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.

Double it

A guy was in a cave, looking for treasure. He found an old lamp, rubbed it, and a genie came out. The genie said "I will grant you three wishes, but your ex-wife will get double." The man agreed, and said "I wish I had a mansion." The genie granted it, and his ex-wife got two mansions. The man said "I would like a million dollars." The genie again granted it and his ex-wife got two million dollars. Then the man said, "Scare me half to death."

Rusty XBs in Scotland

SHOPPING MATH

A man will pay $20 for a $10 item he needs.
A woman will pay $10 for a $20 item that she doesn't need.

Division

Two boy scouts went on a nature hike in the hills picking hickory nuts.
Along the way, they filled their small pails and then started to fill their pockets and shirts.
When they could hold no more nuts, they started down the country road until they came across a cemetery. The boys decided that would be a good place to stop and rest and divide out the nuts.
The two boys sat in the shade of a large oak tree and unloaded their pockets and buckets by dumping all of the nuts in a large pile.
In the process, two of them rolled away and rested near the road. The boys then proceeded to divide out the nuts. "One for you. One for me. One for you. One for me."
As they were doing this, another boy was passing by and happened to hear them. He looked into the cemetery, but could not see the boys, because they were obscured by the tree. He hesitated a moment and then ran back to town.
"Father! Father!" he yelled as he entered his house. "The cemetery. Come quick!"
"What's the matter?" his father asked.
"No time to explain," the boy frantically panted. "Follow me!"
The boy and his father ran up the country road and stopped when they reached the cemetery. They stopped at the side of the road and all fell silent for a few moments. Then the father asked his son what was wrong.
"Do you hear that?" he whispered. Both people listened intently and heard the Scouts. "One for me. One for you. One for me. One for you..."
The boy then blurted out, "The devil and the Lord are dividing the souls!"
The father was skeptical but silent -- until a few moments later as the Scouts completed dividing out the nuts and one Scout said to the other, "Now, as soon as we get those two nuts down by the road, we'll have them all."

Rusty XBs in Scotland

OFFICE ARITHMETIC

Smart boss + smart employee = profit
Smart boss + dumb employee = production
Dumb boss + smart employee = promotion
Dumb boss + dumb employee = overtime

Things to do II

Things to do @ Wal-Mart while the significant other is taking his/her sweet time:

11. Look right into the security camera, and use it as a mirror while you pick your nose.
12. Take up an entire aisle in Toys by setting up a full scale battlefield with G. I. Joe's vs. the X-Men.
13. Ask other customers if they have any Grey Poupon.
15. Switch the men's and women's signs on the doors of the restroom.
16. Dart around suspiciously while humming the theme from "Mission Impossible."
17. Set up a "Valet Parking" sign in front of the store.
19. Hide in the clothing racks and when people browse through, say things like "pick me! pick me!!"
21. If the store has a food court, buy a soft drink; explain that you don't get out much, and ask if they can put a little umbrella in it.

Last Landau interior

The rear of the console, showing the cigarette lighter and ashtray, and the two eyeball air vents.

Laughter

" The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter."
--Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain

Crooks

Little Billy wanted $100 badly and prayed for two weeks but nothing happened.
Then he decided to write God a letter requesting the $100. When the postal authorities received the letter addressed to God, USA, they decided to send it to President Bush.
The President was so impressed, touched, and amused that he instructed his secretary to send Billy a $5.00 bill.
President Bush thought this would appear to be a lot of money to a little boy.
Billy was delighted with the $5.00 and sat down to write a thank you note to God, which read:
Dear God,
Thank you very much for sending the money, however, I noticed that for some reason you had to send it through Washington D.C. and, as usual, those crooks deducted $95.00.
Thanks,
Billy

Landau heater markings

Close up of the heater markings.

Concentrate on Today's Date

by Steve Goodier

It's been said well, "If you have to look at the calendar, concentrate on today's date." It doesn't hurt to look back occasionally and learn lessons from the past. And we should also look ahead and prepare for the future. But mostly... it is a good idea to give today the best we've got.

Actor Sylvester Stallone once said of his acting success, "It's been a lovely ride - I just wish I'd been there to enjoy it." Have you ever felt that way? That life has been good - even great - but you weren't really there to enjoy it?

He went on to say, "It's been like a blur - like trying to sightsee through a quaint New England town at three hundred miles an hour. I'd like to retrace my steps in the snow and see what I missed. I mean, I've been to Europe ten times in the past ten years, but I can't remember anything. If I didn't have some of the door keys that I took by accident, I wouldn't remember where I stayed. My whole life is door keys." Have you ever felt like your life is... car keys? Office keys? Keyboard keys? A blur?

Older people used to tell us when we were young parents to "enjoy these years." "They go by faster than you realize," these friends would say. And most of the time I'd think, 'They can't go by soon enough!'

I've always loved my children, and I am forever grateful I am a parent. But some days I couldn't wait for them to grow up. I remember long nights - long nights when babies were up because they couldn't sleep, or didn't feel well or just decided to use that extra time to exercise their lungs.

I remember long nights - long nights lying awake waiting for teenagers to come home... listening for the car engine so I knew they were all right. And if someone would tell me to enjoy those years, I'd shake my head and think, 'I'll enjoy it when they grow up. I'll enjoy getting my life back!'

But then the boys did grow up and they left home. And do you know what? Our friends were right. Those years went by faster than I expected. They seem like a blur now... and I wonder if I enjoyed them fully. Thomas Mann said, "Hold every moment sacred... Give each its true and due fulfilment." For these moments, I'm learning, are all we really have.

Next time I look at the calendar, I'll concentrate on today's date.

Perspective

Girl: You remind me of the sea.
Boy: Why? Because I'm so wild and romantic?
Girl: No. You make me sick.

Landau interior 3

The heating and air conditioning controls moved to little slider levers on the centre console, just in front of the lockbox.

Discovery

Siew-Quen Thong CFO, Asia Pacific Texon International Group
As for living a life of discovery and continuous learning, Siew-Quen has a simple mechanism for checking on whether she indeed is. "I just frequently ask myself, 'When was the last time I did something for the first time?'"

Hallucination

A guy thought he was dead, but in reality he was very much alive.
His hallucination became a real problem for his family and they finally took him to see a psychiatrist. After spending many laborious sessions trying to convince the guy he was still alive, the psychiatrist tried one last approach. He opened his medical book and proceeded to show the man that dead men don’t bleed. After a mind-numbing study, the man seemed convince that dead men don’t bleed, and the psychiatrist asked: “Do you now agree that dead men don’t bleed?” “Yes I do” the man replied. “Very well, then,” the psychiatrist said. He took out a pin and pricked the man’s finger. Out came a drop of blood. The doctor asked. “What does that tell you?” “Oh my goodness!” The patient exclaimed as he stared doubtfully at his finger…. “Dead men do bleed!!”

Landau interior 2

Appreciation

"You can never get to peace and inner security without first acknowledging all of the good things in your life. If you're forever wanting and longing for more without first appreciating things the way they are, you'll stay in discord." - Doc Childre and Howard Martin
Develop an attitude of gratitude. We discover a sense of wholeness as we appreciate both the small and big things in our lives. And it really helps to remember to appreciate ourselves. Appreciation is more than just acceptance -- it's respect and admiration. Let go of criticism and self-abuse.

"Generally, appreciation means some blend of thankfulness, admiration, approval, and gratitude. In the financial world, something that ‘appreciates’ grows in value. With the power tool of appreciation, you get the benefit of both perspectives: as you learn to be consistently thankful and approving, your life will grow in value." - Doc Childre and Howard Martin

Computer analogy

Computers are like air conditioners. They work fine until you start opening windows.

Landau/LTD Dash Part 1

It is worth mentioning that, as shown, the LTD and LTD Landau got a very upmarket version of the Falcon with wooden applique.



From the brochure.

Passion

"If you're not nervous about your passion, you're not passionate about it" - Bobby Flay, chef/restaurateur and TV personality.

Archeology

Q: How does an archeologist tell a male skeleton from a female skeleton?
A: He knows it’s a female skeleton if the jawbone is worn down.

XC standard dash

The standard XC also featured a much simplified gauge set up.

Visionary Leadership

WHAT'S IN A VISION?
David T. Conley, author of Are You Ready to Restructure? A Guidebook for Educators, Parents, and Community Members (Corwin Press, 1996), says that vision exists when people in an organization share an explicit agreement on the values, beliefs, purposes, and goals that should guide their behaviour. More simply, he calls it "an internal compass."
In Building Community in Schools (Jossey-Bass, 1994), Thomas Sergiovanni characterizes vision as an "educational platform" that incorporates the school's beliefs about the preferred aims, methods, and climate, thereby creating a "community of mind" that establishes behavioural norms.
Kathryn Whitaker and Monte Moses call it "an inspiring declaration of a compelling dream, accompanied by a clear scenario of how it will be accomplished." A good vision not only has worthy goals, but also challenges and stretches everyone in the school, they say in The Restructuring Handbook: A Guide to School Revitalization (Allyn and Bacon, 1994).
WHY DOES VISION MATTER?
Robert Fritz says that organizations advance when a clear, widely understood vision creates tension between the real and the ideal, pushing people to work together to reduce the gap.
This unifying effect is especially important in school settings known for their "isolationist culture." Because teachers typically regard methodology as a matter of individual preference, empowerment strategies do not quickly lead to school wide changes in classroom practices (Carol Weiss 1995).
By contrast, schools with a clear vision have a standard by which teachers can gauge their own efforts, says a report from the Oregon School Study Council (1992). According to one teacher in a school that had recently developed a vision, "People are speaking the same language, they have the same kinds of informal expectations for one another, more common ground."
David Mathews (1996) sees vision as a way of reconnecting schools to an increasingly alienated public. He says communities no longer see the schools as their schools. A vision that reflects the needs and purposes of the surrounding community not only improves education, it rebuilds the relationship between the school and its public.
HOW DO VISIONS DEVELOP?
Many leaders believe vision development is a straightforward task of articulating a statement of beliefs and then implementing it. However, some studies suggest that vision is more of an evolutionary process than a one-time event, a process that requires continuous reflection, action, and re-evaluation. Laraine Hong (1996) describes it as "purposeful tinkering." Through dozens of little experiments, "each day is an opportunity to come closer to your perceived ideal."
Both talk and action are necessary. Marie Wincek describes a school where the vision faltered because of too little discussion. The experienced and competent staff eagerly jumped into the "nuts and bolts" of implementation without examining whether they interpreted the vision the same way. Thus, they were unprepared for the inevitable disagreements and ambiguities that arose.
On the other hand, Conley says that some schools become mired in "analysis paralysis," recycling the same old discussions and hesitating to commit themselves to action. Not every detail and every anxiety can be resolved beforehand, and the vision can be modified as the school learns from experience.
IS VISION TOP-DOWN OR BOTTOM-UP?
Many people assume vision springs from the mind of a strong leader with the imagination, energy, and charisma to jump-start the organization into a major transformation. Others advocate a shared process in which everyone is a co-author. However, "either/or" thinking may be counterproductive.
Clearly, the principal plays a pivotal role in shaping the vision -- sometimes single-handedly. In the hands of an articulate, persuasive leader, a distinctive personal vision may be far more attractive than a something-for-everyone group product. As long as the vision is one that people in the organization can embrace, authorship is irrelevant (Fritz). However, principals with "heroic" inclinations must be willing to release personal ownership when the time comes for implementation, or teachers will not commit to it (Conley).
There are also good reasons to involve teachers at the outset, since they are the ones who must ultimately translate abstract ideas into practical classroom applications, and they can do this better when they are actively involved in developing the vision (Conley and colleagues).
No matter who creates the vision, the principal is its chief instigator, promoter, and guardian. In her study of shared decision-making, Weiss found that little changed unless the principal took the lead and actively pushed. Apparently, empowered teachers may act on individual visions, but they do not spontaneously create shared visions.
In the end, many principals may follow the example of Hong's principal: "Anne had to know when to suggest, when to nudge, when to wait. She had to be assertive enough to push us a few steps forward, but indirect and patient enough to let us find our own way."
HOW DO LEADERS FACILITATE VISION?
Even in schools that are deeply committed to shared vision, principals remain the key players, both before and after the school adopts a new direction.
Creating readiness is crucial. Conley notes that principals who have already adjusted to new ways of thinking often underestimate the time needed for others to do the same. He says that all participants must have the opportunity to examine their current thinking, develop a rationale for change, and entertain new models. This can be done by forming study groups, visiting schools or businesses that have already restructured, or collecting data that challenge comfortable assumptions (such as test scores or surveys of community satisfaction).
Robert Starratt (1995) emphasizes the importance of institutionalizing the vision. No matter how inspiring it sounds on paper, the dream will wither unless it takes concrete form in policies, programs, and procedures. At some point, curriculum, staffing, evaluation, and budget must feel the imprint of the vision, or it will gradually lose credibility.
At the same time, principals must remain focused on what the vision means in classroom terms. Richard Elmore and colleagues, after an in-depth study of restructuring schools, concluded that enthusiasm for new visions does not automatically lead people to see the implications for teaching. They found that it was "extraordinarily difficult" for teachers to attain the deep, systematic knowledge of practice needed to make the vision a reality. Without unrelenting assessment, analysis, and professional development, the vision may remain a glossy facade rather than becoming a vital, living presence in the life of the school.
Above all, principals must create a climate and a culture for change. They do this by speaking about the vision often and enthusiastically; by encouraging experiments; by celebrating successes and forgiving failures; and by remaining steadfast in the face of the inevitable problems and missteps.

Crooks

A man lying on his deathbed called to him, his lawyer, his doctor, and his pastor. "I am going to die tonight," and I want to prove that when you go to heaven you can take it all with you. So to my three most trusted friends, you three of course, I am leaving 50,000 dollars in these envelopes. When I die you must come to my funeral and put the envelopes in my coffin with me." The man handed the three men identical envelopes.
A day later they each received news that, that night the old man had died . So each knew they must go to his funeral and fulfill his death wish.
Standing over the coffin one week later the pastor confessed, " I can't hide what I've done. I took 10,000 dollars from the envelope because the church needed to be painted."
Then as he did so the doctor also started to fidget then finally confessed “I took 30,000 dollars from my envelope because the hospital needed a new wing."
Ten the lawyer said plainly “You bunch of crooks! I wrote him a check for the full amount!"

XA/B model standard dash

A closer view of the shift display.



And here is the standard dash in an XA, with the floor shift automatic.

Values Education

The urge toward values education for all is world wide: The following comes from The Jerusalem Post, Jun. 4, 2007

Forum to examine philosophy education among children

The 13th biannual conference of the International Council of Philosophical Inquiry with Children, which opens on Monday in Jerusalem, will shine a spotlight on some of the unique traits of philosophy education for children in Israel. Children's philosophy education, in which young children sit in a circle and discuss philosophical questions taken from everyday stories, is about facilitating a dialogue of "active listening and the ability to talk across differences," according to Dr. Jen Glaser, co-director of the Israeli Centre for Philosophy in Education and a co-chair of the ICPIC conference.
For young children, it "offers a way to listen to what people say rather than imposing their thoughts on another, to puzzle things out together in the public domain, to bring their own particular experience and talk about the substantive issues that matter to them," Glaser said.
Glaser is one of the heads of a pilot program, now completing its first year, that brings philosophy education to over 300 third- and fourth-graders in four schools in Jerusalem, including an Arab school, a state-religious school and two state schools. Israel offers particularly fertile ground for examining how such a program can contribute to dialogue. "When we put in a bid to host this year's conference," related Glaser, "we said other countries can learn from how we're building tolerance and active listening and the ability to talk across differences in a conflicted society. It's not as crucial in countries that are more coherent in themselves, but [in Israel,] what you say can't be divorced from who you are."
The program was intentionally spread across religious, ethnic and socioeconomic divides - "to show it can be done," said Glaser - and Arab kids from a school in the east Jerusalem village of Isawiya and religious children from a religious-Zionist school in Efrat will meet for the first time at the conference. The unique laboratory offered by the Israeli education system has attracted a larger-than-normal group of delegates from over 20 countries, who will come to learn from Israel's experiences.
What actually constitutes "philosophy education for children?" According to Dr. Howard Deitcher, director of Hebrew University's Melton Center for Jewish Education and co-chair of the ICPIC conference, philosophical topics are brought home to the children through stories of everyday life. "We're convinced children of all ages are very curious and open and thoughtful," said Deitcher, "and we believe - in contrast with certain schools of thought - that they can understand abstract ideas, and they thrive on it; it feeds their growth and development."
To that end, the curriculum is entirely topical, not historical. "We're not dealing with particular philosophers - Plato said this or Aristotle said that - but with questions philosophers throughout the ages have addressed. It's more important that the kids wrestle with the ideas."
How is this different from simply teaching morality or "values education"? According to Deitcher, moral education discusses "what you would do," while philosophy education deals with "how you understand it and would think about it differently." The exercise is also important as a tool for teaching social interaction. In the circle, "the kids listen to how other kids respond. They're learning how to listen … so they can challenge the ideas of others. They become more tolerant of other views because they have to examine whether they make sense. They can't criticize without looking at the logic [of the other's statement]."

Do I have enough?

A New Yorker was forced to take a day off from work to appear for a minor traffic summons. He grew increasingly restless as he waited hour after endless hour for his case to be heard.
When his name was called late in the afternoon, he stood before the judge, only to hear that court would be adjourned for the rest of the afternoon and he would have to return the next day.
"What for?!?!?" he snapped at the judge.
His honor, equally irked by a tedious day and sharp query, roared out loud: "Twenty dollars contempt of court! That's why!"
Then, noticing the man checking his wallet, the judge relented:
"That's all right. You don't have to pay now."
The young man replied, "I know. But I'm just seeing if I have enough for two more words."

More standard dashes

It may be worthwhile comparing the standard dash with three speed column manual shift with the standard dash with the three speed column automatic shifter.



XB manual



XB automatic

Eight Years

Eight years I gave to you
And now it’s time to leave
I’ve given you all I had
But that you won’t believe.
As I look into the trunk
A box, a backpack, a coffee pot
Is what I leave possessing
And much more you have not.

Help!

A man awoke one evening to discover prowlers in his storage shed. He immediately called 000, gave his address, to report the prowlers and possible burglary. The operator at the other end said "Are they in your house?"

He said they were not, only in his storage shed in back of the house. The operator said there were no cars available at that time. He thanked the operator, hung up the phone and counted to 30 and called again.

"I just called you about prowlers in my storage shed. Well you do not have to worry, as I just shot them all dead!"

Within seconds there were 3 police cars, an ambulance and fire engine at the scene. After capturing the prowlers red-handed, the policeman asked the caller, "I thought you said you had shot them all!"

The man answered, "I thought you said there were no police available!"

Dash model changeovers continued

The great Falcon ignition switch.

Guilty Pleasure

The dark holds my empty hand
The stars have turned away
Time to stroke my guilty pleasure
It’s cold – but that’s my way.
I shield it from prying eyes
Take it out when drunk or tired
Polish it with some guilty pleasure
Until my brow is perspired.
I tell no-one of my guilty pleasure
Lest they not understand
I’m left with my shameful smile
And the darkness in my hand.

Lotto

An Antartian named Babbette finds herself in dire trouble. Her business has gone bust and she's in serious financial trouble. She's so desperate that she decides to ask God for help. She begins to pray... "God, please help me. I've lost my business and if I don't get some money, I'm going to lose my house as well. Please let me win the lotto."
Lotto night comes and somebody else wins it. Babbette again prays..."God, please let me win the lotto! I've lost my business, my house and I'm going to lose my car as well."
Lotto night comes and Babbette still has no luck.
Once again, she prays..."My God, why have you forsaken me?? I've lost my business, my house and my car. My children are starving. I don't often ask you for help and I have always been a good servant to you. PLEASE just let me win the lotto this one time so I can get my life back in order."
Suddenly there is a blinding flash of light as the heavens open and Babbette is confronted by the voice of God Himself: "Babbette, meet Me halfway on this. Buy a ticket."

Standard dashes

The warning lights and heater controls.

What Great Principals Do Differently

by Ellen R. Delisio

Great principals set themselves apart by leading by example, setting clear and high expectations, and surrounding themselves with great people. "People are the problem and people are the solution. "If teachers don't know a behaviour is wrong, tell them at the first faculty meeting of the year. Once you make clear what is right or wrong, most people will try to do what's right."
BE GREAT, AND FIND, CREATE GREAT PEOPLE
One characteristic that sets apart great principals is the ability to know how they come across, Rarely do teacher assessments of a principal and the principal's self-assessment match, he said. "Almost all principals think they're good." Principals should strive to hire great teachers, or teachers with the potential to be great, by investigating their training. "If a student teacher trains with exemplary people, the chance of that student teacher being an exemplary teacher increases exponentially."
Besides hiring great teachers, another way a principal can cultivate an effective staff is by modelling effective behaviour. "You can't learn from ineffective people.” "The most valuable gift a principal can give teachers is confidence," he said. Modelling appropriate behaviour can include never arguing with a teacher and never arguing with a student. "And never yell, It's ineffective."
Great principals should never use sarcasm, and should instruct their staff members never to use it either, he said. Ten days out of ten, great principals need to treat every student with dignity. "You don't even have to like kids. Just act like you like them." Then in making decisions, principals should base their actions on their best teachers. As part of the decision-making process, great principals should ask themselves:
• What is the purpose of this?
• Will this actually accomplish the purpose?
• How will the most positive and productive people feel about this?
SEEING THE WHOLE PICTURE
Great principals also are visible, and are able to look at the big picture. "Principals should be in classes every day. When it comes to problem behaviour, quickly zero in on the problem and save your energy for everyone else. "By addressing negative behaviour to a group, you let the guilty people off, The least important kid is the one in your office. You have to worry about all the others. "You also never want a kid to leave the office mad. You want him to leave different."
Problem staff members can drain resources as well. Often when a school has a difficult teacher, an assistant principal or another administrator has to spend time and effort running interference for that teacher. Educators also need to remember that they work in a field where the potential for change always is present. "We start undefeated every year."

Pickup lines 3

Do you have a picture of yourself? So I can show Santa what I want for Christmas!

The standard dash 3

The standard instruments.
Without the row of auxilliary guages across the top.

THE FOUR COMPETENCIES OF A LEADER

Dr. Peter Drucker

Keep your eye on the task, not on yourself.
The task matters, and you are a servant.
Most organizations need somebody who can lead regardless of the weather. What matters is that he or she works on the basic competencies. As the first such basic competence, I would put the willingness, ability, and self-discipline to listen. Listening is not a skill; it is a discipline. Anybody can do it. All you have to do is keep your mouth shut. The second essential competence is the willingness to communicate, to make yourself understood. That requires infinite patience. The next important competence is not to alibi. Say: "This doesn't work as well as it should. Let's take it back and reengineer it." The last basic competence is the willingness to realize how unimportant you are to the task. Leaders subordinate themselves to the task.
When effective leaders have the capacity to maintain their personality and individuality, even though they are totally dedicated, the task will go on after them. They also have a human existence outside of the task. Otherwise they do things for personal aggrandizement, in the belief that this furthers the cause. They become self-centred and vain. And above all, they become jealous. One of the great strengths of Winston Churchill was that Churchill, to the very end, pushed and furthered young politicians.

ACTION POINT: Set aside ten minutes every Friday afternoon to give yourself a weekly report card on all four skills: listening, communicating, reengineering mistakes, and subordinating your ego to the task at hand.

Pickup lines 2

Guy: Haven’t I seen you someplace before?
Girl: Yes, that’s why I don’t go there anymore.

The standard dash 2

Note the three speed manual gearbox column shift. Ever wondered where the gear positions are?

Expectations

High expectations are the key to everything -Sam Walton, Wal-Mart founder

Pickup lines 1

Guy: Miss, do have a bandaid?

Girl: Yes, why?

Guy: Because I scraped my knees when I fell for you!

The standard dash

Up until now I have detailed the GT or ‘sports’ dash. What of the standard dash ? This is an XB.

Reading tips

As a lifelong educator, I'm inspired by the renewed enthusiasm for reading generated by last week's release of the final Harry Potter book. Reading ability is a prime predictor of success not only in school, but also in adults' vocational and professional lives. As we move into a more technology-driven economy, reading remains key in enabling children and adults to succeed. Other books which also excite children are:
• "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White. "Charlotte's Web" spins the tale of a pig named Wilbur who is befriended and saved by Charlotte, a media-savvy spider.
• "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl. The importance of family -- and chocolate -- are emphasized for a poor young boy named Charlie Bucket, whose dreams come true when he visits the chocolate factory of the eccentric Willy Wonka.
• "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis. This series of seven fantasy books borrows religious, mythological and fairy tale themes and sets them against the backdrop of a magic land of talking animals called Narnia. The series' first book, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," tells the tale of four siblings who are transported to Narnia and are called on to help fulfill an ancient prophecy.
• "Holes" by Louis Sachar. In this book, which won the 1999 Newbery Medal for children's literature, the adventures of wrongly accused juvenile criminal Stanley Yelnats lead him to learn that hard work and accepting other people pay off in the end.
• "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson. This 1978 Newbery winner recounts a friendship between two lonely children whose combined imaginations create a magical land in the forest near their Virginia homes.
For more mature readers, books like "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien offer the same movie and book combination to help with reading motivation.

Where do I go?

A rather old fashioned lady, always quite delicate and elegant, especially in her language, was planning a weeks holiday in Sydney with her husband, so she wrote to a particular camping ground and asked for a reservation.

She wanted to make sure that the camping ground was fully equipped, but didn't know quite how to ask about the toilet facilities. She just couldn't bring herself
to write the word "toilet" in her letter.

After much thought, she finally came up with the old fashioned term "Bathroom closet" but when she wrote it down, she still thought she was being too forward, so she started all over again, rewrote the letter, and referred to the bathroom closet as the B.C.

"Does the camping ground have it's own B.C." is what she wrote.

Well, the camping ground owner wasn't a bit old fashioned, and he just couldn't figure out what the old lady was talking about, so he showed the letter around a few of the campers and the only thing they could come up with was that B.C. stood for Baptist Church, so he wrote the following reply.

Dear Madam,

I regret very much the delay in answering your letter, but I now take the pleasure of informing you that a B.C. is located nine miles north of our camping ground, and is capable of seating 250 people at one time.

I admit that it is quite a distance away if you are in the habit of going regularly but no doubt you will be pleased to know that a great number of campers go there and many take their lunches along and make a day of it. They usually arrive nice and early and stay quite late.

The last time my wife and I went was six years ago, and it was so crowded we had to stand up the whole time we were there. It may interest you to know that there is a special supper planned there to raise money to buy more seats so that everyone will be able to sit in comfort.

I would like to say that it pains me very much not to be able to go more regularly, but it is surely no lack of desire on my part, just that I am so busy most of the time.

As we grow older, it seems to be more of an effort to go, especially in the cold weather. If you decide to come down to our camping ground perhaps I could go with you the first time you go, sit with you and introduce you to all the other folks.

Remember this is a very friendly community

XB-XC changes

Sure enough, as some late XBs got the XC rear wings, so some also ended up fitted with XC dashes and door trims.

Consistency

~ Consistency is the last resort of the unimaginative. – Oscar WIlde

Perspective

A young man, who was also an avid golfer, found himself with a few hours to spare one afternoon. He figured that if he hurried and played very fast, he could get in 9 holes before he had to head home. Just as he was about to tee off, an old gentleman shuffled onto the tee and asked if he could accompany the young man as he was golfing alone. Not being able to say no, he allowed the old man to join him.
To his surprise, the old man played fairly quickly. He didn't hit the ball far, but plodded along consistently and didn't waste much time. Finally, they reached the 9th fairway and the young man found himself with a tough shot. There was a large pine tree right in front of his ball and directly between his ball and the green. After several minutes of debating how to hit the shot, the old man finally said, "You know, when I was your age, I'd hit the ball right over that tree."
With that challenge placed before him, the youngster swung hard, hit the ball up, right smack into the top of the tree trunk and it thudded back on the ground not a foot from where it had originally lay.
The old man offered one more comment, "Of course, when I was your age, that pine tree was only 3 feet tall."

XB-XC

The new model got new door panels.



Compared with an XB GT dash and door panel below.

Time

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot -Michael Altshuler,
professional leadership coach

Great photos

The photographer for a national magazine was assigned to get photos of a great forest fire. Smoke at the scene was too thick to get any good shots, so he frantically called his home office to hire a plane. "It will be waiting for you at the airport!" he was assured by his editor. As soon as he got to the small, rural airport, sure enough, a plane was warming up near the runway. He jumped in with his equipment and yelled, "Let's go! Let's go!" The pilot swung the plane into the wind and soon they were in the air. "Fly over the north side of the fire," said the photographer, "and make three or four low level passes." "Why?" asked the pilot. "Because I'm going to take pictures! I'm a photographer, and photographers take pictures!" said the photographer with great exasperation. After a long pause the pilot said, "You mean you're not the instructor?"

XB-XC changeover

The‘sports’ instrumentation option.

The Winning Philosophy

from Matthew C. Horne

A person's philosophy embodies who they are and validates their standing in life. Your personal philosophy is based solely on your life experiences, and the results you've attained thus far. Ask yourself, do you have the results you want in all areas of your life? If you do then thanks for reading this far,
and I'll see you next time... just kidding :-) If not, then a change in philosophy is needed to achieve the goals you envision for yourself.

In all actuality, you're success will never exceed your personal philosophy. The story in your mind concerning your limitless possibilities is what enables you to soar to unseen heights in life. If the results in your life don't match with the desires of your heart, then a change must be made. This change is as simple as adopting the philosophy of someone who is doing what you envision yourself doing at the level which you envision yourself operating at.

The average man has difficulty asking for directions when he's lost on the road. This too holds true when a man is lost in life! Adopting someone else's philosophy is submitting to the results they have on their life and believing it will be duplicated in yours.

The Bible says "pride goeth before destruction." Yes, pride will allow you to think your way of doing things, which hasn't gotten you the results you want out of life, will somehow work for you one day. Destruction will manifest itself in the form of you never becoming what your Creator has intended you to be.

Any uncommon act of humility is a prelude to incredible increase. Realizing your way isn't working and adopting the philosophy of someone who's doing it at the level you want to, is an uncommon act of humility. You'll find that it also is a gateway to incredible increase as the results that once eluded you will begin to actualize themselves.

When you adopt a person's philosophy, you order from their menu so to speak. You can have whatever they've accomplished.

There's a basketball player named Kobe Bryant who was ridiculed when he first entered the NBA for his undeniable imitation of Michael Jordan. His on and off the court characteristics exemplified Mike to an unmistakable degree. He was called names like "Heir Jordan," "Carbon Copy Mike." Something strange happened... he began to perpetuate the same accomplishments of the man he imitated... the rings, the MVP's, the dunk contest championship.

Something even stranger is happening. When I watch Kobe Bryant now, I don't see that "Carbon Copy Mike;" I see the player we've come to know as Kobe Bryant. I see less and less of Michael Jordan and more and more of Kobe Bryant, but more and more of Mike's accomplishments. He's emerged into his own identity through humbling himself and adopting the philosophy of a person who was doing what
he envisioned himself doing at the level he wanted to do it.

Success does not come through innovation; success is in duplication! Through duplication you'll find YOUR true identity. There is always someone who's already done it! Incline your eyes and ears to the clues the Universe sets before you, and your success is right there for the taking!

Smarts

An Israeli soldier who just enlisted asked the Commanding Officer for a 3-day pass.
The CO says "Are you crazy? You just join the Israeli army, and you already want a 3-day pass? You must do something spectacular for that recognition!" So the soldier comes back a day later in an Arab tank! The CO was so impressed, he asked
"How did you do it?"
"Well, I jumped in a tank, and went toward the border with the Arabs. I approached the border, and saw an Arab tank. I put my white flag up, the Arab tank put his white flag up. I said to the Arab soldier, "Do you want to get a three-day pass? So we exchanged tanks!"

More changeovers

But, of course, this is not the end of the story, because after the XB came the XC, and as well as changing much mechanically and giving the Falcon a facelift, the XC also had a completely new dash.

Shells

I live in Florida in an area that is famous for its shells. Many tourists wake up at 5:00 in the morning to find the best shells. Living here, we have learned where to find the best shells and how to look for them. A lot of tourists spend time walking up and down the shore on the same beach and they don't tend to find very interesting stuff. And I figure, since I live here, there's no real point in looking for shells for myself since I already have a big collection. So, whenever I find really nice shells (and sand dollars- those are not easy to find but are in high demand), I go out at night and scatter them along the beach for some lucky tourist to find.

Once I saw a family find a really pretty sand dollar I had left and they were so excited! It made their vacation. Plus, they were from Europe and they had travelled a long way for their vacation. I was so glad that someone deserving got my little gift! I'll continue to leave more shells along the beach whenever I can!

Hearing test

Seems an elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years.
He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100%. The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, "Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased you can hear again."
To which the gentleman said, "Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will five times!"

Dash it

Well, the dash changeovers lesson was relatively straight forward.

Except.



This a dash from an XA GT RPO83 car.

The RPO83 was a special model produced by Ford as a means of homologating parts so that they could be used in the ATCC race cars. Originally, there was supposed to have been a Phase4 version of the XA model that Ford would have sold to the public and used as the basis for its race cars, but the Phase4 was cancelled, and the RPO - Regular Production Option - 83 was offered instead, almost as quiet method of slipping some of the ‘race’ car parts out of the factory door.

What interests us is that the RPOs were all produced at the end of the XA model run. Production was started in May but was then delayed by ten weeks of strikes so the vast majority of RPO83’s were built in August, 1973, the month before XB production was due to start. As a result, while the early - May - cars had the standard \ / \ / XA auxilliary gauge dash, quite a few of the later - August - ones came with the strange combination shown above, \ / / / with the fuel and temperature gauges from the XB model.

Knowledge

~ To imagine is everything, to know is nothing at all. – Anatole France, The Crime of Sylvester Beranard, 1881.

Generation

Our generation never got a break. When we were young they taught us to respect our elders. Now that we are older, they tell us to listen to the youth of the country.

Model changeovers continued

Here is a further view of the XB.

Apply what you know

"Knowledge of any kind ... brings about a change in awareness from where it is possible to create new realities." -- Deepak Chopra

As we evolve, we handle knowledge in different ways. We tend to move through these stages:
- We are unaware.
- We become aware of facts, data, information.
- We comprehend meaning from the facts.
- We can personally apply the information in our lives.
- We have wisdom - enlightened, we can lovingly apply our knowledge to world affairs.
- We live in truth.
How have you personally experienced a shifting of applying knowledge from one level to the next?

"More important than finding the teacher is finding and following the truth of the teaching...." Sogyal Rinpoche

Deduction

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. After a good meal and a bottle of wine, they lay down for the night, and went to sleep.
Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend.
"Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see."
Watson replied, "I see millions and millions of stars."
"What does that tell you?" Holmes asked.
Watson pondered for a minute. "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets.
Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, I can see that God is all-powerful and that we are small and insignificant.
Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow.
What does it tell you?"
Holmes was silent for a minute, then spoke.
"Watson, you idiot. Somebody has stolen our tent!"

Dash changeovers

This is the XB. Notice that the gauges have been changed so the at rest position of the needles in the auxillary gauges is more logical, and exhibits a pattern that resembles, / / / /

Green schools

The Independent. London: Ministers aim to turn every secondary school 'green' By Richard Garner, Education Editor , Published: 16 April 2007
Every new secondary school will be "green" under a radical initiative being planned by the Government. The Education Secretary, Alan Johnson, has won £100m from Chancellor Gordon Brown's comprehensive spending review to ensure all new secondary schools are designed to be carbon neutral or at the very least substantially reduce carbon emissions.
Ministers are planning to refurbish or rebuild every secondary in the country by the end of the next decade. The programme will start with £110m to ensure that 200 new schools that are to be built over the next three years are designed to reduce carbon emissions. School designs that include such features as wind turbines, solar panels, insulated windows and low-emission light bulbs will account for £72m. In addition, £10m will be spent on twinning the schools with schools abroad to learn how to tackle issues such as rainforest preservation and planting new forests.
In the initial stage, it is estimated that the new measures will reduce carbon emissions by 140,000 tonnes. However, if it is successful, it will be extended to the rest of the Government's Building Schools for the Future scheme - under which every secondary will be refurbished or rebuilt over the next decade. Mr Johnson has estimated at least 2,000 of the 2,950 schools will become "environmentally friendly" within the next decade. Officials say, though, it is far easier to reduce carbon emissions in new or rebuilt schools than those that are refurbished.
The initiative will build on the achievements of St Francis of Assisi Academy in Liverpool which became the first specialist "green" school when it opened last year. The school gets electricity from solar panels. All seven Year 7 classes for pupils aged 11 and 12, also have a garden attached, which are cultivated with £1,000 a year each from the school budget. Mr Johnson said the initial extra cash would set "even higher standards for new and refurbished schools to reduce their carbon emissions - in some cases up to carbon neutrality".
"If we succeed, this could result in 2,000 carbon neutral secondary schools enabling us to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by eight million tonnes over the next decade," he added. "Our schools can be built to last into the next century but they should be constructed to enable the planet to survive for the centuries beyond."
The measures will be coupled with support for encouraging pupils to walk or cycle to school. Mr Johnson's initiative follows a decision earlier in the year to order a review of the geography curriculum to ensure issues like climate change and global warming are give more prominence in lessons. He said: "Climate change threatens the very future of our planet. With rising temperatures, melting ice caps and frequent reminders about our carbon footprints, we should all be thinking about what we can do individually to preserve the planet for future generations. In many ways, children inspire environmental debate."

Overworked

For a couple years I 've been blaming it on lack of sleep and too much pressure from my job, but now I found out the real reason: I'm tired because I'm overworked. The population of this country is 237 million. 104 million are retired. That leaves 133 million to do the work. There are 85 million in school, which leaves 48 million to do the work. Of this there are 29 million employed by the federal government, leaving 19 million to do the work. 2.8 million are in the Armed Forces, which leaves 16.2 million to do the work. Take from the total the 14,800,000 people who work for State and City Governments and that leaves 1.4 million to do the work. At any given time there are 188,000 people in hospitals, leaving 1,212,000 to do the work. Now, there are 1,211,998 people in prisons. That leaves just two people to do the work. You and me. And you're sitting at your computer reading jokes.

From yesterday - dash changeovers

There are some, but they don’t show up too well, so here are some close ups.



This is the ‘sports’ instrumentation on an XA. Notice that the gauges are at rest, and as such, the needles in the auxillary gauges assume a pattern that resembles \ / \ /



And another close up of an XA GT dash from another car.

Imagingation

Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. – Albert Einstein

Chicken

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?"

Dashes and ‘GT’ Instrumentation

This is the dash from an XA GT.



And this is a dash from an XB GT. Any differences ?

These Are a Few Things a Teacher Should Read

by Forrest Stone
(to the tune of "These are a Few of My Favourite Things")

Rousseau and Skinner and old Montessori
Jonathan Kozol sure writes a sad story
Steiner and Adler might make your eyes bleed
But these are a few things a teacher should read
Erickson, Froebel, and Constructivism
Hirsch versus Bloom was a really good schism
John Dewey’s classic, “My Ped’gogic Creed”
These are a few things a teacher should read

When the peace breaks, when the kid screams
When you’re turning puce
You look back at these theoretical tracts
And suddenly they’re … no use!

It's all in the punctuation

An English professor wrote the words, "Woman without her man is nothing" on the blackboard and directed his students to punctuate it correctly.
The men wrote: "Woman, without her man, is nothing."
The women wrote: "Woman: Without her, man is nothing."

Model changeovers 2

This is a fine example of an XB GS coupe which was built very late in the XB’s production run, and what do we find




Yes, it has XC style rear wings. The conclusion is that Ford, or whoever was contracted to supply the stampings, must have started production of the XC style wings and the supply of XA/XB style wings became exhausted too early so they used the new style wings that had been delivered to the factory.

The first documented XB hardtop with XC rear marker lights I have knowledge of is a July, 1975 GT, and the next is an October, 1975 John Goss Special. July, 1975 is very early, considering XC’s were introduced in July, 1976.

Bright ideas for this week

1. Have Staff room Beautification Days: These are fun. It's a time when your team can create a place they want to spend time in – this may include plants, posters and cushions etc. Furniture gets moved, walls painted, artwork renewed and areas are often created for relaxation and work. If you do this on a non teaching day - come dressed in casual attire and play music as you work. This day is always a great team builder.

2. Staff meetings running too long? Have Stand Up Meetings: Meetings are a necessity of the job .... To shorten meetings have all participants stand ... I guarantee the meeting will be the quickest, most efficient you have ever had!

3. Celebrate All the Little Wins: Celebrate everyday the work your teachers are doing every day. Even if its by simply acknowledging it. The work of a teacher is one of the most important jobs. Value it. Celebrate it.

4.Give to Receive: One way staff can keep their morale up was to send little positive, cheerful notes to each other. As teachers you give to students all day but what about team members. The fastest way to get a smile, is to give one. Random acts of kindness - just doing the little things to make people feel special, should not only be reserved for Christmas, Birthdays and Special Occasions. Make everyday special.

Dream

"Nothing happens unless first we dream" -Carl Sandburg, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and poet

Solution

"How was your game, dear?" asked Jack's wife Tracy.
"Well, I was hitting pretty well, but my eyesight's gotten so bad I couldn't see where the ball went," he answered.
"But you're 75 years old, Jack!" admonished his wife, "Why don't you take my brother Scott along?"
"But he's 85 and doesn't play golf anymore," protested Jack.
"But he's got perfect eyesight. He would watch the ball for you," Tracy pointed out.
The next day Jack teed off with Scott looking on. Jack swung and the ball disappeared down the middle of the fairway. "Do you see it?" asked Jack.
"Yup," Scott answered.
"Well, where is it?" yelled Jack, peering off into the distance.
"I forgot."

Model changeovers

One of the more intriguing aspects of Australian Fords which I don’t believe happened with American cars was the early introduction of parts or panels into the last models of the preceding range. This seems most prevalent on the XA/XB/XC models and hopefully we can show some of these aspects below.



If you examine the photograph of this 1975 John Goss Special which was based on the XB model, and compare it with the following photograph.



You will see that the 1978 XC, above, has horizontal marker lights in the rear wing whereas the XB - and the XA that proceeded it - had vertical marker lights.
As the fitting of these involved a stamping of the panel, you can see that new dies must have been used for the rear wing on the XC model, which was introduced in July, 1976.

Dig it

There were two guys working for the city. One would dig a hole -- he would dig, dig, dig.
The other would come behind him and fill the hole -- fill, fill, fill. These two men worked furiously; one digging a hole, the other filling it up again.
A man was watching from the sidewalk and couldn't believe how hard these men were working, but couldn't understand what they were doing. Finally he had to ask them.
He said to the hole digger, "I appreciate how hard you work, but what are you doing? You dig a hole and your partner comes behind you and fills it up again!"
The hole digger replied, "Oh yeah, must look funny, but the guy who plants the trees is sick today."

XC Falcon

The XC was a further re-style of the third generation Falcon. The refined look was achieved by reducing the slope of the grille and introducing large rectangular headlamps on some models. The bonnet line was softened and more substantial bumpers fitted. The coke bottle effect was reduced by altering the style line running through the rear doors. The hardtop still struggled to sell, and Ford introduced the limited edition Cobra as the last of the two door version, and, as a sign of the times, there never was a GT version of the XC. Mid way through the life of the XC, Ford made some radical improvements to the car’s suspension to allow for radial tyres, and these models tend to be known as the ‘XC and a half’. The later XCs are easily identified by the introduction of the the classic Ford oval badge on the centre of the grille, its first use on an Australian Ford.

The XC was manufactured between July, 1976 and March, 1979. 171,082 were produced.

Instructions for cleaning the toilet:

1. Lift the lid on the toilet and fill it with 1/8 cup of animal shampoo.
2. Take the cat in your arms and stroke it gently while slowly moving in the direction of the toilet.
3. At a suitable moment, throw the cat into the toilet bowl and close the lid quickly and either stand or sit on the lid.
4. The cat will now start the cleaning process and will produce generate plenty of foam. Do not be concerned about the loud noises coming from the toilet; your cat is enjoying himself.
5. After several minutes flush the toilet to start the “Power-wash” pre-wash and then flush again for the main wash cycle.
6. Ask someone to open the front door and ensure that no-one is between the toilet and the front door.
7. Get off the toilet seat and from a safe distance open the toilet lid quickly. The cat will dry off
naturally due to the high speed he will be moving from the toilet to the front door.
8. The toilet and the cat are now both clean.
With best wishes,
The Dog

Harry Potter by the numbers

Some 325 million copies of the books (hardback, paperback, and in translation) have been sold worldwide. The books are available in 65 languages and sold in 200 territories. For a decade, they have been enthralling readers of all ages with wizardry, endearing characters, suspense, and countless quirky facts and oddities that fans relish discussing.

1. HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE – June 1997, UK. The tale that Joanne Rowling wrote in Edinburgh cafes to keep her newborn daughter warm and escape a chilly and dank apartment was typed on a typewriter. Readers are delighted by the story of the boy wizard-in-training, lessons in potions, Quidditch, and The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It sells 100,000 copies in its first year in Britain and is acquired by US-based publisher Scholastic for $100,000 – the highest advance ever for a first-time author's book for children. Film rights to the seven books planned are secured by Warner Brothers by the end of 1998.

2. HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS – July 1998, UK; June 1999, US, 341 pages. Harry and school friends, bullies, and ghosts reappear in the second title, also written in cafes around Edinburgh. It becomes a bestseller in the UK, a feat achieved by only a few other children's books by authors such as Roald Dahl and C.S. Lewis.

3. HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN – July 1999, UK; September 1999 US, 431 pages. The third title makes its debut as the fastest-selling book in British history.

4. HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE – July 2000, 734 pages. Many bookstores plan elaborate events for the fourth book's release, hosting 'Harry Potter' parties for costumed fans at midnight in Britain and the United States. This is the first title to be published simultaneously on both continents.

5. HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX – June 2003, 870 pages. Despite the epic-sized tome, the maturing Harry continues to draw. The book sells 11 million copies in 12 weeks, 5 million the first day alone.

6. HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE – July 2005. 652 pages. A book with darker themes, suspense, and death, its publication ends weeks of wondering, selling 9 million copies in Britain and the US in the first day of release. The sixth book is the first to be shorter than the previous volume.

7.HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, to be published July 21 in English-speaking countries worldwide, 784 pages. First printing: 12 million. High security reportedly surrounds the book's distribution, which will take place the day before. Precautions include security guards at printing plants, warehouses in undisclosed locations, and steel chains wrapped around shipments.

Software

A software expert claims: “My software never has bugs -- it just develops random features.”

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.

Choose differently today

"It is always your next move." -- Napoleon Hill

The great benefit of heightened awareness is that we have more choice in how we live our lives. At any moment, we can purposefully choose a new experience for ourselves. We can choose to pay attention, breathe more deeply, laugh, rest, play, appreciate, do something different - the possibilities are endless.

Whenever you remember, TAKE YOURSELF OFF AUTO-PILOT and really examine your situation. Take charge and make a choice that will enrich your experience. At the end of the day, reflect on what happened and how you felt when you chose a new line of thought, feeling or action.

"When a defining moment comes along, you can do one of two things. Define the moment, or let the moment define you." -- Tin Cup (the movie)

"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice." -- Neil Peart

Rude

TEACHER: What do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer
interested?
PUPILS: A teacher.

Insurance Company

A Charlotte, North Carolina man, having purchased a case of rare, very expensive cigars, insured them against .... get this .... fire. Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of fabulous cigars, and having yet to make a single premium payment on the policy, the man filed a claim against the insurance company. In his claim, the man stated that he had lost the cigars in "a series of small fires." The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason that the man had consumed the cigars in a normal fashion. The man sued ... and won!! In delivering his ruling, the judge stated that since the man held a policy from the company in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable, and also guaranteed that it would insure the cigars against fire, without defining what it considered to be "unacceptable fire," it was obligated to compensate the insured for his loss. Rather than endure a lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the judge's ruling and paid the man $15,000 for the rare cigars he lost in "the fires." After the man cashed his check, however, the insurance company had him arrested... on 24 counts of arson! With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case being used as evidence against him, the man was convicted of intentionally burning the rare cigars and sentenced to 24 consecutive one year terms.

But, officer...

A guy was driving when a policeman pulled him over. He rolled down his window and said to the officer, "Is there a problem, Officer?"
"No problem at all. I just observed your safe driving and am pleased to award you a $5,000 Safe Driver Award. Congratulations. What do you think you're going to do with the money?"
He thought for a minute and said, "Well, I guess I'll go get that drivers' license."
The lady sitting in the passenger seat said to the policeman, "Oh, don't pay attention to him - he's a smartass when he's drunk and stoned."
The guy from the back seat said, "I TOLD you guys we wouldn't get far in a stolen car!"
At that moment, there was a knock from the trunk and a muffled voice said, "Are we over the border yet?"

XA Falcon

The XA model was the first completely designed and built in Australia. By the time it was released, the U.S. version had been discontinued some 18 months earlier, and the designers had the opportunity of styling a more ‘Australianised’ car. The result was a swoopy, coke bottle design, sleek but featuring a bigger, more roomy body and available with a wider choice of engines and a longer list of options. And, after a break of seven years, Ford introduced a two door hardtop version based on the sedan but with a lower roofline and wider rear wings. Marketed under the ‘Born on the Wind’ slogan, the XA was a great success for Ford of Australia and a confident statement of its independence.

The XA was manufactured between March, 1972 and September, 1973. 129,473 were produced.

Abbott and Costello know why we have to teach Maths very well…

Abbott: Do me a favour. Loan me $50.
Costello: I can't lend you $50. All I've got is $40.
Abbott: That's okay. Give me the $40, and you'll owe me $10.
Costello: How come I owe you $10?
Abbott: What did I ask you for?
Costello: $50.
Abbott: What did you give me?
Costello; $40.
Abbott: So you owe me $10.
Costello: That's right. But you owe me $40. Give me my $40 back.
Abbott: There's your $40. Now give me the $10 you owe me. That's the last time I'll ever ask you for the loan of $50.
Costello: How can I loan you $50 now? All I have is $30.
Abbott: Give me the $30, and you’ll owe me $20.
Costello: This is getting worse all the time. First I owe you $10, and now I owe you $20!
Abbott: So you owe me $20. Twenty and 30 is 50.
Costello; Nope! Twenty-five and 25 is 50.
Abbott: Here's your $30. Give me back my $20.
Costello: All I've got now is $10!

Einstein

Einstein's way of teaching was very special. Humour played a gigantic role at times in his approach. He taught his students not only how to think but also what to think of. "Think more. Be totally absorbed. The answer is bound to dawn," was his philosophy. Memorisation, he felt, is not and cannot be the ultimate answer. He stressed this undeniable fact vehemently and unreservedly. Only today's proper thinking will bring in tomorrow's satisfaction-sun.

Excerpt from Einstein: Scientist-Sage, Brother Of Atom-Universe by Sri Chinmoy

Sick farmer

Q. Who takes care of the farm when the farmer is sick?
A. The pharmacist

Criticism

Remember this when you feel you are next in someone’s firing line…… "To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing." Elbert Hubbard 1856-1915

Sales charm

A woman was waiting in the checkout line at a shopping center. Her arms were laden with a mop and broom and other cleaning supplies. By her hard glances and deep sighs, it was obvious she was in hurry and not a happy camper about the slowness of the line.

When the cashier called for a price check on a box of soap, the woman remarked indignantly, "Well, I'll be lucky to get out of here and home before Christmas!"

"Don't worry, ma'am," replied the clerk. "With a good tail wind and that brand new broom you have there, you'll be home in no time."

Eliminate Hoops

One thing you can’t recycle is wasted time. - Anonymous

If it were easy it would have been done before. —Jeanne Yaeger
Resist the temptation to make your employees jump through hoops. Instruction is the most important part of the school day. Don’t develop rules for the few who abuse things in your school. Conduct yearly staff meetings to discuss eliminating unnecessary burdens placed on your staff. Think of ways to reduce paper demands on your staff so they may concentrate on student learning in the classrooms. Often, bureaucracy increases as an organization grows. Leaders must learn to run a large school like a small school.

Smaller schools tend to have less red tape and thus run faster and sleeker. As a school grows in numbers, more personnel are hired, and more rules are developed to run the school. Having worked in both a small district and a large district, I saw firsthand that school principals do it all in smaller districts. Right or wrong, they do it all. Customer satisfaction is about the same between small and large districts. Principals learn to rely on their building employees to help run the school.

Large school districts may have several assistant superintendents, supervisors, directors, managers, and support personnel. Principals in larger school districts find they have more people helping them but may know less; and it may take longer for them to finish tasks as a result of the bureaucracy. Resist adding hoops for the employees. The principal needs to run a large school district like a fast and mobile small district.