May become dominated by those who can afford to invest in more sophisticated content, as Graham Jones points out in his latest article.
Who knows what the future of the Internet will be. I suspect major brands and organizations will be dominate.
Ellee Seymour very kindly asked me to post something about my recent Trek in Africa on behalf of Breast Cancer Campaign.
Guest blogger today is Jeremy Jacobs writing about his cathartic trek in the Maasai foothills to boost funds for the Breast Cancer Campaign following the tragic young death of his sister Jackie.
How have you marked the death of someone close? My family bought a wooden bench in memory of my father and added a plaque with his name. It is in the grounds of Walsingham shrine in Norfolk where he found much comfort, especially towards the end of his life.
I sponsored Jeremy’s trek with a cash donation and also posted him some of my son’s football strips to hand out to local schoolchildren, hope they liked the Tottenham Hotspurs and Manchester United shirts.
I was given a link at Rick's "Flip Chart Fairy Tales". This brilliant Blog highlights things that can go occasionally wrong at Corporate events. Knowing a thing or two about facilitating, I wasn't too impressed by the American chap in Rick's example here.
Rick also has a link to Suw Charman's Chocolate 'n Vodka This magnificent blonde honey has, this week, previewed the forthcoming horror movie, Black Sheep. No it's not about Gordon Broon but a crisis in rural New Zealand.
2 magnificent new Blogs and I would recommend them both to your most serious perusal.
Do you attend these Corporate Golf Days?
I find them quite relaxing and it's yet another way to network. The picture shows me with 3 others at South Herts G.C. last year. The day was organised by Robert Green of Green & Peter. Robert's firm belongs to the networking organization BRE.
Top Media Coach Alan Stevens, in his latest *e-zine, has mentioned my fund-raising efforts regarding my forthcoming Trek in Africa.
Over at JeremyJacobs.com, I recently posted some of Alan's "face the media" tips. For those of you who would like to know more about this fascinating subject, consider buying his book.
*This information originally appeared in "The MediaCoach", a free ezine produced by Alan Stevens, and available at www.mediacoach.co.uk."
This morning on BBC Radio 4, I heard a snippet from Paul Dacre's speech at the London College of Communication which he delivered last night. His comments, and apparently most of his speech content, really struck a nerve. I'm sure I speak for many people in this country who are fed to the back teeth with the left-wing, liberal, PC attitude of our national broadcaster. The behemoth, as Dacre described the BBC, has always, in my opinion, supported the left but I feel that nowadays it comes across as the "Party broadcaster" and wo betide those who dare to criticize it.
Paul Dacre may have slightly off beam as Roy Greenslade points out in his article but I agree with the Dacre's general gist. He expressed concern for smaller broadcasters and their independent voice and coined the term "subsidiarat". This term is reserved for media giants, the BBC just being one, who by definition, are unable to survive in a free-market" as Dacre suggested.
Subsidiarat is a word we'll hear more of in the future.
How do you fell about Dacre's remarks?
Do you share his concern?
Is the BBC the behemoth hbe descibes them as?
Just got this terrible story in from Lord Wells of Pfizer
Be aware of this. I had a lucky escape.
I walked into B&Q at lunchtime yesterday and some old guy dressed in orange asked me if I wanted decking.
Fortunately I got the first punch in and that was the end of that.
Those less suspecting might not be so lucky.
This has recently been posted on "Gaping Void's Blog"
I like the bit about website. It's so true, all those professional firms out there making "a difference".
The "Nobody Cares" Manifesto For Accountants* It's important to remember debits are on the left and credits on the right - nobody cares. Probably because the system was invented in 1494 and hasn't changed since.
* We work hard to earn letters behind our names - nobody cares. Importance isn't derived from academic achievement but what you do for others.
* ROI is an important concept - nobody cares. ROI calculations are something you do when you really don't want to help your client but to demonstrate to him/her how important you are. For which read 2.
* It's important to keep good records - nobody cares. Clients aren't in business to be administrators. If you can't figure out how to help clients then expect to be outsourced. Probably the day after tomorrow.
* A tidy office implies a tidy mind - nobody cares. A tidy mind is often compartmentalised to the point of tunnel vision. You don't see tidy at the edge of innovation. Which is where you should be when your clients come up with great ideas.
* Professionals should always wear top quality suits - nobody cares. How you look may be important if your name's Anina but it sure as heck doesn't matter when you're traipsing around a pig farm. You do that occasionally don't you?
* Your professional status among the community demonstrates integrity - nobody believes you. Professional status is over-rated. Those schmuks from KPMG in court on fraud charges sorted that one out once and for all.
* Adding value is the most important thing you have to do - nobody believes you. Clients can read a 1,000 websites and see that same vacuuous statement. Stuff your website with client stories, preferably written by clients and not some PR outfit.
1. The "cash for honours" row peaks in February/March.
2. Hezbollah will attack Israel again. (This time Israel will finish the job)
3. Political scandal in Australia.
4. Windows Vista launch unsuccessful.
5. Civil unrest in Iran.
6. Major earthquake in the southern hemisphere.
Iain Dale, Ellee Seymour, James Higham, Eastcliffe Richard, Shasinka, Stephen Pollard, Yid with Lid, Julia Buckley, Dizzy Thinks, Richard North, Chicken Yogurt, Franorama, Rox Populi, Beau Bo D'or,
Alan Caruba highlights in his latest article how Russia still spies on the USA.
The Russians Have Never Stopped Spying on Us
It is not for nothing that Vladimir Putin, the president of the Russian Republic, is a former member of the KGB. From its earliest days, Soviet Russia maintained a vast army of spies around the world and penetrating the United States remained high on its list of priorities.
"Over the past several decades, foreign agents have penetrated every U.S. national security agency except the Coast Guard. That includes the CIA, the FBI, the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Defense Department, the State Department, and the Energy Department."
My thoughts turned to espionage as the saga of the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, a former member of the KGB’s counterintelligence now known as the Federal Security Service (FSB) unfolded. In 2000, he had fled with his wife and son to Great Britain where he was granted asylum. He became an author and outspoken critic of the Putin regime.
Silencing the enemies of Russian ambitions has a very long history including the famed ghulags of the Stalinist era.
Americans these days are prone to worry about whether the government is listening into their phone conversations, despite repeated confirmations that the National Security Agency is listening to calls from overseas to suspected Islamic terrorists located here. The notion that everyone’s phone calls are being monitored is fairly idiotic given the volume and the utter waste of resources with which to spy on Americans who pose no threat of terrorism.
There was a bit of a flurry of outrage over recent remarks by Newt Gingrich, the former Speaker of the House, who suggested that listening in on our enemies, particularly those here in America, was a good idea since they intended to kill us all. Common sense like that always gets liberals atwitter. As some sage noted, the First Amendment is not a suicide pact.
Some lunatic Muslim convert, seized with "Instant Jihad Syndrome", was recently arrested by FBI agents after he confided to informants that he intended to kill a lot of people while they did some Christmas shopping in a mall. Kudos to the FBI.
However, Gertz notes that "The FBI has continually resisted efforts to change, even in the aftermath of the Hanssen case and the September 11 attacks. The need for change applies at all levels, from high-level officials to agents in the field." This is not good news. Indeed, Gertz asserts that, "The FBI has failed to protect its people, its secrets, and U.S. national security."
"Enemies" devotes an entire chapter to "Russia’s Aggressive Espionage" and this included planting a spy in the U.S. Central Command’s warfighting headquarters in Doha, Qatar, where he transmitted the details of the 2003 invasion plans to his controllers who, in turn, gave them to Saddam Hussein.
The two most devastating spy cases in recent times involved Robert Hanssen and Aldrich Ames, both Americans and both of whom were spying for Russia. According to Gertz, "There are as many Russian spies in the United States today as there were during the Cold War." The book also documents Red China’s successful espionage program. ( but where does Gertz get his information?)
There is, in fact, no good news in Gertz’s book. "The CIA’s once-proud Directorate of Operations has been decimated by retirements and low morale. By 2005, the agency had fewer than 1,000 case officers in the field. Many CIA stations had been reduced to single CIA officers who acted as little more than liaison officers with local services."
On the cusp of 2007, this should signal why we probably do not know what Iran is up do. Or North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, and a laundry list of nations and non-state groups like al Qaeda that would like to see the greatest experiment in democracy and capitalism come to a nasty end.
(I would have thought that the USA has invested in technology, which, in some cases, may obviate the need for personnel)
And, finally, Americans have just put the power of Congress into the hands of a group of people who would much rather "talk" to our enemies than kill them. Our enemies have no such qualms. As easily as they would kill Alexander Litvinenko, we can look forward to more efforts to encourage America to self-destruct.
(Who knows the real reason behind the death of Litvinenko)
The ancient Chinese military strategist, Sun Tzu, long ago wrote that the greatest skill in war is to defeat of one’s enemy without firing a shot.
The Center needs your support and will appreciate your donation to help maintain our communications program. If you prefer, send your check or money order to The Caruba Organization, 28 West Third Street, Suite 1321, South Orange, NJ 07079. Thank you!
So if we are to believe the gossip, Lembit Opik the crafty Liberal Democrat MP, may have had a dalliance with one of the "Cheeky Girls".
How will the weather lady respond?
Looks like certain individuals are having a sexy time with other peoples web sites. Instead of plagiarizing pop stars on YouTube, or copying someone's Wordpress blog, Simon Moore's has pointed out a most-recent scandal in the legal world.
What a brilliant TV programme! I haven't seen any of the previous episodes of "Coast".
There were some great topics discussed in this evening's episode. They ranged from Felixstowe's container port and the programme finished at the place I was born. Margate, not the treacherous Goodwin Sands!
Well done BBC.
Just returned from a breakfast briefing. The guest speaker was Sir Martin Sorrell of WPP.
He highlighted some corporate issues in his 25- minute talk. These ranged from international trade to Corporate Social Responsibility and the democratizing effect of the Internet.
One of the most thought-provoking comments he made was how, in his view, Britain was now back to 1984. Not in the Orwellian sense but the numbers of those employed in public service. He explained that at present a staggering 56% of Scottish people are employed by the Government.
Also from yesterday's London Evening Standard.......this time news about another stupid decision. You see the English never see the "big picture". Hardly surprising, we've people in positions of authority, who in my opinion, are small-minded, minimalist, short-termist and lacking in vision. This is certainly the case when it comes to town planning matters. Aesthetics never come into it.
Museum St, SW7
The three museums in South Kensington-The Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the Victoria & Albert - are a remarkable cluster of cultural and educational institutions. Nearby there are other buildings of considerable importance, from the Serpentine Galery in Hyde Park to the Royal Albert Hall. Yet this area is divided by busy roads-Exhibition Road and Cromwell Road-which makes it difficult to see the buildings as part of a coherent whole. It can also make it a bleaky experience for visitors.
An imaginative solution has been propsed by Kensington & Chelsea Council, Westminster Council and the Mayor. This would involve redesigning Exhibition Road and the area around to make itmlore welcoming for pedestrians. The road would lose its narrow pavements and would be redesigned with bold markings, which, it is hoped, would cause cars to travel more slowly. There would be provision for good crossings for pedestrians at major junctions and centralised bus stops and space for taxis.
Unfortunately, this scheme has been turned down for inclusion for the shortlist for the Big Lottery fund on the grounds that it concentrates too heavily on road enhancements. This misses the point, which is that the redesign is not intended to benefit motorists, but to make the whole area more accessible and to help integrate important cultural institutions into a single space. The cost, at £25 million, is reasonable. Now an appeal is to be made for £5million from the Heritage Lottery Fund, with the rest made up by the Government. This eminently sensible scheme deserves support.
Of course, whether or not it gets it remains to be seen. I agree with the columns main thrust. For those of you who have visited the Spanish city of Valencia, you may have been impressed by the location of various museums and an aquatic centre, very easily accessed, in the centre of that remarkable city.
Our continued membership of the EU is now going to give the British Film Industry problems................from the London Evening Standard leader column of December 11th.
"SAVE OUR SCREEN"
Encouraging films that promote British culture is a laudable aim. But there is a risk that new European rules that limit tax breaks will damage the industry they ostensibly seek to encourage. Films made in Britain must have a 75% British storyline or have british lead characters or be based on British stories in order to receive the funds. That could discourage Hollywood from using the skills of Britain's internationally respected film industry. The whole world loves British-made films, whether they are set here like Harry Pottter series or not. The tax regime should support both.
This is so typical isn't it. Let's put the wishes of unelected foreign bureaucrats before the interests of a very needy British industry.
My Toastmasters International speaking club, London Corinthians is going from strength to strength. I've seen people grow from a "shrinking violet" to competent speakers in a very short space of time.
Toastmasters clubs are a great way to meet new people, network and improve your speaking and presentation skills. I've enjoyed it tremendously. I've given talks on footbasll, broadcasting, radio commentary and have been lucky enough to advertise my "Margate to Maasai Mara" trek which I'm doing on behalf of Breast Cancer Campaign
Here is my Club's latest bulletin.
Newsletter for 30th November 2006
London Corinthians News
The Voice of the 'London Corinthians' Toastmasters Club
'The Greatest Public Speaking Club In The World'!
PRESIDENTIAL NEWS
I wondered at the last meeting why I leave our meetings so nourished, excited and happy? The answer is that I see the meeting as being just like a nourishing supper; full of delicious components; learning new things, laughter, and the pleasure of seeing people develop and blossom. We have 3 new members joining our club to add even more delicious and exciting ingredients to the Corinthians Recipe for Success. A warm and joyful welcome goes out to Denis Goodchild, Kerry Naylor and Jonathon Palmer.
All of the speeches at our meeting on 30th November were brilliant, as always, but there was something unusual last Thursday. One of our speakers, Pieter Fourie, exceeded by far his previous speech, winning the ribbon for ‘Best Speaker’. He spoke with more pauses, clarity, and structure than previously and has improved greatly and quite suddenly. The secret of Pieter’s visible improvement became clear when he told of how he owed his success to his mentoring. We found out that Pieter had met up with his mentor in person and had the opportunity to rehearse it and take good advice. The end result was clear for all to see – the change in his speaking was VERY noticeable and his speech far exceeded our expectations for a Number 2 speech. Please read what Peter said:
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Dear Corinthians,
It was a real honour for me to win the ribbon for ‘Best Speaker’ last Thursday. Do you know how I did it? Can you keep a secret? A while ago, I asked a great speaker at Corinthians to be my mentor. She agreed! We met up a few times so that I could rehearse my speech. She gave me many tips and a lot of good advice. Without her help, I wouldn’t have delivered my speech in such a powerful way. Fellow Corinthians, if you are serious about improving and delivering outstanding speeches, I encourage you to get a mentor!!!!
Pieter Fourie
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There is nothing more powerful then. As we are all aspiring to be a great speakers and to keep a very high QUALITY of the club I would love to invite all mentors to take an active interest in their mentees and, whenever possible, meet up with them in person. This I believe will produce amazing results! Evaluators. Please call the person you are going to evaluate before the meeting. See how you can support them and find out where they want to improve.
Also, with QUALITY in mind, please remember that we now have a Competent Leadership Manual, as described by James Mills (our club Secretary) at our meeting. Please do check out the Notice Board section below to learn more about this great opportunity for self development and recognition.
We have our last meeting for the year on the 14th December. Please come and enjoy yourself. As we all know it is a very special night where most of the speeches and functionaries are the past presidents of this club! If you want to learn from the masters please come along and join us for a fantastic end to 2006!
your proud president
Gosia Gorna
PUBLIC RELATIONS REPORT
Gosia Gorna, our President warmly welcomed our members and guests on another chilly November evening. In her introduction, Gosia told us how creativity makes life worth living for her and suggested to us that by ‘making small changes in your life, BIG things can happen.’
Graham Price was our Toastmaster for the evening. Graham’s theme for the evening was ‘Scotland’ in recognition of the fact that 30th November is Saint Andrews Day – St Andrew being the patron saint of Scotland. Graham invited all functionaries and programmed speakers to tell us what first comes to mind at the mention of Scotland. From the beautiful Scottish mountains, to deep fried Mars Bars and the famous Kilt (a ladies favourite), we had an interesting insight into what Scotland means to our members.
Daniel Clee was our competent Timekeeper for the evening, bringing humour to the role when, during his initial description of his duties, he promised to shoot anyone that went over time!! I am pleased to report that Daniel was a little prone to exaggeration on the night and his threats materialised in nothing more dangerous than the ringing of a bell for those that went over their allotted time. [see my tips section below for an article on timing]
Maria Rojo was our enthusiastic and generous Grammarian for the evening, bringing us a humorous word of the day (WOTD) ‘Tickle’ [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tickle ]. Maria’s generosity was very topical as she brought a small bottle of Scottish Whisky as a prize for the most prolific user of the WOTD.
Alla Bida was our Table Topics Master for the evening, continuing and focusing on the theme of Scotland. Alla delivered a challenging set of table topics to our members and guests, tackling related subjects from shopping to golf and from food and drink to monsters! In a flash back to our last meeting, the Scottish James Bond actor Sean Connery made an appearance as Amy Jackson promised to give up a date with him to allow her mother to take advantage (of the date!), winning the ribbon for her efforts. Other participants were: Ian Millen, Denis Goodchild (new member), Kerry Naylor (new member), Matthew Pearlman (guest), Esther de Angelis, Jonathon Palmer (new member), Jeremy Jacobs and Gosia Gorna.
Lannah Carbonilla, was our Table Topics Evaluator and did a fantastic job of evaluating our table topics speakers. Incisive, analytical, with a great balance of recommendations and commendations, Lannah gave a masterclass in Table Topics Evaluation of nine topics and to time!! An example for all to follow in this role.
Maurice McParland brought his own brand of humour to his post as Sgt At Arms, welcoming eight guests (three of which became members on the night). As usual, our guests brought even more international flavour to the club, hailing from a variety of locations at home and abroad including France, Israel and Derby!
SPEECHES AND EVALUATIONS
Mark Henderson, introduced himself formally to the club with his No 1 speech (Icebreaker),
In which he gave us an educational insight into his own origins; from sledging and skiing in the North East of England to working in banking in London, Mark told us how he had been held up by gangsters, charged by an elephant and had even met Brian Clough (a famous English football manager).
Pieter Fourie delivered his inspiring and highly educational No 2 speech (Organise your speech) entitled, ‘The Dream Stealer’. Pieter talked about the downsides of watching TV; the commercials, TV violence (by age 16 the average child has witnessed 30,000 TV murders!) and other things that he believes conspire to prevent us from engaging in other more meaningful activities, such as playing games, making music and engaging in conversation. Pieter urged us – ‘instead of watching ‘Friends’, go out and make some!’
Jenny Cutler, delivered a highly entertaining and educational Advanced Speech (based on vocal variety) entitled, ‘Finding the Neglected Voices.’ Jenny’s speech introduced us to the art of making the most of our voices with her F.A.C.E. (Fluency, Accent, Colour, Energy) method. The speech was packed full of practical advice for improving our voices and was illustrated with entertaining demonstrations of just how to get the best out of our vocal variety – great tips and advice for us all to take away and improve our speaking.
Jeremy Jacobs delivered the final prepared speech of the evening, an Advanced Speech (Leave them with a smile) entitled, ‘Screw You Jimmy!’ Jeremy told a disturbing, but nevertheless inspirational story of how he supported someone close to him through a family tragedy. In mixing heavy subject matter with a little light humour, Jeremy touched us all with a story of caring and solidarity in the face of tragic circumstances, leaving us with the thought that – “In life, it’s not about getting what you want. It’s about handling what’s thrown at you.”
Speech Evaluations – four excellent evaluations were given by Esther (for Mark), Gilly (for Peter), Amy (for Jenny) and Lourdes (for Jeremy).
General Evaluator – Dorothea Stuart (Riverside Communicators) finished off the evening with a good analytical and complimentary evaluation of the evening’s events. Thank you Dorothea.
THE RIBBONS
Best Table Topic was won by Amy Jackson for the selfless act of giving up a date with Sean Connery to allow her mother to meet the handsome beast. (her words not mine!).
Best Evaluator was won by Gilly Cutts for her warm, analytical and encouraging evaluation of Pieter Fourie’s No 2 speech.
Best Speech was won by Pieter Fourie for his expose on the perils of television. A fantastic achievement for Pieter and endorsement of mentoring – but not forgetting that no matter how much mentoring you get, it is still the speaker who has to stand before the audience and deliver – and boy did he deliver!!
TIPS FROM VICE PRESIDENT PUBLIC RELATIONS
Improve your timing!
Did you know that ‘on average’ about 25 people + an unknown number of guests speak every time we meet at London Corinthians and that there are approximately 33 speaking ‘slots’ in the course of our two and a half hour (with break) meeting. Is it any wonder then, that timing is so important to the smooth running of our meetings? Meetings that run over time, reduce the time that we have to socialise outside the meeting room (such as getting valuable feedback from fellow toastmasters in the bar) and, for some, create transport problems as they risk missing buses or trains to get them home.
We have all suffered at the hands of speakers in the workplace that have far exceeded their speaking slots, shortening our coffee and lunch breaks and, sometimes, making our eye lids heavy with sleep. Such speakers are normally the ones that don’t practice what they have to say, preferring to take us all on a voyage of discovery – the kind of speaker that uses the same PowerPoint slides (full of useless detail) for every business address, allegedly ‘adapting’ for the audience. The kind of speaker that doesn’t respect his or her audience because they don’t take the time to do what they say they will, that is, speak for a specific time and no more.
The good news is, that Toastmasters can stop you from becoming such a speaker. Our emphasis on time is there for a very good reason. It forces you as a speaker to prepare properly. Speeches are generally short (5-7 mins) and so must be edited until they fit the time slot allowed. The end result should be good QUALITY substance – there’s no time for unnecessary words if you want to deliver a great speech. And a speech can’t really be great if you over run badly on a time that you have set as a target. No better is this illustrated than in the area of competition speaking. For example, did you know that in the Toastmasters International or Humorous speech contests held each year, if a speaker speaks for 1 second longer than 30 seconds after the RED light has been illuminated, they will be disqualified? They will not be told that they have run over, they will just not be considered in the voting for first, second and third place. Just imagine the hours that someone might spend on honing a speech – the ideas, the writing, the editing, the rehearsals – only to lose because you go over time. It must be heartbreaking – and it can happen to very experienced speakers – IF THEY DON’T PREPARE PROPERLY.
So, have I convinced you to focus on this aspect of your speaking for your next speech, evaluation or other functionary role? Let me help you a little more – have you ever timed a speech with your watch or mobile phone, glancing at it every now and then to see how you’re going and looking at the end to see your final time? Have you ever wished you could have the timekeeper right there in your living room? Someone to put the GREEN, AMBER and RED lights on for you while you practice your speech? Well today, I want to offer just that service to you. No it’s not me, as much as I would love to, my boss won’t give me the time off work! It’s much better than a real timekeeper – because this one won’t get so engrossed in your speech that they forget to time, or forget to start the watch or push the button for the light.
In my latest search around the internet I have found two great tools. These are software tools for timing your TOASTMASTER speeches. They can be used to practice your speeches. They are small and self-contained pieces of software which offer preset times for standard Toastmasters speeches as well as manual entry. But best of all they are FREE. Just download them to your PC or Laptop and you have a timekeeper that will serve your needs whenever you want to do a speech. Two versions are available:
Download ‘Time Toaster’ from: http://members.ij.net/martin/timetoaster.html
Download ‘High Note Software – Speech Timer’ from http://www.highnotesoftware.com/
(You will need to enter some details including London Corinthians Club Number – 7951)
You’ll have to decide for yourself, which suits you best. The first version is more like the lights you will see at the club, but the second version (which changes the screen colours) features some encouraging clapping at the start and end of your speech – although it is very polite clapping; nothing like the raucous clapping, whooping and whistling at a London Corinthians meeting!
So, fellow Toastmasters, now you have no excuse. I look forward to discussing your use of these great tools in the bar after we complete our next meeting ON TIME!!!
NOTICE BOARD
Leadership is something that is increasing required in society. We are facing and will face increasingly complex and challenging issues in all aspects of our lives.
Toastmasters International is an organisation that not only strives to develop great communicators, but also great leaders. Consequently a new Competent Leadership Manual has been created that enables Toastmaster members to further their leadership skills through the completion of a series of projects.
All these projects can be completed through performing a variety of roles at London Corinthians. All you need is a Competent Leadership Manual and a fellow member to assess your performance in a variety of situations. Upon completion of the 10 projects, you will be recognised as a Competent Leader.
For more information of how you can develop your leadership skills through Toastmasters, please e-mail James Mills (secretary@londoncorinthians.co.uk).
International Speech & Evaluation Contests – Thu 22nd Mar 2007 – 7:00pm for 7:30pm
Two annual contests will be held at London Corinthians on Thursday 22nd March 2007: The International Speech and Evaluation Contests. The overall objective of the International Speech contest is for a speaker to inspire an audience. Length of speeches: 5-7 minutes. Contestants should have completed up to and including speech six of the Communications Manual. All members are eligible to compete in the Evaluation Contest where a speaker from another club will be evaluated by all contestants. Length of evaluation: 2-3 minutes.
We very much encourage our members to take part in these contests. Or, if not, to take on a functionary role at the contests. For further information contact the club President, Gosia Gorna (president@londoncorinthians.com) or the Vice President Education, Kim Horner (vpe@londoncorinthians.com).
Do you have a Mentor?
You’ve read about the power of mentoring (above) - an amazing learning experience for both, mentors and mentees. Should you wish to have a mentor, please contact Esther De Angelis, our Mentoring VP (Email: mentoring@londoncorithians.co.uk; 020 7433 1619).
London Excalibur Advanced Toastmasters’ Club
London Excalibur Advanced Toastmasters’ Club meets on the second Wednesday of each month (7:15pm start) at the Cheshire Cheese public house near Temple. This warm, cosy club welcomes anyone at any stage of their speaking development. Whilst new members are always welcome, speaking/functionary slots are available to those who are members of other Toastmasters’ clubs. For further details, contact Alison Precious (Work: 020 7218 5670; Email: onemoreriver@hotmail.com).
Newsletter
If you have any suggestions or want to contribute to the Newsletter, please contact Ian Millen at ian.millen500@mod.uk and ian_millen@hotmail.com or on 07809 441145. Please use both email addresses together for Ian if you want to guarantee your message getting through.
Canada Geese seem to be attracted to Golders Hill Park, Hampstead Heath and they've taken over the boating pool in Regent's Park. Are they pests or do you like them? By Alan Caruba The discussion arising from the birth of a Mexican child, born to Mexican parents, on a Mexican airliner, over American territory has aroused my interest. Lawyers assert that the child is technically American, having been born over the territorial area of the United States of America. Regrettably, a most esteemed legal advisor, a former judge, has advised me this is not feasible due to the North American Migratory Waterfowl Treaty that has established their nomenclature. No change can be made to the designation of “Canada” geese without the concurrence of all the signatories to the treaty. Alan Caruba writes a weekly column, “Warning Signs”, posted on the Internet site of The National Anxiety Center, www.anxietycenter.com. His new book, “Right Answers: Separating Fact from Fantasy”, has been published by Merril Press.
I'm certain James Higham Shasinka Girl with a One Track mind Stephen Pollard and of course Ellee will have something to say on the matter.
Meanwhile, you may enjoy the latest offering from Alan CarubaMexican, Canadian or American?
I live in New Jersey where, for decades now, we have been home to large flocks of "Canada Geese." However, many of these flocks have taken up permanent residence in New Jersey and have given birth to many "Canada Geese" who in turn poop all over New Jersey without regard to either sanitary or environmental regulations. Frequently aggressive, they have been known to chase small children and dogs from "their" favorite parks and other areas.
While it can be argued that this aggressive behavior is likely the result of their residing in New Jersey, the larger question is whether, in fact, they should be called "American" or "New Jersey" geese?
If a Mexican new-born child can be accorded all the rights and privileges of being an American citizen merely for flying over our great nation, surely these "Canada" geese should be accorded a more proper identification as "American" geese.
Nor do I think "Canada" geese should, having been born in New Jersey, be given another State's name simply because they may, on occasion, fly over or to other States. I have traveled widely throughout the United States and am still identified as from New Jersey no matter where I am. I am, however, prepared to compromise on this in favor of the generic "American" geese.
This is manifestly unfair and unjust! Given the obvious increase in the population of these "Canada" geese in New Jersey and the fact that few of them, if any, have ever been to Canada, the time has come to assert our sovereignty by fully assimilating and identifying these great honking and pooping geese for what they are—American!
Pity this isn't aired in the media.........................
Peace Oil is produced in Israel by Jews, Arabs, Druze and Bedouin working together. Grown in the foothills of the Carmel Mountains, the olives are pressed within hours of picking, to produce this prize winning extra virgin olive oil.
An initiative of registered UK charity The Charities Advisory Trust, Peace Oil encourages co-operation between communities. By helping to market their produce it hopes to bring economic prosperity to such enterprises, encouraging others to follow their example.
Profits from Peace Oil are used to support peace and reconciliation work in the Middle East.
Peace Oil
Radius Works
Back Lane
London
NW3 1HL
0207 435 6500
On Desert Island Discs this morning, music impressario Raymond Gubbay recounted his first ever job interview. It was with the great Victor Hochhauser
There were just three questions, said Gubbay
"What school did you go to?"
"Are you Jewish?"
"Can you start Monday?"
Brilliant. None of the Health & Safety/ID check/UK citizenship/inside leg measurement/form filling rubbish today's job seekers now endure.
There's so much bureaucracy today isn't there. Do you blame the Government, or should ordinary citizens take some responsibility for allowing the "paperwork culture" to overload us all?
What's your opinion?
