Weather music, Sparkles, Righting Writing and Yuletide Hero - a sanguine morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Marie did a thoughtful invocation based on yogi tea bags. 

DTM Mary Helen - before ziplining across the Honduran Mexican border-  led us in weather-related musical topics.  We soon discovered that...

* TM Marie can no longer howl at the full moon from her back yard because it's blocked by all the newly-erected tall buildings.  She now howls from her front sidewalk.

* TM Pam's back yard is suffering from a sprinkler crisis, hoses, tubes and craziness - and it's being paved with $5 bills.

* Guest Barry avoids the perfect storm by staying in the sun which puts a smile on his face while he oversees 15 miles of Prague from his very own balcony.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Chris has seen fire and has seen rain, and the sunny days that she though would never end, and she firmly believes that rain is the stuff of life.

* TM Jose lives in Javea, Spain - aka Drought City - and prays nightly for rainfall between 11 pm and 6 am so he can go boating with straight sunshine from 11 am to 5 pm every day.  Listen up, God of Rain!

Along came three prepared speeches...

* TM Terri took us on an enchanted outing in the Enchanted Island where she became a bioluminescent fairy who struggled to get back on the kayak - all in the name of son-bonding.

* TM Tom shared that he transfers his myopic mind's sorrows onto a piece of paper with Palmer-style cursive.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* Guest Speaker TM Dana taught us how to diffuse a Yuletide Family Feud by becoming a Yuletide Superhero, while competing with National Lampoon's Christmas decorations.

As far as evaluations....

* TM Pam asked TM Terri to consider dumping the powerpoint and concentrating on avoiding aquatic creatures in dark waters, no matter how much they sparkle.

* TM Chris applauded TM Tom for being proof positive that cursive handwriting once existed and oxblood red ink is cathartic to get rid of emotional baggage.

* TM BeckyJo praised TM Dana's capacity to navigate that most difficult family conflict which centers around creating a Winter Wonderland in the middle of the Oklahoma desert.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

SANGUINE, adj.

Optimistic or positive in an apparently bad situation.

Example:

True Confessions:  TM BeckyJo did declare that she is sanguine AND choleric, meaning she doesn't know where she's going but she's definitely inflexible about it.

Here's the link to the recording:

Link to the recording https://youtube.com/live/z9opXzU06ng

See you next week!

Sanguinely submitted,

Ana I.

Recap Writer. .

George's Birthday, Topic Tips and Tunnel Vision - a serendipitous morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

After a beautiful sea glass invocation by DTM Jim D., and some eerily  familiar marriage jokes by TM Terri, we embarked on intriguing table topics by TM Pam revolving around the Father of our Country.

We soon discovered that...

* TM BeckyJo knew some myths about Washington but knew way more about Martha's housemaid who ran away to die a free woman in Massachussetts without wooden teeth.

* DTM Jim D.'s father was born on Washington's birthday, his mother on Columbus Day and he, Jim, was born on Ferris Bueller's Day Off.  So there.

* TM Jarrett spent last Monday hoping that they invent Banking holidays and include them in Corporate America's calendar, sheesh!

* TM Terri had a daydream of buying a GE or SubZero French double-door refrigerator with a silhouette reminiscent of George Washington's Mount Rushmore effigy.  

* TM Marie confessed that she's a wolverine who howls at the moon and has subsequently become a lunatic of the first caliber.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.  She also debunked the wooden teeth myth and stated George's dentures were made of ivory tusks.

* TM Chris started a club contest where members voted that she and TM Jim must open that dusty $50 bottle of wine regardless of the pesky scale.  A votre sante!

And then we had prepared speeches...

* TM Aleta gave us helpful tips to address dreaded topics with non-glare glasses and a hocus pocus where's my focus attitude.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* I, Ana, first-time Zoom stander, told about Henry Kinney the visionary journalist who ended up being a tunnel.

As far as evaluations go....

* TM Jose praised TM Aleta for her vast capacity to rein the audience in, give us helpful hints to respond when we have no idea what we have been asked.  It's really an art!

* TM Marie asked me fervorously to find another Zoom location or get rid of my ceiling fan because the blades look like cranial propellers. She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

SERENDIPITY, noun

Good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries.

Example:  Serendipitous geography joined some of us EarlyBirds together, converged us into a Denny's back room; and the pandemic joined us virtually from different hemispheres and latitudes.  Who would have thunk????

Here's the link to the recording:.

 

https://youtube.com/live/qVqf9q3C5tE

Best wishes to our representatives at the Contest this Saturday!

See you next week,

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Match Game, Arboretum Botanicus, Sequential Magic Carpet Ride - a non-enervating morning at Toastmasters!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

What a fantastically fun meeting!  TM Aleta brought us back to the days of Family Feud, with a Table Topics Match Game.  We soon discovered that...

* TM Chris gets all sugary around her sugarbabe while degustating sugar cubes - out with artificial sweeteners!

* TM BeckyJo actually worked for the mouse, although she thought he was a strange dude.  Minnie was ok but oh boy his friend Goofy.... and then they put her to drive a tram so she decided she better get a college degree.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Marie stated otherwise, but she knew far too well how to fake sounding sick to make us believe she never called in sick to work.  Cough, cough, sniffle, sniffle.  Hummm.....

* TM Terri keeps everything in her car - and we mean everything- so her home is actually minimalist and she parks in her own living room.

* I, Ana, had plenty of runs in my pantyhouse but shattered the puritan heritage of the descendants of pilgrims who were aghast when I displayed bare legs in summer.

* DTM Mary Helen likes all musical things but her favorite is to dance to shake and rattle with her DTM counterpart, in the midst of a rolling earthquake.

And then we heard a prepared speech....

*TM Pam lives in a 9B/10A Zone and recommends planting Quercus Virginiana, Cupressus (with Rogaine hair growth to overcome baldness), Prunus Caroliniana, Carya Illinoimensis and Bursera Simaruba to support pollinators and rejuvenate Ground Zero in Old Town Hall.  She Won Best Latin Speaker Award.

* We heard a replay of Kip's Sequential Story from May, 2022, in which those present participated to ride a magic carpet while all smoking funny things and getting the munchies at 7 am Eastern Standard Time.  It's truly worth watching the video today because it's like the Sixties.... you know the rest of that saying.

As far as our evaluation...

* TM Emmanuel praised TM Pam for her agrarian forestry rejuvenation schemes and suggested pausing and varying the Toner to allow the age-defying invigorating humidifiers to penetrate the epidermis.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* DTM Jim D. simply said "LET'S DO ONE AGAIN" about the highly sensical sequential Table Topics 

The Word of the Day was

ENERVATE, verb

To sap someone or something of physical or mental vigor, vitality or strength.

Example:  Toastmasters protects us from becoming enervated by helping us release our otherwise pent-up self-expression.  Clear as mud....

The recording for today's meeting is here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCsh1yEYPJE

See you next week!

Ana I., Recap Writer

Black History Month Quotes, Corporate Secrecy and AI - an audacious morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Marie launched us off with some thought-provoking topics by or about blacks.

We discovered that...

* TM Terri is grateful that as a 6-year-old she was sent alone to the US from her native Cuba because it made her the audacious person that she is today.  She's proud to be an American, where at least she knows she's free (sung to the tune of "God Bless America")

* TM Jose reminded us that character equals to face adversity and overcome fear, a shining example being the US military ground troops. He's proud to be an American, where at least he knows he's free (sung to the tune of "God Bless America").   He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM The Tom knew of baseball legend Jackie Robinson who had to face racial discrimination with a great display of character.

* Guest Jarrett wants to live a poetic life and is following the dreams set forth by renowned poet Kahlil Gibran.

* I, Ana, was a chronic complainer but, unlike my late mother-in-law, I was able to find enough music in musicals.

* TM Chris found that humanity is everywhere - the uppity French were kind to her on 9/11 and urged Jim and her to brush up on their French by reading Le Monde, parbleu!

* TM Aleta looks back at her achievements and is able to overcome her fleeting moments of feeling inept and irrelevant.

* TM BeckyJo remarked that words are powerful- they can create or they can destroy.  MLK Jr. chose love and was audaciously inspirational!  And she has officially notified us that she will use AI for her next Table Topic reply.

Along came "The Dueling Jims" with their prepared speeches...

* DTM Jim D. revealed the mystery behind Liggett Corp in NC and Moscow, hidden behind attorney-client privilege, which was broken by Ben, the Marlboro Man, and whereby bodyguards were offered and declined while the ugly truth was revealed.  Now half the planet is strictly on doobies.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Jim G. prefers Artificial Intelligence over Natural Stupidity to prepare Toastmaster speeches.  By golly, you can write your speech while you idly wait to get your tooth extracted at the dentist.  

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Pam reconfirmed to herself that money buys silence and praised DTM Jim D. for revealing the dirty secrets of corporate America and encouraged him to channel TM Paolo - wild hand gestures, use of graphics, extremely Italian vocal variety.  .

* TM Paolo lauded TM Jim G. for an educational speech and asked him PER FAVORE not to start the speech by announcing the speech since the Toastmaster already did that.  And, conclude the speech with THUNDER.  GRAZIE GENTILMENTE.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

AUDACIOUS, adj.

confident, daring, bold and surprising

Example:  It's pretty audacious for a modern-day politician to pretend they're very honest and transparent.  Puaffff!

Here's the link to the recording:

https://youtube.com/live/KqFAZiO3TXg

See you next week!

Ana I.

Audacious Recap Writer

Choices, Master Chef and Pathways Culmination - an educational program at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Returning TM Emmanuel inspired us with an uplifting invocation. Welcome back, Manny!

I, Ana, led Table Topics about CHOICES.

* TM Emmanuel looooves cold weather, so much so that he moved to Wisconsin for a few years; however, for vacations he prefers the Caribbean.

* TM BeckyJo likes cappuccino and crumpets - or better yet, cappuccino, cappuccino, cappuccino.

* DTM Jim D. is retired and spends his days dreaming of Death by Chocolate desserts oozing fudge and chocolate syrup.

* TM Jose likes the best of both - soccer and football.  It just depends which side of the pond he's on... A man for all continents!.

* DTM Mary Helen is currently a city bumpkin and enjoys watching the reservoir near her home and pretending she is a country girl.

* TM Pam is undecided whether to fly or cruise amid the invasion of iguanas that have proliferated in South Florida.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Chris likes blackjack, blackjack, blackjack and reminisces about the days when $20 could last a whole day in a Lake Tahoe casino - today a quotidian recipe for financial disaster.

Regarding the prepared speeches...

* TM Marie donned an apron and exposed us to her failed recipe for SALTIBARSCIAI (Lithuanian Cold Beet Soup) and Mrs. T's pierogis, a booming business started by Marie's  great uncle's neighbor's au pair.   She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Aleta traced her adventures in Pathways, including 17 icebreakers, where she finds that self-motivation is more challenging than encouraging others.  She's currently working on her 11th - and last existing - Pathway.  Editors at HQ are busy inventing more Pathways....  We love ALL your speeches, please keep them coming!

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Paolo likes 'barbabietole' (beets in Italian) and praised TM Marie for her vocal variety, tone, projection, pitch.  He gave some flora decorating tips and asked her to wear a colorful chef hat, perhaps to match the beet soup color.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* DTM Mary Helen was inspired by TM Aleta's motto 'keep on keepin' on' in spite of her non-quotidian self-doubts and praised TM Aleta's cleverness in titling her speeches to then take us in another direction and averting potential strife.

The Word of the Day was

QUOTIDIAN, adjective

Occurs every day or routinely.

We learned it in 3 languages - cotidiano (Spanish), quotidien (French) quotidiano (Italian).  Step aside, Babbel!!

Example:  E un evento quotidiano;  Es un evento cotidiano;  C'est un evenement quotidien.  TM BeckyJo is a quotidian because she quotes a lot.  So there!.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzbYpWO3YTQ

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

What the Dickens, A Purpose-Filled Life - A Vivacious Evaluation Contest at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Our Test Speaker, TM Bianca, delighted us with a purpose-filled speech about a purpose-filled life.  The answer?  Love, joy and be a go-giver.  Go-getters please abstain from signing up to be Test Speakers!

Our participating evaluators exceeded all expectations:

* TM Paolo praised TM Bianca's elegance, eloquence and confidence and asked her to step back and redirect the angle of the camera to inspire us more.  He Won First Place.

* TM The Tom asked TM Bianca to show the HOW to attain those goals and talk more about regrets, if any, while standing back from the camera.  The camera distance seems to be a recurring male thing.

* TM Terri liked the logical progression of achievements and the emphasis on spiritual principles that guide us coupled with TM Bianca's vivacious gestures.  She Won Third Place.

* TM Marie highlighted TM Bianca's enriching questions aimed at the audience, suggested she stand up to enhance vivacious gestures and avoid 'gonnas" and the like. She Won Second Place.

While we waited for the Contest Judge to count and recount the hanging chads and votes,  TM Aleta woke us all up with classical quotes from The Second Bard (aka Charlie Dickens) and we were to discover that...

* TM Chris rightly believes that attitude is what makes us perceive the same event either negatively or positively.

* TM Bianca has been bent, broken, reinvented, reshaped, flexed and remolded and the result was a vivacious person who focuses on what she can do.

* TM Terri believes giving is better than receiving and it is our sacred duty to give to the homeless and the poor, but make sure it's an honest charitable organization!

* TM Tom sees the world through the filter he was taught as a boy and agrees that no one is useless if they can lighten someone's load.

* TM BeckyJo shed some copious tears in her life, on the front pew at church, where no one intruded in her tears, and thus she made space for God's grace.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* I, Ana, stated that the trifles of life make the spice of life but the best is not to sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff anyway!

* TM Pam confessed that she is at a mashed potatoes level, not at an ethereal level, and that's the best thing she's ever done.

* TM Marie likes mutual respect when dealing with those who share her blood and those who give and receive her blood.

* TM Paolo could not fan the sinking flame of hilarity with the wing of friendship and pass the rosy wine because he's still recovering from transatlantic mid-aiir imbibing of a good rose on an Alitalia flight.

The Contest was conducted rather smoothly in spite of a few pesky technical glitches, handled seamlessly by our Chief Judge TM Pam S. 

The Word of the Day was

VIVACIOUS, adjective

Happy and lively in an appealing way.

Example:  EarlyBirds Toastmaster is certainly a vivacious group of Thursday morning early risers.

Below is the link to the recording

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZCyaO_8N5g

See you next week!

Ana I.

Vivacious Recap Writer

National Days, Progress Not Perfection, Find Your Voice, Let's March! A libertarian meeting of EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Our International Speech Contest took off with a great invocation by TM Terri about 

C L A R I T Y !!!

Voting was a real challenge because all our contestants were fabulous!!

* DTM Mary Helen focused on New Year's Resolutions, after concluding that growing up she was a Rebel Without A Clue.... and she still writes grocery lists while riding Uber to the airport.  She Won Third Place.

* TM Chris became a lawyer in flower power Berkeley, handled divorces in Haight-Ashbury and finally found her passion in computer teaching and soulmate TM Jim G.  She teaches while singing a capella.  She Won Second Place.

* TM Paolo related to Roman Cicero and especially the Greek Demostenes, who overcame stuttering and commanded the masses to march into war while eating moussaka and gyros.  He Won First Place and will represent our Club in the February 24 Area Contest.  Congratulations Paolo!!!

While the votes were being counted and recounted (after all, some of us are in Florida), TM Marie delighted us with some National Day table topics.  We discovered that...

* DTM Jim D. reminisces about Vernors' Ginger Ale, Sanders'  Ice Cream and Hot Fudge, but Detroit is waaay too snowy, icy, frosty and coldy for him.  Hello, Florida!  Bye Bye Michigan!!  

* TM Jose thoroughly practiced Know Your Customer while in Sales, but now he's become a Libertarian who hangs up on telemarketers while feeling lots of compassion for them.  Ahhh the joys of retirement!!  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* I, Ana, a self-designated wordsmith, have a neurotically keen eye for detecting typos and misspellings (except my own) and will emulate TM Marie in reading segments of Roget's Thesaurus every night before bedtime while using one of Roget's slide rules.

* TM Terri likes Dunkin Donuts coffee, not only on National Gourmet Coffee Day but every day - although she is switching to tea for medicinal... oops. meditative purposes.  Her new motto is "It's tea for me!"

* TM Aleta credits her avoidance of yo-yo weight gain/loss to her intensive woodchopping, brush clearing, timber logging, bonfire building, mulch distributing... while doing jumping jacks and cartwheels on her property.  It works!

* TM Ricardo's motto for 2024 is "Avoid Procrastination" and he plans to get started... some time... later... much later.

Our next TLI (Toastmasters Learning Institute) is scheduled online for:  Saturday February 3 in the morning hours.  Login details to be forthcoming.

The Word of the Day was

LIBERTARIAN, noun

Someone who is more culturally liberal than a Democrat, and more fiscally conservative than a Republican.  Methinks.  They believe in a limited role of government.

Example:  Rand Paul and John Stossel are well-known Libertarians who resist the expanding, all-encompassing role of Big Brother in our lives and other aromatic by-products.

The Contest ran very smoothly, the ballot submissions were flawless and our Club moves forward.... Let's March!!!

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuP0CReLG8g

With a libertarian flavor,

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

Ethics, A Beautiful Smile and Resolutions - a vertiginous morning in EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Terri led us in a heartfelt, uplifting invocation.

TM Aleta had us wear our thinking caps  with thought-provoking topics on various aspects of ETHICS:

* While flying in a helicopter, DTM Jim D. realized that ethical behavior begins at the top, way above bank and tax fraud, amidst the pristine clouds.

* TM Terri refused to be part of a made-up, inflated teacher roster to fake teacher-student ratios in the public school system.

* TM The Tom was that rare specimen, an ethical lawyer, who taught his clients to explore the benefits/burdens of their choices.

* TM Paolo, speaking from his Italian Man Cave, has enough diversity and inclusion with his 6 children, as diverse as they come and insisting on being included!

* TM Ricardo stated that ethical technology is a tricky thing, due to so many unclear workarounds, as witnessed at his last consulting job.

* TM Jose pondered on the consumer changes our children will face in our vertiginous society in order to create nuclear fission with the approval of OPEC after taking a quantum leap.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

Along came the prepared speeches...

* I, Ana, researched and expounded on the beautiful smiles of gringos, due to outstanding dentistry..  We have come a long way from the ivory and gold teeth of our first President George Washington!  Brush, slush, gargle, floss - to get rid of the moss.   I Won Best Speaker Award.

*, DTM Mary Helen reconfirmed the challenges of following New Year's Resolutions.  She has a list of 72 foods to avoid and I personally think if she alphabetizes her list, she'll be able to adhere to her resolutions.  Therein lies the solution.

As far as evaluations are concerned..

* DTM Jim enjoyed my speech but asked me, for the umpteenth time, to stop flailing my notes in front of the camera! I just don't listen.

* TM Paolo praised DTM Mary Helen for making an art of preparing for the unprepared and asked her to put more drama into the salutation.  He Won Best Evaluator Award..

The Word of the Day was

VERTIGINOUS, adjective

Causing vertigo, especially by being extremely high or stepp

Relating to or affected by vertigo

Rapid ascent or descent

Example:  As we age, life goes by at vertiginous speed.  Like the trite and vulgar saying goes, "like when you're reaching the end of a roll of toilet paper".

Here is the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox7LS4_eMYU

See you next week!

Ana I.

Vertiginous Recap Writer

New Year, Breakfast of Kings, Boxing and Betrayal for bumfuzzled EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Friends and Guests,

TM Marie inspired us to be a blessing to others in 2024.

TM Chris got us thinking about New Year's Eve-related topics, and we soon realized that...

* TM Terri's marriage began -like many of ours-  one enchanted evening with champagne and strawberries... and ended with "See you in court!"

* I, Ana, have been blessed with a challenging and rewarding 2023 during which life has been fully in session.

* TM Pam concludes that life goes faster and faster, so 2024 is bound to pass with breaknecking speed as she unclutters.   She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Ricardo will spend New Year's Eve in Villa Paramacito, where there's nothing to do except maybe jump in the river.  His sisters and he will surely take the town by storm!

* TM Jim G. avoids New Year resolutions because they have never, ever, ever, even once, come to fruition.  He's planning to celebrate a 2-month wet birthday in January and February!

* TM BeckyJo is a fiery person who grew up in Canada thinking the fireworks on July 1st were specifically dedicated to her birthday.  Ah... sweet bird of innocence...

* TM Marie reminisced about Guy Lombardo's rendition of Auld Lang Syne which, to her, means let bygones be bygones and move on, people!

Along came prepared speeches...

* TM Aleta likened Toastmasters with a healthy nutrition plan: breakfast of kings, lunch of princes, dinner of paupers.  It helps us navigate the complexities of bumfuzzled simplicity  and marks a beginning where there's an end.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Tom brought us into the world of boxing, where scarface Teddy Atlas was betrayed by Mike Tyson and fired by Cus D'Amato  in the Catskills of NY where Dirty Dancing proved that without fear we can't be brave.

As far as evaluations are concerned...

* TM Marie was awed by TM Aleta's remarkable capacity to make a teambuilding speech entertaining and... teambuilding!

* TM Jim G. marveled at the fact that TM Tom explained clearly -and facing the camera-  how Teddy Atlas's throat scar is a symbol of a bumfuzzled childhood but Teddy was clearheaded when it came to 15-year-old Tyson's sexual advances to Teddy's 11-year-old niece.  Jim won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

BUMFUZZLE, verb

Confuse, perplex, fluster

Example:  Teddy Atlas was not bumfuzzled when it came to 15-year-old Tyson's sexual advances to Teddy's 11-year-old niece and put a gun to his temple, pure and simple.  

Here's a link to the recording:

Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8Tp6xcoqkE

See you next week!

Ana I.

Bumfuzzled Recap Writer

Profound revelations, Ephemeral Life and A Visit from St Nicholas - an elaborate morning at Early Birds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Returning TM Paula led us with elaborate but not shallow, frivolous Table Topics.  We slowly discovered that...

Alonso del Rio, Andean medicine music man, inhaled a lot of funny things while elaborating theories for Table Topic use, such as Pachamama and Pachakamaq, spirit and matter, the invisible path and absolute and relative unity.  Get it, people???  Alll joking aside, Paula did a great job at Table Topics and stirred our brains into motion.

* TM Chris listens to her mind so as to avoid wrecking her body, dreams of running without a bum knee.

* TM Jose has transcended from material cares to spiritual cares but mostly has become a paella foodie.

* TM Emmanuel (Manny) firmly states that habits are the great teachers of the heart so he's elaborating new habits for 2024.

* TM Aleta has enrolled in Psychotherapy to discern why They Call the Wind Mariah. The wind - both beautiful and whistling with destruction in its path.

* TM Jim G. reminisced of old days when he heard My Peace I Give You, My Peace I Take From You in the House of the Rising Sun.

* I, Ana, am still trying to elaborate who I was, who I am, who I will be, when I will find that last object I lost and be able to improve my daily puzzle ..ment.  I Won Best Table Topics Award.

The last one was Wisdom Costs Flesh and Heart but we were ... saved by the bell!  Pfiiuuuu.....!  

As far as prepared speeches go...

* TM Ricardo reminded us of the ephemeral quality of life when flying around in a home-made motorized lawn chair and a striped awning.  Thank God he's now improved the ultralight trike by using a sturdier beach chair and a polkadot awning.

* TM Jim G. gave us his annual rendition of A Visit from St. Nicholas, of questionable authorship but with Jim G. copyrighted superb, timeless multifaceted backdrops.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

And then came the awaited evaluations....

* DTM Mary Helen praised TM Ricardo for speech technique experimentation and for surprising the audience with exciting adventures.  She can only anticipate the next speech will be Snow Skiing Ahead of an Avalanche in Kilimanjaro".  We can't wait!

* TM Terri appreciated TM Jim G. (aka St Nick) for his enthusiasm, his baritone voice and for bringing a timeless poem to life in front of our very eyes.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

ELABORATE, verb or adjective

Verb:  to develop or present an idea in detail.  Example:  She planned an elaborate wedding celebration and now is planning an elaborate divorce commemoration.   

Adjective:  involving many carefully arranged parts or details.  Example:  The elaborate Edible Arrangement was devoured in an instant.

Below is the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8m9hVWgbOs

Merry Christmas!  Feliz Navidad!  Joyeux Noel!  Buon Natale! S Rozhdestvom! (for our missing Russian guests)

See you next week!

Ana I.

Elaborate Recap Writer (methinks)

Christmas Trivia, Arti General Intelli, Find Your Passion - an authentic morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

As we began self-introductions, TM The Tom puzzled me with a tale of Athena and her daughter Telemarketer.   We also found out that joining our meeting was Yoodli (pronouned "Yodeling (by the side of the lake), Toastmasters' Artificial Intelligence and vying for the job of Recap Writer. 

We proceeded to Table Topics, and I, Ana, stimulated thoughts about the non-conventional side of Christmas.  We soon learned that:

* TM Randolph indulges in guilty pleasures and totally ignores healthy foods over Christmas.  We're all with you, TM Randolph!

* TM Ricardo likes his ex-wife and would give her a Poinsettia, but his ex-girlfriend... that's another story and besides, she's in an undisclosed location.  No Poinsettias for her!

* TM Jose once shorted his entire neighborhood stringing up Christmas lights and is now trying again with LEDs... good luck, Javea!  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Paula created the line of "Weird" Barbie from her grandma's gift - she chopped the hair, dyed it, permed it and maimed the doll for posterity.

* TM BeckyJo refuses to name female Rudolph "Rudolpha" but will wokely agree to use she/her/they for all the raindeer.

* Guest Millie does NOT agree to combine Halloween and Christmas, no siree - two parties are better than one!

Along came two fantastic speeches...

* TM Pam left us in awe of AGI (not to be confused with Adjusted Gross Income) but Artificial General Intelligence which allows us to draw vertical lines while acquiring "Bette Davis' Eyes'. Buckle up, everybody, it's going to be a bumpy ride!

* TM Chris found her passion in technology but is currently auditioning to be a sultry singer at a local night club for the technologically advanced.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

With regards to evaluations...

* TM The Tom displayed a stopwatch and alerted TM Pam that they are to be used, not ignored.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Randolph praised TM Chris' hand gestures and asked for her autograph for her rendition of Auld Lang Syne.

TM Terri was our first-time General Evaluator and handled the role with grace and authenticity.

The Word of the Day was

AUTHENTIC, adj.

real, actual, not false or imitation

True to one's personality, with no pretensions

Example:  To be authentic, one must learn to draw intersecting diagonal lines to form a cross or signify "The X Files".  

Here's the link to the recording:

https://youtu.be/_ifFAm5xV74

See you next week!

Authentically yours,

Ana I.

Recap Writer 

Would You Rather... Fort Liquordale and The Inner Cheerleader - a morning with rizz at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

After an inspired Invocation by TM Terri M. and a hilarious un-Hallmark joke by TM Aleta, TM Jim G. launched us on a thought-provoking Would You Rather Train of Thought.  We discovered that...

* TM Marie would rather meet her Lithuanian great-grandparents than her future great-grandchildren as she would give them unsolicited advice and it would not go well.

* TM Emmanuel would rather have World Peace than End Hunger although sadly the UN, the WHO, Unicef and the rest of them have failed miserably at it.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Pam would rather be stuck in a ski lift than in an elevator with some people deserving to receive the un-Hallmark cards.

* TM Tom would not like to either rewind life (and have to do it all over again) or pause life (and prolong it). It's definitely a no-win in his eyes!

* TM Terri would rather have a salad than soup because she's not a soup connoisseur and associates soup with the sniffles.  TM Terri had the spontaneous phrase of the day pre-meeting by asking "Where Have The Days Gone?"

We then got to prepared speech(es)...

*I, Ana, having lived in a cave for 41 years, just recently found out that the Fort Liquordale name originated during Prohibition, not during Spring Break.  Who knew?? I Won Best Speaker Award in a highly contested race.

* TM Jocelyn Tyson, 2023 TM World Champion, regaled us with her journey to a Triathalon, and asked us Would You Rather be a self-critic or a self-cheerleader?

As far as the evaluation goes...

* TM Chris learned the true origin of Fort Liquordale rumrunners and suggested I stand up to give speeches so I can get rid of my Mafia Files.

The Word of the Day was

RIZZ, noun

Generation Z slang that means style, charm or attractive to plain or romantic relationships.  Presumably derives from charisma, but in the world of Generation Z, or maybe Alpha, who knows.

Example:  Authenticity is the key to having rizz - and playful, flirty banter too!

Here's the link to the recording:

https://youtu.be/eKUaUIsOisA

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer with Rizz