Problem Report Form

I was thinking about how intractable some of the problems we face are and how nice it would be if there a government office to help us with them. Then I realized there would be a form you would fill out. To be truly governmental, the form would:

1. Have vague, misordered questions.
2. Not give enough space to write an answer.
3. In the insufficient space, have lines that were too close together for normal people to use.
4. Have weird codes in a different font at the header and footer.
5. have vague, misleading and insufficient instructions about what would be done with the information on the form and would would do it.
6. Have part labelled FOR OFFICE USE ONLY filled with boxes of unknown, but vaguely threatening fields.
7. Give absolutely no assurance that the information would be kept confidential.
ProblemReport_24Jan2009

Epsiode Eleven – Multitasking and Time Scavenging

This week, we talk about multitasking and time scavenging. Multitasking is trying to do two things at one time and we talking a little about how the brain works, what works, and what doesn’t. We also discuss using those odd minutes by time scavenging.
MindFeed: Type 1a supernovea in Science, the dangers of fundamentalism in astronomy.
Music: “Pop Science” by Devin Anderson and “I could have loved you” by Robin Stine. All music fomr PodSafeAudio.com.
Episode Eleven

Episode Ten – Gadgets

There are lots of things around to help us get organized and stay on top of things: Palm Pilots, cell phones with infinite features, a huge number of programs for our computers. In this episode, we talk a little bit about taming all these helpers and making them actually work for us.
MindFeed: Norilsk, MiniBooNe, press release and paper and Gravity Probe B.
Music: “Again. Remember” by the Chris Mosely Trio, “Wired for Loud” by Dave Henderson and “Sweet Blossom” by Robin Stine. All music from Pod Safe Audio.
Episode Ten

Episode Nine – Feeding the Bad Wolf

How much time do you spend feeding the bad wolf? The bad wolf is that thing inside us that feeds on ill feelings. Feeding the bad wolf leads to distraction, brooding and neglect of those things that are good for us. It leads to disconnection with those large things we want to achieve. In this episode, we talk a little about how to how avoid feeding the bad wolf and how to stop if you have started.
MindFeed: Relative scales, Renaissance painting analysis (who’s who) and thresholds in epidemics.
Music: “Butt Quake” by Commander Yo and “Day Dream” by Stine. All music from Pod Safe Audio.
Episode Nine

Episode Eight – Stuff

Our lives can explode with all the things we try to stuff into them. Just in your office: books, papers, manuals, discs, computer things… That’s not including the virutal world inside your computer. The key is to deal with all of it as it comes in and make a place for it all to go.
MindFeed: LHC magnet problem, LHC Physics Survey, CERN Public Website, Katrina and Rita and Hyperlenses.
Music: ” Pequeña Serenata Noct.” by Rebaza, “Chicago Hope (theme)” by Deyo and “Baby Boomer Blues” by horseski. All music from Pod Safe Audio.
Episode Eight