Newton's Time Management

Through the web of technology and digital signals and satellites and computer screens that separates me from you, the reader, I can still manage a degree of psychic powers into exactly what you are thinking:

"Shouldn't you [Erik] be, like, writing a thesis right now, not a blog?"

The short answer is yes.

However, even in the few weeks in which I've been up and blogging have I simply transferred my flow of information from what would have been a wasted napkin into public viewing, more or less. I hold great admire for Bryson's description of Isaac Newton, saying that Newton would sometimes wake up in the morning, and be incapable of getting out of bed, rendered completely immobile by the influx of ideas.

Just think if Newton would have blogged.

To put things in perspective for you, I am currently positioned in a posture likely frightening to a chiropractor or a finishing school teacher. My chair is in the "let me lean back" mode, as I've managed to slide down without having completely become supine. The back of my head still touches the back of the chair. My left leg is on the desk from knee to foot, and my right foot is closer to my body, resting on top of the computer on the ground with my upper/outer ankle wedged into the corner of the desk. I don't doubt that my foot is long asleep. The keyboard is positioned on my right leg. The mouse, when needed, is up on the desk. Don't worry, I've got a pretty good reach.

If you still can't picture how I am oriented, imagine an empty chair in front of a basic computer set up. Now imagine plopping a six and a half foot bag of sand on top of said scenery. There you have it.

You're probably waiting for me to tell you that I'm rendering myself completely immobile, due to the enormous influx of ideas. What Newton didn't tell you was that when he had a really big deadline approaching, he probably wrote as much and much as possible so he could filter out all of the bad stuff from the good stuff. One of Newton's finest qualities was the ability to discern an astonishing breakthrough from absolute rubbish.