Author Archive: Paul Epps
In and Out of the Dark
of one hundred movies there’s one that’s fair, one that’s good and ninety-eight that are very bad. . . . . . . millions of dollars spent to create something more terrible than the actual lives of most living things; one should never have to pay an admission to hell. — Charles Bukowski, “in and out of the dark” Read more →
A Life of Ease
Presenting Data and Information
Looking over my notes from an Edward Tufte course . . . Details lead to credibility. Every paragraph, chart, etc., should lend credibility to your argument and give your audience a reason to believe. Great design disappears; it gives itself up to the content. There’s no “right way” to display data. Try a few different approaches. Tables are often better than graphics. Don’t get it original, get it right. Don’t underestimate your audience. Don’t pander or patronize. Read more →
Fundamental Principles of Analytical Design
Looking over my notes from an Edward Tufte course . . . Show comparisons, contrasts, differences. Show causality, mechanism, explanation, systematic structure. Show multivariate data; that is, show more than 1 or 2 variables. Completely integrate words, numbers, images, diagrams. Thoroughly describe the evidence. Provide a detailed title, indicate the authors and sponsors, document the data sources, show complete measurement scales, point out relevant issues. Analytical presentations ultimately stand or fall depending on the quality, relevance, and integrity of their content. Read more →
Forget the Olympics, It’s the Westminster Dog Show!
[Photos via Deadspin.] Read more →
Twitter: 2010-02-18
RT @capricecrane: So is this the Tiger Woods press conference where he decides who gets the final rose? # Four Ways of Looking at Twitter – Harvard Business Review: http://bit.ly/9TTYFi # Read more →
What if the Amount of Fog Stays Exactly The Same?
The Bay Area just had its foggiest May in 50 years. And thanks to global warming, it’s about to get even foggier. — “Get ready for even foggier summers,” July 6, 2009 The sight of Golden Gate Bridge towering above the fog will become increasing rare as climate change warms San Francisco bay, scientists have found. — “Fog over San Francisco thins by a third due to climate change,” Feb. 15, 2010 Read more →
Here’s a Tip If You Want to Talk to Me
As a member of the Trojan Network and a graduate of the School of Engineering, I make myself available to answer questions from current USC engineering students about what life might have in store for them. I got an email today from a young man who included this priceless bit of information: “When you got your master’s degree, I was one year old.” Really?! It seems like just last week but thanks for reminding me that 20 years have gone by. Look kids — if you want to do a computation like that, go ahead, but keep the results to yourself . . . Read more →
Winter in Los Angeles
USC in the foreground, downtown in the background . . . Read more →
Westminster Pugs
Moving Away from Joy
Behavioral economist Daniel Kahneman suggests that we have two selves: an experiencing self and a remembering self. . . . Your experiencing self lives in the present and is happiest spending time around people you like. . . . The remembering self cares about story, and about appearances. . . . Your remembering self cares about money and mobility deeply. Why? No one wants to be remembered as the person who “didn’t do anything with their life.” Getting rich and moving around a lot adds dramatic, tangible plot-points to your story, which comforts your remembering self greatly. But your experiencing self can easily be less happy. What if you are unable to turn your money into people you enjoy spending time with? What if you move away from the people and places that bring you joy? — Dave Troy Read more →
Bowing for Cash
My son’s half-Asian — his mom is Thai — and he feels like he’s missing out on an important Asian tradition. “On Chinese New Year,” he says, “Chinese kids get wads of cash. Koreans have a holiday where kids go to relatives’ houses, bow to people and get wads of cash.” He mentions a Korean friend of his who raked in 180 bucks the last time this holiday rolled around. “Why isn’t there a Thai holiday where kids bow to people and get wads of cash?” he asks. “Isn’t that how pretty much every day goes for you?” I ask. “Without the bowing, I mean. Handing you wads of cash though — that part is in full effect.” Read more →
He Said, She Said
I know I shouldn’t say this about one of my own speakers, but I thought Sarah Silverman was god-awful. — Chris Anderson Kudos to @TEDChris for making TED an unsafe haven for all! You’re a barnacle of mediocrity on Bill Gates’ asshole. — Sarah Silverman Read more →
Happy Valentine’s Day
How Can I Help You?
How can I help you succeed? How can I help you ask strong questions, take wise risks and deliver great content? How can I help you prosper? Most importantly, how can I help you learn and make new connections? How can I help you serve the larger group, of which we are both a part? — Marcia Conner Read more →
Twitter: 2010-02-10
"I thought the more money I had the happier I would become, but it was not the case." http://bit.ly/d8yDMt # Read more →
The Eternal Footman Held My Coat and Snickered
Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, a longtime fixture on the House subcommittee that oversees Pentagon spending, died after complications from gallbladder surgery, according to his office. He was 77. The Democratic congressman recently underwent scheduled laparoscopic surgery at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, to remove his gallbladder. The procedure was “routine minimally invasive surgery,” but doctors “hit his intestines,” a source close to the late congressman told CNN. — CNN.com OMG I HAD THAT SAME OPERATION I COULD HAVE DIED!!! On a lighter note, how ironic is it that the president loses a pro-ObamaCare vote due to medical error in a government-run hospital? Read more →
Berman Leaving Bristol?
[Chris] Berman could go all the way to DirectTV or the NFL Network when his ESPN contract expires? Its probably just a negotiating ploy, but it sure would be neat to see him exclusively on channels my TV doesn’t have. — Deadspin Read more →
There is No Such Thing as Information Overload
Looking over my notes from an Edward Tufte course . . . There is no such thing as information overload, just bad design. Example: Google News presents hundreds of links on a single page and no one complains about information overload. Example: The financial section of the newspaper presents thousands of numbers and no one complains about information overload. Read more →