I thought McCain started off slow as he usually does. Though he is slow of speech and dull of voice he did build somewhat and had several points that I would call his. He isn't much on style but I thought he was pretty good on substance by the middle and at the end.
Obama started off MUCH better than did McCain. He usually presents a much more confident and youthful strength in his speech. McCain usually sounds like an tired old man. But there were several times when his confidence was noticeably shaken and occasionally had no solid answers for the arrows McCain was slinging his way. I thought the many times when McCain said "You don't seem to understand..." were very effective.
I thought McCain was the decided winner of the debate but I doubt seriously that anything either party said has turned the tide on the other.
Meanwhile tomorrow is the much anticipated debate between VP hopefuls Sarah Palin (R) and Joe Biden (D). I must say that I have been disappointed in Sarah Palin's recent interviews other than the few she did with sympathetic interviewers such as Sean Hannity. Her halo seemed to tarnish until I ran across this article: by Frank J. Ranelli, opinion editorial writer, a research author and critic.
Here's the upshot:
"Sarah Palin’s recent abysmal interviews are a canard. She is not the vapid, seemingly naïve and inexperienced candidate we have been led to believe. The bar of expectation has been deliberately lowered so low that once in front of the debate lectern, she will stun Biden with her slick, pat answers, leaving him flustered and trampled by the hockey mom turned-governor from Alaska."
What? He isn't suggesting she orchestrated this!
"Sarah Palin is sandbagging. She is intentionally appearing inept, and at times, outright vacuous and bungling. But she is downplaying and misrepresenting her political skill, guile and debating ability in order to deceive the Obama camp. This was an outright calculated, premeditated ploy in order to lull Sen. Joe Biden into a false sense of security. All of Palin’s botched interviews were done with wily aforethought – they were red herrings and glib stagecraft to hustle Biden."
Yeah! That's what I thought too! Who would do such a thing? It's not believable! But this is politics, my friends, and here is why he thinks so:
"I have recently watched several video clips from her debates, when she ran for Governor of Alaska in 2006, and she is far more adroit, astute, and shrewd during these debates than recent interviews suggest. In fact, she is a cunning, clever, and crafty woman who knows how to disarm people with her charm and then coldly go in for the kill shot."
No kiddin? I must admit I was surprised that I had sized her up as a fairly accomplished speaker, but then I just figured she was good when she wasn't being hit with questions for which she hadn't thoroughly thought through her answers. And being interviewed by the liberal media would fluster any conservative especially one who wasn't used to answering these types of questions. But maybe that's just what she WANTED me to think!
I must admit I am not all that politically saavy! I'm an honest Jo...Jo. And I don't really "think tricky". I'm not cut out for politics. I guess I'll have to turn down those offers to run for Emporer of the World. ;D
How do you think she'll do? Watch the debate. Come back and tell me what YOU think.
From JoJo'sPurple Crayon...
Where's FIMM? Did you find himm this week? Where's FIMM? Come find the only Foot in Mouth Man picture that is different from all the rest. Email what he looks like and where you found himm to fimm@artofeloquence.com and you could win a free Art of Eloquence eProduct of your choice!
On the Menu today at Grace Talk Soup is my good friend Joan Rudder Ward who has a new network (resource center) to help in the personal development self esteem of our girls! For parents and others that work with girls. Come share your ideas and any questions for my guest.
Come join me live this morning 8am PST/ 11am EST
Grace Talk Soup Thursday Mornings http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19736 Phone Number: (724) 444-7444 Call ID: 19736
From JoJo'sPurple Crayon...
Where's FIMM? Did you find himm this week? Where's FIMM? Come find the only Foot in Mouth Man picture that is different from all the rest. Email what he looks like and where you found himm to fimm@artofeloquence.com and you could win a free Art of Eloquence eProduct of your choice!
If you have family in another state, a child away at college or a husband who is deployed serving his country, I want to talk with you on air about how you stay close while they are away. This is a very important topic, especially since so many of our military families are without their loved ones right now. Won't you come share? You can either call on the phone or join us in the chat room-or both!
If you have friends who are going through the same thing, please forward this to them. Tell them to come share with us on Thursday on Grace Talk Soup!
From JoJo'sPurple Crayon...
Where's FIMM? Did you find himm this week? Where's FIMM? Come find the only Foot in Mouth Man picture that is different from all the rest. Email what he looks like and where you found himm to fimm@artofeloquence.com and you could win a free Art of Eloquence eProduct of your choice!
I don't think there is one person in this country who doesn't remember what they were doing when they heard the news on September 11, 2001!It was like the day Kennedy was shot.Everyone has their story.Everyone had to share the news with their kids.Everyone had to grieve for the country.Everyone watched in horror and prayed.
This is the "Remembering 9/11 Show", our very first Open Discussion Format show on Grace Talk Soup!Please come to the show live at 8am PST/ 11am EST and share how you found out, how you told your children, how it changed you and how you think it changed our country.How it still affects us to this day.
If you are a military family, especially of active military currently serving, I would love you to share about your family member currently serving and how your family sacrifices for our nations safety!I want to pray over the military families and allow them a voice on this show!
Also if there is anyone out there with a miracle story about 9/11 where God spared you or a loved one I would love for you to share that with us on Thursday's Grace Talk Soup.
From JoJo'sPurple Crayon...
Where's FIMM? Did you find himm this week? Where's FIMM? Come find the only Foot in Mouth Man picture that is different from all the rest. Email what he looks like and where you found himm to fimm@artofeloquence.com and you could win a free Art of Eloquence eProduct of your choice!
Join me live this morning (Thursday 8am PST/ 11am EST)
On the Menu Today: The Making of WriteShop Primary: Six People, One Idea, and 3000 Miles!
Write Shop owners Kim Kautzer and Debbie Oldar join me today and discuss their newest project and how it took effective communication between them and their project author Nancy Sanders and graphic designer David Borrink. Join us as they discuss their newest writing curriculum and what it took to get that project to you! Come ask them questions about writing or the writing process or about their newest curriculum for primary school students!
How to join the show live via the phone:
Phone Number: (724) 444-7444
Call ID: 19736
How to join the show live via your computer: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19736
Click on the Listen Now button anytime starting 15 min before the show
How to listen to any past show: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19736
Scroll down to the "Past Shows" and click one of the orange "Listen" buttons.
From JoJo'sPurple Crayon...
Where's FIMM? Did you find himm this week? Where's FIMM? Come find the only Foot in Mouth Man picture that is different from all the rest. Email what he looks like and where you found himm to fimm@artofeloquence.com and you could win a free Art of Eloquence eProduct of your choice!
Join me live this morning (Thursday 8am PST/ 11am EST)
On the Menu Today: Ever wonder how to get organized for your homeschool year? It's one of my most difficult issues! What is the best way to communicate to yourself so that you remember all you need to do during your homeschool year? Well, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine has the answer! It's their new Homeschool Planner and it's interactive! PLUS: A La Carte w/Bette Dowdell
How to join the show live via the phone:
Phone Number: (724) 444-7444
Call ID: 19736
How to join the show live via your computer: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19736
Click on the Listen Now button anytime starting 15 min before the show
How to listen to any past show: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19736
Scroll down to the "Past Shows" and click one of the orange "Listen" buttons.
Prayer is communication with The Father. Do we have to be formal when we pray? Do we have to be eloquent? Do we have to say Amen? Let's talk about prayer as communication with our Lord! Today, I will interview Pastor Bob Cushman on my podcast, Grace Talk Soup. He is the author of a new book called, What if You Pray?
Join me live (Today 8am PST/ 11am EST) to ask him your questions and share in the discussion! I would love this to be a lively discussion of prayer. Misconceptions of how we should pray and what works for you.
Can't come live? Listen to the recording!
How to join the show live via the phone:
Phone Number: (724) 444-7444
Call ID: 19736
How to join the show live via your computer: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19736
Click on the Listen Now button anytime starting 15 min before the show
How to listen to any past recorded show: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19736
Scroll down to the "Past Shows" and click one of the orange "Listen" buttons.
I would love to see you all there as we discuss prayer: Communication with the Father!
From JoJo'sPurple Crayon...
Where's FIMM? Did you find himm this week? Where's FIMM? Come find the only Foot in Mouth Man picture that is different from all the rest. Email what he looks like and where you found himm to fimm@artofeloquence.com and you could win a free Art of Eloquence eProduct of your choice!
If you have run a co op class before, but found it overwhelming or haven't because you are intimidated or don't know how to do it, come to Grace Talk Soup this morning and be inspired!
Co op classes are fun and can be such a blessing to those who attend and those who run it! But it is an overwhelming prospect unless you know some tips from the experts.
Today on my podcast, Grace Talk Soup, Carol Topp joins me again to share her expertise on setting up a homeschool co op. Also don't miss the clues for Where's FIMM and the five more FIMM episodes you can cross off your list if you are playing FIMM Bingo! FUN and good info on today's Grace Talk Soup!
Join me live to ask Carol your homeschool co op questions! Thursday morning: 8am PST/ 11am EST
Or listen to the recording!
How to join the show live via the phone:
Phone Number: (724) 444-7444
Call ID: 19736
How to join the show live via your computer: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19736
Click on the Listen Now button anytime starting 15 min before the show
How to listen to any past show: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19736
Scroll down to the "Past Shows" and click one of the orange "Listen" buttons
Please pass this on to your blog readers and Yahoo groups. Great information on a wonderful homeschool resource: the co op! Don't miss it!
From JoJo'sPurple Crayon...
Where's FIMM? Did you find himm this week? Where's FIMM? Come find the only Foot in Mouth Man picture that is different from all the rest. Email what he looks like and where you found himm to fimm@artofeloquence.com and you could win a free Art of Eloquence eProduct of your choice!
Foot in Mouth Man (FIMM) has been hiding on the Art of Eloquence website each week for several weeks now. Have you found himm? We are having such fun dressing him up. I am getting emails from all over that you are having such fun finding FIMM!
Take a look at FIMM through the weeks:
FIMM just changed his appearance and went hiding on another Art of Eloquence web page! He's really easy to spot, but if you need a clue, listen in to Grace Talk Soup this morning and find out what he looks like this week! http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19736
Just email fimm@artofeloquence.com and tell us where you found him and what he looked like and you will automatically be entered into our drawing to win a free Art of Eloquence eProduct of YOUR CHOICE!
For more details check out our contest page: http://artofeloquence.com/pages/Contest.php
* One entry per email address per week!
From JoJo'sPurple Crayon...
Where's FIMM? Did you find himm this week? Where's FIMM? Come find the only Foot in Mouth Man picture that is different from all the rest. Email what he looks like and where you found himm to fimm@artofeloquence.com and win a free Art of Eloquence eProduct of your choice!
We took a trip up to Sacramento this past weekend and when we came back, my son was someone else! It sounds like Invasion of the Body Snatchers but it's true.
While visiting his cousins this weekend, my son discovered the joys of having milk in his cereal and hamburgers!! Things he NEVER would eat in all his 9 years on this planet! ROFL He also received a few fun books for his birthday and now he is an avid reader! He read two and a half of the books (100+ pages each!) while on the 7 hour trip home in the car!
I asked him why the change. He said the fireworks changed his brain.
You see, we went to see the fireworks show on the 4th of July. Usually my son, who has Sensory Integration Dysfunction and hates loud noises, would have held his ears and been very uncomfortable with all the very loud noise of the fireworks. But after a few fireworks, he began to love the show! It was amazing to watch as my son had a ball watching the night sky for signs of the thunderous light show! The very next day is when he had his first cereal with milk and the rest was history!
I thought about that all the way home. How one small change in perception can change a child's life. One small change in the way his brain communicates with itself and he began to be open to the possiblities he never considered before. Once that happened, he realized that there were other things he might like as well. And that opened up even more for him. Can a child change over night to enjoy the simple things most of us take for granted? The answer is a resounding...YES!
From JoJo'sPurple Crayon...
Where's FIMM? Did you find himm this week? Where's FIMM? Come find the only Foot in Mouth Man picture that is different from all the rest. Email what he looks like and where you found himm to fimm@artofeloquence.com and win a free Art of Eloquence eProduct of your choice!
If you have listened to my show, Grace Talk Soup, or read my blog here at, Communication FUNdamentals, you know that Art of Eloquence (and our family) is in the process of moving from California to Arizona in the next few weeks. While we have moved several times in our 21 year marriage, this is the first time we have ever moved out of state. In fact, I haven't moved out of state since I moved to California with my parents back in 1977. (Any of you remember 1977? LOL)
There's a lot to pack!! Boy do you accumulate stuff when you've been married for 21 years! Stuff you don't want to throw away-like the booklet about Jesus my 18 year old daughter made when she was 6 years old! Gotta keep THAT! We have a lot more furniture than we did 21 years ago too so we want to get rid of as many things as possible.We've got to find a way to get it all in a UHaul and survive the 6 hour drive east.
What's that got to do with you? Well, we know that this year has been tough for some of you with gas prices quickly climbing to $5/gallon and almost everything else going up in response. Many of you tell us you are waiting to purchase your homeschool materials or waiting for sales. If you were waiting for a sale, you've come to the right blog because, through the end of this month, we are offering our customers 50% OFF!
In fact, we would like to extend the offer of 50% OFF to all of our products including all of our eProducts andPackages! This way you can mix and match and purchase any Art of Eloquence product for half off through the end of this month!
To take advantage of this offer, just order as usual ANY Art of Eloquence product or products. Then use voucher code 406085050 at check out and it will automatically take 50% OFFyour entire purchase!
This is only the second time in five years of business that Art of Eloquence has offered a half off sale! So do take advantage of it before the end of the month when the voucher code will expire!
From JoJo'sPurple Crayon...
Where's FIMM? Did you find himm this week? FIMM is now hiding on a new page on the Art of Eloquence site. To be entered into the drawing to win a free Art of Eloquence eProduct of YOUR CHOICE, find the only Foot in Mouth Man picture that looks different from all the rest and email us telling us what he looks like and where you found himm!
Did you miss Grace Talk Soup this morning? Go listen to the recording! We had a fabulous show!
Lorrie Flem, publisher of TEACH Magazine talked about the first several Habits of Today's Wise Woman! Great advice about being a wife and mother. Among other things, she talked about the definition of obedience: Completely, Respectfully, Immediately and Joyfully being obedient. Even for us moms!!
Then Felice Gerwitz and Jonathan Jeffus (homeschool son of Rich and Sharon Jeffus from Visual Manna) unveiled the beta version of a brand new homeschool resource, ScholarSquare.com! Be one of the first to see it! This is a great website where you can take various classes on all sorts of topics. Come hear all you will be able to do with this resource! They chose Grace Talk Soup to be the first to bring you the news!!
Also, if you are playing FIMM Bingo, I annouced the next 5 Foot in Mouth Man episodes to cross off your bingo list! You are one week closer to winning a free Art of Eloquence product! Just remember that you have to be live on Grace Talk Soup to call BINGO!
Finally I announced the clue to the "Where's FIMM?" contest! Come hear what FIMM looks like this week and watch my blog for clues from FIMM. OR just visit Art of Eloquence.com and look for the only picture of FIMM that is different from the rest. Email us at fimm@artofeloquence.com and tell us what FIMM looks like and were you found him this week. You will be entered into the drawing. A winner will be drawn from the entries when someone yells BINGO in the FIMM Bingo contest!
The show was so much fun and filled with such wonderful insights that it went on for a half hour beyond my usual hour time slot!! Come listen in!!
My friend, Debbie, is in the hospital recovering from surgery. She is a dear friend and I ask you all to pray for her to recover quickly. She was scheduled to be on my show, Grace Talk Soup, today to discuss how the Lord asked her to step down from two successful businesses and slow down (now we see even more why the Lord had her do this).
She will not be able to appear on the show, but it got me thinking. When the Lord has closed the door on a guest for my show, He very often puts a bug in my ear about subject that warrents further discussion and this time was no exception!
Debbie's recent work as an advocate for women's health issues lead us to discuss how going through menopause had changed the way we communicated with people. My recent discussion about my own menopausal journey wiht my brother on the phone, made it clear to me that this was an issue never fully explored.
Even if you were a people pleaser as a young adult, when menopause hit, did you come into your own? Have you changed the way you communicate with others as you have matured? Did Brain Fog cause communication breakdown? Let's have an open discussion today about how menopause affects communication. Come share with me your own journey.
We will discuss these issues PLUS I will reveal 5 more FIMM Bingo episodes to cross off your list if you are playing FIMM Bingo and the Where's FIMM? Contest clue!!
Date:Thu, June 5, 2008 Time:8am PST/11am EDT
How to participate: Dial: (724) 444-7444 Enter: 19736 # (Call ID)
Isn't it awesome to hear how a homeschooler is doing after graduation? I just love to hear what the homeschooling community is up to as they head off into the world!
Katherine Loop is a homeschool graduate who operates a ministry called Christian Perspective. Her book on teaching math biblically showing God within math is her most unique way of sharing her faith.
Come join me live on Grace Talk Soup today at 8am PST/11am EST and hear this homeschool graduate share her story!
To join me live, call (724) 444-7444 and enter Call ID #: 19736 when prompted.
