Vito_T sits outside Paul_Vidi's suit shop reading the latest issue of the Gwarble.  He chuckles to himself "Oh Hoopie, your footnotes make my day."  Suddenly, he sees a young man drag out a soapbox and start blabbering:

"It was a dark and stormy night at the truck depot. . ."

Vito grumbles and tries to enjoy his paper.  "He'll be finished soon..."  But the young man won't let up:

". . . The Forelli gang started to shoot!!!"

Still trying to focus on his paper, he clears his throat and tries to refocus his attention, but the speech continues:

"So I shot them all in the face!  The cops came, so I started to run. . ."

Vito folds his paper and comes to his feet.  He pushes past the crowd, waves at ________ (Because he WOULD be there) and stands in the front row.

"Excuse me young man, but what the hell are you doing?" Vito asks.

The young man replies "I'm doing a street speech, what does it look like?  You can speak when I finish."

"Yes, I can see what you're doing, but why?" Vito asked, already knowing the most likely answer.

The young man seems taken aback "Why so I can get a promotion to Made Man of course."

Lifting an eyebrow, Vito tries to clarify "Let me get this straight.  You intend to prove to your family that you're trustworthy by airing family business or blatantly lying?"

The young man was brighter than he seemed, "No sir, it's a way to quantify my contribution.  It takes the subjectivity out of deciding who gets to be promoted and streamlines the whole process. It allows leaders to make promotion decisions empirically, which comes in handy if their schedules conflict and they have little interpersonal contact."

Vito exclaims "Holy shit, why didn't you say that instead of the crap your were jawing about a moment ago?  You're not stupid, why the hell would you present yourself as though you are?"

The young man replied "Because I want a promotion, I already told you and I can't get one until I come out here and contribute."

"You call that contributing?  Hell, from my perspective, you're less deserving of a promotion after polluting the streets with that unoriginal filth.  Nobody reads it, how does that makes you feel?"

"Frankly, I don't care, it's not as though I put any work into it."

Vito rolls his eyes and walks away to the sound of a dozen voices telling the young man how great his speech was.  Empty compliments for an empty speech.

Bells ears perked up as she heard a deep voice making actual valid points in the midst of family histories and pointless ramblings.  Tuning in, she nodded her head in agreement several times and chuckled at the mention of ______.

Sir, I must applaud your for this.  I spend a lot of time in these streets, working with the more shy or inexperienced speakers of these streets.  I admit that some of the plays we do are not the most valid or epic tales of these times.  However, they are comprehensive and interactive and most anyone with a grasp of the English language is welcome to contribute!  I do hate how the "stories" I hear out here are often pointless & uninteresting.

So is it wrong to think we should start a campaign to put every man who attempts this drivel to rest?

I wouldn't suggest something so extreme Bellissima, but I admire your enthusiasm.  Instead of formally judging the number of speeches a person has made, and informally judging the quality, perhaps there could be a way to formally judge the quality.  If I go any further, I might have to hit the clinic for my OOCitis treatment.

Bell snaps her fingers in disappointment, clicking her tongue. 

Ah well a dreamer can dream can't she?

I do agree however. I think that a boss of a family needs to monitor how their crew is communicating with others, both publicly & in this said OCCitis clinic.   It is imperative that one learns the proper way to speak and act on the streets, especially if they are to be known as a full fledged member of any family.

Frankly, if I were a boss, I'd execute anyone in my crew who tried to tell a story of their bloodline or something similar. Especially if it is only for the purpose of gaining rank. 

   It would seem to me that there is a finite number of topics in some peoples repertoire and that it is more of the same always too be had here in our streets. I think you both bring excellent points to the front lines and that maybe it may start a movement to change the way the streets are. Sadly I am sure it won't as someone will come here blasting that idea with threats and free speech etc. How do we expect the young ones who do this for whatever reason to grow up. Especially when you have long standing members publishing comic farces or utterly stupid drivel. I will not cite examples as we wall know who those people are that talk about things that would never be discussed in public by any mafioso.

  People talk of the glory days of how the way things were and then go out and do the same things they whine about because everyone else is so why not join in. Its a mob mentality and until the masses mandate that change it will not blow this way. Just read the names of people who are hanging out around streets or look at how they dress same theory I am sure they escaped from the OOCitis Clinic as well.  I could go on but I will reign in the flood that I would let run on for hours.

Obviously being there _____ decides to speak up...again.

Yeah, I won't shut the fuck up. That does not mean my contribution to these streets is "Polluting" it. Most of my speeches in the streets are very Positive and Constructive, or Perhaps you haven't bothered to read them, as they were "Uninteresting Drivel".

Who knows, anyways. Back to the subject matter, this guy you caught shouting Drivel into the streets, I can assure you No member of the Guild would be caught doing this. As much as we encourage street speaking, we tutor our members to make sure it is of an "Acceptable" quality. The number of Speeches they make is irrelevant to me, it is what those Speeches contain which gets my attention.

I like that decription, Wolf - a finite number of topics.  Makes me laugh.  There's never really a finite number of topics, only limited ability to bring something new to the streets. 

But let's not pretend that this topic is new either.  It's one that has been addressed many times before.  How do I know this?  Because my ancestors have talked about it many times before.  That being said, I believe this particular topic needs to be addressed over and over again because things haven't changed.  People sitll come out here and make speeches for the sole purpose of padding their "stats."  They put on a simple performance in order to get that original street speech that is likely required by their leaders. 

Now, that's not to say that leadership has done something wrong in demanding that their members come out to the streets and have a presence.  In fact, I think it's tremendously important that everybody have a street presence.  But somewhere in the shuffle, that word Vito talks about got lost.  Quality. 

Which is why I sit here and refrain from coming to the streets with an original "speech," and I use that word lightly because I'd hardly call what many people do speeches.  I have yet to find that topic that sparks my creative juices.  And I, for one, still prefer quality to quantity. 

My last point is this - we definitely have to find the balance between street presence and speeches for the purposes of ranking.  I think the intention of those rules was to ensure quality communication.  I hope we get there.

Hal I agree with you and my statement about a finite number of topics was meant to be sarcastic. As long as the human mind works there will be no limit to what we can achieve. Thanks for coming out and putting a word in and a well put on for that matter. I hope we get there too.....

Offers a hand to Hal.

Bell smiles at _______ as he gets all fired up

Honey, I can honestly say that I truly enjoy listening to you speak.  Never once have I ever considered anything you said as drivel or uninteresting.  I may not have always agreed with you, but I respect what you have to say.  I also thoroughly expect that The Guild will breed some of the finer street speakers that we've seen in awhile, and I look forward to it.

Yes when it comes to public speaking we suffer a strange juxtaposition of themes in these seven cities.

On the one hand we are encouraged to wheel out our soap box frequently - to make a name, an impact.

And yet we are simultaneously reminded that Omerta and silence around here are not just matters of course but genuine requirements for survival. This IS the mafia, right? Insult a boss and get your brains blown, right? At the very least get smacked up a bit for your insubordination. Hell it's rare I see a speech that doesn't end with someone's panties in a knot.

Now obviously there is a way to tiptoe the line between egregious disrespect and dull neutrality and some have mastered this skill like circus freaks. Some have cultured the ability to say what needs to be said and get an 'atta boy' at the same time.

Most have not. A man is said to fear public speaking more than death itself. And yet before he can make his rite of passage he may be told to waddle up to that podium, straighten his spectacles, clear his throat and show a bunch of gangsters and thieves how creative, eloquent and tough he is. Now it doesn't matter that he is neither creative, eloquent, nor tough, he is there nonetheless--trying to say something of importance without being harassed (or shot).

This whole process may seem stupid but it does force many of us outside of our bubbles. For every ten fools exposed a gem may be uncovered. Let's face it - in today's business communication skills are a must. Either practice them or stay content to be a Wise Guy.

My issue with this debate is that we get ourselves in a catch 22. Streep presence should be encouraged but newcomers feel that everything has been discussed already and are shy to come out here with something boring and/or repeated. So the field where they think they can do better at is telling a bit about their history and tell us about something they did a while ago while making their bones.

And if nobody encouraged or expected street presence we would have many people not ever setting foot out here.

I agree with CrazyNine here, we must encourage the newly off the boaters to come out here and speak. The best way to improve speach is to exercise it. And the more experienced members and leaders are there to help them by properly guiding them in what they should or should not say here. And if you find it boring than you dont reply. When they see no one reply's they will ask their leaders about it. Lets not forget... the first of each of our bloodlines started off clumsily. Everyone of them has made a mistake in their lives. And that is how we all learn. In order to become better, you must have a one point been worse!

:Laughs at his old friend's points:

It's true, Vito.  I always wince at the chumps' made-up stories of bravado and such.  Though I must admit, I sometimes find it somewhat difficult to come up with something original to say, I'm a man who doesn't speak unless he has something worth saying.  And you, for instance, said something that's been said before, but in an original way.  It's not that difficult, folks.  Take pride in what you produce in public and put a little thought into it, because, in the end, it will reflect on your image in a very real way.