June 2008

  • Capturing To Do Items and Ideas to Get Things Done

    080606 notepadAn Old Take on New Ideas:

    How many times have you tried to remember something that you knew you
    were forgetting? As I get older, it seems to happen more often. I'm not
    sure if it's because of age, or because I think more and do less.
    Nonetheless, I love having a process to capture, store, and retrieve,
    relevant information.

    For years I've been "a gadget guy." I'm the guy that waits in line to buy the first hot new phone. I always have the best PDA, the newest laptop. And I constantly try different software to capture ideas, produce mind maps, or otherwise give me a creative and competitive advantage.

    Surprisingly, the newest addition to my arsenal of productivity tools is a small pad of paper. Yes, I now carry a small pad of paper in my pocket, and I pull it out to capture ideas, phrases, and to-do items throughout the day. It's quick, easy, and I don't have to worry about it recognizing my handwriting. I recognize my handwriting.

    Throughout the day, I simply write the ideas, phrases, key words – and of course the to do items that I should do, want to do, or want someone else to do.   

    At the end of the day (or when my page is full) I call Copytalk and dictate the whole list into the telephone. A few minutes later, I get an e-mail with all of the items in electronic format. I then copy these and simply paste them into a web application called Toodledo, which is a categorized to-do list accessible online.

    Toodle-do is a great place to help me get things done. It allows me to list each task, categorize it in ways I want, as well as create priorities, due dates, and different tags that you could use for locations or roles. I very quickly ended up with close to 1,000 to-dos sorted in many categories. So when I get an idea on something to write about, or come up with new development projects or things to talk about with friends, I have one place to go.  Best part for me is that when I'm looking for something, this list is easy to search, easy to find, and easy to keep up-to-date.

    All-in-all, it's a pretty good system, and I love how it feels to empty my brain every day.

  • Game Theory (or not) On the “Price is Right”

    Here is a short clip from the TV show the "Price is Right".  The YouTube post bills it as the dumbest contestant ever.  In any case, it was funny.

    Here is the direct link for that video.

    I felt sorry for the contestant, even though I was laughing.

    Schadenfreude can be a funny thing; it always makes me think of a song from the show "Avenue Q".  Bet it makes you smile.

    Here is the direct link for that video.

  • Do You Trust the Government’s Economic Numbers?

    Can you trust the government's economic numbers?  Some people are saying that key measures have been distorted.  At question, among others, the:

    • Consumer Price Index: which tracks inflation at the retail level
    • Gross Domestic Product: which tracks overall economic growth, and
    • Unemployment Figures: which tracks jobs and indirectly measures corporate health.

    We've been given low inflation numbers.  This makes GDP look more robust because it implies that there was increased output, rather than increased prices.  However, with the rising cost of energy and commodities, a bigger portion of each paycheck is going to necessities.  It is not just gasoline either; a quick trip to the grocery store shows what has happened to the price of wheat, rice, and eggs.  At the same time, credit is tightening and the value of their homes are going down.  So, consumers aren't just paying more, they have less to spend.

    The unemployment numbers are artfully adjusted, though perhaps misleading.  For example, the government's number showed gains (rather than losses) in the number of jobs in financial services and construction sectors last month.  Let me remind you how many banks, brokerage houses and funds are closing, or at least laying people off or re-structuring.  And construction hasn't been booming lately, has it?  To see how they did it (hint, birth/death adjustment), read Alan Abelson's piece in Barrons.  Also check-out The Week and Bill Gary in Commodity Information Systems' Price Perceptions. For an interesting take on the recent Congressional Hearings (and Jim Roger's response) it is worth reading RIghtSide Commentary. 

  • Do You Trust the Government’s Economic Numbers?

    Can you trust the government's economic numbers?  Some people are saying that key measures have been distorted.  At question, among others, the:

    • Consumer Price Index: which tracks inflation at the retail level
    • Gross Domestic Product: which tracks overall economic growth, and
    • Unemployment Figures: which tracks jobs and indirectly measures corporate health.

    We've been given low inflation numbers.  This makes GDP look more robust because it implies that there was increased output, rather than increased prices.  However, with the rising cost of energy and commodities, a bigger portion of each paycheck is going to necessities.  It is not just gasoline either; a quick trip to the grocery store shows what has happened to the price of wheat, rice, and eggs.  At the same time, credit is tightening and the value of their homes are going down.  So, consumers aren't just paying more, they have less to spend.

    The unemployment numbers are artfully adjusted, though perhaps misleading.  For example, the government's number showed gains (rather than losses) in the number of jobs in financial services and construction sectors last month.  Let me remind you how many banks, brokerage houses and funds are closing, or at least laying people off or re-structuring.  And construction hasn't been booming lately, has it?  To see how they did it (hint, birth/death adjustment), read Alan Abelson's piece in Barrons.  Also check-out The Week and Bill Gary in Commodity Information Systems' Price Perceptions. For an interesting take on the recent Congressional Hearings (and Jim Roger's response) it is worth reading RIghtSide Commentary.