I go to a lot of events. While some of the speakers and presenters are truly excellent they are, sadly, in the minority. Most speakers are mediocre and some are just painful. In some cases it's "death by Powerpoint". In others it's just an incoherent mess. However, it doesn't have to be that way. If you've seen some of the more engaging and interesting speakers in action you … [Read more...] about Public Speaking Hacked
humour
American English vs English
Michael McIntyre highlights some hilarious differences between English language variants: While these ones are hilarious they aren't the only differences and of course being Irish we have our own "quirks" that confuse just about everyone else ... … [Read more...] about American English vs English
Dirty Dancing Synced to the Muppet Show Theme is Perfect
Dirty Dancing is a classic. The final scene is iconic. Somebody had the idea of syncing it to the Muppet Show theme tune and a thing of beauty was born: Very nicely done! … [Read more...] about Dirty Dancing Synced to the Muppet Show Theme is Perfect
Americans’ Optimism can be Offensive
There are clear cultural differences between the US and Ireland. There are things that we say and do in Ireland that Americans find confusing, but they also confuse and annoy us with their optimism. I am saying this sort of "tongue in cheek", but not entirely. Tommy Tiernan sums it up nicely: Of course a lot of people just have me down as being grouchy! … [Read more...] about Americans’ Optimism can be Offensive
Monty Python’s “What Have the Romans”
From Monty Python's Life of Brian the original "What have the Romans" piece. Life of Brian has some fantastic scenes - of course the entire film has aged well, but some of its scenes are great standalone comic pieces. Being Monty Python there's also something more than just a joke. I suspect that's part of the appeal and why they've aged so well. Masterful. … [Read more...] about Monty Python’s “What Have the Romans”