How we spend our days...

I've been meaning to link to this chart for a while now. Interestingly, (appropriately?) it can become a bit of a time-sucker. For instance, did you know that "at 8:50 p.m., 1% of people with advanced degrees are at church or engaging in some religious activity"?

When studies contradict each other...

...I usually go with the one that makes me feel better. So here's a study that says Facebook users have lower average grades. And here's one that says that, with the exception of internet addicts, people who do a lot web surfing during their breaks are more productive at work. I'm going to go with the second--all this surfing and posting makes me more productive at times since I tend to use web-breaks and blogging as mini-rewards for accomplishing tasks. This post, for instance, is a mini-reward for finishing writing part of a final exam.

(And yes, I realize that these studies don't actually contradict each other at all.)

A couple of lists...

1) This one is fun, sweet, and interesting: 1001 rules for my unborn son. I love the brevity of some of the entries.

2) Every once in a while, when I need a mental break (perhaps on a day like today, where I've spent 4 straight hours conferencing with ENGL 102 students), I stop by this list and work my way through a couple of its entries...even the ones I've seen before. Then it's back to work...

The Photographic Dictionary...

Have fun exploring this site. Should I add a time-sucker warning? Probably... (Via Andrew Sullivan.)

By the way, this is a dead-on description of how I felt on Saturday.

I should be working right now but...

Slate has a whole issue this month on procrastination, so appropriate since Slate is just the kind of site where people spend lots of time procrastinating. Anyway, here's an interesting little piece about computer Solitaire, something I've spent my fair share of time playing.

TypeRacer

Uh-oh. I am going to waste a lot of time playing this...

Warning: Links to two time-suckers

1) Check out this very cool map that National Geographic has put together of regular peoples' photos from China. With all the controversy over the Olympics, China's been in the news lately (and, given its increasing power and how little we know about this important nation, it should be in the news even more, if you want my opinion). Anyway, just a quick glance through some of these photos shows how diverse, complex, and rich a country it is.

2) Or, if you aren't feeling like Chinese today, you might check out this amazingly detailed wiki about TV tropes. I imagine this as being a helpful resource for anyone writing about TV. Just to get you started, here are two to consider: "Be Careful What You Wish For" and "Applied Phlebotinum."

Consider yourself warned, though: both sites can totally suck you in, which might be bad if you have, oh I don't know...40 research papers to grade, 40 short essays, and parents coming into town for a weekend visit.