The Toastcast! » Articles of Interest

The P.T. Barnum Guide to Life, Business and Profit

Judd — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 02:29:41 +0000

This is a wonderful article that will be great for working up a speech! In fact I’ll do one tomorrow, and post it accordingly!
-Judd

“There’s a sucker born every minute.” Guess what? P.T. Barnum never said that, but it’s been wrongly attributed to him for 140 years. Barhum was actually insanely focused on providing value to his customers.

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101 Common Sense Management Tips (from the lemonade stand)

Judd — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 12:03:03 +0000

You know I like the numbers game, so here’s some good stuff for ya!
-Judd
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The most powerful and effective managers in the world owe their management acumen and success not to fancy business degrees from the hallowed portals of Harvard and Yale, but to plain old, not-so-common, common sense. Here’s a back-to-basics primer for how to manage people.

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A list of Things You May Or May Not Know

Judd — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 12:11:50 +0000

I’m sure after the Digg effect has worn off, this will be a great resource for your Table Topics!
-Judd

Money isn’t made out of paper; it’s made out of cotton. The 57 on Heinz ketchup bottle represents the varieties of pickle the company once had. Your stomach produces a new layer of mucus every two weeks - otherwise it will digest itself. Others…

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11 Tips for Time Management in a Web Worker World

Judd — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 11:58:59 +0000

Great tips for anyone in the computer world.
-Judd

How often do you get to the end of your day and feel like you
â€™ve worked so hard and have nothing to show for it? Specially if you work alone, remotely, or freelancing, you may want to follow some practices to make sure you do you work on time

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6 Ways To Boost Your Mental Acuity At Work

Judd — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 12:15:55 +0000

This is the kind of stuff we need to know as Toastmasters!
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Whether youâ€™re having trouble concentrating at work or you just need an extra mental kick to make it through your finals, there are some easy tricks that can improve your memory, concentration and focus.

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How to Sharpen Your Senses

Judd — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:41:18 +0000

I think I smell… SPEECH! Here!

ATM-S Judd
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We use all five of our senses - sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch - to perceive and experience the world around us. Yet, as we age, these senses diminish at varying rates and to different degrees among individuals.

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19 Things You Didn’t Know About Death

Judd — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:38:03 +0000

This link is from an insurance company of all places. I know you’ll have fun with tabletopics like these!
ATM-S Judd
**********************************************888
9. If someone plans to jump off Mount Everest to commit suicide, you
â€™ll need a lot of patience. It takes the average person 2.5 minutes to hit bottom. And we donâ€™t want to know who timed it.

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Top 10 Tips for Salary Negotiations

Judd — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:27:49 +0000

Let me know if this works for you - ATM-S Judd
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Negotiating a better salary package has put more than a few stomachs in knots over the years. Remember, we all go through it sooner or later. Try to keep these 10 basic tips in mind when it’s your turn to ask for a sweeter deal.

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The Laws of Life

Judd — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 12:56:34 +0000

The table topics just keep coming.Â I know someone will be able to use these in their upcoming meeting.Â Lots of fun.Â If you use them, leave a comment here and tell us how it went!Â Thanks, Judd.

—-Â

Law of Mechanical Repair
After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch or you’ll have to pee.

Law of the Workshop
Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

Law of Probability
The probability o f being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

Law of the Telephone
If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal.

Law of the Alibi
If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.

Variation Law
If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will start to move faster than the one you are in now (works every time).

Law of the Bath
When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.

Law of Close Encounters
The probability of meeting someone you know increases dramatically when you are with someone you don’t want to be seen with.

Law of the Result
When you try to prove to someone that a machine won’t work, it will.

Law of Biomechanics
The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

Law of the Theater
At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last.

Law of Coffee
As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.

Murphy’s Law of Lockers
If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.

Law of Rugs/Carpets
The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.

Law of Location
No matter where you go, there you are.

Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don’t know what you are talking about.

Brown’s Law
If the shoe fits, it’s ugly.

Oliver’s Law
A closed mouth gathers no feet.

Wilson’s Law
As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.

Great ideas for your next Table Topics Master

Judd — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 01:39:35 +0000

Hey Jumbalya fans here are a few tabletopics that you may find fun to use for your next meeting.Â Just tell ‘em you found ‘em right here at toastcast.org or titusvilletoastmasters.org

I know… you probably saw this as one of those emails that people circulate around the office, and that’s where I got it, but heck, this one is right up our club’s alley.Â So, I didn’t write it, i’m just reporting. Feel free to comment.

————————————————-

Here are a few things to think about that you probably have never thought about;

Can you cry under water?
How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinatedÂ instead of just murdered?
Why do you have to “put your two cents in”.. . but it’sÂ only a “penny for your thoughts”? Where’s that extra penny goingÂ to?
Once you’re in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the clothes you were buried inÂ for eternity?
Why does a round pizza come in a square box?
Do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the sameÂ tune?
WhyÂ did you just try singing the two songs above?
Why is it that people say they “slept like a baby” when babies wake up likeÂ every two hours?
If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called aÂ hearing?
Why are you IN a movie, but you’re ON TV?
Why do they call it an asteroid when it’s outside the hemisphere, but call itÂ a hemorrhoid when it’s in your butt?
Why do doctors leave the room while you change? They’re going to see you nakedÂ anyway.
Why is “bra” singular and “panties” plural
Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horribleÂ crisp, which no decent human being would eat?
If the professor on Gilligan’s Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can’t he fix a hole in a boat?
Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They’re bothÂ dogs!
If Wiley E. Coyote had enough money to buy all that ACME crap, why didn’t heÂ just buy dinner?
If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables,Â what is baby oil made from?
DoÂ you ever wonder why you gave me your e-mail address in the firstÂ place?

How to be a Great Speaker…

Judd — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 02:29:50 +0000

Here is an interesting blog entry.Â Might be good for people thinking they need to get involved in Toastmasters.

Â How to be a Great Speaker…

Did you know that when surveyed about their greatest fear, people more often say public speaking than death? Thatâ€™s right, apparently people would rather die than have to address a group of people.

Hm, must be bad.

I used to be one of those people. For me the mere thought of standing in front of a crowd made me feel like tossing my lunch.http://www.blargy.com/2006/09/public-speaking/how-to-be-a-great-public-speaker-by-a-former-nervous-wreck/

Avoid These 10 Interview Bloopers

Judd — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 01:06:48 +0000

Live and learn, and help your fellow Toastmasters practice some great interviewing skills!
-Judd

We’ve all heard stories of job candidates who looked great on paper but who were absolute disasters in person. With fewer and fewer interview opportunities available in this competitive market, it’s essential to make the best possible first impression. You can learn from the mistakes of others and avoid the top 10 worst interview blunders.

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21 Good Thoughts

Judd — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:04:08 +0000

I recieved this in my email today, and thought it was pretty good. I don’t normally go for this sort of thing, but for Monday, it played well for me. Hopefully you can use this for some speech fodder. - Judd P.S. I have no idea who wrote it, but it’s floating around the net.

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
THREE. Don’t believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
FOUR. When you say, “I love you,” mean it.
FIVE. When you say, “I’m sorry,” look the person in the eye.
SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.
EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone’s dream. People who don’t have dreams don’t have much.
NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it’s the only way to live life completely.
TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
ELEVEN. Don’t judge people by their relatives.
TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.
THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer, smile and ask, “Why do you want to know?”
FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk..
FIFTEEN. Say “bless you” when you hear someone sneeze.
SIXTEEN. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson
SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R’s: Respect for self; Respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.
EIGHTEEN. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
NINETEEN. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.

50+ Ways a Manager can get Employees to Quit

Judd — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 00:32:21 +0000

I know you need some help with that speech on how to treat people with respect. This is a great source for helping see what will degrade your team, and ensure your drop to the bottom!
-Judd
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I polled the other guys in my group and we built a damn good list of things that our IT manager did that led to him losing his $100K/year job. Note that I left a few specific things out because I don’t need anyone getting pinched. If you repeat these things successfully, you too will get your team to hate you.

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How to defeat writer’s block or should I say Speech Writer’s Block

Judd — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 11:20:26 +0000

Sometimes its difficult to start a speech off, you have topics and a variety of other conscise bit and pieces to put together, but this may help you sort things out, well done article.
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It’s not the fear of writing that blocks people, it’s its fear of not writing well; something quite different. Certainly ever writer has moments of paralysis, including myself, but the way out is to properly frame what’s going on, and writer’s block, as commonly misunderstood, is a red herring.

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The Power of Simple Questions - Think Tabletopics

Judd — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 16:09:24 +0000

Whether you answer ‘em or write ‘em, impromptu questions can be done to help or hurt the respondent… here we find out how to better compose our questions.

Everyone asks questions. When you conduct a usability test, you ask questions. When you gather information from a client, you ask questions. When you write a customer survey, you ask questions. It is interesting that effective interviewers sound like effective interfaces in many ways. They lubricate information flow by getting out of the way.

10 Secrets of a Businessman…

Judd — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 00:05:14 +0000

I like these tips, especially when you change Businessman to Toastmaster. When each member takes personal ownership in their club.

The Number 10 Secret is:
No matter how many millions an individual amasses, if he is in business he must always consider his wealth as a means for improving living conditions everywhere. He must remember that he has responsibilities toward his associates, employees, stockholders â€” and the public.

I think that’s great!

Trust your instincts

Judd — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 22:13:21 +0000

My inner-geek vs your intuition = great Toastmaster Speech Fodder for the day! - Judd

The evidence seems to be that the conscious mind isn’t much use in making hard decisions .

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Survey: To Get That Job, Bring On The Charm

Judd — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 09:09:01 +0000

In another behavior modification story, the same rules that apply to winning that job may also help you win that next speech contest…

A survey of 223 senior executives and managers found that 63% rely on “likeability” and personality of a candidate when making hiring and promotion decisions. So what does this mean to the stereotypical techie who is often labeled as lacking sparkle when it comes to people-skills? Bring on the charm…

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First impressions are made in a fraction of a second.

Judd — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 08:34:15 +0000

Great Toastmaster Fodder right here!

Extract: “When we see a new face, our brains decide whether that person is attractive and trustworthy within one-tenth of a second, the results of new research indicate.

According to US psychologist, Alex Todorov, people respond intuitively to faces so rapidly, that their reasoning minds may not have time to influence the reaction.

“The link between facial features and character may be tenuous at best, but that doesn’t stop our minds from sizing other people up at a glance. We decide very quickly whether a person possesses many of the traits we feel are important, such as likeability and competence, even though we have not exchanged a single word with them”, Mr Todorov explained.”

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10 things you shouldn’t buy new.

Judd — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 09:08:31 +0000

Good Speech/tabletopics Fodder… however I’m not convinced that you shouldn’t buy all these things used. -Judd

Why waste money on shiny packaging and a fancy store when you can find it online and ‘pre-owned’ for a fraction of the cost? Here are your best buys.

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50 Common Interview Questions

Judd — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 06:29:56 +0000

Now here is a great way to get some tabletopics together.

Collections of Questions.

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12 Keys To Winning an Argument

Judd — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 10:17:47 +0000

When you’re working on that tabletopic answer, here are some great ideas to use to help you succeed.

Aguments are an all too common part of life. They should be avoided if possible. But, if you canÃ¢ï¿½ï¿½t avoid them you may as well win.

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10 things you should be monitoring

Judd — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 22:57:19 +0000

Great tips for the VP of Marketing, especially when using the Internet as a marketing resource.

Tracking your buzz is really something that is becoming more and more important over and will continue to increase in importance as time goes on. In order to manage your reputation you need to track the right things, so here’s a list of 10 things that you absolutely need to be monitoring.

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How to be Charming in 8 Steps

Judd — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 23:55:53 +0000

Great Toastmaster Traits, and generally good ideas.

Honestly guys, it’s all ‘common sense.’ But sometimes you need stuff like this spelled out for you before it really clicks in your mind. The 8 steps laid out here won’t turn you into the life of the party, but it’ll sure get you started in the right direction.

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Research: Smart People Choke Under Pressure

Judd — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 23:42:15 +0000

The pressure is on, and in Toastmasters, we’re working to take the pressure off! From there you can soar… check out this article. -Judd

People perceived as the most likely to succeed might also be the most likely to crumble under pressure.

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Stress Can Shrink and Age Your Brain

Judd — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 23:22:48 +0000

If giving a speech in front of a bunch of strangers isn’t stressful enough, now we know that using Toastmasters to learn to control that stress can prolong your life and keep your brain from “Shrinking”.

New research is providing insight into how stress can shrink your brain cells and prematurely age your immune system.

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18 Ways to Stay Focused at Work

Judd — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 23:03:33 +0000

Dave Cheong writes a great article that any Toastmaster could find useful in their daily routine. In fact, this is probably some good material for a speech.

So what are some of the things we can do to minimise such interruptions and distractions?

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‘Casual Friday’ becoming the Mon-Fri norm at many workplaces

Judd — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 22:59:51 +0000

Is your Toastmaster club a “Casual Club”? How does that help or hurt getting the message out?

“Corporate suits take a leave of absence as dress codes become more relaxed. But the trend has created a backlash. `Tie Tuesday,’ anyone?” They credit the likes of Steve Jobs and his trademark ensemble (they claim t-shirt and jeans…we know better: black turtleneck and jeans) for the trend.

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