The banner for Chicken Wire Canoe was made using PowerPoint.  I used the banner format, used word art for the text, and created the canoe by grouping a clipart canoe and a series of lines and X's - the chicken wire  Over time, I have found that this tool is very robust.  It can be used for much more the the creation of presentations.  I used it to create an interactive job aid to help employees learn a new version of software.  Death by PowerPoint is pervasive, but with a little creativity it doesn't have to be.

Initially, Pixlr posed a bit of a problem
for me. It took some time to learn how to use its features.  However, compared to PhotoShop it was a very friendly application to use.  Because it is web-based and not a software package, there is no cost or licensing fees.  This also means that I can use it wherever I have web access without regard to the computer I'm using to get to the Pixlr site.  I can do this from a hotel's business suite pc, or from a friend's laptop or tablet.  I plan to use Pixlr when developing personal projects.  Free is always good.

Have you ever received advice from a friend, a colleague, or even a total stranger that was unrelated to the subject or lacked any value? It's happened to me on more than one occasion. I shared a story about this very issue to a friend of mine who said, "That advice is about as useful as a chicken wire canoe." Well, I was exuberant when I heard such a descriptive phrase: As useful as a chicken wire canoe. It is in this spirit that I will be using this blog to provide comments, opinions and advice that hopefully are more useful than a chicken wire canoe.