453- THE "AH-FACTOR"..."UH, LIKE, YOU KNOW".....

One of the very first "squire's view" blogs introduced this same subject two years ago, for your consideration!

A) As an enthusiastic grad member of the Toastmasters Club (International), this educator honestly learned sooo much and for listening to other speakers trying to communicate...sooo much.
B) And the fine art of communication means almost everything when in front of or at a local meeting...on television...a U.S. Senator or U.S. Rep trying to express their views in public...a teacher standing in front of a class sharing how the U.S. Constitution selects our president...a Frost poem...or a President giving a State of the Union Address.
C) Someone at a Toastmasters' meeting is appointed as the "AH COUNTER" and gives a count after each meeting's speech. The GOAL is to earn a "O".
D) TIMED...each speech is timed! If the speaker cannot get across the main point/s within a prescriped time, they didn't "pass' that speech. There is also a set schedule of types of speeches to be given to earn a Toastmasters course grad degree. All types of speeches have to be passed by the group to graduate!
E) As a philosophy major, earlier, an excellent Logic class and prof, taught us the centuries-old classic methods of listening to someone and deducing whether the TRUTH was imparted. Whether they were making sense and getting to the point.This collegiate class was and still is my all-time fave! In another earlier blog, portions of that class were explained for you.
F) In conclusion...LISTEN carefully to someone talking in any venue, trying to "persuade" you. Do they constantly use AH...LIKE...UH...YOU KNOW? If they do, that's a shame. They are turning you off, NOT communicating 100%!
G) In my opinion, then, this researcher simply feels it is a FARCE that the current prez is an "excellent" speaker and communicator. Using the data above, he does not pass the Toastmaster course! I, and many others, when jotting down what he is saying, CANNOT follow him for he constantly jumps around. And his "AHS" and "UHS" and "YOU KNOWs" turn us off in trying to listen. He IS nowhere near a good speaker, communicator. When the "press" continually says that he is, people think that he is. That is, logically, a FALSE conclusion. USE YOUR OWN INTELLIGENCE, listen and think for yourself.
H) And who was or is an excellent communicator in national forums? One, for sure, was Ronald Wilson Reagan...Bill O'Reilly (minus his lack of manners with guests)
I) And former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is, today, a totally excellent speaker. For the record, this Toastmaster grad decided to observe, for some time, Gov. Huckabee's speaking abilities on TV during many venues to figure out why. He is soooo good, smooth and comes across with a rare sense of honesty, intelligence and caring!! The Gov. uses no notes or crib sheets nor writes notes on his hand!
J) Listened and observed an interview on national news this past weekend. As a Toastmaster grad, counted the number of just "YOU KNOWs" used by the national speaker. She used "YOU KNOW" 12 times within five (5) minutes before I switched to another news program, too iritating to listen to more from her!
K) "Meet...uh...our...uh...uh...White House...uh...Press Secretary...uh...ah...." I also highly suggest that the main White House person learn to observe himself with the very same speaking problem! An 'ah counter' would run out of paper listening to any of those talks or speeches...listen!
L) The bottom line, though, is one of HOPE! We HOPE that everyone of the 'ah counters' will observe and realize how they look and sound to and for anyone TRYING to communicate with them, be it one on one, in a group or huge autidence.
M) This Toastmaster grad has noticed that ministers, speaking in those huge auditoriums, are quite adroit with speaking without the use of those irritating 'ahs' and 'you knows'.... And why? Practice...being highly cognizant of how they speak and project in front of, maybe, a mirror or with a mate or friend.
N) Some examples from "M" include: the Rev. Billy Graham (my mother's favorite)...the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr....televanglist Joel Osteen (my fave)...the Rev. Robert Schuller (did listen to him in person....)..........more.....