Between work, the job search, running this site (and BuryCoal), and photography, I am finding myself rather busy these days.
That is the context in which I have been receiving a number of requests to do commercial photographic work. That is exciting and an opportunity to learn new skills. At the same time, it is a possible distraction from activities that are ultimately more important, such as making my own small contribution to the fight against climate change.
As such, I am going to be pretty picky about the projects I undertake. If the work is interesting or serves a group or cause that is worthy of approval, I will consider a potential project more favourably. Otherwise, I will be demanding a rate of pay that corresponds to the scarcity of my free hours.
So glad to hear this. Well deserved opportunities.
Some things I should do:
1) Apply for an Action Canada fellowship
2) Review “Now or Never”
3) Review “The Moral Landscape”
4) Finish and review “Outliers”
5) Find a job
6) Finish processing photos from Hamilton
7) Finish shooting film, then mail it to Neal
8) Finish letter to new environment minister
9) Prepare guest lecture
10) Produce new draft of my low-carbon finance idea
11) Find some more contributors for BuryCoal
12) Look into application procedures for doctoral programs next fall
13) Skate!
14) Practice studio lighting
15) Further personalize blog themes
16) Take a university course
17) Improve my French
18) Get driver’s license
19) Photograph a wedding commercially
20) File my taxes
21) Ship my books in Vancouver out east
22) Add recent posts to climate change index
23) Read and review “Climate Ethics”
24) Finish unpacking
25) Customize 404 error page
26) Go indoor climbing with Emily
27) Give books to Erin
28) Read and review “I am a Strange Loop”
29) Update C.V.
30) Frame UBC diploma
31) Get textbooks from Bloom psychology course
32) Add audio track to Ignite slides
33) Read and review “Couple Skills”
34) Update addresses with everybody
35) Write a will and a living will
36) Read Katie’s thesis
37) Read Gabe’s thesis
38) Have an annual check up
39) Research Canada’s environmental petition process
40) Update personal monthly budget
41) Get Jordan Peterson’s book
42) Set up website for low-carbon finance idea
43) Set up Beaver Barracks reading group
44) Read Jan 22nd issue of The Economist
45) Read Jan 15th issue
46) Re-read “Getting Things Done”
47) Get a scanner
48) Clear apartment of clutter
49) Donate unwanted clothes
50) Backup GMail
51) Get bookshel(f/ves)
52) Write proper response to ‘ethical oil’ idea
53) Fix various issues with websites in mobile browsers
54) Have light suit trousers and dark jeans hemmed
54) Have gash in coat pocket repaired
55) Get brown dress shoes
56) Read and review “American Earth”
57) Get prescription for eyeglasses
58) Get new orthodics
59) Fix wonky MS Office installation on iMac
60) Respond to long-neglected emails
61) Respond to selected blog posts
62) Calculate true scientifically ideal weight
63) Read up on civil disobedience
64) Pay hydro bill
65) Photograph ice sculptures at Winterlude
66) Go through ‘@Pending’ and ‘@Waiting for’ items in GMail
67) Read and review “Shadows of Consumption”
68) Get Barbour Beaufort jacket
69) Get third suit for cold seasons
70) Reformat space race essay
71) Deal with strange hosting issues with DreamHost
72) Buy groceries
73) Iron dress shirts
74) Gain access to smart metering web portal
75) Check for job opportunities at Google.org
76) Check for job opportunities with the British Columbia and Ontario governments
77) Store or discard moving boxes
78) Recharge flash batteries
79) Read Myles et al. geoengineeering study
80) Fix Google Calendar issue, re: birthdays
81) Try a time lapse photography project
82) Re-read the New Testament
83) Watch ‘Gasland’
84) Deal with saved BlogLines items
85) Catch up on neglected blogs
86) Get PDF of issues of 2600 magazine
87) Start photography discussion group
88) Clean burned popcorn from bottom of large cooking pot
89) Fix conflict between SSL plugin and wp-comments
90) Look into whether cheaper cell phone options exist
91) Research what heroes of mine had done by age 27
92) Read books that were Christmas gifts
93) Enter Oxford trees photography competition
94) Arrange times to speak with friends on Skype
95) Read 152 mailing list emails, 101 job search emails, 14 emails related to clubs
96) Sort through business cards people have given me
97) Finish slideshow of photos taken in New York City this summer
98) Finish putting together Flickr portfolio
99) Transfer money to savings account
100) Get a good night’s sleep
Your list is staggering. However, be having it I expect you will get more done.
I also hope you are finding time to enjoy the longer hours of daylight.
Re Item 91 who are your heroes?
Schumpeter
Too much information
How to cope with data overload
GOOGLE “information overload” and you are immediately overloaded with information: more than 7m hits in 0.05 seconds. Some of this information is interesting: for example, that the phrase “information overload” was popularised by Alvin Toffler in 1970. Some of it is mere noise: obscure companies promoting their services and even more obscure bloggers sounding off. The overall impression is at once overwhelming and confusing.
“Information overload” is one of the biggest irritations in modern life. There are e-mails to answer, virtual friends to pester, YouTube videos to watch and, back in the physical world, meetings to attend, papers to shuffle and spouses to appease. A survey by Reuters once found that two-thirds of managers believe that the data deluge has made their jobs less satisfying or hurt their personal relationships. One-third think that it has damaged their health. Another survey suggests that most managers think most of the information they receive is useless.