Balance, Design, Products, Technology
December 8, 2010
By Amy Feezor
By day, Brian Greene works in the financial services industry. But come quittin’ time, he’s OfficeSupplyGeek.com. His blog and his column here at Lifework explore the world’s office supplies (not the boring ones you find in a standard supply cabinet at work, of course—the cool stuff you can’t usually convince your boss to buy). Take a listen at the music that fills his playlist.
What do you listen to while you work? When I’m working, I can listen to just about anything. I prefer music, but I’m also more than happy to listen to some talk radio as long as it involves baseball, politics, or finance.
How do you listen? I usually listen through a speaker system or through the computer and its speakers. I usually don’t have anyone around me when I’m working, so I don’t have to worry about distracting anyone.
Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? My XM Radio is by far my most preferred source for music. The depth and variety of what they provide far surpasses anything else out there. I’ve actually never even owned an iPod, nor do I care to. I’ve always found my XM to be worlds better than having to download and manage my own music library.
Does music influence your work? I usually try to find different music based on the type of work I know I’ll be doing. If I am going to sit down and try to fix a technical issue on my website, or try and make some sort of enhancement to the site, I usually go for something on the fast or loud side like Rage Against the Machine. If I’m trying to write a blog post or other content, I tend to look for something a little more calm and slow like Norah Jones or Frank Sinatra.
Where do you find music recommendations? Again, I rely on my XM Radio for this. I get to hear a ton of new songs and artists just by listening, so it’s a great source.
If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be? I would say if my work was a song, it would be In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly because much like the song, my work never seems to end, can get kind of confusing, but in the end, I find it really interesting and I like it.
BRIAN’S PLAYLIST
Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town, Pearl Jam
Yellow Ledbetter, Pearl Jam
Hunger Strike, Temple of the Dog
Come Away With Me, Norah Jones
Summer Wind, Frank Sinatra
Sheena Is a Punk Rocker, The Ramones
What a Wonderful World (Cover), Joey Ramone
In a Little While, U2
Wait and Bleed, Slipknot
Star-Spangled Banner, Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock
Always With Me, Always With You, Joe Satriani
Like a Rolling Stone, Bob Dylan
Killing in the Name, Rage Against the Machine
Image: Brian Greene
Design, Products
May 11, 2010
By Brian Greene
[This is the first post from our new contributor, Brian Greene. His blog, Office Supply Geek caught my eye and then his bio clinched it. Anyone who can be funny and relish a Sharpie as much as I do is a much-welcomed Lifework contributor. Cerentha]
I know that lots of people already have their own favorite pens established in their daily routine, but at the risk of sounding like a know-it-all, I think that the 5 pens below deserve serious consideration as a replacement for whatever pen you may have become comfortable with.
1. Sharpie Pen Grip – The Sharpie Pen is relatively new, and this version with the enhanced grip is the best out of the entire series. This isnt your old-school felt tip pen, it has a highly durable plastic tip to ensure a smooth consistent line that doesn’t spread over time. In addition to the consistent and smooth line, the Sharpie Pen Grip is water resistant, and it wont smear, bleed or feather on most papers. Pack of 3, $7.34.
2. Uniball Gel RT Micro – This is a pen for those of you that like a thinner point than the usual “medium” or .7mm pens that dominate the market. The .38mm tip on this gel ink pen lays down a fantastically smooth, consistent and vividly colored line. These pens have performed so well for me that I’ve even taken the next step and modified the refills so I can fit them in some of my other favorite pen bodies. Pack of 12, $15.19.
3. Pilot Precise V5 RT – This retractable liquid ink pen is ridiculously smooth to write with, and is an updated version of one of my favorite pens from years ago, the Pilot Precise V5. With its updated and more modern design, they managed to improve the comfort AND looks while retaining the incredible performance that it was known for. Beyond all of that I’ve always felt that these pens hold a ton of ink and last forever. Pack of 12, $21.63.
4. Zebra Sarasa RT - The Zebra Sarasa is another gel ink pen that is a super smooth writer, and puts down some very solid and consistent lines with no ink blobs or skipping. In addition to the great performance, they also come in a ton of great colors like blue black which is one of my favorites. Pack of 6, $10.24.
5. Uniball Jetstream – If you are a ballpoint pen person, this is pretty much the only way to go in my opinion. The Uniball Jetstream is a ballpoint, but it writes like no other ballpoint pen you have used before. The line is consistent and smooth, the colors are bright, and there is absolutely no sticky or gummy feeling like you get with normal ballpoints. Pack of 3, $7.29.
If you are sitting their staring at your old G2 or other favorite pen right now, why not give one of these options a shot and breathe some new life into your daily routine. For only a few bucks, you might really surprise yourself.
Balance, Design, Products, Technology
April 9, 2010
By Cerentha Harris
Our week on the web:
1. Office Supply Geek Everything you ever wanted to know about office supplies but were afraid to ask. Financial industries guy by day, blogger extraordinaire by night, this man knows his Sharpies. Where to start: His review of the new medium point Sharpie pen.
2. Bneato Beth Zeigler is a professional organizer, Apartment Therapy contributor and this is her personal blog. She tracks her jobs and posts inspirational spaces and designs. Where to start: Her Flickr Friday series – today’s clever closet solution.
3. A Way To Garden OK, so not exactly directly tied to the home office. But spring is here and the garden (or balcony or windowsill) is calling us. This blog is by Martha Stewart’s long-time garden editor Margaret Roach. Where to start: take a tour of her garden for a little green inspiration.
4. Shelterpop Enough with the garden. Back to work. AOL’s Shelterpop has excellent posts on home office spaces in amongst what can only be described as shelter gossip (did you know Josh Groban was selling his Malibu mansion for over $6 million?) Where to start: Erin Loechner posts are always worth reading. Start with her office organizing story.
5. Lifehacker A good source for all things to do with technology. Where to start: The Best Home Inventory Tool post.