What if...., 3D Metal Marvels, Burn Baby Burn! A meeting carried out with alacrity at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Returning TM The Tom started us off with a heartfelt invocation and a hilarious Sherlock Holmes joke.  Welcome back, Tom!

TM David impressed us with some thought-provoking topics.  We discovered that...

* TM The Tom would choose to be The Joker, The Fool Who Does Drool, from all the zany things he's done in life - although he did some noteworthy ones too!

* TM Christina would choose to teach Astronauts for Dummies if she were ever remotely to consider being a teacher...

* TM Jorge thinks the worst thing that could happen at a wedding is for the younger sister of the bride to upstage the bride and make it all about herself.

* TM Marie would take a knife, her husband and an empty container if she were to be stranded in a (tropical, hopefully) deserted island.

* TM Jose reminisced about the 70s trendy Pet Rocks which created a $1 M industry and led him to proclaim "What a country!" as he walked his Pet Rock on a leash down the streets of Helena, Montana.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Gail thinks a skunk would definitely be the rudest talking animal, in line with the stinky odor they release seemingly without provocation.  They're usually drunk, too.

* TM Veronica has no pets to reveal naughty family secrets but she's seen plenty of kids who do so at the drop of a hat - or a missed allowance.

* TM Aleta had a momentary delusion about barging into a wedding and speaking up instead of forever holding her peace as the scorned 'other woman'.

* TM Pam would promptly pee in the yard if she woke up as the opposite gender and then would return to female and rest in her favorite recliner- also her cat's favorite activity.

* I, Ana, daydreamed of having a pillow fight -and more- with my favorite tv history character - Jamie Fraser of Outlander fame.  Ah... to be a damsel in 17th Century Scotland!!

We had (2) fascinating prepared speeches...

* TM Christina taught us about metal forging, casting, machining, the Laser Power Bed Fusion, Direct Energy Deposition (before a court of its peers), more similar to a glue gun and the marvels of 3D printing which lead to Raptor 1, 2, 3 - a precursor to the Ford Raptor.  She Won Most Improved Speaker.

* TM Jose took us on a journey down Valencia Fallas, the festival of art, colossal monuments and a pyromaniac's fiery dreams while enjoying hearty paellas.  EarlyBirds is chartering a flight next March!

As far as evaluations go...

* TM David praised TM Christina for her innate teaching skills and suggested she eliminate the introductory slide and get right to it, while slowing down to fullly explore her demonstrative passion and her organized flow.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Gail appreciated TM Jose's grace under pressure when PPT refused to cooperate and he overcame the glitch.  She suggested he make bigger pictures for the slides so we can see each grain of rice in the paella and to maintain his visuals, gestures and vocal variety.

The Word of the Day was

ALACRITY, noun

Promptness in response

Cheerful readiness

Example:  EarlyBirds shows great alacrity in using Alacrity as often as possible during the meeting.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGpon-3d3q0

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Debating Debatables, The Love Boat and (Dis)organized crime in South Florida - a facilitated morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM David smoothly facilitated our meeting as a first-time Toastmaster of the Day.  Congratulations David!

TM Aleta led us in thought-provoking both sides of table topics... We discovered that...

*TM David thinks AI should be banned in war because it can destroy lives exponentially...

*TM BeckyJo says it should NOT be banned because the bad guys will use it anyway. So let everyone use it, destroy the planet and start over.  All we need are robots and gardeners to start the Garden of Eden.   She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Pam thinks mandatory age retirement should be banned.  Old people should be out working (except her)...

*TM Marie thinks it should NOT be banned - she still works, facilitates training, feels connected.  Rock 'em, sock' em, robots wedding cake.

* TM Christina recovered from her initial shock and stated she absolutely believes the moon landing was a hoax.  They put movie cameras in a basement and some decorative rocks.  Just ask Buzz Aldrin,,,

* TM Randolph thinks it was NOT an elaborate hoax.  What would we gain from believing it's a hoax anyway?  He's pragmatic above all.

* TM Veronica thinks a 4-day workweek improves productivity and increases wellbeing.  Less commuting, more time with kids and for appointments.

* Guest  Fernanda thinks a 4-day workweek would not work for certain industries - healthcare, restaurants, hospitals.  Definitely a no-no.  Good job, Fernanda!

We then proceeded on to the prepared speeches...

*TM Christina regaled us with a sweet story of her personal Love Boat adventure, where she met her husband-to-be amazing chef and they both learned together to distinguish between a rope and a line.  Jib the jab!!  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* I, Ana, told a juicy tale of (dis)organized crime in South Florida in the 40s, 50s and up to the 80s, amidst the sound of crashing waves, swaying palm trees and lots and lots of lime mojitos.

As far as evluations go....

* TM BeckyJo adored TM Christina's love story on the high seas and encouraged her to focus on her vocal variety since everything else is excellent.

* TM Pam empathized with the tale of La Cosa Nostra, Florida style, since she's a native Floridian and is familiar with Florida craziness.  She suggested I stick to 2 or 3 stories and expand on them.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

FACILITATE, verb

To make an action or process easier

Example: It's easy to facilitate any role in Toastmasters because we have our prized 'crib sheets' to guide us along.  Try it people!

Here's the link to the recording:

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

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer 

The Grinch, Advanced Manufacturing and Marriage Encounters - an illuminating meeting at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM David, first-time Invocator, inspired us with thoughts about powerful communications.

TM Veronica was first-time timer - excuse the redundancy.

TM La Presidenta BeckyJo illuminated us about the lyrics of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.  We soon discovered that...

* TM Pam sees nothing wrong with charming eels and black banana peels, in fact, they are her favorite.  Eels are a delicacy in Spain, seriously.

* TM David loves ail (garlic in French, pronounced EYE) and cannot for the life of him comprehend why people run away when he's eaten plenty of it!

* TM Christina commiserates with seasick crocodiles because she suffers from it and likes to say "See you later, alligator; in a while, crocodile." 

* TM Jose sees himself as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a coat of slightly green bananas instead of a sauerkraut with arsenic sauce triple decker.

* TM Aleta has driven off crooked horses quite frequently and mostly connects with loners and then drives them crazy with incessant chatter.

* TM Gail has always loved to swim but has found it hard to sink, sank, sunk due to chronic interference from pool enclosures, senior aerobics and such.

* I, Ana, wanted to buy a bottle of Citronella from the liquor store instead of Lemoncello and The Grinch lyrics are news to me.  I Won Best Table Topics Award.

Regarding our prepared speeches...

* TM Christina, our resident rocket scientist, illuminated us with a byzantine circumlocution with esoteric, fatuous, inchoate references to metal powder, titanium plate nozzles and pressure sections which do not admit tergiversation.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Pam displayed masterful conflict resolution skills learned at Close Encounters of the Third Kind (aka Marriage) while becoming an adaptive adult with wise child tendencies.

And then came our evaluations...

* TM David praised TM Christina for her mastery of an intractable topic for most mortals and encouraged the power of the metered arc in tomorrow's industries.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Aleta admired TM Pam's elocution and show of intellect while specializing in marriage obfuscation and pulchritudinousness.  

The Word of the Day was

ILLUMINATE, verb

Help to clarify or explain

Light up

Example:  The glitter bomb will illuminate the prank victim's face with pure chaos.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X73Vx1uJv5I

See you next week!

Ana

Illuminated 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

Emergency situations; Aviation Pioneer and A Frenchman in New York - a nuanced meeting at EarlyBirds

 

Dear Members,

Invocator TM Pam opened our meeting with a thoughtful and reflective invocation, setting the tone for an inspiring session.

TM Marie then launched us into action with table topic questions that kept us on our toes — this time focused on emergency scenarios. Members were asked to think fast, get creative, and share their rescue strategies on the spot....

 

 *TM Gail won Best Table Topics Award, by making light of a serious medical situation.

 * TM Aleta lost her extensive shoe collection in the reconstruction of her home but she has her good LL Bean boots!

 *TM Randolph no longer trusts the round back patio trampolines aka bone crushers in the making!

*TM Pam unabashedly revealed her favorable bias for big dogs.

*TM Jose confided that he was once young and reckless and 911 in Spain is 122.

*DTM Mary Helen wore a helmet and took siestas in the back of Jim's motorcycle.

*TM Jorge kept us all engaged and became the official "King of the Pause"

 

Then came our prepared speeches, where inspiration really took flight:

*TM Christina took us on a journey with aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, reminding us of the courage and curiosity that fueled the golden age of exploration — long before satellites mapped the skies.

*TM David had us all feeling très Français as he shared his NYC experience — how living in the city shaped his identity and his language. It was the other version of "An American In Paris".... He walked away with the Best Speaker Award for his heartfelt delivery.

When it came to evaluations:

*TM Beckyjo commended TM Christina for her strong vocal variety and engaging eye contact, while suggesting she reposition her notes - and get into the space program soon!

*TM THE Tom was so moved by TM David's speech that he said he wants to hear it again — just so he can evaluate it one more time! No surprise he won Best Evaluator Award.

 

The Word of the Day was

NUANCE, noun

a subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound.

"the nuances of facial expression and body language"

 

And of course, we all missed our master of multitasking Ana, who has been in the hospital but is now well on her way to recovery and normalcy. We can't wait to have her energy back at our meetings! 

It was a meeting full of intention, action, and thoughtful reflection — true to our EarlyBirds spirit.

 

Here's the link to the recording:

https://youtube.com/live/Ndde3YOQiu8?feature=share

Musical Metaphors, Icebreaker and Cuba - then and now; a reverberating morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Randolph pushed our melomaniac (passionate, sometimes obsessive, love for music) genes.  We soon found out that...

* TM Jose is a Professor Emeritus on Led Zeppelin and The Forbidden from the University of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.    He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Christine S. is sometimes a firework, sometimes the guest who wonders if her pyromaniac friends will set their back yard ablaze to light up the night sky...

* Guest Beatriz name-dropped her park bench acquaintance with Queens native Art of  Simon & Garfunkel fame gazing at a bridge over troubled waters...

* TM BeckyJo is a complete unknown and thankful for having sowed her wild oats pre-computer and pre-iphone and pre-social media.  No proof exists!

* TM Veronica, a boombox melomaniac, obsessively played and replayed Eminem songs to memorize what turned out to be garbled lyrics.

* Guest Kristian is frankly way too young to catch a grenade for anyone, with places to visit, people to meet all while listening to Bruno Mars' s three-octave tenor vocal range.

* Guest Alissa recognizes that John Legend is indeed a R&B and Soul blender legend but certainly not in her time.   He's 48 years OLD OLD OLD...!

Along came our newest member's ICEBREAKER..

* TM Christina revealed she shares her hometown Newmarket, Canada with none other than  celebrities John Candy and Jim Carrey.  An aerospace designer by trade, she and her gourmet chef husband sailed on a yacht "From Capri to Amsterdam, Honolulu to Siam...."  She Won Best Speaker Award.  Go Christina!

Followed by a reading about Cuba:  Then and Now..

* TM Jose flawlessly read the tragic history of Cuba, the island that meant to have a political revolt to overthrow Batista's dictatorship and got cheated into a social revolution which plummeted  the island from the top of the tier to the bottom of the barrel... and counting.  Let this horror story reverberate to others ....

Along came evaluations...

* TM BeckyJo had some practical tips for TM Christina and suggested she not screenshare her points in a slide but work on using PowerPoint for future speeches.  She congratulated Christina for marrying a handsome man who cooks.  That fact alone outranks those rocketship designs... She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* DTM Mary Helen was surprised that TM Jose dispensed of his now-famous PowerPoint presentations and was glad that he read the speech in his melodious voice.

TM Veronica handled her tasks as SAA and Pollmaker seamlessly.  Good job, Veronica!

The Word of the Day was

REVERBERATE, adj

Repetition of an echo

Repeated sound

Example:  The woman's shrill laughter reverberated throughout the movie theater.

Here's the link to the recording...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvKZB80uATA

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer