Yes, I never give scripted talks, especially back in school. I just made sure I knew the topic and then got up and started to talk. That resulted in a couple really bad flame outs (usually because I didn't know the subject as well as I convinced myself I did) but for the most part it worked very well for me.

I used to be terrified of public speaking and that was the only way I could get through it. I would actually blank out afterwards (speaking amnesia) and have absolutely no recollection of the talk I gave.

I did this with my high school senior presentation (fail the presentation and you don't graduate) and I've never known what I said.

I was probably inspired to this by my childhood hero, Isaac Asimov, who was very proud of the fact that he very rarely spoke with preparation. He'd just show up, find out what the topic was and then talk for the allotted time without a visible clock. (I can't do the timing part.)

Haha, let's hope that's the case!

I did a presentation a while back that was completely off the cuff and I did so much better. I'm crutching myself with a highlighted points sheet. I have so much to cover, and don't want to burn rubber like I did in the practice session.

Oh, but I did burn rubber because someone who likes to talk a lot took 9 minutes of what was supposed to be a 15 minute presentation (and I'm the last presenter). I just hope he heeded everyone's concerns about his nonstop talking

Which brings me to another point, and makes me laugh since it's exactly what Chris said to me the other day, when I was complaining about this guy, Danny.

After the practice presentation, he said (something to the effect of), "Yeah, I like to use big words because it makes it sound like I know more." He actually said it! How retarded? I wish I knew who said it, but I was told that if you truly understand something, you can explain it to a five year old. Which probably doesn't mean explain the stuff you know to a five year old, but most likely to just relax and stop pulling out the 25-cent words.

Oh, and he was making up words during our presentation. I hope we don't get torched for that.

Ugh

In academia, nobody has ever been punished for using 25-cent words (my inflation is horrible). You get rewarded for using words only 8 people in the world know. And since this is the case, when you just make up a word people will look up to you since they just assume you're part of secret inner-language cabal into which they've not yet earned induction.

Sometimes I use words that I've picked up reading books.

I love the phrase I picked up from some western book I read {Louis L'Amour?}
'young cuss'.

When I use it, people are like WTF are you talking about?

I just say 'read'. Writers use such colorful and alive words {like our own GC} that it makes reading an adventure.

The there's the old saying:





Yep... I just love bumper sticker philosophy!

Ok, so I tried the fix in the post from Resident Evil (posted 2007-Apr-30, 1pm AEST) and that seems to be doing the trick.

If you are registered there, would you please post a thank-you for me? I don't want to register for one post.

Is it wrong to be evil if the end result is really funny (to me, at least, if to no one else)?

Depends on what you find funny.

Millions of dead Jews make you laugh? Then yes, it is wrong to be evil.

Millions of red Jews make you laugh? Then it depends on the toxicity of the paint trap you dig under Tel Aviv.

My semester grades are trickling in.

So far I have 2 Bs and a C.

The grades from my class that I have tests in have yet to come back. Those make me nervous.

Oh, how I don't miss school.

As far as oral presentations go, one word of advice: if you use big words that you picked up while reading, take a moment and figure out how they're pronounced. I used to have a friend who had a fabulous vocabulary but sounded like an idiot every time he opened his mouth.

(Note to self: find and post the great courtroom scene from "not the nine o'clock news" on this very topic)