Last time I shared favorite time-wasters and asked readers to share their faves – and you didn’t disappoint.

First off, a million thanks to reader Mary, for sharing her fave, the Instagram accounts of Ollie and Tato, two Labrador Retrievers who have taken Insty – -and reader Annette among millions of others – by storm!

https://www.instagram.com/good.boy.ollie/
Adventures of Chocolate Lab Ollie & his Yellow Lab little brother, Tato. Narrated by Ollie, using computer generated British speech. Cute & clever!

-Mary

Meanwhile, reader Sara confesses to a TV  rerun addiction: Frasier

I know all the lines- I still laugh

-Sara

I’m the same way about Seinfeld, Sarah – not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Animal House

It does seem like animal watching are a favorite breaktime activity.  I’m happy reader Nancy likes  Inspector Otter and the Racoon Federation, and thanks to reader Martha for suggesting watching primates rescued as infants and going to Orangutan Jungle School…

…the folks who work with them for years (like their Mom would have) help them to be able to return to the wild – over a period of years. They go off to classes in their “school busses” – red wheelbarrows.

-Martha

Reader Sheryl offers an interesting take on the topic.

I never waste time… Even if I spent an hour looking at photos of the Alps..it is time well spent.

-Sheryl

Your Turn

What are your favorite online timewasters?  Let us know in the comments!

Want to weigh in on a previous Open Thread? Never fear! You can find ‘back issues” of Open Threads and all our content here. 

Original Column Below:

Thoreau once wrote “You cannot waste time without injuring eternity,” – a rather overblown bit of hyperbole, in my view. The world won’t stop spinning just because I took a break to watch cat videos on YouTube.

Every so often, it’s healthy to take a little break – a short one – just to switch gears and recharge for ten or fifteen minutes.  Whether it’s a coffee break or walking the dog, it’s helpful to take a time out.

Looking for something new online to engage you? Check out Senior Planet’s new monthly crossword puzzle here! 

Inspector Otter and the Raccoon Federation

When I hit a logjam in a task, I set a timer for ten minutes and do something else.  Lately I’ve been hooked on an incredibly funny and inventive YouTube series by KLR Productions that adds dialogue to funny animal videos submitted by fans.  The adventures of Inspector Otter or the Raccoon Federation make me ready to face the world again, let the f-bombs fall where they may. They’ve even started a kickstarter campaign to animate their creations, starring the three raccoons, Gary, Frank and Steven. (That’s Steven up top, from the great trash heist episode, here.)

Your Turn

But that’s me.  How about you? What are your favorite time-wasters?  Let us know in the comments!

Want to weigh in on a previous Open Thread? Never fear! You can find ‘back issues” of Open Threads and all our content here. 

Virge Randall is Senior Planet’s Managing Editor. She is also a freelance culture reporter who seeks out hidden gems and unsung (or undersung) treasures for Straus Newspapers; her blog “Don’t Get Me Started” puts a quirky new spin on Old School New York City. Send  Open Thread suggestions to editor@seniorplanet.org.