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I’ve got an audiobook (somewhere) that I highly recommend, it completely destroys the whole manic “get organized” cult.

One example that comes to mind, from the book, is how penicillin was discovered because the discoverer took a trip for a few weeks, and as usual had left the remains of his lunch on the workbench. Years later, when his cluttered mess of a lab was made an exhibit, he was asked what he might have accomplished if he’d just kept everything neat and organized. “Nothing.”

A Perfect Mess
http://www.audible.com/pd/Business/A-Perfect-Mess-Audiobook/B002V016QE

Thanks for the link.

I don’t do well sharing kitchens with others. The last time I shared a kitchen the only reason things went reasonably well is they let me be the boss of the kitchen. In exchange, they got to use my microwave and I did most if the kitchen cleaning. I am one of those people who likes to keep stuff out on counters and surfaces. Then this one guy moved in. He was the kind who wanted counters all free of clutter. He complained to the landlady, and she forwarded the complaints to me. He bitched about my little kitchen counter compost container. He was also a heroin addict who was bringing in girlfriends who were also addicts and sometimes shooting up in the bathroom and creating other problems. His rent got paid on time, though, because his dad was his payee ( he was on some sort of entitlement, probably Disability)and he took care of it. I wasn’t the only tenant who left because if him and the landlady finally figured this out. After I left, I found out that she told him “one more person leaves because of you—you’re out”. One more police call—she was good on her word.

So pardon me if I don’t have a lot of patience with these near freaks, especially when they’re also control freaks telling others how to live.

One example that comes to mind, from the book, is how penicillin was discovered because the discoverer took a trip for a few weeks, and as usual had left the remains of his lunch on the workbench. Years later, when his cluttered mess of a lab was made an exhibit, he was asked what he might have accomplished if he’d just kept everything neat and organized. “Nothing.”

Great story Civ...

“One example that comes to mind, from the book, is how penicillin was discovered because the discoverer took a trip for a few weeks, and as usual had left the remains of his lunch on the workbench. Years later, when his cluttered mess of a lab was made an exhibit, he was asked what he might have accomplished if he’d just kept everything neat and organized. “Nothing.””

Alexander Fleming would beg to differ ...