ABSTRACT
The presentations may occur at teaching and research conferences, workshops, meetings, hockey games, Lamaze classes, and Tupperware parties. The audience may consist of peers in our discipline, professionals in other disciplines, administrators, policy makers, students, the lay public, aliens, livestock, or any combination of the preceding. Handouts can guide the audience through the presentation and keep them awake. Print material in front of every person is one of the most effective mechanisms for involving our audience in the presentation and maintaining their interest and attention. Knowledge of the audience profile is essential in order to develop appropriate humorous material. The joke example or cartoon not only injects some levity into the presentation, but can also serve as a teaching tool. The legitimate premise or lead-in of searching for funding sources coupled with absolutely ridiculous sources that makes the combination humorous.
