Having watched speakers and speeches roll through the streets for several days now, Freyja feels compelled to speak up. The discrepancies in standards between different speeches that she saw at first stood out to her, then slowly started, as she listened to more and more oratory work, to actively grate upon her. Pulling on a warm jacket against the cool Hollywood night, Freyja found her way onto a busy street, teeming with mobsters. It was there that she began to speak, sharing her thoughts with the world.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would be glad of your attention for a short while this evening while I speak on a matter which is becoming more and more of an issue to me. The issue is one of our streets, and therefore I feel that it is prudent to discuss it right here on our streets. I'm sure that this may be a debate that has been held before, however it feels timely that it be held again.

The issue that I would like to discuss this evening, is that of the enormous variance between the standards of speaking that can be quite easily seen across our streets. 

Now, not everybody is a natural born orator. Not everybody is confident in their ability to present their words well. Not everybody here even speaks English as a first language, or even a second or a third. Those things are important to take into account when considering the standards of oration that can be seen on these streets, although I do feel sometimes as though these are used too readily as excuses for poor quality speeches, considering that none of these are insurmountable obstacles to actually putting a decent speech out.

There are currently people going about making consistently excellent contributions to our speech, and I'm not going to be shy about naming some names here. Goto, Father_TeQ, RoryRourke, Jaci, Godfather Curtis, to name but a few, seem to always put a lot of effort into how they present their work. No, I'm not just naming friends of my bloodline there. Really, I'm not. I'm naming people who seem to genuinely consider what they say, who seem to genuinely put some time and effort into it. These people, in my opinion, through their hard work, are some of the people who genuinely make the streets an interesting place.

On the flip side to that, and here's where I'm not going to name names - mostly because I don't have to, it's pretty easy to spot, I don't need to give anybody the glamour of being called out on it and also, I like not being shot, there are some speeches made that leave you to just scratch your head and go, "EH?". To question your very eyes and ears, and to wonder why the hell anybody would wish to put their name to that.

I'm talking the auth speeches so brief that you wonder if you imagined them. I'm talking the speeches copied almost word for word from the outside world. I'm talking the kind of half hearted, half arsed crap that could have been infinitely improved had the speaker actually spent a little time trying to improve it.

It doesn't have to be that way. It really doesn't. There are the good folks that I mentioned earlier out here doing a stellar job of setting the standard for public speaking. There are others, that I haven't named, who do no less a good job. There are groups like R.A.W.R. around, helping and encouraging one another to be the best they can be at what they do. I looked through the journals of my bloodline, and I couldn't see any instance where any ancestor of mine has seen such a wealth of talent on our streets as they see today. The streets are busy, are bursting with potential. 

And perhaps that is why it is time to take some kind of stand on some of the generic dross we see. Perhaps it is time for leaders to take a little responsibility for some of the half arsed shite that their members are spewing out. Perhaps it is time for people to ask for help where they need it. Perhaps this is a good time for us all as a whole to put that little bit more into our streets, while so much good is coming out of them. 

"The streets have always been a place ready to accept anything without prejudice, and the community has always taken the role of not just judge and juror but legislator too. And frankly, I am of the opinion that a reluctance to indulge in the so-called 'bells & whistles' of speaking to a certain accepted format shouldn't stand in the way of anyone looking to become involved. You said it yourself: the streets are busy. Why do anything about it? If it turns out someone has stolen their speech word-for-word from one spoken a long time ago, there's already an accepted procedure there, a punishment. But how do you begin to punish, or define, mobsters who come out here in a supposedly 'half-assed' manner? How do you gauge the intent of the speaker? And what kind of consequences are we talking about? Or in the case of auth speeches being too short - a tradition, in my opinion, of very little importance compared to the words of the new boss him or herself - who is anyone to say how long one has to be? It seems counterproductive, a wet blanket. Emphasising standards sets us on a path towards exclusivity.

I'm not saying there shouldn't be a standard, don't get me wrong, but that there already is one and it is rather low. And that's good. Embrace the voices of any and all, reject those that do not interest you, and punish those who steal speeches. That's what I believe." 

Joining the small group with heads bent, Brynhildr refused to allow the cool weather to affect her visibly. The threadbare tunic was modest, as a reflection of it’s owner. It was not, however, warm. Paying close attention to Frejya’s words, finding herself agreeing with many of the points made, she uses a lull in the conversation to interject herself in.

You’re right, Frejya. I would contend that speeches are not the only aspect of our lives that has seen degradation. That particular topic is a bit to weighty for a simple lass like me to tackle on the fly, so I will keep my points within the context of your speech.

Looking around to make sure she has everyone’s attention, Brynhildr holds out two fingers

There are two things that are causing the quality of our speakers to dip. The first, obviously, can be placed firmly on the leaders of the poor speakers. Far distant in my ancestry, one of my own line once had the pleasure to lead a small group in this world of ours. During that time, there were few hiccups on the streets from that crew. By hiccup, I mean any form of disrespect, incoherent rambling, embarrassing one liners, or word for word reproductions.

Why? Those that wished to make a voice for themselves, or wander the various businesses with family members, had guidance from a variety of sources. A gentle hand in teaching, with a rough hand in punishing, was the motto of this family of my ancestors. The few that did not learn were executed as an example. This did not inspire fear in others in the family, only a greater respect for the importance the Streets hold.

However, this was not some special characteristic. In that time, the ability to speak well was held higher in esteem. My bloodline was taught well, by a variety of individuals, but all demanded excellence. I say that because it ties in with my second point.

Clearly, there have been a number of leaders recently that did not go through those times. Either they were never guided by a capable individual in their older days, or the overall interest in maintaining quality in our Streets has waned. I believe it’s a mixture of both, with the latter the more damning issue. With the former being more personally dangerous to those poor souls that seek leadership without the foundation required for it.

Shrugging her shoulders, she eyes one unknown gangster in the group intently

You can always encourage individuals to excel but without a real penalty for actions, you will always have those unwilling to adapt dragging everything else down. Odin forbid another rambling fool leads a crew.

Turning to Al_Capone, she considers his words

Working with a low standard produces poor results. While something can be said for activity, you can be busy and still maintain quality. Many of my ancestors worked with those who wanted to speak in the streets yet lacked the skill with English that others had. They, with effort, would outperform some of the more recent contributions even with their natural difficulty if they were here now. What does that tell you?

"I understand that, Brynhildr, and admire them for doing so but not everyone can do as well, regardless of effort. And as far as effort goes, why point out those who are out here but putting in less than is deemed appropriate? If they're not offending anyone, it's no skin off my back. At least they're out here. Would it encourage others to follow suit in becoming lazy? I don't think the standards would ever drop any lower than they always have been - there's sort of an inherent cut off point of what we are ready to accept and what most people are prepared to put out at the risk of looking foolish. Those who lack the self-awareness to realize they are making themselves look foolish have speeches like these to remind them they are being scrutinised. But I don't think we should actively enforce anything to say this speech is good enough and this other one is not, besides what we already do as a community. Perhaps crewleaders can (continue to?) stress mentorship throughout their family to those struggling but that is about as far as it ever has to go, isn't it? I'll put up with the well-intentioned dunces and the ill-intentioned dullards if it means not becoming too highbrow." 

Smiles warmly at the highbrow comment and fully faces Al_Capone

You are not as far off from my views as you may think. I agree that mentorship is necessary and I believe it is lacking. Or, has been lacking in the recent past. Merely an observation from what little I've seen, as well as what I've heard so far. It is not "highbrow" to want others to be comprehended with ease, something that is not always the case. So it's less about what is good listening and much more about what gets across for every other eager ear out there.

I'm not in a position to actively enforce anything nor do I wish to be. I would not say that it shouldn't be considered but such considerations are a private family matter. I would not put much stock in being seen foolish as a good enough deterrent. Fools will stumble forever, if allowed to.

Brynhildr shivers reluctantly

That's enough chatting for me today. Fare thee well.  

Well, screw you Freyja, at least I'm generally consistent in the effort I put into my work, when I put it into my work. You're a bad Freyja, and how dare you say his name. 

"You're right, two sides of the same leaf, it seems. Fools will stumble forever, it's true, but I would hope that one would not stumble upwards in our business into any position of influence if a fool is all they present themselves to be. I have faith in that because if I didn't, it might lead me to question why I work for anything in the first place. It's been pleasant speaking with you, Brynhildr."

I wouldn't be interfering if it didn't appeal to me, but it does.

English isn't my first language, so, in the beginning I was struggling on which words I should use.
Were they in the context of the speech, coherent, did I even spell them right?

The fear of me expressing myself in the wrong manner, was greater than the desire to put it in words on the streets.

Speeches like Freyja's, only enhanced that feeling. And with that, the fear to speak up.

I am sorry, but as much as I enjoy having my ego stroked, I'd rather not have it done by you Freyja. Especially as just a few days ago you were complaining in the coffeeshops about how one of my speeches was 'not overly professional' and continued to ramble on until people left the room.

Coming out here and talking about the quality and etiquette of street speeches when your very recent family came out here and made themselves look like a 'streetwalker' seems a bit hypocritical to me. It seems your blood expects high standards for streets speeches from everybody, unless it suits them to be as crude and crass as they like... then it's ok to forget everything that they preach.

It's not just about how you present your speech, it's also about how you present yourself.

$$ I dont get mad I just get money $$$

I think that that's a natural by-product of the way that MR does things. On your profile, it looks good to have a ton of thread replies; in addition, it increases your vision, which can help big-time. Naturally, plenty of people would try to get away with half-assed thread replies and then brag about how high their vision level is, or how participatory they are.

At the same time, it's important to make the distinction between being verbose and articulating your point, although I don't believe that anyone here is guilty of the former. To be honest, I always try to contribute my ideas to the conversation whenever I post on the forums, but if I can say something in a couple of words rather than a couple of sentence, then good on me, and good on anyone else who can manage that, because it can be tempting to over-articulate. Human beings naturally believe that more is better (consumerism much?) and they think that one must write long-winded novels to get his/her point across and be considered "intelligent" or "present". 

But always feel free to disagree, if you feel you can argue against some of my points.

Melissa was on her way home from a long day abroad. Gun shots were echoing across the city like a very loud voice in an otherwise empty room. She saw a bunch of people gathered around someone who from what she could hear and understand, was making some excellent points. Her curiousity getting the better of her, she joined the crowd getting steadily bigger and listened attentively to the speaker. After hearing what the speaker had to say, she felt like all the points that needed to be brought up were already said. There was no point in beating up a dead horse so as the darkness set in further, she left and went home. It wasnt the best idea for a young woman to be out by herself after dark. God only knew what kind of people would be coming out at night, or god forbid, a stray bullet should hit her, as it was getting increasingly hardervto see with the lack of light in that area.