Volume 1 Issue 48
January 27, 2003
One More Year!
Super Bowl aftermath, why PowerPoint is the spawn of the devil, and is someone finally going to make money off the Internet?
Wow! It snowed again yesterday, and no school closings! Ok, so there was only like 1/2 an inch. But in DC, that used to be the end of the world. I'm so proud of how they've accepted winter down here! That is, until I get my heat bill for this month...
So boy did the Super Bowl suck. Yet another blow out, although Oakland did get a second wind until Tampa Bay stole it from them with those interceptions. Commercials were pretty disappointing too I must admit, though I loved the Reebok one with "Terry Tate: Office Linebacker". There is some coverage below, especially about the strange disappearance of Oakland center Barret Robbins...
So today, I'm going to discuss something that I once had no opinion on...then kinda thought was neat, and now am beginning to become convinced that is evil. That's right...Microsoft PowerPoint. Below you will see a plethora of articles (and some humorous sites as well) on PowerPoint, and how it may be hurting not only children's education, but productivity at businesses as well. I was fascinated to read recently some school system discussing how proud they were that 3rd graders were required to conduct a PowerPoint presentation as part of the curriculum. While it's good for kids to learn computer skills (and most of them probably already knew how to use it anyway), do we really want to focus on kids learning how to use PowerPoint at the expense of more important things such as math and science? Is the craze really just a normal, "oh boy, new technology, let's use it!" response? I remember in grad school there was one class where we all had to make a paper presentation, and as long as you had some PowerPoint slides, you basically got an A. I don't doubt that it is useful, I've seen it be used in a good way, but in reality, it probably just makes many meetings longer and more boring then before, and even gives the participant a reason to space out even more (especially when you do those handouts!) Anyway, I'm glad it's at least getting press, maybe now people will only use it when it's useful, and not just because it looks cool.
Is Microsoft's PowerPoint a harbinger of the downfall of Western Civilization?: Here's today's Focus.
Are we making children stupider? -
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/5004120.htm
Does it cost businesses more than it helps?
http://www.business2.com/articles/mag/0,1640,9265,00.html
So what would Lincoln have done at Gettysburg if he had PowerPoint?
http://www.norvig.com/Gettysburg/index.htm
Oh, and a Baltimore mom has the best punishment for her children. If they misbehave, they have to sit through a 45-minute PowerPoint presentation on their misbehavior -
http://www.citypaper.com/2001-03-28/cyber.html
Exciting Swamp "Super" Bowl Coverage...unlike actual "Super" Bowl: Once again the Super Bowl was a blow out, and proving yet again that defense is better than offense. Here's a collection on the big game...and the big ads. A note that despite the blow out, ratings were apparently up from last year's game, which was actually closer...-
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49699-2003Jan27.html
Of course there were riots in Oakland again -
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/2003/playoffs/news /2003/01/26/oakland_unrest_ap/
No, real riots in Oakland...the San Francisco Chronicle describes the city as "in anarchy"..apparently the riots spanned over 50 blocks of one of the main streets. -
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/01/27/MN98171.DTL
And ABC kind of dropped the ball a few times, considering how much money the spent on the broadcast. And the refs stunk once again. Hello...keep them as crews, not as individuals... -
http://slate.msn.com/id/2077588/
The most under-reported story? What the hell happened to Oakland center Barret Robbins? He apparently vanished in San Diego, was fired by Oakland Coach Bill Callahan, and then was rumored to be wandering through San Diego...why did we not hear about this? It was even tough to find articles on it...
Here's an article posted before the game - http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/peter_king/news /2003/01/26/robbins_dismissal/
His teammates aren't too happy. And this may understate it...from what I've heard if he ever sets foot in Oakland again he's a dead man -
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/2003/playoffs/news /2003/01/26/robbins_reax/
The San Francisco Chronicle had some more details this morning -
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2003/01/27/SP242186.DTL
Oh, and finally as football fades for another year...there is accountability somewhere, as the Detroit Lions have rumordly fired their joke of a coach, Marty Mornhinweg -
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-FBN-Lions-Mornhinweg.html
Metropolitan police...now just like Israel! In an interesting development, DC Police Chief Charles "Chief Wiggam" Ramsey has decided that police cars will keep some of their overhead lights on at all times, to make them more visible, a tactic he picked up from a recent trip to Israel, where apparently it is standard. OK, this may actually be good (though the concerns about not being able to sneak up on suspects is valid), but two things...1) Why no big announcement about this? I noticed people pulling over all weekend when cop cars were behind them... and 2) Ok, this is great to increase visibility...but if its a cheap way to prevent putting more police on the street, more detectives in investigations, and more patrols in crime-ridden areas, then it won't make much of a difference! -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41425-2003Jan25.html
Iraq...is Hussein like Stalin? One interesting issue that the US is trying to deal with is to determine how many people Saddam has killed during his reign -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/26/weekinreview/26JOHN.html?p agewanted=all&position=top
Iraq...Bush like Stalin? Apparently the United States is making plans for the use of nuclear weapons in Iraq. - http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/nation/1750749
Crime of the Month: Apparently a dog, being beaten to death by is owner, struck back, and shot and killed the man with a gun. No joke. Great writing too... -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40483-2003Jan24.html
Ah, who cares about the environment! The Bush administration is preparing to privatize 70% of the National Park Service. No word on if Halliburton employees are going to be given first shots at the private positions -
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-parks26jan26.story
Finally! So companies are finally realizing that instead of trying to bust up MP3 downloaders, they could possibly use the technology to make money, sell products people want, and cut down on the market for illegal music on their own! -
Music on the Web consortium forming - http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/27/business/media/27TUNE.html
Baseball leads the way for on-demand video services - http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/27/technology/27STRE.html
Look Who's Running For President: Gary Hart critized the way leaders are chosen (not the mechanics, but the personalities) in another of his "feeling out" speeches -
http://www.politicsnh.com/archives/pindell/2003/january/1_25 _03-2.htm
Look Who's Running for President 2: Howard Dean is critizing some of his 6-pack colleagues for waffling on Iraq -
http://www.politicsnh.com/archives/pindell/2003/january/1_24 _02-text.htm
When are we voting for President? One year from today, January 27, 2004, New Hampshire will hold the first Presidential Primary. That is, if DC doesn't do it's little switcharoo thing -
http://www.politicsnh.com/archives/pindell/2003/january/1_27 _03.htm
Senate Watch: Newly returned NJ Senator Frank Lautenberg had surgery this weekend to treat a brain bruse he received while skiing -
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/new_jer sey/5038240.htm
But can you earn enough points for the Lincoln Bedroom? The GOP has an interesting new way to enable their base...bribe them -
http://slate.msn.com/id/2077553/
The Wheels go round and round: Are children today spending too much time in the car? Studies are pointing to the fact that many toddlers end up spending their entire day's trapped inside a car while Mom or Dad does errands and picks up the other kids -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47292-2003Jan26.html
Go Away: Colleges are beginning to move toward eliminating roommates for students. Is this a good thing? Or are we making students even more selfish and anti-social? -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/27/education/27ROOM.html
So you think you're cold? At least you're not one of the residents on Tangier Island, a small island in the Chesapeake Bay. Tangier has been iced in the last week, which meant until an ice breaker was able to visit this weekend, there was no way on or off the island. This is actually an interesting by-product of our winter, in which the Coast Guard has had to deploy icebreakers to keep the Hudson River nagaviatble, and the even rivers as far south as the Potomac and the Bay have frozen at least partially over -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47516-2003Jan26.html
Global Warming: There may be interesting side developments from global warming...with no ice in the Artic, it would become a huge shipping channel. -
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/science/01/27/arctic.ice.reut/i ndex.html
Talk about a bad job: Think your job is bad? How would you like to work the overnight shift in a toll booth on a drawbridge that only gets about 10 cars a night? Welcome to the Jersey Shore in the winter -
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/new_jer sey/5038239.htm
Highway Watch: A goat is apparently feeding on the Capital Beltway -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40780-2003Jan24.html
TV Review: Looks like former Man Show and Ben Stein's Money host Jimmy Kimmel's new show on ABC is pretty good TV -
http://slate.msn.com/id/2077590/
Of course, if you're in Washington, you won't ever know that, because you won't be able to see it. Hope you like ER. -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40820-2003Jan24.html
Travel Time: Delta is planning a new low-fare airline to help it compete. It will be called "Song." Um...Delta, instead of writing a new tune, why don't we change the one you're singing now to actually make money? Is Song supposed to make enough money to subsidize Delta? Oh wait, the taxpayers already do that -
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TRAVEL/01/26/delta.low.cost/index.ht ml
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101030203-411414,00.html
And airlines may soon stop flying pets, after the government makes them admit how bad they are at it -
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TRAVEL/ADVISOR/01/26/airlines.pets.r eut/index.html
Have a great day!
Gregory S. Gadren
