I found this article in Real Simple magazine that's right up our alley. Check out "Identifying and Correcting 8 Common Speech Problems" at this link:
http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/content/0,21770,1642056-1,00.html
Enjoy reading!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Icebreaker - Nick Samoylov
While preparing this speech I made quite a few discoveries (thank you, toastmasters system!). The biggest one, I realized how lucky I am. Sure people told me this, and I felt lucky and was grateful for all the blessings, but I never actually tried to account how many of those blessings were provided. Just to name a few.
First of all - nothing terribly new here - my wife and our two daughters. With Luda we married many (I am not allowed to disclose how many) years. Most of this time we worked together – in the same company, on the same project, even sitting next to each other, as right now too in Jeppesen (Boeing Corporation). We are literally 24 by 7 for many years. We used to it and miss each other very quickly.
Our girls are delight of our hearts, realization of dreams we did not even dare to have, and justification of all our efforts. They graduated from college already. The older Kateryna graduated from Harvard (now is doing PHD in philosophy in Brown). The younger Maria graduated from Tufts (now works as an investment analyst in JPMorgan Bank in NY).
Another example of my luck, I studied English behind the iron curtain and knew I had no chance to use it. Normal people never crossed USSR borders, there were no foreigners around, and I had a clearance on the top of that (I worked for Star Wars project). My friends were puzzled: “Why?!” I could not explain. I just loved to learn a new language. Than - sure enough, my luck kicked in - the USSR collapsed, and suddenly I am among very few who can communicate with new world over the broken fence. Quite a few people said later: “Wow! How smart were you that studied English!” This first speech – in English - in front of English speaking audience is the fulfillment of my childhood dream.
The collapse of the USSR was lucky for me in several other ways. The scientific research lost funding, and we had to hit the market. First devastated and lost, I soon discovered joy and power of the free enterprise. I created two companies - all around computers – and not only kept afloat, but actually prospered by standards of those days. Since 1991 I am not afraid of anything… except myself.
The last example of my luck is related to our coming to the US. You know that many people try many different ways for many years to come here and cannot succeed. We tried it only once. Luda, my wife, pulled a Green Card Lottery ticket and got it right – just like that – in the critical moment when we desperately needed to re-unite the family (our daughters were schooling in England at the time; they were accomplished piano players and got scholarship in Royal College of Music, also in Claremont Fan Court school and Cheltenham Ladies College). At that time I worked for a German company. We tried to build a bridge between western money and Ukrainian brains. I traveled between Germany, Russia, Ukraine, and England, to visit kids, who were 10-14 and 12-16 years old. Luda also visited them, but we basically stuck in the Ukraine. The chance to live again as a family in a civilized country was just blessing.
There were several other discoveries… Manual recommends be more personal during the icebreaker. …One of my discoveries was my night cap – my private view of self. Everybody has one. Mine is Sylvester Stallone with Leonardo Da Vinci’s brains and Prince Charles’ manners. My secret initials are “LCS”. The icebreaker helped me to shed light on this monster. I have to work on the beast to bring it closer to reality.
Oh, yes, another thing … Did I mention I am a convicted felon currently charged with an identity theft from a Ukrainian guy? Just kidding.
First of all - nothing terribly new here - my wife and our two daughters. With Luda we married many (I am not allowed to disclose how many) years. Most of this time we worked together – in the same company, on the same project, even sitting next to each other, as right now too in Jeppesen (Boeing Corporation). We are literally 24 by 7 for many years. We used to it and miss each other very quickly.
Our girls are delight of our hearts, realization of dreams we did not even dare to have, and justification of all our efforts. They graduated from college already. The older Kateryna graduated from Harvard (now is doing PHD in philosophy in Brown). The younger Maria graduated from Tufts (now works as an investment analyst in JPMorgan Bank in NY).
Another example of my luck, I studied English behind the iron curtain and knew I had no chance to use it. Normal people never crossed USSR borders, there were no foreigners around, and I had a clearance on the top of that (I worked for Star Wars project). My friends were puzzled: “Why?!” I could not explain. I just loved to learn a new language. Than - sure enough, my luck kicked in - the USSR collapsed, and suddenly I am among very few who can communicate with new world over the broken fence. Quite a few people said later: “Wow! How smart were you that studied English!” This first speech – in English - in front of English speaking audience is the fulfillment of my childhood dream.
The collapse of the USSR was lucky for me in several other ways. The scientific research lost funding, and we had to hit the market. First devastated and lost, I soon discovered joy and power of the free enterprise. I created two companies - all around computers – and not only kept afloat, but actually prospered by standards of those days. Since 1991 I am not afraid of anything… except myself.
The last example of my luck is related to our coming to the US. You know that many people try many different ways for many years to come here and cannot succeed. We tried it only once. Luda, my wife, pulled a Green Card Lottery ticket and got it right – just like that – in the critical moment when we desperately needed to re-unite the family (our daughters were schooling in England at the time; they were accomplished piano players and got scholarship in Royal College of Music, also in Claremont Fan Court school and Cheltenham Ladies College). At that time I worked for a German company. We tried to build a bridge between western money and Ukrainian brains. I traveled between Germany, Russia, Ukraine, and England, to visit kids, who were 10-14 and 12-16 years old. Luda also visited them, but we basically stuck in the Ukraine. The chance to live again as a family in a civilized country was just blessing.
There were several other discoveries… Manual recommends be more personal during the icebreaker. …One of my discoveries was my night cap – my private view of self. Everybody has one. Mine is Sylvester Stallone with Leonardo Da Vinci’s brains and Prince Charles’ manners. My secret initials are “LCS”. The icebreaker helped me to shed light on this monster. I have to work on the beast to bring it closer to reality.
Oh, yes, another thing … Did I mention I am a convicted felon currently charged with an identity theft from a Ukrainian guy? Just kidding.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Meeting Notes - September 20th
Tracy Goodman delivered her Ice Breaker today. Tracy's speech followed a geographic theme. Tracing her beginnings from St. Clairsville, OH, to Wheeling, WV, to Oxford, OH, to Pittsburgh, PA, and finally to Denver, CO. Tracy's speech had a geographic theme. More specifically, it had an I-70 theme, never taking her more than 20 miles away from the Interstate.
Paul Sadowski surprised us all by stepping into a temporary gap with a speech. Paul told the group the story of Minamata, Japan. A community so devastated by Mercury Poisoning that it has the dubious honor having the associated disease Minamata Disease, named after it. It's a cautionary story warning us to beware of the risks that environmental pollutants pose.
Mike Angell, our clubs poet laureate presented two poems by William Blake, from his Songs of Innocence and Experience. Illustrating Blake's use of opposites.
The awards were distributed at meetings end. Tracy Goodman received the honors for Best Speaker. John Wierzba was our Best Evaluator. Paul Sadowski took the honors for Best Table Topics.
Next week....
We have space and need for a speaker, and a General Evaluator.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Evaluation Contest - Sept, 6 2007
Punters sat on the sideline today as three very accomplished contestants vied for the Best Evaluator honor, and the right to represent Triskelions in the district contest. Past accomplishments eviscerated the odds preventing any gain from betting on such a tight contest.
The meeting began with the final arrangements for the contest. Lots were cast to determine the order of the contestants. Ballots were distributed among the three judges. Tracy was selected as timer, and she carefully reviewed the requirements for fulfilling her duties. A point of order was reached to compensate for the absence of our Sargeant-at-arms, an honor system was worked out, and controls implemented to insure fairness.
Nerves started tingling as the contest began. A speech was delivered by an annonymous Toastmaster. We listened intently to the strangers voice, observed his body language, read the audiences reaction to his speech, and made our own internal evalutions of his presentation. Would the contestants observe the same points? What would they say.
At speeches end the contestants were ushered from the room, and given time to prepare their evaluations.
In the mean time Nick treated us to an interview of the annoymous speaker. David Doud's his name. David joined Toastmasters 20 years ago in Germany earned his CTM, and stepped away from the organization. Twenty years on David is now the President of the Pioneer Club, and an Area Governor.
The five minutes were up and one by one the evaluators presented their evalautions. Luayne Trujillo spoke first making many insightful observations. Gary Fuller followed with his own insights. Both Luayne and Gary observed that a story about porcupine quills and a gluteus may have been outside the bounds of the clubs taste. Paul Sadowski wound up the evaluations making a similar observation. The details of each evaluation was similar. Emphasis on the details was all that separated the contestants.
A quick tallying of the votes, and time for two table topics followed. We covered club business, but what everybody really wanted to know was, who's the winner. Having prolonged the agony, and built the audience to a crescendo of anticipation Nick announced that Gary Fuller would represent the club in the next level.
Good luck Gary. Thanks to David for speaking.
Please everyone remember to bring your dues to the next meeting.
The meeting began with the final arrangements for the contest. Lots were cast to determine the order of the contestants. Ballots were distributed among the three judges. Tracy was selected as timer, and she carefully reviewed the requirements for fulfilling her duties. A point of order was reached to compensate for the absence of our Sargeant-at-arms, an honor system was worked out, and controls implemented to insure fairness.
Nerves started tingling as the contest began. A speech was delivered by an annonymous Toastmaster. We listened intently to the strangers voice, observed his body language, read the audiences reaction to his speech, and made our own internal evalutions of his presentation. Would the contestants observe the same points? What would they say.
At speeches end the contestants were ushered from the room, and given time to prepare their evaluations.
In the mean time Nick treated us to an interview of the annoymous speaker. David Doud's his name. David joined Toastmasters 20 years ago in Germany earned his CTM, and stepped away from the organization. Twenty years on David is now the President of the Pioneer Club, and an Area Governor.
The five minutes were up and one by one the evaluators presented their evalautions. Luayne Trujillo spoke first making many insightful observations. Gary Fuller followed with his own insights. Both Luayne and Gary observed that a story about porcupine quills and a gluteus may have been outside the bounds of the clubs taste. Paul Sadowski wound up the evaluations making a similar observation. The details of each evaluation was similar. Emphasis on the details was all that separated the contestants.
A quick tallying of the votes, and time for two table topics followed. We covered club business, but what everybody really wanted to know was, who's the winner. Having prolonged the agony, and built the audience to a crescendo of anticipation Nick announced that Gary Fuller would represent the club in the next level.
Good luck Gary. Thanks to David for speaking.
Please everyone remember to bring your dues to the next meeting.
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