Wasting "The Man's" time...

From the NY Times:

Want to Get Some Work Done? Wait Till April
By PHYLLIS KORKKI
Published: March 11, 2007

Warning to employers: this might not be the best time to assign a big, complicated project. That’s becauseMarch is the No. 1 month for distracted workers. Yes, it that’s time of year when loyalty to the alma mater, the drama of the Cinderella story and the beauty of the bracket system converge into March Madness, or the N.C.A.A. men’s college basketball tournament, which starts later this week. Oh, and abet in the office pool may play a part, too.

These days, employees are grateful that Internet video has made it easier to pretend to work, although allthe whoops, yelps and curses issuing from theircubicles mean that no one is fooled.

Lost productivity from March Madness could costcompanies more than $1.2 billion, the consulting firmChallenger, Gray & Christmas estimates. But accordingto a survey, most companies do not view the temporary obsession as a problem. Some even see it as a rewardfor a job well done — for most of the year, anyway.