Hierarchy of modern life distractions
September 12th, 2009 by joseHilarious visualization here:
Reminds me why, after sacrificing it to the washing machine twice, I decided not to have a mobile phone.
(credit: informationisbeautiful.net)
Being a genius or having a genius?
September 9th, 2009 by jamesIf you’re not already aware of the excellent TED conferences and talks, I would strongly recommend going to their site and having a poke around. There are some fascinating people and ideas featured but be prepared to spend a bit of time: most of the content consists of 18 minute video talks.
One of the best ones I’ve seen recently is this talk by Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of a “journey of self-discovery” type novel which is being made into a movie with Julia Roberts. To be honest, from that description, I probably would have skipped it but I’m glad I did watch it: it’s thought-provoking and in places very funny.
She discusses the idea of “genius” and how the pre-Enlightenment concept of attributing outstanding works of art to divine inspiration/intervention (literally, “having” a genius) contrasts with the modern notion that such works come from within the individual (“being” a genius). “Having” a genius helps the artist maintain distance between themselves and their work, deflecting blame from the self when things don’t go so well and keeping one modest when work is well-received. As she says, it helps avoid the depressive thoughts that make one want “to start drinking gin at 9 o’clock in the morning” and generally helps promote creativity.
What do you think? Sounds pretty reasonable to me and a useful construct for digging one’s self out of rut.
A Road Map to Success
September 6th, 2009 by darioPublished in 1913 in The Etude, the high resolution is here.
(via the always relevant FlowingData and StrangeMaps)
Prise these programs away from my cold, dead hands
September 4th, 2009 by shaneToday I am going to share a few of the programs (on windows) that make life a little bit more easier and I can’t live without. We might make this a series if the other ap.com bloggers want in the action.
