Well my first speech has been given and I think I did pretty good, at least I hope.  I did come prepared with a lot to say, but once I get up there I some how forget all the great ideas and things I had planned to say.  I just get up there and want to get it over with so I rush through it.  But I would have to say after being up there for a few minutes this time I realized that no matter what I had to give the speech so instead of tensing up and making it look like I am a nervous wreck... I should just do my best so I put off a good impression.  I really felt a lot more confident after this speech for some reason.  

 

    For those who have not gone yet I just want to let you know that everyone has good ideas out there and you should not feel scared or ashamed to be up there talking about somehting you are pationate abbout..... GOOD LUCK! 

We have just been told that our next speech will be based on a particular issue that we are pationate about.  Well as most know, last time I took speech class my issue was suicide and that was something I felt strongly about.  I thouhgt, for just a second,  and the first thing that came to mind was my cousin Charlie.  Him and his older brother had an issue with drugs.  I think that drugs is a very big topic and so I am not sure how to narrow it down.  I am not going to post the story of my cousin because I will share it as part of my speech.  But the  issue they had ws dealing drugs,  So I think I want to research how kids get interacted with drugs in hte first place and what we can do to prevent it.   Let me know if this is a good start or if you have any better ideas for me!?! 

I was going threw and researching well actually jsut trying to find some infrmation on drug dealing.  I I found this article that is coming directly from a drug dealer and it has his story.  There is not to much infrmation about actually drug dealing in his article but it is still interesting!  You should check it out at http://www.fims.uwo.ca/olr/feb2504/drugdealer

 Many people have different opinions on why people deal drugs... I found an article of a bunch of different comments from different people(kind of like a blog) stating why they think people deal drugs.  You may not agree with what some of them say or you may agree with everything they say, but either way it is still interesting to hear other peoples ideas so check it out at http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/actionnetwork/A9530967

 

When you begin your next speech (remember, it's due on Thursday!), I want you to get us started with a hook that will draw us into your topic in an interesting and an engaging way. Here are three types of hooks that you can use to get started:

1. Statistics. A compelling or interesting statistics about your topic is a great way to get us thinking about your issue and the impact that it has on society. For example, on the first day of class, when I was discussing your concerns about speaking to groups, I informed you that people are more scared of public speaking than they are of being dead. That, to me, is a pretty compelling statistic. This website puts it this way:

Fact: the most common phobia that Americans have is glossophobia (that is the fear of public speaking, not the fear of lip gloss). Seventy-five percent of all Americans report having a fear of public speaking, beating out fear of spiders, fear of the dark, and even fear of death. We highly doubt that people, if given the choice, would choose death over public speaking, but nonetheless, talking in front of a large group of people will turn most people's legs into jelly. We hate jelly.

Now, some have had some pretty choice things to say about statistics, and we all know that you can use a clever turn of the numbers to say just about anything that you want to say -- so be careful with the statistical information that you use -- make sure you trust the source and that your audience will trust your source, too.

2. A story or narrative about someone dealing with your issue. Often, one of the best ways that you can both connect with your audience while helping them to connect to your issue is to put a human face on what you're talking about. If you're discussing violence, maybe you want to tell the story of a victim of violence, or someone who is in jail for a mistake that they made. If you're talking about drugs, you might want to share a story about someone's experiences with the drug. A story is a great way to help us get to know your issue and how it affects people. Be careful, though, not to spend so much time on your story that you're not able to cover all of your material.

3. Quotations. starting with the words of others is fine -- so long as the words are relevant, intriguing, and properly cited. While often we look to famous people for quotes that are pithy and/or funny, you might discover the perfect quote or two in your research. If you go this route, make sure you tell us who said your quote and give us some context on the quote after you've said it.


These aren't the only three ways to begin a speech. You know your audience -- what will get us interested in what you have to say?

Here are some other recommendations for what you should do in the first five minutes of a speech. I like all of them -- but don't know if you'll be able to squeeze them into this next speech. Of course, it's never a bad idea to add them into your public speaking toolbox.

If you need a prompt for a blog post this week, go to your blog and write about the type of hook that you think you'll use for your next speech and tell us why you're going to use it.

 

This post was written originally in this space. 

Well as I have been reseaching paintball gun and bb gun use I have come across a few questions myself.....

• Who would sale a teen a weapon?
• How should teens know the difference between out having fun and being serious?
• Why would you hold it against someone when they do not know the difference between the fun behind the gun and the danger behind the gun?

I thought to myself about these questions to help me get started onmy topic.  As I have researched I have more information about paintball guns being a issue.  It seems that they were made to be used bythe right people, at the right time, and in the right way.  A lot of what I have read is on the debate weither there should be restrictions around the guns.  In my opinon I think there should be restrictions because from my observations I see that many people are using them in the wrong way and getting held accountable for it.

In a recent incident there was a detective who mentioned that he hopes teens open their eyes on these kinds of situations and learn that they are not just toys.  More information on the website or situation were this detective was talking about, can be gathered from my teacher. 

Still as I continue to look around I come across more and more problems with these toys not being used in the right manner....  On this website I searched there was a girl who said “If you drive around with your gun in your car gassed up with paint in the hopper, seek professional help. I am not joking. You are a psychotic if you shoot at anyone that has not consented to playing paintball.”  

 

Which in my opinion I do not htink they need professional help the need restrictions by their parents.  Or need to be warned of the power behind them and how serious the case is if you use them in the wrong way.  You should read what else this lady had to say on this web site.  Also on this site it gives you information about how a paintball gun should really be used.