In 1910 Theodore Roosevelt was engaged in a speaking tour of Europe, following his Smithsonian-led, Carnegie-sponsored African safari. Roosevelt was in Berlin, speaking with Kaiser Wilhelm, when he received a telegram. President Taft asked Roosevelt to represent the United States at the funeral of the British King Edward VII. What follows is an excerpt of Roosevelt's interactions with the French minister of foreign affairs, Stephen Pichon. Below, italcized text represent Roosevelt as quoted by Edmund Morris in Colonel Roosevelt; standard text represents Morris' writing.
[At a wake prior to the funeral, Pichon] got me aside and asked me in French, as he did not speak English, what colored coat my coachman had worn that evening. I told him that I did not know; whereupon he answered that his coachman had a black coat. I nodded and said Yes, I thought mine had a black coat also. He responded with much violence that this was an outrage, a slight upon the two great republics, as all the Royalties' coachmen wore red coats, and that he would at once make a protest on behalf of us both. I told him to hold on, that he must not make any protests on my behalf, that I did not care what kind of coat my coachman wore, and would be perfectly willing to see him wear a green coat with yellow splashes--"un plaetot vert avec des tauches jaunes" being my effort at idiomatic rendering of the idea, for I speak French, I am sorry to say, as if it were a non-Aryan tongue, without tense or gender, although with agglutinative vividness and fluency. My incautious incursion into levity in a foreign tongue met appropriate punishment, for I spent the next fifteen minutes in eradicating from Pichon's mind the belief that I was demanding these colors as my livery.
[The next day, at the funeral procession]
Friday, 20 May 1910, was a day so beautiful that all London seemed to want to be outdoors and see the procession scheduled to depart from Buckingham Palace at 9:30 A.M. Hours before the first drumbeat sounded, a mass of humanity blocked every approach to the parade route along the Mall to Westmisnter Hall. There was little noise and less movement as the crowd waited under a cloudless sky. Green Park was at its greenest. The air, washed clean by rain overnight, was sweet and warm, alive with birdsong.
Rosevelt arrived early in the palace yard, where horses and coaches were lining up, and was again accosted by a furious Stephen Pichon. The Duke of Norfolk had decreed that because of their lack of royal uniforms, they could not ride with the mounted mourners. Instead, they were to share a dress landau. Pichon noted, in a voice shaking with rage, that it would be eighth in a sequence of twelve, behind a carriage packed with Chinese imperials of uncertain gender. Not only that, it was a closed conveyance, whereas some royal ladies up front had been assigned "glass coaches."
The landau struck Roosevelt as luxurious all the same, and he admitted afterward, in describing the funeral, that he had never heard of glass coaches "excepting in connection with Cinderella." But Pichon could not be calmed down:
He continued that "ces Chinois" were put ahead of us. To this I answered that any people dressed as gorgeously as "ces Chinois" ought to go ahead of us; but he responded that it was not a laughing matter. Then he hadded that "ce Perse" had been put in with us, pointing out a Persian prince of the blood royal, a deprecatory, inoffensive-looking Levantine of Parisian education, who was obviously ill at ease, but whom Pichon insisted upon regarding as someone who wanted to be offensive. At this moment our coach drove up, and Pichon bounced into it. I suppose he had gotten in to take the right-hand rear seet, to which I was totally indifferent.... But Pichon was scrupulous in giving me precedence, although I had no idea whether I was entitled to it or not. He sat on the left rear seat himself, stretched his arm across the right seat and motioned me to get it so that "ce Perse" should not himself take the place of honor! Accordingly I got in, and the unfortunate Persian followed, looking about as unaggressive as a rabbit in a cage with two boa constrictors.
[...]
Roosevelt sat well back, with the strange reticence that sometimes overcame him on ceremonial occasions, avoiding eye contact with the crowd. There was no indicating that he was being subjected to a further Gallic tirade:
Pichon's feelings overcame him.... He pointed out the fact that we were following "toutes ces petites royautes," even "le roi du Portugal." I then spoke to him seriously, and said that in my judgment France and the United States were so important that it was of no earthly consequence whether their representatives went before or behind the representatives of utterly insignificant little nations like Portgal, and that I thought it was a great mistake to make a fuss about it, because it showed a lack of self-confidence. He shook his head, and said that in Europe they regarded these things as of real importance, and that if I would not join him in a protest he would make one on his own account. I answered that I very earnestly hoped that he would not make a row at a funeral (my French failed me at this point, and I tried alternately "funeraille" and "pompe funebre"), that it would be sure to have a bad effect.
A Franco-American accord (Persia abstaining) was reached before the landau made its first stop at Parliament Square. Pichon agreed to wait and see where he was seated later in the day, at lunch in Windsor Castle, before making his placement a casus belli that might prevent France's attendance at the future coronation of George V.
-Colonel Roosevelt, p. 65-66
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Friday, December 6, 2013
SAT Critical Reading Guidelines - in progress
Note: this is a draft, and will be updated. But as I know some people are taking the test in a couple days, this might be a helpful last-minute refresher.
SAT Critical Reading Guidelines
By Ryan Yamada
General Critical Reading test-taking strategies:
1. Take Notes.
SAT Critical Reading Guidelines
By Ryan Yamada
General Critical Reading test-taking strategies:
1. Take Notes.
You might want to
consider taking notes as you read a passage. It might help clarify the main
idea, secondary ideas, tone, type of passage, and narrator perspective
(omniscient, objective, subjective). In addition to reducing the load on your
short-term memory, it may help you think more critically and actively engage
with the passage.
2. Use
Cross-Consistency (carefully).
Occasionally, you have
enough similar questions in a problem that you can check for cross-consistency.
As mentioned, this is potentially very dangerous and can backfire. Still, if
you're reasonably sure on two questions and struggle with a third, you might be
able to help clarify the answer to the third.
3. Use line references.
By identifying the line references
before you read, you may improve your focus. Be advised, however, that you
should start focusing somewhat before the line reference starts.
4. Depend only upon what is written.
Leave outside knowledge, your
emotional response, and your moral judgment at the door. They will not help you
with the passage. Everything you need is written, and excessive internal
commentary as you read can cloud your judgment and cause you to miss key bits
of information/language.
Main Idea Questions:
1. Read the introduction to the passage.
Sometimes this gives a major clue as to the main idea.
1. Read the introduction to the passage.
Sometimes this gives a major clue as to the main idea.
2. Read the first paragraph or two
carefully.
The main idea will definitely appear in the first 1-2 paragraphs. The first paragraph might be introductory, which can lead to a confusing impression of what the main idea is. It’s better to continue reading carefully through the second, just to be sure.
The main idea will definitely appear in the first 1-2 paragraphs. The first paragraph might be introductory, which can lead to a confusing impression of what the main idea is. It’s better to continue reading carefully through the second, just to be sure.
3. Take notes for each paragraph.
This is a general tool, but it does help with the main idea. As you read the passage, your notes will indicate the content of each paragraph. Find the common thread, and you have the main idea.
Secondary Idea Questions:
1. Use the main idea as a partial guide, but do so carefully.
This is a general tool, but it does help with the main idea. As you read the passage, your notes will indicate the content of each paragraph. Find the common thread, and you have the main idea.
Secondary Idea Questions:
1. Use the main idea as a partial guide, but do so carefully.
The secondary idea will be connected
with the main idea. But it won’t be the same
as the main idea. In fact, the secondary idea might make a point seemingly
opposed to the main idea (especially for an informative essay discussing two sides
to an issue). Even so, the main idea might give you a clue as to whether or not
you’re on the right track.
2. Don’t confuse main idea and
secondary idea questions.
Main idea questions cover the entire passage. Secondary ideas cover a specific paragraph or line references (usually a few lines long). The secondary idea has to address the specific reference/paragraph, regardless of what the broader passage is saying.
If this sounds similar to (1), that’s because it is, But it’s doubly important.
Main idea questions cover the entire passage. Secondary ideas cover a specific paragraph or line references (usually a few lines long). The secondary idea has to address the specific reference/paragraph, regardless of what the broader passage is saying.
If this sounds similar to (1), that’s because it is, But it’s doubly important.
3. Pay attention to all the sentences
in a paragraph.
Sometimes, you will be given two plausible answers. The better answer will often hinge upon a single sentence or phrase. It helps not to project your own emotion, experiences or motivations into the answer – everything you need will be there, in the paragraph.
Vocabulary or phrase in context:
1. Break apart the sentence.
Pay careful attention to conjunctions
and conjunction-like phrases like “…, as is” (which indicates that the
information following is distinct from
the material preceding it). This gives you a clue as to the structure of the
sentence, and therefore a clue as to whether the word or phrase in context
applies to the entire sentence or just a part.
2. The correct answer
is usually a secondary definition.
It makes little sense to create a context question for which the correct answer is the obvious definition. Usually, it’s a secondary definition. Occasionally, the word is being used as a metaphor for something else.
It makes little sense to create a context question for which the correct answer is the obvious definition. Usually, it’s a secondary definition. Occasionally, the word is being used as a metaphor for something else.
3. Read the lines
preceding the reference.
Sometimes you will be given the phrase or word in the problem statement, which makes it look like you don’t have to go back and read it in the actual passage. BIG MISTAKE! You need to go back, and read prior to the line reference. Depending on time, start from either the beginning of the paragraph or at least 1-2 sentences before the reference. Sometimes, the definition will be given to you in the preceding lines.
Sometimes you will be given the phrase or word in the problem statement, which makes it look like you don’t have to go back and read it in the actual passage. BIG MISTAKE! You need to go back, and read prior to the line reference. Depending on time, start from either the beginning of the paragraph or at least 1-2 sentences before the reference. Sometimes, the definition will be given to you in the preceding lines.
4. Use roots.
Although 1-3 should get you the answer, you can use roots if you have no idea what a word means. As with sentence completion, sometimes roots can help you distill the meaning of a word in context. But this probably won’t help much, as the word is probably being used with a secondary definition in mind.
Although 1-3 should get you the answer, you can use roots if you have no idea what a word means. As with sentence completion, sometimes roots can help you distill the meaning of a word in context. But this probably won’t help much, as the word is probably being used with a secondary definition in mind.
Inference Questions:
1. Read like a third-grader.
If the inference cites a specific line, then read that line like a third-grader, paying close attention to subtleties of language (usually simple words).
1. Read like a third-grader.
If the inference cites a specific line, then read that line like a third-grader, paying close attention to subtleties of language (usually simple words).
2. Use only what is
in the passage.
Make certain that you are not projecting your own feelings/background/knowledge into a passage/inference question. You have everything you need on the page.
Make certain that you are not projecting your own feelings/background/knowledge into a passage/inference question. You have everything you need on the page.
3. Distinguish
between author’s intent and any characters in the passage.
Similarly, It is particularly important for certain inference problems (and other problem types) to distinguish between what the character is feeling/thinking and what the author is thinking/feeling. Some answers that seem plausible actually confuse the two.
Similarly, It is particularly important for certain inference problems (and other problem types) to distinguish between what the character is feeling/thinking and what the author is thinking/feeling. Some answers that seem plausible actually confuse the two.
4. Tone and main idea
can help.
If you understand the main idea and tone, then it might help you with an inference question. That’s because main idea and tone give you a sense of the author’s intent, and therefore what devices/points the author might be trying to make, albeit indirectly.
Passage Comparison:
1. Treat this initially as two single passage sections.
Read passage 1, then do passage 1 questions. Do the same for passage 2 and its questions. Then answer the comparison questions. The reasons are obvious: this way, you don’t get the information from one passage confused with the other for questions specific to a single passage.
If you understand the main idea and tone, then it might help you with an inference question. That’s because main idea and tone give you a sense of the author’s intent, and therefore what devices/points the author might be trying to make, albeit indirectly.
Passage Comparison:
1. Treat this initially as two single passage sections.
Read passage 1, then do passage 1 questions. Do the same for passage 2 and its questions. Then answer the comparison questions. The reasons are obvious: this way, you don’t get the information from one passage confused with the other for questions specific to a single passage.
2. Take notes as you
read.
You should be doing this for the longer single passages anyway. But this becomes doubly important for double passage problems. Your notes will help you quickly identify information that you might need, and in the correct passage, that would otherwise take a complete re-reading to discover.
You should be doing this for the longer single passages anyway. But this becomes doubly important for double passage problems. Your notes will help you quickly identify information that you might need, and in the correct passage, that would otherwise take a complete re-reading to discover.
3. Pay careful
attention to the degree implied by verbs and adjectives when comparing
passages.
Problems that have
possible answer choices like “Passage 1… while Passage 2…” are potentially
quite challenging. Often, the answer has to do with the degree to which it
applies. There’s a difference between “cites” and “focuses”, and so pay careful
attention. (In some wrong answers, the threshold is just too high.)
4. The entire answer
has to be correct.
This is true for all questions. But it applies in particular to passage comparison. You can eliminate incorrect answers by realizing that they are making an incorrect statement for passage 1. Then eliminate more by eliminating those that incorrectly characterize passage 2. If you’re lucky, you’ll be left with one correct answer. If not, then use what you know about each passage to choose the best answer.
Tone Questions:
1. Tone is generally consistent with passage
type and main idea.
Informative = objective, interested, appreciative (neutral to moderately positive/negative)
Argumentative = subjective, passionate, wry (stronger emotions)
Narrative = can be anything, pretty much.
Informative = objective, interested, appreciative (neutral to moderately positive/negative)
Argumentative = subjective, passionate, wry (stronger emotions)
Narrative = can be anything, pretty much.
2. Make sure you
distinguish between author’s tone and a character’s emotions.
The characters could be undergoing intense emotions. But the author may choose to convey that in a very objective tone. Make certain you don’t conflate the two. Also, obviously, make sure you don’t project your own emotional response into the tone of the article.
The characters could be undergoing intense emotions. But the author may choose to convey that in a very objective tone. Make certain you don’t conflate the two. Also, obviously, make sure you don’t project your own emotional response into the tone of the article.
Structure Questions:
1. Similarity questions
There are questions that ask for an example that “resembles” or “is most similar to” a cited example. These problems can be tricky, because they require you to (1) understand the reference, (2) understand the key relationships/properties of the reference, and (3) determine the answer choice that possesses all of the key relationships/properties in the original reference. Usually there will be two properties to identify.
Here’s how you solve these.
1. Similarity questions
There are questions that ask for an example that “resembles” or “is most similar to” a cited example. These problems can be tricky, because they require you to (1) understand the reference, (2) understand the key relationships/properties of the reference, and (3) determine the answer choice that possesses all of the key relationships/properties in the original reference. Usually there will be two properties to identify.
Here’s how you solve these.
(a) Break apart the
original reference into parts (probably two).
(b) Identify the relationships or key ideas in the parts.
(c) Check each answer choice and see if it conforms to both parts.
In some ways, this is like a double-blank sentence completion problem, except that you’re after the concepts and relationships embedded in the line reference. In some ways, this is the spiritual descendent of the “analogy” questions that plagued SAT students until sometime around 2005.
(b) Identify the relationships or key ideas in the parts.
(c) Check each answer choice and see if it conforms to both parts.
In some ways, this is like a double-blank sentence completion problem, except that you’re after the concepts and relationships embedded in the line reference. In some ways, this is the spiritual descendent of the “analogy” questions that plagued SAT students until sometime around 2005.
2. Identifying the
purpose of a specific device
You should know about
rhetorical devices: comparison, exaggeration, contrast, examples, etc. Each of
these can be used to strengthen or develop an argument, analysis, or a
narrative.
To solve these, you
need to understand the connection between the line reference and the
surrounding text (and, sometimes, the overall passage). This means figuring out
why the author uses a specific piece of language.
Remember: why, not what. Do not confuse what is literally being said with its purpose.
3. Additional information that would strengthen an argument
Remember: why, not what. Do not confuse what is literally being said with its purpose.
3. Additional information that would strengthen an argument
To solve these
questions, you need to make certain that you understand what the argument is.
There should be only one answer choice that works. You can disregard the others
because they will not relate to the specific argument being made in a
paragraph, or because the form of the evidence is wrong. What do I mean by form?
If the article is an informative scientific article, an opinion piece will not effectively support the argument.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
How to be a tutor (work in progress - last updated 11/14/2013)
Sorry, J. E. -- this is long overdue. Also sorry, people who yelled at me at the wedding to follow through and post something.
This will be a work in progress. I don't have all the answers -- I'm still struggling to make this close to a full-time position.
I would actually highly discourage this as an option for people looking for more flexibility/pay than their existing jobs. There are many reasons, each of which I could go into at greater length. I'll simply list the ones I can come up with here:
- When factoring in prep time, driving time, correspondence, and billing, per-hour pay isn't great
- Local market may or may not be able to support you
- Cancellations -- lessons will be canceled because just aboute everything else takes priority
- Arguments with clients about rates -- you argue about salary with your boss once a year, but you potentially argue with each client about rates, and possibly multiple times.
- Low status -- this isn't South Korea, and so you might as well say "unemployed" when people ask you what you do for a living.
- Emotionally draining -- especially if you have defiant students, or tutor at homes with family drama
- Prep time ignored -- especially problematic if you're doing test prep, which is a bit more time-intensive with diagnostics
- skill degradation and resume decay -- every year you spend tutoring full-time is a year you're not doing something more closely related with your college training.
Let's say you're not dissuaded. What should you do?
Brian S., a tutor at WyzAnt, wrote a helpful guide about what to do when you get started. He has also penned another excellent guide here, once you're somewhat established and want to maintain or build your client base..
In addition to that, here are some things I've found, many thanks to discussions with David L., a fellow HMC Physics grad. (I use fellow loosely, and perhaps too familiarly -- he's damn good.)
This will be a work in progress. I don't have all the answers -- I'm still struggling to make this close to a full-time position.
I would actually highly discourage this as an option for people looking for more flexibility/pay than their existing jobs. There are many reasons, each of which I could go into at greater length. I'll simply list the ones I can come up with here:
- When factoring in prep time, driving time, correspondence, and billing, per-hour pay isn't great
- Local market may or may not be able to support you
- Cancellations -- lessons will be canceled because just aboute everything else takes priority
- Arguments with clients about rates -- you argue about salary with your boss once a year, but you potentially argue with each client about rates, and possibly multiple times.
- Low status -- this isn't South Korea, and so you might as well say "unemployed" when people ask you what you do for a living.
- Emotionally draining -- especially if you have defiant students, or tutor at homes with family drama
- Prep time ignored -- especially problematic if you're doing test prep, which is a bit more time-intensive with diagnostics
- skill degradation and resume decay -- every year you spend tutoring full-time is a year you're not doing something more closely related with your college training.
Let's say you're not dissuaded. What should you do?
Brian S., a tutor at WyzAnt, wrote a helpful guide about what to do when you get started. He has also penned another excellent guide here, once you're somewhat established and want to maintain or build your client base..
In addition to that, here are some things I've found, many thanks to discussions with David L., a fellow HMC Physics grad. (I use fellow loosely, and perhaps too familiarly -- he's damn good.)
1. Sometimes, the local market for tutoring is simply rough.
One of my undergrad friends is tutoring full time and has tons of students. He charges a pretty high rate (though he is worth every penny). I have a few students, but have struggled a bit more. Granted, he has a PhD in Physics from Princeton, and I "only" have a M.S. in Astrophysics from Cornell. But after some discussion, we concluded that he happens to be in a particularly good area for tutoring. It's a wealthy part of New Jersey with enough population density that he can build a client base.
I'm not as successful for a host of reasons. But one reason is my specific location. I'm in a reasonably well-off portion of Southern California. But it doesn't have quite the level of wealth, nor the high population density, that allows me to pick and choose clients.
2. Consider expanding your driving distance
Despite my friend's advantages, he's willing to commute 40 minutes for a job. This is feasible because he clusters his jobs. One day he might spend around Princeton, meeting three or four clients. Another day, he might head north.
This only works if you can (1) find sufficient numbers of students in a given area to make it worthwhile to drive out there in the first place, and (2) convince them all to meet in a given place. Otherwise, you'll be eaten alive with fuel and maintenance costs, not to mention the opportunity cost of driving between lessons.
3. Consider picking up subjects that are outside your core, but still within yourcompetence.
In the beginning, I was a bit too cautious about my qualified fields. I thought that, because it had been a couple years since I had a statistics course, I wasn't qualified to tutor statistics. However, I discovered that, with a good textbook and enough clients to make it worthwhile, I was able to retrain myself in beginning statistics. I'm nowhere near my previous level of proficiency, but I'm confident that I can competently tutor any AP Stats or beginning college stats course -- a belief that has been proven correct from experience.
Again, it varies by location, and my experience is limited to math, science, and some of the social sciences. But I would say that physics, chemistry, and calculus are generally in high demand (partly because any out-of-college adult reasonably skilled in this probably could get another job). Econ and stats tend to be sought after, though in raw numbers there may be fewer students taking those courses. Biology has a lot of demand, but also a lot of supply.
4. Consider tutoring college students.
One of my undergrad friends is tutoring full time and has tons of students. He charges a pretty high rate (though he is worth every penny). I have a few students, but have struggled a bit more. Granted, he has a PhD in Physics from Princeton, and I "only" have a M.S. in Astrophysics from Cornell. But after some discussion, we concluded that he happens to be in a particularly good area for tutoring. It's a wealthy part of New Jersey with enough population density that he can build a client base.
I'm not as successful for a host of reasons. But one reason is my specific location. I'm in a reasonably well-off portion of Southern California. But it doesn't have quite the level of wealth, nor the high population density, that allows me to pick and choose clients.
2. Consider expanding your driving distance
Despite my friend's advantages, he's willing to commute 40 minutes for a job. This is feasible because he clusters his jobs. One day he might spend around Princeton, meeting three or four clients. Another day, he might head north.
This only works if you can (1) find sufficient numbers of students in a given area to make it worthwhile to drive out there in the first place, and (2) convince them all to meet in a given place. Otherwise, you'll be eaten alive with fuel and maintenance costs, not to mention the opportunity cost of driving between lessons.
3. Consider picking up subjects that are outside your core, but still within yourcompetence.
In the beginning, I was a bit too cautious about my qualified fields. I thought that, because it had been a couple years since I had a statistics course, I wasn't qualified to tutor statistics. However, I discovered that, with a good textbook and enough clients to make it worthwhile, I was able to retrain myself in beginning statistics. I'm nowhere near my previous level of proficiency, but I'm confident that I can competently tutor any AP Stats or beginning college stats course -- a belief that has been proven correct from experience.
Again, it varies by location, and my experience is limited to math, science, and some of the social sciences. But I would say that physics, chemistry, and calculus are generally in high demand (partly because any out-of-college adult reasonably skilled in this probably could get another job). Econ and stats tend to be sought after, though in raw numbers there may be fewer students taking those courses. Biology has a lot of demand, but also a lot of supply.
4. Consider tutoring college students.
I don't have a preference one way or another as far as tutoring high school students or college students. (But I generally don't tutor anyone younger.) But if you think about it, tutoring can't come anywhere near to a full-time gig if you're limited to the hours after school gets out (barring crazy hours on weekends). One way to fill that gap is with college students, many of whom have openings in the morning or early afternoon.
Now, not all college students can afford expensive tutoring. So you might opt to charge a reduced rate for starving students. It depends upon your college market, and on whether or not you can tutor an upper-division class. But even for general education classes, there might be some demand. A few students (or their parents) are perceptive enough to realize that a small investment in tutoring might actually be a better deal than paying to take the class again.
Good luck!
Now, not all college students can afford expensive tutoring. So you might opt to charge a reduced rate for starving students. It depends upon your college market, and on whether or not you can tutor an upper-division class. But even for general education classes, there might be some demand. A few students (or their parents) are perceptive enough to realize that a small investment in tutoring might actually be a better deal than paying to take the class again.
Good luck!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Comedy Review: Sunset Room, Oct 22, 2013
It was Ladies' Night: four female comics were booked to perform. It was supposed to start at 10pm, but ended up starting at around 10:30, possibly due to trouble tracking down a DJ. 10pm is already pretty late for a Monday, and the delay pretty much guaranteed that people would leave during the performances.
Whether people left for that reason, or their indifference toward the comedy on display, is uncertain. What is clearer is that the opening and closing of the door rattled some of the comedians. I don't know their history, or how long they've been doing it. And it's tough to shut out at a small venue (there were only about 20-25 people total).
I'm not a comedian, and I'm not a professional critic. I'm just a guy that likes stand up comedy. Even that is limited to a handful of visits to comedy clubs and Youtube browsing. I have a tremendous respect for people who go up in front of a crowd and try to make them laugh. It takes tremendous courage. I think it's also unfair to compare them with the leading comics of our time: Louis CK, Chris Rock, etc. However, there do seem to be certain laws of comedy that are common to effective routines at all levels, and it is fair to see whether or not their comedy works according to these distilled principles.
Here are some principles I think were broken (or in Bernal's case, followed):
Be prepared.
Standup comedy is not improv. Good standup can take advantage of things in the room, and improvise off that. (Things in the room can be funny because they are shared experiences, which reduces the chance of a joke not being understood.) But at some level there still need to be jokes. It can't all be personality, or completely dependent on things happening during the routine.
If a comic is prepared, she can resist the temptation to go off script if jokes fall flat.
If a comic issuper, duper prepared, she can calibrate delivery or material as needed.
If a comic is unprepared, he or she makes a comment like "Let's see... what else do I want to talk about?" At least two comics did this.
Another comic had decent energy and promise, but her routine went a bit off once she started actively using her note sheet.
If you have a note sheet, it indicates a lack of preparation. Worse, if I know you have stuff written in front of you, my expectations for your delivery and material skyrocket, perhaps to impossible standards.
Consider how the material works with the rest of the perforrmance
From what little I know, many comics have a set routine. It's unclear then that adjusting that routine is at all feasible, or makes sense. But I think it does pay to know your audience, and figure out whether a gig is right for you.
There was also a guest male comic, who, based on the intro, has acheived some note at the Laugh Factory. Unfortunately for him, his routine seemed even more misogynistic than it would ordinarily at a Ladies' Night. Some of his jokes were designed more for shock than humor in any case. But they seemed especially mean given the context.
Maybe I'm not a fan of his type of humor. But I think I would've enjoyed it more if it weren't delivered at a Ladies' Night. Some parts were just a bit too jarring given the context.
Things that happen in the room can be funny - but don't use them as a crutch.
The male comic made fun of a guy by calling him "Charlie Brown", playing off a drunken heckle and the fact that his shirt had a horizontal zigzag pattern. It was pretty good. But a couple of the comics came back to the "Charlie Brown" thing when their routines were flagging. For whatever reason, it seemed like they were using it as a life preserver, and it showed.
I know that comedians generally find someone (or a couple someones) they can pick on in a crowd, especially if the person is pretty good natured. ("Charlie Brown" was a good sport.) But there has to be more than pointing to "Charlie Brown!" It gets tired if the person has no connection with the jokes.
Stay with the energy of your bit.
One of the things that I think distinguishes a good comic is that he or she stays in the energy of a bit. They don't break character. They don't (necessarily) depend upon the energy of the room. They bring their own energy. Conversely, weaker or more inexperienced comics do respond, and even take personally, the apathy or non-responsiveness of a crowd.
As the routines went on, many of the comics seemed a bit unnerved at the lack of response. Their tone It's entirely understandable. But it's the kiss of death.
Bernal did this the best of the comics performing tonight. She was greeted with the same sort of apathy that the other comics experienced -- perhaps even more, given the general fatigue everyone was feeling by the last act. But she brought an energy to the stage and maintained it throughout her routine. She didn't depend upon great responses -- though it always helps. She stayed with her high-energy, larger-than-life personality, and it worked. It won us over, such that when she did tell a stinker, we were willing to forgive it as an aberration.
Of note: she faced a drunk female heckler who said, among other things, "You're not latina" and "You're not funny". Bernal seemed pretty unfazed; she initially engaged, and when that didn't work, continued with her routine without skipping a beat.
Performers have to "stay in the bit". This applies to classroom teaching, too. If you let your energy slip, the kids pick up on it, and the lesson suffers.
Try not to insult the entire audience for no good reason.
It's clear that some of the comics were struggling, and got a combination of nervous, pissed off, and frustrated. One in particular got a bit petulant and sarcastic, and basically insulted the crowd at the end of her routine by sarcastically praising us for being a great crowd.
Whether people left for that reason, or their indifference toward the comedy on display, is uncertain. What is clearer is that the opening and closing of the door rattled some of the comedians. I don't know their history, or how long they've been doing it. And it's tough to shut out at a small venue (there were only about 20-25 people total).
I'm not a comedian, and I'm not a professional critic. I'm just a guy that likes stand up comedy. Even that is limited to a handful of visits to comedy clubs and Youtube browsing. I have a tremendous respect for people who go up in front of a crowd and try to make them laugh. It takes tremendous courage. I think it's also unfair to compare them with the leading comics of our time: Louis CK, Chris Rock, etc. However, there do seem to be certain laws of comedy that are common to effective routines at all levels, and it is fair to see whether or not their comedy works according to these distilled principles.
Here are some principles I think were broken (or in Bernal's case, followed):
Be prepared.
Standup comedy is not improv. Good standup can take advantage of things in the room, and improvise off that. (Things in the room can be funny because they are shared experiences, which reduces the chance of a joke not being understood.) But at some level there still need to be jokes. It can't all be personality, or completely dependent on things happening during the routine.
If a comic is prepared, she can resist the temptation to go off script if jokes fall flat.
If a comic issuper, duper prepared, she can calibrate delivery or material as needed.
If a comic is unprepared, he or she makes a comment like "Let's see... what else do I want to talk about?" At least two comics did this.
Another comic had decent energy and promise, but her routine went a bit off once she started actively using her note sheet.
If you have a note sheet, it indicates a lack of preparation. Worse, if I know you have stuff written in front of you, my expectations for your delivery and material skyrocket, perhaps to impossible standards.
Consider how the material works with the rest of the perforrmance
From what little I know, many comics have a set routine. It's unclear then that adjusting that routine is at all feasible, or makes sense. But I think it does pay to know your audience, and figure out whether a gig is right for you.
There was also a guest male comic, who, based on the intro, has acheived some note at the Laugh Factory. Unfortunately for him, his routine seemed even more misogynistic than it would ordinarily at a Ladies' Night. Some of his jokes were designed more for shock than humor in any case. But they seemed especially mean given the context.
Maybe I'm not a fan of his type of humor. But I think I would've enjoyed it more if it weren't delivered at a Ladies' Night. Some parts were just a bit too jarring given the context.
Things that happen in the room can be funny - but don't use them as a crutch.
The male comic made fun of a guy by calling him "Charlie Brown", playing off a drunken heckle and the fact that his shirt had a horizontal zigzag pattern. It was pretty good. But a couple of the comics came back to the "Charlie Brown" thing when their routines were flagging. For whatever reason, it seemed like they were using it as a life preserver, and it showed.
I know that comedians generally find someone (or a couple someones) they can pick on in a crowd, especially if the person is pretty good natured. ("Charlie Brown" was a good sport.) But there has to be more than pointing to "Charlie Brown!" It gets tired if the person has no connection with the jokes.
Stay with the energy of your bit.
One of the things that I think distinguishes a good comic is that he or she stays in the energy of a bit. They don't break character. They don't (necessarily) depend upon the energy of the room. They bring their own energy. Conversely, weaker or more inexperienced comics do respond, and even take personally, the apathy or non-responsiveness of a crowd.
As the routines went on, many of the comics seemed a bit unnerved at the lack of response. Their tone It's entirely understandable. But it's the kiss of death.
Bernal did this the best of the comics performing tonight. She was greeted with the same sort of apathy that the other comics experienced -- perhaps even more, given the general fatigue everyone was feeling by the last act. But she brought an energy to the stage and maintained it throughout her routine. She didn't depend upon great responses -- though it always helps. She stayed with her high-energy, larger-than-life personality, and it worked. It won us over, such that when she did tell a stinker, we were willing to forgive it as an aberration.
Of note: she faced a drunk female heckler who said, among other things, "You're not latina" and "You're not funny". Bernal seemed pretty unfazed; she initially engaged, and when that didn't work, continued with her routine without skipping a beat.
Performers have to "stay in the bit". This applies to classroom teaching, too. If you let your energy slip, the kids pick up on it, and the lesson suffers.
Try not to insult the entire audience for no good reason.
It's clear that some of the comics were struggling, and got a combination of nervous, pissed off, and frustrated. One in particular got a bit petulant and sarcastic, and basically insulted the crowd at the end of her routine by sarcastically praising us for being a great crowd.
Cleverness that extends for more than five seconds is a breath of fresh air.
Bernal has a great singing voice, and she used it to parody both "Part of Your World" (Little Mermaid) and "If I Only Had A Brain" (Wizard of Oz). They stood out in an environment of one-liners because they were clever all the way through. Instead of the chuckle-silence pattern of one-liners, she got us to laugh for a half-minute, and cheer afterwards.
***
I do think that each of the comics tonight has the potential to be better than some of the opening acts I've seen at The Ice House and Harrah's. (These may not represent the pinnacle of success, but it's a standard that I think means gainful, regular employment as a comic. And the Harrah's folks were godawful - nobody, especially a headliner, should comment during his routine that he can hear the ceiling fans.) I think Nicky Bernal could, with luck and a longer routine, go even farther.
But between here and there are a lot of small clubs with cold crowds.
Bernal has a great singing voice, and she used it to parody both "Part of Your World" (Little Mermaid) and "If I Only Had A Brain" (Wizard of Oz). They stood out in an environment of one-liners because they were clever all the way through. Instead of the chuckle-silence pattern of one-liners, she got us to laugh for a half-minute, and cheer afterwards.
***
I do think that each of the comics tonight has the potential to be better than some of the opening acts I've seen at The Ice House and Harrah's. (These may not represent the pinnacle of success, but it's a standard that I think means gainful, regular employment as a comic. And the Harrah's folks were godawful - nobody, especially a headliner, should comment during his routine that he can hear the ceiling fans.) I think Nicky Bernal could, with luck and a longer routine, go even farther.
But between here and there are a lot of small clubs with cold crowds.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
How to screw up a speech (CC#2: Organize Your Essay)
I screwed up today's speech. I still won the club award. But that was on my strength of speaking, and not on the quality of speech.
I've been working on a Theodore Roosevelt speech for about a month. I've gone through an estimated four drafts. And none of them sounded right. I ended up delivering a jumble of information today. It was well-received and praised.
My evaluator, a kindly retired lawyer, rightly took me to task on it. He thinks he was too harsh; he was actually just right, and I'm glad the club saw the critiques he made.
Could better preparation helped? Sure. I didn't effectively memorize the speech, or even talking points, because I was struggling until the last minute to get a draft.
But those are secondary issues.
The biggest reason it was a bad speech was because the topic was ill-suited to the format.
The Competent Communicator (CC) #2 speech is all about organization. There should be a clear intro, in which you enumerate your three main points. There should be three supporting points. And, finally, there should be a conclusion.
The problem is that I ended up delivering a narrative speech. There's just too much info in any biographical narrative (and most obviously so when discussing a crowded life like T.R.'s.)
A narrative is a terrible approach to a highly structured speech, especially given the time constraints.
The speech would have gone better if I had stuck with draft #2, which organized roughly along certain personality traits.
But it would have still foundered on the fundamental fact that historical narrative is a poor match for this speech.
Most of us are limited by topic. We have to speak about a certain thing in a professional setting. We have to talk about the bride and groom at a wedding. In the vast majority of cases, the topic is fixed. Sometimes even the format is fixed. But even in those cases, what flexibility exists comes from format, not from content.
These Toastmasters speeches are precisely the opposite. For many of these speeches (but not all: CC#1: The Icebreaker is a conspicuous exception), the speaker has freedom -- too much for comfort -- to choose any topic he or she wishes. It's the format, structure, or grading rubric that is fixed. The intent is clear: focus on a single technical aspect of the speech. It doesn't matter if it's about something no one cares about; at this level, the emphasis is on the mechanics.
It's important to double-check that you're doing precisely what you're supposed to be doing. And sometimes, in order to do what you're supposed to do, you have to ditch your preferred topic and go with another one.
This lesson applies to writing as well. Even if you have freedom to include whatever examples or content you wish, your format will often suggest more natural topics, and, contrariwise, will build in natural barriers if you insist on alternative topics.
This might not be helpful for those of you speaking in work settings. But for those of you with some flexibility in content, but not in form, it bears remembering. I'll keep that in mind while I prepare for CC#3: Get to The Point.
I've been working on a Theodore Roosevelt speech for about a month. I've gone through an estimated four drafts. And none of them sounded right. I ended up delivering a jumble of information today. It was well-received and praised.
My evaluator, a kindly retired lawyer, rightly took me to task on it. He thinks he was too harsh; he was actually just right, and I'm glad the club saw the critiques he made.
Could better preparation helped? Sure. I didn't effectively memorize the speech, or even talking points, because I was struggling until the last minute to get a draft.
Could I have worked on my physical presentation? Yes. I was in a suit. But I tended to pace. I have a way of scanning the room that's reminiscent of an oscillating sprinkler. It's eye contact, but it's not particularly effective (and for the vision impaired toastmaster, damn annoying -- the auditory input of someone pacing while speaking can actually induce nausea).
But those are secondary issues.
The biggest reason it was a bad speech was because the topic was ill-suited to the format.
The Competent Communicator (CC) #2 speech is all about organization. There should be a clear intro, in which you enumerate your three main points. There should be three supporting points. And, finally, there should be a conclusion.
The problem is that I ended up delivering a narrative speech. There's just too much info in any biographical narrative (and most obviously so when discussing a crowded life like T.R.'s.)
A narrative is a terrible approach to a highly structured speech, especially given the time constraints.
The speech would have gone better if I had stuck with draft #2, which organized roughly along certain personality traits.
But it would have still foundered on the fundamental fact that historical narrative is a poor match for this speech.
Most of us are limited by topic. We have to speak about a certain thing in a professional setting. We have to talk about the bride and groom at a wedding. In the vast majority of cases, the topic is fixed. Sometimes even the format is fixed. But even in those cases, what flexibility exists comes from format, not from content.
These Toastmasters speeches are precisely the opposite. For many of these speeches (but not all: CC#1: The Icebreaker is a conspicuous exception), the speaker has freedom -- too much for comfort -- to choose any topic he or she wishes. It's the format, structure, or grading rubric that is fixed. The intent is clear: focus on a single technical aspect of the speech. It doesn't matter if it's about something no one cares about; at this level, the emphasis is on the mechanics.
It's important to double-check that you're doing precisely what you're supposed to be doing. And sometimes, in order to do what you're supposed to do, you have to ditch your preferred topic and go with another one.
This lesson applies to writing as well. Even if you have freedom to include whatever examples or content you wish, your format will often suggest more natural topics, and, contrariwise, will build in natural barriers if you insist on alternative topics.
This might not be helpful for those of you speaking in work settings. But for those of you with some flexibility in content, but not in form, it bears remembering. I'll keep that in mind while I prepare for CC#3: Get to The Point.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Facebook ads as a straight, single woman
In case you're wondering, I'm actually a straight single man. On Facebook, I'm also 106 years old, mostly because of a desire to fabricate a fictional series of life events that just happen to coincide with major events in history (and, if you include H.P. Lovecraft, fiction). Yes, I'm weird.
One of the side effects of being a single, 106-year old male is a lot of senior dating ads. But, surprisingly, or not, there are other, non-senior ads. In fact, Facebook sees it fit to try to entice me with pictures of women who I feel are too young for me at 30, much less 106.
This got me thinking: Facebook ads as I see them are predominately political (liberal) and dating oriented. How would this look for a woman?
So I changed my Facebook gender.
The results weren't apparent, initially. But I can say, after about two weeks as a 106-year old single straight woman on Facebook, I can report the following differences:
1. I still get a lot of dating ads, but they are a bit classier.
No surprise, but the average woman is a bit classier than the average man. As a straight man, I got lots of boob shots. But as a straight woman, I get more tasteful ads. One thing I noticed is an ad that tries really hard to look like a fake inbox. Are women (specifically older women) perceived as more gullible? Or are advertisers in general trying to take greater advantage of confused misclicks?
But at least I'm not getting the "no credit card needed!" ads. (Oh, maybe that's on those other websites I visit.)
2. Some of the ads haven't updated to reflect my straight woman status.
LA Business Bootcamp advertises itself exclusively with pictures of amply endowed young women. This ad persists. Why? Well, maybe the advertiser didn't want to pay for more targeted advertising, and is simply spamming everyone with the same two images. Or maybe they *know* I'm really a straight, single, lonely man who is stupid enough to fall for a business workshop advertised by women in skin-tight T-shirts.
I (sadly) concluded long ago that whatever business I would likely be involved in will probably involve fully clothed people.
3. More phone ads.
This was a bit unexpected. Why would this be? Why didn't I notice cellphone ads as a male?
I have some possible guesses.
1. The US cellphone market is saturated, but women are (slightly) less likely to own an expensive smartphone than men.
According to this 2012 Pew research study, 93% of men and 88% of women own a cellphone. 59% of men own a smartphone, compared with 53% of women.
(There's actually a lot of interesting data. 63% of cellphone users use the phone to go online. Blacks and hispanics are more likely to own a smartphone than whites.)
These numbers don't seem all that different to me, and could be accounted for in many ways (for instance, women living longer than men, and fewer old people owning cellphones). But it might be enough of a difference for targeted advertising to pay off.
2. Women are actually the ones who pay the cellphone bills.
I wasn't able to find this data online. But given that, in families, women are often the ones who are in charge of budgeting, then it wouldn't surprise me to see numbers suggesting that women, not men, pay for cellphone plans. It would make sense for advertisers to target women more than men.
3. Random timing
Maybe I switched over at a time that providers have marked as a key time for switching contracts. Start of school year? Holiday season? Who knows? I sure don't, and I'm not going to look it up right now.
4. More weight loss ads
Sadly, this isn't a surprise. How does Facebook *know* that I need to lose about 25 pounds? It doesn't. But advertisers know that weight loss is a better sell with women than men. Boo to entrenched double standards and artificial constructions of beauty.
Seriously, I do need to lose some weight. Maybe I should click.
5. A few more clothes and furniture ads
This is also not a surprise, though somewhat less offensive than #4. I do miss those Bonobos ads that I used to get until about a year ago.
6. Fewer political ads
Does this reflect a somewhat sexist view that women are somehow less interested in politics than men? Or, does it reflect the probable reality that women are less hysterical* than men when it comes to politics, and therefore less easy to reach through FB ads?
*Yes, yes, I know.
Conclusion:
All in all, the experience has been a lot less exciting than I thought. I expected special insights into FB market segmentation, and the different world women inhabit. But I suppose if I really wanted the difference, I would go on a dating website and create a fake profile with a suitably attractive stock photo. Thankfully, I'm not that masochistic. (Goodness knows what messages I'd get if I advertised my masochism.)
In short, this was a bit of a waste of time -- doing it, thinking about it, and writing it. (Reading about it, too, no doubt.) I didn't gain any great insights. One doesn't expect to, when one limits efforts at understanding to a toe-dip into the digital pond. Looks like I'll have to actually listen and empathize with my friends who happen to be women.
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