From the hibernation chamber

As the winter was settling in, I took a hard blow to my creativity, ability to focus, ability write or do ... well, anything really. Dedicating all my remaining shards of strength into performing the simple tasks like getting out of bed, going for walks and bringing in firewood to heat the woodstove, there wasn't much left for developing the writing habit. Now that the days are once again getting longer, I am discovering how my intense focus on managing the mundane has been secretly awarded by improved anxiety-coping skills, better deliberate attention-directing ability and increased resilience. I am also discovering that the bookmark folder for stuff that I've meant to spam on is overflowing with links. Since I've mostly forgotten the smartass comments or insightful generalizations intended to accompany these, I'm just going to dump the links themselves. (The advances in gaming front deserve their own post - or a few. I'm working on it.)

So, here goes. The random info-dump organized in somewhat topical bunches.

On work habits, productivity and the importance of allowing the idle time to happen. 

http://positivesharing.com/2006/03/my-lazy-life/
http://lifehacker.com/5901013/in-defense-of-procrastination-when-to-prioritize-doing-nothing
http://lifehacker.com/5943923/living-without-time
http://lifehacker.com/5927330/the-holy-trinity-of-inactivity-how-boredom-distraction-and-procrastination-are-vital-to-healthy-living
http://lifehacker.com/5949900/wonderful-things-happen-when-your-brain-is-empty
http://io9.com/5933423/the-right-way-and-wrong-way-to-let-your-mind-wander
http://lifehacker.com/5965826/seven-productivity-myths-debunked-by-science-and-common-sense

See also:

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On the ease of accepting stuff as "real" and "norm" and "traditional" when it's just arbitrary. 

(I have a special fondness for origin stories that demonstrate how and when random things and beliefs have come to be - and how their "marketing" as something inherent or self-evident is being debunked in the process.)

http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-ways-to-get-anyone-to-believe-clearly-fake-news-story/
http://www.cracked.com/article_19780_5-gender-stereotypes-that-used-to-be-exact-opposite.html
http://www.cracked.com/article_18510_6-supposedly-ancient-traditions-that-totally-arent_p2.html
http://www.cracked.com/article_19283_7-ancient-forms-mysticism-that-are-recent-inventions.html
http://www.historynet.com/the-fox-sisters-spiritualisms-unlikely-founders.htm

http://lifehacker.com/5867049/nine-stubborn-brain-myths-that-just-wont-die-debunked-by-science
http://io9.com/5959058/further-evidence-that-iq-does-not-measure-intelligence

See also: Faux Symbolism

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On work habits, tinkering and skill improvement 

http://lifehacker.com/5974442/dont-be-an-expert-diy-is-all-about-the-end-product
http://lifehacker.com/5957937/give-yourself-permission-to-suck-its-the-only-way-to-learn
http://lifehacker.com/5946883/five-realizations-that-helped-me-write-regularly

http://positivesharing.com/2007/06/find-your-quitting-point/
http://sugru.com/manifesto?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=manifesto

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On the ever-important player-game-world relations.  

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2012/08/op-ed-why-photorealism-isnt-the-key-to-emotional-gaming-experiences/
http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/mechanics-as-metaphor-part-2
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/6117-Photorealistic-Sociopathy
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/6718-Only-The-Lonely

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On the learning process in general, how the mind works and develops, how education works and how it doesn't  - and the elusive overlaps of all this. 

http://www.cracked.com/blog/4-ways-high-school-makes-you-hate-reading/
http://www.cracked.com/article_18611_the-10-most-important-things-they-didnt-teach-you-in-school.html
http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/09/if-you-spank-dont-console/
http://io9.com/5974256/overlyhonestmethods-is-the-postsecret-of-the-science-world-and-it-is-amazing
http://lifehacker.com/5943362/the-secret-to-being-self+taught-curiosity
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/08/at-what-point-can-i-say-ive-learned-a-language/
http://www.buzzfeed.com/virginmobilelive/20-students-that-totally-nailed-it-5l87?b=1?=crack

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The miscellaneous interesting stuff. 

http://lifehacker.com/5953755/what-exactly-is-freedom-of-speech-and-how-does-it-apply-to-the-internet
http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter9/9-b.html#5
http://io9.com/5971342/the-uncomfortably-common-practice-of-medicinal-cannibalism
http://io9.com/5966703/how-genitals-got-their-names-or-why-a-penis-is-called-a-prick
http://io9.com/5947818/the-power-of-armadillo-penises-why-more-scientists-should-tell-stories
http://www.shortpacked.com/2011/comic/book-13/05-the-death-of-snkrs/falseequivalence/
http://io9.com/5975489/a-chart-of-emotions-that-have-no-name-in-the-english-language