Competent Communicator

"Clean" 5 minutes live from Cavendish Arms

2012-02-06T10:22:00.001Z

Recorded live from Cavendish Arms, Stockwell, this was an experiment, for me.
What would happen if I cut all the beginning and used only "clean" words and material?
Yes, the audience enjoyed my gig (or gags) as much, as usual, got laugh and cheers too.

It was only 10 days, from my cataract eye operation, but I was pleased to be "out there" again! What a great audience!

Julie77 opens at Comedy in Tooting

2012-01-27T12:17:00.002Z

At prince of Wales pub in Tooting, with Ed great compère "compère without compère" as he told, I opened the gig yesterday night.

Opening, is supposed to be almost a "sacrificial" place, as you have to warm up the audience.

No problem!

I had long high volume laughs from a great and big audience that almost got no room! some standing on the back or left!

Great night, and I learned also how much an "afterthought after the afterthought" can have impact indeed.

Thanks! I got 6 or 7 minutes, (alas no recording) but also met great people, some from old Workshops and Stand Up nights, a journalist from Real People coming specially for me. And so many more, coming to me later "I loved your gig, you had a great number!"

Alina from Stand Up and deliver got also a "give her a drink", but all numbers got laughter.

Last Standup comedy 2011 of Julie Kertesz : voted "best"

2012-01-25T06:00:00.001Z

This was the 15th December, one month before when I came home with a cup!

Tinker!

2012-01-25T05:54:00.000Z

Another speech from Ted, a great way to persuade and speak naturally, too, seems all conversational, does not show all the preparation behind it. Listening to him, observing him, one can learn a lot!

It is Rolf Hut professor, speaking at TEDxDelftabout "tinkering" but in fact, much more...

Try something new for 30 days - from Ted.com

2012-01-20T14:22:00.000Z

A short speech can be so convincing, true, you do not have to speak hours...
Why not try to tell a short tale for 30 days?
Why not try to walk half hour every day, for 30 days, or an hour, or around the house?
Why not try to practice the same speech for 30 days?

Why not try to...

First stand-up Comedy

2012-01-05T05:08:00.000Z

Five minutes at the Pirate Castle in Camden, London, the end of March 2011 - about 120 audience.
Mr CEE compere introducing me. In his intro of us, 12 from the School of Comedy, he explained to thee audience that we are all "comedy virgins"... so I added that to my act, too.

My first Stand Up performance ever.

How much Mr CEE helped all of us, and how nice he encouraged me! He also told us to use similes and perform as having a conversation with the audience.

How much I own to Toastmasters Competent Communicator manual and experience. I used that material at the end of my performance.

Cavendesh Arms "Comedy Virgins"

2012-01-02T17:49:00.000Z

Julie, stand up comedy by -LiLi-

My Comedy Stand Up "Icebreaker" the first time in a real comedy club alone in London Cavendish Arms in Stockwell.

Well not "all" alone, we were a group of 5 together, but only me and Chris performed that night. As you can see, the public reacted very well, even if I would finish "could do better", but we were 23 and I was voted between the four bests. And I think between us four, two were pro comedians.

Not so bad for a new 77 year old Stand Up Comedian! And they really did like it!

Everybody who speaks can...

2012-01-01T07:34:00.000Z

Naomi Susan Isaacs (jazz singer and singing teacher) :

"Everybody who speaks, speaks sometimes with lower and sometimes with higher pitch", everybody can learn to sing, too.

If only they would have told me in my childhood! Instead of "you cannot sing, when the others sing you just move your mouth" and make me believe I do not have "ear"

Great speech, good example, makes me also say now "Everybody can tell stories!"

Video by Spark London's "The possibilities are endless" Theme Mistaken Identity

2011-12-27T02:13:00.000Z

Taking the video from another angle, alas I was more facing the audience then him;
Will I be able to retell this in only 7 minutes instead of 11? What should I cut? Finaly, they let me tell almost all of the story.

This is a pivotal experience for me, because the audience laughed a lot and I decided to learn how to make humour - when I want and found my first Stand Up Comedy Workshop.It was almost a year ago...

Go to http://www.youtube.com/user/sparklondon to see other storytellers too!

A photo can be worth so many words and stirr very strong emotions

2011-12-13T08:36:00.000Z

All this great photographers have chosen me as their contacts this last days, but because my eye, it is only today I have looked at their photography. What a wonderful gift!

I favorited in turn some of their images I just discovered, here is from today.

Strange, strong, intriguing, photographes, some strong paintings almost, dreams or special effects, each has in turn given me a strong feeling. And taught me to be more open with my own photography too. Photography on Flickr, what a wonderful way to communicate also with others all over the globe! Some from UK, others from Brazil: or Alasca, the web opens us a whole word and contacts so many human beings!

Photographies sur Flickr par

Ady Negrean,

Pano70

Joe1642

Flood

James Fear

Zita Kamugra

For my photoblog I needed a black background, and suddenly all changed!
What a difference, it can make.

Laughing Horse Brixton Video, Stand Up Comedy

2011-12-10T08:18:00.003Z

this is the smaller version of Julie Kertesz's Stand Up Comedy gig I performed at Laughing Horse, Brixton, London end October
begins with "my name is Julie, I am 77 years old"

yes, all which appears against you can be utilised as comic material,

Transformed by Vimeo, the Stand Up at Laughing Horse with Julie,

by another camera, from nearer.

Lots to learn not only how to do, but what not to do, too. As going out of the light (but audience sees better then the camera did) or putting the prop farther.And here is a link to another standup, just a few days ago... Even if it seems this morning so far:
http://vimeo.com/33227223

Yes, almost the same words, but different attitude

I have yet a lot to learn, and the open mic standup comedy is an excellent learning opportunity!

Ben Dunlap talks about a passionate life | Video on TED.com

2011-12-07T18:22:00.000Z

From TED.com, one of the favorite places to listen to speeches, one of the master storytellers, Ben Dunlop, talks about old Hungarians, with a great appetite for learning and experience, This professor from South Carolyna, with a South USA accent, is one of the best storytellers I have even listened to,

Listen, look, learn!

Of course, it helps that half of his speech, or more, is about an old Hungarian Jeu, Sandor Teszler, who did take from age 80 to 90 all the courses...And I am Hungarian and continue learning.

Ben Dunlap talks about a passionate life | Video on TED.com

Everyone has stories to tell - just give them a "voice"

2011-12-06T10:14:00.002Z

Yesterday I told a story at the Canal Coffee theatre. Not so bad and not extra either.

Yesterday, it was not about me, it was about four immigrants in England, having arrived in London from various continents of the world, to which we have succeeded 'finding their voice'.

Joanna Yates from Spark London had given a True Tales workshop free at Nova Portobello. In this photo, at Brixton Open Mic event she also organizes.

This time, I have had the privilege to assist her and by my example give courage at the beginning, in Septembre.

Iris, a refugee from Chile, now Director of Nova, organization helping people motivated "to obtain their goals." Iris told us of her early difficulties, with authorities and with the language and last night she even showed me an album as "the Queen could not give me the medal of honor of British Empire, because I was from Chilli, but I was invited the Prime Minister's residence, and given it by... look, by him, the son of one of the PMs. "

An old gentleman of 83, Alex, arrived from Uganda, he has full of interesting stories about his country of origin, and even the energy falling on the stage to show us how he fell, when he was a little boy and had cut the feet, using the traditional "knife" inherited from fathers to oldest son, and bleeding even thought dying. He told me again: "you telling the story that first day of workshop gave me confidence" to tell mine's.

Jacinta arriving from India, told us the story of how she put two more years to her passport to be able to come and how the family she worked for in London, used her day and night to work for 16 children and even confiscated her passport. The dentist hearing it helped her (and the police) so she was finally "released" after two years! Now she is married, three children of her own and in London for around 20 years. She told her story with such a brillance!

Tseghe, Etrusquaine d'origine, told to me her story first during the workshop task "how you got your name". She hesitated, how to tell it, and finally she did it brilliantly! Her sister was married at age 11, and she was the only child of her father to be send to school, and she told us a story how 11 year old, she fled from familly and village to a city, there was taken in by a nice but strong woman "do you know work?", met by change her father who finaly let her stay, that helped by the woman's daughter when 14 years to go to Saudi Arabia where she found a job well paid.

She and all of them have many more stories to tell!

All, had no "voice" until Joanna Yates, producer of Spark London did not offer free the workshop of "Personal Storytelling," for Nova Portobello.

Run a great Workshop

2011-12-03T18:13:00.001Z

This book that I did not finish yet, explains so well the necessity of interactive workshop.

How each learn differently.

How important is to learn by doing.

How to combine, lecture (seminar like) with doing and interactivity. How can a workshop be divided by higher energy and lower energy.

How to plan and go through them.

Important for everyone who wants to run a workshop or improve on one.

An image, a poem communicate and tell a story, too

2011-12-01T13:49:00.004Z

Warning, or the Red hat/ Warning, Jenny Joseph,

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

======================

I just did buy my red hat now, at age of 77 and begun to stand up in comedy clubs

Storytelling Workshop for Lewisham Speakers Toastmasters

2011-12-01T07:57:00.001Z

Personal story makes or breaks a great speaker. I do believe in it, more and more do too. Weather in a corporate or any kind of work environment, in politics or community (and even personal life) it is important to be able to express an important idea (point, theme) through a story, a personal story going directly to the audience heart and soul and connecting.

We began a Personal) Storytelling Workshop at Lewisham Speakers club, meeting each month from 30 November to March, learning and experimenting the different aspects of crafting a great story. there is much to learn and experiment:

Their importance and how to find them from our life, what we learned and what point we want to make to, digging deep into ourselves (and what is a 'story')
What we put in from our experience and what we leave out, (depends on the most important point we want to make each time and how craft it into a Story, adding Dialogue, Drama, Humour
How we embody (learn) it and find the best ways to convey it with body language, voice, and all the ways we have in oral storytelling.
How we deliver it to the audience living in the moment, and connecting,

At the end, our goal, beside understanding and learning, in an interactive Workshop environment, is to deliver a story, have a showcase, most of us, outside, with Spark London true tales at Canal Café Theatre, first Monday in March with the theme Change, but also in our community, to show what we have learned (any story can be also put in a Toastmasters manual project).

We can even have one more meeting to give each other feedback and use also audience's feedback and go on, to another level.

There is so much to learn! Together, we can learn better.

Use what you have

2011-11-21T07:11:00.001Z

I learned from photography and Stand Up Comedy, the same thing:

USE WHAT YOU HAVE

Instead of saying, "it is fog" what can I do, one does not see far away, or "I am old" (or fat, or black, or red or freckled" use whatever you are as starting point.

It makes good communication!

Gestures that go with what we say

2011-11-19T18:37:00.001Z

It is my 7th Stand Up in London and from each I learned.

Stand Up Comedy from Laughing Horse, Green Park from Julie Kertesz on Vimeo.
This is the first half of my stand up, before my battery failed and my friend stopped taking it at the "heat" of Laughing Horse, Green Park, in 18 November 2011 - at least here my black outfit worked very well, as did, I think my movements.

Also, different audience, different reaction.

This is an end in Cavendish Arms club, a week before.

Final, Trophy, standup comedy by -LiLi-

Julie's Stand Up Comedy showcase at Laughing Horse, Brixton

2011-11-05T19:08:00.001Z

Thanks for Chris Rose son to have taken the video of all of us from David T Johnson workshop, in September /October - great workshop and showcase that get all of us going to Comedy Clubs all over from that date on.

This show was live at 30 October in London, Brixton's (London) Laughing Horse

My last books

2011-11-03T11:06:00.003Z

Those are not three books, in fact they are only two. The two books with different title (and I do not approve of that change) by Doug Stevenson, are the same book page by page, word by word published in different intervals.

But I have to admit, the Story Theater Method book (Strategic Storytelling in Business) as subtitle, by Doug Stevenson, has become my third "best book" about Storytelling, "Personal Storytelling" now. He was actor for 20 years and Coach for more then 15 now for helping people speak better and be themselves passing their message stronger and more lasting.

As I had a recent Cataract operation, I could read it only once, but already I learned new things for the Storytelling from it. It is a book to have and to study, whatever Public Speaking or Storytelling you want to do.

The third book explains why the Interactive Workshop is more useful and gives a lot of useful suggestions about how to do it. Still did not finish till end, but will soon.

Do not change the begining

2011-10-29T07:22:00.000+01:00

We learn at Icebreaker, at Toastmasters, and it is told again and again, the golder rule (one of many): do not change the beginning and the end, even it you last minute think you found a better one.

At rehearsal, yesterday, I did change the beginning, going against the rule I knew so well. It went downhill from there. Sometimes, the rules have solid reasons to be there.

Olivia on Importance of Storytelling

2011-10-25T16:28:00.002+01:00

Richard James on the Power of Pause

2011-10-22T08:19:00.001+01:00

Richard James workshop on use of voice, at All Saints Church Hall in Marlow. A great lesson for all of us, but a long journey for me. He took us through relaxing exercises, then through different use of voice and how much one can alter the meaning just by inflection speed volume and tone. Then, some of us read a poem.

The most important lesson learned is how much we can hold the audience in our hand by prolonging a pause.

"And they like being held in suspense, leaning forward, physically or mentally." And he did demonstrate it. Indeed. What a great actor!

"You can prolong it more, it does seem longer to you then to them."

Use a story, show vulnerability & have a point

2011-10-17T07:31:00.002+01:00

If you want to build a connection with your audience, as Steve Jobs did, follow his techniques.

Share your vulnerabilities. They leader does not always have to be perfect. If they are seen as always perfect then they will be out of reach to the audience
Tell stories. People love stories and will bond with them. Telling stories is the key to engaging your audience
Have a point to the stories. Every time you tell a story you need to have a point to it. The audience will remember your story and the point that goes along with it.

So well expressed on Darren Fleming's blog, but it is what so many books express these days nowadays, too and I completely believe in.

Sally has given a speech two weeks ago at the Lewisham Speakers club that illustrated in fact all that. She told a story about herself, her vulnerability and had a great point "just do it" and she delivered it with great maestro too.

How to answer to difficult people/questions

2011-10-16T07:52:00.000+01:00

Steve Job, coming back to Apple, had to make difficult choices. Here is how he answered to a rather difficult question from a very unhappy developer.

We had an interesting Workshop at London Toastmasters Conference and Contest the 15th of October, 2011 (yesterday) addressing how to handle difficile audience. Other ideas will follow but this speech from Steve Jobs, in 1997 is a great example of how to answer.

Humor : Exagerate / Drama : Be subtle

2011-10-16T06:03:00.000+01:00

Hamming it upAs you get more experienced and start to get in the swing of telling stories and acting them out, it gets tempting to ham it up. Once I decided to act out the drama I have in my head about people being able to see that I’m nervous as I’m giving a presentation. The more I ham it up, the more people laugh. But there are other situations where hamming it up has no effect at all on the audience. The distinction between these two situations had eluded me.

Doug Stevenson had the answer:

Humor is big, drama is small

When you want people to laugh exaggerate. But when you want to portray emotion, think Colin Firth – be subtle.

It is important to make books

2011-10-13T08:08:00.000+01:00

Prepare books either to print them or make them available for printing on web. No one will make you seem "pro" if you will not. So make your own work known.

This will accompany my Stand Up Comedy Showcase, so it is meant to have a comic impact. TODAY MY TWO BOOKS ARRIVED, ok, so there are three photos three time in it, but in all it is a fun book and I can change for the next time those and also add some text.

Speak to their emotions

2011-10-12T08:33:00.001+01:00

Short video send by Darren La Croix from Las Vegas a two minute tip (to apply and ponder longer) - and so true, too: instead of telling facts, provoke their emotions from the start.

Take the first step, my Humorous Speech at Area 35 contest

2011-10-08T06:49:00.000+01:00

Thanks a lot Peter, Area 35 governor, for the wonderful recording and putting it on YouTube!

If there was a Competent Communicator... Steve Jobs was

2011-10-07T09:47:00.000+01:00

Still difficult to write "was" for me, instead of "is" but in this videos he comes alive for us again. There are 11 of them, I watched through all this morning.

Gig at Laughing Horse

2011-10-03T01:28:00.000+01:00

Stand Up Comedy at Laughing horse 2010-30-10 by julie70

Open Mic at Ritzy near Brixton, London

2011-09-23T16:27:00.000+01:00

Story told live by Julie Kertesz at the event organized by Spark London, "Want a separate holiday?"

Stage time, stage time, stage time

2011-09-19T12:10:00.002+01:00

Darren, from Vegas, made a whole workshop at the Toastmasters International Conference, telling us how important is to go out and speek as much as possible. Nothing at the end replaces stage time.

Tonight, Brixton Upstairs Open Mic at Ritzy's, I will tell a true story with Spark London, on Holiday theme, about a holiday when I was 35 that changed my life. When bad things turned to good.

Tuesday, I will be participating and helping in a Stoytelling Workshop at Nova Portobello, telling again the story how I moved from Paris in London "Now or Never" it was called two year ago when I told it at the Canal Cafe Theatre with Spark London.

Wednesday, Humorous Speech Contest, at Lewisham speakes, yet a different story, about the time I was 45. Friday, the Stand Up Workshop, I found a whole new routine, of course, now instead of writing I have to practice, practice, practice. Write, tell, practice then begin again. Before stage time.

We should use all the oportunities to speak!

Personal storytelling opportunities

2011-09-07T11:11:00.006+01:00

Spark London Open Mic nights are an opportunity to get on your feet and tell your story. Venue: The Ritzy Picturehouse, Brixton Oval, Brixton Oval, London, SW2 1JG, UK
Stories are five minutes. Personal storytelling around the theme of the night, largely interpreted.

Spark Open Mic - 19th September 2011 at 7:30pm Theme: Holidays

Holidays are a time like no other. Whether you find yourself miles from home journeying to foreign lands or whether you find yourself taking a break much closer to home, holidays are a chance to change the regular habits of your normal life and do something different. Holiday romances, family trips, soul searching adventures - we want to hear your stories.

Spark Open Mic - 17th October 2011 at 7:30pm Theme: Fatal Attraction

Even though you know it may be bad for you, we all have our weaknesses, our vices, our fatal attractions. Whether it's a person, an object or a way of life - sometimes there is just no accounting for the heart and what it wants.

In Brixtonm we speak through microphone, with some noise coming from the bar under the place. Audience are usually 40 sitting around tables.

Spark London True Tales is even a greater place to tell your true story at a Theatre.
Venue: Canal Cafe Theatre, Little Venice, London, W2 6ND, UK
To be audience one has to buy tickets soon at: Box office: 020 7289 6054 or online

Stories are around seven minutes and must be connected to one of the theme of the night.

A great audience each time of around 60, we speaks from up the scene, 6 to 8 each first Monday of the month, the lights on you, audience in dark around tables, no microphone, but if you agree, Spark records and makes a video of the story you tell.

You have a story to tell? Before the show email a paragraph outlining what happened in 400 words or less and take part in a rehearsal (usually Sunday afternoon). Email: sparklondon@gmail.com

Spark True Tales - 3rd October 2011 at 7:30pm Theme: Kindness of Strangers

As strong and independent as we like to think of ourselves, we rely on the kindness of strangers more than we think. Perhaps you've been in trouble, or in danger and a good Samaritan has come to your aid? Maybe you're a have-a-go hero and have been someone else's knight in shining armour?

Spark Stories - 7th November 2011 at 7:15pm Theme: Transitions

Shifts of scenery, changes of circumstance, times of transition. What triggers them and what do they lead to? They happen in everything we do and they can change the course of our lives - often forever, but not always for good.

Lipmann on Emotional Authenticity

2011-09-01T12:14:00.000+01:00

******************************************
EMOTIONAL AUTHENTICITY FOR STORYTELLERS
******************************************

(Twelve Skills of the Storyteller, Part 4)

The prior four articles in this series described:

"Preface": The dangers of focusing on storytelling skills;
Part 1: Imagination skills;
Part 2: Oral language skills;
Part 3: The skills of relating to your listeners.

In this article, added here with Doug Lipman's permission, he takes up the skills of emotional
authenticity.

The first of these skills is to imagine and communicate
the emotions essential to a story; the second is to make it
safe for your listeners to experience those same emotions.

***Skill 8: Allow Emotions To Flow Through You***

The best tellers imagine all the emotions felt by each character in a story, as well as the likely reactions of their listeners. Emotions, after all, are a significant part of human experience.

But here's the rub: you're a human, too.

You have lots of emotions inside you. Some of these emotions are fully processed and easily available to you, but some aren't.

Telling a story that requires only fully processed emotions isn't hard. It's like a pleasant review of a well organized photo album. You "open" the feeling, tell about it, then "put it back" where it was. In this case, imagining how your character felt is not too different from imagining the color of your character's eyes.

Other emotions, though, aren't just memories; they are
more like unfinished tasks. Letting these unprocessed
emotions flow through you while you try to guide your
listeners isn't so easy.

***Your Emotional Closet***

Telling a story that brings up unprocessed emotions is not
like paging through a photo album. Instead, it's like
opening the door to a closet crammed with a thousand loose
photos.

First of all, you've probably learned to avoid anything in
that closet, because you know what a big project it would
be to get the photos back inside if you were to open the
door even a little.

Second, you can't just go straight to the photo you want;
you'll have to at least paw through the ones on top of it,
tear off the ones stuck to it, and look at each photo
closely to decide if it's really the one you want.

Third, some of the photos will have unfinished tasks
associated with them, like sending the copies you promised
to Aunt Nancy or deciding whether to order more copies of
your publicity shots.

In other words, the fully processed photos in an album
don't require much of your attention; you can go straight
to them and easily close the album when you're done. But
the photos piled in the closet represent a backlog of
demands on your attention.

***Telling About a Dog***

If your dog died last week, telling a story about Jack's
dog might remind you of your unprocessed grief. It may well
bring tears to your eyes, tears that desperately need to be shed.

In this case, you'll be torn between your need to serve as
a guide for your listeners and your need to clean up your
own emotional closet.

Please note: the issue here isn't that you might cry while
you tell. If you can clearly indicate that you're okay
while you cry, you may be able to guide your listeners
through your tears. Rather, the danger is that the pull of
the unprocessed emotion can compromise your ability to
fully attend to your job as your listeners' guide - or that
your listeners might perceive your abilities to be
compromised.

***Closet Cleaning***

"Unsorted" feelings need to be processed emotionally. You
need to cry the uncried tears, laugh away the unprocessed
backlog of humiliation or light fears, face the accumulated
anger, etc.

Interestingly, the fully processed emotions also seem to
get "albumized" along the way. That is, they get stored
mentally in a way that allows you easy access to them -
with little mental overhead.

Now you can appreciate what Skill 8 really demands. It
demands that you have cleaned out your emotional closets
(or at least the ones relevant to a given story).

When you have done so, you can imagine the emotions in a
story fully and relaxedly. You won't need to keep the
closet door rigidly shut or else let out the whole mess;
you'll be able to open it exactly as much as makes sense
for your audience's optimal experience.

***The Hollow Reed***

Here's another way of describing this skill. Think of
yourself as a hollow reed. Images and emotions come in one
end of the reed and flow out the other to your listeners.
Everything in the story flows easily through you.

The key here is to let the reed be hollow. You want to
clean it out before you tell, so that feelings don't get
stuck on obstructions in your reed. You also need to hold
the reed gently; if you hold it in a death grip, it will
narrow and stop the flow.

In advance of telling, clean out the reed. At the moment
of telling, though, remain relaxed and delighted with the
emotions flowing easily through it.

***Skill 9: Create Emotional Safety***

When you have hollowed your reed (or cleaned out your
emotional closets), you have made it possible to feel your
emotions freely. Congratulations! You are halfway there.

What's the other half of your job? You need to make it
safe for your listeners to feel the story's emotions, too.

Keep in mind that we humans are designed to respond to
unspoken attitudes. That's a survival skill, allowing us to
distinguish between would-be allies and enemies. This means
that your listeners respond to your attitudes about your
telling, not just to what you say or do.

I have learned over the years that I can say highly
controversial things without producing a backlash, as long
as I say them relaxedly. But whatever I'm nervous about
saying, no matter how innocuous, is likely to be challenged.

Here's an extreme example. Suppose I said, "The sky is
falling," in a pleasant, relaxed tone. People would likely
show mild interest but no concern.

On the other hand, if I make the perfectly uncontroversial
statement, "The sky is blue," but say it with a concerned
tone, people may leave their seats immediately to check out
whatever danger might be descending on them.

One part of creating emotional safety for your listeners,
then, is to wrap your whole performance in a relaxed
attitude. The second part is to lead the way emotionally.

***Joy and Horror***

Back in 2005, a man named Bud Welch gave an unforgettable
keynote address at the National Storytelling Conference in
Oklahoma City.

Bud's daughter was killed in the Oklahoma City bombing.
Knowing that, I almost didn't attend. I didn't want to hear
about horror and loss. In the end, I went but sat in back
in case I decided not to stay.

To my amazement, Bud spent the first half of his time
talking about the joys of raising his daughter. He told,
with real enjoyment, how his daughter Julie was born
premature with a 10% chance of survival, but lived to
become Bud's best friend and constant companion.

He told how, in the seventh grade, Julie met a girl from
Mexico who didn't speak English. Yet the girl quickly
became bilingual, inspiring Julie to want to do the same.
By the time she entered college, she had mastered four
languages and spent a year living in Spain.

Bud, raised on a farm and the owner of his own service
station, said that the day he took Julie to college in
Wisconsin, "I didn't have a shirt that would fit me,
because my chest was swelled so big with pride."

Bud told about Julie with such joy and love that I opened
myself to him. To this day, I feel that I, too, love his
daughter Julie, who I never met.

Julie's love of reaching out across language boundaries
led her to take a job at the federal building in Oklahoma
City, assisting immigrants and the disadvantaged. That's
why she was one of the 168 people killed by the bomb set
there by Timothy McVeigh.

If Bud had been angry and tense at the beginning of his
talk, I would have discounted him. If he had been
completely unemotional, I would have remained uninvolved.
But he shared his feelings about Julie for nearly 30
minutes, relaxedly and unabashedly. He was clearly
experiencing feelings of pleasure.

In other words, he walked through the gates of joy and
invited me to follow. Once we were there together, I could
go with him through the gates of horror and rage, too.

By leading the way, he made it safe for me to feel things
I had been reluctant to feel only an hour before. I have
been grateful to him ever since.

***Still More Skills to Come***

Storytelling coach Doug Lipman is the creator of the acclaimed Storytelling Workshop in a Box - a comprehensive storytelling workshop that comes to you! I did the first ten lessons from it, great!
And also of two books I read and re read again and again, one of which is the Storytelling Coach, the other the above in the picture.

If you liked the above, you'll love this step-by-step course, guaranteed to be the most complete and
enjoyable guide to meaningful, commanding storytelling. Read more and hear an audio sample at
http://www.storydynamics.com/swb .

Doug also offers free articles and other resources to help you master storytelling, become a transformative artist, and integrate storytelling into your work life - including how to market your telling by creating a supportive community around you. Learn more now at
http://www.storydynamics.com .

In future articles, I'll describe three skills in these
two additional categories:

- Being and showing yourself.
- Flexibility in performance

All six categories of storytelling skills are important.
Yet the skills of emotional authenticity have a privileged
place among them. With these two hard-won skills, you will
have a key for connecting more deeply with your listeners -
and for opening your listeners to a more profound
experience of your stories and perhaps of the world.

Why to take so many Stand Up Commedy classes?

2011-08-31T12:02:00.001+01:00

Sometime, I asked myself what got into me to go into Stand UP and take in 2011 not one but three Workshops!

This morning; I did what Judy Carter suggested in The Book: I begin to write as I woke up.

I wrote a whole gag, two pages about my Cataract Intervention, and being old. I can now see things that happen to me with a new eye... haha. That I just found! All events that seem sad or frustrating can be transformed if seen differently, with another "attitude".

And when I finished this morning, I realized that I made laugh 9 other who waited to have their left eye cataract operated twice! So yes, now I am no more asking myself why I did it!

Judy Carter; The BOOK

2011-08-29T19:17:00.003+01:00

The Stand Up Comedy classic by Judy Carter is still very active after so many years!

Oh yes; a classic is a classic and lives long long long!

I begun to read it again and arrived to chapter two at middle, what I learned; again so far?

Be authentic, open yourself, speak in present, not too long stories but tell your frustrations and worries and angers; those you feel most about. We all have stage fright but for most it goes away as we arrive on scene. Prepare a lot but appear to speak in the moment.

What else?

Study other good comedians and their messages and attitudes and persona, but then find your own without imitating them. Get used to ups and downs and tell the material important to You. Tell seriously to make others laugh without trying to become a clown; tell your own material.

It is your uniqueness that interest; your frustrations and worries that make laugh. And it all depends also on their mood and the place; do not get upset the day when all bombs and no one laughs - other good day will come! Persist.

And that is only the begining!

Olivia's speech

2011-08-29T18:23:00.005+01:00

Her speech at the International contents was the most wonderful one but went over the time: and she was disqualified: you know why?

Her heartbreaking story I felt it in me; as something similar happened to me too; and so many of us!

At the same time; as she did want it too; made people laugh... to long! to often.

The story itself lasted only seven minutes and fifteen seconds; 15 seconds under the maximum time allowed at that Toastmasters International competition of seven and thirty; and that with all the long and important pauses! But with the people laughing; and one can not speak until the laughter dies down almost; it went over.

If your speech contains humor, and every should, allow one minute for people reactions! For a seven minutes speech finish at home at six minutes maximum for example.

What I also learned, listening to it many times today; that self revelation works! Of course with the right attitude; I loved also her speech morale: do not let a defect you have - and we all have some - have a too big impact on you and dominate the rest of your life!

PS
Sorry: the soundtrack is no more here, at her request I took it out. And it is true that I have also her movements in my head that contributed to the greatness of the speech and its powerful effect on me - and so many others. And I had only the voice...

From Australia to China

2011-08-25T00:09:00.001+01:00

Winner of second price on the Toastmasters International Contest in Las Vegas, there is a lot to learn from him and the reaction to his speech, too. It is also a very humourous one.

Congratulations to the International Speech Contest Winners!

2011-08-23T23:58:00.000+01:00

The title of 2011 World Champion of Public Speaking for Toastmasters in Las Vegas, was awarded to Jock Elliott from Bongaree, Queensland, Australia, in the middle here. Second Kwong Yue Yang of Guangzhou, Guangdong, China and third was Scott Pritchard of Henderson, Nevada, United States.

In fact, Kwonng Yue Yang was also born in Australia, and he told us the story in a funny way of how he went to China in his speech, and how he asked all around 'what to do' until finaly he realised he has to ask himself.

Scott Pritchard, native of Vegas, told us about a box, her mom gave him. "There is nothing in it!" he finally told her. "It is full of memories" - build your memories and pass it farther, was his message.

Workshop on Leadership Assasination

2011-08-23T23:34:00.000+01:00

Be prepared, he told us in his hour workshop, to those who are against leaders, and each time one is rising up, try to 'assassinate' him or her, by false accusations.

“Speak Outside of Toastmasters for Fun, Profit and Club Building!” (C)

2011-08-23T10:08:00.000+01:00

Darren LaCroix

Learn how to build your club – and your confidence – by giving paid speeches
Realize your Toastmasters experience shouldn’t be undervalued
Learn what to speak about
Learn where you can start speaking next week!
Get an exact outline of what to say in your presentation

Darren encouraged us, in his Vegas workshop, to go out, and speak outside our Toastmasters clubs. Then, encourage others to go out to the community too and speak... about speaking and our clubs too.

Of course, our clubs are a warm environment we can experiement, but then, our main goal is go out!

“On Life’s Journey – Get Lost!” (L)

2011-08-23T10:04:00.001+01:00

Mark Hunter, ATMS

become explorer, do not remain a tourist, he told us in his workshop

What it is to be a tourist and/or an explorer
The role of the mind when we manage our journeys
How a Toastmaster’s journey is affected by whether you are a club member or a leader
The importance of choosing when and how to be explorers
What we need to be explorers

Mark Hunter gave a fantastic speech encouraging most of us to become Explorers, go on the path of discovery and not remain only on known roads. Also we do need at first to be tourists and guided by others, and it is best to go exploring a bit later on in our journey.

How to be a Standup Comedian, by Dave

2011-08-20T04:43:00.000+01:00

Some paragraphs from Dave's advices on Dress and on Freedom of Speach

Dress for who you are on stage.
If you’re upscale, dress the part. If you’re on the streets – look it. Don’t dress like a bank president if your material is about being broke. And if you’re not crazy – don’t dress like Phyllis Diller. But you need to give this some thought and make a personal decision about your image and how you want an audience to see and remember you.

Another consideration is where you are performing. If the clothes fit the material and the performer – who they are on stage and where they are performing – then it works.

-------

Freedom of speech is the center of the comedy universe.

From talking about your family, (Ray Romano), to taking on the government, (The Smothers Brothers). It’s about telling it as you see it and why comedians look up to legends such as Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor and George Carlin.

On the flip side of this universe is the comedy “business.” What you say can sometimes affect your career.

On stage in a comedy club, comedians can say F. or other things, that you can not on TV.
You can make fun of companies, religion or whatever you want as long as – and this is the business side talking – you bring in paying customers. Many club owners support the art and creativity of stand-up, but are still in it to make a living.

Practicing the art of free speech and made a choice about how far he would go. One has to live with the results. That’s a personal decision and you have a right to make it. But just make sure you have both your artistic and business thinking caps on when you make it.

Dave Schwensen is the author of How To Be A Working Comic and Comedy FAQs And Answers. http://thecomedybook.wordpress.com/2011/08/

Ralph C. Smedley

2011-08-15T07:11:00.001+01:00

It is usual, for Presidents of Toastmasters Clubs, to begin the meeting, by telling, mostly for the guests because the club members heard it over and over again, that Toastmasters have been founded almost hundred year ago, by Ralph Smedley.

Sometimes, one adds to it, that he hold the first meeting in the basement of YMCA, for the young boys from the Christian Association, where he become Education Director after he finished college. But that happened more then 100 years ago, in 1905, also only later the first men's club was formed and even later Toastmasters, with some clubs also in Canada, incorported.

No mention is made of Smedley any more.

I am pHd even if not in Communication and curious, liking to go to the source, so I tried to buy a book written by him. The first one, a short collection of chapters from a 400 pages book he in fact wrote, showed me a very interesting fellow. A living, fighting, experimenting man I begun fond of.

So I went to Amazon to find more books by him. In England, where the firsts clubs where formed a lot later - first was in fact Glasgow, in Scottland - and then stopped long time during the second world war, any book by Smedley is sold way to expensive, but I did found from Amazon America some of his books, manuals, I could afford, publication dates from 1940 (I was 5 years old) to 1949.

The first, for me perhaps the most interesting, revealing his caracter and his intents, is called "Speech Evaluation: the art of constructive criticism" and published already by Toastmasters International Inc, Santa Ana, California. It is illustrated by funny cartoons by Edward Burns.

Also he was told that 'critic' and critisism, has negative connotations in many minds, and let the organization name it 'evaluator' 'evaluating', he sticks in his book to his own opinion, not being afraid to explain why and use whatever word he is believing in. The book explains very clearly how to do it, and many different ways it can be done.

Never the same!

Smedley suggest variation on the theme, so each time is different, each time something else can be learned from it, by the one who spoke, by the one or many who do the feedback of the speech(es), and by all the members present, too.

One interesting exemple is par exemple, when the General Critic called also Master commentator, distributes to the others the speech: You will analyse all the beginings, you will analyse all the endings, or you will give feedback on voice variety of all speaches, you will about the body language or use of words.

I will have to read again and again that small 36 page small book or manual, brown by age, so many ideas and suggestions, so much explications easy to understand are in it.

Even more, it shows so well the spirit of Ralph Smedley, of wich I become more and more fond.

When I will speak about him, it will be a living spirit not a dead founder of a club or corporation. As also the millions of men, and later - a lot later- also women passed by the clubs, are not numbers to me but human beings that got for all the rest of their life more confidence in themselves and courage to stand up and speak their mind, knowledge to persuade, to make a speech in conversational style - not orathoric as was still usage in most places at the begining of the century.

The other books I found are Basic Traning, 12 procects so well explained and so well written that even today what we use in not much different. The one I have was published in 1943. The basics of public speaking, today we call it Competent Communicator manual.

The amateur Chairman, explains how to chair a meeting, 'Toastmaster of the Evening" but also any other Committee meeing, in a more or less 'parlamentarian' way, this one was published in 1947.

Still another one, I find from 1947, is autographed by him, he sold it directly at the Toastmaster Convention : The Voice of the Speaker. "First of all, learn to speak in a friendly voice! but he has also a lot of pratical exercises in it, how to improve on the voice one got.

I have yet to find, that one directly from Toastmasters, the collection of his different articles. Someday, I will be able to give conferences, about his intentions, his spirit, his advices. If we really follow it, we will become better speakers, listeners, thinkers, and faster.

An image can tell more, sometimes

2011-08-08T08:10:00.002+01:00

Evoking an image in the listeners mind of eye, or showing on the screen, can tell a message, a story even.

Here, four images four seasons, but they tell more then just 'spring, summer, fall, winter', so can a story, facts to which we add emotion, feelings.

What each of them, all from ny old pictures, evokes in you?

Use Storytelling to pitch better

2011-08-07T09:35:00.005+01:00

The Elements of Persuasion, by Richard Maxwell and Robert Dickman, the last book I discoverd, almost by change.What a treat!

Its subtitle : Use STORYTELLING to Pitch better, sell faster & win more business.

I could hardly put it down, but it is a book to study, to experiment, to read again, and again.

I just finished to go through it the first time, and already learned a lot.

They define a Story by Facts wrapped in Emotion. The emotions that make your facts stick in mind, and make the story great and enduring.

The 5 elements of a story they discuss in detail and with many exemples are:

The Passion with witch you tell it.
The Hero, vulnerable yet courageous having a goal, giving the point the view for the listener to identify, the 'entry point' in the story.
The Antagonist or Obstacle he faces and has to overcome, to fight through the conflict wich keeps the audience in the story. Locking it into the memory, the fight releasing emotions.
The Awerness point, aha, turning point, that helps winning the fight. We all inspire a positive outcome.
The Transformation, change of the hero, through the conflict and awereness.

Who end up being a leader they ask? And they answer: usually those who can effectively telling the right story. In business, collectivity, or home even, we all have stories to tell!

And that are only from the first pages... then the book takes the five elements one by one and go in depth and explain, teach, suggest. It is a book worth having! And I found in it also many suggestions applicable to my Toastmasters International, speakers club and its members.

Different methods of answering

2011-08-02T06:41:00.000+01:00

I have also looked at all the questioning, World Phone Hacking Enquiry in Parlement, and was impressed by how long pauses Ruppert Murdock made, often, without answering, and how much a Leader he come out of it. Yes, we felt, he knew what he was doing.

Of course, I was impressed also that he did not move even when an attempt was made against him, but how fast the young woman, bodygard (and wife?) did move the strike the man who went against him. After, as his coat was probably smeared, he just took it off, and quietly, with the same poise, continued to answer, with as much apparent quiet and thinking before answering, and looking straight and long in eyes.

Vour speaking voice

2011-08-02T03:46:00.002+01:00

My books soon online!

2011-07-28T11:28:00.003+01:00

I discovered, through my son, a new feature on the web: registering and categorizing my books.

I have begun with my Public speaking, Storytelling and Stand-Up Comedy books, still more to come. Here are the latest one I put on.

In the LibraryThing, they find the covers and exact titles, as one enters ISBN number, or title and author, and one can add tags and arrange them in categories. Plus different other things I have yet to discover! So far, more then 40 books put in, all around Communication in Public.

So which of them I like or use more?
As for storytelling and even, public speaking, there are the first two in this image.
The power of personal storytelling by Maguire, and the Improving your storytelling by Lipman;

To learn about humour perhaps:
Judy Carter's classic Stand-Up Comedy
The comic toolbox but also Logan Murray's book and workshop.

After all, one should read and study, but also practice practice practice. Then reread again, re-study again the same books, understand differently and practice again.

Of course, there is wisdom to be taken from lots of other books too!

Doug Lipman - between you and your audience

2011-07-24T09:19:00.000+01:00

***Adjusting As You Go***

Your listeners don't always respond the way you
want. In this case, you respond by adjusting your telling
to produce a different response.

Whenever synch builds, the feeling of rapport builds, too.
When you are in such a state of rapport with your
listeners, your influence is magnified.

At this point, a nearly invisible raising of one corner of
your mouth, for example, may create a ripple of laughter.

But if you break the rapport, you lose the "multiplier"
effect of synch, and will need to expend more energy again
(perhaps you will need to speak louder or gesture more
broadly for a moment) to have as much effect.

Intense rapport with an audience is a highly rewarding
experience.

It requires you to maintain a precarious balance between attention
on your listeners and attention on your story.

A moment of distraction (such as when someone new enters the room or when your mind wanders) can sometimes be enough to break the spell.

Then you need to re-create it.

Learn to pay close, delighted attention to your listeners.
Learn to respond, and to swim in the currents of the
resulting endless feedback loop.

Some talked about responding to individuals:
"Tell to one listener at a time," one said. "If you can get
one person on your side, the others will follow."

Many tellers, however, described a sense of the group as a whole.
Jay O'Callahan said, "It's as though the audience offers
their energy to you so you can mold it for them. Their
energy seems to meld together above their heads.

When Pam McGrath and I give workshops called "Dancing with
the Audience," we have each participant tell a story to the
group while blindfolded. Afterwards, we ask what the teller
noticed about the audience. Most tellers describe being
more in touch with their listeners than usual. I believe
that, denied the convenience of sight, the tellers turn to
additional ways of sensing their listeners - ways that
great tellers call into play at all times.

When you connect deeply, with all your senses, to your
listeners, you form a bond of trust with them. The audience
gives you a gift of power over them. In a way,
you are like a coach driver: you are hired to direct the
horses, but the horses don't belong to you.

All this talk about connection with your audience is
necessarily a bit indirect, because the bonding happens
primarily at a subconscious level. Generally, connection is
experienced consciously only after it is established; it is
created through a myriad of adjustments, each too small and
rapid to be noticed individually.

Describing a strongly connected storytelling event, we
often use words that suggest being highly present in the
moment, such as:
- immediacy
- vibrancy
- vividness.

More commonly, though, we turn to metaphorical language to
describe the effects of linking with your audience. These
effects are difficult to analyze but unmistakeable to
experience. To describe these effects, we compare them to:
* physical force:
- powerful
- compelling
- captivating (which derives from "to make captive")
- moving
- "She had her audience in the palm of her hand."
* being engulfed or submerged:
- absorbed
- engrossed
- immersed
* the effects of magic:
- conjure
- "The teller cast a spell..."
- enchanted
- spellbound

Subscribe to Doug Lipmqn tips
Read his book

TEDxYaleWorldFellows - Huzir Sulaiman - Mentoring Creativity

2011-07-22T16:59:00.000+01:00

Some simple but very good ideas that apply not only to play writing, but different creativity, as speaking in public or storytelling, too.

Southwark young humorous speech

2011-07-14T18:49:00.001+01:00

He won the Speakout contest this year with this humorous speech about Sleep

As a film: Paula - for Grant's Whisky

2011-07-05T09:32:00.004+01:00

Grant's True Tales : Julie from Geronimo London on Vimeo.

I told Paula's tale, the whole of it, at Canal Café Theatre during Family Theme with Spark London. Paula, my great grandmother had a huge impact on my view of life.

It does gain, in this rendering, turned by a professional filming crew, nicely edited, with some nicely inserted videos, filmed through three hours that we worked together to produce this few minutes. Very pro. And in bigger size, I like it even better then before, seen also in a tiny window.

It does loose some alas, as they did cut (with my permission), all I told initially about her childhood and even more, details about her problems as woman managing a business alone, in the years 1880th, way back. And, next time, I will not tell a tale without audience either, I missed a lot being "on the podium" with real people facing me, as it was filmed only with me and the crew.

We do learn, all the time, do we not?!

Please go also to the Grant's Whisky Facebook site and vote for me, or, look at others and vote for them. Using True Tales as publicity is a great idea!

StandUp Comedy Books

2011-06-11T09:41:00.002+01:00

Here are ten I did buy, read and study from January till now.

Some are more useful for me then others, but from all I learned, was inspired and have to go back to them again and again.

The first I found was Logan Murray book, whose very useful workshop I attended in May.

But there are others, classic or very useful ones, each helping me one step farther;

The Tookbox was the second one I liked a lot and Judy's old and still very actual book is a classic by now. From her I learned the use of instinctive afterthought movement or/and phrase, just after the punch and laugh. Usual it provokes an even bigger laughter.

At Crossroads, Julie in Communist Romania

2011-06-10T17:21:00.000+01:00

Delivered live at the Canal Cafe Theatre, With Spark London, Crossroads theme
Tuesday 6 June 2011

Of course, there is a lot more to tell about it but this is how the story was told.

When I suddenly met Elena Ceusescu, and my life crumbled, all I worked for the six years before disapeared...

Second Stand Up & Deliver

2011-05-31T09:08:00.003+01:00

Delivered at Covent Garden Amused Mouse; at Walkabout Downunder the 30 May; by Julie, at age 77 This is from the soundtrack of my second standup comedy, this year - and ever, I hope other standups will follow.

Logan Murray Workshop in Barcellona

2011-05-18T08:05:00.003+01:00

Humor and Roasts

2011-05-17T07:45:00.002+01:00

Regan roast Frank Sinatra
he could be president, but is it worth it if he has to give up being a king

and humor from Obama at press conferences

I did it my way

2011-05-16T15:52:00.002+01:00

Those are the words, and I begun with reminding Sinatra and his I did it my way, my two Educational tasks from the Better club series.

Contrasts

2011-05-16T07:53:00.003+01:00

It is not how up we are and how low we get, or the difference between our dreams the reality and the worst that can happen too, but the surprise.

In fact, the contrast.

Here, in pictures for exemple, the dark and the light.

Those are pictures taken Thursday, inside the Royal Festival Hall.

The same place, different rendering.

Different mood results.

Does it not?

The same is true with a story or a "joke".

Also it can be also the looking up, vertical then down and the difference the surprise.

Surprise can produce laughter. The unexpected. The suddenly revealed.

I learned yesterday, from Logan Murray, there is a "comedian answer" to all. A different one then usual. Another point of view. Revealing often what is under.

The best, but more often the worst that could happen.

Books about Humour and Stand-Up Comedy

2011-05-14T04:35:00.000+01:00

I have by now six or seven books about Comedy and or Stand-up: those three are the ones I could learn the most.

Of course, so far I only read then once and did not have, yet, time to study and reread again and again.

But I will!

Judy Carter published hers in 1994, she is from Caliifornia, and Logan Murray's book fwas published first two years ago : he also has the Stand-Up and deliver class in London.

I have understand from the Toolbox also a great description of what IS a story!

I will analyse the books one by one another day.

One can learn a lot more from all the books that we think at first.

celebration Trafalgar Square

2011-04-30T09:04:00.001+01:00

I did not understand at the begining, how come so many went out : they will miss the Wedding images.
Of course, I forgot how many have Iphones, Ipads etc and can follow teli through it, also the huge screens that transmitted the images.

It was a wonderful feeling to be there even only for an hour or so between all that different people celebrating joyfully.

Spark London storytelling tips

2011-04-28T05:16:00.002+01:00

Spark London Welcome to Britain’s first True Storytelling Club

True stories told from the stage. Expect the unusual, the hilarious, the tragic and the heart warming. Our storytellers have included teachers, car dealers and barristers - anyone with a story to tell is welcome.

7 minutes with rehearsal at Canal Cafe Theatre once a month

5 minutes Open Mic at Brixton Upstairs at Ritzy one a month

Here are Joanna's advice for preparing and telling them

Storytelling tips

1. A strong story will always have a dilemma also know as a predicament.

E.g. ‘What did you do when you realised your passport was gone on the morning of your holiday’. Or, ‘What did you do when you accidentally forwarded an private email to the whole office.’

2. Start in the action. There is only five minutes to tell your story so don’t waste time telling us what the story is about, just tell the story.

E.g. I got home I could smell burning- Yes

E.g. I am going to tell you the story of when I discovered a fire at my house – No

3. Know your opening and closing line.

If you want to really nail your story decide what your opening and closing line are in advance. This will help give your story impact.

4. For some inspiration and examples of previous stories go to www.sparklondon.com and click the Itunes logo on the right hand side. This will take you to our free weekly pod cast where you can hear stories from the last three years.

5. Have a go.

The best way to master storytelling is to practice and these nights are a good place to start.

What to avoid

1. Ranting – if you are upset about something turn it into a story

2. Stand up routines – funny stories are welcome but not stand up routines

3. Poetry – this is not a place to tell poems

Video of project 5 Speaking to Entretain

2011-04-27T07:19:00.000+01:00

Where did I put my feet by julie70Delivered at Meridian Speakers Toastmasters meeting, that is my last project for my Advanced Communication Silver Award - the invented audience was an After Diner for Celebrating the Competent Communicator manual... and I tell here my trajectory and how one thing lead to the other,

what is the point? if there is one, other then to entretain, is to make remember the difference of audience and how one has to adapt to them

Target at Citicriers Toastmaster club

2011-04-17T08:45:00.002+01:00

Tribulations of a Stand Up by julie70
Thanks Sony for having taken this with my flip camera!

So I can see what I did well and what I could have done (a lot) better, the tale of my last StandUp comedy class - or at least part of it.

And here is "Two years ago I died" only recored sound.

Stand up and deliver

2011-04-13T07:26:00.001+01:00

Logan wrote a book about Stand Up comedy, that was the fist in this genre I read and liked. His class are fast filled, but I registered in time.

Tonight, information evening, also not as I hoped with all of us participating, but in May, the intensive class begins. Logan and some of his friends, and pupils will be at AmuseMouseCamden.

I am sure, I will learn again, something new from it.

And in June, two days of Impro class.

I feel, I will arrive to July, prepared to host my club meetings, of course, if I am elected.

Paris romance

2011-04-12T17:14:00.003+01:00

Paris did not seem romantic to me until, one day...

Speech and its evaluations

2011-04-11T05:09:00.000+01:00

Snowball effect - speech Julie at Croydon Communiccators contest

Evaluated by Vathany

Eval by M

Eval by Hanna

Others evaluation : Assomption / Reality

Paula, the mother of my grandmother

2011-04-06T16:51:00.001+01:00

As told at Canal Cafe Theatre at the Spark London "Family" theme evening

Stage presence and movements from Dalida

2011-04-04T07:27:00.002+01:00

We can learn a lot from singers about stage presence and movements, and of course, voice variety

Here Dalida, Besame mucho

Open mic in Washington DC with SpeakeasyDC

2011-03-31T13:39:00.000+01:00

Adam Ruben tells a true story at SpeakeasyDC's open mic. from SpeakeasyDC on Vimeo.

Standing up to a bully

Amy Saidman hosts My So Called Jewish Life from SpeakeasyDC on Vimeo.

So called jewish life

And there are so much more great stories and storyteller I found there!

SpeakeasyDC hosts a monthly open mic storytelling series on the 2nd Tuesday of every month in Washington, D.C.

Listen, open up with all your body

2011-03-31T07:43:00.000+01:00

Fascinating Ted conference, about listening with our whole body and soul.
First listening to ourselves then to the instrument then to the others.
Relating and say something not only interpret... every time differently.

All of us, depending what we are willing to experience.

Truth and a story

2011-03-30T06:43:00.002+01:00

Yesterday, I did entretain the audience, but not well enough.

The truth, came into my story, instead of the creativity and also they did laugh at my cape and movements and were with me from begining to the end, I could have told a more amusing story of how Dracula did not die, just disapeared and took another of his forms at the end of Bram Stoker's book.

I play now with the idea.

Using all I know, read, seen, people thinks about him, making up a new story, of him reappearing in today's London, near the London Bridge...

There are so many deguisements and way of dressing at the evening, that even if het appeared first in his old clothes, until he purchased new ones, to get less remarqued between unsuspecting Londoners, no one would notice!

Yes, why let him be non existent or killed, when so much fun and adventure can still go on...

Mistaken Identity on Vimeo

2011-03-29T15:40:00.002+01:00

Mistaken Identity from Julie Kertesz on Vimeo.
this spectacle was the one that decided me to learn more about humour, to understand why the audience did laugh at cetain points, what provoced laughter

Audacity

2011-03-13T08:17:00.007Z

Audacity is a free voice / sound Editing software. I discover with time more and more use of it.

Not only you can copy and paste, cut and add, in this case below shorten from 12 to 6 minutes cutting out all the non essential parts, becoming more aware what is not absolutely necessary for that most important message you want to give "now" the next time you tell it, but also has many other features.

You can 'find the noise" and then reduce the noise from all the audio file.

One can amplify or reduce the sound but also 'see' the voice variaty and add or reduce pauses. And of course, listen to the parts when the audience laughed... and think about it why. Sometimes it is not in the voice but the mimic and body language but you can remember that, or see if you have a video recorded too as I had in this case.

That is the last version, of Multiple Identities, - originally Mistaken Identity told at Cafe Canal Theatre, only 6 minutes of the original 12! but still, I think all what is important is still there!

So much more can be changed about which I do not know yet, but already using some basic features can mean a lot for the result. And after all the changes, one can Export in uploadable format to the web and embed it from there, like I am doing now here.

And this wonderful and free Audacity exist as well for Macintosh as for PC computers!

Busy month of March for me

2011-03-08T07:58:00.004Z

Monday, the 7th for the Family theme with Spark London at Canal Cafe Theatre, near Little Venice.

I told some of the true stories about my Grand great-mother, Paula.Done! "Dramatic entertaining". She was 92 and I was 12 when she told me most of her stories. Now, at 77 I tell them to my 12 year old grand-daughter to transmit them through 6th generation. Not only the family stories but also the believe that she transmitted me: from bad things something good arises.

Wednesday, 16th at Lewisham speakers, I will speak about the Going outside the Club, and how by daring to fail; experiment and stretch comfort zone, I learned and come to become a Storyteller.

Friday, 25th at the Bermondsey Square bookshop with 20 pictures and a ten minute story at the True Story cafe event. The theme is Time, for me stays or flies but is not regular as a clock would be.

Most of my story will be about a Romance in Paris that changed my life and endured after it flew away. A few hours that left such a powerful impact on my life and my view of relationships and even, myself.

Aie, and here is an event that I do not yet how I will survive: the end of my Humorous Class in School of Comedy night with, each of us a 5 minute "gig" or act, Saturday 26 at 14 h I don't know yet where. Me make laugh on purpose a tough audience... And I just read that men and women laugh at different things.

Tuesday, 29th an Interpretative reading at London Bridge Speakers, a dialogue of Dracula from Transylvania and Mina the English woman. Also only a literary invention, Dracula seems alive to many.
Or, will I tell instead a Humorous Entertaining Story about Dracula and me coming from Transylvania? Also I just realized that Irving come to Dublin from London;;;

You are welcome to any of those events!

The courage of Steve Jobs

2011-03-04T02:37:00.000Z

Steve Job presented the 2nd of March 2011, the Keynote for introducing the new IPad 2.

He retired from everyday work of Apple, and is very thin but his courage did not falter as he told us in an more then an hour speech (as ususal with others helping in from time to time) how Cool the new IPad was.

I specially liked this image as he told us about the "post PC era" at the crossroad between Technology and the Liberal Arts.

I admire the way he presents, and always with a black teashirt, only his face and arms visible, and behind, on the screen, dark blue almost black, a very few and very "speaking" images.

His presentations and use of screen can be an exemple of "how to" to all of us. The new IPad with video toward out and toward inside, interesting feature, and two great Apple software (Video editing and Instruments and Mixing) for 5 dollars each! will be available soon in USA and at the end of this month in UK and, then also in hundreds of countries.

My question would be, aside from the price, can one use it now to write with Accents?

Yes, cool features! Steve Jobs performance give us also a courage against odds and adversity.

I was there the day he was outed from Apple by Skuley and have taken a photo of him then as he come to our boot in Paris, producing with our products and Apple's Lazerwriter printer, an add hoc newsletter celebrating him being in the Apple Expo, A long time ago, He was so young then. And yes, courageous against adversity.

A great example of not giving up. Of rebond as soon as possible.

Know what you want

2011-03-02T07:26:00.000Z

Through facebook, and published there by the author of the Naked Presenter, I stumbled on this great speech. Of course, he is right, but what a great example also of personal storytelling enhancing the speech and a wonderful expressive moving face, too!

Skills we have to learn

2011-02-27T06:34:00.002Z

Speaking is a skill, but listening is too!

Our guest, spoke with courage and witt, and did not stop until his time was at end, he found what to add about the subject he was asked to discuss.

On the other hand, our Katy listened with lots of attention concentrated of the speaker of the moment.

No one who spoke, could feel he or she was not listened to with attention.

Learning to speak better in public, to listen, to think better, and thus also gaining confidence, is our goal. We do it all together in the clubs of Toastmasters.

Yesterday's demonstration in the Public Library was a success and a good example of what we can do the best. Our pleasure was also to find new future Guests who spoke so well and were so genuinly interested in what we did.

One of them came to the library with two children and stayed, listenend, then she even spoke - with one of her daughters in her arms. For me it was a stunning moment, as was when she answered the Topic "each cloud has a silver lining". So personal, so touching and so profound.

Expressing herself, let her have the occasion to do so, was wanderful to listen and in itself would have been worth all the effort by all of us.

Also we had a teenager girl listening with rapt attention. She did not speak and the elderly 88 year old lady we had there did not either, but they were really interested, too.

Going out in the public, what a wonderful idea!

Stand up Comedy night by Toastmasters

2011-02-25T15:06:00.002Z

STAND UP COMEDY NIGHT FOR TOASTMASTERS -

FRIDAY 25TH FEBRUARY AT WHYTELEAFE

Many Toastmasters have taken stand up comedy courses and have hit the stand up comedy circuit to improve their overall speaking skills. For the second time, Whyteleafe Comedy Club is hosting a comedy night where all the acts are Toastmasters. Do come and join us for a hilarious night. The line up was :They were Faboulous!

Compere: David Jones

Acts:

Bob Griffiths

Cameron Blair

Dave Sellman

Freddie Daniells

Iain Duthie

James Goddard

Joe Bains

Kaveh Pourvand

Laura McCracken

Ola Arelepo

Peter Ford

Ratan Lele

Ros Oakley

Zoe Colbeck

They are all wonderfull !
So much to learn from each of them.

Admission is £5 including a buffet and a private cash bar. Payment is on the door, but seats can be reserved by emailing dave.sellman@btinternet.com. The buffetavailable 7.30, the show will start at 8pm.

The show is in Whyteleafe Tavern, 208 Godstone Road, Whyteleafe, Surrey, CR3 0AA. 3 minute walk from Upper Warlingham railway station in Zone 6, which is a direct 30 minute journey from London Victoria. The 18.53 train from Victoria will get you to the venue in good time for the buffet. Trains run every 30 minutes. Get in the 2nd carriage from the front to meet up with other Toastmasters travelling.

The show will finish in time for the 22.32 train from Upper Warlingham which gets to London Victoria at 23.05, but there are later trains for those who would like to stay for an after-show drink.

On the importance of personal storytelling

2011-02-23T08:47:00.003Z

Speech delivered at Man speakers club Tuesday evening;fFollowed by a discussion then evaluation of my speech by Chris and few words to close, by me.

I edited it all with the Audacity software, so great and flexible.
Adding together the three pieces, eliminating the noise, amplifying the questions of the audience from afar, and so on. Audacity is a great software and free. Then I export the result in 'mpeg' format and upload it to my Box.net account from where I can embed it here.

Other times, I make a slide-show with pictures and add the voice to it so I can upload it to a video website like YouTube or Dailymotion, before adding to a blog.

I did feel that I made a 'soft sell' - not 'hard sell' to insist on an imediate sell.

Most present, wrote me after, that they were convinced by it and liked what I told. Some asked me the title of the book about which I spoke, to learn from it. Finaly, I felt that I will have the seminar / workshop I would like to organize about the subject of Personal Storytelling - and perhaps more then one.

When one sell, I feel it is important to let the 'client' decide and want it.

Could I have done better?

Yes!

Firstly, at the begining it was not a true story, I could have added more conflict and my father's tale instead of me, selling more storytelling then myself, also that was a good example of how one should do most time in busness environment.

Second, I could have insisted more at the end of proposing a Workshop clear and net. I did, but only in private, so Chris, my evaluator was right with his suggestion. What a nice and warm 'evaluation' !

I am only sorry it is only a soundtrack and not a video taken of the event. Perhaps, at the Workshop I will organize in a few month, there or in other places, we will be able to take a video of the event.

Comedy writing

2011-02-20T19:19:00.003Z

One has to learn to Write it - imagine it first.

comedy writers are comic too! photo Julie Kertesz

Adam Bloom told us that one has to learn to Connect with the public, not forgetting to speek to them not 'at' them and of course to have a presence, attitude, persona...

Most of all to persevere through all the downs and never to think all is won now.

School of Comedy

2011-02-14T07:34:00.000Z

Delivering humour is not so easy.

What is in our mind and what we do deliver, sometimes is miles away!

But we can learn, slowly, any of us to be a bit better.

Why do we want to learn to deliver better and more consistently humour? Think about it!

All of us does not want to become Stand up comedians, but we all can enliven our communication with humour in it, specific depending of our audience.

We have to learn about Attitude, Persona, Mood, but even more, to let go our Social Critic that tells us "not to tell that or that". At least, when we search for material. And try to be auto critic laugh of ourself, and not be accusing others or, tell silly jokes that repose on nothing.

Heard yesterday, delivered by the presenter in the Bafta, as he introduced a charismatic next speeker:
"He has so much charm that even the women after menopause want to reverse it".

What did he mean by that?

Why should women after 50 want to reverse their menopause? To make a kid with that man?

One can desire and make love, long long... long time after! Well, without producing a kid. But what one has to do with the other? Remember a French King, young king, neglecting his young wife for an after 60 years old mistress?! And he is not the only example...

The only disadvantage, we have after menopause, if one really have to speak about it, is that we loose one of the main advantages of women: before 50 years old, we do not have to shave like men do.

Be a great stand-up & learn some tricks of the trade

2011-02-12T01:09:00.003Z

Be a great stand-up, by Logan Murrat, a great book!

Stand up comedy tricks of trade are not only for those wanting to "do the gigs" stand up and make laugh a special audience, X times in a minute! The book explains how to add unexpected end or afterthoughts, how to develop your humorous "muscle".

Gives a lot of theory but also exercises to do.

How to "turn" in humour, make surprising but prepared endings.

Logan also leads a Stand up and deliver, course, in London and divers other places.

I have decided to learn some "tricks of the comic trade" going out of my comfort zone, after having, by chance made people laugh at what I was saying, and wanting to learn how to prepare it consciously, too.

At my great surprise, I learned then, that other Toastmasters have already done it!

I do recommend the book, already helping me to get ideas, the rest to be seen with time and stories I tell, and the course, I'll see, how it goes in May. At least, "I tried", I'll be able to tell then.

Logan sais that modern comedians do not tell jokes, known jokes, but build their own comic material. They have something to say and an attitude towards it. They take a subject and add an afterthought. Tha afterthought does continue the thought in an unexpected direction. Sometimes, it even could be just a look! But it does surprise.

Saying without the "social controller" not contradicting but continuing the thought from the begining, with an assured stage presence. Learn to look to a subject from many angles. Be short and specific. All those skills important in many different kind of speeches.

He was celebrating his 70th birthday with his family, I told him, he is too young for me! :

And write down what you want to say, as if you speak.Or, I would say, say it first, then fast, write it down.

I think that applies to all kind of storytelling! Remain "oral" To remain oral, until now, I wrote less and less down, told. First in myself, then recorded it. Listened to it. Re recorded it. Eventually, towards the end I write it down only.

At Westminster: a final of young futur orators.

2011-02-11T07:46:00.002Z

What a wonderful demonstration!

I did not know at all, what to expect, as I went to the Westminster building, a relatively new one in face of the old. First, going through the gate, as if we were going to fly, but in plus with armed guards.

Once inside, quiet elegance. Waiting. As usual, I was in advance.

It was a waiting very worth while! A did learn a lot.

What to do and how, and what not to do.

It was a discussion in the style of Parliament: a proposal and a refutation of it, between to teams of two young students, each already having won three other place.

The theme they chosen was the "Big Society" only PR trick or real. Also, there were interesting arguments on both sides, the "how" they did is was more important.

The winning team

This is the winner team. They had won showing more confidence, and also, speaking less rushed, with more poise.

From one of the young orators, I did not take his photo, I learned that one has never to put too many arguments, too long discourse and then rush faster and faster in order to finish it.

At the end, almost no one was able to follow. He inundated us with figures and words. Speaking faster and faster.

A great example for me: to say less is more!

Not so easy to say when I have so much to tell! I know by my own experience.

But as audience, I have now experienced it.

What I learned from the other team, how important to show confidence from the beginning, already while you listen to the others arguments. Already, what your body-language tell, as you listen, is of great importance.

And even when you speak, do it slowly and with confidence.

Yes, less is more. End finish with pause and slowly but strong and clear.

From London's older debating society

The "jury" deciding which team wins, was made up of different clubs of orators from London, very experienced in debating. "I could not underline enough the importance of the pause!" Added to it, the confidence. And let the audience absorb what you say. He also liked the humour in the argumentations.

"One can never be too clear!" he said with humour.

At the end, we had the great pleasure to listen to a deputy, MP, and, I think, member of the recent government, whose name I did not catch. But what a great example of all one should do. And a great presence and charm, too.

Not only he spoke shortly, also it seemed probably short only because he was so interesting, but he then, answered with great mastery to all the very divers questions paused by the audience.

This time, the most wonderful example of how one should do it.

"It is always worth discussing, some possibilities of compromise emerge at the end, slowly a solution rises."

MP Preparing to offer the prize.

Yes, he demonstrated the importance of pause and clarity, besides answering so well to any question, but more importantly to me, his answers contained personal stories! Examples through which we lived what he has lived and that made the following arguments so much more convincing!

Political storytelling!

I knew how important to tell stories was in different occasions, but he demonstrated how huge help can be also in politics. Also, through them, he became more and more sympathetic to us, to me at least.

What a great evening and great lessons!

Kennedy Berlin 1963

2011-02-04T00:27:00.001Z

Observe, as I did, how slowly he speaks and how effective that is!

Of course, also his repetitions: he had a lot more important phrases not only the Ich bin ein Berliner!

I was that year that I arrived in France and only 2 years I escaped from the other side of the wall. There was a long wait, till end 1989 till the wall crumbled, but the "moment arrived" as Kennedy predicted.
I choose this speech to read for my task of Reading a Speech, from my Interpretative Reading Manual, so having heard it, again and again, will help me to read it, better.

Looking at it, again and again, I see he has notes on a series of cards, and from time to time, looked or read from that. Then, again he looked at the public on the square.

Clinton at Davos 2011

2011-01-29T07:05:00.000Z

Clinton at Davos 2011 speech, another style another great speaker and thinker, too.

He has a very authentic way of speaking, never stopping to speak with his whole body and face and arms and hands, in accord with what he is saying. He uses anecdotes, historical references, citations. Funny sometimes, very serious in the whole. A speech to listen to and to learn from, too.

State of Union 2011 adress; Obama

2011-01-27T13:04:00.001Z

lots to learn from it, in content and delivery

but be aware, if lasts one hour!

also you can listen to the beginning, then absolutely has to listen how he delivers the 5 last minutes,
changing his voice to an almost "intimate" and warm pitch

of course, this blog is not about politics, it is about speaking in public and communication
of course, he did delivered it, but wrote it together with the speech-writers of the White House

"I hope it tells them to never give up"

"we live in the Information age" -
'we can not win the future with the gvn of the past"
new skills and new knowledge (?), new challenges

none of this will be easy
all of this will take time
but anything is possible
no matter...

"it will be even harder because we will argue about everything"

Then he explains that this is how it should be, in a democracy by examples of the contrary

it is time to move forward
we have to

Less then 5 minutes, yet...

2011-01-24T08:00:00.000Z

All that can be said in only five or less minutes, with some very cool and effective slides shown too,

Yes, he could say it a bit slower, but even like this, isnt he great?!

The King's story hero winns Golden Globes

2011-01-18T00:59:00.000Z

His wife, a beautiful italian, and he does speak also italian.

"all of us had to overcome underestimating himself" tells Colin First

Bob Ferguson about Developing an Evaluator

2011-01-17T15:57:00.000Z

At the Toastmasters London Division competition, last year, Bob Ferguson delivered a great workshop: 45 minutes all worth it! Listen. The images were from his workshop also but added to this only to make a video that I can upload here.

The most important is, that to learn to do it well is a hard work. First gather lots of information, then practice them, practice and practice again. Listen, once, twice, three times even, then go for it!

Begin your own research and at every meeting, listen and for yourself alone, evaluate parts of the speech. Write down and next time, evaluate a new feature of speaking. Teach yourself to listen better and better, and learn to evaluate with time!

Become a Super Toasty! A super evaluator, too.

From there to here

2011-01-14T06:19:00.000Z

I begun to tell the story of how I changed profession, a year ago.

It changed, evolved, and I think, the change itself is interesting. Also each time, perhaps the "most important thing" can be not the same, for the same events, other parts of it came out.
Thinking outside the box Modified.mp3

That was not the first time, perhaps the third, as delivered almost a year ago in one of my Toastmasters club.

Now, here is the last time, I told it at the Canal Cafe Theatre, end of the same year, about ten month later. The theme of the evening organized by Spark London, was "Mistaken identity".

Mistaken Identity
Uploaded by julie70. - Have a look at more lifestyle videos.

Obervation: "cave" in French is "cellar" in English but I have mistaken it to be same so my daughter lived in some kind of basement... not a real "cave" that was an error I made, it must have been a cellar at same time, but no, not a cave. But, my error just brought up more laughter from the audience.

And at the end of the evening, a young woman came to me, telling me how much my message meant to her, it was the encouragment she needed at that point of her life.

Obama Eulogy about

2011-01-13T08:42:00.001Z

The speech, with applquses is long, 38 minutes, but a great lesson of speech, so I decided not only to put it here but also add the text of it, for anyone wanting to read or analyse it.

"make sure that we're talking with each other in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds. "
-------------------------------------------

Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you very much. Please, please be seated. (Applause.) To the families of those we've lost; to all who called them friends; to the students of this university, the public servants who are gathered here, the people of Tucson and the people of Arizona: I have come here tonight as an American who, like all Americans, kneels to pray with you today and will stand by you tomorrow. (Applause.) There is nothing I can say that will fill the sudden hole torn in your hearts. But know this: The hopes of a nation are here tonight. We mourn with you for the fallen. We join you in your grief. And we add our faith to yours that Representative Gabrielle Giffords and the other living victims of this tragedy will pull through. (Applause.)

Scripture tells us: There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. On Saturday morning, Gabby, her staff and many of her constituents gathered outside a supermarket to exercise their right to peaceful assembly and free speech. (Applause.)

They were fulfilling a central tenet of the democracy envisioned by our founders -- representatives of the people answering questions to their constituents, so as to carry their concerns back to our nation's capital. Gabby called it "Congress on Your Corner" -- just an updated version of government of and by and for the people. (Applause.) And that quintessentially American scene, that was the scene that was shattered by a gunman's bullets. And the six people who lost their lives on Saturday -- they, too, represented what is best in us, what is best in America. (Applause.) Judge John Roll served our legal system for nearly 40 years. (Applause.) A graduate of this university and a graduate of this law school -- (applause) -- Judge Roll was recommended for the federal bench by John McCain 20 years ago -- (applause) -- appointed by President George H.W. Bush and rose to become Arizona's chief federal judge. (Applause.) His colleagues described him as the hardest-working judge within the Ninth Circuit. He was on his way back from attending Mass, as he did every day, when he decided to stop by and say hi to his representative. John is survived by his loving wife, Maureen, his three sons and his five beautiful grandchildren. (Applause.)

George and Dorothy Morris -- "Dot" to her friends -- were high school sweethearts who got married and had two daughters. They did everything together -- traveling the open road in their RV, enjoying what their friends called a 50-year honeymoon. Saturday morning, they went by the Safeway to hear what their congresswoman had to say. When gunfire rang out, George, a former Marine, instinctively tried to shield his wife. (Applause.)

Both were shot. Dot passed away. A New Jersey native, Phyllis Schneck retired to Tucson to beat the snow. But in the summer, she would return East, where her world revolved around her three children, her seven grandchildren and 2-year-old great-granddaughter. A gifted quilter, she'd often work under a favorite tree, or sometimes she'd sew aprons with the logos of the Jets and the Giants -- (laughter) -- to give out at the church where she volunteered. A Republican, she took a liking to Gabby, and wanted to get to know her better. (Applause.)

Dorwan and Mavy Stoddard grew up in Tucson together -- about 70 years ago. They moved apart and started their own respective families. But after both were widowed they found their way back here, to, as one of Mavy's daughters put it, "be boyfriend and girlfriend again." (Laughter.) When they weren't out on the road in their motor home, you could find them just up the road, helping folks in need at the Mountain Avenue Church of Christ. A retired construction worker, Dorwan spent his spare time fixing up the church along with his dog, Tux. His final act of selflessness was to dive on top of his wife, sacrificing his life for hers. (Applause.)

Everything -- everything -- Gabe Zimmerman did, he did with passion. (Applause.) But his true passion was helping people. As Gabby's outreach director, he made the cares of thousands of her constituents his own, seeing to it that seniors got the Medicare benefits that they had earned, that veterans got the medals and the care that they deserved, that government was working for ordinary folks. He died doing what he loved -- talking with people and seeing how he could help. And Gabe is survived by his parents, Ross and Emily, his brother, Ben, and his fiancée, Kelly, who he planned to marry next year. (Applause.)

And then there is nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green. Christina was an A student; she was a dancer; she was a gymnast; she was a swimmer. She decided that she wanted to be the first woman to play in the Major Leagues, and as the only girl on her Little League team, no one put it past her. (Applause.) She showed an appreciation for life uncommon for a girl her age. She'd remind her mother, "We are so blessed. We have the best life." And she'd pay those blessings back by participating in a charity that helped children who were less fortunate. Our hearts are broken by their sudden passing. Our hearts are broken -- and yet, our hearts also have reason for fullness.

Our hearts are full of hope and thanks for the 13 Americans who survived the shooting, including the congresswoman many of them went to see on Saturday. I have just come from the University Medical Center, just a mile from here, where our friend Gabby courageously fights to recover even as we speak. And I want to tell you -- her husband Mark is here and he allows me to share this with you -- right after we went to visit, a few minutes after we left her room and some of her colleagues in Congress were in the room, Gabby opened her eyes for the first time. (Applause.) Gabby opened her eyes for the first time. (Applause.) Gabby opened her eyes. Gabby opened her eyes, so I can tell you she knows we are here. She knows we love her. And she knows that we are rooting for her through what is undoubtedly going to be a difficult journey. We are there for her. (Applause.)

Our hearts are full of thanks for that good news, and our hearts are full of gratitude for those who saved others.

We are grateful to Daniel Hernandez -- (applause) -- a volunteer in Gabby's office. (Applause.) And, Daniel, I'm sorry, you may deny it, but we've decided you are a hero because -- (applause) -- you ran through the chaos to minister to your boss, and tended to her wounds and helped keep her alive. (Applause.) We are grateful to the men who tackled the gunman as he stopped to reload. (Applause.) Right over there. (Applause.)

We are grateful for petite Patricia Maisch, who wrestled away the killer's ammunition, and undoubtedly saved some lives. (Applause.) And we are grateful for the doctors and nurses and first responders who worked wonders to heal those who'd been hurt. We are grateful to them. (Applause.)

These men and women remind us that heroism is found not only on the fields of battle. They remind us that heroism does not require special training or physical strength. Heroism is here, in the hearts of so many of our fellow citizens, all around us, just waiting to be summoned -- as it was on Saturday morning. Their actions, their selflessness poses a challenge to each of us. It raises a question of what, beyond prayers and expressions of concern, is required of us going forward. How can we honor the fallen? How can we be true to their memory? You see, when a tragedy like this strikes, it is part of our nature to demand explanations -- to try and pose some order on the chaos and make sense out of that which seems senseless. Already we've seen a national conversation commence, not only about the motivations behind these killings, but about everything from the merits of gun safety laws to the adequacy of our mental health system. And much of this process, of debating what might be done to prevent such tragedies in the future, is an essential ingredient in our exercise of self-government. But at a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized -- at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who happen to think differently than we do -- it's important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we're talking with each other in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds. (Applause.)

Scripture tells us that there is evil in the world, and that terrible things happen for reasons that defy human understanding. In the words of Job, "When I looked for light, then came darkness." Bad things happen, and we have to guard against simple explanations in the aftermath. For the truth is none of us can know exactly what triggered this vicious attack. None of us can know with any certainty what might have stopped these shots from being fired, or what thoughts lurked in the inner recesses of a violent man's mind. Yes, we have to examine all the facts behind this tragedy. We cannot and will not be passive in the face of such violence. We should be willing to challenge old assumptions in order to lessen the prospects of such violence in the future. (Applause.)

But what we cannot do is use this tragedy as one more occasion to turn on each other. (Applause.)

That we cannot do. (Applause.)

That we cannot do. As we discuss these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility. Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let's use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy and remind ourselves of all the ways that our hopes and dreams are bound together. (Applause.)

After all, that's what most of us do when we lose somebody in our family -- especially if the loss is unexpected. We're shaken out of our routines. We're forced to look inward. We reflect on the past: Did we spend enough time with an aging parent, we wonder. Did we express our gratitude for all the sacrifices that they made for us? Did we tell a spouse just how desperately we loved them, not just once in a while but every single day? So sudden loss causes us to look backward -- but it also forces us to look forward; to reflect on the present and the future, on the manner in which we live our lives and nurture our relationships with those who are still with us. (Applause.)

We may ask ourselves if we've shown enough kindness and generosity and compassion to the people in our lives. Perhaps we question whether we're doing right by our children, or our community, whether our priorities are in order. We recognize our own mortality, and we are reminded that in the fleeting time we have on this Earth, what matters is not wealth, or status, or power, or fame -- but rather, how well we have loved -- (applause)-- and what small part we have played in making the lives of other people better. (Applause.)

And that process -- that process of reflection, of making sure we align our values with our actions -- that, I believe, is what a tragedy like this requires. For those who were harmed, those who were killed -- they are part of our family, an American family 300 million strong. (Applause.)

We may not have known them personally, but surely we see ourselves in them. In George and Dot, in Dorwan and Mavy, we sense the abiding love we have for our own husbands, our own wives, our own life partners. Phyllis -- she's our mom or our grandma; Gabe our brother or son. (Applause.) In Judge Roll, we recognize not only a man who prized his family and doing his job well, but also a man who embodied America's fidelity to the law. (Applause.)

And in Gabby -- in Gabby, we see a reflection of our public-spiritedness; that desire to participate in that sometimes frustrating, sometimes contentious, but always necessary and never-ending process to form a more perfect union. (Applause.)

And in Christina -- in Christina we see all of our children. So curious, so trusting, so energetic, so full of magic. So deserving of our love. And so deserving of our good example. If this tragedy prompts reflection and debate -- as it should -- let's make sure it's worthy of those we have lost. (Applause.)

Let's make sure it's not on the usual plane of politics and point-scoring and pettiness that drifts away in the next news cycle. The loss of these wonderful people should make every one of us strive to be better. To be better in our private lives, to be better friends and neighbors and coworkers and parents. And if, as has been discussed in recent days, their death helps usher in more civility in our public discourse, let us remember it is not because a simple lack of civility caused this tragedy -- it did not -- but rather because only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to the challenges of our nation in a way that would make them proud. (Applause.)

We should be civil because we want to live up to the example of public servants like John Roll and Gabby Giffords, who knew first and foremost that we are all Americans, and that we can question each other's ideas without questioning each other's love of country and that our task, working together, is to constantly widen the circle of our concern so that we bequeath the American Dream to future generations. (Applause.)

They believed -- they believed, and I believe that we can be better. Those who died here, those who saved life here -- they help me believe. We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another, that's entirely up to us. (Applause.)

And I believe that for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness, and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us. (Applause.) That's what I believe, in part because that's what a child like Christina Taylor Green believed. (Applause.)

Imagine -- imagine for a moment, here was a young girl who was just becoming aware of our democracy; just beginning to understand the obligations of citizenship; just starting to glimpse the fact that some day she, too, might play a part in shaping her nation's future. She had been elected to her student council. She saw public service as something exciting and hopeful. She was off to meet her congresswoman, someone she was sure was good and important and might be a role model. She saw all this through the eyes of a child, undimmed by the cynicism or vitriol that we adults all too often just take for granted. I want to live up to her expectations. (Applause.)

I want our democracy to be as good as Christina imagined it. I want America to be as good as she imagined it. (Applause.) All of us -- we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children's expectations. (Applause.)

As has already been mentioned, Christina was given to us on September 11th, 2001, one of 50 babies born that day to be pictured in a book called "Faces of Hope." On either side of her photo in that book were simple wishes for a child's life. "I hope you help those in need," read one. "I hope you know all the words to the National Anthem and sing it with your hand over your heart." (Applause.) "I hope you jump in rain puddles." If there are rain puddles in Heaven, Christina is jumping in them today. (Applause.)

And here on this Earth -- here on this Earth, we place our hands over our hearts, and we commit ourselves as Americans to forging a country that is forever worthy of her gentle, happy spirit. May God bless and keep those we've lost in restful and eternal peace. May He love and watch over the survivors. And may He bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

from news agency the version I have seen

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Neil Pasricha: The 3 A's of awesome | Video on TED.com

2011-01-12T11:48:00.003Z

Neil Pasricha uses the power of blogging to spread a little optimism each day about the awesome things that make life worth living. Great humour and someone that does apply what he tells us about. Lots of personal storytelling inside, too.

A great inspirational speech delivered for Ted.com, I could not agree more!
Also a good example of how to give a great speech with small personal stories in it.
Neil Pasricha: The 3 A's of awesome | Video on TED.com

Here is the TEXT of the speech to analyse it, of course it lacks the projected images and his gestures and even more, voice variety. But I feel one can learn a lot from the text, too.

------------------

The Awesome story: It begins about 40 years ago, when my mom and my dad came to Canada. My mom left Nairobi, Kenya. My dad left a small village outside of Amritsar, India. And they got here in the late 1960s. They settled in a shady suburb about an hour east of Toronto. And they settled into a new life. They saw their first dentist, they ate their first hamburger, and they had their first kids. My sister and I grew up here, and we had quiet, happy childhoods. We had close family, good friends, a quiet street. We grew up taking for granted a lot of the things that my parents couldn't take for granted when they grew up -- things like power always on in our houses, things like schools across the street and hospitals down the road and popsicles in the backyard. We grew up, and we grew older. I went to high school. I graduated. I moved out of the house, I got a job, I found a girl, I settled down -- and I realize it sounds like a bad sitcom or a Cat Stevens' song.

(Laughter)

But life was pretty good. Life was pretty good. 2006 was a great year. Under clear blue skies in July in the wine region of Ontario, I got married, surrounded by 150 family and friends. 2007 was a great year. I graduated from school, and I went on a road trip with two of my closest friends. Here's a picture of me and my friend, Chris, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. We actually saw seals out of our car window, and we pulled over to take a quick picture of them and then blocked them with our giant heads. (Laughter) So you can't actually see them, but it was breathtaking, believe me.

(Laughter)

2008 and 2009 were a little tougher. I know that they were tougher for a lot of people, not just me. First of all, the news was so heavy. It's still heavy now, and it was heavy before that, but when you flip open a newspaper, when you turned on the TV, it was about ice caps melting, wars going on around the world, earthquakes, hurricanes and an economy that was wobbling on the brink of collapse, and then eventually did collapse, and so many of us losing our homes, or our jobs, or our retirements, or our livelihoods. 2008, 2009 were heavy years for me for another reason too. I was going through a lot of personal problems at the time. My marriage wasn't going well, and we just were growing further and further apart. One day my wife came home from work and summoned the courage, through a lot of tears, to have a very honest conversation. And she said, "I don't love you anymore." And it was one of the most painful things I'd ever heard and certainly the most heartbreaking thing I'd ever heard, until only a month later, when I heard something even more heartbreaking.

My friend Chris, who I just showed you a picture of, had been battling mental illness for some time. And for those of you whose lives have been touched by mental illness, you know how challenging it can be. I spoke to him on the phone at 10:30 pm on a Sunday night. We talked about the TV show we watched that evening. And Monday morning, I found out that he disappeared. Very sadly, he took his own life. And it was a really heavy time.

And as these dark clouds were circling me, and I was finding it really, really difficult to think of anything good, I said to myself that I really needed a way to focus on the positive somehow. So I came home from work one night, and I logged onto the computer, and I started up a tiny website called 1000awesomethings.com.

I was trying to remind myself of the simple, universal, little pleasures that we all love, but we just don't talk about enough -- things like waiters and waitresses who bring you free refills without asking, being the first table to get called up to the dinner buffet at a wedding, wearing warm underwear from just out of the dryer, or when cashiers open up a new check-out lane at the grocery store and you get to be first in line -- even if you were last at the other line, swoop right in there.

(Laughter)

And slowly over time, I started putting myself in a better mood. I mean, 50,000 blogs are started a day. And so my blog was just one of those 50,000. And nobody read it except for my mom. Although I should say that my traffic did skyrocket and go up by 100 percent when she forwarded it to my dad.
(Laughter)
And then I got excited when it started getting tens of hits. And then I started getting excited when it started getting dozens and then hundreds and then thousands and then millions. It started getting bigger and bigger and bigger. And then I got a phone call, and the voice at the other end of the line said, "You've just won the best blog in the world award." I was like, that sounds totally fake. (Laughter) (Applause) Which African country do you want me to wire all my money to? (Laughter) But it turns out, I jumped on a plane, and I ended up walking a red carpet between Sarah Silverman and Jimmy Fallon and Martha Stewart. And I went onstage to accept a Webby award for Best Blog. And the surprise and just the amazement of that was only overshadowed by my return to Toronto, when, in my inbox, 10 literary agents were waiting for me to talk about putting this into a book. Flash-forward to the next year and "The Book of Awesome" has now been number one on the best-seller list for 20 straight weeks.

(Applause)

But look, I said I wanted to do three things with you today. I said I wanted to tell you the Awesome story, I wanted to share with you the three A's of Awesome, and I wanted to leave you with a closing thought. So let's talk about those three A's. Over the last few years, I haven't had that much time to really think. But lately I have had the opportunity to take a step back and ask myself: What is it over the last few years that helped me grow my website, but also grow myself? And I've summarized those things, for me personally, as three A's. They are attitude, awareness and authenticity. I'd love to just talk about each one briefly.

So attitude: Look, we're all going to get lumps, and we're all going to get bumps. None of us can predict the future, but we do know one thing about it and that's that it ain't gonna go according to plan. We will all have high highs and big days and proud moments of smiles on graduation stages, father-daughter dances at weddings and healthy babies screeching in the delivery room, but between those high highs, we may also have some lumps and some bumps too. It's sad, and it's not pleasant to talk about, but your husband might leave you, your girlfriend could cheat, your headaches might be more serious than you thought, or your dog could get hit by a car on the street. It's not a happy thought, but your kids could get mixed up in gangs or bad scenes. Your mom could get cancer, your dad could get mean. And there are times in life when you will be tossed in the well too, with twists in your stomach and with holes in your heart. And when that bad news washes over you, and when that pain sponges and soaks in, I just really hope you feel like you've always got two choices. One, you can swirl and twirl and gloom and doom forever, or two, you can grieve and then face the future with newly sober eyes. Having a great attitude is about choosing option number two, and choosing, no matter how difficult it is, no matter what pain hits you, choosing to move forward and move on and take baby steps into the future.

The second A is awareness. I love hanging out with three year-olds. I love the way that they see the world, because they're seeing the world for the first time. I love the way that they can stare at a bug crossing the sidewalk. I love the way that they'll stare slack-jawed at their first baseball game with wide eyes and a mitt on their hand, soaking in the crack of the bat and the crunch of the peanuts and the smell of the hotdogs. I love the way that they'll spend hours picking dandelions in the backyard and putting them into a nice centerpiece for Thanksgiving dinner. I love the way that they see the world, because they're seeing the world for the first time. Having a sense of awareness is just about embracing your inner three year-old. Because you all used to be three years old. That three year-old boy is still part of you. That three year-old girl is still part of you. They're in there. And being aware is just about remembering that you saw everything you've seen for the first time once too. So there was a time when it was your first time ever hitting a string of green lights on the way home from work. There was the first time you walked by the open door of a bakery and smelt the bakery air, or the first time you pulled a 20-dollar bill out of your old jacket pocket and said, "Found money."

The last A is authenticity. And for this one, I want to tell you a quick story. Let's go all the way back to 1932 when, on a peanut farm in Georgia, a little baby boy named Roosevelt Grier was born. Roosevelt Grier, or Rosey Grier as people used to call him, grew up and grew into a 300 lb. six-foot five linebacker in the NFL. He's number 76 in the picture. Here he is pictured with the "fearsome foursome." These were four guys on the L.A. Rams in the 1960s you did not want to go up against. They were tough football players doing what they love, which was crushing skulls and separating shoulders on the football field. But Rosey Grier also had another passion. In his deeply authentic self, he also loved needlepoint. He loved knitting. He said that it calmed him down, it relaxed him, it took away his fear of flying and helped him meet chicks. That's what he said. I mean, he loved it so much that, after he retired from the NFL, he started joining clubs. And he even put out a book called "Rosey Grier's Needlepoint for Men." (Laughter) (Applause) It's a great cover. If you notice, he's actually needlepointing his own face.

(Laughter)

And so what I love about this story is that Rosey Grier is just such an authentic person. And that's what authenticity is all about. It's just about being you and being cool with that. And I think when you're authentic, you end up following your heart, and you put yourself in places and situations and in conversations that you love and that you enjoy. You meet people that you like talking to. You go places you've dreamt about. And you end you end up following your heart and feeling very fulfilled. So those are the three A's.

For the closing thought, I want to take you all the way back to my parents coming to Canada. I don't know what it would feel like coming to a new country when you're in your mid-20s. I don't know, because I never did it. But I would imagine that it would take a great attitude. I would imagine that you'd have to be pretty aware of your surroundings and appreciating the small wonders that you're starting to see in your new world. And I think you'd have to be really authentic, you'd have to be really true to yourself in order to get through what you're being exposed to.

I'd like to pause my TEDTalk for about 10 seconds right now, because you don't get many opportunities in life to do something like this, and my parents are sitting in the front row. So I wanted to ask them to, if they don't mind, stand up. And I just wanted to say thank you to you guys. (Applause)

When I was growing up, my dad used to love telling the story of his first day in Canada. And it's a great story, because what happened was he got off the plane at the Toronto airport, and he was welcomed by a non-profit group, which I'm sure someone in this room runs. (Laughter) And this non-profit group had a big welcoming lunch for all the new immigrants to Canada. And my dad says he got off the plane and he went to this lunch and there was this huge spread. There was bread, there was those little, mini dill pickles, there was olives, those little white onions. There was rolled up turkey cold-cuts, rolled up ham cold-cuts, rolled up roast beef cold-cuts and little cubes of cheese. There was tuna salad sandwiches and egg salad sandwiches and salmon salad sandwiches. There was lasagna, there was casseroles, there was brownies, there was butter tarts, and there was pies, lots and lots of pies. And when my dad tells the story, he says, "The craziest thing was, I'd never seen any of that before, except bread." (Laughter) I didn't know what was meat, what was vegetarian; I was eating olives with pie." (Laughter) "I just couldn't believe how many things you can get here."

(Laughter)

When I was five years old, my dad used to take me grocery shopping. And he would stare in wonder at the little stickers that are on the fruits and vegetables. He would say, "Look, can you believe they have a mango here from Mexico? They've got an apple here from South Africa. Can you believe they've got a date from Morocco?" He's like, "Do you know where Morocco even is?" And I'd say, "I'm five. I don't even know where I am. Is this A&P?" And he'd say, "I don't know where Morocco is either, but let's find out." And so we'd buy the date, and we'd go home. And we'd actually take an atlas off the shelf, and we'd flip through it until we found this mysterious country. And when we did, my dad would say, "Can you believe someone climbed a tree over there, picked this thing off it, put it in a truck, drove it all the way to the docks and then sailed all the way across the Atlantic Ocean and then put it in another truck and drove that all the way to a tiny grocery store just outside our house, so they could sell it to us for 25 cents?" And I'd say, "I don't believe that." And he's like, "I don't believe it either. Things are amazing. There's just so many things to be happy about."

When I stop to think about it, he's absolutely right; there are so many things to be happy about. We are the only species on the only life-giving rock in the entire universe, that we've ever seen, capable of experiencing so many of these things. I mean, we're the only ones with architecture and agriculture. We're the only ones with jewelry and democracy. We've got airplanes, highway lanes, interior design and horoscope signs. We've got fashion magazines, house party scenes. You can watch a horror movie with monsters. You can go to a concert and hear guitars jamming. We've got books, buffets and radio waves, wedding brides and rollercoaster rides. You can sleep in clean sheets. You can go to the movies and get good seats. You can smell bakery air, walk around with rain hair, pop bubble wrap or take an illegal nap.
We got all that, but we only got 100 years to enjoy it. And that's the sad part. The cashiers at your grocery store, the foreman at your plant, the guy tailgating you home on the highway, the telemarketer calling you during dinner, every teacher you've ever had, everyone that's ever woken up beside you, every politician in every country, every actor in every movie, every single person in your family, everyone you love, everyone in this room and you will be dead in a hundred years. Life is so great that we only get such a short time to experience and enjoy all those tiny little moments that make it so sweet. And that moment is right now, and those moments are counting down, and those moments are always, always, always fleeting.

You will never be as young as you are right now. And that's why I believe that if you live your life with a great attitude, choosing to move forward and move on whenever life deals you a blow, living with a sense of awareness of the world around you, embracing your inner three year-old and seeing the tiny joys that make life so sweet and being authentic to yourself, being you and being cool with that, letting your heart lead you and putting yourself in experiences that satisfy you, then I think you'll live a life that is rich and is satisfying, and I think you live a life that is truly awesome.
Thank you.

The King's speech

2011-01-10T23:02:00.000Z

A wonderful new film, just out on the screen, to see: The King's speech!

Stunning, dialogue, acting, directing, so much that I forgot where I was while looking: I was in it 100%

and all about "how to overcome..."

Reagan jokes about Soviet Union

2011-01-10T12:25:00.000Z

shows his way of speaking and fighting too

"three dogs meet: an american, a polish and a soviet dog
the american dog says: we have to bark a lot in this country to get meat
the polish dog ask What is meat?
the soviet dog ask: What is bark?
I do believe his relation with Gorbatchev and his stand did contribute a lot to the fall of the wall and the regimes at the other side of the Iron courtain

Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability | Video on TED.com

2011-01-06T11:33:00.000Z

Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability | Video on TED.com

I discovered her this morning, and I'll have to listen to it again, and again
how true it is what she tells: it could probably help those who feel shame
and comfort those who dare to open up and show their own vulnerability

To connect, we have to allow ourselves to be seen as we are, and allow our vulnerability to be seen too.
But look, listen, there is much more and she explains it, through her story "of not storyteller" so well!

On being there in the moment & connecting as equals

2011-01-06T10:52:00.001Z

three circles of energy

1st flows back to you, inside you, of past, "in room with someone but alone"

2nd Being present and excanging energy with... connected, give and take, absolute intimacy, just be with them, be in the present, circle of equality,

3rd pushed out energy, takes the space and voice too loud and very controling

YouTube Video playlist

2011-01-06T07:04:00.008Z

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=B99563DD24E70A7E

One can go to the "next" video and story in this "play list" by a click to the leftside or rightside arrow
or play the recent by a click in the middle one!

Experimenting with the "playlist" feature of YouTube I did not know about until now
It gives you one by one here, but on the site, it gives you a choice of the videos inside the list you created