Never Forget

 

An Unnecessary Wall

 

I completely share Nicholas Bate's cogent concerns about PowerPoint.

It is a debilitating device that creates a rigid barrier between the presenter and the audience.

Long-time readers of this blog will know my preference for flip charts and overhead projectors. [I love those old projectors with the acetate roll that you can crank whenever a new page is needed.]

Both of those facilitate spontaneity and conversation.

With PowerPoint, the fancier it gets, the worse it is.

Nicholas is Old School with all of the virtues that implies and it's great to hear that we can expect another book from him in September.

Get My Tickets!

 

"I can see a unicorn, the Loch Ness Monster, and an Iranian moderate."

 

[Photo by Jennifer Farnan at Unsplash]

Great Film Music

 

Threats Do Not Always Knock

I recall an ethics instructor who decried our tendency to assume that ethical violations would be easy to spot, as if we resembled those roast turkeys with an inserted thermometer that would pop out at the right moment.

The difficulty of gaining timely notice is also present in defense strategy debates when people declare that no military action should be taken unless there is an imminent threat.

Just what constitutes an imminent threat is where things become vague. Some threats are difficult to discern until it's too late to do much about them. 

At which point did the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor become an imminent threat? Would there have been time for an effective defense once the threat was undeniable?

I've seen similar situations with organizations. Given our ability to deny dangers - to stare at a lion and declare "That is not a lion" - the only moment when many matters are crystal clear are when they are being analyzed from inside of the lion's stomach.

Rather than looking for major stages, we should consider the flow of events. That requires both information and attentiveness. 

It may also require what many may regard as premature confrontation.

[Photo by Birger Strahl at Unsplash]

Time to Save History

History-lovers unite!

My Substack essay on the importance of history is up!

History, Italian Style

 

Keep in Mind

A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.

- Will Durant 

Some Thoughts on Writing

 Interested in writing?

Take some time to read the thoughts of economist and prolific author Thomas Sowell.