Family Feud, Mobile Notifications and Y2K remembrance - an agentic meeting at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Marie started us off with an inspirational invocation.

TM Aleta introduced us to thought-provoking topics based on the old tv show, Family Feud.  We discovered that...

* TM Christina thinks fear is funny and different for all of us.  For starters, fear of public speaking is why we are all here....

* TM Jose thinks bakers call their wives honey, sugar and the like - all except the owner of Pan e Dolci bakery who was more like a Soup Nazi so God knows what he called his wife....

* TM David dislikes doing dishes and taking the garbage out, closely followed by French brooming and vacuuming.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Randolph got lightheaded just thinking of all the types of insurance exist,  and how little return one gets for the investment.   Ahhhhrrrggg!!!

* TM Pam would go to Australia (rather than Oz) to find a Koala and suggested we start calling vacumming 'sucking the floor'.

* TM The Tom talked about junk mail and wistfully contemplated the local city landfills brimming with it.

* TM Veronica stated that other mice are perplexed by Mickey's gloves, costume, voice to ask the owners to leave out some cheese for the night.

TM Jorge presided the meeting as Toastmaster of the Day and did an outstanding job!  Go Jorge!

Regarding the prepared speeches...

* TM David confirmed that mobile notifications have become digital spam, but prepared and sent with precision could create value messages, not noise.  He Won Most Improved Speaker Award.

* TM BeckyJo recalled Dec 31, 1999, purported Doomsday and the party she catered for 150 people with an overabundance of beets and no Y2K end.

As far as evaluations...

* TM Christina praised TM David for making a tedious subject lively, his vocal variety and suggested he make it more of a storytelling tale of useless pings.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Randolph thoroughly enjoyed TM BeckyJo's humorous tale of celebratory End of the World with lots of humor... Viva los Beets!! 

The Word of the Day was

AGENTIC, adj

Able to accomplish results with autonomy, especially in Artificial Intelligence.

Example:  Agentics are not a chatbot.  They are powerful cloud agents with a full computing environment.  Huhhh?   Say what???

Madam La Presidenta encouraged us to bring a friend to the next meetings.  She will start by following up with (2) interested friends.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDaKDYYb96w

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Colors, Cultures and Commitment - an ebullient morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Gail started us off with a heartfelt invocation, and TM Pam followed with an ebullient joke.

TM Gail introduced us to thinking about colors.... We discovered that...

* TM Jose recognizes pink is not his favorite color for himself, but he once attended a great concert by Pink and he relished cotton candy, a precursor to diabetes.

* TM Aleta marvels at the orange dusks in Western Pennsylvania, which she attributes to the reflection from the green trees that line the scenery.

* TM Veronica reminisced about drinking beer in high school -ooops, college- a song blue, a restaurant near home called Blue Moon... She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Christina loves purple and is reminded of medieval times, royalty and it was definitely her favorite color when she was growing up....

* TM Pam quoted that "Nature's First Green is Gold" by Robert Frost, green bananas and jumped over to her daughter's wedding cake sprinkled in purple,

Along came our prepared speeches...

* TM BeckyJo talked about 100-year-old black eggs (yuk but survivable), gross alligator tips and Dutch worst candy in the world - liquorice on steroids. "If you can't travel the world, make the world come to you." She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Marie refreshed our memories about keeping the commitment we made when we joined Toastmasters, and use the precious Crib Sheets to learn and grow fulfilling different roles.  If It's not fun, it's not Toastmasters!

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Jose praised TM BeckyJo's speech delivery, voice fluctuations, ebullience and humor, and related to surviving eating 100-year-old eggs.  

* TM Aleta thoroughly enjoyed TM Marie's educational speech and encouraged her to use more voice variations in pitch and volume.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

EBULLIENT, adjective

full of energy and cheerful

Example: EarlyBirds is a club full of ebullient members.  Come join us!

The link to the recording is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAtH7wwlXNg

See you next week!

Ana I.

Ebullient Recap Writer

Beach Snow, Design Tools and Cat Scratch Fever, an obdurate morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Pam launched us with a Unitarian Invocation about the Whip of Winter.

TM Christina introduced the tropical snowstorm concept to us...

* TM The Tom stated that Floridians are obdurate in avoiding snow-driven mistakes by migrating South from the cruel harsh northern winters.

* TM Veronica dreams of building beach snowmen, beach snow cones and posting the pictures on social media.

* TM Jorge was horrified at multiple-car crashes in MIami traffic when driven by a snowstorm.

* TM Aleta has found a good job for Florida teenagers experiencing a snowstorm... if they own a John Deere snow plow.

* TM Jose saw real snow in one year in Montana and when we first moved to Madrid from Cuba in the Navacerrada mountains surrounding the capital.

* TM Pam looks forward to winter olympics, mostly ice skating and ice racing, one a spring, one an obdurate sport.

* TM David laughs at Miamians' winter gear -including himself- when the thermometer hits 70 degrees fahrenheit.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM BeckyJo made a mistake as a 6-year-old by diving into snow in her flipflops. She had to be rescued by her compassionate uncle.

Along came prepared speeches...

* TM David presented a speech about his printing company and their sophisticated platforms to make customers and other businesses lives easier.

* TM BeckyJo emphasized her 2 degrees of separation from Ted Nugent by suffering her Cat Scratch Fever - and now she's immunized.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

Regarding the evaluations...

* TM Jose was impressed with TM David's speech, his great presentation and he suggested he explain what B to B and B to C stand for.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM The Tom thoroughly enjoyed TM BeckyJo's speech, her vivid descriptions of the feline scar on her finger and surviving Mersa.

The Word of the Day was

OBDURATE, adjective

Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action; hardened in fellings.

Example: The difference between obdurate and obstinate: Obdurate implies a hardened, unfeeling resistance to persuasion (often morally) while obstinate suggests a more willful, perhaps unreasonable, persistence in one's opinion, often linked to pride or pigheadedness, though it can sometimes be admired as tenacity.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LflNAdjB9sc

See you next week at the Group International Speech Contest!

Ana I.

Obdurate Recap Writer

Your Favorite Things, Driving-Italian style and A Feline Farewell - a conciliatory morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

First-timer TM Veronica led us with an inspiring invocation - go TM Veronica!

TM Aleta presented choices of some of our favorite things ...

* TM Christine got caught dancing in the rain in Poland, where nobody knows her and she did not care what anyone thought of her.

* TM Veronica goes on vacation to tropical places during rainy season - less expensive and less crowded - and she gets caught in the rain quite often.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Jorge once rode a Tennessee horse which was described as a compliant, obedient horse and turned out to have a will and a gallop of his own!

* TM David was not familiar with schnitzel - although thanks to Mr. Google, we are all now experts in schnitzel - and likes to go swimming in his pool when it's raining.  No lightning or thunder, please!

* TM The Tom avoids blue satin sashes lest they get in his eyelashes, so he guesses but no messes with girls in white dresses.

* I, Ana, have not been bitten by a dog - mostly because I avoid them- or stung by a bee although they proliferate in swimming pools in Madrid.

And then came our prepared speeches...

* TM BeckyJo revisited her near-death experience as a passenger in Simonetta's reckless driving to Miami, to Naples and almost to the next world...  Ah la bella Italia!!

* TM Marie shared a heart-rendering visual story of Sammy Miami, who lived a privileged life and crossed the rainbow arch leaving loving memories behind.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Jorge loved TM BeckyJo's speech, her energy, the way she acts her speech and he suggested that next time, she face the camera and her audience.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM The Tom, a cat person himself,  was deeply touched by TM Marie's experience parting with a beloved pet.

TM Christina excelled as a first-time Toastmaster - go TM Christina!

The Word of the Day was

CONCILIATORY, adj.

Intended to gain goodwill or favor or to reduce hostility.

Example: It is more conciliatory to catch flies with lemonade than with pure bitter lemons.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zPelKb9heg

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer 

Prevarication, lies and untruths - a morning of embellishment at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Pam inspired us with an embellished invocation.

We then proceeded to hear Tall Tales, Untruths and Other Prevarications from our group.

* TM Aleta finds old coins, arrowheads and other antique relics when excavating her back yard and told the tale of Sugarfoot, who was murdered by Tom Quinn, who buried the money and never found the money because TM Aleta has it.

* TM BeckyJo, aka Queen Marley, is a redheaded Royal Hawaiian, a descendant of the Goddess Pele of the Volcano who has flashes of temper from time to time, just like she does....

* TM Christina saved Space Camp Canada when the simulator crashed and they lost power to Quebec - she won the ribbon for such accomplishments.

* TM Pam kayaked with her pet alligator, Eleanor, and eventually got rid of the pet and invented standing paddle board on a gator.  She Won Best Tall Tales Speaker Award.

* I, Ana, resorted to a psychic in Madrid who transformed my ex into a pigeon which flew back to Bolivia in the wings of a 747 with a pigeonesque logo tatooed on his forehead.

* TM Randolph, radiotransmitting today from Australia, had no car and no job on his first date and a mother who won the Lotto.  He had to buy his date a new car after drowning her car in Slushies.  And only then she agreed to marry him...

* TM Veronica lived a gothic soap opera in a French Chateau surrounded by bats, liver pate and duck during  a hideously dehydrating weekend.  No fromage in sight....

* TM The Tom had his first legal case in Homestead (aka Dysfunction Junction) in the 60s where the charges were dismissed due to the Judge's hilarity attack.

* TM Jose drove his Harley up a mountain, met up with Pedro, the insomniac chef of a 2-star Michelin restaurant who donated Bon Am to Jose, who has now enlisted all of EarlyBirds to fly his private jet and go run the restaurant with him.  We're all headed to Fort Lauderdale airport as we speak!

The Word of the Day was

EMBELLISHMENT, noun

A detail, especially one that is not true, added to a statement or story to make it more interesting or entertaining.

Example:  At EarlyBirds today, we did not let pesky facts get in the way of our embellishments.

Here's the link to our recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ8CODQHK8c

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Wingspan, Rhythm & Rap, Rise and Shine - a convivial morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Schrimsher inspired us with the Equinox-themed invocation.

She then brought us  Aviary-themed Table Topics.  Did you know that 320 MILLION birds will fly over Florida tonight??  That statistic is simply dizzying....

We found out that...

* TM Marc is a Monopoly ace, closely followed by Fish, Solitaire and other card games.  He knows when to hold 'em, knows when to fold 'em and knows when to walk away...

* TM Christine un-Christianly cheated in Connect 4, Uno, Checkers and Yahtsee with an unsuspecting and convivial 15-year-old....

* TM Aleta would migrate someplace warm to meet other birds because even one-time encounters are often memorable...

* TM Jorge would be a yellow parakeet who flew away and landed in TM Pam's back patio, and TM Jorge's young son is adept at tweeting now.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* I, Ana, like my longtime friends as much as I like recent ones who have also brought lots of tweeting to my life.

* TM Marie revealed her insatiable appetite for fruit and has solemnly declared herself a Megachiroptera, commonly known as a Fruit Bat.  Tutti frutti, all rutti!!

We had (2) convivial prepared speeches...

* TM Veronica connected us, the audience, to her affinity for poetry lines in rap, roses growing through concrete and family of origin fantabulous "Asado" (Argentine bar-b-q) in the Pampas.... She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM BeckyJo described how she has been plagued by chirpy tweeting early risers, human and feline, and has not yet accomplished her dream of sleeping in... at least till 6:30 am!!

And then came the evaluations...

* TM David commended TM Veronica for her speech and asked her to give us some more beat to the beat of rap.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM The Tom thoroughly enjoyed TM BeckyJo's speech and related to the singing father role, while pointing out the rotating ceiling fan that lends an air of spirituality.

The Word of the Day was

CONVIVIAL, adj.

Pleasant, friendly, lively

Example:  The air was convivial at the crack-of-dawn in the Farmers' Market.

Here's the link to the recording....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlvaahSzjSE

See you next week!

Ana I

Recap Writer

Salsa, Salsa, Salsa, Evaluations and Labor Day - a fun contest at Early Birds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We had our Evaluations Contest today! What a huge success! 

Our Test Speaker, TM Yolanda, delighted us with a fun, upbeat speech about her passionate love affair... with SALSA!  ("The rythm is going to get you, the rythm is going to get you!) (sung to the tune of Gloria Estefan's Rythm is Going To Get You... 

She followed her friend's father's wise adage "If you don't swing the bat, you won't hit the ball!" and she swung the bat and hit the ball all right!  Inspired by the movie "Dance with me" she began as a shy observer and progressed to Salsa Casino, Salsa Club, Salsa Congress, Salsa Competition...

By the end of her speech, we all wanted to sign up for Salsa lessons.

And then came the evaluations...

* TM Pam praised TM Yolanda for the connection between love affairs and dancing.

* TM Jose was enthralled with TM Yolanda's self-assurance and her evolution from bystander to salsa expert.  He Won Third Place.

* TM Christine so related to the light hearted tone of the speech and TM Yolanda's ebullient nature.

* TM BeckyJo was inspired by TM Yolanda's zest for best and vows to create an EarlyBird Salsa Contest at our old Denny's.  We will fly the non-locals in.  She Won First Place

* TM David thoroughly enjoyed the essence of the speech and praised TM Yolanda for overcoming her initial insecurity with an intrepid salsa spirit.

* TM Marie admired TM Yolanda's strong start and non-glare glasses as well as her joyful disposition.  She Won Second Place.

While the votes were being tallied, we had Table Topics about the upcoming Labor Day...

* TM David firmly declared that he will wear white or any color he chooses after Labor Day.   So there!

* TM Jorge lived in South Beach for a while and did not go to any Labor Day Beach Bash parties, thank you very much!

* TM Christine is torn between a backyard barbeque and a picnic because she loves both soooo much.

* TM Yolanda has gone to the beach plenty of times but has not engaged in water sports, boating or swmming.  She prefers to watch the waves from the shore...

Reminder frrom TM Marie, our Treasurer:

Dues are due!  Please go to toastmasters.org and follow clear instructions.  Thank you!

Next week, September 4, will be a standard Early Birds meeting.  The Humorous Speech Contest has been pushed back until further notice.

Next week, September 4, we will have a brief business meeting right after our regular meeting to discuss items of interest.  Club Officers need to be there but everyone is welcome to stay!

Here's the link to the recording:

https://youtube.com/live/JUV4SqUHT8Q?feature=share

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Choices, Race to Space and Blue Bicycles - a moment to linger at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Friends and Guests,

TM The Tom led us in Table Topics and took some flak for (perceived) goofy choices... (they seemed very logical to The Tom)...

* TM Christina hates both massages - waste of time and money- and mani-pedis, since as a technician-pleaser she has walked around for 2 weeks with green nailpolish and not saying a word.

* TM Pam stays away from being too good at anything or she gets stuck being asked by slackers.  She's a self-described mediocre watercolor painter but by golly, she enjoys it and who knows, her art may someday be displayed at MOMA.

* TM Veronica hates to be tickled and would much rather be pinched for 3 minutes; however she prefers gentle Swedish massages and lets her husband be contorted into a pretzel by vicious Thai masseuses. 

* DTM Mary Helen will get a barking cat because she needs her house to be guarded and a meowing dog is a non-guardian freak of nature.

* TM Aleta avoids quacking like a duck and much prefers to chirp like a canary... or even better, she sings like a canary - but definitely not in a coal mine!

* TM Jose recalled the days of strobe lights and dry ice smoke in discoteques but is unfamiliar with foam parties or whipped cream (aka shaving cream) baths.  He's looking into buying a bathtub and will report back.

We had (2) outstanding prepared speeches today.

* TM Cory explained that the Race to Space is back on full force - Space X preparing trips to Mars and NASA preparing a lunar base.  There's collaboration rather than competition and the benefits have included GPS, hurricane tracking, robotic surgery, water filtration and potential new friends in other galaxies.

* TM BeckyJo painted a picture of blue bikes representing community in war-torn anti-semitic Holland during WWII, when her friend Wilhelmina (Ellie) lived in an armoire of kind Allied collaborators until they won.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

First-time General Evaluator TM David did an outstanding job... And as far as evaluations go...

* TM Randolph asked TM Cory to focus on captivating an audience who may not be so interested in space travel by using specific examples and more vivid stories.

* TM Pam praised TM BeckyJo for her storytelling skills and asked her to focus on looking straight at the camera instead of the little squares that fill the scrreen.  A challenging feat while in Zoomland.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

LINGER, verb

Slow in parting or quitting something

Still present but waning in strength

Example:  To understand Scots, you need to hurkle durkle and get your ears acclimated to their wee vocal variety.  Aye!

The link to the recording is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpUtJpigKB8

See you next week!

Ana 

Recap Writer

Resilience, Glory of God and What's in a name? a morning of glimmer at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We inducted our returning TM Christine formally into our Club.  Welcome back, Christine!

TM Marie launched us on a glimmer of resilience.  We discovered that...

* TM Christine's heroic effort consisted of getting a degree in Oxford at midlife while doing standup comedy with a British accent.

* TN The Tom is "the comeback kid" - overcame a health hardship and turned into a fish in a glimmering pond.

* TM Aleta overcomes adversity day by day, step by step, shovel by shovel, while anticipating a visit from the glimmering Samaritan's Purse.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Cory is mastering rising above it, talking when the mind goes blank while envisioning TM Jorge's AH, ER, YOU KNOW screen flashing in his mind's eye.

* Guest Christina converts triggers into glimmers of the day and her family, work and trip to Fairfax and Toronto rank in top relevancy.

* TM Randolph's faith gets him through the challenges of daily life with an unwavering moral code.

* TM Jose likens his life to a chu-chu train with different stops for different folks and is managing the Reservations Desk for visiting friends at his home in Javea, Spain.

Along came our prepared speeches...

* TM BeckyJo regaled us with a sailor's tale of triumph over adversity while proclaiming The Glory of God.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* I, Ana, revealed the little-known story of the origin of our city's name, tracing it back to wee William Wallace, aka Braveheart, aka Mel Gibson,  glimmering hero of the Scots.

TM Jose performed as first-time General Evaluator and glimmered steadily throughout...

* TM Cory asked TM BeckyJo to clarify if Boston Whaler and Laser is a marine mammal with a Boston accent and having laser cataract surgery.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Randolph asked that for the love of Scots, I repeat the speech with a wee bit of humor added to it.

The Word of the Day was

GLIMMER,

noun - a faint or unsteady light

verb - shine faintly or unsteadily

Example: To identify your glimmers, pay attention to your senses, notice what brings you a sense of peace or joy, and reflect on activities that make you feel energized and alive.   So there....

Here is the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmMBSIjcL5U

See you next week at Inauguration!  Dress code:  pyjama pants and a chic top will do!

Ana 

VP Education

Hard Topics, Communication Styles and Living in a Tree - a penchant for adventure at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We inducted our newest member, TM Roslyn - Welcome aboard!

TM The Tom gave us a choice between hard topics and easy peasy topics, and guess what we picked...

* I, Ana, am grateful of the alphabet A to J and fully cognizant of the easy peasy life that I enjoy.

* DTM Mary Helen overcame her reluctance to physical activity and became a runner and is now a walker.

* TM Jose asserts people can change on their time, not anyone else's.  He quit smoking, moved to Spain and regained spirituality - not necessarily in that order.

* TM Jim G. has a fantastic wife and hence also has a fantastic life.  The secret is Stayin' Alive (sung to the tune of Stayin' Alive by the Gree Gees)

* TM Roslyn worked hard to chase the close - money, property, prestige.  Now she has slowed down and finds time to smell the flowers.

* TM Marie has nothing to stop her from getting what she wants and she's grateful for unplanned blessings of yesterday - dancing impromptu with husband Guy right in front of the dinner casserole bubbling on the stovetop.  She Won Best TAble Topics Award.

Along came the prepared speeches...

* TM Gail used multiple communication styles while discharging her duties as a Catholic Diocese High School Principal - addressing the elephant in the room - how to pronounce plural diocesiseseses....  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM BeckyJo, consummate storyteller, who is self-banned from bookstores, lived an adventure read in a book while at Hanahau'oli School in Makiki Street, Honolulu, and leading 3 classmates to learn to live in a tree in the Makatuki Mountains while hitchhiking in the opposite direction and running into Principal Gail West. She Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations are concerned...

* TM Randolph is fascinated by TM Gail's rich life while dancing at a Salsa Party with her Cuban guidance counselor and would recommend more vocal variety while singing "My Hips Don't Lie"...

* DTM Mary Helen praised TM BeckyJo's passionate, creative tale of escapism in the jungles of Hawaii and suggested BeckyJo play around with her camera so she can make eye contact with her audience during storytelling.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

PENCHANT, noun

Strongly marked taste in a person or an irresistible attraction in the objection

Example:  Wolves have a penchant for howling at the full moon.

Here is the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNViqvL-7Ek

See you next week!

Ana Illsen

Recap Writer

Unusual words, Chocolate Trains and Murder & Mayhem - a pedantic morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests, Friends,

TM Gail, back in full force, led us with a soothing Buddhist invocation.

TM Aleta researched Merriam-Webster and threw some unusual words at us for interpretation.  We thus soon found out some unusual details...

* TM Jarrett converts bum to fun and his favorite weekend activity is shooting the breeze with pals while sipping from a beer fuzzle.

* I, Ana, am convinced that cattywumpus is the state of mind of feline owners after a connecting attempt with their disdainful pets.

* TM Paolo gave a masterful display of Toastmasterly impromptu cluelessness by even making rapscallion soup.

* TM The Tom would gladly collaborate in rapscallion cooking while reminiscing with funbuzzling and tomfoolery.

* TM Gail's car wavers between quag and mire by acting up and failing intermittently at local traffic stops.

* TM Pam researched teradiddle, a board game played asiduously by teradactile dynasaurs.  She Won Best Table Topics Awards.

* TM Jim G. likes to take brisk walks with bald professors, in what he knows as balderdashing.

Along came the prepared speeches...

* TM Terri reminisced about her childhood and a fantasy chocolate electric train that turned out to be real and took her back and forth to the Hershey factory in Cuba (known to locals as Central Heeersi) She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM BeckyJo relived the fun she had the night she murdered TM Christine (ahem, never to be seen again) and a few other recalcitrant husbands in a night of mayhem.

And then came the evaluations...

* TM Marie praised TM Terri for rekindling Marie's taste for Hershey's Kisses and for having the honor of being the first exiled Cuban to tell a happy Cuban story, for once!  

* TM Chris loved TM BeckyJo's storytelling skills and begged her to use a real gun next time so she can kill a few more husbands next time.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

PEDANTIC, adjective

One who gives too much attention to formal rules or details; or emphasizes his or her own expertise, especially about trite and boring topics.

Example:  Pedantics are typically pompous know-it-alls, talking about topics of no interest to others.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/live/04BmgbMZMUo?si=40EVwO90b9XeQMw8

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Fwd: AARP Topics, The King and I and Mentoring - an assiduous morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

DTM Mary Helen got us thinking about a variety of topics, and we found out that...

* I, Ana, left behind the disease of "more" and as I've aged, I look for satisfaction in things money can't buy....

* TM Terri pursued a banking career and fate had her professional life detour into a rewarding career teaching inner city kids.

* TM Ricardo asked governments to stop printing money to drive down inflation.  Argentina's government is trying to do just that!  We're praying for success.

* TM Marie puts love into every situation.  She tries to love the unloveable - such as the 70 year old celebrating in the Playboy Mansion South vapid theme.  P u h l e e e a s e !

* TM Pam urged us to call now or request calls.  It is a Limited Time Offer for real.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Paolo asks the experts (us) every week, and it's what the Topic Master is doing right now.  We have the best communication skills of all the clubs he knows.

* TM Aleta asks herself very often why did that get so expensive?  She tries to deflect that sad truth by looking at the big picture.

* TM BeckyJo proposes investing 1/1000 of nothing into nothing because it is so cheap! Hop on the bandwagon, people, and be done with it.  Make the bitcoin millionaires, billionaires.

Along came the prepared speeches...

* TM BeckyJo had us in for a surprise as she recounted rolling down Suicide Hill with a ball of humidity in her DJ hand, to honor the passing of The King, the most prolific musician of the universe.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Pam likened inducing childbirth in her pool by feasting on mangoes to mentoring others in Toastmasters by teaching them how to take the Pathway of La Leche Dynamic Presentation.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Terri was totally surprised to learn that Elvis was the real King of Siam.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Paolo enjoyed TM Pam's ride to a time when there was no internet, no cells, no texting, no tweeting.  How did we ever manage?

TM Ricardo was first-time Ah Counter and beat humankind's male record of accomplishing 2 things at the same time.  Go Ricardo!!

The Word of the Day was

ASSIDUOUS, adjective

Showing great care and perseverance

Synonyms:  diligent, industrious

Example: Politicians are NOT very assiduous in searching for facts and figures.

Next week is our International Speech Contest.  Come one, come all !!

Below is the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIdRRG7D1Ds

See you next week!

Ana I.

Assiduous Recap Writer

Various Topics, New Projects and Procrastination - we reached our Zenith this morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We were delighted to be visited by our Area Director, TM Tim, who was immediately voluntold to be our Grammarian and did a superb job!

He also announced that there will be an Officers Meeting this coming Saturday September 30 at 3 pm.  Plan to be there!  More details to follow.

First time Table Topics Master TM Emmanuel led us on thought-provoking topics, some of them accompanied by visual aids.  Great job, Manny!  We were to discover that...

* I, Ana, would plant chrysanthemums, bouganvillae and perennials - if only I could grow a green thumb first to replace my biological purple thumb.

* DTM Jim D. almost bought a real horse for his young daughter but when he realized horses only have ONE Horsepower, he went for a Harley Davidson instead.

* TM Jose's scariest movies were The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby and Black Friday Part 1.  Now audiovisual effects in regular movies are scary enough for him! He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM The Tom believes CALIF stands for Come And Live In Florida, and he likes everything about Florida except unmentionable storm systems.

* TM Chris is partly responsible for the antitrust movement because she cannot refrain from shopping -and returning- stuff on Amazon.  It's just so easy!

* TM Marie, on the other hand, prefers to shop in person, experience the mall, chat with the clerks, try on 50 pairs of shoes and find the ones that fit her ever-growing feet.   Different strokes for different folks!

Along came prepared speeches...

* TM Pam has undertaken a new hobby/project to combat her non-finisher condition.  Her watercolor paints and a bit of salt turn her magnolias into flamingos and dandelions into zebras.  The sky's the limit!  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM BeckyJo gave us an Easy Guide to Procrastination: tv series, move to the paradise Someday Isle, do mundane tasks, snooze the clock and show up last minute to improvise your speech.  Impressive!

As far as evaluations...

* TM Jim G. greatly enjoyed TM Pam's new hobby, her vocal variety, her polifacetic nature, and volunteered to evaluate her again at the end of October although he will be traveling in Iceland. Nothing stops a TM evaluator!

* TM The Tom was totally impressed by TM BeckyJo's genuine authenticity and pointed out that he is the King of Procrastination to her role as Queen.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

ZENITH, noun

The time at which something is most powerful or successful.

Example: The above definition is true, except when referring to our parents' Zenith TVs and radios back in the 50s.  Not quite!!

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5LJrJNPAwY,

One Liners, Close Encounters and Picky Lepidoptera - a morning of EarlyBird brevado

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Aleta motivated us with motivational one liners....

* TM Emmanuel acts as if he's a calm and confident public speaker.  He claims it's only bravado but we see him exuding calm and confidence.

* TM Tom gave an ambiguous response to avoid the nitty gritty truth because he wanted to exemplify bravado.

* TM Jim G. had a Triumph Spitfire white convertible as a teenager and it was the envy of all his friends until they found out the engine didn't work and it was just for decoration.

* I had a dream of living in the USA and I realized it by moving to Florida after a brutally hard winter in a suburb of Chicago.

* TM Randolph dropped his bravado and confessed that he lives in a toy minefield of graffiti walls, discourtesy of his two younger children.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Jose came to grips with the idea that he's not master of the universe and his daughter is not interested in his opinion most of the time.

We then moved on to prepared speeches...

* TM BeckyJo has joined the World of Pathways and gave us a geographic tour as host of international students who eat at 3 am, do not use refrigeration and give birth unexpectedly while chatting it up in her living room.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Pam greatly expanded our knowledge of everyday English by talking about micro lepidoptera, who can't find host plants - tropical milkweed, quirky stem passion vines, coontie or zamia intergrifolia, among others- to lay their eggs on.  More will be revealed!

As far as evaluations are concerned...

* TM Tom praised TM BeckyJo as a relaxed, competent storyteller who needs to apply for a job in The Moth Radio Hour.

* TM Chris related to the picky eater caterpillars in TM Pam's story because Florida indeed gets 1,000 new residents each day and they're using the leaves of the coonties as a garnish for their mojitos.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

TM Marie has formally achieved her degree, Summa Cum Laude, from Quinnipiac Poll Academy.

TM Jim has formally received his Certificate of Completion from the Zoomery AudioVisual University. 

The Word of the Day was

BRAVADO, noun

A bold manner or a show of boldness intended to impress or intimidate.

"Bravado" by Lorde:

I'm faking glory; lick my lips, toss my hair and turn the smile on, 

And the story's brand new, but I can take it from here

I'll find my own bravado." 

The link to today's recording:

https://youtu.be/yvdCpY8nMfg

See you next week!

Ana

Miscellaneous, Where's the Salsa and Have You Met My Family? A humorous morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

DTM Jim D. started us off with a series of randomly selected topics.  Moreover, we found out that...

* TM Marie refers to online shopping as order, disorder and reorder.

* TM Chris pats her back and moreover, she becomes more tecchie every time she teaches someone how to turn off their phone alarms.

* TM Aleta has fully declared herself a perfectionist who likes objectivity versus subjectivity and moreover, she could not care less about doing the right thing, sorry.

* TM BeckyJo's podiatrist lies compulsively with a smile and her screams cleared the waiting room.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Jim said technology makes him lose track of time and moreover, his favorite song is Cher's If I Could Turn Back Time.

* TM Randolph STILL  finds humor in his kids' little game of What Hurts Today So That I Don't Have to Go To School.  The key word is STILL....

 * I, Ana, find that it's best to give it up whenever I get one of my bright ideas that have left me with a bloody forehead in the past.

* DTM Jim D. has been a reactor, rather than an actor, for most of his life, amd moreover,  life has taken him wherever it has taken him.

Along came the prepared speeches...

* I, Ana talked about the culinary delights of growing up Spanglish and moreover, I survived its cardiovascular repercussions.  I Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM BeckyJo introduced us to her freckled Hawaiian family who scuba dived in the murky pond of a local Polinesian restaurant.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

Moreover, we had some great evaluations...

* TM Chris laughed heartily at my speech and moreover, she would have REALLY  enjoyed it if I had only shown my face above my notes.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Aleta commended TM BeckyJo for her hand gestures (to be toned down to prevent Zoom crashes) and her vocal variety.  Moreover, she suggested a better camera angle that points above the speaker's neck.

The Word of the Day was

MOREOVER, adverb

(not to be confused with MOREEVER, or EVERMORE, as in "Lenore, evermore" of poetic fame)

As a further matter; besides

Example:  Glass is electrically insulating;  moreover, very seldom do I often hereinafter refer to the aforementioned;

The link to the recording:

https://youtu.be/4HYs6WIhAGc

See you next week!

Ana I.

Evermore Recap Writer

Odd Idioms and Loving Tributes - Love is EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

I, Ana, got us thinking about idioms.  We came to learn that...

* TM Jim G., zooming in from Bexhill-on-Sea, UK, right next to Stratford-upon-Avon and north of Surrey-on-Thames, cannot for the life of him jolly well figure out what a dime a dozen means, since a dime is 10 and a dozen is apparently 12.

* TM Chris stays away from rotting kettles of fish because the smell takes her breath away in a very fishy way.   She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Randolph pondered that a caboodle is something with wheels and the whole kit must be the wheel of fortune.

* DTM Mary Helen has no idea of the price of onions but it's brutally impacting their budget because she cooks them every single day.  Onion allergy sufferers need not visit.

* TM Marie reflected that people need to be responsible for the animal in their life (may include -but not necessarily- their spouse) to avoid barking up the wrong tree.

* DTM Jim D. is considering that a blowtorch may help straighten out a Spanish bull's horns.

Along came the prepared speeches...

* TM Tom reminisced about the days of yellow hip huggers in MIami Springs until he got trapped into loving ownership of a camouflaged Shih Tzu, purely descended from a Lhasa Apso and in reality a loving tiger.

* TM BeckyJo lovingly recounted the many adventures of her creative Dad, including building a silver Taj Mahal in their front yard,  and the counterinsurgency measures of her Code Enforcement whistleblower Mom.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations go....

* TM Marie praised TM Tom's story within a story, with vivid language, varied vocal variety, deep vulnerability and a reminder of the importance of Cracker Barrell.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.  

* DTM Jim D. was impressed with TM BeckyJo's vocal clarity, perfect diction and her uncanny ability to make us reflect about taking the long and winding road to start a rolling food truck business.

The Word of the Day was

LOVE, noun 

An intense feeling of deep affection ; a great interest and pleasure in something.

LOVE, verb

Feel deep emotion for someone or something

Example:  Falling in love with love is a curious thing - sung to the tune of The Power Of Love. by Huey Lewis and The News.

Here's the link to the recording:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igfcO2KQAzk

Stay tuned for more!  See you next week

Ana

Recap Writer

Humor x 5 and Rain - The Humorous Speech Contest at EarlyBirds

 

Dear Members, Friends and Guests:

 

Aptly led by Contest Master Pam and persnickety Chief Judge Kip, we enjoyed our Humorous Speech Contest:

 

• I, Ana, related the true sea (mis)adventures of Captain Wacky and The Motley Crew, who were on first-name basis with the Fort Lauderdale Coast Guard.  I placed Third.
• TM BeckyJo reminisced about the panic of Y2K and catering a multitudinous World-Ending Party where To Beet Or Not To Beet became the ultimate question.   She placed Second.
• TM Tom reflected on his coal miner grandpa, who stemmed from Pittsburgh, Kansas (why do multiple cities have the same names?  To confuse foreigners, no doubt) and had to send telegrams to his wife to please hang up the phone and get the $100 chocolate cake recipe going in the oven, once and for all.
• Gondolier TM Paolo regaled us with the song “Volare…. Ooooh… Cantare…. Oh-Oh-Oh-O” while he gesticulated his way through a 5 to 7 minute body language demonstration of a few inimitable Italian gestures.   Ma che cosa???  (learned in utero by Italian babies)….   Nel Blu, Dipinto di Blu…..”   He Won First Place.  Go, Paolo!  You will represent our Club well.
• TM Aleta vividly pictured tough love from one of our Toastmasters pioneers, VH, who passed down invaluable lessons, was at times a mentor, at times a demontor and at times a tormentor.  She is fondly remembered by those who survived and stopped using unnecessary fillers.

 

While ballots were counted, recounted and inspected for hanging chads, TM Carmine introduced rainy Table Topics….

 

• TM Marie turned Italian in front of our very eyes and gesticulated her way through the concept that into each life some rain must fall.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.
• DTM Mary Helen grew up in a farm with a shallow well where she enjoyed outdoor showering with rainwater and invented the trendy GlamCamping.
• TM Jeff thinks moderation is key – his newly planted lawn got too much rain and now he’s had to switch careers to mushroom farmer.
• TM Lois loves the fact that the rain in Spain stays mainly in the plains and feels fragant and loving when she watches spring flowers thriving.
• DTM Jim D. aka Wichita Lineman revealed that Wichita has Dimpled Car Sales and tiny houses have 4-car garages to protect autos from the inevitable pelting hale.

 

Here’s the link to the recording:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NA6ykeBcfo

 

See you next week!

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Spanish Phrases, Espresso Yourself and Unlikely Friendships - an international morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 Outgoing President Jeff thanked the outgoing officers and officially installed the new officers for this coming year:

• TM Paolo, President
• DTM Jim D., Treasurer
• TM Tom, Secretary
• TM Chris, VP Public Relations
• DTM Mary Helen, VP Membership
• DTM Kip, VP Ed
• TM Randolph, Sargeant-at-Arms

 Welcome on board! Looking forward to an exciting year!

 DTM Mary Helen led us in Table Topics translated from Spanish expressions:

• DTM Jim D. emphatically questioned “can you ask the question?  Why this question? Why here?  Why now?”  More will be revealed….
• TM Tom wisely stated that wisdom comes from not answering the question so commitment to evidence is avoided.  Translation:  “My mind is made up, don’t confuse me with the facts”.
• I, Ana, will indeed take it the wrong way, depending on how cranky I am when you hurl out your direct criticism under the veiled guise of humor.
• TM Jose does not really want to talk about it, mainly because he’s losing his mind on an empty stomach while creating polls, keeping time and stressing out.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Randolph thanked imaginary people for letting him know that dinner was at 7 after he showed up at 8, and for announcing that he was having mayo-less sandwiches for lunch so he could bring his own mayo.
• TM Jeff often says I’ve heard enough because ever since he was a teenager, he’s had strong opinions and is definitely not a nuanced person.
• Guest Lois thanked the Topic Master for calling on her so she can learn to process her thinking and avoid going on and on.  Good job, Lois!
• DTM Kip’s wife has helped him shape his lips to say “I’m sorry” even though internally he knows he did NOT make a mistake.  Apologizing is such a bother…
• TM Marie practiced being a locavore when growing up,  as her father showed up with cases upon cases of strawberries and her mother was forced to make cases upon cases of little jars of strawberry jam.  Botulism was simply not permitted.

 

And then came the prepared speeches…

• TM Paolo espressoed himself with a live demo of a palate massage with fragrant, creamy home-made espresso.  When visiting Italy, try a small town espresso bar and order either lungo, correcto, macchiato, ristretto, doppio and drink it standing at the counter while engaging in elaborate conversations with friendly Italian locals.   Never, never, never order Capuccino after 11 am… unless you’re a gringo tourist.  Then, anything goes.  He Won Best Speaker Award.
• TM BeckyJo told us about her unlikely friendship with Ellie, a Dutch-born Holocaust survivor who, through the kindness of angels put in her path, managed to escape death and became a fashion designer for high-end large U.S. retail giants in the Sixties. 

 

As for the evaluations…. 

• TM Jeff was so inspired by TM Paolo that he compared him to his all-time favorite soccer star, Cristiano Ronaldo, an avid espresso drinker himself.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.
• DTM Kip praised TM BeckyJo’s storytelling skills and encouraged her to next time raise the camera so we can see something other than her forehead.

 

TM Marie Toastmastered us smoothly and humorously; TM Aleta General Evaluated us accurately and admiringly; TM Jose timed us, polled us and somehow managed to smile through it all; DTM Kip Tech Evaluated us flawlessly and can’t wait to hightail it to Alaska.   We’ll hold the EarlyBird fort, Kip! 

The Word of the Day was

LOCAVORE, noun

A person who eats only locally-grown produce or food.

Ex.: During mango season, I am definitely a mangovore locavore.

 

See you next week!

 

Ana

Recap Writer

Blue Bicycle, Mask Addiction and Parenting by Survey, a fun morning at Early Bird Toastmasters

 

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,



TM Aleta launched us off with “Memories” (sung to the tune of “Memories”), and we learned that…


TM John need not look too far for famous people because Toastmasters breeds people into becoming famous people. He’s discovered that each one of us is exactly the same as so-called famous people, minus the ego.
TM Mildred jolted her memories of how she came to Toastmasters all those years ago and now, after an absence of 8 years, is able to zoom in from her home in Orlando. Ah, the marvels of technology!
DTM Jim D. reminisced about his most embarrassing moment, when his prospective employer had to whisper his name to Jim for a formal introduction – and he still kept the job!
In a great display of adaptability, Guest and former Toastmaster Nanette enjoys buying fresh fruit and veggies from the farmers and does not miss store shopping at all!
Guest Aaron’s most memorable vacation was a cruise to “Bermuda, Jamaica, uuuuhhh I want to take ya”, (sung to the tune of “Kokomo”) when his wife had a close encounter of the third kind…. Shark!!!!
Guest Luis recalled an unforeseen encounter with the police, called by his roommate to report a potential burglary, and he immediately thought his roommate had gotten himself into trouble, once again. He was wrong – this time- as his roommate kept reminding him repeatedly. He Won Best Table Topics Award.



As to prepared speeches…


TM BeckyJo, the consummate storyteller, told us about The Blue Bicycle, which became a symbol after World War II – to her own mother, it represented community, to her late friend and Holocaust survivor Ellie, it represented freedom. So when you set yourself free from something that’s been holding you down, remember The Blue Bicycle.
I, TM Ana, told about the exhausting role of a veteran mask addict and how a mentor in Toastmasters helped her shed those masks and become authentic. She Won Best Speaker Award.
DTM Mary Helen compared Pathways’ personality trait survey to her parenting skills, and like every single solitary parent in the world, came up short. Is she a pacesetter (according to Toastmasters) or a self-appointed family motivational speaker (according to her family). Therein, my friends, lies the conundrum. She Won Most Improved Speaker Award.



Along came evaluations….


DTM Kip praised TM BeckyJo’s storytelling skills, pointed out that her speech was a celebration of miracles, with a call to action, and he suggests that she repeat it. Hence, he mapped it to project 2 of any Path. To Kip, all roads (speeches) lead to Pathways…. Go Kip!
TM Tom really enjoyed my speech, my use of props and my choice of an addiction that many of us experience. He suggested I work on my vocal volume.
TM Jeff commended DTM Mary Helen for sharing the survey results on the screen and suggested she emphasize her gestures, to replicate her vivaciousness when speaking at Denny’s. She Won Most Improved Speaker Award.



Speaking of Denny’s PTSD, do any of you find yourselves anxiously anticipating at the most important moment of a speech a VERY loud racket in Denny’s kitchen? Or is it just me? Gosh, I miss Denny’s!!! (Not).



The Word of the Day was



ADAPTABLE, adjective



Capable of becoming adapted. Changeable, elastic, adjustable, flexible.



Example: odern baby strollers are adaptable to any eventuality. (Parents need to mimic strollers)



Virtually yours,



Ana

Sargeant-at-Arms