Around the Web: Danger! Productivity Killer Ahead!

The Illusion of Communication

Slydial is a free service that allows you to dial any number and go straight to voicemail. Super handy for those times you want to make it look like you're keeping in touch, but just don't have time for a chat. All you have to do is dial 267-slydial and enter the phone number of the person you're calling at the prompt and you're immediately connected to their voicemail. Tricky. Very tricky. And yet, brilliant!

Fax Machine - Free to a Good Home

Faxing seems kind of archaic these days. Earlier this week I found myself cursing the fax machine here at OfficeArrow and wondering why this old school technology is ever used these days. Now with Faxzero, we can kick those antique fax machines to the curb! This site lets you fax any document straight from your computer. For 3 pages or less, it's free. For $1.99 you can fax up to 15 pages. I wonder if anyone in the office would mind if I smashed our fax machine Office Space style...

The Grammar Goddess

If you haven't yet heard of Grammar Girl, step out from under your rock and see what all the fuss is about! This site offers "quick and dirty tips for better writing" in the form of podcasts. The transcript is also available so you can read along as you listen. Grammar Girl explores the most common mistakes in grammar and punctuation in a fun and laid back kind of way. Right now, there are 138 podcasts available. I'm making a new resolution: to listen to one podcast each day. I guess I'll be done sometime mid-2009. Who wants to join me on my mission?

Warning: Time Waster Ahead

Blobber is my new obsession. The tagline is "Bet You Can't Play Just Once," and how true it is. The concept is simple (as it usually is with these silly time-sucking games). Basically, you're a little blob bouncing around in space. You have to eat the "yummies" and avoid the "yuckies". See what I mean? Simple. Ok, go try it and see if you can play it just once.

OA Retro

Here's an oldie but goodie: The Art of Biting Your Tongue. Especially now, when politics and the economy are on the top of everyone's minds, sometimes it's helpful to just take a step back and bite your tongue. This article shares a few helpful tips on how to do that without snapping the darn thing right off.