This just in: According to a recent survey, the average employee spends 1.7 hours of the typical 8.5 hour work day on non-work related tasks.

The researchers actually call this time “slacking off.” Around my office, we like to call these kinds of activities bonding, bainstorming, and “recharging the creative juices.” Note to my co-workers: Thanks for turning me on to simpsonsthemovie.com, the web site that turns your colleagues into Simpson-like cartoon characters. After we whiled away a little time turning each other into Bart and Marge clones, I actually broke through my writer’s block and was able to turn that piece in before deadline. Plus, I do like my new cartoon ‘do.