by Raj Dash

Whether you freelance or not, if you’re like many working adults, you probably find yourself wishing there was more time in the week. If you work at home, time has an unusual way of slipping by. (I’m probably less productive now than when I worked in an office somewhere, though there are several other factors at play.) At the end of the week, you might be wondering why you didn’t get more work done, as might your clients!

Recognizing Your Work Demons

With all the web technologies out there, it’s tough for web workers in particular to keep up, and sometimes bad online habits can become very addictive. These could be some of the things that are holding you back from freelance success.

Here are some of my work-demons, often the result of poor work habits:

1. IM. Satisfying friends’ “need it now” social voting requests via AIM.
2. Twitter. Getting distracted by incoming Twitter tweets (via the Twhirl client) and an even more addictive Twitter-like service, Plurk. (My addiction used to be Google’s MyMaps, or any kind of mapping mashup.)
3. Email. Being signed into GMail all day (tsk tsk), and obsessively checking for new messages, only to waste time mostly filtering spam.
4. Comments. Visiting sites where I write, to see if I need to respond to any comments. (I don’t always get an email alert, despite “subscribing” to the comments of a post.)
5. TV. Turning on the TV capture card on my computer, and telling myself I “need” to watch something in particular, to get ideas for blog posts.
6. Being indecisive. Fooling myself into believing I can start several projects for one client and not deciding which to finish for the week. This is anti-productivity (but is not the same as multi-tasking). It doesn’t work, and nothing done means no dinero.
7. Over-booking work. Taking on too much work because I don’t like to tell people “no.” As my online brand grew, the number of offers grew — though not being selective results in damaging to my reputation.
8. Attempting too much. Trying to cover way too much in a project. For example, trying to do a “31 and a half reasons” list instead of five, seven or maybe eleven good, well-thought out reasons that you can elaborate on. This over-reaching comes from an abject need to give that cliched “110%” on a project. The net result is performance anxiety and incomplete projects.
9. Working at home. This environment has its benefits, though there are many home-related distractions.

Ways to Fool the Anti-Muse

For years, when I was not writing creatively for a living, I had a writing muse, even a coding muse. However, sometime before I started freelance blogging full-time, that muse started going AWOL, showing up less and less often, occasionally replaced with an anti-muse. Here are some of the strategies I have to employ to fool that anti-muse:

1. Use two computers/ laptops.
   Run email and chat clients on one computer, A, and do work on the other, B. If you have a few people that need to communicate with you daily, set up a secret IM username and make sure they don’t give it out. This has worked very well for me. (I still do social voting for other online friends who either ask via email or use a social site’s “shout” feature.) You can still turn on IM accounts on computer A less frequently in the day. It’s easier to adhere to an “I’m only available on IM at such and such times of the day” rule. (Using two computers is not an option for everyone, but if you freelance at a home, and web-work is how you earn your living, you should think about having a backup computer anyway.)
2. Tune out.
   If computer A is getting too distracting with all the incoming message/tweet sounds, turn off the audio. The Twitter client Twhirl, for example, is configurable so that only incoming direct messages will cause a “beep”. That’s far less distracting than beeps on every tweet, and will alert you to when you might need to respond. In extreme cases, turn things off.
3. Turn off.
   If tuning out doesn’t help, turn off computer A’s screen and only check back once every few hours, or when you complete an important task. If you’re only working on one computer, just shut down all communications applications for a few hours. I have successfully tried answering emails only at lunch and supper times. It’s not easy for the perpetually distracted, but it’s possible. Just ask yourself, will any truly urgent message ever come in via email, IM, or Twitter? Probably not. So turn them off for now.
4. Seek virtual company.
   TV is a terrible distraction, and even if I’m “researching” ideas for pop culture articles, the TV eventually needs to be turned off. This is difficult for a TV addict, and if you’re at home and feeling lonely, it’s even worse. Listening to music sometimes helps, though everyone has their own idea of what type of music is productive or not - I prefer Baroque music, some types of opera, and occasionally rock - unless I feel compelled to sing along to Pavarotti or Rage Against the Machine. Spoken-word podcasts, on the other hand, nearly always work for me.

   On the other hand, I find that the spoken voice is at least soothing and rarely counter-productive. (This does not work for TV by leaving on audio and turning off the video simply because there’s too much content transition.) Another option is to simply set aside a bit of TV watching time, or take a short break at the local cafe - though I haven’t the discipline to pull the latter off. (I think this is something that varies a lot between different people. For example, I can’t listen to music with lyrics or have the TV on when I’m writing because I can’t tune it out. — Ed.)

5. Choose your battles.
   If too many projects for one client inhabit my mind and I can’t decide which to work on, I’ll try to suss out which requires the least time to complete and pick that one. If that’s no help, maybe it’s time to work on another client’s project. Still not productive? Maybe it’s time for a break.
6. Consider outsourcing.
   If you’re taking on too much work, there are only a few possible outcomes:
   1. Say “yes” and lose more of your personal time to get the work done, possibly having to outsource some of your personal tasks. Downside: more work, less play time.
   2. Say “yes” and don’t finish the work. Downside: damage your reputation (even if your intentions were good).
   3. Say “no”. Downside: losing a potential client.
   4. Say “yes” and delegate some of the work to a colleague or other freelancer. Downside: you’re on the hook for the quality of the work.
7. Respect yourself.
   For those of us who had to be competitive in our early years, and lived with that stupid “put in 110% effort” motto, it’s time for some self-respect. You’re more valuable to your clients when you complete 100% of a project on time rather than trying to offer 110+% and not getting anything done. Striving for perfection is fine if you don’t get obsessed — especially on flat-rate projects. Respect yourself and your clients, and streamline your “100%” effort so that 110% isn’t necessary.
8. Resolve your distractions.
   Every home-based freelancer will have different distractions, but do what you must to resolve them. Where I work, there are birds, cats, dogs and occasionally young men driving by in their loud cars. I have a very small window for my podcast recording work each week, and I try to schedule everything around this, if I have the luxury.

Final Thoughts

If the anti-muse has been visiting you far too often, some of the above might help. A few might seem anti-social, though when you’re a freelancer, it’s hard to justify being social if you’re not putting food on the table.

What distracts you when you’re working, whether at home, in a cafe, library or office? How do you cope with your work demons?

Read also:

http://www.studymatrixart.com/blog/smx-spotlight/keys-to-time-management

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browser_game

Browser games are electronic games that are played online via the Internet. They are distinct from normal video and computer games in that they do not require any client side software to be installed. There are games that rely solely on client-side technologies such as a web browser and a common plugin such as Java or Flash or built in technologies like Ajax and the canvas object, whereas other also employ server-side scripting. The latter case are typically (massive) multiplayer games, whereas the client-side games are typically single-player games. A game played in a browser is often called a browser-based game.

==

Artikel lainnya diambil dari sini:

Browser game adalah jenis game, biasanya online, yang bisa dimainkan dengan berbagai jenis internet browser (umumnya) misalnya : IE, Firefox, Opera, safari, dll

Kemudahan browser game :

1. online, jadi kita bisa berinteraksi dengan player lain
2. simple, tanpa perlu download, hanya butuh browser, dan biasanya hanya single click untuk memainkannya
3. bisa dimainkan dari mana saja, karena cuma butuh browser, 
4. ada komunitas pendukung yang solid

sedangkan kelemahan online browser game, biasanya :

1. rawan bug, karena pemrogramannya berdasarkan protokol http, umumnya sih php dan html, walaupun ada beberapa yang menggunakan C#, tidak seperti game online konvensional biasa yang harus diinstall.
2. rawan cheat, apalagi game yang berbasiskan java script .
3. bandwidth killer, terutama yang berbasis flash.

secara umum, browser game menawarkan :

1. free, dengan akses terbatas ke fitur2 game yang tersedia, dan tidak memiliki hak khusus
2. berbayar, dengan akses full ke fitur2 game yang tersedia, beberapa memiliki hak khusus

==

Find the list of browser games here and here.

I am now playing Travian ( One of the best game strategy in 2006. Select your tribe and build your village as:Teutons, Gauls or Romans)

All about  Déjà vu. Have you...

(a) wonder to yourself why you feel familiar with some events in your life?

(b) Have your dream comes true?

(c) Have you dreamt a realistic dream: you can even recall the people, locations, or time?

(d) Have you feel familiar with certain places?

(e) You knew what your friends are going to say before they even start to talk to you?

(f) Feel something existing that unexist?

(g) Feel someone is going to visit before he/she knocked your door? Or grab the phone before it rings?---it happened to me a lot of times! :)

(h) Thinking about someone, and surprise ! Here he is..coming to town!

========== OK. let's skip and go the explanation..===========

Déjà vu also called paramnesia is the experience of feeling sure that one has witnessed or experienced a new situation previously (an individual feels as though an event has already happened or has repeated itself). The term was coined by a French psychic researcher, Émile Boirac (1851–1917) in his book L'Avenir des sciences psychiques (The Future of Psychic Sciences), which expanded upon an essay he wrote while an undergraduate. The experience of déjà vu is usually accompanied by a compelling sense of familiarity, and also a sense of "eeriness", "strangeness", or "weirdness". The "previous" experience is most frequently attributed to a dream, although in some cases there is a firm sense that the experience "genuinely happened" in the past.

The experience of déjà vu seems to be very common; in formal studies 70% of people report having experienced it at least once. References to the experience of déjà vu are also found in literature of the past, indicating it is not a new phenomenon. It has been extremely difficult to invoke the déjà vu experience in laboratory settings, therefore making it a subject of few empirical studies. Recently, researchers have found ways to recreate this sensation using hypnosis.

^{source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%A9j%C3%A0_vu}

^{Ternyata bisa dibedakan lho..}

Déjà vécu (translated literally as 'already lived')
-Déjà vécu refers to an experience involving more than just sight, which is why labeling such "déjà vu" is usually inaccurate. The sense involves a great amount of detail, sensing that everything is just as it was before and a weird knowledge of what is going to be said or happen next.

More recently, the term déjà vécu has been used to describe very intense and persistent feelings of a déjà vu type, which occur as part of a memory disorder

Déjà senti (translated literally as 'already felt')
-Unlike the implied precognition of déjà vécu, déjà senti is primarily or even exclusively a mental happening, has no precognitive aspects, and rarely if ever remains in the afflicted person's memory afterwards.

Déjà visité  (translated literally as 'already visited')
-This experience is less common and involves an uncanny knowledge of a new place. Here one may know his or her way around in a new town or landscape while at the same time knowing that this should not be possible.

Related articles can be found here and here :)

Copy dari tulisan karya Samuel Mulia di harian Kompas, dari blog Dartz.

KILAS PARODI

Hati-hati Belajar ”Melukis”

1. Kalau Anda sebagai orangtua mengatakan anak Anda tak tahu diri, kurang ajar, jahanam, atau apa pun sebutan itu, mohon, mohon, mohon diingat mereka itu bisa seperti itu, yaaa… karena Anda. Mungkin saja lukisan Anda goresannya terlalu banyak, melukai, dan membuat lubang pada kanvasnya yang sering tak Anda sadari. Dan tanpa Anda sadari juga, Anda menyalahkan hasil lukisan Anda.

Mungkin Anda juga tak siap waktu mau melukis. Jadi, sebelum Anda memberi predikat apa pun kepada Anak Anda, coba periksa dulu bagaimana Anda mempersiapkan aktivitas melukis Anda puluhan tahu lalu.

2. Bukan saya mau menyalahkan orangtua, tetapi anak datang belakangan. Jadi, kalau Anda tak siap menggambar, coba berhati-hati dalam mengambil keputusan untuk melukis. Untuk kasus seperti ini, Anda tak bisa les menggambar. Sekali Anda menggores, ia akan menetap selamanya. Tak bisa seperti air hujan yang deras yang menyapu semua kotoran, meski setelah hujan ia menggantinya dengan kotoran baru.

3. Kalau Anda sebagai anak jangan pernah marah-marah dengan mengatakan, ayah Anda brengsek, ibu Anda brengsek, meski mereka memang brengsek. Coba mengerti, bukan hanya rocker saja yang manusia, orangtua itu manusia seperti Anda juga. Dan karena manusia, Anda bisa brengsek juga, bisa juga tidak brengsek. Maka kalau orangtua bisa salah dan bisa benar, mulut Anda diam saja. Cintai mereka, apa pun wujud dan keadaan Anda sekarang.

4. Katanya tak ada kata terlambat untuk memperbaiki lukisan yang rusak. Maka, ada manusia yang memiliki kemampuan membenahi lukisan yang rusak dan menjaga agar tak rusak lebih parah lagi. Maka, yang bisa membenahi lukisan Anda yang rusak itu adalah Yang Kuasa, yang menciptakan langit dan bumi serta segala isinya. Itu kalau Anda mau. Dengan memberi diri untuk diperbaiki, Anda akan lebih bahagia. Kalau Anda bahagia, saya kok percaya kanvas yang berlubang sekalipun bisa disyukuri.

5. Saya merupakan paduan goresan tangan orangtua dan goresan tangan saya sendiri. Kalau orangtua sudah menggores, dan katakan itu hasilnya buruk, maka saya juga harus berhati-hati sehingga goresan itu tak makin buruk dan tidak membiarkan keburukan itu terus terjadi dan menyalahkan orangtua, padahal saya tahu pasti saya bisa mencegah keburukan itu untuk tidak makin menjadi-jadi. Jadi, ternyata saya baru sadar, saya yang sekarang ini tak seratus persen gara-gara orangtua. Itu juga gara-gara saya. (Samuel Mulia)

Ngomongin bosan aja udah membosankan, apalagi menjalankannya..hehhee..Tapi tahukah Anda bahwa rasa bosan
adalah awal sumber penderitaan? Biasanya bosan diikuti oleh perasaan kesepian, kosong, tidak berdaya, kesedihan,
dan bahkan depresi. Itu sebabnya orang berusaha beralih dari kebosanan dengan chatting, nulis journal dan baca blog orang..hahhaha!

Ada bahaya mengintai lho..mungkin megalihkan kebosanan berhasil, tapi jadi ada ketergantungan buat terus menerus
mengalihkan kebosanan. Itulah sebabnya bosan adalah penyakit berbahaya.

Kalo kita bosan bukan berarti ngga suka menjalankan apa yang dikerjakan, tapi seringnya ngga tahu harus ngapain lagi.

Inilah waktu yang tepat untuk memutus tali bosan dengan cepat bertindak, cari jalan keluar.
Ide baru.
Aktivitas baru.
Kreasi baru.

Jangan takut sering merasa bosan, karena itu artinya kita selalu punya waktu lebih untuk mengerjakan sesuatu yang baru. Dan kalau sudah terjebak pada rutinitas tertentu, kita jadi tidak sempat melihat sisi terang dalam hidup!
happiness within yourself, so does boredom!
Kalau bisa bikin diri sendiri jadi orang yang lebih kreatif, menarik, dan punya energi postif, pasti ngga akan sempat merasa bosan.

Ayo mulai, Ne!

Foto di atas diambil dari kampanye Ford utuk produk barunya.

==
Aku dapat e-mail bagus dari teman, gini tips-nya:

Just in case you have occasional bouts of boredom, here is a list of additional things you can do.

• If you’re bored, do something useful. Such as, creating a list of things to do when you’re bored. Keep adding to the list; keep it handy, and refer to it whenever you’re bored.
• When you were a child, mommy placed you in a room full of toys. But now, you are an adult, so stop wanting to have everything done for you. Accept responsibility for your own happiness.
• Awaken the curiosity of your childhood. There are whole new worlds to discover.
• Boredom is not caused by a lack of things to do as much as an unwillingness to do anything. So, develop your will by taking action. It’s okay to feel lazy and bored, but choose an activity and do it anyway.
• Boredom is also a cry for change. But not superficial or meaningless changes, such as switching from one bar to another. Rather, it calls for substantial change, such as replacing your nightlife with night school.
• Refresh your body by taking a walk or exercising. Boredom can simply be a sign that your body needs reinvigorating.
• Visit the park, for besides pond scum, you’ll find gentle breezes, melodious birds, chirping insects, the scent of moist trees, the fragrance of blossoms, glittering streams, scurrying squirrels, the sound of children at play, park benches, hot dogs, elderly people leisurely taking a walk, and much more.
• Set goals. They give you something to plan, tasks to do, and the pleasure of looking forward to achieving them. Those who lead goal oriented lives are never bored and experience exhilaration with each accomplishment.
• If you’re retired, get a part-time job or become a volunteer. Don’t sit around the house if you can be out, contributing to life.
• Find out what you like to do, and do it!
• Explore the arts. Study poetry, water color painting, how to play the piano. Join a choir.
• Get a pet; visit the library; attend an outdoor concert, carnival, or festival.
• Study pottery, line dancing, or public speaking.
• Learn how to play chess, bridge, or Mah-Jongg.
• Maintain an active life. If it’s rest you’re looking for, you’ll find boredom. If it’s activity you’re looking for, you’ll find rest.
• Take a cooking or computer course.
• Read books about the universe, wild life, nature, or photography.

Sumber: http://hoax.wordpress.com/2007/01/06/yang-berbahaya-di-lingkungan-kita/

Dapat dari milis, hoax ini ternyata adalah kumpulan dari beberapa hoax dijadikan satu dalam satu pesan yang panjang. Setelah diselidiki satu persatu hanya 2 poin saja yang teridentifikasi sebagai berita/informasi yang benar dan valid, selebihnya adalah bohong belaka dan.. basbang.

Dapet dari MP temen. Semoga bermanfaat :)

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Hati-hati dengan semuanya yang berbahaya di lingkungan kita..

1. BEKAS BOTOL AQUA

Mungkin sebagian dari Kita mempunyai kebiasaan memakai dan memakai ulang Botol plastik (Aqua, VIT, etc) dan menaruhnya di Mobil atau di kantor .
Kebiasaan ini tidak baik, karena bahan plastic botol (disebut juga sebagai Polyethylene terephthalate or PET) yang dipakai di botol2 ini mengandung Zat2 karsinogen (atau DEHA). Botol ini aman untuk dipakai 1-2 kali saja, Jika anda ingin memakainya lebih lama, tidak boleh lebih dari seminggu, dan harus ditaruh ditempat yang jauh dari matahari. Kebiasaan mencuci ulang dapat membuat lapisan plastik rusak dan zat karsinogen itu bisa masuk ke air yang Kita minum. Lebih baik membeli botol air yang memang untuk dipakai ber-ulang2, jangan memakai botol
Plastik.

2. PENGGEMAR SATE

Kalau Anda makan sate, jangan lupa makan timun setelahnya. Karena ketika kita makan sate sebetulnya ikut juga karbon dari hasil pembakaran arang yang dapat menyebabkan kanker. Untuk itu Kita punya obatnya yaitu timun yang disarankan untuk dimakan setelah makan sate. Karena sate mempunyai zat Karsinogen (penyebab kanker) tetapi timun ternyata punya anti Karsinogen. Jadi jangan lupa makan timun setelah makan sate.

3. UDANG DAN VITAMIN C

Jangan makan udang setelah Anda makan Vitamin C. Karena ini akan menyebabkan Keracunan dari racun Arsenik (As) yang merupakan proses reaksi dari Udang dan Vitamin C di dalam tubuh dan berakibat keracunan yang fatal dalam Hitungan jam.

4. MI INSTAN

Mie selalu diissuekan mengandung zat lili. Tapi sesungguhnya, mie tidak lengket bukan karena adanya zat lilin, tapi memang ketika dikeringkan dilapisi dengan tepung. memang ada beberapa mie instant kemasan yang terdeteksi dilapisi lilin, tapi sebagian besar mie malah sudah lolos uji analisa tersebut. mie nstant dapat tahan lama karena digoreng kering dan mematikan semua bakteri pembusuk, sebelum dibungkus dalam bungkus yang kedap. itupun mie instant masih punya tanggal kedaluarsa, karena tidak mungkin menjaganya tetap suci hama.
lilin pada mie ini pernah dikategorikan sebagai industrial hoax terhadap industri mie instant. mohon cek lagi, benarkah ada dokter resmi dan kredibel yang mengajukan isu lilin pada mie itu. saya juga setuju bahwa makan mie instant terlalu banyak tidak sehat, dan harus ada jeda beberapa waktu sebelum bisa memakan lagi, tapi itu lebih pada bumbunya yang biasanya ada yang mengandung MSG (pencetus kanker), dan mie instant direbus sangat panas sampai juga nyaris tak bergizi.

5. BAHAYA DIBALIK KEMASAN MAKANAN

Kemasan makanan merupakan bagian dari makanan yang sehari-Hari kita konsumsi. Bagi sebagian besar orang, kemasan makanan hanya sekadar bungkus makanan Dan cenderung dianggap sebagai "pelindung" makanan. Sebetulnya tidak Tepat begitu, tergantung jenis bahan kemasan.Sebaiknya mulai sekarang Anda cermat memilik kemasan makanan. Kemasan pada makanan mempunyai fungsi Kesehatan, pengawetan, kemudahan, penyeragaman, promosi, dan informasi. Ada Begitu banyak bahan yang digunakan sebagai pengemas primer pada makanan, aitu kemasan yang bersentuhan langsung dengan makanan.Tetapi tidak semua Bahan ini aman bagi makanan yang dikemasnya. Inilah ranking teratas bahan Kemasan makanan yang perlu Anda waspadai.

6. KERTAS

Beberapa kertas kemasan dan non-kemasan (kertas Koran Dan majalah) yang sering digunakan untuk membungkus makanan, terdeteksi mengandung timbal (Pb) Melebihi Batas yang ditentukan. Di dalam tubuh manusia, timbal masuk melalui Saluran pernapasan atau pencernaan menuju sistem peredaran darah dan Kemudian menyebar ke berbagai jaringan lain, seperti: ginjal, hati, otak, Saraf dan tulang. Keracunan timbal pada orang dewasa ditandai dengan gejala 3 P, yaitu pallor (pucat), pain (sakit) & paralysis (kelumpuhan) . Keracunan yang terjadipun bisa bersifat kronis dan akut. Untuk terhindar dari makanan Yang terkontaminasi logam berat timbal, memang susah-susah gampang. Banyak Makanan jajanan seperti pisang goreng, tahu goreng dan Tempe goreng yang dibungkus dengan Koran karena pengetahuan yang kurang dari is penjual, Padahal bahan yang panas dan berlemak mempermudah berpindahnya timbale ke makanan tsb. Sebagai usaha pencegahan, taruhlah makanan jajanan tersebut di Atas piring.

7.STYROFOAM

Bahan pengemas Styrofoam atau polystyrene telah menjadi salah satu pilihan yang paling populer dalam bisnis pangan. Tetapi, riset terkini membuktikan bahwa Styrofoam diragukan keamanannya. Styrofoam yang dibuat dari kopolimer Styren ini menjadi pilihan bisnis pangan karena mampu mencegah kebocoran dan tetap mempertahankan bentuknya saat dipegang. Selain itu, bahan tersebut Juga mampu mempertahankan panas dan dingin tetapi tetap nyaman dipegang, Mempertahankan kesegaran dan keutuhan bahan yang dikemas, biaya murah, lebih Aman, serta ringan. Pada Juli 2001, Divisi Keamanan Pangan Pemerintah Jepang Mengungkapkan bahwa residu Styrofoam dalam makanan sangat berbahaya. Residu Itu dapat menyebabkan endocrine disrupter (EDC), yaitu suatu penyakit yang Terjadi akibat adanya gangguan pada system endokrinologi dan reproduksi Manusia akibat bahan kimia karsinogen dalam makanan.

8. TAS PLASTIK

Jangan pernah membawa makanan langsung makan, dengan plastik kresek hitam atau merah. biasakan gunakan plastik bening yang memang dibuat khusus untuk makanan. plastik kresek murah yang dijual di pasar-pasar kebanyakan adalah hasil daur ulang dari sampah-sampah plastik. dengan proses sederhana, dicuci, dipisahkan dan dilelehkan saja, mengakibatkan hasilnya bisa jadi beracun jika dipicu oleh panas makanan (misalnya mie rebus atau nasi goreng) atau zat yang ada di makanan tersebut. kalau mau lebih aman bawa tempat makanan sendiri.