The Hierarchy of Digital Distractions

The image above is from a great website www.informationisbeautiful.net created by David McCandless. I highly recommend it for both stunning data visualizations and fun facts.

How To Work Better

Created by Peter Fischli & David Weiss. 

Courtesy of ronnestam.com. 

What Is Often Forgotten by D. B. Scott

Great blog post by D.B. Scott at Canadian Magazines. Here's an excerpt. Go here to read the entire entry.

"A question has to be not only how content creation gets paid for in money (an important, and so far unsolved issue), but also in time to do the work, the two being firmly linked. And the term 'content creation' takes in more than research and writing an article, but also designing and presenting it, which takes in illustration, photography and design, none of which can be done instantly or even much faster than they've ever been done. (For that matter, does it take any less time today than last year to set up a sales call, take a meeting and get a contract signed?)

What is often forgotten in a push-button society is that the human brain doesn't work much faster today than it did a few years ago; and that human conversation (a key component of an interview and research and sales transactions) proceeds at pretty much the same pace it always did."

An Open Note To Domestic Attempts

Today, thanks to Queens Museum twitter feed, I was directed to a blog called Domestic Attempts. Reading this blog I came across a January 30 entry about losing your job. This struck a chord in me. I have been a freelancer for over 20 years. For a great many of those years I worked as a costume designer for film & tv gigs. As such I would work intensively on a particular production for a few weeks or months and then it would come to an end and I would return to being unemployed. I never got used to this. I think it was because so much of my self esteem stemmed from my earning capacity, I never felt good without money coming in. 

Add to this being RLO (recently laid off) in the difficult circumstances like we are experiencing globally and the suck factor just goes up. Understandably. 

Reading about Domestic Attempts attempts to feel good about this crappy situation prompted me to write this open letter. Firstly to validate DA's feelings. And to respond in kind and in part to her request of Top 10 Ways to Pass Time. The great thing about these 'time wasters' is that while they may appear to be only that on the surface, they actually become vehicles for deep learning and engagement. But I digress. 

Here then are my personal favorite Top 6 Time Wasters (more later), the Toronto version (although many of these aren't specific to Toronto):

1) Twitter. Not only an excellent time sucker but once you get the hang of it, its totally entertaining and educational--if you follow people that share your interests. Its also a great way to develop a support system (global and local) around shared values.

2)Take the TTC. Thats the public transport here in the T-dot. Its a great time waster and a great way to people watch and gain perspective. 

3)Take up Indian cooking. Its a cost effective way to stretch those precious dollars, great if someone in the household has gluten issues and if done mise en place steez, takes several hours to prepare a 3 sub-jees or side dishes and rice.

4)Read An Incomplete Manifesto For Growth by Bruce Mau. Contemplate. Read again.

5)Watch Today's Big Thing.  Always great for a laugh. 

6) Read Indexed by Jessica Hagy (image above is her February 2 entry).

Only a Few Days Left To Submit Your Application For Stimulus Canada Funds!

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50 Most Beautiful Icon Sets Of 2008

Earlier today, I wrote on my other blog about discovering the 50 Most Beautiful Icon Sets Created In 2008. I wanted to share that info with you here too. Custom icons are fun, easy to use and they really revitalize work flow-especially for those of us who have the tendancy to spend alot of time behind the computer. This Merry Christmas set was voted #8. Did I mention that most of them are free?

If You Can't Be Topless...

Its that time of the year folks. Yep. Time for the Year in Review. 

Let's get the ball rolling with some fun stuff courtesy of Time Magazine and their The Top 10 Everything of 2008. 

Top 10 Buzzwords:

10. Topless meeting

 9.  Tweet

 8.  Puma

 7.  Rickrolled

 6.  Staycation

 5.   Nuke the fridge

 4.  Fist bump

 3.  Hockey Mom

 2.  Bailout

 1.  Change