So many VCRs, so little time

Back in July, the younger teen and I spent a weekend with my cousin's family. They had a copy of Pausch's The Last Lecture, and once I started reading it, I had a really hard time putting it down. The lecture got a lot of exposure in the media.

OK, so here's the deal. He taught this class on user interfaces, which he started off by complaining bitterly about VCRs. You can read about it here -- or click here and click on "Met when @ UVA"; you'll see this:

I had the pleasure of taking Randy's first course on "User Interfaces" back in 92 or 93. How many courses have you heard of where the professor begins the first class by assailing the poor UIs of clock radios and VCRs only to immediately smash them Gallagher style in front of a classroom of undergrads. Randy was one of three truly inspirational teachers that I had the pleasure of studying under during my entire formal education. I still retain and use much of the knowledge that I learned from him.

Anyway somebody gave him a trophy, which had a little hammer on it. The little plate on the base of the trophy read, "So many VCRs, so little time."