Communication FUNdamentals - Homeschool Blogger

Michael Jackson's 911 call

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:41:00 -0500

By now you have all probably heard that on Thursday two pop stars lost their lives. Farrah Fawcett lost her three year battle with cancer Thursday morning and Michael Jackson died Thursday afternoon of an apparent heart attack.

One of my readers asked if I would be posting about Michael Jackson and, at the time, I didn't think I would be. Communication FUNdamentals is mostly about humor and communication skills. Other than a few media stories in recent years, I haven't really followed Mr. Jackson's life so I wasn't going to comment. However, shortly after his death, there appeared to be some conflicting communication about the cause of his death coming from the transcripts of the 911 tape. It appeared that more was revealed by what was not said and not done.

I heard the 911 tape and was suprised at what it revealed. I have no medical training at all so, at first, I felt I may not be able to properly discern anything from the tapes. But a medical expert on the Sean Hannity Show expressed the same concerns and added one more piece of medical information that further shocked me.

The first thing that struck me about the tape was how polite the caller was taking the time to call the 911 operator "sir" often as if it was his nature. You could tell he was nervous and not sure what to say because he repeated himself and the 911 operator several times. Another thing that struck me odd was that this very polite unidentified man didn't identify Mr. Jackson, but just called him "a gentleman here." Since he did know his age when asked (without having to ask the doctor for that information), it seemed to me that he was told not to identify him by name due to his fame.

The most distressing thing to me was when the 911 operator was told that there was already a doctor on the scene! I was wondering why on earth that doctor wasn't on the phone with 911 instead of this poor man. I thought it would certainly speed treatment along to have the 911 operator briefed by a medical doctor who was with the patient at the time. In fact, we find in the next few lines of the transcript/audio that the doctor was the ONLY one with Mr. Jackson when it happened. The medical expert on the show said that, if it were his patient, he personally would be on the phone with 911 instead of giving that job to someone else.

The caller said that Mr. Jackson was on the bed and that the doctor had already tried CPR and was "trying to pump him." This sounds to me as if the doctor was currently performing CPR on the bed. The medical expert on the show pointed out something that I had forgotten from my one and only CPR training. You're supposed to do CPR on the FLOOR!

Apparently the initial report on the cause of death didn't show any heart disease that would be consistent with a heart attack so they are deferring the cause of death until more tests can be done. The communication from the 911 tape suggests negligence on the part of the attending personal physician. Some reports say that Mr. Jackson had allegedly been receiving regular injections of very strong pain killers which might have caused a heart attack. How very sad.

Farrah Fawcett was only 62 and had been fighting cancer for three years. Michael Jackson was only 50 years old. My prayers go out to their families and to this doctor as well.

Speak Not

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 08:21:00 -0500

“Tis better to be thought a fool, than open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.” -Abraham Lincoln

Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” a time to speak and a time to…NOT! Our society values information and we assign value to the person who shares it. In his quest for acceptance and to rise to that level of value, man attempts to share what he knows, even if he isn’t sure he knows it.

It isn’t a crime to be ignorant. All intelligent and knowlegeable men are ignorant of SOMETHING. Great is the man who shares his knowledge with others, but far greater still is the man who possesses the ability to keep silent when he knows not.

Every parent knows the value of the sound of silence. lol Sometimes the most intelligent thing to say is…nothing.

For more communication tips and insights, freebies and exclusive offers, subscribe to What’s New at Art of Eloquence!

All New! 3 of our 5 hard copy books are available again as eBooks!

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:04:00 -0500

They’re BAAACK!

Three of our hard copy studies are back and even better with more (embedded) resources and fun! Re released versions are even easier to use and have more tips and resources to help young communicators have fun as they learn to master the art of effective communication from a Christian perspective.

Say What You Mean for Kids: Basic speech communication skills for elementary kids

Know Your Audience: 2nd semester course teaching listening and persuasion in a fun entrepreneurial way!

Say What You Mean for Teens: Beginning speech communication course for teens

What good is a speech communication study they don’t think is fun?

“Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.”

We do the same thing when we speak and our listeners interpret what we say and how we say it in order to formulate opinions about us and our credibility. Being understood is only HALF the battle. Making a good impression or being able to persuade or being taken seriously is the other! That’s why it’s vital that we learn to become effective communicators.

But what good is a powerful message if it isn’t presented in a way that’s fun for kids to learn and easy for parents to teach?

That’s why Art of Eloquence uses humor and creative activities to teach!

Check out Art of Eloquence’s full line of creative and fun speech communication studies for all ages!

A Little Rain Won't Hurt You..But A Lot Can Kill Ya!

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 08:40:00 -0500

A Little Rain Won’t Hurt You…But A Lot Can Kill Ya!

By JoJo Tabares, Art of Eloquence.com

I was thinking about my topic for my Homeschool Blogger Weekly Column this week. What on earth does rain have to do with communication skills? As it turns out, the Lord showed me that it has quite a lesson for communicators! If you think I’ve finally gone off my nut, you might be right, but before you call the little men in white coats to take me away ha ha hoo hoo hee hee… check this out!

As I thought about how gentle rain sounds when it is lightly falling on my house, a line from a movie came to me. It’s not the most Christian movie and you may not want your children to watch it, but I have to give proper credit to the source. In the movie Jumanji, one player rolls the dice and lands on a square that starts a rain inside the house. The player turns to Robin Williams’ character and says, “A little rain won’t hurt us.” But Robin Williams’ character returns, “Yeah, but a lot can kill ya!”

Think back to how that gentle rain sounds when it turns into a rainstorm. The sound goes from a gentle pitter patter to a strong thunderous angry sound. I’ve been through thunderstorms that sound like a herd of elephants were about to break through my house! This once gentle rain can now destroy, but not necessarily because of the amount of water. The sheer force of pouring rain can erode mountains and large boulders. A gentle rain may be soothing to listen to but a thunderous storm is scary and can damage your roof.

Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” Our gentle nature with people when we speak to them can soften a heart and turn away wrath. On the other hand, just like a storm, the power of the spoken word can destroy a spirit and break a heart.

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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 skills for the whole family, please visit http://www.ArtofEloquence.com
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Serving Up a New Co Host on Grace Talk Soup!

Sun, 8 Mar 2009 19:05:00 -0500

For the last two years I have been “Boldly Serving Up God’s Word with a Side Order of Grace and Humor” over at Grace Talk Soup. It’s been such fun and the feedback on the show has been truly amazing! I have had the opportunity to interview the most inspiring guests! Let me engage in a little name-dropping:

Stephen Kendrick, Co author of The Love Dare and Fireproof!

Pastor Bob Cushman, author of What if You Pray?

Lorrie Flem, publisher of TEACH Magazine

Bette Dowdell, author of How to Be a Christian without being Annoying

FIMM, Hear Foot in Mouth Man speak for the first time!

Capt’n Richie, Coma Survivor!

Cindy Rushton, of Talk A Latte and UHSE shares her testimony on air for the first time!

Cathi-Lyn Dyck, shares her story of the side effects of her abortion and what the Drs don’t tell you!

Bill Phillips, Street Evangelist in the news who was threatened with arrest as he shared the Gospel!

This week marks Grace Talk Soup’s two year anniversary and I have BOLD NEWS to share! In her third year, Grace Talk Soup will be serving up more communication tips and instruction and even more HUMOR because Grace Talk Soup will be serving up a bold new CO HOST!

Want to know who it is? You’ll have to tune into the show today to find out! How?

To join us live via your computer: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19736

To join us live via your phone: (724) 444-7444 Call ID: 19736

Grace Talk Soup is recorded live each Thursday at 8am PST/11am EST. If you miss the show, you do miss the live interaction and the ability to voice your opinons and ask your questions BUT you can listen in any time you like to the recordings by visiting the talkcast, scrolling down to “Past Episodes” and clicking on the orange “listen” button next to the show that interests you.

Want some hints about my FUN new co host? OK…

She’s a long-time dear friend that I have spoken of on Communication FUNdamentals a few times before. In fact, I have blogged about her quite RECENTLY. (WINK WINK)

For those who may know her, she shares my passion for words, has an incredible sense of humor and a vast knowledge of history. She’s actually been on the show before. Can you guess? If you have an idea, post it here!

If you want to hear her say a quick hello and hear more about the exciting changes we are planning for our listeners, tune in to Grace Talk Soup and hear what was On the Menu last Thursday morning!

Where'd JoJo Go?

Just a reminder that I've moved my daily blog to my website, Art of Eloquence.com. If you want to continue to get my daily tips and articles and freebies, you will need to visit my new blog. You can subscribe to the RSS feed so each post will come to your email automatically each day.

Should you be teaching communication skills to your preschooler?

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:08:00 -0600

“Teaching communication skills at the preschool level is a BRILLIANT idea!”

Gena Suarez, publisher of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and mother of five, just posted that on my Facebook page. It is a brilliant idea but, to be honest, it wasn’t really MY brilliant idea. It was my customers’ idea. It came from all the feedback I received asking for a way they could allow their young children a chance to learn social communication skills before the shyness and intimidation of the elementary years set in.

Say What You Mean for Preschoolers gently teaches young children the basic communication skills through play! It’s a 2-5 yr program that teaches to various learning styles and interests. In fact, I used it with my gifted son til he was about 7yrs old! Boys mature later than girls do in their communication skills and gifted children often have special communication struggles.

As you know, Art of Eloquence is liquidating its stock of hard copy studies and we have already sold out of three of our five titles. We only have two left: Say What You Mean: An Advanced Speech Course which is a creative speech program and Say What You Mean for Preschoolers.

I have just a few copies of each of the two remaining titles left so act now or forever hold your speech! LOL

You can get either title, while supplies last, for 35% off by ordering as usual and entering voucher code: 502093535 at check out.

Order now before they are all gone. Several customers waited too long for the other titles and we had to tell them they were sold out!

JoJo's New Blog and the Techie Within!

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 07:54:00 -0600

I know you all will probably fall off your chairs when you read this but brace yourselves!

This Technologically Challenged, HTML Illiterate, Techno Ding Dong just created a Word Press blog and successfully navigated her way through the theme changing process and got it linked from Art of Eloquence!

NO WAY!

WAY!

Wanna see? http://artofeloquence.com/blog

I'm still going to keep my blog here at HomeschoolBlogger.com but I'm going to be posting less frequently. While I will be posting daily on my new blog, I'll be posting about once a week or so here.

Please stop by and leave a comment. It's a new blog and...HE'S LONELY!

From JoJo’s Purple Crayon
Learning Speech Communication Skills
can ALSO be fun with Art of Eloquence!

Selling off our hard copy inventory at 35% Off, but HURRY more than half are already sold out!

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:03:00 -0600

AoE Hard Copy Sale!

35% OFF SALE!

Art of Eloquence will not be replacing our hard copy studies after our current inventory runs out. We have a limited supply left of each title and we are offering 35% off each of them until they are gone.

Just order as usual and use voucher code 502093535 at checkout and it will automatically take off 35% from your order!

Hard Copy Titles:

Say What You Mean for Preschoolers

Say What You Mean for Kids (SOLD OUT)

Say What You Mean for Teens (SOLD OUT)

Know Your Audience (SOLD OUT)

Say What You Mean: An Advanced Speech Course

We are currently working to replace them as eBooks, but it will take us some time. There may be a lag time where some studies will not be available in either format.

I don't know how soon we will be able to have them ready as eBooks. Order now before they are all gone!

http://artofeloquence.com/catalog.php

Reorganized my life at the request of my dh...

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:51:00 -0600

I thought you all might appreciate knowing why certain things will no longer be available and what things might be a wee bit different in the coming months. After some soul searching and some discussion with my husband, this is the result. So far the feedback I am receiving is pretty positive. I have received many words of encouragement and several have indicated an agreement with my decision to honor my dh and his wishes as well as to put my family first. Thank you all for your kind and gracious words.

JoJo

P.S. To subscribe to my newsletter, please visit this page.

February 10, 2009

What's New at Art of Eloquence?

JoJo's Weekly Column

Important News

This week has been an exciting week and a week of changes here at Art of Eloquence. You may notice that the newsletter has had a facelift of sorts! We pray this will make it easier for you to find the information you wish to read more about.

The Say What You Mean Convention was a huge hit. The feedback is that everyone had such fun! We had 9 contests, 18 live events, 29 hours of instruction, 40+ audios still available, gave away over 400 ePackets of extra gifts to our registrants, and had over 1500 participants! There are a few links to the right where you will find all of the audios and convention info. If you have any feedback on the SWMConvention, please email us at jojo@artofeloquence.com

Art of Eloquence will be discontinuing a few things this month. Over the last few years, I had built up quite a ministry which included a weekly podcast, a daily blog, 4 weekly newsletters, several Yahoo groups, weekly Foot in Mouth Man episodes, 3 annual online events, one HUGE annual online convention to name a few. At the request of my husband, I will be downsizing and simplifying many of these responsibilities in order to spend more time with my family. I will continue to host the annual Say What You Mean Convention and my weekly podcast, however others will be done at longer intervals or will be eliminated.

To that end, this newsletter will be the only one we put out. I will be incorporating elements of each of our 4 newsletters back into one weekly newsletter that will come out each Tuesday morning. The newsletter will include a weekly column or article and links to various things I feel you would find enlightening: news items affecting the freedom of speech for Christians, a Friday Funny from my blog, etc. You can see this week's links on the right under AoE This Week.

Foot in Mouth Man will go from weekly to monthly episodes and only the newest episodes and a hand full of past episodes will be available on his page on the Art of Eloquence website. We have created a brand new eBook that is the greatest of FIMM in our new FIMMology 101: The Study of the Humorous Sins of Our Mouths. You can read more about it by following the link on the right side under New Products. See also our newest Online Classes!

Lastly, Art of Eloquence will not continue selling hard copy titles after our current inventory runs out. We will eventually be turning each of the following hard copy studies into an eBook version. We are having a 35% off sale in order to clear our shelves.

Art of Eloquence Hard Copy Sale!

35% OFF SALE!

Art of Eloquence will not be replacing our hard copy studies after our current inventory runs out. We have a limited supply left of each title (one title has only two!) and we are offering 35% off each of them until they are gone. Just order as usual and use voucher code 502093535 at checkout and it will automatically take off 35% from your order!

Say What You Mean for Preschoolers

Say What You Mean for Kids

Say What You Mean for Teens

Know Your Audience

Say What You Mean: An Advanced Speech Course

We are currently working to replace them as eBooks, but it will take us some time. There may be a lag time where some studies will not be available in either format.

Check out our Online Catalog for more creative communication fun!

I pray you enjoy the new look and the expanded content of the new What's New at Art of Eloquence eNewsletter. I think there's something for everyone!

JoJo Tabares

http://www.ArtofEloquence.com

AoE News:

* New Format

* One Newsletter

* Hard Copy Sale

* NEW: FIMMology 101!

* NEW: Art of Eloquence Online Classes!

* Grace Talk Soup

New eProducts

FIMMology 101

NEW Title!

$14.95

Art of Eloquence U!

Online University!
Online Defending the Faith Classes begin in March!$29.95

AoE This Week!

Question of the Week: What's Your Mission?

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Defending the Faith Post: Who Will Answer?

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Do you have a Christian blog or podcast? Join us on Facebook!

Homeschooling SWMC audios. Listen on demand! Great communication and homeschool tips from our speakers!

Who won the SWMC contests? Check it out here!

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This Thursday 2/12 8am PST

One College Student Takes on the Challenge and Speaks Out!

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Question of the Week: What's your mission?

Mon, 9 Feb 2009 08:00:00 -0600

Question of the Week

This is a new segment for my blog and I ask you to help me out by adding your comments and posting them on your blog as well. I have been doing a "Question of the Week" on my homeschool Yahoo group for a few years now. It's been a fun way to discuss issues and share ideas as well as get to know each other better.

How it Works:
Each Monday I'll ask a thought provoking question about life. Pose the same question to your blog readers on your own blog along with your answer to the question. Then come back here and post a comment with a link to your blog post so we can all read everyone's answers! Should be a lot of fun!

This week's question:
The Lord has given each of us different talents and experiences. He uses them to His Glory. What's your mission?

JoJo's Answer:
I have had a fascination with way people communicate since I was a young child in public school. I moved around a great deal, but everywhere I went, there were two kinds of kids in the class: the popular kids who always came off smelling like a rose and the unpopular kids who never quite seemed to do anything that would smell nearly as sweet. A rose by any other name? Hmmmm...

It wasn't the idea that was good in those days, it was the person who suggested it. It wasn't the clothes worn, it was the person who wore them. But more than that, it was the way in which that person carried himself.

Why was it that the popular kid would wear torn jeans and be thought cool when the "geek" was teased about being poor? It was his attitude, his communication of who he is. That started a lifelong study of communication skills in human behavior. What did I discover?

* Communication plays a large part in just about everything we do.
* The more effective you are in communicating, the more successful you are in life.
* Communication skills are mentioned HUNDREDS of times in the Bible.
* Communication skills are the most important part of The Great Commission.
* Communication skills cannot be mastered by taking one speech course.
* Each communication skill requires different techniques to master: speech is not all of communication.
* Social communication touches all areas of life, not just making friends.
* Communication skills are a core subject even more important than math, science and history.
* Employers are looking for those with good communication skills because it is something they can't fit in the two week training.
* Lack of effective communication is the reason cited most often as the cause for the break up of marriage!
* You may be able to get through your entire life without having to make a speech, but you will not get through 24 hours without communicating something to SOMEBODY!

Even today, this is a fairly new concept that most people don't fully understand. It is my mission to share these facts with the Christian community so that they may be more effective in the missions God has for THEM!

What's your mission?
Post your answers on your blog and come back here and put your link in so we can read it! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers here.

From JoJo's Purple Crayon
Learning Speech Communication Skills
can ALSO be fun with Art of Eloquence!