bogen.org

People unfortunate enough to be around me when the topic of PowerPoint comes up in conversation quickly learn that I am a fervent believer in the idea that PowerPoint actually inhibits communication, rather than facilitating it.  Further evidence for this theory can be found in the November 2003 issue of the Atlantic Monthly on page 82.  The following excerpt is from an article describing NASA and the Columbia Accident Investigation Board:

The latter message seems to have been lost.  Indeed, this particular PowerPoint presentation became a case study for Edward Tufte, the brilliant communications specialist from Yale, who in a subsequent booklet The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint, tore into it for its dampening effect on clear expression and thought.  The [Columbia Accident Investigation Board] later joined in, describing the widespread use of PowerPoint within NASA as one of the obstacles to internal communication…

For an interesting example of PowerPoint’s ability to make anything boring, check out the Gettyburg Address rendered as if Lincoln had used PowerPoint.

From our "When Direct Mail Marketing Intelligence Fails" department:  The other day I got a catalog full of "Motoring Accessories For Your Truck & SUV" in the mail.  Yes, I need a $400.00 custom grille for my truck and a set of custom, chrome pedals for my SUV.  Now I’ll be able to trick out my Earth Destroyer properly.

Sarah and I each got new (to us) bikes this weekend.  The City of Madison Police Department Auction was held on Saturday.  Sarah got a Gary Fisher Tassajara mountain bike. I bought a Schwinn Woodlands mountain bike.  Total for the two bikes:  $42.20.  Both bikes need two tires and at least one new cable.  Both of my derailleur cables are cut.  Sarah’s rear brake cable is shot.  The Schwinn has a bit rust on the frame, but I should be able to sand that off and coat the exposed metal.  Sarah’s bike is reasonbly rust free, but needs a new saddle.  I also had to cut a chain lock off her bike (which took about ten minutes, owing more to using a hack saw, vice grips, and pliers instead of a bolt cutter that I don’t have).  Once we get new tires, tubes, saddles, racks, panniers, fenders, and cables, each bike will have a final cost of around $120.  I’m planning on using my bike as a winter commuter which will let me retire my Schwinn Sprint for the winter.  Sarah will most likely ride the Tassajara this winter to save her cruiser from the road salt.

Gee, I wonder why children today are fatter than historically children have been.  I’m sure that Cheeseburger Fries (60 calories, 6 grams of fat per fry) served in school cafeterias have nothing to do with that disturbing trend.

One of my favorite lines in the Cheeseburger Fries article above deals with the guy "who is known in the business for his expertise with developing breaded coatings."  How do you put that on your business card?  Breaded Coating Guru?  Chief Breaded Coating Scientist?  If that isn’t enough of a surreal thought, the next sentence is almost better:  "In the past Moore worked on breading projects like onion rings, jalapeno peppers, seafood and even French toast sticks (in effect, adding breading to bread)."  I wish I could be a fly on the wall during the corporate meeting where the decision to add breading to bread was made.  How could anyone come out of that meeting with any idea other than to get out of that company as quickly as possible?

It’s clear that the Vikings defense is not much better than last year.  (Which also makes it plain just how bad last year’s defense was.)  The Vikes got some of the personnel they needed in the draft last year, but they desperately need a linebacker or three with speed between the sidelines, a better free safety, and a corner back that is even merely average.  The defense has stopped the opposing offense (as defined by forcing a punt) exactly eight times combined in the last three weeks.  A good defensive team like Carolina forces seven punts in one game.

For some reason that I still don’t understand, Sarah doesn’t want to get a Warthog Bar for the dining room wall.  She just keeps muttering something about "Never." whenever I bring up the subject.

From our "Wow, I Didn’t Know You Could Do That With Legos" file:  There is a Hostage Situation in Legoville.

Today it became obvious to me that I went to the wrong college.  My school did not have a Centre for Explosion Studies.  It’s really too bad that there isn’t a degree program in Explosion Studies.  Imagine the cocktail part conversation:  "Yes, so then I studied law at Harvard before moving to Washington D.C.  Where did you go to
school?"  "Well, I studied how to blow things up, and now I blow things up professionally."  Which of these people sounds like more fun to hang out with on the weekends?

When we lived in California, we bought Halloween candy as though we expected the 3rd Division to drop by for a bit of trick or treating and we still ran out of candy.  Last year, we bought nine bags of candy, and got two trick-or-treaters.  This year, we bought five bags of candy and got eight trick-or-treaters.  Next year, we’re buying two bags of candy (one kind that Sarah likes and one kind that I like) and giving up on people stopping by with their kids to trick-or-treat.

It’s hard for me to take serious any sort of exclamation about how the US "cannot afford <insert project or item here>."  When the government spends $87 billion in Iraq, and I see that we could build a solar power satellite to provide constant, clean, renewable energy to the US for $200 billion, I automatically think, "Well, heck.  If we had that $87 billion that we’re wasting in Iraq, we’d be almost half-way there."  People talk about reforming our schools for $10 billion and I think, "We could do that eight times over if we just had that $87 billion that we’re dumping into the Iraqi sands."  Our nation’s bridges are falling down and it will take billions of dollars to fix them?  "Gosh, we’d have it licked if we just had that $87 billion that we’re giving to Halliburton, Bechtel, and the like in Iraq."

We got two consecutive days of rain, starting on Sunday.  Today was supposed to be a third day of rain, but instead we’re getting mostly cloudy with periodic rain sprinkles.  I had to climb up on a ladder on Sunday to clean out two of the downspouts on our house.  The birch tree in our front yard was kind enough to clog both with leaves and whatnot.  Next spring I’m going to install screens over the gutters so I don’t have to clean out the gutters or downspouts again.  It’s not a terrible job, but one that seems somewhat easy to prevent.  Sarah and I put some shelves up in the basement this weekend, as well as numerous hooks and
hangers to get more of our "stuff" off the basement floor.