#10: Don't Despair, It's Friday!

Apparently there were too many distractions for me this week since I haven't posted in a few days... But here's a good one:

Nothing to bring down a Friday like snarky comments, condescension, pessimism, and demotivation! Can't stand those inspirational signs your boss hangs around the office? Cover them with some good ol' DEINSPIRATION! Surf Despair, Inc. for twists to cliche motivational signs and slogans, podcasts, blog entries, and more.

#9: Buy Tee's at Shirts for a Cure

Visit the Shirts for a Cure website and check out amazing tee's designed by over 100 punk bands including Bad Religion, Blink-182, Eels, Frodus (see left), Less than Jake, NOFX, and Say Anything.

Proceeds from shirt sales go to the Syrentha J. Savio Endowment (SSE), a charity that raises money to help pay for breast cancer treatment for patients who cannot afford it.

#8: Pirate Supply Store & Writing Center

Visit the website for 826 Valencia, or, if you are anywhere near the San Francisco area, race over to 826 Valencia (it's street address) to check out this incredible pirate-supply store. There you will find treasure maps, flags, and all kinds of other pirate apparel and accessories.

The store also functions as the front to the nonprofit 826 Valencia Writing Center, a venue where youth ages 6-18 have the opportunity to hone their writing skills. Note that 826 Valencia is the brainchild of writer extraordinaire, Dave Eggers.

#7: Use the Millionaire Calculator

For today's short and sweet distraction, check out the Millionaire Calculator. Just type in your current savings, monthly deposits, interests rate (which seems to be ever-plummeting in this economy!), and age and you'll find out how quickly (or not) it will take for you to hit millionaire status.

For more useful calculations, use the website DollarTimes to determine everything from how much money could be saved by a fuel-efficient vehicle to what is the most expensive house you can afford.

#6: Go Corporate with the McDonald's Game

The title of this game may deceive you as propaganda put out by McDonald's to make you hunger for a Big Mac, shake, or fries. However, created by Italian company Molleindustria, the McDonald's game is part of what the company calls "Gamevolution," a means of making social statements using video games: "We can free videogames from the "dictatorship of entertainment", using them instead to describe pressing social needs, and to express our feelings or ideas just as we do in other forms of art."

In the McDonald's Game, you will have to make decisions in the corporate boardroom (dealing with greed and profit), manage restaurant employees (ensuring that they are polite to customers and don't spit in the food!), feed and breed cattle, and cultivate crops (via deforestation), all while trying to grow, grow, grow the business! While the game is fun and challenging, it's hard not to pay attention to the underlying social commentary within each aspect of the game.

#5: Graphic Tee's with Ethics!

Check out Quixotic Clothing for fabulous graphic tee's and pins, all of which are made via ethical means (i.e. sweat shop free shirts and handmade pins). Many of the shirts are also vegetarian/vegan-friendly (no, you can't eat them) with designs such as "Herbivorous Rex" and "Tofutti Break." My personal favorite is the sold-out (tears!) "Windmill" shirt which I keep hoping will get reprinted... Anyhow, visit Quixotic and buy fun tee's!

#4: Stuff People Like

If you missed the "Stuff ______ People Like" phenomenon, you may have been living under a rock, or just plain busy with important things in life. Whatever your reason, or if you are deeply in trenched in this blogmovement, here is today's Daily Distraction all about "Stuff People Like."

As far as I know, it all began with "Stuff White People Like," a blog all about, well, stuff white people like. Included on the list are Coffee (#1), Architecture (#34), Apple Products (#40), and Film Festivals (#3). The list is currently on item #97, Scarves, and you will find that entries are sporadically about once a week. Added as bonuses of sorts are extra articles about "White People in the News" and "White Spots" (i.e. places white people like).

Since the "Stuff [Insert Category] People Like" genre of blog has spiraled into a strange phenomenon of attempted sociological interpretations, you can now find blogs such as:

• Stuff Black People Love
• Stuff Educated Latinos Like
• Stuff Straight People Like

And the blog that captures all of the "Stuff" blogs can be found here.