French soccer players have been given the boot by the country’s football authorities. They were, it seems, unimpressed with the teams behaviour in the World Cup. Surely, though, it is a question of blaming the wrong people? After all if there were problems in the camp they were there before the World Cup. They probably came to a head because of the pressure of the occasion. So it seems the authorities themselves are to blame. They should have known about the bad feelings in the camp and tackled the problem. They should also have known about the standard of play. They may not have had a Pele on the French team but the squad did have many household names. Then too if the players played badly the fault must lie with the coach and trainers not to mention the management. In the political world a Minister has to accept responsibility for his officials. If they make mistakes the Minister often resigns. Usually if a team fails the Manager resigns. So why in this case are the players suspended? Their behaviour and play was not admirable of course but the real question is whose fault was that? If soccer is the beautiful game some of the gloss has gone off it in France.

Check out our sample speeches

Share on Facebook

A good speechwriter should be able to write variations on the theme. After all there are many occasions when there are the same fundamental things to be said. It’s how you tweak them to the occasion that really matters.
A birthday speech is one example. A good speech will reflect on the past and toast the future no matter whether it’s a coming of age or a 60th birthday. Within that framework the writer has to provide the variations that will make the speech special and personal. You might mention that the birthday boy or girl loves The Beatles or is a theatre buff who adores Shakespeare. Your speech might refer to a favourite bit of poetry or the love that person had for a particular game. A retirement speech is another example. The speechwriter will talk of work well done and of a future without work. The challenge is to make the rest of the speech relevant to the particular employee. The speech may contain references to his or her particular skills or leadership ability. It may speak about the doughnuts the retiree ate every morning at coffee break. It could contain a reference to some achievement during his or her working life. A good speechwriter will, of course, have done some homework and found out about the retiree’s personal life and mention his or her retirement plan to sail the Atlantic ort write a book. The speeches will have the same format but, just as people are different so too should the contents of those speeches.

Check out our sample speeches

Share on Facebook

Tiger Woods will be back soon, or so it is said. His supporters say that his private life has nothing to do with his magic at golf. His detractors say that a man is known by his actions and that a cheat is a cheat. His sponsors wanted him to be squeaky clean.
Certainly he has admitted to cheating on his wife. Yet there is no doubt but that someone in his position is likely to be targeted by women, especially when he is away on tour. The tabloids, of course, have had a field day but it is worth asking if they too have not sinned? After all their reports must have caused untold misery to his wife and children.
We live in a world where extra marital affairs are taken for granted. They don’t sound so exciting though when you call them adultery. Women who throw themselves at men in the limelight may be beautiful but the names they can be called aren’t quite so pretty. Those who keep their marriage vows may be in the minority these days but they don’t break hearts or break up families. Such good news of course doesn’t sell newspapers and that says something about all of us.

Check out our sample speeches

Share on Facebook

President Obama is off to Copenhagen to back Chicago’s bid for the Summer Olympics. That’s proof of the importance of the Olympic Games to any country in economic as well as sporting terms. Who ever gets the games will benefit financially but we should remember that the elite athletes are exceptional.
Sport is for all whatever our age or ability. As we get older we may only be able to manage a swim in the pool but we can always retain our interest in sport by supporting a team, joining a fan club or working for a club. We may choose to follow soccer the beautiful game or trudge around the golf course after Tiger Woods. We may think that Muhammad Ali was the best fighter ever or we may simply present the prizes at a school sports day. There is no doubt though that sport is an integral part of our culture and for many people an absorbing hobby or a lucrative business.

Check out our sample speeches

Share on Facebook

Guinness, they say is good for you
And for two fifty years
It’s been a staple of our lives
Whether celebrating or in tears.
Now glasses will be raised on high
By British French and Tartar
And the pubs will echo to the sound
Of a toast to a man called Arthur.
‘Cos the pint of plain is your only man
And no one can make it like he can
Smooth and dark with frothy head
The water straight from the Liffey bed
And the saddest sight of all they say
Is to see it exported from Dublin Bay.

Check out our sample speeches

Share on Facebook

The victory of Yang in the Major shows that even the best can be beaten. That’s probably what makes sport so addictive. Even those who follow the leading teams know that every time their team plays there is a calculated chance that they will be beaten. They realise that however good their favourite players are there is always some who may be better. That is probably why leading sportspeople often retire at the top of their profession. They are only too aware that younger sportspeople are snapping at their heels. What Yang’s victory tells us is that if you strive for excellence you’ll be glad you did. You may not win a Major of course but you could succeed in some other way. You might get promotion or become captain of the local swimming club. It could be that you get top marks in some examination. Each one of us has some aspiration and it is consoling to know that there are opportunities for success for all of us. Tiger Woods will probably go on to win many more Majors. Like him you should challenge yourself and reap the rewards. Put simply never give up on your dreams.

Check out our sample speeches

Share on Facebook

Paris Jackson’s eulogy for a father said it all. It was poignant and to the point. In saying her father was the best father in the world she was encapsulating what her father meant to her. In saying she loved him she was expressing her own feelings for her father just as anyone who gives a eulogy should do. Nobody could doubt the sincerity of her feelings which, again, is just how it should be when giving a eulogy. It can’t have been easy for a young child to publicly express her grief for her father but there are few who heard her at that ceremony who will forget what she said. She wasn’t mourning an icon she was mourning the loss of someone dear to her and her father would have been proud of her.

Check out our sample speeches

Share on Facebook

The funeral service for Michael Jackson has attracted worldwide attention. Tributes have been pouring in regarding the singer and tickets for the service have been avidly sought. It will be interesting to hear the eulogies given to this troubled singer. Eulogies should really be given by someone very close to the deceased. They should reflect the whole life of the person who has died. They should bring his personality to life and speak of his achievements. They should speak of his relationships to the various different types of people attending  the service. They should, in fact make us understand the deceased and his thoughts and actions. It is highly unlikely that this will be the case. Those who attend will be fans who will only speak of his music and what it meant to them. The fact that some who drew tickets sold them shows that they weren’t really fans. The eulogy of a musician like Michael Jackson will surely reflect on his career but we will be probably no wiser about his troubled mind.

Check out our sample speeches

Share on Facebook

Have the Chinese authorities lost their commonsense? They are asking their people to smoke more. They don’t seem to realise that it is such a short-sighted way to help their economy. How does encouraging more people to die of cancer do any good in the long term? Surely it cannot be that in an over-populated country that it what they actually want?
The pollution problems in Beijing had to be tackled before the Olympics could be held. Asking people to smoke more is surely putting even more strain on their lungs and adding to the numbers who have breathing problems. With such a huge population this means a huge increase in medical conditions…
Of course the fact that they use complimentary medicines such as acupuncture may mean that they are saved the enormous bills western countries face for medical care. Nonetheless by this call to smoke they are flying in the face of all scientific findings on the dangers of smoking. They are putting themselves out of step with the rest of the world. It is inconceivable that any Government would ignore the scientific findings in this way simply as a means of raising taxes. Smoking too is an anti social habit as well as being medically unwise. Put simply smokers stink. Perhaps, though, if everyone is going to smoke that aspect, at least, doesn’t really matter.

Check out our sample speeches

Share on Facebook

The people aren’t having State banquets. They are not going on junkets. Instead they are having tea parties. In 1773 the Boston tea party was about taxation without representation. These tea parties are about taxation being spent recklessly and without consultation. After all nearly half the electorate didn’t vote for President Obama and even many of those who did are worried about the current spending spree.
As every prudent housewife knows you have to live within your budget. You do without things when you cannot afford them. Ask any small business person what they do when things are tough. They tighten their belts and only invest where it will yield returns. They will, for instance, have closed doors sales. Governments should do the same. The money they spend should be money that will yield dollars for every dollar spent… We should only invest in schemes that will prove profitable. That means no jobs for cronies but only for those who work hard and earn that money. It means definitely no money for the feckless who are not prepared to work. It means money poured into education to help those who need it to find jobs. It means putting money into research and into encouraging entrepreneurship. It means making every dollar work hard.
Tea parties themselves won’t make a difference but people talking at those tea parties can and will. In fact they may send the President an invitation to their next one. They may remind him that he took a pledge to serve with Liberty and Justice for all and that includes taxpayers…

Check out our sample speeches

Share on Facebook