Dear Friends and members of PD TMC
During our last last exco meeting in Kay Ku's house, the committee has plan for an outing to Fraser Hill on 12 - 14 June 2010. It is a 3D/2N stay since the last time we had organize to Fraser Hill was 2 years ago. This June we shall revisit Fraser Hill for fellowship and frolic in the mid-day sun without sweat.
Temperature in the day is about 24 deg while in the nite is about 22 deg. The 3D/2N trip will cost each person about RM60.00 lodging and 5 meals included!.
What we shall do there,: get to know each other better, karaoke, table topics, play some cards, dance if you want to, frolic in the sun without getting any sunburn, eat and sleep. We shall all car pool.
Those who are interested please leave you name to this email and I would be circulating this same message during Toastmaster meeting on 25 May and 8 June. This is one best of the best trip than any cuti-cuti Malaysia holidays in Malaysia! Come let's go holiday.
Regards,
Rosa
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Language Perfectionist: Still More Repetitive Redundancies
By Don Hauptman
On National Public Radio recently, I heard the words "news journalists." This is a quintessential redundancy. My hunch is that the commentator's intended meaning was "print journalists," in contrast to those who work in broadcasting or online.
Here are a few more redundant expressions I encountered recently in the pages of newspapers and online:
• "Does it put a negative stigma on a company? I think the answer is definitely."
A stigma, meaning a mark of disgrace, is always negative.
• "Snopes is one of a small handful of sites in the fact-checking business."
The word handful is a metaphor for something small.
• "In it [a video game,] you can choose to control either the resistance or the machines and your mission is to completely annihilate your enemy."
The word annihilation means total destruction, so the phrase "completely annihilate" might be regarded as... overkill.
• "Plenty of other examples abound."
The words plenty and abound both imply a large number.
• "One day, acting on a sudden impulse, I bought a new shirt."
An impulse is by definition sudden.
Redundant phrases such as these (and hundreds of others) should be avoided because they add more words than are necessary, because they're often cliches, and because they make the writer look lazy or illiterate. Expunge them from your writing with "meticulous care"!
On National Public Radio recently, I heard the words "news journalists." This is a quintessential redundancy. My hunch is that the commentator's intended meaning was "print journalists," in contrast to those who work in broadcasting or online.
Here are a few more redundant expressions I encountered recently in the pages of newspapers and online:
• "Does it put a negative stigma on a company? I think the answer is definitely."
A stigma, meaning a mark of disgrace, is always negative.
• "Snopes is one of a small handful of sites in the fact-checking business."
The word handful is a metaphor for something small.
• "In it [a video game,] you can choose to control either the resistance or the machines and your mission is to completely annihilate your enemy."
The word annihilation means total destruction, so the phrase "completely annihilate" might be regarded as... overkill.
• "Plenty of other examples abound."
The words plenty and abound both imply a large number.
• "One day, acting on a sudden impulse, I bought a new shirt."
An impulse is by definition sudden.
Redundant phrases such as these (and hundreds of others) should be avoided because they add more words than are necessary, because they're often cliches, and because they make the writer look lazy or illiterate. Expunge them from your writing with "meticulous care"!
The Paradox of Money
When without money, keep pigs;
When have money, keep dogs.
When without money, eat wild vegetables at home ;
When have money, eat same wild vegetables in fine restaurant.
When without money, ride bicycle;
When have money, ride bicycle exercise machine.
When without money, wish to get married;
When have money, wish to get divorced.
When without money, wife becomes secretary;
When have money, secretary becomes wife.
When without money, act like rich man;
When with money, act like poor man.
Contributed by Frank Lee
When have money, keep dogs.
When without money, eat wild vegetables at home ;
When have money, eat same wild vegetables in fine restaurant.
When without money, ride bicycle;
When have money, ride bicycle exercise machine.
When without money, wish to get married;
When have money, wish to get divorced.
When without money, wife becomes secretary;
When have money, secretary becomes wife.
When without money, act like rich man;
When with money, act like poor man.
Contributed by Frank Lee
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The Language Perfectionist: Confusables, Redux
By Don Hauptman
When I studied French in high school, we were taught the phrase faux amis, or "false friends." The expression refers to foreign-language words whose meanings you think you know but which can lead you astray if you're not careful.
A similar phenomenon occurs in English, as demonstrated by the many pairs of "confusables" regularly featured in this column. Here's a fresh batch of examples from the media:
• "The godfather of punk rock delivers an enervating, ecstatic set in the San Francisco of 1981, channeling the raw power and utterly maniacal energy for which he was known."
It's tempting to assume that enervate means to energize, excite, invigorate. In fact, it means the opposite: to weaken, tire, or fatigue. Clearly, however, that's not the intended meaning of this music critic.
• "The impact with the truck caused the car to careen off the road, into an electrical pole."
To careen is to lean or tilt while in motion. To move rapidly and wildly is to career, which is what the car is very likely doing in this case.
• "The moment Scott Brown won the special election for Ted Kennedy's Senate seat, he was asked about presidential ambitions. He had the good sense to demure, but...."
The correct verb here is demur, which means to object or take exception. The adjective demure means shy, modest, or coy.
• "Luckily, enough family and neighbors ran forward to coral the horses and tie them at a safe distance."
An enclosure for horses is a corral, and the verb to corral indicates the process of driving them there. On the other hand, coral is a colorful organism found in tropical waters.
When I studied French in high school, we were taught the phrase faux amis, or "false friends." The expression refers to foreign-language words whose meanings you think you know but which can lead you astray if you're not careful.
A similar phenomenon occurs in English, as demonstrated by the many pairs of "confusables" regularly featured in this column. Here's a fresh batch of examples from the media:
• "The godfather of punk rock delivers an enervating, ecstatic set in the San Francisco of 1981, channeling the raw power and utterly maniacal energy for which he was known."
It's tempting to assume that enervate means to energize, excite, invigorate. In fact, it means the opposite: to weaken, tire, or fatigue. Clearly, however, that's not the intended meaning of this music critic.
• "The impact with the truck caused the car to careen off the road, into an electrical pole."
To careen is to lean or tilt while in motion. To move rapidly and wildly is to career, which is what the car is very likely doing in this case.
• "The moment Scott Brown won the special election for Ted Kennedy's Senate seat, he was asked about presidential ambitions. He had the good sense to demure, but...."
The correct verb here is demur, which means to object or take exception. The adjective demure means shy, modest, or coy.
• "Luckily, enough family and neighbors ran forward to coral the horses and tie them at a safe distance."
An enclosure for horses is a corral, and the verb to corral indicates the process of driving them there. On the other hand, coral is a colorful organism found in tropical waters.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Being Grateful
Most of the time, we take things for granted and forget to say simple words like "thank you, I appreciate your time....." All these words will go a long way to the person doing the work. Especially in a non profit organisation like PD Toastmasters Club.
Also see how a 3 min presentation done with good gestures, vocal variety, humor, stage coverage......
Also see how a 3 min presentation done with good gestures, vocal variety, humor, stage coverage......
Word of The Day-Conjecture-Inscutable
Inscrutable (in-SKROO-tuh-bul) -- from the Latin for not + scrutinize -- means obscure or cryptic; difficult to comprehend, fathom, or interpret.
Example : When I got into the mail-order business years ago, it wasn't something you boasted about. You would be a bit inscrutable when people asked you what your job was.
Example : When I got into the mail-order business years ago, it wasn't something you boasted about. You would be a bit inscrutable when people asked you what your job was.
The Language Perfectionist: Cringe Binge -- New Funny Bloopers
By Don Hauptman
I've long been fascinated by unintentionally amusing mistakes in the media. For years, I've sought and saved such howlers, appending snappy comebacks. I'm now assembling my collection into a book. Below are a few recently culled specimens.
· Women's health website: "Diary free lifestyle becomes mandatory for anyone who may be allergic to milk or intolerant to lactose."
(And with a diary-free diet, you never have to eat your words.)
· Correction: "The Smyrna, Ga., dateline on a page one article Friday about home buyers seeking smaller, simpler homes was incorrectly given in some editions as Smarmy, Ga."
(Smarmy residents are furious about this mix-up.)
· Tutoring company website: "Basic social skills and respect for others are essential. socialsklz:-) tools to thrive in the modern world was founded... to equip our children, tweens and teens with these tools to succeed in life...."
(Perhaps spelling should be among them.)
· Historical novel: "The English captain had escaped in part by signaling a lady he'd bedded through the prison windows...."
(With that sort of flexibility, he should have made his escape earlier.)
· Letter to editor: "Language will evolve in whatever way people believe best enables them to communicate.... Language will remain uniform and unchanging only as long as it serves the purpose of understanding one other."
(Too late!)
I've long been fascinated by unintentionally amusing mistakes in the media. For years, I've sought and saved such howlers, appending snappy comebacks. I'm now assembling my collection into a book. Below are a few recently culled specimens.
· Women's health website: "Diary free lifestyle becomes mandatory for anyone who may be allergic to milk or intolerant to lactose."
(And with a diary-free diet, you never have to eat your words.)
· Correction: "The Smyrna, Ga., dateline on a page one article Friday about home buyers seeking smaller, simpler homes was incorrectly given in some editions as Smarmy, Ga."
(Smarmy residents are furious about this mix-up.)
· Tutoring company website: "Basic social skills and respect for others are essential. socialsklz:-) tools to thrive in the modern world was founded... to equip our children, tweens and teens with these tools to succeed in life...."
(Perhaps spelling should be among them.)
· Historical novel: "The English captain had escaped in part by signaling a lady he'd bedded through the prison windows...."
(With that sort of flexibility, he should have made his escape earlier.)
· Letter to editor: "Language will evolve in whatever way people believe best enables them to communicate.... Language will remain uniform and unchanging only as long as it serves the purpose of understanding one other."
(Too late!)
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Meeting break
The purpose of attending any seminars, meetings or briefings: the hightlight of such an occasion is to acquire knowledge and information. What about the break in between?. That's when we look forward to meeting other members, have a chat, exchange business cards, the last but not least food that are being served.
Our meeting break is always being look forward to, firstly we are famish, a need to answer a nature's call and to enjoy the camaraderie between members and guest. The food that are being during our meeting breaks are
Egg sandwiches
Vegetarian fried mee-hoon
Chicken egg omellete
Chinese fried rice
Claypot loh see fun
Fried mee hoon
Mona lisa cake sponsored by CC Kay Ku in conjunction with our dear member CTM Yeo Lian Geok on her belated birthday: Happy birthday Yeo, wishing you more birthdays to came with good health and happiness.
Fried chicken wings sponsored by CC Zulkarnain, very generous man for the occassion..? CC Zul said simply only but we think it was CTM Yeo's birthday!
Coffee and tea to go with all the above tantalising food!
These are some of the food being served buring our PD Toastmasters meeting and the menu changes on every meeting. Bon appetite!!.
Gila gila lunch at Japanese Restaurant in Alson Klana Seremban on 2.5.10
Due to popular request , our club organiser, Kay Ku organise a gila-gila lunch at the Japanese Restaurant in Alson Klana Seremban.More than a dozen of us went. Those who miss it really miss our company and the great food there.
Take a look at these happy faces. Guests were there too.
Even though busy eating we have to find time to get together and smile for the photos.
This camera man, Thilak, got drunk on prawns. How else would you explain his taking the photo of the photographer who is .................
Two satisfied customers.
A view of our Toastmasters and the guests that went there.
Stomach filled to the brim and the table cleared. Time to relax and chat.
Busy discussing about the next gila-gila makan.
Wow look at Soo Guan! one really satisfied customer. 
The only food better than this restaurant is the one cooked by my wife.
He delivers joke with a serious face but this time we caught him on camera with a big hearty smile. A rare photo indeed.
What a beautiful pose for the camera. no wonder kah Tor melted. Lady kat was speaking during the impromptu speech we had there. Really gila these Toastmasters. Makan also they want to have tabletopics.
Ok Ok. Better checked whether everyone paid up. The organiser and the treasurer getting down to serious business.
The treasurer checking on the money collected. Detected: Soo Guan didn't pay yet. Must charge him double.
All done. Restaurant paid. My money gone. Time to head for home. Where is Soo Guan?
Take a look at these happy faces. Guests were there too.
Even though busy eating we have to find time to get together and smile for the photos. 
This camera man, Thilak, got drunk on prawns. How else would you explain his taking the photo of the photographer who is .................
Two satisfied customers.
A view of our Toastmasters and the guests that went there.
Stomach filled to the brim and the table cleared. Time to relax and chat.
Busy discussing about the next gila-gila makan.
Wow look at Soo Guan! one really satisfied customer.
The only food better than this restaurant is the one cooked by my wife.
He delivers joke with a serious face but this time we caught him on camera with a big hearty smile. A rare photo indeed.
What a beautiful pose for the camera. no wonder kah Tor melted. Lady kat was speaking during the impromptu speech we had there. Really gila these Toastmasters. Makan also they want to have tabletopics.
Ok Ok. Better checked whether everyone paid up. The organiser and the treasurer getting down to serious business.
The treasurer checking on the money collected. Detected: Soo Guan didn't pay yet. Must charge him double.
All done. Restaurant paid. My money gone. Time to head for home. Where is Soo Guan?Have to plan for the next gila-gila. Aiyoh I am going gila-gila already organising these makan-makan.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Language Perfectionist: Can You Be Too Correct?
By Don Hauptman
English has rules that should be respected. One purpose of this column is to encourage proper use of the language. But a problem sometimes arises: People try to apply a rule with excessive conscientiousness and wind up, ironically, committing another kind of error. This phenomenon is called hypercorrection.
The classic example involves personal pronouns. Schoolchildren are taught not to use "me" in the subject of a sentence. Thus, "Jim and me are going to the baseball game" should be "Jim and I are going...."
But some folks misconstrue the lesson and say, for example, "I'll tell you how much he was paid, but the amount is just between you and I." In this case, because the pronouns are the object of the preposition "between" -- not the subject of the sentence -- it should read "between you and me."
Another common error -- again mistaking the subject for the object -- is the use of "who" where "whom" is correct. "Who do you admire most?" should be "Whom do you admire most?" In this case, "whom" is the object of the admiration.
But here, too, some people misapply the who (subject) / whom (object) rule and make the opposite mistake. I found this sentence in a newspaper article online: "He fully accepts responsibility... for the situation into which he put his wife, whom he knows is entirely blameless in all of this." It should read: "who he knows is entirely blameless...."
Here's a helpful tip if you're ever in doubt: Mentally remove the peripheral phrase -- in this case, "he knows." Then it becomes clear that it's the wife "who is" blameless. No one would ever say "whom is."
Finally, usage guru Bryan A. Garner notes an interesting instance of hypercorrection, which he calls "false Latin plurals." Because people are aware that, for example, the plural of syllabus is syllabi, they mistakenly echo the rule where it doesn't apply -- by saying, for example, octopi (octopuses is correct) or apparati (apparatuses is correct).
I'm reminded of an old joke about a bartender puzzled by a customer who orders a "martinus." Why? Because he wants one martini, not two.
English has rules that should be respected. One purpose of this column is to encourage proper use of the language. But a problem sometimes arises: People try to apply a rule with excessive conscientiousness and wind up, ironically, committing another kind of error. This phenomenon is called hypercorrection.
The classic example involves personal pronouns. Schoolchildren are taught not to use "me" in the subject of a sentence. Thus, "Jim and me are going to the baseball game" should be "Jim and I are going...."
But some folks misconstrue the lesson and say, for example, "I'll tell you how much he was paid, but the amount is just between you and I." In this case, because the pronouns are the object of the preposition "between" -- not the subject of the sentence -- it should read "between you and me."
Another common error -- again mistaking the subject for the object -- is the use of "who" where "whom" is correct. "Who do you admire most?" should be "Whom do you admire most?" In this case, "whom" is the object of the admiration.
But here, too, some people misapply the who (subject) / whom (object) rule and make the opposite mistake. I found this sentence in a newspaper article online: "He fully accepts responsibility... for the situation into which he put his wife, whom he knows is entirely blameless in all of this." It should read: "who he knows is entirely blameless...."
Here's a helpful tip if you're ever in doubt: Mentally remove the peripheral phrase -- in this case, "he knows." Then it becomes clear that it's the wife "who is" blameless. No one would ever say "whom is."
Finally, usage guru Bryan A. Garner notes an interesting instance of hypercorrection, which he calls "false Latin plurals." Because people are aware that, for example, the plural of syllabus is syllabi, they mistakenly echo the rule where it doesn't apply -- by saying, for example, octopi (octopuses is correct) or apparati (apparatuses is correct).
I'm reminded of an old joke about a bartender puzzled by a customer who orders a "martinus." Why? Because he wants one martini, not two.
Meeting on 11th May 2010
President Kala opening the meeting.
TOE: TM was founded by ......
Full house. No more place.
Tabletopic master. Putting fear into every one.
Our future politician. Wow! Look at the hand gesture lah.
Tabletopic speaker: Wah!!! Your topic so difficult......
Tabletopics Evaluator: You did not use the word of the day.......
Happy Birthday to u.............
Speaker: H1N1 is here again .................
Speaker. You must make sure your children have license to drive....
Part of the audience reacting to the speeches.
Speaker: I don't know how to swim but I know I am sexily dressed......
Evaluator. Actually you should ......
Evaluator: You use ............ 
Evaluator: You look confident........
General Evaluator: This is not right..... You should ........
Language Evaluator: Name..... Age...... Sex.... once a week.........
Ah Counter Dr Subhassh: It pains my heart to inform you that you have 10 ahhhhhhs.....
Our new Timekeeper speaks .................
Best Tabletopic Speaker Award
Best Speaker Award
Best Evaluator Award
The President closes the meeting.Monday, May 10, 2010
Port Dickson Toastmasters Club Meeting on 27th April 2010
A typical meeting..........on a beautiful 27th April night......all waiting with anticipation......for another happy and exciting meeting......
Our President, CTM Kala, giving her opening speech.
Long Live the King......Daulat Tuanku.......
Our Toastmasters of the Evening, CC Indra, explaining to members and guest about the history of Toastmasters International....
All focusing and practicing their listening skills....
A few moments of seriousness
Our TME taking a short break while others giving their talk.
Some tickling moments....
(R-L) CC Kay Ku busy recording while the rest, ACB GT Singam, Area Gov Suresh, Guest Asha, Guest Thilak, ACS Rosa Phua and ATMB Dr Subhassh concentrating on the speaker.
A very full house
The TME counting for best tabletopics speaker, best prepared speech and the best evaluator. AG Suresh looking on.
Our Area Governor Suresh giving his advise on further improvement to the club.
A closing address.....Good Night.....Drive Safely........
Our President, CTM Kala, giving her opening speech.
Long Live the King......Daulat Tuanku.......
Our Toastmasters of the Evening, CC Indra, explaining to members and guest about the history of Toastmasters International....
All focusing and practicing their listening skills....
A few moments of seriousness
Our TME taking a short break while others giving their talk.
Some tickling moments....
(R-L) CC Kay Ku busy recording while the rest, ACB GT Singam, Area Gov Suresh, Guest Asha, Guest Thilak, ACS Rosa Phua and ATMB Dr Subhassh concentrating on the speaker.
A very full house
The TME counting for best tabletopics speaker, best prepared speech and the best evaluator. AG Suresh looking on.
Our Area Governor Suresh giving his advise on further improvement to the club.
A closing address.....Good Night.....Drive Safely........
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