On this day I had been doing a presentation on a new budgeting system.

Now as most viewers are doubtless aware, some (too many) people's idea of doing a presentation is reading the bullet points on a PowerPoint presentation after telling the audience the hoary chestnut about what the Chinese symbol for "crisis" supposedly means (but doesn't, I'm reliably assured by people who actually speak the language).

And then going on to tell them about being dynamically proactive in a fast moving, ever changing environment.

And doing the whole thing in a monotone.

My presentations aren't quite like that. 95% of the content of mine consist of hard information, but delivered loudly and forcefully. However this information is interspersed with 5% hyperbole, sarcasm, skewering of the absurd, and it must be said the occasional (usually mild but it depends on the audience) profanity at the most unexpected moments to ensure that the audience is kept awake and focussed. In short, if you want to know what my presentations are like you can attend one. Or imagine General George S Patton performing a rock concert. Only with slightly (just slightly) less guitar smashing.

But three solid hours of that (which is what I did on this day, though I've done ones that go for 8) can be quite draining, which is why it was time for me to take a moment of quiet with coffee and Kindle before catching the train home (for another 2 hours of work).

Last Year