Holes In Thoughts

Thursday, March 06, 2008

How to Work

It took me 27 years to figure out a work regimen that actually keeps me coherent for an eight-hour stretch. Of course, until this year, I didn't have a full-time desk job, so I didn't really need it, but I struggled with focusing for more than 3 or 4 hours before this. I really wish I had actually spent some time with this as far back as high school, but I never quite did bad enough for myself to force the issue. It's something I think should be taught in grade schools: how your own rhythms work.

I am one of the types that benefits from taking frequent, short breaks, because the longer I focus on a problem, the more tunnel vision I get. Every time you make a change in web design, you are probably effecting other changes, and if you don't zoom out a little to realize what those other things are, you can do a lot of damage.

The extra bonus of this is that, by taking those short breaks, I can shake out my hands and focus my eyes on a distant object to rest them, so I reduce the strain on them as well.

My current work regimen goes like this:

Work for 3 minutes, then a 30-second break (which can be skipped if I really need to finish something). Every hour, take a 10-minute break. I use this to do dishes, run the laundry, and if those are done, play basketball (practicing free-throws, jump shots, around-the-world, 3's, or dribbling). That gets my blood flowing again, and surprisingly, I come back to the desk a lot more awake and focused. I'm aided in this by Workrave, which actually locks my computer at breaks.

The temptation to slack by checking blogs, comics and so on is especially keen when you spend your whole work day online. Bookmarks are especially easy to click on. Probably the biggest gain in my productivity besides the 10-minute breaks has come from using two Firefox profiles. Firefox profiles allow you to have a completely different set of bookmarks and plug-ins from your current profile. I have two Firefox profiles: work and play. Play has all my webcomics, blogs, and a lot of cool little plug-ins. Work has far fewer plugins (all web design related), and zero bookmarks. Just not having the toys staring me in the face helps immensely.

The only thing I haven't really been able to do is find a way to offset the after-lunch malaise without a load of caffeine. I have started making smaller sandwiches, and that helps, but I am absolutely sure that the U.S. would be a happier place if we went with the Spanish workday, with a siesta. Also, the jury is still out about whether or not 20-50 minutes of light basketball is going to be enough of the health and weight effects of having a full-time desk job.

Labels: basketball, design, exercise, slacking, webcomics, work

posted by Steve @ 12:22 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

IE6 Users: You SUCK.

Upgrade your damn browser. I am amazed that you've even managed to find a computer that came with it. Lord knows you can't download it from Microsoft anymore... and haven't for about a year and a half.

Look, IE6 sucked. It was buggy, even when it came out. It will take you three minutes to download IE7 or Firefox or Opera. Do it. Please.

I am not going to put up with your crap browser and your inability to upgrade anymore as a web designer. When IE6 came out:

iPods did not exist.
The World Trade Center still existed.
The Segway was just a rumor.
USB 2.0 was brand new.
Cell phones didn't have color screens.
Google had a few dozen employees.
The newest version of Windows was ME.

Ugh.

Labels: design, idiots, rant, work

posted by Steve @ 9:38 AM 2 comments

Monday, February 11, 2008

Come Fall

I'm a graphic designer. So when I see this, it just makes me very happy. In fall, when the race starts heating up, I am gonna print these up (or maybe get some people in the Obama campaign to do it!).

Labels: design, Obama

posted by Steve @ 1:23 PM 0 comments

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Giggle Test

It seems that consulting is a lot like graphic design...

I recently got an awesome, salaried, full-time, from-home job with benefits for about 2.5x more than I was making before. I briefly negotiated this job with my new boss and experienced what a consultant told me about how to negotiate a wage:

The night before you do this, stand in front of a mirror. Offer an absolutely astronomical sum, and grin like an idiot. Then, slowly lower the price. Repeat this process until you can keep a straight face. That's the amount you want.

Of course, after holding college jobs for such a long time, "middle class" seems filthy rich to me.

Labels: design, jobs, money, people, psychology

posted by Steve @ 12:51 AM 0 comments

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Impulse? Impulse Media?

I have started looking into making my sole proprietorship business a reality - after freelancing for a half decade.

What? I was busy.

The main reason is so that I can deduct a lot of my business-related expenses. While I do (often) question what is being done with my money, I don't plan on weaseling my way out of taxes completely. Strikes me as un-patriotic and, well, weasel-y.

So that means I will be reading government forms in my spare time. Oh, the joy! But it will be worth it. After all, I'm putting all the music, design, and art into one business. That means that a new computer, guitar, and paint are deductible. I just hope that the IRS understand that the design will be funding the other two - the music and art are a rather long shot at ever becoming profitable, but I think the odds are good enough to merit the business' money...

Labels: design, government, impulse designs, Impulse Nine, irs, sole proprietor, taxes

posted by Steve @ 12:57 AM 0 comments

Monday, December 18, 2006

I am becoming open to the idea of being more open.

I am going to begin blogging again.

I have decided to let my students add me, but will not add them in the interest of protecting myself.

I am so very close to being where I want to be: out of debt with a steady job.

I am re-opening doors I had shut with my Dad, with people I'd done business with that had gone sour, and within myself.

I am listening to a lot of Muse, GYBE!, Mogwai and Snow Patrol, because epic change should be met with epic music.

I am finishing a Design homepage that I can maintain and is up to standards - mine as well as the Web's.

I am going to start making mix CD's and post them in the same way that online blogs do.

I'm going to get my blogs together; MySpace for some reason won't let me date blogs before 2005, despite the fact that some of them were written in 2004. But I'll repost them.

I'm ready as I'm ever going to be.

Close eyes. Breathe in, slowly.
Open eyes. Breathe out.

Begin.

Currently listening :
Eyes Open
By Snow Patrol

Labels: BASIS, blog, design, family, jobs, mixing, music, MySpace, school

posted by Steve @ 8:11 PM 0 comments

Friday, October 21, 2005

A Funny Thing Happened Today no. 4: Stupid little quiz, interesting result.

This is something Daniel sent to me. Normally I don't bother with this kind of crap but I thought that the result was interesting.

These are 25 questions about things we see everyday or have known about all our lives. The survey originally said that 7 is average but if it is I'm afraid. Naturally, the quiz is meant to be taken without cheating or looking things up.

1. On a standard traffic light, is the green on the top or bottom?
2. How many states are there in the USA? (Don't laugh, some people don't know.)
3. In which hand is the Statue of Liberty's torch?
4. What six colors are on the classic Campbell's soup label?
5. What two numbers on the telephone dial don't have letters by them?
6. When you walk does your left arm swing with your right or left leg? (Don't you dare get up to see!)
7. How many matches are in a standard pack?
8. On the United States flag is the top stripe red or white?
9. What is the lowest number on the FM dial? (Don't look at that dial!)
10. Which way does water go down the drain, counter or clockwise? (Get out of the bathroom!)
11. Which way does a "no smoking" sign's slash run?
12. How many channels on a VHF TV dial?
13. On which side of a women's blouse are the buttons?
14. Which way do fans rotate?
15. How many sides does a stop sign have?
16. Do books have even-numbered pages on the right or left side.
17. How many lug nuts are on a standard car wheel?
18. How many sides are there on a standard pencil?
19. Sleepy, Happy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey, Doc. Who's missing?
20. How many hot dog buns are in a standard package?
21. On which playing card is the card maker's trademark?
22. On which side of a Venetian blind is the cord that adjusts the opening between the slats?
23. There are 12 buttons on a touch tone phone. What 2 symbols bear no digits?
24. How many curves are there in the standard paper clip?
25. Does a merry-go-round turn counter or clockwise?

______________________________________________________

ANSWERS

1.. Bottom
2.. 50
3.. Right
4.. Blue, red, white, yellow, black &gold
5.. 1, 0
6.. Right
7.. 20
8.. Red
9.. 87.7
10.. Clockwise (north of the equator)
11.. From Upper left to Lower Right
12.. 12 (there is no ..1)
13.. Left
14.. Clockwise as you look at it from the front.
15.. 8
16.. Left
17.. 5
18.. 6
19.. Bashful
20.. 8
21.. Ace of spades
22.. Left
23.. * and ..
24.. 3
25.. Counter

______________________________________________________

I missed 4 (answered 20 correctly):

Missed:
7.. How many matches are in a standard pack?
9.. What is the lowest number on the FM dial?
11.. Which way does a "no smoking" sign's slash run?
12.. How many channels on a VHF TV dial?

I don't smoke, listen to the radio, or watch TV. So that explains that.

Labels: design, music, quiz, TV

posted by Steve @ 2:52 PM 0 comments

About Me

Name: Steve
Home: Tucson, Arizona, United States
About Me: I like to think about things, and I occasionally like to write what I think.
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