Entries in the Category "procrastination"
Extras is extra funny
Today, I braved the snow for five minutes to hit the library and pick up some books I had on hold. I wandered into the DVD section browsing for a TV show on DVD that I could use as background noise while I worked on my grading.
In that sense, I failed. I picked up the first season of Extras, the show Ricky Gervais made after putting a conclusive point of punctuation on his original series, The Office (that's the UK edition, of course). Though the show was, in fact, hilarious, I lost four hours of my afternoon to it. Too much funny! Could not concentrate on anything else.
But I can highly recommend the show! In fact, I will surely be hitting the library tomorrow to pick up season two. (What's awesome about Gervais' series is that they're never longer than six episodes. Even though I fritter away my time, it's not really a huge loss.)
The premise is that Andy, a pale, paunchy dude who has crossed the threshold of middle age, thinks that he has what it takes to be an incredible actor. The only work he can get, however, is playing the guy in the background. So, he sucks up to the famous actors he meets in hopes that he will make connections.
In this clip, Patrick Stewart of Star Trek fame regally outlines his script idea for the befuddled Andy.
Narrating My Procrastination (in the Manner of Hoarders)
So I love this show Hoarders, in which professional organizers, psychologists, and cameras all descend upon a home that the resident has compulsively filled with junk.
This morning I was procrastinating on writing a paper, and reading some internet forums re: Hoarders. Like most viewers of the show, I take pleasure in the fact that, because I can see my own floor, I am not a hoarder myself. But then, I realized that my own compulsive avoidance is comparable to that of the people on Hoarders. I started to fantasize (because it's so much a better use of my time) that the show was instead called Procrastinators and that I was on it. Images of me Not Working will be intercut with ominous statements communicating how out of control I am. (On the Hoarders forums they call it the "black screen of judgment.")
It would look like this:
Black Screen of Judgment: Erin has a paper due on Tuesday, which she has barely started.
Cut to: Erin, curled up in down comforter, screwing around on the web. The picture of laziness.
Black Screen of Judgment: Though she has vowed that today will be “all about the paper,” she has been surfing the forums at Television Without Pity for the past 40 minutes.
Cut to: Piles of books on Erin's desk and bookshelves. Many have bookmarks in them, 1/3 to 1/2 of the way through.
Black Screen of Judgment: Erin’s schedule was completely open yesterday. She was awake for approximately 16 hours, but did not do as much of a minute of work on her paper. Asked whether she accomplished anything she intended to do that day, she replied that she had done “some reading,” but would not specify.
Cut to, Erin, testimonial: I also loaded the dishwasher. And did one load of laundry. That I haven't put away yet. But I don't have a problem.
Black Screen of Judgment: The paper Erin is having so much trouble writing needs to be just five pages long.
You know, this exercise was very helpful. I think I will always imagine my problems this way.
Diversions
File this under "proof that I very much need to return to my usual academic routine." When I'm home all day I screw around on the Internet and lose hours of my life to ridiculous and awesome crap.
You want to know what this is about, click ahead.