We have all experienced that moment where we open our email again even though we just minimized it and there was nothing new.  Or we have refreshed our facebook/twitter to see if anything new has popped up.  Or we’ve closed a browser and out of habit opened it up again even though there is no need.  Or you end up staring aimlessly at your monitor wondering “what can I do?”

You have become a twiddler – metaphorically twiddling your thumbs.

This is particularly dangerous for people who spend all day working at their computer.  It is even more of a temptation when you are able to validate it under the claim that you’re “managing the social media marketing campaign.”

However, there are many effective and fun ways to resist and to maintain productivity.  I hope to open the discussion on ways to not only battle idleness and the trap of twiddlerdom, but also how to make the time you spend truthfully “managing the social media marketing campaign” (because for many of us, that is our job description) much more effective.

Develop a Routine
Set up a game plan, an outline of what tasks are involved daily within your campaign.  Chris Brogan has put together a great list of ways to develop your presence on the web.   These are things that should most definitely be included on your list.

Don’t be a spectator
Although there is a time to browse, if that is all you do, then you are invisible.  Following Chris’ list will help you break out of this.  However, if you find yourself just reading other people’s tweets and updates, take the extra step and reply or comment.  A one sentence comment takes little time, but opens doors.

Take a Walk, Bring a Pen
Rather than stare at your screen and try to think of what to do next, turn around.  Creativity and Ideas are fostered when our surroundings change.  I turn often to a large blank piece of paper that I tape to my desk each week.  It’s my brainstorm space, away from my screen.  Go grab a glass of water.  Go tell your boss something nice – kill two birds with one stone.  Bring a pen – it’s been there for thousands of years as the creative thinker’s best companion.

Throw Randomness into the Mix
Sometimes to spark the creative region of my brain, I will create or find random things.  For example:  Sometimes I scribble on a piece of paper with my eyes closed and then look at it from different angles.  You see different things and your mind goes off.  I used a random word generator with the settings on somewhat uncommon words and it led to this article – “twiddler” came up.

Act on Your Instincts
If you have a thought to do something, do it.  Putting things off is dangerous.  Take a few minutes to do something to push your idea forward, even if it’s just writing it down on the brainstorm page.  Don’t just sit there! You hate to forget your creative thoughts, just as I have forgotten the idea I had about how to end this article.

With an eye to recycling, circuit boards are being used in asphalt

By Mark Fischetti

Millions of printed circuit boards from discarded electronics are tossed into landfills every year. In addition to the volume of waste, the material can leach chemicals into the soil. As an alternative, researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China are finding various ways to reuse the panels, including as an additive in asphalt.

Xu Zhenming and his colleagues stripped the boards of all components, pulverized the remains into a powder and used an electrostatic separator to remove fine bits of any remaining metals, leaving a pulp of glass fibers and resin. They then added those remnants to warmed asphalt, to see if the pulp would act as a binder. Binders such as ground tire rubber and charcoal are typically added to improve asphalt’s stiffness at high temperatures (to reduce rutting) and its pliability at low temperatures (to prevent cracking). The pulp improved both properties, especially when the powder grains were made as small as possible. Zhenming’s team is testing the modified asphalt to check how it holds up to outdoor conditions over time. It is also experimenting with forming the pulp into sheets that could be made into structures such as park benches and fences.

Note: This article was originally printed with the title, “Old Circuit Boards Hit the Road.” Sourced from Scientific American.

Photo Taken From Capinor.com - Click to Go to their Website

But would Sex Appeal increase Circuit Board sales??  There are a variety of angles (or curves) that you have to consider.  I welcome you to join the debate in the comments section of this article.  We’re very interested in what  you have to say.

One of the most significant goals of Advertising is to increase brand recognition.  You hope that when a consumer hears your name, they know your product, or that when they see/need your product, they think of you.  Web Hosting – GoDaddy.  Why do I know GoDaddy so well?  I watched the Superbowl.  Oh, and there’s the GoDaddy girl.

The sex appeal of various advertisements however, do not necessarily relate to the product being promoted.  In my research on this topic, I have run across a ton of ads that sex appeal seems so out of place.  Vacuums, Toilet Paper, Web-Hosting, the Nissan Pathfinder.

I think the key is to know your market.  Your Target Market is more of an indication of whether you should air a risque ad.  Scott Allen from About.com writes in his article Sex Sells? Oh Really? that “One thing’s for sure — to include sexuality in your advertising will almost certainly alienate some of your audience, but done well, may be more memorable and effective. Don’t be afraid to polarize your audience, though. It’s far better to be loved by some and hated by others than to be forgotten by everyone.”  But what percentage of our Customer Base would we cause to hate us?

I would personally want to be aware of the fine line between Attraction and Association.  You want to attract a potential customer to your Ad/Product, but you may not necessarily want them to associate your products/brand with something racy, crude, irrelevant, provocative, etc.  This ties in closely with Brand Recognition.  What are you known for?  What do people think of when they think of you?  Do they think of professionalism and prestige as one might when they think of Goldman-Sachs?  Do they think cutting edge/contemporary like Sharper Image?

My opinion is that that since the Circuit Board industry is very B2B oriented, as well as government and big business focused, sexy won’t sell.  In a large consumer market, the odds and tastes are in your favor, but trying to secure a deal for 2000 Mil-Spec Circuit Boards with the Chief Purchasing Officer for a Prime Contractor by flashing some skin will only hurt.

What are your thoughts?

Etsy.com is “your place to buy & sell things handmade.”

Whether you are a novice artist looking to make a little extra money on the side selling things you’ve made, or if you are a broker of handmade and unique products, Etsy.com is a great resource.

I came across some really cool looking products made from recycled circuit boards. From Earrings to desk organizers, there is a plethora of creative, useful, and artistic items that have been put up for sale.  I’m sure that I will be following the site as different items are put up for sale, and posting them here.

Think that you love Circuit Boards, do your friends say you’re a phony?  Show them up by attending an event with a bracelet made with recycled, gold plated pcb’s.  There’s no end to what you can create or find.

Also check out the little skull bracelets that are being sold by Rich Daluz.

not sure what would happen if I brought this home