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METAFORIX MAIL Volume 1, Issue 28 February 6, 2001 Our cityscape
icon has morphed into a fabulous postcard. It makes an eye-catching addition
to your bulletin board or refrigerator door.
CONTENTS AT A GLANCE: ON MY MIND: Getting
Organized
ON MY MIND [From the Editor] CDS As long as I can remember, I have suffered from Chronic Disorganization Syndrome (CDS).Over the years, I have read countless books and articles on how to get organized. I've invested hundreds or maybe thousands of dollars in a vast array of filing supplies and gimmicks, most of which I no longer own. I've cleaned things up, thrown things out, and promised myself never again to let things get so out of hand. But I always revert to my paper-piling, packrat, procrastinating, perfectionist habits. Now that I'm an entrepreneur, working from a small home office on a shoestring budget, what was once just a problem seems like a crisis. A month or two ago, while I was venting my frustrations over this situation, a friend recommended yet another book on how to organize: Julie Morgenstern's best seller, Organizing from the Inside Out. This book was different, my friend assured me. Instead of trying to impose a pre-designed system on lifelong, recidivist disorganizers, Julie starts by examining the technical, physical, and psychological barriers that prevent people from getting organized. She also takes into account the personal preferences and habits that might support the client in getting and staying with the program. Dutifully, I read the book. And it is different. When Julie listed some of the psychological obstacles to organizing -- in particular, "the thrill of coming to the rescue and creating order out of chaos" and the fear that loss of chaos will inevitably mean loss of creativity -- she had me hooked. I was so hooked, in fact, that I scheduled a consultation with one of the professional organizers on staff at Julie's company, Task Masters. On the basis of the consultation, I decided to invest in the services of master organizer Deb Kinney. For budgetary reasons, my husband and I are trying to do as much of the work as possible ourselves, relying on Deb's guidance and her help with the most critical aspects of the project. The financial commitment and the personal interactions with Deb have served as great motivators. We're not done yet, but Deb assures us that we're making great progress. As it turns out, Task Masters headquarters are located in New York City. Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Julie for an article I'm writing. She has the energy and intelligence you might expect of a best-selling author and media celebrity. She's friendly and down to earth, as well. Her business is deservedly thriving. You'll hear more from me every now and then about Julie's approach, which extends to time management and cybermanagement, as well. I'll also keep you posted on my progress as a recovering disorganizer. This time, I'm determined to keep CDS at bay.
Cordially, Lois C.
Ambash, Editor IN THE MEDIA Football Is Only the Beginning The Super Bowl may be America's most anticipated, most watched sports event -- but not all 125 million viewers have their eyes on the game. Even those who can't tell a first down from a touchdown can appreciate the commercials -- which explains why the average 30-second commercial during this year's Super Bowl XXXV went for $2.3 million.This year, dot com ads were down and junk foods were up. But no one disputes Jeff Taylor, CEO of Monster.com, when he observes that "People watch the advertising like a show, so it's the only time the whole year your ads are content." And, no matter what they were selling, advertisers supplemented their TV spots with online ads, polls, and editorial content. Although Super Bowl XXXV may be history, media mavens can replay the commercials to their hearts' content at AdCritic.com.
Access previous issues of Metaforix Mail by date by visiting our archives. Or use the search box on any page of the Metaforix site (www.metaforix.com) to search by keywords.
INFORMATICON Doctor-Patient Communication Is More Than Words "Most of the many words that have been written about "doctor-patient communication" have come from doctors; there are textbooks devoted to the subject, and communication 'competencies' are now taught in a number of medical schools. It would be difficult for me to come up with a list of competencies I look for in a doctor, but I know when I have met one I will trust."Alice Stewart Trillin, facing ambiguous symptoms and conflicting medical advice, trusted the doctors who advised watchful waiting instead of aggressive cancer surgery. "Even though, like all the other doctors at Memorial, they both saw me as someone who had once had a cancer with a very grim prognosis, they were able to look beyond this prognosis for another cause of my symptoms. And, by providing context, they helped me widen the lens through which I viewed what was happening to me. They gave me the courage to wait." Alice Stewart Trillin, "Betting Your Life" The New Yorker, January 29, 2001
CYBERSPEAK
Music to Go MP3 is a technology that allows music to be stored digitally (as music is stored on a compact disc) in a compressed format, while maintaining high sound quality. A piece of music stored in an MP3 file takes up a tenth or less of the storage space that it would occupy in compact disc format.This means that music files can be downloaded much more quickly than ever before and then stored and replayed on a portable MP3 player. (If you don't have one, a teenager you know either has one, is saving up to buy one, or would be delighted to receive one as a gift.) MP3 is radically changing the ways people obtain and listen to music. The name "MP3" derives from the video file compression system developed by MPEG, the Moving Picture Experts Group. The part of the MPEG system used to compress sound files is called MPEG Audio Layer-3, abbreviated as MP3. For a much more detailed explanation of how MP3 works, visit How Stuff Works -- about which more below.
Clear Answers to Complicated Questions If you're looking for the hows and whys of almost any technological or biological process, Marshall Brain's your man. Brain -- if "Brain" is not his real name, it certainly should be -- is the creator of How Stuff Works, the site to see for plain English explanations of the world around you.Do you want to know how to get a tattoo, or have one removed? Do you wonder why California is facing a major energy crisis? Are you curious about how e-mail travels from here to there? How Stuff Works will tell you. The language is clear and engaging, the illustrations genuinely illuminating, and the links are selected with care. Students, teachers, and curious people of all ages and professions love HSW. I bet you will, too. Take a look: www.howstuffworks.com Guest Columnists and Interviewees Wanted! Metaforix Mail seeks your opinions on how information technologies are (or are not) changing your world of work.Guest columns are welcome. Contributions are subject to editing for length and clarity. If your column is accepted for publication, it will be permanently posted on the Metaforix web site, along with a link to your e-mail address or URL. As a small token of appreciation, you will also receive a $10 gift certificate toward your next purchase at Amazon.com. Alternatively, you may wish to participate in a telephone interview, which will be written up for publication in a future issue of Metaforix Mail. to be considered, please send a brief note indicating your professional perspective and the topic you would like to address. To submit a column for consideration or to be considered for an interview, e-mail editor@metaforix.com. Please note that the links contained in Metaforix Mail are current as of the time of publication. Some of them may no longer be operative at the time you access past issues. To
Volume 1, Issue 27 January 30, 2001 |
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