IN THE NEWS: why this blog is anonymous

I was going to write about the funny thing my adviser said to me today. But after reading this article, I think I'll just keep the joke to myself. This article is chilling. And if you write a blog or put any portion of yourself on the internet, you must consider this cautionary tale.

You should also check out the comments to this article. The "people" have some pretty interesting reactions. Also, what are your opinions on the paradox of her self-disclosure? The article is about how it ruined her, and yet it also gave her a NY Times byline. Are contemporary intellectuals not a little forced to "overshare," as she calls it?

Exposed

By EMILY GOULD

Published: May 25, 2008

Back in 2006, when I was 24, my life was cozy and safe. I had just been promoted to associate editor at the publishing house where I’d been working since I graduated from college, and I was living with my boyfriend, Henry, and two cats in a grubby but spacious two-bedroom apartment in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. I spent most of my free time sitting with Henry in our cheery yellow living room on our stained Ikea couch, watching TV. And almost every day I updated my year-old blog, Emily Magazine, to let a few hundred people know what I was reading and watching and thinking about. read more

The Elevation of Procrastination

I love Slate.com! Sometimes it gives me a reason for living. Often it gives me a reason to avoid working. Last week, it did both. And it explained the raison d'etre of my blog in the process. You guessed it, my dearest Slate did a special issue on procrastination. I wanted to provide links to it everyday, but I never got around to it. So here are the links to all their amazing articles on procrastination in one easy blob. Enjoy!

Tuesday

"Lollygagging Through Life: I'm joining Procrastinators Anonymous—can I get past step one?" by Emily Yoffe. Posted May 13, 2008.

"Procrastination Lit: Great novels about wasting time," by Jessica Winter. Posted May 13, 2008.

"Lazy Money: The procrastinator's portfolio: An investment guide," by Daniel Gross. Posted May 13, 2008.

"Letter to a Young Procrastinator: Some last-minute advice from a veteran slacker," by Seth Stevenson. Posted May 13, 2008.

"Procrastinators Without Borders: Do the Japanese waste more time than we do?" by Heather Smith. Posted May 13, 2008.

Wednesday

"Solitaire-y Confinement: Why we can't stop playing a computerized card game," by Josh Levin. Posted May 14, 2008.

"Pro·cras·ti·na·tion: How we got a word for "putting things off," by Ben Zimmer. Posted May 14, 2008.

" 'It's All in My Head': Did Truman Capote and Ralph Ellison have writer's block—or were they just chronic procrastinators?" by Jessiac Winter. Posted May 14, 2008.

Thursday

"The Unfinished Stories: All the stuff we never got around to including in the special issue," by Daniel Engber. Posted May 15, 1008.

"Like There's No Tomorrow: How economists think about procrastination," by Ray Fisman. Posted May 15, 2008.

"Procrasti-Nation: Workers of the world, slack off!" Posted May 15, 2008.

Friday

"Taking Your Time: Josh Levin and Seth Stevenson finally get around to answering readers' questions on procrastination." Posted May 16, 2008.

STUDY TIPS: where to find that...

A couple weeks ago, when I was doing my lit review questions, I got really really stuck. My adviser wanted me to "incorporate more theorists" into my argument, and I simply did not know of any theorists other than the ones I'd already incorporated. Have you ever been there? It's an unhappy place to be.

I searched high and low and hit the university library and library Web site a few times ... all to no avail. But then, at the last minute, the luxuries of consumerism saved me: Amazon.com. No, I didn't find some new method to cheat. I just discovered its highly developed search engine that--because Amazon has a profit motive, whereas the university library does not--actually succeeds in helping me find things.

Here's what I did (hopefully, it can help you too):
1. I typed the name of my one known theorist into Amazon
2. I scrolled down to the "other people bought these books too" section
3. I found the mother lode of relevant yet previously elusive theorists
4. I opened a new browser tab and typed name of new people into school library search engine
5. BINGO - free books!!!!!!!!!!!

Really, it was like magic. All my problems were solved. Marx may hate me, but this system combines the best of consumerism (user-friendly products) with the best of socialism (free stuff). The only thing you have to watch out for is back strain. I found such a trove of research that I filled my camping backpack TWICE. Remember to lift with your kness and not with your back, and happy studying!

Note: Camera phone photo of my first batch of library books all set up neatly in a library study corral. Speaking of which, that's another great thing about libraries: free study space. No purchase of a $5 coffee required.

DIY: Fun with Procrastination!

1. Type "French military victories" into Google's "I'm Feeling Lucky" search.
2. Have fun.