Word For The Day, Friday, August 1, 2003

The Verbivores | 8/1/03 | Teacher

[Conspiracy Guy]

Sounds like my lifestyle.

[Gabz]

Yes Tex, very scary.

We kept a loaded weapon in the house because of these problems. Now the only reason I have a loaded weapon is for the possiblity of snakes in the yard!!!!

[Robert A Cook PE]

Homework:

Isn't carousal the natural state of a male teenager in the back seat with his date?

[Conspiracy Guy]

yer fer it aint ya

[camle]

y'all say happy birthday to Francis Scott Key now.

Also today is the anniversary of the whiskey rebellion.

[Laura Earl]

uuuuhhhhhhhh...........NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NeoCaveman]

More recall news. Larry Flynt is running

[Gabz]

I don't believe too much in coincidence either.

My calles to DPD were never laughed at, and always responded to. Also many of the neighbors knew that several of the problem dealers on our street did live in that particular apartment complex.

[hobbes1]

OH, yea....I have GOT TO SEE his campaign flyers.....lol


(One wonders what his subscription/sales rate is in Cali, and how many of those would be actually willing....lol)

[MeekOneGOP]

Mornin' !! Things are cookin' down here in Texas !! (As I'm sure you well know!) . . .

HOT in Dallas today!

[Conspiracy Guy]

Isn't carousal a fancy word for merry go round?

[white rose]

I just heard about that on the radio. Gosh, this recall is getting more fun by the minute.

[Conspiracy Guy]

How hot is it?

[Robert A Cook PE]

Everybody's different, but try this way.

(So far, it's worked three times with my kids, and a bunch of other kids in the band, girl scouts, and boy scout groups too as other parents have tried it....)

Figure you're going to break the "how to drive" problem into management sets of things they have to learn so well they're automatic - MANY of which HAVE to be MASTERED THOROUGHLY BEFORE you ever put the kid on the road itself.

(Then, AFTER they've really mastered the details of car control and steering and manuevering the car OFF ROAD, then they can get on the road and figure out the "look around and avoid other cars" part of driving.

So ......

First day, drive them to an empty school lot or company parking lot. (Not a commercial parking lot where other people could drive by ...) HAve the kid get behind the wheel (by themself!) and just park it - 15 or twenty times into various slots in various rows. The first 5 or 6 times they park - have them get out and look at how accurate they are.

then have them circle a few times, back up (straight!) at least 150 feet, circle some more in various figure 8's and around light poles and other obstructions they can see. Have them parallel park too - or at least try, if they begin getting a little "too overconfident".

Stop, take a break. Let them take a break too.

Do it all again to reinforce the mechanics of what they've done.

Drive both of you home.

Next day, or a few days later. Do it again, but emphasize backing up straight and (if you have a trailer) moving and parking and backing up and controlling the trailer.... All this still at slow speed, but emphasize accuracy - a 2" "miss" in a parking lot will still thousands of dollars in damage to both cars.

Cover parallel parking the second day also. Have them repeat until they can accurately parallel park - you might need some cones - two barrels, or even yourself as a "fender" of the car they parking behind. (At least you can step back when try to drive over your foot!)

After two or three intervals of "parking lot" practice, the kid will know how to control the car, and will be able to look "out" while on the road. AFTER you're confident of his/her ability to control the car, then have them drive home.

From that first drive on, EVERY TIME you get in the car with the learner for the next year, THEY DRIVE.

By the end of that full year of practice - IF they've driven every time they're in a car, they should be able to get over 15,000 miles of observed driving. Under all conditions (night, day, storms, snow, ice, highway, etc....) and you've seen how the react.

[Texan5]

Maybe except for the "drunken" part. I don't want to think of a drunken teenager in either front or back seat of a vehicle unless it is parked in the driveway with the keys inside the house. But you can't really have "carousal" without "arousal", but do you also need the "c" to have it take place in a vehicle, rather than in the house or on the lawn? This is getting silly.....

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

Are USA core values returning? After eight years of a president who had no real cause or beliefs except to carouse and (so a source tells me) leave his sauce or DNA on Monica Lewinsky, a co user of the Oval Office for purposes that conflict with a core US system of laws and morality. Now, our SEC, a guarantor of shareholder rights, is fighting corporate corruption, and the Ken Lays of the world are learning that a course of action that conflicts with the rules of fair play will lead to a cure so much worse than the disease. No longer will these corporate crooks be able to use CA or TX as their private playground. As the voters of CA sue or demand a recall of crooked politicians, one of our aces, George W. Bush, stands tall and alone, a Crusoe in a world of Fagins.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Usually, the "see" in carousal happens visually.

Sometimes tactfully though, I'd guess as well, is heart-felt.

(That's not a tasteful thought though .... Some people consider the hole thong a touchy-feelly affair.)

[Robert A Cook PE]

(Loudly aplauding the laudable load of linked homework!)

[camle]

thanx for the suggestions...

I've taught several people how to drive in my time, in fact, I used to be a motorcycle driving instructor (now THAT'S teaching someone!). I even taught my mother how to drive!

the tyke listens well and does what she is told. she is a good kid. she ought to survive.

[MeekOneGOP]

How hot is it?

It's 86 degrees now, and heading for around 100 today.

Typical August forecast for here :

Friday Hi 100 Lo 78 Partly Cloudy

Saturday Hi 98 Lo 78 Isolated T-Storm

Sunday Hi 98 Lo 79 Isolated T-Storm

Monday Hi 99 Lo 79 Partly Cloudy

Tuesday Hi 100 Lo 80 Partly Cloudy