Bruce Momjian: General Blog

Habitual Multitaskers Do It Badly

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 23:45:00 -0400

I link to the article The Autumn of the Multitaskers from my web site, but this report states that people who regularly multitask are actually worse at multitasking than people who avoid multitasking. My guess is that people who avoid multitasking realize the deficit:

When I multitask, I can feel the lack of attention that I'm devoting to certain things. For example, when I talk on the phone or text while driving. I mentally feel it.

Tech of Yesteryear

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 23:45:00 -0400

This is a collection of pictures of old computers.

Understanding Europe

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 23:45:00 -0400

This opinion editorial analyzes how Europeans see themselves, and the rest of the world:

The South, in contrast, is deemed perpetually innocent. Even as colonialism fades into the past, Europeans righteously blame themselves for the plight of once colonized peoples. Eternal innocence means infantilizing non-Westerners; Europeans flatter themselves as the only adults itself a form of racism. It also offers a way to preempt criticism.

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Of Laureates And Cowboys

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 23:45:00 -0400

This opinion editorial explains well how war opposition has disappeared since Obama was elected, while the war itself has remain unchanged:

But after his inauguration, Obama apparently grasped two realities. The first: Antiwar rhetoric on the stump was easy, but the responsibility of keeping Americans safe from terrorism and Islamic radicalism was not. The second: He guessed that liberal furor over the war on terror and the interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan had always been mostly about opposing George Bush -- not really principled opposition to actual wartime policies.

Drugs = Bad

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 -0400

For anyone who thinks drug use is mostly harmless, the one-hour video series Swansea Love Story is an eye-opener (part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, trailer). It follows several drug-taking families and shows how family drug use filters to the children and destroys lives. Tragically, the people agree that drugs are destroying their lives even while they are taking the drugs.

Clearly some drugs are more harmful than others, but it is easy to see how the "do it if it feels good" drug culture leads to destroyed lives. Though the video series is set in Wales, this destruction happens daily in all countries and cultures.

Portland, Oregon: Different

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:00:00 -0400

Many people outside the United States believe all US cities are the same. However, having attended a conference in Portland, Oregon for the past several years, I can say for certain that Portland is different. Alternative culture has taken hold in Portland to an extent greater than in any other US city I have visited. The city is dominated by young adult residents, with a strong community spirit and active artistic community. It also sports effective public transportation and extensive bicycle usage. The only downside I have noticed as a visitor that the retail service industry is often ineffective, to an extent I have never seen in another US city.

Update: As a testament to the creativity of Portlanders, the Old Spice viral videos originated at a Portland advertising agency.

Gulf Oil Spill

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:00:00 -0400

There has been some interesting commentary related to the Gulf Oil spill:

Video humorously explains how little progress has been made in oil spill cleanup technology in the past thirty years
Video humorously portrays the response of British Petroleum (BP) to the oil spill
Article explains the mistakes that led up the disaster
Photo of a wave with suspended oil
Video explains the complexity of removing oil from the ocean and birds.
Article talks about the $75 million liability cap for off-shore drilling
Article recounts the poor BP safety records
Article explains the liability cap probably will not apply to BP because of its poor safety record
Article explains the futility of boycotting BP, and that such disasters are inevitable
Article explains the effect of a BP boycott
Article explains how the oil leak could continue for years

Update: It seems the spill's impact might be minor. 2010-07-29

Crazy Product

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 12:00:00 -0400

From the "Crazy Products That Actually Work" category, my local pool store was selling a product (FAQ) that produces a thin molecular layer on top of the pool to avoid heat loss and keep the pool warmer. While this sounds crazy, it actually works, and others have also reported success. While it is not as effective as a physical pool cover, it is certainly easier to use and not ugly like a pool cover.

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The Chick-fil-A Approach

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:00:00 -0400

I blogged about Chick-fil-A last year. This interview with a Chick-fil-A executive explains their unique approach to customer service that makes a visit to Chick-fil-A a unique fast food experience, and this video explains their digital media approach. This news report (part 1, 2) explains the history and underpinnings of Chick-fil-A.

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Time Management

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:00:00 -0400

This article explains some of the complexities of effective time management. One useful point is the value of placing things on a TODO list to keep your mind clear:

In other words, if something's on your mind, you need to get it out of your mind and into some sort of external system that you trust and that you review regularly. If you don't, all the stuff you're trying to keep in mind will make it harder for you to devote your maximum brainpower towards the task at hand, which is really needed to help you get into that "zone" state where your productivity goes up, your quality of work goes up, and your stress about it goes down.

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