Thursday, February 5, 2009

Distractions

Over at Not Quite Vintage, Colleen mentions that she can't concentrate when real people are talking, but can when the TV is on. (Along with cute quilt block patterns.)

When I was writing my thesis, I needed "company," as I was holed up for weeks, but real people were too distracting. I would put the TV on (no cable, but in Boston, so two PBS stations) nonstop. When it got too interesting / my deadline got closer, I switched to only the more boring PBS documentaries (steamboats, anyone?). Then finally to a rotating constant run of High Society and The Philadelphia Story, over and over (it was a year before I could watch them again!), as that provided me with "company" but didn't draw my attention in the least. Only in the last two days was everything turned off (and my dear roommates plied me with bananas and buttered toast).

What distracts you?

4 comments:

  1. Glenn Gould recounted that when he was a child he liked practicng Bach while someone was running the vacum cleaner in the same room--he said it made him more aware of the counterpoint.

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  2. I must admit: I hate it when the TV is running in the background. Especially when entering a flat as a guest and my hosts don't bother to turn it off. I am simply unable to take my eyes off the moving pictures and can't concentrate on anything else.

    You have been tagged:
    http://buecher-tiger.blogspot.com/2009/02/ive-been-tagged.html

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  3. I can completely identify with you. For several years every time I cleaned house I put "Godfather" in the VHS player... My daughter (to this day) identifies "Godfather" with cleaning house...lol I guess it was the sound of people talking without a lot of loud music.

    Anyway... thank you for your comment on Mish Mash, ETC. The book will be ready in a few days, but I will probably put it up as a free tutorial as soon as it is finished. I have to mail a spindle and some wool to my son today (forgot to do that yesterday when I mailed the draft..ughh) As soon as I get it back, it will probably go up either at Mish Mash or on my other site Fabric Follies Two... http://fabricfolliestwo.wordpress.com

    And I cannot find where I misspelled Gandhi's name or I would change it... :o( If you will let me know, I will be happy to do that.

    Linda S.... in overcast Texas..a bit of a dreary, gray day

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  4. rootless, that's beautiful...

    Büchertiger, that drives me crazy -- my inlaws do it, and wonder why I flake out when there's so much going on that I can't fully pay attention to the conversation!

    Linda, that's hilarious :)

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