h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The weather forecast for Little DooDah is enough to make you wonder if Mother Nature has at long last lost her marbles. Cold followed by unseasonably mild followed by freezing rain followed by sunshine followed by sub-zero F windchills. And that's just this weekend!

[nicki]

Hyp, welcome to the new normal.

Eats, I think I'm going to do the same as you and just mess with my website's root page and one of the upper nodes, so I can experiment with the css and stuff. I have a second domain reserved for a blog, and would have launched weeks ago except that I got caught up in doing art.

Hope your head feels better soon, GDZ.

http://www.mattwardman.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/20101209-wikipediaedit-wars1.jpg

I'm amused that wars about Wikipedia itself have been categorised as "religion". And speaking as a the correct term is not "owner", "human companion" or "caregiver", but "servant" or possibly "minion".

[RNick - chillin' but without real snowfall yet]

Putting together a presentation for interview purposes. It is not sparkly, and does not contain clip art or exciting animation effects. Dull, perhaps, but I tend to feel that content is more important than making a picture of a badger fly in from the top right-hand corner.

The worst presntations that I see often are talking points or paragraphs that are read verbatim by the presenter. And nothing else. If you have topic points, and flesh them out in language of the situation, then it is interesting. Presenting the character of the presenter and giving a 'depth' to the subject matter.

This is what I have seen for common safety briefs and for seriously technical presentations. Jigging cute critters aren't necessary to keep the interest of the audience. It's the nature of the presenter

"..content is more important than making a picture of a badger fly in from the top right-hand corner."

You said it David. There is nothing worse than a powerpoint sadist. Hours of my life have been destroyed by someone who has to play with every tool in the box.
Simple backgrounds, a few bullet points or a statement per slide and let the audience focus on the important thing, which is YOU.
"It was Death by Powerpoint" is a common statement in the military.
The best lessons I've seen in the last couple of years haven't used powerpoint at all, relying on whiteboards and a couple of coloured pens.

I am obliged to use PowerPoint for this exercise, and to provide a handout. But the handout will not be the PP slides. I hate that! Of course, if their presentation philosophy differs from mine, it could cost me any hope of the job, but I wouldn't want to do the Death By PowerPoint thing in post anyway.

The thing is that with your acting skills you know the importance of expression and presentation. That is something that will put you ahead of Joe Bloggs and his slide reading technique.
Being comfortable in front of your audience is half the battle, knowing your subject well is the other half. I think you'll be fantastic.

[GDZ]

I see in the headlines that it's been a busy day in Nodnol. Anybody care to report?

> The worst presntations that I see often are talking points or paragraphs that are read verbatim by the presenter.

I get similar situations at my job. Either the individual has written down everything I need to do my job, then insists on reading the piece of paper to me, or they stand there and tell me what I need to know, and I have to write it down.

Good night all.

Good morning - cold and very windy.

Not as windy as in Estonia though - Hatifnat reports Estonia being shut down due to a snowstorm named Monika. I don't think I've ever come across a named snowstorm before, but this one is obviously extra very special:

http://news.err.ee/fbb2a29d-8c6b-4212-b655-ab63a8bb013b

Has anyone seen my wump...?

How many humps does it have?

Looks like two, I think.

http://crashbandicoot.wikia.com/wiki/Wumpa_Fruit

Have you seen it?

>But the handout will not be the PP slides
Brilliant! As you never should put all you say in your slides - as that will Kill by PowerPoint - the slides can not stand alone as a handout. Thus, by necessity, handouts should be something else.

*ahem* Pet topic of mine, I know... Try looking up assertion/evidence slides or read just about anything by Garr Renolds, Nancy Duarte, Olivia Mitchell and/or Andrew Abela on the topic (different styles for different purposes).

And now to something completely different: Company Christmas-do day Caused some looks when going to w**k by bus today as I was carrying my big backpack with what was easily recognisable as the top of a bow sticking out of the top. Robin Hood's the theme of this year's party... I will see how many Maid Marion's I can coerce out onto the dance floor

Love the Wii/wee fight on Wikipedia It's apparently not a wee matter...