Proper Procrastination

It’s exam time again, and that can mean only one thing: I suddenly have an overwhelming, irreversible obsession with procrastination.

Things that have happened to me this exam season:

1. Online shopping is my new passion. I'm getting so good I might have to write it under the 'Skills' section of my CV. 

2. Daily Mail articles are fascinating. That's high quality journalism right there, folks. 

3. Films are MY LIFE. I've watched Frozen ten times now. It's so deep and meaningful, you know?

I have to admit, procrastination has taken over my life. And I’m sure I’m not the only one – if you’re reading this, it’s probably because you are procrastinating. But no need to look so worried, I'm not going to shout and make you feel like an awful student. 

In fact, I’m going to tell you why procrastination might actually be really helpful. But before I do that, here are some fun but completely useless facts just to make this look even more like procrastination.

Did you know any of these facts?

•         Shakespeare invented the word “assassination” and “bump.”
•          For every 230 cars that are made, 1 will be stolen.
•          The Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from Libraries.
•          One in eight million people has progeria, a disease that causes people to grow faster than they age.
•          All polar bears are left-handed.
•          Bulgarians are known to be the biggest yogurt eaters in the world.

Anyway, back to the point: procrastination can be beneficial. Often we procrastinate because we are unsure of how to start a task, or we are avoiding something we think will be hard or take a long time. For example, when I sat down to write this post, I had no idea what to write – so I found myself on the internet, procrastinating. 

Having bought two new dresses online and checked Facebook and Twitter countless times, I found myself on www.psychologytoday.com, reading an article entitled ‘Can Procrastination Ever Be a Good Thing?’ My instant reaction was, I hope so! The author of the post, Pamela Wiegartz, has a Ph.D, so she must know what she is talking about, and here is what she had to say:

1. Procrastination has its benefits. I know right, this is pretty mind-blowing. 

2. Some procrastinators delay tasks deliberately, because they prefer to work under pressure. These people are called active procrastinators.

3. Procrastinating can help people feel in control of their time, and use it better.

4. Others, referred to as passive procrastinators, let their procrastination tasks dominate their day and have no control over their procrastination.

5. Active procrastinators are less avoidant, have lower stress levels, and higher self-efficacy than passive procrastinators.

It is better, then, to actively procrastinate. This allows us to cope with our tasks, but also manage our time effectively and not allow the procrastination to dominate the majority of our time. Procrastination gives us a break from the anxiety felt about the task, and in my case, and make the task a lot easier to handle, as my procrastination gave me the idea for my post!

On the other hand, uncovering your old Nintendo DS while unpacking your uni stuff and playing Mario Kart and Super Mario Bros. for the next five hours probably isn’t that helpful. (Though I did manage to finally conquer Level 7 of Super Mario Bros. after what has been a particularly long break from the game!)

Just don’t forget to be an active, not a passive, procrastinator. As long as you are careful not to let procrastination tasks dominate your day, you can successfully revise and have a bit of fun at the same time!

Now, I must go – I’ve scheduled myself another procrastination break. Now I’ve completed Level 7 of Super Mario Bros., I think it’s about time I challenged myself to complete Level 8, don’t you?

Joan Rivers in deep water again

Joan Rivers has caused controversy again by telling Howard Stern that the message given across by Lena Dunham is "Stay fat. Get diabetes".

After previously calling Dunham a "little fat chick", Rivers suggested her apology for that previous comment was meaningless, asking recently how Dunham could "wear a dress above the knee". 

Dunham, creator and lead actress of hit TV show Girls, has been praised for her healthy body philosophy, and rejecting pressure to lose weight.

Rivers however sent this message to Dunham: "I'm saying if you look the way you look, Lena - and that's fine and you're funny - but don't say it's okay that other girls can look like this. Try to look better. Try to look better!"

It's not the first time the comedian has caused a stir with her 'humour'. In February 2013, Rivers caused a stir after she labelled Heidi Klum a Nazi. 

Commenting on Klum's show stopping gold dress for the Oscars, Rivers remarked, "The last time a German looked this hot was when they were pushing Jews into the ovens". 

Many were seriously offended by Rivers' comments. The Anti-Defamation League noted that Rivers, herself a Jew, "should know better". 

They were shocked that the comment, "so vulgar and offensive to Jews and Holocaust survivors, and indeed to all Americans" was even allowed to be broadcast. 

Rivers herself responded to the criticism, revealing that her husband "lost the majority of his family at Auschwitz" - a fact that makes her joking even more surprising.

She claims that she is simply making a point to "remind people of the Holocaust through humour". This is a particularly controversial statement which some have claimed is simply an excuse for her insensitivity. It does not appear to co-exist harmoniously with the claim on her website that Joan's "compassion and tenacity" helps her "unique brand of humour". 

Heidi Klum is not the first victim of Rivers' jokes referencing the Holocaust. After supermarket chain Costco refused to sell copies of her book, I Hate Everything... Starting With Me, she labelled it "like Nazi Germany". 

Rivers has also bad-mouthed Adele, calling her "fat". She suggested on the David Letterman Show that the singer should change the name of her song "Rolling in the Deep" to "Rolling in the Deep Fried Chicken".

She continued, "[Adele] is a chubby lady who's very, very rich". Rivers believes that she should slim down or accept the criticism. 

Comedian Adam Hills jumped straight to Adele's defence. He called Rivers a "d***" and noting that Adele was "one of the few women in pop music" he wanted his daughter to aspire to be like. 

He blasted Rivers' obsession with plastic surgery, calling for her to "get a plastic surgeon to manufacture [herself] a new soul".

In January this year, Rivers called Kim Kardashian's new baby "ugly". She said that, in her opinion, baby North West was "desperately in need of a waxing". 

When Kim first revealed pictures of her baby to the world, many commented on North's thick, dark eyebrows. However, many commentators believe that Rivers has gone too far with her comments, which are often found offensive. 

Rivers' own website calls her "a force of nature" and an "entertainment legend of unparalleled accomplishment and talent". However, as the world around her shakes with anger at her comments about Lena Dunham's weight, has the self-professed "internationally renowned comedienne" gone too far this time?