Two Words That Make Most Audiences Cringe!

Okay. We are adults, right? Basically, we are comfortable with ourselves or we hide our insecurity appropriately or in a socially acceptable manner (drinking, smoking, etc.) right? Ummmm.

In transitioning from stand up comedian (who speak their minds) to a Toastmasters Humor Speaker in a contest, let me tell you what not to do.

There is a rule known in comedy circles, and actually any performance circle, called 'know your audience.' It is a good rule and one that will always help you craft your message to the correct demographic. Unless you are a smart aleck comedian.

I recently competed at the 'area' level in a Toastmasters Humorous contest. I scratched my way to this second level of five levels. Now, I knew who would comprise my audience. There would be basically conventional Toastmasters types that delight in stories about coffee, the dreams of a boy and a broken television and relatively safe stuff. Hey, let's just say totally safe material!

I knew this coming into the competition. I knew it after I heard the first humor contestant delight in 'why do women in SUV's drive with their cellphones attached to their heads.' I knew it from checking out the audience before the event. By the way, these are the lessons in this article: check out YOUR audience before the contest, mingle with them, and listen to the other speakers to see what the audience is going for, and hopefully these hints will guide your speaking efforts.

I know of these things, yet, I choose to blatantly ignore them for the sake of, one, stage time, and two because the words Penis and Vagina, of which everyone in the audience was in possession of, should not have made them cower or recoil. Which I believe some of them did! Apparently, those accouterments are not used very often...by some. (Another lesson, do not be mad or blame your audience for your performance!) (And, no, I'm not mad nor blaming them...I'm sorta making fun of them, I'm a comedian, remember!)

Which brings me to the last lesson. Do Not, I repeat DO NOT do what I did (you'd have to be really brave or crazy!) Do not use language that will turn some or most of the audience against you! Think through your speech! I made people feel uncomfortable...on purpose! I knew way ahead of time, that I would not nor could not win a Toastmasters humor contest...not with my mouth or my comedic past!

I even mentioned to the audience their discomfort in hearing those words within a speech. My speech BTW was not blue, laced with any expletives, nor did I mention anything graphic. I simply uttered 2 terms that tend to make adults feel like, 'No! She didn't say that! Oh, my God, I'm embarrassed! Now, John (?) knows I have one! Damn Her!" Or they were feeling something like that. I must also say that I am a registered nurse, so those terms, PENIS and VAGINA are part of my working vocabulary. Although, I must say that they are used in the nurses lounge more than in relation to patients!

If you've read my other articles, you know by now that I cannot count. So here is the other lesson that I took a 'hit for the team' in order to write this article (and get the precious, precious stage time!) At some point take the chance, take the risk and say what you want to say! Risk putting yourself out there. I am not talking racism or porn! I was not tarred and feathered. I am still alive. Some of the older ladies gave me a few looks. So what! Actually, a lot of the audience thought I was really funny (one guy stated that I could be a comedian!)

Which of course leads me to the final lesson. Please make sure the MC, or whomever introduces you, gives you the correct introduction! Immediately, after the 'comedian' comment from an fan, I thought, perhaps some of the audience would have accepted my material better, if they had known I was a stand up comedian and nurse from the beginning. I would have been given a bit more leeway in stating or being more blunt...not blue, not offensive, but directly stating certain words!

So those are the lessons I offer to you. Comments?

AUTHOR/SPEAKER, ADRIENNE ZURUB is a former cardiothoracic surgical nurse with over twenty-five years of experience on the open heart/heart transplant team at Cleveland Clinic. She is a CNOR (certified nurse operating room) She is The Nurse Whisperer!

She is an actor/poet/and stand up comedian. As a comedian she has performed in clubs in New York City and LA. In theater she has written and performed her solo performances pieces at Cleveland Public Theater. She performed at the historic Karamu Theater as part of Arenafest. She belongs to Toastmasters Club 6500, NSAOhio, AKA Sorority,Inc., and volunteers in the Greater Cleveland community as a speaker.

She is the Author of 'Notes From the Mothership ~ The Naked Invisibles' a nonfiction work that coalesces some of her experiences on the open heart team with the randiness of many aspects of her life! http://adriennezurub.typepad.com
Find her on: Twitter, Facebook, Livejournal, Ning.com, GoodReads, ...

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Setting the Mood with Your Date

Nothing makes for a more romantic gesture than one that is made purely for the sake of romance itself. When it comes to seducing a woman if you want to make a really great impression on us then you’ll want to pull out all the stops and create a romantic date without waiting for a special occasion. Not to mention there’s no rule that says you have to wait for a certain day or time.

This particular tip requires knowing a bit about your lady and what she likes and doesn’t like. But you don’t have to know her like the back of your hand in order to make a truly romantic evening for the two of you to share. The most important thing is to consider what you know she finds romantic and then do your best to create that for her. The very fact that you thought of her and wanted to romance her out of the blue will really impress her and make her feel truly special.

Many of these suggestions would take relatively little time for preparation. Remember, it’s sometimes the smallest gesture that will really make a woman feel special. The first romantic setting is a candlelit picnic in a park or other quiet location. This is sure to make your lady feel special. There’s no special occasion needed. This is also easy to put together with a bottle of wine, some cheese, strawberries, whatever the two of you like.

If you have a portable CD player you can bring that along with a disc of romantic music and you’ll have an evening that the both of you are sure to remember. Just don’t forget to check the weather and be sure to bring the blanket!

The next suggestion I have is good for any weather, a nice candlelit meal consisting of her favorite foods and dessert at your place. When you’re planning this evening be sure to have soft, romantic music on and a nice bottle of wine. Her favorite flowers would be an extra nice touch. This meal could be prepared by you or ordered and picked up from a restaurant.

As long as you’ve taken care to choose what she likes it’s sure to be a huge hit! If your place tends to be a bit messy, be sure to take the extra bit of time to clean it up so that she’s not tripping over your tennis shoes or gym bag.


I want to reconcile my marriage! If this sounds like you, we can show you how.

Finding the Right Piano Technician for Your Piano Restoration Project

There are a number of reasons that you want to find the correct person to restore your piano. Whether it’s a new instrument that could use a good tuning or an antique piano that could use a good overhaul, finding the right piano technician for your piano restoration can make all the difference in its ultimate quality.

This is one of the most important decisions you will make with regards to your piano. If you value your piano and want the best, you should take your time and find not just a piano technician, but an artist who loves their job and specializes in piano restoration, adheres to the highest restoration standards, has years of professional experience and good references.

First off, look for the music store in your area with the best references. Talk to friends and colleagues, go online, and try to get referrals. The best dealer in your area probably works with the best piano restoration technicians. They can often give you personal references and guide you in the right direction.

Don’t forget to check out the Piano Technicians Guild (PTG) website. They are an excellent resource and can be quite helpful in finding an expert piano technician in your area who can give your piano the restoration it deserves. Get names, do research, and get referrals.

Piano restoration is an art; there are a number of people who are good, solid piano restoration artists, but only a handful who are truly masters. No matter their level, make sure that they are members of the Piano Technicians Guild, that they are a Registered Piano Technician, and that they have good references. This is essential, as any serious technician will belong to this guild.

A true professional piano technician will do more than “tune and leave.” They will share whatever knowledge they have about your piano and its inner workings; they will offer advice and tips on caring for your piano; they will check it out thoroughly and be honest in their assessment. In short, they will offer the full piano restoration service.

Additionally, it’s helpful to be somewhat informed about pianos and their parts, including possible problems and aspects of maintenance. Be sure to ask questions. This ensures greater trust and confidence in your piano technician’s work; it also allows them to communicate with you more effectively during your piano’s restoration. In addition, a decent knowledge base aids in recognizing an experienced, professional piano technician from an amateur or less experienced individual.

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Discover online piano course reviews in the Play Piano Guide.

Hiring a Quality Home Movers

Moving from one dwelling place to another is a normal scene in Singapore. A number of occupants are not home owners. They are just tenants. The reason is that owning a house is not easy especially for non Singaporean citizens who obviously make up the lion's share of Singapore's manpower. Thus housing service is mostly on a yearly contract basis.

Given this real scenario and considering the volatile behavior of the real estate market, the demand for home movers is high in Singapore. While there are many service providers, it pays to do your job in screening out the most dependable home movers particularly if you are short of cash. And the necessity to make a good choice is paramount if you would like proper care on the manner your stuff are transported.

The rate of home movers in Singapore can be quite expensive. It may turn out to be much more costly later if you happen to hire unskilled home movers who can only mess up with your priceless stuffs. Other companies engaged in this service because it is good money and those duly registered and professionaly trained to give moving service. You definitely opt to engage home movers who can offer the best rate and the best service possible.

If there is one good venue to locate these movers in Singapore, it is through the internet. Check on ebay Singapore. Search using the keyword "Singapore home movers" and you can most likely generate a good search list. What makes ebay a good source of info is that you can refer to testimonials of previous clients. Yes, while these feedbacks are not 100% reliable you can have at the minimum an idea on the kind of service.

Also, online forums which are Singapore based in nature can give you some guide on home movers. Just concentrate on heavy traffic blogs and forums. Of course, not missing out the classifieds. Home movers tend to post ads on online classifieds because ad posting here for free, if not at a very minimal rate.

With your filtered list, you expect to tap the most reliable home movers in town which will give lesser hassle house moving service for you.



Here is a recommended Singapore Home Movers

Winning Day Trading Strategies

The forex market is like a war zone, and unless you have the best day trading strategies in use you could go down and quickly. Fortunately in this day and age, we have access to one of the most powerful tools to enable you to trade more efficiently and accurately.

Thanks to the advent of the internet and the recent boon in technology, it's never been easier to jump into the forex market without any previous knowledge of it. Not that I or anyone would recommend that you go in completely unlearned of how to trade, but with the best of the day trading strategies in place, forex software, the learning curve is significantly reduced. This is because you can generate and trade by trends in the market as well as be able to auto trade when you are not around in person to give yourself full access trading around the clock.

As the forex market keeps much longer hours than the traditional stock market, it demands that you the trader be able to not only keep a constant pulse over what is happening, but to also be able to react and act on your trades as quickly as possible. Forex software does just that, you simply give it some guidance data in terms of what you want to accomplish, maybe set some limits, and it's off and running. The software only uses as much independence as you give it and is designed to simply ensure that you land on the winning sides of your trades near all the time and give you the peace of mind at knowing that your campaign is in good and capable hands around the clock, with whatever you're doing.

Another of the day trading strategies entails having the information of where the market will go ahead of time and trading accordingly. This is another function of some forex software. Trend indicators use complex mathematical algorithms to predict trends both positive and negative, enabling you to jump in the market at peak times and safely out before you lose anything. The best part about these trend indicators is that they are easily the most trusted and reliable way to trade ahead of the curve as these algorithms are tested and tweaked by their publishers for months and years in advance before they are ever released to ensure that they are as precise as possible for you.

Begin your path to financial independence through safe, reliable, and guaranteed income. To learn more and for in depth and updated reviews on the leading software available today, visit http://www.forexautotradingreviewed.com today.

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Is That Real Camping?

This is one aspect of camping that generates no end of discussion - mostly how other people are doing it! The purists - backpack tent campers - look at the luxurious motorhomes and fifth-wheel trailers and say, "That is not REAL camping!"

For their part, the owners of the sumptious digs-on-wheels look out at the tiny tents and say, "Poor dears! It's too bad they can't afford to REALLY camp!" And so it goes, on and on.

Is there no middle ground? Is there such a thing as REAL camping? I know I will never be able to resolve this issue but, since I own this blog, I'll throw in my own two cents' worth.

First, I'll recount my own camping experience so you'll know I'm not really taking one side or the other out of ignorance. As you may know, I started camping courtesy of the United States Army. We shared two-man pup tents with air mattresses (on the ground) and individual sleeping bags. The temperature didn't matter! The Army is a 24/365 operation.

On a personal basis, while still in the Army, I started camping with tents that were a lot nicer than the Army version. Mine actually had floors in them! Woohoo! I thought it was pretty cool when I got a cot on which to lay my sleeping bag - no more sleeping on the hard, rocky ground.

There were no nice amenities like toilets, sinks or showers. I had to rely on the campground restrooms for that. I did have a small stove and a cooler cooled by bags of ice. Man, compared to living out in the field while on maneuvers, this was living!

I even went on a motorcycle tour once with several friends and spent the nights in campgrounds. We carried small tents, sleeping bags and camp stoves. We had a fantastic time.

Next came a pop-up tent camper. A lot of the amenities were the same but it was a lot easier to set up if you pulled in late. I still had to use the public restrooms but this trailer had lights and a table and places to sit. Wow!

My first travel trailer was not "self-contained." That meant I had to carry the waste water and the bottom half of the PortaPotti up to the restrooms for disposal. But! This one actually had a heater, a built-in stove and a gas/12-volt refrigerator. Boy, oh boy, I was moving up into the Big Time with this one!

Since that time, I and my family have enjoyed traveling and setting up in campgrounds with a variety of trailers, vans and motorhomes. Our current rig is a diesel pickup pulling a 31-foot travel trailer which has a large slide-out and is four-season capable. Of course, it's fully self-contained.

I have enjoyed every kind of camping I have done over the years (military bivouac excepted!). Of course, tent camping is more suited to warm weather but I have set up in cold or rainy weather, as well. If you're well prepared, you can make yourself quite comfortable, even with minimal equipment.

I believe "camping" is a much larger concept than tents vs. motorhomes. Once I leave home, I can go, pretty much, wherever I want. There are campgrounds all across the nation - even in places where hotels are scarce. A lot of the parks and other tourist locations have campgrounds nearby.

For one or more nights, I can rent my own, private campsite. Normal campground etiquette is that you don't make noise that disturbs your fellow campers between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. It's just normal consideration of others that is expected of everyone.

Most campgrounds are located in areas away from noisy traffic and city pollution. If you're looking to relax in peaceful surroundings, a lot of campgrounds and very few hotels can meet that expectation.

Of course, one of the grandest things about camping is the camaraderie between campers. You can walk around the campground and people will greet you as you go by. If you see an interesting piece of equipment, you can stop and ask the owner about it. They'll most likely invite you to sit down and have a cup of coffee. Try that in a hotel! They'll be calling security on you in a heartbeat.

These things all apply no matter what kind of camping you do, no matter what kind of equipment you're using. Campers love being around other campers. Believe me, many of the motorhome owners started out in a tent, too!

The bottom line is that it's all camping. Enjoy whatever equipment you're using right now and don't worry about what you think someone else thinks about it. Don't be afraid to try different types of camping. You just might come to enjoy something you never thought you would.

That, too, is a fun part of camping. Just get out there and enjoy yourself.

Ed Hill was introduced to "camping" by the US Army nearly half a century ago. Since then, he has traveled across most of the United States and parts of Europe using a variety of tents and RV's. Ed is now sharing that love of RV travel in his blog, http://www.EnjoyRVTravel.com

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