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Stop Making Sense: Is PowerPoint Evil?

I hope everybody has read  this article  about David Byrne's forays with PowerPoint. It's completely genius. "PowerPoint is evil" was actually my own mantra for years. I totally refused to work with it throughout my first year of library school, choosing instead to work from notes when presenting papers or projects. Eyes focused on me rather than on dumbed-down points and concepts. It seemed more casual and engaging. Eventually, however, I had to give in to PowerPoint's omnipotence. Whether I was forced into it by mandate of a professor or through the dynamics of group project, I can't remember. But it happened. And suddenly I had my hands on a tool that allowed me to create a presentation from thin air. Magic! With all the busy work and deadlines of an MLIS degree, I became a willing love-slave to my new master. Although I love this article, I don't necessarily agree with the basic premise of PowerPoint's critics. The idea that PowerPoint is a d
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So, I got a tattoo

So, I got my tattoo during the latest Vegas trip. Here are some pictures -- click on them for larger versions. As mentioned, the most painful aspect of the tattoo was having the outline drawn (left side). Once it was time for coloring however, the process was a breeze. I think tattoos are best left to the imagination of the viewer. When people ask me what my other tattoo "means," I'm always at a loss for words. They want a quick answer, but I can never find the words to summarize everything a tattoo means to me. It reminds me of having spent time abroad and then trying to respond to the question, "So how was it?" The original artwork for this tattoo was created in block print form by the Japanese artist Masami Teraoka. Much of his work is about the intermingling of the East and West. This particular piece is called "31 Flavors Invading Japan." I love his work more than perhaps any other visual artist I can think of.

Ole' Red Eyes

It's finally happened. My eyes have turned bloodshot as a result of these never-ending home renovations. Literally -- as in, I just looked in the mirror and saw two agitated, angry, red eyes looking back at me. They seemed to be pleading, "When is this ever going to end?" To their credit, the landscaping contractors have finally started showing up for more than an hour a day. In the last two days, they've worked full time and the two yards are now chock full of grey boulders and new desert plantlife. They even repaired the water main they broke the other day and once again I have -- glory be -- enough water pressure to wash both my body and the dishes that accumulate from day to day for lack of a dishwasher. (The dishwasher is stored temporarily in the garage awaiting completion of the terrazzo flooring in the kitchen; there is likewise no running water in the kitchen at present.) Yes, part of my mid-renovation routine now is washing dishes while butt naked. The toile

First Dream of 2017 (Or, How to Make Money from Old Ladies in Vegas)

I dreamed last night that I had been left alone at a Las Vegas casino with scant little to occupy myself. I had a remaining day and a half before my flight returned home. To keep myself busy and make a little money in the process, I decided to open a business right inside the casino. I decided from the start that my customer base would be elderly women. I set about starting the new business by pasting flyers on each of the hotel's room doors. Old women started calling me and soon enough I had three customers lined up immediately. I met my with my patrons one on one, presenting them a question-and-answer sheet of my own making. Based on their answers, I would personally craft a metal plaque that would in turn be presented to their husbands for their achievements (for both Vegas and life in general). The questions were: Name _____ Occupation ________ Time in Vegas _________ Winnings _______ Military Honors ____________ Favorite Chinese Dish _________ The last question was always very

Thanks TIL

Knowing full well that  Geek Chic  will be the "in" look for 2004, TIL bought this for me at the Star Trek Experience in Vegas. Thanks TIL, you rock baby! As for where I'm going to wear this, I'm thinking: - to the next Society of American Archivists meeting in Tucson? - at a friend's [unintentional and unaware] white trash wedding? - on my next trip to visit extended family in Redding "Redneck" California? - to my next dotcom job interview (after the bubble re-inflates)? - in a totally cheesy photo for my Blog... Yeah, that's it!

The Most Unusual Thing

I arrived at work hungover; this is nothing new really but it managed to set the tone for the day. Sleepy and nauseous, I soon came into contact with the what was -- so far -- the busiest day of the year. Like clockwork, all the snowbirds from Canada and Washington state have swooped down upon this small desert town in a collective, yearly effort to avoid the frigid chill of the North. One of my patrons was a well-mannered man from India who I will call "Mr. Lentil." Mr. Lentil carried with him a platinum briefcase -- contained within were a number of papers and DVDs. After introducing himself as a notable Bollywood film producer, he suggested in a roundabout way that I "might just be" what he was looking for. He explained that he was in need of a blonde lead -- the inability to speak Hindi would not pose any problems, and that airfare and accomodations would be paid in full. I agreed to the assignment and signed the relevant paperwork immediately. That was about se

RSS feeds

Sweet! My Yahoo now supports RSS feeds. How cool is that? I used to use My Yahoo simply as a patriotic act, back in the day, when they were my employer. Now I have a real reason to utilize that feature. Everything really does come full circle, doesn't it?