BEST OF: Online time wasters

Wasting time online has pretty much become an epidemic -- Apparently, a typical college student spends an average of 20 hours on the Internet! Yikes, that's practically a part-time job!

The even sadder reality??? Well, most of us don't use our time online WISELY! That's right, most people aren't surfing the web with the intent to get work done or boost their education or become better informed citizens or just do anything productive in general -- In fact, many of us are guilty of spending countless hours online looking at useless youTube videos or checking out other people's Facebook pages or doing some "window shopping" on websites, and so forth -- The list is literally inifinite: Yes, the Internet offers an infinite number of attractions (or shall we call them distractions) to keep one from getting bored, to keep one entertained, or to simply keep one from doing anything productive at all.

I realized that during the winter months in Eugene I tend to spend more time online than I would in the spring or summer. Yes, I blame the rain and clouds for all the misery in my life -- including my internet addiction ;) No, not really -- although I do indeed hate the rain! And actually and fortunately, I don't have an internet addiction. I was just exaggerating so you could get an idea of how much I hate rain! So, yes, during the rainy miserable winter months in Eugene I do tend to indulge in some of my guilty pleasures -- And no, they don't include any celebrity gossip websites if that's what you're thinking. What you'll find below is a list of websites to help you pass time -- You won't get any smarter by reading anything on these websites and you won't be doing anything productive at all! But you shouldn't feel guilty -- Some of these websites offer a nice break from the real world, and may even make you feel better about your life or inspire you a little :) [The sites are not in any particular order, although I usually only frequent the first five or six sites -- The other ones are recent discoveries, so I haven't really had a chance to really get into them.]

1. FMYLIFE -- Totally ADDICTIVE and awesomely hilarious :) Best site to surf if you're having a bad day!
2. POST SECRET -- My Sunday morning routine for the past three years or so.
3. Surf the Channel -- Don't have a TV? No worries! Watch every episode of all your favorite shows without commercial breaks on this site. You'll also find the latest movies, and sometimes they are posted in HD quality -- Ideal (although not legal, but who really cares -- you're not the one who's going to get in trouble) for a broke college student who can't afford movie tickets!
4. Red Square -- Probably the most pointless game ever, yet the most addictive I've encountered online (But since I don't really play online games, you shouldn't really listen to my opinion until you try it). And maybe this game isn't so pointless -- I think it might sharpen your reflexes a little if you spend enough time playing it :)
5. Passive Agressive Notes -- Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! No comment!
6. Overheard in New York -- I used to read the stuff on this site years ago -- before fmylife.com and postsecret.com even came into existance -- but in the last two or three years I haven't gone on this site at all. Still, it's quite entertaining!
7. Engrish
8. The Awesomer

BEST OF: WORTHWHILE things (I've found) online

If you are going to waste time online, you might as well look at stuff that's going to make you just a little bit smarter or maybe a little more informed by the end of the day :) So, if you're looking to feed your brain some information, check out the sites below:

TED -- Ideas Worth Spreading

~ If you haven't heard of TED, then you shouldn't leave your computer until you've checked out their site. Below you will find one of the videos that's posted on their site -- And all I have to say is: BRILLIANT! [Here's a tidbit about TED from their website: "TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader. The annual conference now brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes). TED.com makes the best talks and performances from TED available to the public, for free."]

Academic Earth

~ "It's like going to college -- for free!" That's the comment one of my friends made about this website. After watching some of the lectures, I feel compelled to go on to graduate school, just so I can study under the brilliance of instructors such as Marian Diamond, one of the professors featured on the site. Check out one of her lectures in the video below.

WEEK 9 - Flux Story Ideas: STREET YOGA

I have been researching story ideas for Flux for the past two weeks, but this morning, instead of finding an idea -- well, the idea sort of found me! While eating breakfast, I looked up from my delicious bowl of fresh strawberries, plain yogurt, and Raspberry Ginger cereal only to notice a little girl staring back at me. No worries, it wasn't a ghost -- It was actually a picture of a little girl on the back of my cereal box. The girl's pose caught my attention: She looked like a spider ready to crawl down the street! I was confused by the picture, so I had no choice but to read the text that accompanied it.

It turns out that the little girl was practicing "street yoga" -- Nope, it's not another sport concocted by urban hipsters seeking new adventures on busy city streets but rather a social movement devoted to a worthy cause. According to the organization's website, which goes by the same name as latest sport, Street Yoga is "working to end homelessness by teaching yoga, mindful breathing and compassionate communication to young people at risk and their families, so that they can grow stronger, heal from past traumas, and create for themselves a life that is inspired, safe and joyful."

As I continued reading about Street Yoga, a thought crossed my mind -- "How cool would it be if this organization had ties to Portland? Then we could do a Flux story about it." Well, whoever said wishful thinking doesn't work? As I kept reading, the next paragraph informed me that one of the organization's yoga trainers works with homeless you in -- Can you guess? -- Portland, Oregon! I finished breakfast and went straight upstairs to grab my laptop and check out street yoga.

Here's what I found out:
~ Street Yoga doesn't simply have ties in Portland, OR -- That's the organization's actual home!
~ The website has a video featuring homeless Portland youth discussing their experiences with street yoga. The video is a great way to get a visual overview of the organization and its work.



Why would this be a good Flux story:
~ This story could be turned into a complete package for Flux -- Print story, photographs, video, and other multimedia. [Particularly in terms of video production, you have so many options and could get really creative without having to be a top-notch videographer or editor -- You don't even have to use your imagination all that much :) For example, you could do a sort of "testimonial video" -- It would involve cutting together a string of bites from homeless youth about their experiences on the street or with street yoga. You could have a black/white/solid color background for the kids and shoot the interviews from different angles -- I have seen this done over and over in videos, and it looks great every time, especially when a fresh approach is taken with the editing process. This is only one of about a half a dozen ideas that are running through my mind right now -- So, in my opinion, this story has great potential in terms of video production.]
~ Street Yoga might also make a great topic for the Flux Documentary class. I will be sure to send Jon Palfreman a link to the website.
~ AUDIENCE -- Does this story cater to the Flux audience we have discussed in class this term? In my opinion -- YES! I do have a good argument (Well, at least that's what I think!) to defend my point and will post it here later (Right now, I actually have to run off. Check back later, and I will post something here.).

WEEK 8

WEEK 7: New Encounters in Art?

WEEK 6: My Not-So-Tangible Collections

WEEK 5: Random Magazine