Category: General

A great show

I spent the whole morning watching the Australian Open semi-final between Andy Murray and David Ferrer. I have to say you Aussies provide a great show. If it isn’t the Australia Day fireworks in the middle of the Nadal-Ferrer match, it’s a flock of seagulls invading the stadium, shortly followed by a very large moth who obviously wanted a closer view of the match. It was a very colourful spectacle, with wee Scottish flags being waved here and there, along with a group of young ladies holding up cards spelling out “Marry me Murray” and at least one supporter with the saltire painted on his face. Then there were the Ferrer fans with their “Ferrero Rocher” banner. I loved the Foreign Legion caps complete with neck protectors of the ball boys and girls, though I thought most of the matches were played in the evening. It was good to see Ken Rosewall among the spectators, who gave great support to both players. There was the idiot who shouted out “Come on Murray” just as our hero was serving, but he might have been a Scottish rather than an Aussie idiot.

The tennis itself was fantastic and to top it all, the Scot won. That’s not something I can say very often. Roll on Sunday!

1895 School Final Exam – some of you may have seen this already?

This came in to me by e-mail from a retired US Deputy Head Teacher (old school!)
How many of us could pass this test? Remember when our grandparents, great-grandparents, and such stated that they only had an 8th grade education?
Well, check this out. – – –
This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina , KS , USA . It was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina , KS , and reprinted by the Salina Journal. Continue reading “1895 School Final Exam – some of you may have seen this already?”

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark…

when a Peer can nominate a property as his main home by spending just one night a month in it. This is the ruling apparently of a Mr Pownall, who is in charge of policing Peer’s expenses claims. I suspect Lord Taylor’s fraudulent activities is but a very small tip of a very large ermine-clad iceberg. Does Mr Pownall understand what to be in charge of policing expenses’ claims means? I do wonder…

Matt cartoons witty political cartoons and satirical sketches – Telegraph

Matt cartoons witty political cartoons and satirical sketches – Telegraph.

Matt’s take on the fellow forced to resign at Sky for his “prehistoric banter”. I don’t think I would buy the DT if it wasn’t for the smile and sometimes outbursts of early morning laughter Matt brings to our breakfast table…

 

Whacko of the week.

Don’t think there will be much of a contest this week. The winner is; Mary Bousted, General Secretary, Association of Teachers and Lecturers.

Pupils’ behaviour in school has a huge impact on their learning, that of other pupils and on their teachers.

Well, I’ll go to our house! Does it really?

A quick scan of the article gives a good view of one of the reasons that many of our schools are in such a mess.

A special post for Janus

My post about the stealthy advance of Islam in Australia is not about “xenophobia” – or even “xemophobia” to use your spelling.   Australia welcomes its immigrants, but it does not expect to give them special dispensations that the rest of the country does not receive; it expects them to integrate.   I have therefore removed your comment from that post, but here it is again, and you are welcome to debate it here, if that’s your desire.

Chris and everyone, that is absolutley true – “some of the reasons why they might wish to emigrate are likely to be found in the country in which they wish to be immigrants”. Some people come here expecting the much-vaunted liberal attitudes to race and religion and are soon disillusioned. In fact Denmark, “the happiest country in the world”, suffers from as much xemophobia as the next.

Before you start, let me remind you that –

  • Islam is not a race.
  • The burqa is not a requirement of Islam.

Australians are neither xenophobic, nor racist.   Our way of expressing ourselves may sometimes give foreigners the impression that we are, but it’s no more than a linguistic misinterpretation – by the foreigner.   There you go, a special post for you to expand upon your accusation.