"Hey, Howard, Buckaroo and I decided to go someplace nice to have an Autumn experience. Right now. So be a lamb and just whip something up for my blog while we’re away. Thanks! You’re so precious."

Then like Bugs Bunny escaping Elmer Fudd, Scott was gone leaving me the keys to the dungeon with instructions to make sure I clean up after I’m done. Like that analogy, being logged into someone else’s blog is kinda creepy. I’m sure most of you will understand that it’s like seeing the servant’s working area for the first time. NO one wants to see them prepare your ramen and crackers. Ew.

Knowing Scott’s interests lie in politics and technology, I was going to either write about Mike Gravel, Democratic candidate for President, or Google Document’s Presentations. Which would be funnier? Neither. So I combined them.

Google announced on Monday that their Documents family had grown by one and now there is a triad of easy-to-use document aps available. The newest is called Presentations which — like the rest of their nomenclature system — must mean that it lets you create presentations. Slide shows. Web-based seminars or webinars.

Actually, that last part is true. Presentations has a feature that allows you to email people a direct link to view the slide show with you. All you need to provide is a phone conferencing service so your ‘audience’ can hear you. Rumor has it that Google is working on that, too. It’s called — get this — Conference. Don’t quote me on that.

Presentations is as nice as Documents and Spreadsheets in its quaint "free" way, but don’t let them fool you. They are no where near as robust as Microsoft Office or even Apple’s iWork applications; however, that doesn’t make them bad. Google has done one thing with this — given everyday users and small businesses a free resource when many can’t afford Google Document’s rich, city-slicker cousins. Of course, that means your documents are going to be sitting on Google’s servers and not your own personal and private computer, but if you live in America it doesn’t matter. There is no privacy anyway!

Which leads me into one of the biggest opponents of the rape of privacy, Mike Gravel. No, no, this isn’t an endorsement. Who listens to me anyway? I do like the man though for his candid approach and in-your-face opinions. His tactlessness is a the air freshener that doesn’t just cover-up but kills odor-causing bacteria where they live.  …or something. So in honor of Gravel’s version of honesty, I chose to create my first Presentations presentation highlighting some of my favorite Gravel quotes called The Mouth Shot ‘Round The World. Yeah, sorry, you have to go to the Google site to see it. There is no embed feature.

Thanks for letting me guest, Scott. Have fun watching the leaves change!

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