Webvisions 2007 - WTF?  // May 04, 2007 // comments 3134

The quality of Portland's annual Webvisions conference (now in its seventh year) has followed a surprisingly predictable trend over the last few years: one year it's great, the next year it sucks. Unfortunately this year, it broke that cycle....

Pet Peeve: "Aesthetic"  // October 02, 2006 // comments 3512

First, I admit it. I'm a language snob. I think spelling and good grammar count and I hate it when I see words misspelled and sentences abused. I also read a lot of blogs. Unfortunately for me, the latter often...

Can Anyone Stop the Tyrant?  // May 11, 2006 // comments 2

You may want to think twice the next time you call Aunt Millie for a friendly chat. From CNN.com today (bolding is mine): "The government has been secretly collecting records of ordinary Americans' phone calls in an effort to build...

Condi in Action  // May 10, 2006 // comments 2

From ABCNews' The Note this morning: "Elsewhere on morning television, Secretary Rice said that the UN Security Council is unified in its desire to take action pertaining to Iran, but not yet unified on how to take that action. Secretary...

And the 'Most Wonderful Moment' of My Presidency Is...  // May 08, 2006 // comments 880

Per The New York Daily News and msnbc.com's First Read: "Asked in an Oval Office interview with the German newspaper Bild to name the 'most wonderful moment' of his presidency, President Bush came up with a fish story. 'I don't...

$100 For Gas? This Plan Stinks  // April 28, 2006 // comments 0

Well, not that it needed verifying, but now leading economic analysts are calling the GOP gas rebate plan just plain dumb....

The Flight  // April 18, 2006 // comments 17604

Gearing up for our first overseas flight with Boo, we're prepared for a bumpy ride...

Let's Talk Business  // November 18, 2005 // comments 1307

I was going to write this entry at work but decided to do it offline instead. That way I could more efficiently allocate my resources, and circle back if necessary, then baseline it at a later date. I don't even...

Parking Lot Peeve  // September 27, 2005 // comments 4171

I have what I think is an unusual pet peeve. Poor parking lot, and specifically parking garage, design. I became especially peeved a couple of weeks ago at a nearby shopping center when I entered its parking structure only to...

Keeping It Simple(r)  // August 31, 2005 // comments 557

It's been a while since my last post and there's a good reason for that. Paper Knapkin has undergone some slight renovations. We've taken some of graphic weight out of the site and streamlined the look a bit more. To...

Like Son, Like Father  // July 08, 2005 // comments 10947

My one year old son has been talking for a while now, not full sentences, but a word here and there. He started with "Dada" and "Mama", and progressed from there to include "doggie", "bye" "bottle", "car" and a few...

If the Shoe Fits  // July 08, 2005 // comments 3114

OK, I'll admit I'm a sucker for advertising. At least the creativity of some ads, if not the message they're trying to convey. But every once in a while, I run across one that really makes me want to buy...

For God, Press One  // June 10, 2005 // comments 4

You've proably received them... Calls from phone companies pushing you to switch carriers. Most offer things like better prices or more plan options, but one Midwest carrier is trying out a different tact......

The Golden Years, in Black and White  // May 23, 2005 // comments 5

What do you when you've worked all your life and suddenly you've got more time on your hands than you need? Capture the stuff you've missed...