Like Video Games, But Less Fun

Have you heard of Amazon MTurk?  It's this thing set up by Amazon (obviously) where people post tasks they want done that can be completed on a computer (data looked at, links clicked, surveys taken, etc.), and then other people find them and do them.  For money.  Very little money.

I read an article on the Wall Street Journal website that some guy made $10,000 doing this to supplement his income, and how he thought it was a fun way to goof off.  A couple hours ago, I signed up.  I don't need the extra money, but it sounded intriguing.

[Keep in mind, by the way, that if you include my commute I worked a thirteen-hour day today.  Before signing up with MTurk.]

So there were all these little jobs posted, all for just ten cents or fifty cents or whatever, but they were quick and trivial.  I took surveys about environmentalism, I searched Google's Australian site for a dress shop, I wrote a few sentences about my last trip to the grocery store... Nearly two hours passed by without notice (except for pain in my right hand.  I need a more ergonomic computer setup).  I racked up points for doing almost 20 jobs, points that, once approved, will turn into money.

How much money?  Drum roll... $3.49.  Enough to buy the latest episode of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia on iTunes and still have change leftover for a gumball.

For comparison, when I first finished grad school, I tutored high schoolers in physics for $30 an hour.  An hourly rate SEVENTEEN times greater.

How did someone make $10,000 at this?  Is he just a rotten liar?  If so, I'm sure there are some fascinating psychological surveys he should take.

Anyway, I have no idea why this felt enjoyable and semi-addictive, and now my hand hurts...  But I kind of want to see if there are any new jobs posted.  Maybe I could earn another buck.

Money

Just a re-post of something fascinating that someone else did.  Today's XKCD comic (not really a comic today) is a visual depiction of different amounts of money. Parts are focused on Occupy Wall Street-related income disparities, parts are irreverent (cost to buy the world a Coke), parts are simply informative. It sounds weird, but look at it: Money

Pants Altered

I don't know what's happened, fashion-wise.  I was so convinced for years that flared pants were more flattering than straight-legged.  The flared ankle balanced things out and made one's hips look smaller, the theory went.  But the past couple years, as straight-legs have come back in fashion, it just doesn't seem true anymore.  Or, even if it's true, the advantage of smaller-seeming hips is not as big as the disadvantage of looking not-so-stylish.

I have two pairs of corduroys from Anne Taylor Loft that I love, one in dark brown and one in purpley-maroon (I call that pair my Peter Brady pants).  They fit well, they're in good shape, and most important they're decent non-denim pants I can wear to work.  But they're flared, and they just make me feel like any outfit featuring them isn't really a success.

So, at the advice of my friend Connie, I turned them into straight-leg cords! I laid a pair of straight-leg jeans over them and, using a quilting pencil, traced the sides of the jeans onto the cords.  Then I sewed them!  I think it went pretty well.

Here are the before and after shots.  As a bonus, the "before" photo is an action shot including the aforementioned friend Connie, and the "after" features my trusty sewing machine.

Before:

After:

Socks!

I finished a pair of socks that I'd started knitting in January.  The first of the pair went quickly - I completed the majority of it while on vacation in Atlanta, watching Arrested Development on DVD with a college friend.  The second sock took me much longer.  I got busy and kept putting it down.  But finally, almost a year later, they're done!

They're big, wintery socks to wear around the house on cold Wisconsin nights.  I might also want to try them with colored tights, a short dress, and my blue Converse low-tops.

They're made of self-striping yarn, which I love.  The yarn is dyed to create the pattern - I never had to switch skeins or anything.

Check them out!

Apple Nachos

Today I made apple nachos.  I read about them on a blog somewhere, but I don't remember where.  They are called nachos based only on appearance - there's no cheese or jalapenos.

Cut apples into thin, chip-like slices.  Layer them on a plate.  Drizzle them with melted peanut butter, then sprinkle on chocolate chips, shredded coconut, and walnuts.  Well, those are the ingredients I used.  I think there's room for a lot of variation here, based on your taste and what you have in the house.

Anyway, they were yummy and delicious, a little messy but not too much.  My sister and I had tea and snacked on them.  Having afternoon tea with a treat felt very Anne of Green Gables-ish.