Monday, November 29, 2010
Ballin'
I've been sitting on one of these balls for the last few hours.
I don't know why exactly. Fitness?
Not very comfortable, but it will all be worth it if it means I'll be more comfortable the next time I sit in a movie theatre.
Not very comfortable, but it will all be worth it if it means I'll be more comfortable the next time I sit in a movie theatre.
Planning.
Lacking inspiration lately.
I have plans to make plans and this blog will evolve or perish.
For now ponder this:
Have you looked in the mirror today?
Do you like what you see?
I have plans to make plans and this blog will evolve or perish.
For now ponder this:
Have you looked in the mirror today?
Do you like what you see?
Monday, November 22, 2010
oh, just read this later.
I'm finally sitting down to type this blog.
I would have had it done sooner, but I did other things instead. Some of these other things include: sleeping, eating, watching YouTube videos, working, "chillin," writing other blogs, more eating, and cleaning. I knew I needed to eventually put my thoughts down about an issue very important to me. The other things that got in the way of my work are just another example of me as a procrastinator. I am a procrastinator and despite my best laid plans, the procrastinator will be back.
Recently, my attention was directed toward an article in The New Yorker entitled, "Later: what does procrastination tell us about ourselves." It was an interesting piece in that it approached the issue of procrastination as a study in human psychology and philosophy. I related to much of what was said in the article and the following blog will explore some of my own experiences with procrastination.
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2010/10/11/101011crbo_books_surowiecki?currentPage=1
Not everybody who procrastinates is constantly aware the he or she is a procrastinator. Perhaps more accurately, not all procrastinators are always in a state of belief that they are procrastinating. I for one, have almost certainly always procrastinated throughout my adult life. However, there was a time when I was in denial about this fact. Most often my unwillingness to perform certain actions was explained by false claims of superior efficiency under strict deadlines or arguments based on proper relaxation required before attempting work. I've most certainly had a way about me and how I approach certain problems.
When I think of procrastination I immediately associate it with my journey through school. Nowhere was I aware of my procrastination more so than when I was in college. Something about the freedom, the loose and seemingly distant deadlines, and the abundant amount of beer, created a situation where procrastination was inevitable. Let me run through a typical circumstance in which I would be guilty of procrastination:
I studied philosophy in college and as is such, my courses were generally structured by a large amount of reading and several essays due throughout the quarter. The reading assigned to us would cover most of the course curriculum and our essay assignments were meant to assess our assimilation and grasp of the concepts found in the reading. This is how school usually works. Read this, write that, answer this, repeat, and rinse.
I was only in class for a few hours each week, so much of my free time was taken up with the assigned reading for my courses. I read most of it all. I skimmed most of it all. The problem with reading philosophy papers is that most of the good ones are so damn persuasive. One day the paper you are reading will have you believing that your left arm doesn't really exist, but the next day another paper will have you believing that the left arm is the only thing you can be sure exists, and by the end of the semester you will be convinced that the idea of a "left arm" isn't really that coherent anyway. All this back and forth can be confusing and ultimately leave you stuck in the mud. I read enough to understand what the writer was trying to say.
The real procrastination would come in when it came time to write those darn essays. Most essay assignments were given a deadline/ due date well after the date they were assigned so to allow for ample time to complete. My professors were generous in the amount of time allotted to complete a given assignment. I always waited until the last day.
Rough drafts? who needs rough drafts? If I wasn't going to do it right the first time, why would I do it at all. It's as if they were promoting mediocrity as a stepping stone to success. I don't believe that the artist makes a rough draft of his masterpiece and then revises it the next time around. The artist edits, tweaks, and polishes his work as he/she goes. The end result is unique in that the it represents the creative process as whole besides standing alone as a finished product. That is what my college essays were, pieces of art.
If the assignment was due at 10am on Thursday, I would generally start looking at the essay prompt around 2-4pm on Wednesday. Most times I would plan to work on my assignments during the weekend when I didn't have class, but that never really worked out because I didn't wake up early enough to work on anything on the weekends. Monday and Tuesday was never a good time to do work because I usually front loaded my schedule. The last thing you want to do when you get home from a day in class is write an essay. So, Wednesday it would be. If I got lucky I could put in a few good hours of work before I had to eat. Eating would sometimes lead me in to the living room where television and video game gatherings were common. It would be rude of me to not keep my roommates company.
I'm just babbling on here.... the truth is I don't really feel like writing this as I'm typing it. Not only that, but I'm unprepared. The New Yorker article had a lot of interesting things to say and I will respond to them in brief now.
- philosophers are interested in procrastination because it appears to be an example of individuals doing what is not in their best interest. Often times an individual knows that he/she "should" be doing one thing, but chooses to do another instead because that which he/she "should" be doing is perhaps more difficult or time consuming. No doubt that we are guilty of procrastination when our best interest is ignored for the easier of two options. The article correctly points out that procrastination is not a matter of disregarding our own interests, but rather choosing to follow short term interests as opposed to our long term interests. We know that one action will be more beneficial to us in the long run, but it will bring no pleasure in the short term. Therefore, those actions that will please us right away will often times be chosen ahead of those that will produce pleasure at a later point.
This makes a lot of sense. My experiences with procrastination were generally guided by the comfort and pleasure I would take from any given action in that moment. As a result, those actions that would seemingly bring me comfort and pleasure at an unknown time were often set aside for later.
.....just babbling on some more... really brings me back to my days in school...
The part of the article that I found most interesting is the theories as to why we encounter the phenomenon of procrastination at all. First of all, procrastination, at it's roots seems like a natural process to me. Given the option of satisfying some knowable short term interest versus acting in hopes of reaching a potential long term benefit, it would seem likely that we naturally choose to act toward immediate pleasure first.
Secondly, the end of the article argued that engaging in procrastination may have benefits in that it places the individual in a situation where he/she must come to terms with why they are "supposed" to be doing anything in the first place. Often times, the guilt associated with procrastinating would be washed aways upon further consideration of why I felt the need to do anything at all. For example, sometimes I plan on going to the gym after work for some exercise, but end up playing golf or watching television instead. When I opt for golfing or other leisurely activities instead of the workout I had planned, there is a sense of guilt and reassurance that I will "do it later." If I think about it long enough, I often realize that part of the reason I go to the gym at all is so that I can be a better golfer and eat what I like. What is the point of going to the gym so I can do these things if I don't do them when I have the opportunity. Does this even make sense. Like I said....a work of art.
The truth is I could probably discuss this issue with someone for hours, but writing about it is not nearly as fun. If you ever want to discuss the merits of procrastination with me, I'll be the guy at the gym, or on the golf course, or at the donut shop watching television.
I would have had it done sooner, but I did other things instead. Some of these other things include: sleeping, eating, watching YouTube videos, working, "chillin," writing other blogs, more eating, and cleaning. I knew I needed to eventually put my thoughts down about an issue very important to me. The other things that got in the way of my work are just another example of me as a procrastinator. I am a procrastinator and despite my best laid plans, the procrastinator will be back.
Recently, my attention was directed toward an article in The New Yorker entitled, "Later: what does procrastination tell us about ourselves." It was an interesting piece in that it approached the issue of procrastination as a study in human psychology and philosophy. I related to much of what was said in the article and the following blog will explore some of my own experiences with procrastination.
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2010/10/11/101011crbo_books_surowiecki?currentPage=1
Not everybody who procrastinates is constantly aware the he or she is a procrastinator. Perhaps more accurately, not all procrastinators are always in a state of belief that they are procrastinating. I for one, have almost certainly always procrastinated throughout my adult life. However, there was a time when I was in denial about this fact. Most often my unwillingness to perform certain actions was explained by false claims of superior efficiency under strict deadlines or arguments based on proper relaxation required before attempting work. I've most certainly had a way about me and how I approach certain problems.
When I think of procrastination I immediately associate it with my journey through school. Nowhere was I aware of my procrastination more so than when I was in college. Something about the freedom, the loose and seemingly distant deadlines, and the abundant amount of beer, created a situation where procrastination was inevitable. Let me run through a typical circumstance in which I would be guilty of procrastination:
I studied philosophy in college and as is such, my courses were generally structured by a large amount of reading and several essays due throughout the quarter. The reading assigned to us would cover most of the course curriculum and our essay assignments were meant to assess our assimilation and grasp of the concepts found in the reading. This is how school usually works. Read this, write that, answer this, repeat, and rinse.
I was only in class for a few hours each week, so much of my free time was taken up with the assigned reading for my courses. I read most of it all. I skimmed most of it all. The problem with reading philosophy papers is that most of the good ones are so damn persuasive. One day the paper you are reading will have you believing that your left arm doesn't really exist, but the next day another paper will have you believing that the left arm is the only thing you can be sure exists, and by the end of the semester you will be convinced that the idea of a "left arm" isn't really that coherent anyway. All this back and forth can be confusing and ultimately leave you stuck in the mud. I read enough to understand what the writer was trying to say.
The real procrastination would come in when it came time to write those darn essays. Most essay assignments were given a deadline/ due date well after the date they were assigned so to allow for ample time to complete. My professors were generous in the amount of time allotted to complete a given assignment. I always waited until the last day.
Rough drafts? who needs rough drafts? If I wasn't going to do it right the first time, why would I do it at all. It's as if they were promoting mediocrity as a stepping stone to success. I don't believe that the artist makes a rough draft of his masterpiece and then revises it the next time around. The artist edits, tweaks, and polishes his work as he/she goes. The end result is unique in that the it represents the creative process as whole besides standing alone as a finished product. That is what my college essays were, pieces of art.
If the assignment was due at 10am on Thursday, I would generally start looking at the essay prompt around 2-4pm on Wednesday. Most times I would plan to work on my assignments during the weekend when I didn't have class, but that never really worked out because I didn't wake up early enough to work on anything on the weekends. Monday and Tuesday was never a good time to do work because I usually front loaded my schedule. The last thing you want to do when you get home from a day in class is write an essay. So, Wednesday it would be. If I got lucky I could put in a few good hours of work before I had to eat. Eating would sometimes lead me in to the living room where television and video game gatherings were common. It would be rude of me to not keep my roommates company.
I'm just babbling on here.... the truth is I don't really feel like writing this as I'm typing it. Not only that, but I'm unprepared. The New Yorker article had a lot of interesting things to say and I will respond to them in brief now.
- philosophers are interested in procrastination because it appears to be an example of individuals doing what is not in their best interest. Often times an individual knows that he/she "should" be doing one thing, but chooses to do another instead because that which he/she "should" be doing is perhaps more difficult or time consuming. No doubt that we are guilty of procrastination when our best interest is ignored for the easier of two options. The article correctly points out that procrastination is not a matter of disregarding our own interests, but rather choosing to follow short term interests as opposed to our long term interests. We know that one action will be more beneficial to us in the long run, but it will bring no pleasure in the short term. Therefore, those actions that will please us right away will often times be chosen ahead of those that will produce pleasure at a later point.
This makes a lot of sense. My experiences with procrastination were generally guided by the comfort and pleasure I would take from any given action in that moment. As a result, those actions that would seemingly bring me comfort and pleasure at an unknown time were often set aside for later.
.....just babbling on some more... really brings me back to my days in school...
The part of the article that I found most interesting is the theories as to why we encounter the phenomenon of procrastination at all. First of all, procrastination, at it's roots seems like a natural process to me. Given the option of satisfying some knowable short term interest versus acting in hopes of reaching a potential long term benefit, it would seem likely that we naturally choose to act toward immediate pleasure first.
Secondly, the end of the article argued that engaging in procrastination may have benefits in that it places the individual in a situation where he/she must come to terms with why they are "supposed" to be doing anything in the first place. Often times, the guilt associated with procrastinating would be washed aways upon further consideration of why I felt the need to do anything at all. For example, sometimes I plan on going to the gym after work for some exercise, but end up playing golf or watching television instead. When I opt for golfing or other leisurely activities instead of the workout I had planned, there is a sense of guilt and reassurance that I will "do it later." If I think about it long enough, I often realize that part of the reason I go to the gym at all is so that I can be a better golfer and eat what I like. What is the point of going to the gym so I can do these things if I don't do them when I have the opportunity. Does this even make sense. Like I said....a work of art.
The truth is I could probably discuss this issue with someone for hours, but writing about it is not nearly as fun. If you ever want to discuss the merits of procrastination with me, I'll be the guy at the gym, or on the golf course, or at the donut shop watching television.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Holy bill of rights, Batman!
Breakfast options.
Once I'm dressed it's time to eat. I've done some research and found that some of my co-workers do not eat any breakfast before work. There are two notable exceptions to this trend: "Salvador," who enjoys a cup of coffee and a piece of pan dulce (Mexican sweet bread) and "Joey," who claims to consume only a large glass of red wine before work to, "warm up my blood," according to him. I too choose to eat a meal in the morning. In fact, I'm starving the minute I wake from sleep.
My first meal of the day generally consists of a bowl of cereal, a banana, a protein shake, and sometimes a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I sit down to watch Sportscenter, or whatever new infomercials are on, as I eat.
In order to be on time I must be out the door by 5:15am. However, lately I have been leaving earlier to allow time for a stop on my way to work. Over the last month or two I have fallen in to a bad habit of visiting the 24hr Donut shop that stands between my house and my workplace.
It started with just coffee. The large size is by far the best value, but it's really just too much coffee to drink before it would begin to get cold. The small size is too small and a bad deal. I'm a medium size man. The problem with getting coffee at a Donut shop is the intoxicating smell of fried dough will wear down even the strongest of wills. I succumbed to the temptation one day and purchased a chocolate twist raised donut. Since that day, almost every time I enter that shop I'm leaving with a medium coffee and a chocolate twist donut.
My options are clear to me. I can choose to never return to the donut shop and search for morning coffee somewhere else. I could also choose to visit the shop once in awhile and enjoy what I am given. Or, maybe I should order something completely different everyday for five days and hope that it establishes my reputation as a random order customer.
Monday, November 15, 2010
More updates....
Some time passed since I was able to update the blog. Not much has happened in that time, but here is a list of some of the events of the last few weeks. Future blogs may explore these events further, but a quick summary will have to do for now.
1. Dirpy Died
If you read this blog, you know that sometimes I recommend different websites that I find interesting. One of such sites was Dirpy.com. Dirpy was a useful site for downloading Youtube videos as mp3 files as a way to get free music. The site has recently been shut down and it does not appear to be coming back. Hopefully there are similar sites available on the web. I'll keep you posted.
2. I saw The Social Network.
It was good. The writers did a good job to make such a young success story seem so dramatic. I thought the film was well acted and well directed. If you enjoy using Facebook, then you probably would enjoy watching this movie. And for my douchey remark of the day....just thought I should let you know that I was a member of Facebook when it was still called thefacebook.
3. I voted.
I voted in the midterm election. In the past, I had not bothered with midterm elections, but this time I felt it was important to have my voice heard. My choice for Gov. of California? Neither of the major party candidates. As much as I would love chiminichangas for lunch any day of the week, I went with a write in: Pedro.
4. Halloween happened.
I have a long history with Halloween and it will be told in a blog to come later. We gave away apples when our candy ran out.
Nothing really significant about that, but she brought me back this handsome Italian tie and I thought that was just swell.
6. I started to clean my room.
More of a remodel than a cleaning, it was time for a change. The goal is to create a space where I am surrounded by the things I am passionate about. More info to come later....
7. I have not cut my hair.
It's growing out a bit for Fall. It's cheaper than buying a hat.
No plans on letting the beast out again any time soon, but for now we'll keep the clippers away.
1. Dirpy Died
If you read this blog, you know that sometimes I recommend different websites that I find interesting. One of such sites was Dirpy.com. Dirpy was a useful site for downloading Youtube videos as mp3 files as a way to get free music. The site has recently been shut down and it does not appear to be coming back. Hopefully there are similar sites available on the web. I'll keep you posted.
2. I saw The Social Network.
3. I voted.
I voted in the midterm election. In the past, I had not bothered with midterm elections, but this time I felt it was important to have my voice heard. My choice for Gov. of California? Neither of the major party candidates. As much as I would love chiminichangas for lunch any day of the week, I went with a write in: Pedro.
4. Halloween happened.
I have a long history with Halloween and it will be told in a blog to come later. We gave away apples when our candy ran out.
Coolest part about this photo- our front porch used to be carpeted.
5. My sister went to ItalyNothing really significant about that, but she brought me back this handsome Italian tie and I thought that was just swell.
6. I started to clean my room.
More of a remodel than a cleaning, it was time for a change. The goal is to create a space where I am surrounded by the things I am passionate about. More info to come later....
7. I have not cut my hair.
It's growing out a bit for Fall. It's cheaper than buying a hat.
Back in Business- A general update
I'm back.
Several weeks ago my computer fell ill. I feared that my impressive machine would be reduced to paper weight, but fortunately it has seemed to recover well enough to return me to the blogosphere. The sickness felt by my HP Pavilion 9515y was not the result of a virus or other malicious infection, but rather the consequence of neglect and abuse on my part. I knew things were bad when my monitor would continually shut itself off during normal use. Without being able to interact with the computer, I was forced to manually shut down the machine time after time. My operating system has almost certainly sustained permanent damage and my tower may require surgery to replace a faulty video card still. It appears I was able to remedy some of the issues by simply cleaning and cooling the inner components of the computer (good advice from a friend). The last monitor shut down was more than three days ago and I'm hesitant to claim victory just yet, but the people have spoken....they need more Cocktails.
In my short life I have experienced four catastrophic computer crashes.
The first came way back when I was in high school when our home computer became unable to process any kind of task faster than I could by myself, thereby rendering it useless. My parents still possess the computer-not for any good reason.
The second computer crash I ever knew occurred during my freshman year of college.
I lived in the San Rafael dormitory at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The fifth floor was made up of a collection of suites and an enclosed hallway of single dorm rooms. I lived in a single. The hall of singles served as a singles hall, we mingled. Everybody in the hall spent time with each other and in a way our hallway became one large living space which we all shared.
In the middle of the hallway there was double room shared by two girls named Christie and Amanda(I guess it was not strictly a singles hall, but it really feels like it was) I would get to know both of these girls fairly well in time, but at first I was left limited knowledge of who they were. What I knew about Christie: She never seemed to be home. Christie rowed crew so she had to be out on the lake really early and in to bed before too late. What I knew about Amanda: She preferred to be called Mandy.
At some point during the year we all learned that Christie's computer had taken a turn for the worse. Despite her best efforts, Christie was unable to resolve her computer problems and decided to buy a new machine to replace the broken desktop. By this time the group of us had become easy friends and there was much discussion amongst the bunch as to what Christie should do with her useless computer. It was determined that no valuable data could be saved from the machine and it seemed only obvious what needed to be done with the device. We would throw the powerless tool off the fifth floor balcony, into the middle of the dormitory courtyard, at 2am of course.
My friend Sean holding Christie's computer moments before stepping outside to toss it overboard.
In my short life I have experienced four catastrophic computer crashes.
The first came way back when I was in high school when our home computer became unable to process any kind of task faster than I could by myself, thereby rendering it useless. My parents still possess the computer-not for any good reason.
The second computer crash I ever knew occurred during my freshman year of college.
I lived in the San Rafael dormitory at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The fifth floor was made up of a collection of suites and an enclosed hallway of single dorm rooms. I lived in a single. The hall of singles served as a singles hall, we mingled. Everybody in the hall spent time with each other and in a way our hallway became one large living space which we all shared.
In the middle of the hallway there was double room shared by two girls named Christie and Amanda(I guess it was not strictly a singles hall, but it really feels like it was) I would get to know both of these girls fairly well in time, but at first I was left limited knowledge of who they were. What I knew about Christie: She never seemed to be home. Christie rowed crew so she had to be out on the lake really early and in to bed before too late. What I knew about Amanda: She preferred to be called Mandy.
At some point during the year we all learned that Christie's computer had taken a turn for the worse. Despite her best efforts, Christie was unable to resolve her computer problems and decided to buy a new machine to replace the broken desktop. By this time the group of us had become easy friends and there was much discussion amongst the bunch as to what Christie should do with her useless computer. It was determined that no valuable data could be saved from the machine and it seemed only obvious what needed to be done with the device. We would throw the powerless tool off the fifth floor balcony, into the middle of the dormitory courtyard, at 2am of course.
The third major computer crash I have experienced was a game changer. It is referred to now as the crash of 2007/2008. At the end of 2007, I was still attending UCSB and living at the Sesame Tree Apartments in Goleta, CA. One day in December, my computer was unable to connect to the Internet. After troubleshooting the issue with technical support, we were able to diagnose the problem as a bad Ethernet port. The problem could be resolved with some time and money, but I saw it as a sign. At that time I felt as though it would be best for me not to use the Internet for a prolonged period of time. I had become dependent on the constant flow of information and sensory input provided by the web. This was evident by the feeling of hopelessness I felt in the first few days after the problem started. I told my roommates that I would pledge not to use the Internet for one year starting on Jan. 1, 2008. And so it began...
My computer was rendered incapable of internet use, but it was not useless. The multimedia capabilities of the machine still made it useful for archiving digital photos and playing DVD's. I had created quite the catalog of images from my years at UCSB and most of those were lost in an instant. One day, the computer just decided it was not going to work anymore and all my data was lost after a few bad shut downs. I tried to restore the hard drive, but it was gone. When 2009 finally rolled around, I had spent a year off the net and several months without the digital screen as part of my daily routine. It was nice. The time spent away from the computer had two outcomes I had anticipated, but needed to experience anyway. The first thing I took away from 2008 was how much our world has become dependent upon the computer and the Internet. Going to school was more difficult without the aid provided by our super technology. Simple conveniences I had grown accustomed to were lost when I wasn't able to find information with the touch of a button. The second thing I learned from that time was how our time online should be rationed. It had become far too easy for me to spend my days in front of the computer screen and it was not until I was forced away from it that I realized what I was missing.
The most recent computer crash in my life is the episode I began this article with. I suppose it wasn't a full blown crash since the machine seems to be working now, but it still left me without a line of communication to the digital world I had found a home in. I took a vacation of sorts.
Hopefully the computer problems are over for now because there is much to be said...
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