Cleveland V8s. The hardtop continued to be offered, but sales were disappointing while the XB as a whole was the most popular Falcon yet.

The XB was manufactured between September, 1973 and July, 1976. 211,971 were produced.

What Do I Do When Teachers Depend Too Much on Me for Leadership?

By Evelyn Cortez-Ford
A group of teachers and the principal assemble for their weekly School Leadership Team meeting to plan for an upcoming professional development day focused on reading strategies. The principal begins by handing out the agenda, which includes outcomes, times, and tasks. As is customary, the team starts with "reasons to celebrate" -- a ritual the principal embedded into the meetings in hopes of inspiring participation and pride. Surprisingly, nobody seems ready to share, so the principal takes a turn by saying...
"Our staff has become more data savvy. Our decision to focus our professional development time on reading strategies came straight from the data."
After everyone has a chance to share their reasons to celebrate, the principal proceeds with the agenda by taking input and guidance from teachers.
After the meeting, the principal feels that teachers weren't fully participating as leaders. Instead, teachers were depending too much on her for leadership. She wonders why and what can be done about it.
SIGNS TEACHERS ARE DISENGAGED FROM LEADERSHIP
When teachers and principals share leadership they are charting a new course. As a community of leaders it can be difficult to know how to proceed. By default everyone falls into old ways of working. Signs that teachers depend too much on the principal for leadership include:
• Teachers defer to the principal to make decisions.
• Teachers wait to hear the principal's opinion before voicing their own.
• Teachers seem stuck in inaction.
• Teachers aren't exercising their authority.
Principals should be aware of shifts in participation and attitudes. Once aware they must understand the possible causes.
REASONS TEACHERS DISENGAGE FROM LEADERSHIP
It is not unusual from time to time for teachers to disengage from leadership activities. In fact, until teacher leadership becomes common practice in schools, disengagement is likely. Below are common reasons teachers disengage from leadership.
Traditional ideas of leadership. Teachers' active resistance to leadership may be due to traditional notions of leadership that don't fit well with the culture of teaching. They may view a leader as the lone person "in charge," someone who is the "boss" or "supervisor." Ideas that leaders need an authoritarian, command-and-control personality may cause teachers to reject leadership.
Lack of trust. Teacher leadership requires that both teachers and principals develop new ways of working based on trust. Trusting relationships are marked by open and honest communication, commitment to follow through, and fairness. If teachers don't trust that their leadership efforts will be valued, they will not participate.
Role confusion. When teachers become leaders they must straddle the line between teaching and leading activities. Striking a balance between responsibilities can be difficult, and teachers may fall back on their teacher-only role.
Teachers may depend too much on the principal for leadership for a variety of reasons. Fortunately principals can inspire full teacher-leader participation by establishing shared agreements.
STRATEGIES TO ESTABLISH SHARED AGREEMENTS
Shared agreements promote a common understanding of collective action and individual responsibility. They outline policies and procedures for "getting the job done" and help to ease any anxiety teachers may have about leading. To create shared agreements simply address the 5Ws and 1H.
Who. Establish who is responsible for getting something done. That includes the team and individuals. (From the scenario presented at the start of this article where the staff decided to "focus our professional development time on reading strategies," the team is responsible for planning school improvement efforts, the team creates the agenda, and each member comes prepared to share ideas for the professional development day.)
What. Be specific about what needs to be done. It is helpful to specify tasks to be accomplished as well as actions to be taken. (From the scenario: Plan a method to illustrate to teachers what the data show about how students are performing in reading.)
When. Everyone must be aware of deadlines. Outline when and how often a task needs to be done. (From the scenario: Teachers will implement the reading strategies every day beginning tomorrow.)
Where. Consider different environments. For example, what will happen in the classroom? At the district office? (From the scenario: In the classroom, teachers will practice using the reading strategies.)
Why. Establish a sense of purpose for activities. (From the scenario: Understanding the importance of the "reasons to celebrate" ritual may help teachers actively participate.)
How. Ensure that everyone knows in what ways the job will get done. (From the scenario: At times the principal seemed to be the only active participant. The team could agree that everyone participates as equals.)
Even when a school has a vision of shared leadership, teachers may continue to depend too much on the principal. For a variety of reasons teachers may, at times, disengage from leadership activities. Creating shared agreements that specify collective action and individual responsibility is a powerful way to engage teacher leaders.

Parrot

So there's this man with a parrot. And his parrot swears like a sailor, I mean he's a pistol. He can swear for five minutes straight without repeating himself.
The trouble is that the guy who owns the parrot is a quiet, conservative type, and this bird's foul mouth is driving him crazy.
One day, it gets to be too much, so the guy grabs the bird by the throat, shakes him really hard, and yells, "QUIT IT!" But this just makes the bird mad and he swears more than ever.
Then the guy gets mad and says, "That's it. I'll get you." and locks the bird in a kitchen cabinet.
This really aggravates the bird and he claws and scratches, and when the guy finally lets him out, the bird cuts loose with a stream of invective that would make a veteran sailor blush.
At that point, the guy is so mad that he throws the bird into the freezer.
For the first few seconds, there is a terrible din. The bird kicks and claws and thrashes. Then it suddenly goes very quiet.
At first the guy just waits, but then he starts to think that the bird may be hurt. After a couple of minutes of silence, he's so worried that he opens up the freezer door.
The bird calmly climbs onto the man's outstretched arm and says, "Awfully sorry about the trouble I gave you. I'll do my best to improve my vocabulary from now on."
The man is astounded. He can't understand the transformation that has come over the parrot.
Then the parrot says, "By the way, what did the chicken do?"

Rusty XBs in Scotland

Federalism in the Land of Oz

By Chester E. Finn Jr
Chester E. Finn Jr. is a senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and the president of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, in Washington. He was the assistant U.S. secretary of education for educational research and improvement in the Reagan administration
The United States isn’t the only land where primary-secondary schooling was traditionally the responsibility of the states or provinces, while the national government played a minor, even peripheral role. Nor are we the only people now struggling to adapt that old decentralized arrangement to the realities of the 21st century, with its globalizing economy, rising mobility, instant communications, and ebbing affection for local idiosyncrasy—and agonizing over what mechanisms might best yield a measure of high-standard uniformity and accountability without shackling schools and educators to a deadening, politically vulnerable, bureaucratic sameness.
That something needs to change is clearer every day, as we observe the peculiar risks and odd incentives of a policy regimen in which states set their own standards and tests—and pay for the lion’s share of education costs—even as they are held to account by Washington for their performance and told what to do with poorly performing schools. Yet we have neither the structures nor the trust to turn standards-setting over to Uncle Sam and little appetite for centralizing actual school operations.
—Susan Sanford
Seeking a bit of perspective on such dilemmas, I recently spent a week talking with government officials, policy wonks, and educators in Australia. Its eight states and territories run the public schools, hire their teachers, and generally manage the delivery of primary-secondary education—averaging some 400,000 pupils each. With no “local” school systems, state bureaucracies and the elected state-level officials that oversee them have historically occupied the driver’s seat, while the “commonwealth” government has no constitutional mandate in the K-12 realm and generally relies for influence on the strings it can tie to the less than 10 percent of the education budget that it contributes.
By chance, my visit coincided with “budget week,” when Prime Minister John Howard’s conservative “Coalition” government unveiled its latest policy plans, and challenger Kevin Rudd’s Labor Party responded with its own proposals. It’s election season in Oz and, after 11 years in opposition, the Rudd team is hungry to convince voters that it offers a better future. Early polling indicates that it stands a fair chance of prevailing, due in no small part to simple weariness with the incumbents.
Yet the country is thriving on Howard’s watch. Its booming economy and aggressive tax structure have yielded a whopping budget surplus (and zero national debt), so the budget game includes handing out new billions in ways calculated to woo key interest groups and segments of the electorate. In K-12 education, for example, the government offered money for teacher merit pay and mini-vouchers for students needing remediation (akin to the No Child Left Behind Act’s “supplemental educational services”), while Labor proposed nifty new technical-vocational programs (and facilities) in high schools. Both sides say an education revolution is needed, and each has lately behaved in semi-revolutionary fashion, with the Coalition ignoring conservative dogma and reaching over the states directly to schools, teachers, and families, while Labor embraces some policies that make the teachers’ unions queasy—notably its willingness to continue Australia’s practice of aiding private and religious schools.
On one key issue, however, the parties are converging: Both now favour some sort of national academic standards, tests, and curriculum. ("Australia Grapples With National Content Standards," March 14, 2007.) Exactly how and by whom this will be operationalized is not yet clear. As in America, nobody wants the federal education department to take direct charge of such sensitive matters.
What’s the point, one wonders, of a national curriculum if nobody knows which schools are teaching it effectively?
State education officials are proud of their track record and jealous of their autonomy. Still, they’ve been edging toward a more unified approach for nearly two decades, dating to 1989, as the “Charlottesville summit” was launching the United States in this direction. In that year’s “Hobart Declaration,” which included “Common and Agreed National Goals for Schooling,” Australia’s state and national education ministers cautiously agreed to work together. Ten years later, the “Adelaide Declaration” committed them to devise a “national framework” for schooling. Two months ago, in “Federalist Paper 2,” the states and territories pledged jointly to develop national standards, beginning with English, math, and science, that could undergird a “national testing and measurement program,” then move on to a “national curriculum.” They invited the federal government to work with them on this ambitious undertaking.
In February, meanwhile, the Labor Party came out for a “national curriculum,” beginning with math, science, English, and history, that would be “a clear and explicit agreement about the essentials all young Australians should know and what they should be able to do.” Its manifesto suggested that a new “national curriculum board” take charge of this.
While I was there in May, the Howard government proposed an “initiative” to “develop nationally consistent standards in key subject areas” at the secondary level (10 courses were named)—and to make future federal school aid contingent on the states’ meeting those standards, starting in 2009, as well as requiring them “to include a component of rigorous external assessment” of student performance in the final year of high school.
Both parties recognize that today’s education standards are uneven, that too many young Australians are being left behind, and that the demands of modern society argue for kids in Sydney, Perth, and Darwin to acquire similar skills and knowledge.
Adding complexity and savour to the political stew, every state government is currently in Labor hands, while Howard’s Coalition rules in Canberra, whence flows most of Australia’s private school aid. The private (and religious) sector now educates more than one-third of all youngsters—in some locales, at the high school level, it enrols half of them—and accounts for all the growth in Australian K-12 pupil rolls over the past three decades. The Commonwealth subsidizes those schools, sometimes supplemented by the states. Amounts vary—a crude version of “weighted student funding” seeks to provide more for schools in low-income communities—and schools are free to charge tuition to “top up” what the government gives them. Melbourne’s Catholic schools, for example, receive from Canberra an average of 56 percent of the per-pupil funding of local public schools, and get another 16 percent from the state of Victoria. They supplement this with (relatively low) tuitions, some private philanthropy, and help from the church.
In return for government aid, Australian private schools employ state-licensed teachers and teach the core state curriculum—whether sensible or loopy—though they can augment it with religious education and other subjects. If and when a national curriculum comes about, the private schools will doubtless teach and test their pupils accordingly. Nobody I met seemed to find this too heavy a price to pay for public dollars. Besides being fiscally viable and popular with parents, the private sector is generally invited inside the tents where policy issues that affect it, such as curriculum, testing, and teacher qualifications, get hashed out.

Though impressed by how much progress has been made Down Under on the school choice front, I was jarred by how little information is available on school performance. The education establishment has drawn a line at making comparisons among schools—or states—and Australia generally keeps its school-level results hidden from parents, journalists, and politicians to a degree that seems antediluvian and faintly undemocratic to an American. What’s the point, one wonders, of a national curriculum if nobody knows which schools are teaching it effectively?
Today, despite two decades of discussing, convening, and proposing, Australia remains a considerable distance from such a curriculum and, like us, is riven by disagreement as to what exactly should be taught—and who ought to decide. The Pacific Ocean is no barrier to “culture wars” or progressivism-run-amuck. Indeed, I had time-warp (in addition to jet-lag) moments when I heard people arguing over “outcomes-based” education.
The Pacific Ocean is no barrier to ‘culture wars’ or progressivism-run-amuck.
The Labor Party hasn’t said much about actual curricular content, though its position paper thoughtfully discusses the need to blend skills and knowledge. On the other hand, the new board to which it would entrust this responsibility is to consist of “educational experts” and state (and private school) representatives, and could easily be dominated by the post-modern tendencies of fashionable academics and several extant state curricula.
Prime Minister Howard, by contrast, terms himself an “avowed education traditionalist” who believes that “English lessons should teach grammar. … History is History, not Society and the Environment or Time, Continuity, and Change. … Geography is Geography, not Place and Space.” He has also made clear that he favours high-stakes external exams of the very kind that Australia’s main teachers’ union decries—and would push hard on a Labor government to forswear.
Working through this won’t be any easier for Australia than for the United States. Though the over-40 generation is generally well-educated in a traditional sort of way, I met my share of charming featherheads among those under 30. Like America, Oz could do with a curricular makeover, higher standards, and universal accountability. But as on our own shores, some of its more perceptive education critics worry that any centralized standards will end up being drafted by the very experts whose handiwork caused the problems that national standards and curricula are meant to help solve.