Monday, November 3, 2008

It’s that lack of time again

By Jessie Atkin


It’s no small secret that the computer can hinder work (homework in particular) as much as it can enhance it. In honor of the numerous procrastinators everywhere here are my top three choices for tools of procrastination (at least at the moment):

1) Facebook. This should be no surprise to most people. Beyond updating one’s own profile, fooling with any of the, what feels like billions, of available applications, there’s also the ever time wasting habit of “facebook stalking”. In other words, surfing through the pages of friends and acquaintances to check out any new dirt in areas including (but not limited to) status, pictures, and relationship. With a plethora of possibilities facebook is all but procrastination heaven.


2) Imdb. That’s right, the internet movie database. I’m a movie buff, so it’s not for everyone, but for me, it’s a key visit when I need a little (or a not so little) break. Beyond the gossip centered news section I can search for information on upcoming movies or on favorite stars future projects. If I’m really settling in for a long visit the "Trivia" link is always entertaining at the top of a stars page, so too is the "Goofs" link for certain movies. A little quote browsing too can pass the time nicely.


3) MacBrickout. I tend to change my procrastination game from time to time, but now it’s MacBrickout. It’s addictive (as most of my procrastination oriented games are) and is also downloadable, which makes it particularly convenient when a wireless internet connection is unavailable. It’s a simple premise, anyone can play. Slide a paddle along the bottom of the screen (like pong) to keep a ball bouncing and clear all the bricks to pass to the next level. To make it even more interesting capsules and bubbles fall from the ceiling that can do anything from raise your score to cause your paddle to disappear. The shareware version can be downloaded for free.

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