1 - January 1, 2012 1:04 am

Name:

Christopher Colbert

Location:

Comments:

"By definition, an Accord is a Compromise.' Chevrolet advertisement running in Canada. Sent in by Fil Salustri who hasn't found this definition in five dictionaries."

Really?
'Cause I found it in the first one I checked.


ac·cord (-kôrd)
v. ac·cord·ed, ac·cord·ing, ac·cords
v.tr.
1. To cause to conform or agree; bring into harmony.
2. To grant, especially as being due or appropriate: accorded the President the proper deference.
3. To bestow upon: I accord you my blessing.
v.intr.
To be in agreement, unity, or harmony. See Synonyms at agree.
n.
1. Agreement; harmony: act in accord with university policies.
2. A settlement or compromise of conflicting opinions.
3. A settlement of points at issue between nations.
4. Spontaneous or voluntary desire to take a certain action: The children returned on their own accord. He confessed of his own accord.

javascript:location='/_/cite.htm?url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'& word=accord&sourceName=general+English+dictionary+and+thesaurus&flag=1075&t ab=1&sources='+sources

2 - August 11, 2011 2:08 pm

Name:

Jenny Tetlow

Location:

Comments:

I am thoroughly peeved at the application of labels 'strategic' and 'operational' in my sector (education, public sector). 'You are too operational' is the standard response to people who need to think in detail about issues. 'Strategic' thinking seems to be the pastime of people with no clue who get paid a lot of money. I remain operational and proud.

3 - August 5, 2011 3:03 pm

Name:

Geoff Hudson

Location:

Longwarry North Victoria

Comments:

It seems Posting a letter or a parcel is no longer done. I recently received an email saying I would be advised when a parcel had been "deployed in the mail"

4 - July 1, 2011 1:23 pm

Name:

Julie

Location:

Bilgola, NSW, Australia

Comments:

This “Assessment of Achievement” comes from my daughter’s year 1 school report (Bilgola Plateau Public School; semester 2, 2010). Ever hopeful, six months on I still pull it out of the drawer for a re-read in the hope of learning something useful:-

English
“Overall achievement: Achieving”
Mathematics
“Overall achievement: Achieving”

Helpfully, the department of education provided me with an “Assessment of Achievement” table wherein the achievement of achieving is defined in the following way:

“The student has a sound knowledge and understanding of the main areas of content and has achieved a satisfactory level of competence in the processes and skills.”

Hmmm. Slightly more confused than before. I thought her achievement was achieving but now I’m informed that “achieving”, more specifically, means she “has achieved”. How can someone be in the process of doing something they’ve already done? If I refer to the table with the other “Assessment of Achievement” definitions maybe I’ll learn whether achieving as an achievement is a good thing or a bad thing and whether any of this has anything to do my 6-year-old daughter’s ability to do english and maths? Okay, so the other achievement levels are listed as outstanding, proficient, developing, limited; does that help me? I’m soon perplexed. Every level, except proficient, “has achieved” in some way, shape or form, so am I to assume that she’s behind the other levels if they’ve already achieved their achievement while she’s still achieving hers? Or maybe it’s the opposite? Does the answer lie in the skill of having achieved her achievement whilst simultaneously achieving? Now I’m thinking she’s an over-achiever. I’m happy enough with that. At least she’s not limited or developing. Those poor parents will be catatonic from the strain of spotting the microscopic point at which the achievement of “elementary knowledge” can officially be defined as going forward into “basic knowledge.”

I can't express how good it feels to get that off my chest, finally!! Thanks for reading.

5 - June 14, 2011 11:10 pm

Name:

Penny Beitzel

Location:

Bondi

Comments:

If I hear "transparent process" or "open, collaborative environment fostering inclusive communication" by people who do anything BUT those things I'll scream. With laughter.