It's a time for authors and readers to enjoy being At Home! My dear friend Catherine Terry of At Home with Christian Fiction is having a very special event!
At Home with Christian Fiction will be hostessing their First Annual Birthday Bash January 11th - January 18th, 2009. They'll be celebrating the authors who write Christian Fiction, their books, and their readers. Daily prize drawings will be available and there will be a wonderful lineup of new reviews, interesting articles and recipes!
Stop by and have some fun!
A new Evening Standard article (UK) says "A groundbreaking report warns that teachers have no incentive to train pupils in the communication and team-working skills that employers value."
This is very similar to studies that have been done here in the USA as well for the past several years. They further state:
"The report said teenagers knew they needed "team-work, inquiry and communication skills" to find good jobs after they leave school or college.
But it concluded: "We currently fear that our schools are not seeking to teach us information or skills that will not be tested for, despite their critical importance to our future"
Their recommendation?
"The Association of Graduate Recruiters said the crucial qualities that new recruits needed were 'project management, team working and communication skills'."
A spokeswoman for the U.K. Department for Children, Schools and Families said:
"They should also have wider skills that, increasingly, employers and universities demand, such as the ability to express themselves and think clearly, and have a dynamic can-do attitude."
I've said it for over six years now: effective communication skills are not just for lawyers and politicians and they involve so much more than speech making! We need to prepare our teens for the "real world" by training them to express themselves well. Gods Word is filled with hundreds of warnings and teachings about communication, our tongues and mouths!
For more information on how to do that the creative and fun way, please visit Art of Eloquence.com.
It's Speak Up Saturday! Have you run into problems because of miscommunication in the work force? It's quite common these days. Share them with us! Post a comment.
"At about 9 a.m., Monday Trooper Gary Myers saw a Ford Escort visibly advertising identification cards that could be made in ten minutes."
Pictures of the vehicle plastered with his phone number, "Ready in 10 Minutes" (in both English and Spanish) and a Tennessee ID and Driver's License (probably with HIS pictures on them!) can be viewed when you click the above article link. Inside the car police found a portable computer and printer.
"The driver, Louis Correa, was arrested and booked into the Warren County Jail on charges of Manufacturing Government Documents, Suspended Drivers License, Possession of more than one Drivers License, and Registration Law (furtherance of a business not displaying a commercial tag)."
Please note the bumper stickers (again in both English and Spanish so as to communicate to the most possible drivers) say "Ask me about Jesus...Follow me to Church"!
I'd be careful about following him this Sunday, I doubt very much that Mr. Correa knows the way!
Side Bar:
It may be humorous that a criminal would be so dumb as to advertise his illegal activities so effectively that it would lead to his own arrest. We may feel he got what he deserved. But I submit to you that he is not the only one hurt as a result of his actions.
It's Speak Up Saturday. Please feel free to leave a comment about what you think this "witness" is communicating to the world about Jesus.
Jesus is the reason for the season, but often times we get so caught up in the commercialism of CHRISTmas that it overshadows the birth of our Lord and Savior and what he came to earth to do for us.
This video pokes fun at all the things we worry about during the CHRISTmas season that make it hard for us to keep Christ in our CHRISTmas.
I get about 500-700 spam emails on any given day. In fact, most of them are in a language I can't even READ! I had to have my daughter come home from college to figure out that the Russian Spam I get wants me to buy Russian Pop Music CDs! I guess it could have been worse. lol
No matter what I do I can't get these spammers to leave me alone yet the rules of Spamdom apply to me and other small business owners trying to play fair and make a living for our families.
I get Russian Spam, Spam to enhance body parts I don't own, Spam that has only a link, Spam that has nothing whatever in any of the fields including the body of the email! I get Spam that tells me I won the Euro Lottery or the Spanish Lotto, Spam from a Nigerian son of a deposed king who has nobody else to give all his millions to but little ole trustworthy honest me!
I have a junk mail filter, a spam filter, virus and spyware protection and yet I cannot stop these insidious pests from wasting my time. Yet when small business owners like me pay a monthly fee to a large and reputable newsletter provider service, make sure we follow all the rules, have double...triple...megaduple opt in newsletters and spend hours writing fresh pertinent and valuable content, we get an occasional subscriber who reports us as spam and gets our newsletter banned from an entire ISP. I had this happen once a few years ago all because somebody forgot she subscribed.
If you are in business, you get Spam! You probably get more Spam than the average JoJo out there. You know all too well how annoying Spam can be...in triplicate! Yet it seems the rules of Spamdom only apply to us.
Spam laws are one of those things that seemed to be a good idea at the time, but in practice, it leaves much to be desired. I am no techie. I wouldn't know how to bypass a Spam law if someone explained it to me using baby words! But the real Spammers out there know. They can get around any Spam law known to mankind in a nanosecond.
It seems Spam Wars are here to say. Honest folk obey them and Spammers squeak past them quite nicely, thank you very much!
This has been your Spam Rant for the day. I now return you to your regularly scheduled Spam.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
JoJo Tabares holds a degree in Speech Communication, but it is her humorous approach to communication skills which has made her a highly sought-after Christian speaker and writer. Her articles appear in homeschool publications, such as Homeschool Enrichment Magazine and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, which also endorses her Say What You Mean curricula. You can also find JoJo on web sites such as Crosswalk.com and Dr.Laura.com. For more information on communication FUNdamentals and Christian-based communication studies for the whole family, please visit http://www.ArtofEloquence.com
Texas state representative, Suzanna Gratia-Hupp, whose parents were killed by an insane gunman while her gun was out in the car, gives very moving and bold testimony about the REAL reason that the second amendment was designed to protect our God-given right to keep and bear arms.
Your 12 year old daughter is invited to a friend's birthday party. Pin the Tail on the Donkey is no longer en vogue, but you'll never guess what is!
The other day my sister related to me that the newest trend in pre-teen birthday parties is texting. About 12-15 girls sitting around at the "party", with cell phones in hand, texting each other about whether or not a boy was cute and if they could tell that he liked them. Not one of them actually talked to another. They were even texting the boys in question who were not in attendance.
I'm sure there were cake and presents, but what there wasn't was any face to face conversation! If you think conversation is a lost art, you ain't heard nothin' yet!
Why come? Why waste gas driving to a central location if you aren't even going to LOOK at each other?
According to my niece, the girls sat around, thumbs tapping madly, ignoring their host and any unfortunate wretch whose parents didn't see fit to equip their sixth grader with the Latest Teen Tool.
No wonder kids can't communicate well anymore; they don't even try!
During class, they text each other in broken and mispelled English about important subjects like how boring history is and if Jason really loves Brittany. Not 20 seconds after school lets out, they are on the cell phone already discussing where they are gonnalike get together ya' know that afternoon so they can like seriously text uninterrupted by siblings and parents who may want to...
Oh my goodness! What a week! I don't think I've had this much going on in one week since my dd was college prepping and I was driving her thither and yon!
Art of Eloquence turned 6 years old this month and I spent the week putting the final touches on our Birthday Bash which was on Thursday during a three hour expanded Grace Talk Soup Show! It was a BLAST!! If you missed it, you sure missed some FUN! The contests, specials and freebies were only available the day of the Birthday Bash, but you can listen to the audio and take advantage of my mini seminars and play along in our contests with our recorded audience! Here is a line up of the mini seminars and workshops:
* History of Art of Eloquence and JoJo's transition from a shy, Agnostic girl to a voice for the Lord!
* Epidemic of Email NastyGrams and tips for more effective email communication.
* Um Game/Contest
* Who's Right? Listening and Proverbs 18:17 Seminar
* Name That Sound Contest
* Defending the Faith Seminar: Importance of grace and respect in a global and secular world!
In addition to all of that, we had our half off sale for Say What You Mean: Defending the Faith that ended the night before the Birthday Bash. I set up a Weekly Drawing for folks who want to have some fun Finding FIMM!
I worked on some fun things for the upcoming Say What You Mean Convention! You will just love the audios I recorded! Fabulous information from some of the most exciting homeschool companies! I have three new studies coming out in time for the convention too: More Say What You Mean: Defending the Faith, Say What You Mean Debating the Issues and Say What You Mean for Parents.
I am also working on a new eBook based on an expanded version of my blog article series called, 21 Days to More Godly Communication. That should be out by the end of the year.
I had a series of fun communication quotes and funnies that I posted on my blog this first week of November too. The Daily Pun and Communication Thought of the Day. They were a lot of fun! You can go back through my Communication FUN and Communication Quotes blog categories to read through them!
On top of all of that, I did manage to teach school to my 9 y/o this week! We did have to skip it on Thursday but we did make up for it on Friday! Whoohooo! We had a double portion of homeschooling on Friday. Very proud of myself for not falling behind. It would have been easy to do. I had factored in the three hours of school time we would lose by hosting the Birthday Bash event, but what I forgot to factor in was the rest of the day it took to get all the prize notifications out and to take down all the events like the Birthday Bash Freebies page and the FIMM Scavenger Hunt. Took me months to set up the Birthday Bash but it only took me half a day to "tear down" and clean up! Praise God!
What I didn't manage to do was clean my house this week. Going to have to take time today to do that so it's Laundry and Cleaning Day today!
I hope you had a week filled with fun as I did. If you didn't, go in and check out the Birthday Bash audio. It'll lift your spirits and put a smile on your face!
Dueling Paint Chips:
A true story of bureaucracy and miscommunication.
If God works in mysterious ways, how would you categorize this Homeowner's Association? Several months ago when my folks were about to close escrow on the house we rent from them, they were notified by the Homeowner's Association that they had a violation against them.
Apparently several years earlier the house trim had been painted a NON APPROVED color. Although nobody had ever complained, the color of the trim was extremely close to the approved color and the violation was not committed by either my parents or the bank who had owned the property after the original owners, my parents were required to repair the violation. The Association gave them until the end of the year to repaint the house or face a fine.
The house was still a good investment despite the repairs it needed (including the trim violation) so they decided to go ahead with the escrow understanding that the Homeowner's Association had in place an appeal process. They hoped to convince the appeal board to make an exception based on the unusual circumstances.
After several months of research, letters and appeal hearings, they were told that the Homeowner's Association cannot make any exceptions to any of the rules because then they would have to make exceptions for every one of the other 3500 home owners in the association. In other words, they make it a policy NEVER to grant an exception brought to appeal in order to be fair. If you have a policy of never granting an exception, why have an appeal process at all? Seems like a colossal waste of time and money.
The verdict was in, the decision was made and the painter was hired. They were told they had a choice of two colors. One was a pinky-tan color and the other a brown. Not the most attractive colors to match the rest of the house which was painted grey, but this is what they were ordered to do.
They were told they had to submit a request to the Homeowner's Association in order to get approval to paint the house. Seemed a bit odd to have to ask permission to paint the house one of two colors that they were ordered to paint it, but they did! They were told they would hear back from the Association in a week or so and then they would be authorized to begin the painting process. They were given the name of the company from which to buy the paint, the name of the paints and the color codes.
Now if you think this is the end of the story, well, you'd be wrong. As unbelievable and somewhat comical as it seems, they were partially denied! Yes you read that right! You see, the Association recently changed the entire color palette of the neighborhood. Those who had houses painted the original colors were not required to repaint their houses. Those who wanted to repaint their entire house had to comply with the new color palette. Those who wanted to repaint part of their house (ie: the trim or just the garage door that had been damaged) were required to paint the house the exact color that was already on the house and NOTHING ELSE.
If you head is spinning, I completely understand. We felt the same way and here's what my father did. He articulately communicated to the Association representative that he could NOT paint the house trim the exact color that was already on the house because that was the entire reason the house was in violation! The representative agreed and told my parents that they had permission to paint the house the color closest to the original owner's intent when they had painted the house three years ago. Since the color on the house was so very close to the pinkey-tan color that was approved, they concluded that this must have been the color the original owners intended to paint the house. They approved this color as the ONLY color acceptable to the Homeowner's Association in order to remove the violation and fine.
We all became more than a little concerned that the color they would have spent $900 on might not be EXACTLY the same color as the one they had required. Since they had been so picky as to require them to repaint a perfectly good trim that was ALMOST EXACTLY the same color as their paint chip, we were concerned that the paint may not be mixed to their satisfaction and they would incur another violation that would require them to spend more money to repaint the house yet again!
They had the painting crew standing by and the paint had already been purchased at this point. My father went down to the Homeowner's Association office to ask if someone could come to the house and approve the color of the paint before they started the job. He was told they don't do that. So he asked if he could bring the paint to them to get it approved. They said they don't do that either. The procedure was for the homeowner to repaint the house after which the Association would inspect it sometime later to see if it was ok.
After some amount of phone calls and visits to the Association yesterday, we discovered something that would change the entire outlook on the situation. The paint that the Homeowner's Association had told them to use was not just very very close to the color that the trim was currently painted. It was EXACTLY the color that the trim was currently painted! Translation: the house was NOT in violation after all!
According to Joe the Painter (yeah Joe is his real name!), a paint splotch on a paint chip can be a bit different from how the paint appears on the house, especially after years of desert sun. But the paint must have held up pretty well because Joe painted half of two areas of trim on the house and, after it dried, we could not tell the difference between the newly painted half and the 3 y/o half that was supposedly painted with a different paint.
So back they go with pictures in hand to the Homeowner's Association to plead their case and ten minutes later they come back to the house with the representative who is shocked to find that the color they required the house to be was, indeed, the color it was already painted!
The moral of the story is two fold:
1) You need to be your own advocate. Stay informed and sometimes you will need to be instant. My folks were always polite and communicated in a respectful and articulate way.
2) Sometimes rules DO need to be broken. It would have saved my parents a lot of time and trouble, but it also would have saved the Homeowner's Association and their appeals and staff and committees time as well.
Meanwhile my folks are out the time and money it took to bring this through the appeal process which they had never any intention of granting, the money to pay Joe the Painter for his time and the paint he purchased for the job at the insistence of the Homeowner's Association. They are waiting to hear that the violation has been rescinded and will then ask to be reimbursed for the out of pocket expenses he incurred as a result of their faulty paint chip and insistence on the rules.
Nearing the end of my series,"21 Days to More Godly Communication", Day 15 brings us, on Speak Up Saturday, to one of my favorite verses.
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit
of power, of love and of self-discipline." -2 Timothy 1:7
One of the reasons people don't speak up, on Saturday or any other day, is because they are afraid. They are afraid of what others will think or what others might say. They are afraid of how they will come across. They are afraid of seeming too bold or even too weak.
While it is important to prepare your communication, having done that, it is important to remember that we can be bold without being disrespectful. We can be bold because God gives us power. Our power to be self-disciplined and prepared and educated then gives us the power to be bold.
I know many people who are good communicators but are simply too afraid to speak up. They are well educated in the area God has put on their heart to share, but they are afraid to put themselves out there. They are afraid to take a stand.
Anytime you take a stand for something, you risk disapproval. Anytime you speak out, you risk having others disagree. But remember, too, that most people respect someone who takes a position. As the old saying goes..."If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything!"
God will help you if you hear His call in your life. God will keep you on your path and help you through the times when you are criticized, mocked or ignored. God never said life as a Christian would be easy. He just said He'd always be there with you! God never said the Great Commission would be easy, He just said we should undertake it.
But I can tell you this from experience. If you've done your due diligence on the topic and the issues, if' you've learned how best to share that information with others, if you stand up and speak out in grace and with respect, it's a lot easier than you think it will be!
There is the spirit of power in speaking up for the things God puts in your heart when you are prepared.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
JoJo Tabares holds a degree in Speech Communication, but it is her humorous approach to communication skills which has made her a highly sought-after Christian speaker and writer. Her articles appear in homeschool publications, such as Homeschool Enrichment Magazine and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, which also endorses her Say What You Mean curricula. You can also find JoJo on web sites such as Crosswalk.com and Dr.Laura.com. For more information on communication FUNdamentals and Christian-based communication studies for the whole family, please visit http://www.ArtofEloquence.com
Day 8 of my series "21 Days to More Godly Communication" comes to us from Philippians. It is a warning to us about how we are to approach things.
"Do all things without murmurings and disputings:" -Philippians 2:14
At the 4th Annual Say What You Mean Convention in February, Lorrie Flem, publisher of TEACH Magazine (Keynote Speaker for Mom's Day this coming year!), will share on "What Obedience Looks Like" in a pre-recorded audio just for convention goers. I had the honor of recording the audio and I can't wait to share all of her wisdom with you and your children at the convention on Kids Day. One of the points she makes is that, in order for true obedience to take place, the act needs to be done with joy.
Just as we require that our children simply do what we ask of them without "murmurings and disputings" or grumblings and complainings, the Lord asks us to do what He asks of us with a joyful heart free of "murmurings and disputings". Part of the reason I believe the Lord asks this of us is because it is disrespectful to Him for us to complain. Even if we comply to do His will, we are not truly obedient to Him if we complain as we do so.
However, another important reason why I think the Lord tells us this is because it communicates negatiavely about the Christian faith. Just as a neighbor might look at our grumbling son as he takes out the trash and conclude that he is not truly obedient to his parents, an unbeliever might look at a Christian doing God's Will in the same way. The unbeliever might correctly conclude that we are not truly obedient to the Lord. It naturally follows that they might question whether or not we are true believers. If we truly believed in an all powerful God who loves us, why would we not trust Him and happily follow where He leads?
Communication is a vital skill to master and there are many types of communication in life. One of the most important reasons to communicate is to share our faith. By grumbling as we comply with God's Will for our lives, we communicate confusion to unbelievers. By grumbling and complaining as we do what our boss asks of us, we communicate disrespect and, therefore, confusion as to what it means to be a Christian. By grumbling and complaining to our friends as we help them, we communicate that same confusion to our friend.
If we are going to grumble and complain, we might as well not do it at all. If we are going to do what someone asks of us, we ought to do so free of "murmurings and disputings". When we do, it communicates a clear message to all.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
JoJo Tabares holds a degree in Speech Communication, but it is her humorous approach to communication skills which has made her a highly sought-after Christian speaker and writer. Her articles appear in homeschool publications, such as Homeschool Enrichment Magazine and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, which also endorses her Say What You Mean curricula. You can also find JoJo on web sites such as Crosswalk.com and Dr.Laura.com. For more information on communication FUNdamentals and Christian-based communication studies for the whole family, please visit http://www.ArtofEloquence.com
The Lord talks about communication HUNDREDs of times in His Word. As we read the Word of God, we understand the power and impact of the tongue. He cautions us and instructs us in its use, not just for making speeches, but for everyday life.
They say it takes 21 days to make a habit so, over the next 21 days, I am going to share a few of my favorite verses and the importance of applying them today.
"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." -Proverbs 25:11
This is my signature verse so I thought I'd start with it. I love this verse. It reminds me that our words are precious. We shouldn't just throw them out there and hope they stick. We should take care to choose our words wisely and craft our conversation with wisdom, tailoring it to the unique individual and particular situation at hand.
Being an effective communicator is more important today than it ever was before.WHY?
* We are now communicating with the world.
Technology has given us the ability to communicate with people around the world. With one click of a mouse we can send our words anywhere. We need to remember that these unseen people are human beings from different cultures, backgrounds and experiences who see the world in a unique way.
God doesn't make Cookie-Cutter People and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to communicating effectively. It is critical that our words are a good "fit".
* Misinformation abounds.
Precisely because it is so easy for someone to express their opinions to the world, it is equally as simple to express misinformation. We have come to understand that, just because it is written in the paper or reported by a newscaster, doesn't necessarily make it true or accurate. The media is famous for twisting the truth and reporting whatever serves its agenda. We need, also, to understand that whatever is typed into a blog or article on the internet may not be "the whole truth and nothing but the truth."
In today's society, it is often necessary to explain or clear up misunderstandings people have. This isn't as easy to do these days because there are more "hot topics" than there used to be. Politics and religion are no longer the only topics to "stay away from in polite company". Today's society has an emotional reaction to many topics including homeschooling, evolution, gun control, global warming, vaccinations, etc.
Today's discussions require much more communication skill to overcome the knee-jerk emotional reactions that inevitably follow any mention of many of these topics.
* People are busy.
I remember watching a documentary from the 1950's that depicted what society would look like in the 1980's. I think I watched it in the 1990's so it was quite humorous to me. It showed the wife as the lady of leisure. Due to the technological advances, she was able to get her housework done in a fraction of the time leaving her rested and able to pursue more of her interests.
Today's woman is busy! Aside from the housework and children, she is usually working as well (outside or inside the home). Today's husband may have to work more than one job to make ends meet. People no longer have the time to investigate issues thoroughly. They rely more and more on the media and, as I said, the media has their own agenda to promote. They no longer give you, as Sgt Friday used to say, "Just the facts, Ma'am." The media infuses their "truth" with opinion, sound bites and misinformation.
It takes much more communication skill to respectfully break through some of these deeply held, accepted beliefs. It also takes more time. Time people generally don't have to wade through all the information out there and discover the truth. They're busy keeping their family together and making ends meet.
* Respectful discourse is no longer in fashion.
If you read the words of our forefathers, you will notice that, although they may have disagreed vehemently with someone, they usually did so with respect and in grace. Not so these days.
Because there is so much information (and misinformation) thrown at us when we are busier than ever, there is more of a frustration with life today. Because much of the information we get is from faceless sources (TV, internet, email, billbaords) we are no longer coming face-to-face with a human being. There is a justification, or even almost an entitlement, to respond to someone out of frustration with disrespect.
I remember waiting in line behind a red light in the left turn lane a few years ago. The woman behind me got out of her car, walked around to my driver's side window and began screaming her head off at me! I remember her being behind me for several blocks prior to that. She came into view when the car in front of her changed lanes. I had no idea what she was so upset about and I dared not open my window to find out! When the light changed to green, she got back in her car and went on her way.
Road rage is only one of the many ways in which society has come to express their anger and frustration. It is much less common for someone to do something so violent in person, but over the internet where you don't need to look into the eyes of your victim, people are much more likely to "fly off the handle".
It takes much more communication skill to handle the typical "Nasty Grams" we get today.
* Anti-Christian bias is.
More and more each day, Christians are told to sit down and be quiet about Jesus. Just the mere mention of the name of our Lord and Savior brings anger to some. More and more college professors and even high school teachers feel justified in spouting hatred of Christians, our beliefs and our Lord. More and more God is being taken out of our society in the name of "separation of church and state."
Even young Christian children may have to handle a question or negative comment (in school or even on the playground) about their faith. It is no longer a matter of if a Christian will be asked to defend his faith, but when.
God tells us to share the Good News. We can't do that without communicating. When we communicate, whether it be to share or defend our faith, express our political ideas or even just to have a conversation with someone in line at the grocery store, we cannot just throw our words out there and hope for the best.
The Lord tells us how we are to use the power of the tongue. Throughout the Bible, He shares how we are to speak with one another. Each of us is a unique creation of God who sees the world from a different perspective. It takes much more skill to communicate than it used to. We need to learn to share our thoughts and ideas in today's world. The first step is to understand that our words are precious.
A word fitly spoken can be a gift we give to others as we share our lives and experiences with them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
JoJo Tabares holds a degree in Speech Communication, but it is her humorous approach to communication skills which has made her a highly sought-after Christian speaker and writer. Her articles appear in homeschool publications, such as Homeschool Enrichment Magazine and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, which also endorses her Say What You Mean curricula. You can also find JoJo on web sites such as Crosswalk.com and Dr.Laura.com. For more information on communication FUNdamentals and Christian-based communication studies for the whole family, please visit http://www.ArtofEloquence.com
Several controversial speeches of historic proportion took place in the past few days. Who won and who lost from a communication standpoint? I'll go through them one at a time and give you my opinions.
The Biden/Palin debate that took place on Thursday night was viewed by an historic 69 MILLION people! That's more than any other VP debate and I think they said only 2nd to any presidential debate. Over all I think both Joe Biden and Sarah Palin did pretty well. Each in different ways.
Sarah Palin was most probably the reason they all tuned in. Some wanted to see her fail and others were rooting for her to win the debate. She held her own quite nicely and endeared herself to the American people. After a few horrid interviews, even many Republicans, didn't think she would do so well.
Perhaps the expectations were low as I reported one pundit had predicted or perhaps she just was more in her element. Sarah Palin seems to do well in more public settings where she is able to answer without being edited or where both political parties have to answer the same issues. She doesn't (or at least hasn't) done so well one on one against the mainstream liberal media Gotcha Inquisitions.
I watched the aftermath where all the Fox News pundits were saying she won the debate by a large margin. Some of their polls showed her winning the debate by over 80%! I think not. What she won was the hearts of the American people. She had some great points but she missed several opportunities to answer some of Joe Biden's issues.
CNN and the mainstream media reported that she did very badly, but their polls showed Biden won the debate by a much smaller majority.
Both Democrats and Republicans felt that Sarah Palin did very well. I don't think the honest ones thought she decidedly won, but they all agreed that she was by far the best communicator of the four. And she is. She spoke directly into the camera and to the American people with steady and unwavering eye contact and that smile for which she is known so well.
Joe Biden was expected to do well and, after thirty some odd years in politics, he should. I thought he made some great points which Palin left unanswered. Some pundits, including Republican pundits have said he won the debate. They might be right on substance. He steadily attacked her, the Bush administration and McCain. He was able to get some issues in that Palin either left unanswered by choice or had no opportunity to do so.
Biden did master the art of answering several objections lobbed at him by Palin even when he didn't have time during that question. He artfully came back to the issue at a later time in the debate.
Biden did endear himself to the American people during the debate when he shared that he had been a single father and that he knew too, how the American people feel. In fact, he got visibly choked up. He isn't known for this and so it was quite surprising and I think worked well for him. I believe it was most sincere.
Though he did get MANY more details and statistics in during the debate there is a raging controversy on his truthfulness. He said several things that I know were patently untrue. One was that Obama never said he would sit down with foreign leaders like Akmadenijad without preconditions. I heard him say it and so did many other Americans. I haven't been around the senate as long as Biden so I'd have to look up each issue.
Sean Hannity played a clip of all of the times in which he said Biden lied just during the debate with Sarah Palin that night. There were many! You could spend some time looking each up, but most people won't. Whether or not you are an Obama supporter, if you catch someone in a lie, their credibility is now in question. I think this does him a great disservice with swing voters who had heard the same statements as I did and know Biden was wrong on those.
Over all though, I think Biden did a great job as a debater. He is well trained as he has been in the public eye for many many years now. This was the issue I felt Sarah Palin had to overcome with a debate with Biden. As I said, they both did well in different areas.
Frank Luntz did a wiring up of some Independent voters who watched the debate and electronically showed their agreement or disagreement as they watched in real time. He reported that there was only one time during the debate where Sarah Palin's numbers went down. That was the time where she talked about going to the soccer games and talking to the Soccer moms about financial issues. There were several times during the debate where Biden's numbers went down.
I include O'Reilly in here as a speech because instead of respectfully interviewing Barney Frank, he MADE the interview into a debate and actually more of a shouting match. Which is interesting when you consider that he had blasted Katie Curic for unfairly treating Sarah Palin!
I don't agree with almost anything Barney Frank says, but I did agree with something he said during this interview. He said that O'Reilly was ranting and not allowing him to speak. This was true! O'Reilly was disrespectful and shouted over Frank for almost the entire interview. In fact, I felt Barney Frank did a fabulous job of conducting himself during this tirade! For the most part, Frank appeared to keep his cool and would not back down. This is what wins a debate!
I felt Barney Frank won that debate and Bill O'Reilly came off looking like the attacker. You may vehemently disagree with someone, but shouting them down rarely wins the argument! Judge for yourself:
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 received the following from Good Clean Fun yesterday. It really spoke to me about how we, in the technological age, no longer understand the importance of communication in everyday life. Take a look:
There she stood in the line at the post office, a line that wound its way almost out the front door.
A fellow customer spoke to the elderly lady waiting to buy some stamps. "Ma'am, you must be very tired. Did you know there's a stamp machine over there in the corner?" He pointed to the machine built into the wall.
"Why yes, thank you," the lady replied, "but I'll just wait here a little while longer. I'm getting close to the window."
The customer became insistent. "But it would be so much easier for you to avoid this long line and buy your stamps from the machine."
The woman patted him on the arm and answered, "Oh, I know. But that old machine would never ask me how my grandchildren are doing."
In this age of Automated Audry with her computerized voice and electronic bedside manner, the need to connect and relate to others is still a part of our makeup -especially for women. We are relational beings who need to share our lives with each other. To do this we need to communicate with living breathing people.
Please leave your comment and share what you think about our need to communicate with others especially in light of the technological age when you are hard pressed to get a live body on the other end of a phone.
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!
Sometimes you just can't figure these things out without hiring a professional!
Problem: Copies come out shredded when copier unattended.
Geek Squad: Duplicated the problem. Surveillance: Hidden Camera Installed
Results:
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 found this how-to article on the internet. It struck me funny as I wouldn’t guess most people would be in need of this information. If they were famous, I doubt seriously that they would be searching Wikipedia to learn how to handle it. But maybe I’m wrong.
It starts with a quote from someone which means one thing to a famous person, but quite another to me. “I handle fame by not being famous.” The article goes on to share some practical advice about keeping a celebrity’s personal life out of the spotlight even in good times. The idea is to not make famous (or might that be INFAMOUS) any personal details that make the media hungry for more. Don't venture out in public as often giving them an opportunity to pounce.
I guess the rest of us handle our fame pretty well without reading this article. We handle our fame by not being famous…at all! ROFL
Let's face it, it must be a difficult life! Celebrities are mobbed wherever they go. The Popparatzi lurk everywhere! They have no privacy and NOTHING, it seems, is off limits!
They interrupt private conversations. They lurk outside bathroom doors awaiting departure, even asking their questions right through the door!
"Hi Mommy! What are you doing in there?"
On second thought, let me take another look at that article. Perhaps I should invest in an overcoat and dark glasses!
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!
Many of you had emailed asking me to post more about the communication effectiveness and style of the presidential candidates. I must admit that until yesterday, my interest in the campaign had waned.
As a conservative, I had been disappointed in the Republican Party especially with the nomination of John McCain who is not always on the conservative side of the issue. However, yesterday with the announcement of Alaska's Governor Sarah Palin, I have gained new interest in following the presidential race and am more comfortable voting for the Republican ticket in November.
Putting aside what I feel about the politics of each of the candidates, I would like to discuss their communication skills. You may be wondering why this is so important a topic when compared with their stance on the War on Terror or their policies on government spending. However, for a few reasons, the way in which a president communicates is many times of greater importance than what he is trying to say. Effectiveness is measured more by "how" and not as much "what":
"The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously." Hubert H. Humphrey
"The world is governed more by appearances than realities, so it is fully as necessary to seem to know something as it is to know it." Unknown
"You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can't get them across, your ideas won't get you anywhere." -Lee Iacocca
With that in mind, I would like to discuss the image and communication skill of each of the candidates. Taking them each one at a time in alphabetical order...
Democrat, Vice Presidential Nominee, Joe Biden presents a slick image of the old "politics as usual" which is in stark contrast to his Presidential running mate and what he (Obama) says he wants to bring to this country (not to mention that it is exactly what Senator Obama had accused McCain of bringing to the table). Senator Biden had previously (and recently) stated that Barack Obama was not qualified to be President of the United States. This presents, I think, a confusing image for the ticket. Having had many years of practice, Joe Biden is a good speaker. He displays some energy and vigor in his communication which could be offset by his grey appearance, but isn't. A leader needs to present an image that he is strong and Biden does so with his speech which is an important quality.
Republican Presidential Nominee, John McCain presents a rather frail image which could present a problem as a leader of a nation at war with terrorism, if it were not for his strong stance and his track record on military issues. He is a competent speaker, at best, presenting the issues well, but often in a rather boring manner. No matter how many times McCain may trot out his 83 year old mother, the concern over his age and whether or not he will make it through his first term (let alone have a chance at another) is not diminished. Though he often aligns himself with The Great Communicator, he is NO Ronald Reagan! He speaks softly and carries a huge yawn. Though he has been known on occasion to take on a passionate tone, he remains a competent, yet not very engaging speaker.
Democrat, Presidential Nominee, Barack Obama, as I have posted before, is a fabulous orator! He presents an image of a young, strong leader vital for a nation in war time. It would be a convincing image If it weren't for his words which are at military odds with that strength. Though he is an excellent orator during his prepared speeches, his abilities fall short when he speaks off the cuff or when answering questions. On many an extemporaneous occasion he has stumbled and bumbled his way through the event uttering something silly like..."I have visited 57 states." This is a perfect opportunity for the other side to make the case that it is worrisome to consider someone for President of the United States when he doesn't seem to know how many states are united.
Republican Vice Presidential Nominee, Sarah Palinis the only true bright spot in the bunch. She is a dynamic speaker who presents an energetic, honorable, decisive and uncompromising image. Governor Palin is a powerful addition to the Republican ticket that was heretofore dominated by the slow and steady compromising nature of McCain. She brings to the Republican Party a refreshing blend of traditional, unwavering, conservative Christian values and vibrant modern woman. She's a young, energetic and strong athletic woman who can take care of herself and knows where she came from and who to thank at the end of the day for her blessings! Wow! She speaks with authority and humbleness with strength and simplicity. She speaks with conviction and is not afraid to speak out respectfully for what she believes. That is truly unique in these political modern times. Whether or not she becomes the next and first woman Vice President of the United States of America, Governor Sarah Palin is someone to watch.
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!
Communication has come a long way in the Information Age! We are now able to communicate with people around the world from the comfort of our own homes. And we have access to information we never would have had before available at the click of a mouse!
According to this article on ChristianityToday.com:
Parts of the world’s earliest known complete copy of the New Testament went online for the first time on Thursday.
The British Library published the Gospel of Mark and the Book of Psalms from the fourth century Codex Sinaiticus with plans to launch the rest of the manuscript on its website within a year.
The Codex Sinaiticus has been published online as part of a collaborative effort with the three other institutions that hold the remaining parts of the manuscript, the Monastery of St Catherine at Mount Sinai in Egypt, the University Library of Leipzig in Germany and the National Library of Russia.
The Codex Sinaiticus is the earliest known Bible written (in Greek) around the middle of the 4th Century. Only a few people have ever seen the manuscript, but you can see it here: http://www.codexsinaiticus.org/en/
They plan to have the project completed by July 2009 to include the complete manuscript, changes made over the centuries and translations in English and German.
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 receive a lot of email forwards sharing miraculous stories. Some of them are Urban Legands. Some are true. This one is a true story of a true hero. Here is an excerpt:
PO2 (EOD2) Mike Monsoor, a Navy EOD Technician, was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously for jumping on a grenade in Iraq , giving his life to save his fellow SEALs.
At the gravesite, SEALs removed their gold Trident from their uniform and slapped it down embedding it into his wood coffin as a tribute to him. You can watch a YouTube video tribute to him that is posted on this Snopes entry.
The story is true.
Each of our military men and women are heros. They serve and sacrifice for our country and the welfare of others around the world. Their families sacrifice as well.
Pass this on. Remember those who serve. Continue to pray for them and for their families.
May God bless and protect each hero serving our country and their families who sacrifice as well!
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!
I was raised by two Atheists of Jewish heritage, married a non practicing Catholic and became a non denominational Christian due, in part, to some Amway meetings and a Jehovah's Witness who came to my door. My purple crayon writes with humor and almost always a little out of the lines.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This blog is my creative and fun way of sharing my thoughts on communication skills relating mostly to homeschooling and sharing and defending the faith. It also reveals a bit about how the Lord took this shy Agnostic girl and allowed her to find her voice and her purpose, a zany voice to the Christian community with insight as to what unbelievers need to hear about Christ Jesus.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'll share news items, quotes, family friendly humor, tips, trivia, and my newest feature: Question of the Week. I invite you to come share your thoughts!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more creative fun with JoJo you can visit www.ArtofEloquence.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." -Proverbs 25:11
