Video (via Make the Logo Bigger Blog)

I’ve always been interested in the source of creativity and how it works.  “Sleeping” on a problem has frequently worked for me too.

- Dave

Video link

Link (via Treehugger)

Do people actually buy this stuff?

-Dave

Having come to the end of our current cell phone contract, Justine and I picked up a pair of Blackberry Curves to check our email, blog, take pictures, etc. My first impressions of the Blackberry Curve is that it does the following things very well: phone, email, mobile maps, calendar, tasks, contacts.

It does the following things very poorly: browsing the internet, mobile media (music, video, photos, etc)

I like the little navigation ball in the center of the phone. It took a little getting used to, but I like it a lot now. I ended up installing a 3rd party browser, Opera Mini, on the phone because the browser that comes standard is quite craptastic.  Theinstant messenger client is also craptastic.  I downloaded Ramble IM and Jive Talk.  I’m not sure which one I’ll keep, but so far, both are better than the one that comes standard with the phone.  The messaging isn’t quite as good as my old Treo.  I miss the conversation grouping the Treo used by default.

Speaking of the actual phone, the sounds quality is clear and the volume controls are easy to get to.

Overall I’d give it 7 0r 8 on a scale of 1 – 10.

- Dave

P.S. – I figured out quickly how to turn off the annoying chime and vibrate function when each email arrives.  Otherwise I would lose my mind.

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Now playing: Air – Electronic Performers
via FoxyTunes

I plan on taking my laptop and camera so I can post some photos of the faire while I’m there.

If you get the chance, check out Make Magazine on the news stands.  It’s filled with all sorts of do-it-yourself projects that have an amazing gee-whizz factor.

-Dave

What do you choose? (post your comment below)

I’m leaning toward laundry or bartender.

-Dave

Link to Treehugger article.

“Mr Chang, can you please pick up the pace?  The people in the finance department just installed new electric pencil sharpeners and we need the extra voltage.”

I hate email.

You see, I get around 300-500 emails every day at work.

About a third of these are generated by automated server processes and are filtered into folders so I can keep an eye whether or not those processes were successful or not. Another third are sent from various applications that my teammates and employees use to initiate and confirm yet more processes. These, too, can be filtered into folders to keep track of them.

This means that I actually have to read (and potentially respond to) around 100-160 emails a day.

Yes, I think this is pretty insane, considering that I don’t work in customer service or deal directly with the public in a significant way. 90% of these emails are internal communications. Half of these internal communications could be completed by walking 50 yards or less and actually speaking to a person.

So, 100-160 emails a day. That means I need to process one email every 4 or 5 minutes (assuming I average 9 or 10 hours at work each day, which is about right).

That seems crazy to me, so I don’t actually operate like that.

I skim emails in batches of 30-40 several times a day, focusing on the subject line and the first few sentences of the message. I usually determine whether or not I need to read the whole email in about 3-4 seconds based upon the subject line, who is CC’ed, and the first few sentences. Sometimes I need to respond, sometimes I don’t.

I love email (yeah, I know I said I hate email earlier).

You see, I can respond to many more people in email than I could possibly call in a day. I can also eliminate the need for frivolous meetings with a simple email. I’m not sure my job would be possible without email. It would certainly be much more difficult.

Something else I love and hate at the same time is instant messenger.  Our whole department uses a popular instant messenger client at work to enable us to contact each other in the blink of an eye.  This is mostly used to ask short concise questions and get fast responses.  It’s faster than email and much more informal.  I like that part.

When 6 people are trying to message you at once it’s a bit chaotic with all the flashing document windows in your toolbar.  I hate that.  Here’s an easy solution for that.  Only login to your instant messenger when you want to use it.  Then log off when you are done.  That way you don’t have 20 people virtually tapping you on the shoulder all day long.

Amidst all this communication, you will need to get some actual work done, right?

What are they paying you to do anyhow?  Get back to work!

-Dave

Read the post here.

-Dave

Funny enough, this means I am going to more meetings AND doing more design and production myself. We’ve also stopped farming out work to a design firm that we have been using for several month because of quality and deadline issues (they were lacking both).

I seem calm at work because the only screaming I do is in my own head where nobody can hear me.

Weeks like this make me want to dig ditches for a living.

You see, when you dig a ditch, there is a beginning, middle and end.

-Dave