Profound Observations, Gestures, U-Boats and Communication Styles - a varied assortment at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

TM Aleta led us with an inspirational invocation followed by thought-provoking topics.  We noticed that….

 

• TM Jose, who used to think a good life consisted of fast motorcycles, cars and loud music now searches for happiness inside, paired with fast cars, loud music and solid family relationships.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Lois Lane confirmed that names are important to her, so much so that she sometimes sings people’s names while searching for those now non-existent telephone booths.
• If TM Jeff could teach one concept to humanity it would be that every opinion is worthwhile, starting with his own.  He’s the sworn enemy of smugness and groupthink.
• I, Ana, believe that pain is part of life, but suffering is optional.  I make a story about everything because I drag around old suitcases without wheels.
• To find out who people really are and why they behave the way they do, DTM Mary Helen asks them if they got enough sleep the night before.  Invariably, the answer is NO.
• DTM Jim believes animals have the same feelings as humans but, unlike humans, they know the true meaning of respect.  It’s all because they sleep 20 hours a day.

 

We were inspired by some of the over-loquacious speakers, which inspired the (stoic) Timer to use the blinking screen lights feature….

 

• Eternal Pathways traveller TM Carmine gave us an interactive course of commonly used facial, upper torso, arms and shoulder gesticulations.   It turns out he and our today-absent Gondoliere President majored in Pronounced Gestures for Very Italian People at the University of Civitavecchia.
• TM Chris recounted the under-publicized story of German U-Boats which mercilessly sank US Merchant Marine ships off the coast of Virginia and North Carolina.  Ship explosions provided weekend entertainment for local families in those slow post-war years.   For more details, watch the excellent movie Das Boot.
• At meteoric speed, DTM Kip showed us slides of communication styles and his scores – then and now.  Once he realized TM is not the military, his communication style changed from Direct to Mellow.   He Won Best Speaker Award.

 

And lastly, we heard some excellent evaluations….

 

• TM Tom loved TM Carmine’s speech, the enthusiasm, the facial gestures, the zest, the shoulder shrugs, and the spontaneous audience interpretation.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.
• DTM Kip admired TM Chris’s storytelling talent and encouraged her to make the slides of ships blowing up her virtual background, for added effect.
• TM Jeff praised DTM Kip’s next evolution of our zooming capabilities by the way the speaker used the slides.  In a frequent occurrence -and due to suffering from a Zoom curse- Jeff’s audio went KAPUT as he was finishing his evaluation.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

INSPIRE, verb

fill (someone) with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

"his passion for romantic literature inspired him to begin writing"

 

The link for the meeting recording:

 

https://youtu.be/d5_TlcKR9mc

 

See you next week!

 

Ana

Recap Writer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best and worst, Joys of Parenting, Moments of Grace and Body Language - all in a day's meeting at Early Birds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

DTM Jim D. gave us thought-provoking ‘best and worst’ topics.  We thus learned that….

 

• TM Aleta’s latest best decision was to singlehandedly fix her lawnmower’s beastly broken belt.   Proof positive that alliterations allow us to do anything!
• TM Carmine described exotic foods – sheep’s brains, snails, prickly pear (martinis) and alerted us to the fact that spaghetti was the origin of the swimming pool game called “Marco Polo”.
• I, Ana, had an influential friend and mentor who taught me how to be an attorney impostor while conducting legal research in computer demos.
• TM Chris’s latest worst decision was to bike to what she thought was a nearby restaurant which turned out to be 18 miles away.  Ever the positive person that she is, she realized that her 3-month exercise quota was met!
• TM Tom makes it all about today’s mindfulness in checking the bucket’s water level periodically to see what he can learn, or unlearn, on any given day.
• TM Pam has found a memory-jogging word – bucket- which reminds her to ride the scooter to buy a stroller.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

 

Along came prepared speeches…

 

• TM Bastien described some of the tragi-comedic joys of parenting, which give God space to have a few hearty laughs and gifts parents with access to Sponge Rants Bobby and his cohorts.
• TM Marie urged us to shed our personas – those false bravado masks we wear- and reconsider giving moments of grace to others.  In other words, let them fulfill your To Do lists!    She Won Best Speaker Award.
• DTM Kip gave us solid body language coaching: renounce shared screen foolishness, avoid virtual background flaming, accept being seduced by moving objects, use the mirror function to trim your beard,  and for a dramatic speech finale, lock knees and fall over.

 

As far as evaluations are concerned….

 

• TM Pam praised TM Randolph for his vivid descriptions, encouraged him to pursue the Humor Pathways – it’s the only way to survive parenting multiple children.  She speaks from experience.   She Won Best Evaluator Award.
• TM Jim G. commended TM Marie for her camera awareness which equals eye contact in Zroom world and for implementing his suggestions from the first evaluation.
• TM Tom was inspired by DTM Kip’s ever-improving level of performance, ease of delivery and for giving us a new meaning of the concept of flaming.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

VIBRATO, noun

 

Rapid, slight vibration in pitch while singing or playing a musical instrument, producing a stronger or richer tone.

 

Example:  I excel at vibrato when someone – literally and figuratively-  steps on my toes.

 

See you next week!

 

Irreverently submitted,

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

 

Link to the recording - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouaYhMN-TXg

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

Play, Mondo Cane and Path Adrift - another impetuous morning at EarlyBirds!

 

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

TM Marie introduced PLAY-related topics.  We soon found out that…

 

• TM Beckyjo taught hundreds of long-haired, impetuous teenagers (erroneously known as humans) the intricacies of child play, aka Roasting S’Mores At The Firepit.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Jeff’s attention span has diminished with the advent of cable tv while sadly concluding that baseball is America’s national pastime for not too much longer.
• TM Lois has discovered that as a young older person she can get away with anything and has chosen “Lighten Up” as her motto in life.
• TM Chris recently watched legendary movie Thulma & Eloisa, riddled with innocent women’s play misinterpreted as foul play.  Personally, I just remember yummy Brood Pity.
• In an unprecedented feat, TM Carmine managed to recap  Play It Again, Mam, from the 1972 movie by Broody Alien – a spinoff of the original Casanegra.
• TM Bastien has several playlists for bbqs and workouts, but the soundtrack of Freezing is forever indelibly etched in his mental Spoofy Fi.

 

 

And then came the prepared speeches….

 

• TM Pam, a self-described conservative flaming liberal, is torn between getting a low-class mutt or one of these trendy pedigreed genetically-altered snobs for gullible Gen X-ers…

Goldendoodle (Golden Retriever + Poodle) ...Labradoodle (Labrador Retriever + Poodle) ...Puggle (Pug + Beagle) ...Cockapoo (Cocker Spaniel + Poodle)… Schnoodle (Poodle + Schnauzer) ...Goldador (Golden Retriever + Labrador Retriever) ...Yorkipoo (Yorkshire Terrier + Poodle).  Fannie the Cat has the last MEEAAOOW.   She Won Best Speaker Award.

• DTM Kip, soon to join our roster ranks as perennial vacationer, regaled us with a clear-as-mud visual of the contorted paths most of us have impetuously chosen in our (public speaking) lives.  Time to cough up another $20 and make a path detour!

 

As far as evaluations….

 

• DTM Mary Helen lauded TM Pam’s legendary position in the upper intelligence echelons of our Club, exemplified by audible sighs of exasperation, consternation and resignation.
• Impressed by DTM Kip’s speech, TM Tom suggested that EarlyBirds virtually move to Lake Woe Be Gone, whose motto is "Sumus Quot Sumus" ("We are what we are").   He Won Best Evaluator Award.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

IMPETUOUS, adj.

Characterized by undue haste and lack of thought and deliberation

 

Example:  Impetuous spending is a favorite hobby of the multitudes.

 

Next week is our Humorous Speech Contest!  Let’s make it HA-LA-RIOUS.

 

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

Legendary Quotes, Distinguished Clubs, Shakespearean Swine, Think and Grow Rich - very instructive EarlyBird meeting

 

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

To get us started on this  Peak of the Week Thursday (TM Paolo’s original quote) I, TM Ana,  introduced some quotes from funny people…

 

• TM Chris wondered how language originally developed from grunts, screams and identifying the source of our distress, to Berlitz School of International Language for Chronic Complainers.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.
• DTM Jim D. reflected that life has up and down moments and escalators, it’s tit for tat, and to be both amazed and happy, we need to remove politicians and replace them with real people.
• TM Jim fondly recalled “Uncle Milty” and corroborated that when life gives you lemons, you need to build a door with a loud door knocker.
• TM Randolph, popularly known as “Hat Rack” for his multitasking (and multiparenting) capabilities, finds it challenging to slow down.  Thanks for all you do for our Club, TM Randolph!
• Our other multiparental, TM Paolo, believes pain is gain at the gym and welcomes lessons at the University of Failure  while sipping a café longo.
• TM Carmine appreciates Mark Twain’s political commentary stating that arrogant people, as their description attests, are really arrogant.
• TM Jeff and his fiancée are singlehandedly keeping the U.S. Post Office in business by stamping Thank You envelopes for events that haven’t even happened yet.

 

As far as prepared speeches are concerned…

 

• DTM Kip showed us TMI’s 10-point Matrix for attaining Distinguished President’s Club while going up the down staircase of life and marveled at his innate capacity to make a dull topic fascinating for the rest of us.  Go Kip!!
• TM Aleta, heretofore to be known as “The Bardess of Avon, West Pennsylvania” regaled us with a tale of Three Diminutive Swine, the third of which hailed from the American Colonies and started the campaign “Made in the USA” long before wolves devoured bricks.  She Won Best Speaker Award.
• DTM Mary Helen silently disagrees with TMI’s Communications Style survey.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, she thinks and grows rich by tap dancing on the divine power of the Universe.

 

As far as Evaluations go…

 

• TM Chris praised DTM Kip for filling in the program voids, and bowed down in reverence.  In an almost-unprecedented election sweep, She Won Best Evaluator Award.
• DTM Kip urged TM Aleta to take her Tale of Swine in Stratford-upon-Thames to the humorous contest, where she will be able to run around and act out.  We, as a Club, need to match commercial TV if we’re to get anywhere in the TMI World of Contests.
• TM Jeff admires DTM Mary Helen’s contagious energy and enthusiasm and then he lost audio and left the rest to our imagination….

 

The Word of the Day was

 

GRATITUDE, noun

The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation and to return kindness.

 

Example:   Living by the Mamas and the Papas’ little ditty (wokefully modified) rather than a platitude, will elicit musical gratitude from our loved ones:

 

Words of love, soft and tender
Won't win a person’s heart anymore
If you love them then you must send them
Somewhere where they’ve never been before
Worn out phrases and longin' gazes
Won't get you where you want to go

 

Dates to remember:  Sept 9, Club Humorous Contest.  No breakout rooms required.

 

here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npbWBtBU_HA

 

 

See you next week!

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Idioms, Tales Of A Former Hippy, Sight Unseen, A Man With A Plan - a great morning at EarlyBirds

 

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

We were happy to welcome our traveling Toastmasters, Chris, Jim G.,  Mary Helen and Jim D.   Sounds like that old movie “Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice”.  DTM Kip zoomed in from Western New York State, so we had a full house.

 

TM Aleta started us off with noteworthy idioms.

 

• TM Lois’s grocery shopping recently cost her an arm and a leg, so much so that she hobbled back to her car after such a debacle.
• TM Chris learned to keep her ear to the ground in Wyoming, where the bison – elsewhere known as buffalo- freely roam.
• TM Marie, a veteran of many childhood carnivals, recommends to keep your eye on the target and forget the prize – or else you’ll miss both.
• I, Ana, usually keep my head in the clouds, daydream and fantasize, and before you know it, the debacle happens when the Wyoming buffalo/bison come roaring through.
• TM Pam reminisced about the good old days when we could all lend a hand to one another, before the collective hyperawareness of those pesky free-floating germs.
• TM Jim G.  has words on the tip of his tongue all the time and wakes up his spouse at 2 am to blurt out the wrong word which invariably causes an ignominious debacle.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

 

We were in for a real treat with the prepared speeches today…

 

• TM Jose, the speaker formerly known as The Hippy Of Montana, regaled us with a hilarious tale of his assimilation near-debacles and left us with a vivid picture of a city slicker in burgundy bell bottoms, an Afro do and a fur-collared leather coat  buying ammo at the gas station.  He Won Best Speaker Award.
• TM Tom expanded our knowledge of the inspirational story of Ann Sullivan and Helen Keller, who believed life is a daring adventure or it is nothing, and that worse than being blind is having sight but no vision – a condition which many of us suffer from at times.
• DTM Kip gave us insider tips of how to make the website look current by simply changing the dates and instructed us never to let engineers near the customers or we will definitely lose the sale.  He’s a man with a plan!

 

As far as evaluations….

 

• TM Carmine praised City Slicker TM Jose for his entertaining, delightful and impactful speech which included use of a handy car survival kit – which is now needed to travel 10 miles on I-95.
• TM Paolo highlighted TM Tom’s clarity of diction and good choice of words which create visual stage charisma.  Watch out for the light reflecting on your eyeglasses!  He Won Best Evaluator Award.
• DTM Jim D. commented that DTM Kip avoided his usual levity and described the development of a plan – quite remarkable as Kip is currently out of his natural habitat.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

DEBACLE, noun

 

A sudden and ignominious failure; a fiasco.

 

Example:  A debacle is a handy label for controversial situations.  Based on our opinions, we pick and choose what we term a debacle and what we minimize or ignore, and hurl our gems at captive audiences. 

 

Date to Remember:  Humorous Speech Contest, September 9.

 

YouTube Link for today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj2yM_yKxzo

 

See you next week!

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

 

A Memorable Icebreaker, Evaluation Contest and Returning Travelers, all in a day's meeting

 

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

Our Icebreaker Speech Evaluation Contest happily witnessed the return of our wandering Toastmasters Mary Helen, Chris and Jim.  Welcome back, friends!

 

Our newest Toastmaster, Lois, shared part of her life in a speech entitled “Who is Lois?”  which encapsulated her brio and zest.  Every morning is The Best Day Of Her Life!  Go Lois!

 

And we had outstanding Evaluation Contestants which made for a tight competition:

 

• TM Marie commended Super Woman TM Lois for interweaving her survival skills throughout the various phases of her life.  She Won Third Place.
• TM Jeff’s initial worries proved unfounded as TM Lois transitioned smoothly between segments; he suggested she work on the camera angle and her lighting, and pointed out that the speaker simply acknowledges the person who introduced her.   He Won First Place.
• TM Paolo remarked that vincit qui patitur – he who endures, overcomes.  Or, as simply said by Caesar, inventor of the salad, “Veni, vidi, vici” – translation: no anchovies, please.  He Won Second Place.

 

While votes were scrutinized for hanging chads, then counted and recounted, we engaged on some Table Topics led by Contest Master Kip:

 

• TM Chris likes to work behind the scenes (where she expertly runs everything) instead of competing.  Like Vince Lombardi, she does not for the life of her understand why scores have to be kept.at the
• TM Tom thought he was at a Tall Tales Contest and told us about his great-grandfather, who killed Bill Clanton (great grandfather  of Hillary’s husband with a different vowel) and Frank McLaury at the Not-So-Okay Corral in Tombstone Territory.   He Won Best Table Topics Award, hands down.
• TM Aleta recently had a F2F picnic for all ages on her back yard for her Western Pennsylvania Toastmasters Club.  Word has spread and today she had Jim and Chris show up on her driveway.
• I, Ana, have not been in a gunfight but have imagined killing a few as in death by stabbing.
• DTM Mary Helen had a critical husband and Presto! He was quickly converted into an ex….

 

DTM Kip handled the nuances of a Zoom contest with utmost finesse and knelt  in prayer every so often – it worked!  The Breakout Room entry/exit situation went without a hitch!

Chief Judge Carmine reminded us of the Code of Ethics and urged derelicts to send in the signed Judge Eligibility Forms.  He kept us on track!

 

TM Jose pondered how EarlyBirds feels different at 7 am than at 1 pm when he joins from the other side of the pond….  Ah, that pesky time travel!

 

We had 3 of Lois’s good friends who joined to support her and were asked to return for a regular meeting – Zoom contests can be a little confusing….

 

Here is the Link for YouTube recording: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LabvkR1LTbo

 

Ahhh.  It feels just like old times!

 

Dates to Remember:  Sept 9 – Humorous Speech Contest

 

See you next week!  Arrivederci….

 

Ana

Recap Writer

 

 

Positive Leadership and Successful Investing - a Beguiling EarlyBird Meeting

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

In a wildly unprecedented induction with a beguiling and elusive Breakout Room, we welcomed our very own Toastmaster Lois.  Greetings, TM Lois!!

 

TM Carmine led us in Andy Rooney quotes for table topics.  We then learned that….

 

• TM Pam compares love to those beguiling puppy eyes when you first meet, then 40 years later when you question your choice, and then 20 years after that when you rejoice in your choice, if only you could figure out who is that other person with the beguiling puppy eyes you’ve spent your life with.
• TM Jose, zooming in from Fort Lauderdale, stated that every child comes with a loaf of bread under their arm… until the age of 12, when they become beguiling demanding monsters, which led him to get a Bank of Dad Is Now Closed T-shirt that he wears on his roughest days.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Paolo informed us that sitting at the peak of the mountain is not only uncomfortable but also lonely.  The climbing is more fun although then you must inevitably hike down from the pike.
• TM Lois stated that she definitely improves her look inexpensively with a smile; in fact, she always smiles – even when it hurts.

 

 

In the prepared speeches….

 

• TM Marie reminded us that optimistic people work more, while pessimistic people worry more and at the end, it all boils down to 2 questions:  can I trust you?  Do you care about me?  Ah… therein lies the dilemma…. Until you find out, develop GRIT and look around with those beguiling puppy eyes….
• TM Jeff convinced me to implement new daily behaviors:   From now, I will resist market dips and swings, work on my risk tolerance, study the regulations of FINRA and SEC, manage volatility, give up trying  to outperform markets, remember that less friction yields better performance (also a good marriage formula) and will memorize the attached smart diversification prior to our next meeting.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

 

And along came evaluations…

 

• TM Randolph posed a critical question to TM Marie:  bullet points or pointed bullets?  The answer indicates whether her hand gestures were adequate.
• TM Aleta praised TM Jeff’s sincerity and credibility; however, some of us are not astute financial foxes, so please break down your speech into at least 10 individual speeches to help us accept and embrace the collective wisdom.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

BEGUILING, adj.

Charming or enchanting, often in a deceptive way.

 

Example:  Beguiling Samantha of the TV series “Bewitched” moved heaven and earth with a simple wiggle of her nose.  Ah…. Life was so much simpler then!

 

Dates to Remember:

 

• Our Evaluation Contest will be held next Thursday, August 12, Breakout Rooms permitting.  TM Lois will double up as Test Speaker and Icebreaker Speaker.

 

• The Humorous Speech Contest will be held on Thursday September 16 so Kip can explain us the hows and whys of the contest after returning from a 2-week visit to a Breakout Room.

 

See you next week!

 

Ana

Recap Writer

 

 

 

 

Leaders are Well Groomed and Well Traveled - an intriguing morning at EarlyBirds!

 

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

First-time Invocator and new TM Lois said a beautiful morning prayer and led us in the Pledge of Allegiance, waving her own flag.  Great job, TM Lois!

 

TM Marie led us in inspirational quotes on Leadership.  We found out that…

 

• TM BeckyJo believes that trust is not deserved; it’s earned – by behavior and example.  Dignity is man’s best asset.   She was one of the Table Topics Trifecta Winners.
• TM Carmine’s consciousness evolves by currently reading from the Buddha and he’s achieving wholeness and harmony.
• I, Ana, create connections by inviting people to activities I enjoy and benefit me – Toastmasters is at the top of my list.
• TM Lois muffles the crazy noise in her head by attending Toastmasters and sharpening her listening skills.  She was one of the Table Topic Trifecta Winners.
• TM Randolph likes words of affirmation and expressions of personal admiration from others which reinforce his own self worth.
• TM Aleta pursues excellence and has fun while following the rules.
• TM Pam stopped the bickering between her daughters and achieved a clean house in the process although she did get some “I hate you”s along the way – a clear sign of mothering success.  She was one of the Table Topic Trifecta Winners.

The theme for today’s prepared speeches was “Well groomed, well travelled”….

 

• Impeccably dressed TM Paolo told us how to dress for success:  emphasize assets, conceal shortcomings.  Project confidence, assurance, success, sexiness before even opening your mouth.  A well-fitting man’s suit is to a woman what lingerie is to a man….    Stay stylish, my friends!  He Won Best Speaker Award.
• DTM Kip gave us a visual travelog of his recent trip to Alaska, aplenty with reindeer (caribou in the wild), eagles, napping otters, muskox, rugged individuals, waterfalls, dumb moose locking horns symbolizing male stupidity and most importantly, glacieritas galore – margaritas with a touch of glacier.

 

As far as evaluations go…

 

• TM Pam stated that TM Paolo gets the sale simply by looking the part.   He just looks dang good!  She Won Best Evaluator Award.
• TM Carmine praised DTM Kip for poetically teaching us not to spit in Alaska in the winter or we’ll crack the pavement. 

 

TM BeckyJo stepped in to be General Evaluator and made keen observations of the entire meeting.  She suggested we put the Word of the Day in the chat for those who arrive late and for those of us who arrive early and are forgetful.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

ACCLIMATE, verb

To become accustomed to a new climate or to new conditions.

 

Example:  We can quickly acclimate to drink glacieritas instead of margaritas near Alaskan waterfalls, surrounded by male (moose) stupidity.

 

The only correct plural of moose is moose. Sometimes, people add an S to moose, but that is incorrect. Moose derives from Algonquian, a Native American language. . My favorite animals are mooses and octopuses.

 

Dates to Remember:

 

Speech Evaluation Contest:  August 12

Humorous Speech Contest:  September 2

 

See you next week!

 

Ana

Recap Writer

 

 

 

 

Obscure adages, Pathways Trajectory and Socialism - an omniscient morning at Early Birds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

TM Tom started us off with some of his favorite adages, from the likes of Macbeth and McMuffin.  We learned that….

 

• TM Carmine has been pricked in the thumb, in the toes and other parts he cares not to mention and witches inflict negativity.
• TM Pam likes the non-native Whooper Swans found in Lake Eola and feeds them Australian Melba Toast.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Aleta transported herself to the Garden of Eden where she and Adam hung out by a big ole fig tree in full fig.
• I looked up the meaning (to give someone the screaming abdabs (or habdabs) is a British expression for inducing an attack of extreme anxiety or irritation in someone) ... The modern British meaning is presumably a softening of the idea of delirium tremens.  No wonder TM Jeff  suffered from abdabs in college!
• I, Ana, put my head on the block whenever I take a risk or dive into the unknown.  Everything I’ve ever done is because I thought it was a pretty good idea at the time….
• TM Guest Lois will look up the word fettle because no one, except the Topic Master, has ever heard of this word before.  Keep us posted on your findings, Lois!
• DTM Kip thinks the guilt has been taken off the gingerbread and like the Great Gatsby used to say, we need to have some good ole fashioned guilt back.

 

Along came the prepared speeches…

 

• TM Aleta took us down the carrousel of her trajectory in Persuasive Influence in Pathways, from her surveillance video on a complex legal case to her McDonald’s hat, which prompted DTM Kip ipso facto, to book a flight to Southwestern Rural Pennsylvania with a wifi hotspot.  She Won Best Speaker Award.
• I, TM Ana, told about my life as a Cuban exile and hopefully inspired my audience to not fall for the siren song of insidious socialist demagogues who are keeping their guava pastries all to themselves.

 

And then we had evaluations…

 

• DTM Kip praised TM Aleta’s persuasive influence on her evaluators because he, Kip, had to wine and dine his evaluators before they consented to evaluate him.  This project is not a culmination but a starting point.
• TM Jeff appreciated the dissemination of information to Americans about the real situation in Cuba.  He encouraged me to use more visuals and props.  There will be a sequel!  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

 

DTM Kip kept us entertained with a variety of virtual backgrounds – from his college dorm room to his elementary school dining room to the NYC skyline with bats straight from the Wuhan Lab flying around.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

OMNISCIENT, adj.

Knowing everything; having infinite awareness, understanding and insight.

Ex.  We are not omniscient; we are fallible human beings.

 

Dates to Remember:

August 12 – Speech Evaluation Contest

September 2 – Humorous Speech Contest

 

See you next week!

 

Ana

Recap Writer

Travel Adventures, Analytical Initiatives and Unexpected Evaluations - another successful meeting of EarlyBird Toastmasters!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

Another successful meeting was started by Topic Master Marie, who took us on journeys to faraway lands.   We heard that…

 

• TM Tom reenacted his favorite movie, Romancing The Boulder, by dining with his wife in the same restaurant in Cartagena de Indias.  He kept calling his wife Kathleen throughout the evening, and she became his ex-wife soon thereafter.
• TM Carmine accomplished his goal to reach the tallest peak in Yosemite in spite of the 10,000 ft altitude by reducing his huffing and puffing to manageable levels.  Just Do It!
• TM Aleta thinks a trip to Publix is her dream vacation at this point in time, only second to her childhood family vacations in a Volkswagen bus along with her many siblings and The Parentals.
• Soon-to-be TM Lois perfected the art of the pivot by describing her greatest adventure while figuring out her lights when zooming into the meeting this morning. Way to go, Lois!  Everyone forgot the question.
• TM Jeff ‘fessed that he gets lost .8 times a day and cannot find his car.  This is a genetic trait directly – and inevitably – traceable to his Mother.   He Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Paolo confirmed that discovering everything new is the point of travelling in the first place.  Smell the flowers, taste the flavors.  Otherwise, just stay home, per favore!
• TM Jose now travels with his pillow and although it’s good to get away, it’s also good to get back.  The secret is in the transportability of the pillow.
• I, Ana, prefer to travel by plane because planes get you there faster – if you don’t count the extra security measures we endure since 2001.  I’m just realizing that what I believe is a complete myth.

 

In the prepared speeches…

 

• TM Randolph is an innovative musician who punctiliously plans to be spontaneous and whose wife thinks he’s too wordy.
• TM Pam comes from the Fine Family and has realized that she and her husband may not get older if they persist with the nonsense of denying reality.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

 

As for evaluations….

 

• In an unprecedented 25-minute evaluation, TM Carmine wondered why Mrs. Bastein thinks Randolph is wordy.
• TM Jeff praised TM Pam for her skillful combination of metaphors and stories, which she consolidates eloquently and punctiliously.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

PUNCTILIOUS, adj.

Marked by or concerned about precise details of codes or conditions.

Example:  He was punctilious in the amenities provided to his guests.

 

First-time Grammarian TM Jose gave a punctilious report of outstanding expressions and flowery phrases.  Good job, Jose!

 

Ah Counter TM Tom only heard one Ah throughout the entire meeting.  Are we definitely avoiding crutch words and fillers?  Or was he still daydreaming about Kathleen and the Cartagena Romance?

 

Zoom Master:  TM Paolo gave us a very detailed visual demo of the equipment he uses for optimal Zoom performance:  a director’s high chair, a classic virtual background, 2 cameras – both at eye level when standing or -barely- leaning on the director’s chair.  Unrestricted chest capacity allows for better breathing and best voice projection.   Thank you, TM Paolo!

 

See you next week!

 

Ana

Recap Writer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table Topic Extravaganza!! A fun morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

TM Randolph introduced some intriguing Table Topics Extravaganza Part I,  which helped us learn that…

 

• TM Paolo is inspired by his even-tempered wife who keeps calm in the midst of an offspring extravaganza…
• TM BeckyJo wonders about the secrets kept in the homeless community and would like to be homeless for a day… maybe.
• TM Aleta met her best friend in church by inviting him to visit her private paradise….
• I, Ana, am by nature a cowardly person and I overcome my fear to do it anyway….
• TM Pam, unfiltered, has no hidden talents, especially graciousness and patience, and has the attention span of a gnat….
• TM Carmine self censored things he did and would not do again due to audience rating….
• TM Jose would not change anything but would correct some things and repeat others that served him well.  Ah…  hindsight, hindsight…..
• Guest Lois equates summer with 3 words:  bright, warm and fun!
• Future TM Sofia has lots of fun summer memories, mostly the absence of school and homework, pool and playing with friends…

 

For Table Topics Extravaganza, Part II, TM Pam introduced one-word topics….

 

• “Low” - TM Aleta is reminded of crawling under something, visiting caverns with stalactities and stalacmites and her fear of heights.
• “Shower” – TM BeckyJo likes showers of praise, respect, and mostly  June showers which bring June orchids – she graced us with a visual tour.
• “Inversion” – TM Carmine launched into a merry-go-round of inversion conversion and revision derision.   He won Best Extravagant Table Topics Award.
• “Prognosis” – TM Randolph confiscated his daughter’s phone for 3 days as a consequence for her sins of omission.
• “Cyclone” – I, Ana, was unsure of the difference between cyclone and typhoon and in any case, I prefer just your average tropical summer storm.
• “High Pressure” – Guest Lois thrives under high pressure, it motivates her, and inspires her to say “Hocus Pocus, Where’s My Focus?”
• “Lightning” – TM Paolo believes that the speaker sets the tone by appearing at the lectern like a bolt of lightning.
• “Rain” – Guest Sofia likes heavy clouds that pour down rain so the ducks near her home can finally take good showers.

 

TM Carmine non-lugubriously evaluated our entire meeting and asked the functionaries to give their reports. 

 

• Ah Counter – Double duty done by Timer TM Jose, who, as described by TM Aleta, was AWE-some!
• Grammarian – TM Randolph reported noteworthy expressions, many of which are reported in this recap.  See above. His favorite was TM Carmine’s SALUBRIOUS.   Look it up.
• Zoom Master – I, Ana, expertly opine that we are all becoming experts at muting and unmuting ourselves.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

LUGUBRIOUS – adj.

Looking or sounding sad or dismal

 

Example:  Our Table Topics Extravaganza was everything but lugubrious.

 

See you next week!

 

Ana

Recap Writer

 

 

 

 

Oldies but goodies, Bloodsucking (poli)tics and Outliers - a great morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

I, Ana, led us down musical memory lane…

 

• DTM Jim D. reminisced about N’Orleans and NOT being born on the bayou….
• TM Jose’s favorite song is The House of the Rising Sun, which during adolescence he interpreted as partying all night and going home to play the guitar while watching the rising sun. He Won Best Table Topics Award.
• Youngster TM Randolph was intrigued by the idea that “Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad”, and will definitely look up the song when he arrives at The House of The Rising Sun.
• Returning TM Pam agrees Ain’t No Mountain High Enough and marveled that her grandson has not even heard about The Beatles* (not to be confused with Ticks)
• Guest Lois (aka Louisa) likes Dancing In the Streets – it makes her feel joyous, alive and full of energy.   Glad you came back, Louisa!
• If TM Paolo could choose a way to die, it would be singing Killing Me Softly With This Song – he enlisted some talented backup singers from the audience, too!

 

As far as prepared speeches….

 

• TM Aleta warned us about bloodsucking bulls-eye rash politicians (Borrelia burgdorferi) to be extracted from our skin with eyebrow tweezers and carefully right-sized into an alcoholic Ziplock bag where they can sip on their Corona with lyme.  These critters are otherwise known as ticks.
• DTM Mary Helen beckoned us to become outliers - an outlier is a truly exceptional individual who, in his or her field of expertise, is so superior that he defines his own category of success – to move to Rosetto, PA and to get rid of electronics to prevent our premature demise from technological frustration.  She Won Best Speaker Award.    After hearing her speech, TM Paolo is booking travel to relocate his family to Risotto, Italy, to enjoy the rice.

 

And then came the evaluations…

 

• TM Tom praised TM Aleta for her dynamite story and powerful introduction which allowed him to be an outlier evaluator in spite of a cardinal technical glitch.
• TM Pam was intrigued by DTM Mary Helen’s idea of being mentored by books and suggested that she circle back to the idea – of cardinal importance to the speech.   She is also out-and-out joining the Outliers Book Club.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

 

Zoom Master Report by me:

 

• Everyone is perfectly centered in their respective squares. 
• We beat the record of active Co-Hosts in EarlyBirds’ Zoom history (“when the cat’s away, the mice play….”).
• Today’s recording is up in the Cloud, somewhere.  For real.

 

We were all very happy to see TM Carmine back in the fold and signing up for a role next week. 

 

The Word of The Day was

 

CARDINAL, adjective

Of great importance

 

Example:  A recording of this meeting is cardinal to provide a good laugh to our absent members.

 

Note: The adjective is not to be confused with the noun versions –  can gringos please empathize with English-as-a-Second-Languagers in the room?   The Cardinals (Arizona football team), a galero (plural: galeri; from Latin: galerum) a red, broad-brimmed hat with tasselated strings worn by Cardinals (also known as Princes) in the Catholic Church, or Cardinalis cardinalis, popularly known as cardinal the red bird.

 

Next week we will have a TABLE TOPICS EXTRAVAGANZA!!! Come join us

 

Ana

Recap Writer