So, I have gotten on to the GTD bandwagon – trust me, things do get done this way! And it totally suits my list making, note taking, micro-manage everything kind of nature – and I am happy!
But then, again, without an app to help me do it all, I would be totally lost, now wouldn’t I?
So, I looked around for good apps to help me manage my task lists – and you may have read about my exploits with Geektool earlier on this blog… but still, it just wasn’t enough…
I wanted a software where I could plan out my tasks, organize my documents and so forth at the same time… and I wanted to do this across all my projects. So I tried out all kinds of software out there – The Hit List and Things were 2 apps that really caught my fancy. Process was also something which caught my eye. But, then I happened to stumble onto the Zengobi site. That bliss followed thereafter is an understatement…
So, here are a few pics that will sufficiently demonstrate why I am in love with Curio…
So, you can make mind maps and add pictures and also make lists… drag and drop from anywhere.
Create your project brief using the pre-defined dossier templates, or create your own templates and questions.
Organize your project across as many Idea Spaces as you like and also track all your projects.
Search across your projects and publish them to your Mobile Me account.
Take notes and add them anywhere – freeform as you like. Add links to documents on the fly.
Add drawings. Drag and Drop from anywhere you like.
Storyboard…
Add Tables.
Create Templates and re-use them across all your projects.
Search the Internet from within Curio using Sleuth – you can even configure the sites where Sleuth can search in…. and then you can just Drag n Drop the information into your Idea Space.
Create Timelines and Add Due Dates – Sync it with iCal…. and plan all your schedules.
Add audio and video notes right from Curio.
Use the Status Shelf to track by Due Dates across all your projects…
So, basically, with Curio the possibilities are virtually endless.
I can simply drag and drop e-mails, folders and files (and option-drag n drop to simply add a link to these files and folders) to my Idea Space. I can mind map and think out spatially (like I love to do) and plan things out – make lists and add due dates for these tasks…
I can even convert my mind map to a list and vice versa.
There are a variety of pre-made templates which I can use, or even visit the community section of Curio’s website to get templates created by others using Curio.
I can search for images and data right from within Curio – using the built-in browser, Sleuth. And you can also configure the different places where Curio searches from.
If I like to think out loud – I can add audio and video notes to an idea space.
So basically, I have my Project Central right within Curio.
Now, I have configured my Geektool to show me only the first 5 tasks on the desktop – and they are sorted by date…
And I have configured to get my calendar and stats like CPU and RAM (which I compulsively have to know) etc on the menubar using iStat Menus.
So, now I have my project central on Curio, my stats on the menubar, my desktop is a little more cleaner… and I am getting things done!
Well, November is just around the corner and so is NaNoWriMo…
Seeing the fiascos of NaNoWriMos past where I jumped on to the bandwagon with much fanfare and then kinda fizzled out after the first 10-odd days, I am a bit terrified of participating this year.
So I am taking things easy – not putting too much pressure on myself – and just playing the ‘Wait and Watch” game ….
I am giving myself the freedom to join in and join out at any point – and not forcing it – and not forcing myself to over-compensate…
I find myself to be more creative when there is no sword hanging on top of my head… now, don’t get me wrong… I work well with deadlines – but that is because I always plan well and plan to have a few off days and so forth and so all my stuff is in on time.
But NaNoWriMo is a completely different story!
I got to write 50,000 words in 30 days – so, as usual, I got down to the Math. If I write for every single day, then I have to write about 1666.66 words every day. Or if I don’t write on weekends (30 days less 9 days) then I have to write 2380.95 words every day!
Now, isn’t that nice!
So it is a roundabout of 1700 to 2400 words a day to reach the 50k deadline.
Hmm…. the calculations have now been done… lets see how things work out on D-Day!
Well… as the world knows it, today was the day that Snow Leopard was officially released worldwide.
Of course, I had pre-ordered it, and was waiting for the CD since early morning.
Post breakfast, I sat down and systematically backed up all my data – you know, just in case… I do come from the Windoze part of the world… Anyhow, then I plonked myself on the sofa in the living room upstairs, and added a book for good measure and waited… and waited … and waited.. for the FedEx guy to turn up with the CD.
The e-mail from Apple had said that the delivery would be made anytime before 3 in the afternoon. So… to cut a long story short… about three-quarters of my way into the book and around 2:15-ish, the FedEx guy rings the bell… sees me smile and smiles back!
Ahhh!
So, in true Mac / Geek / Mac Fan Girl style, I decided to click pics with my cell phone camera during this momentous occasion!
So, here is the Box in which the CD arrived! (Packed with 2 more Apple Logo stickers!!)
I run down to the basement, where everything has been laid down in readiness… and boot up Leopard for the last time … and stick the DVD in the laptop!
The install process begins!
And continues….
Till there are about 3 minutes remaining now….
And now, less than a minute….
And Finally! The Install is Complete!
So, the computer boots up and we see the famous ‘Welcome’ video!
And here is ‘About this Mac’!
My old wallpaper – and all my settings and data – all have been seamlessly included and updated into the install process!
Hmmm….
All the other bells and whistles are there… so I am not going to elaborate on that! Many people have written many pages about the stuff that Snow Leopard is going to add to the laptop…
Nah!
I got to report some buggy things – which are, of course, natural considering it is the first version of the new OS and whatnot….
1. My Evernote icon disappeared from Safari and won’t come back! Although, the icon is in the menu bar…..
2. My Glims plugin also won’t work anymore in Safari.
3. I cannot see the preference pane window for QuickSilver, although I can see the other panes windows like Triggers and Plugins and the Clipboard and Shelf…
~
So, what are the good things that I have to say? Here they are:
1. The colors look more colorful as compared to before (I don’t know how else to put this!)
2. New wallpapers are great.
3. GeekTool’s new latest release thingy works in Snow Leopard.
4. The whole ‘Minimize Window into Application Icon’ is really amazing because this way my dock doesn’t get cluttered up with minimized windows and of course, add to it the whole new Expose!
5. New Stacks are beautiful – and the ability to browse through folders is amazing!
6. Most of my apps like NoteBook (from Circus Ponies), Ecto, Hulu Desktop NetNewsWire – all are working….
7. The Dictionary includes the New Oxford American Dictionary along with the other stuff….
8. Automator also looks great!
~
So, so far so good!
After the install, I just went back to work doing what I was doing… isn’t it nice to have an OS upgrade that lets you do that… upgrade and go!
Remember Stephanie Meyer from the Twilight series of books?
Well, she has written yet another book called The Host.
When Twilight came out and made such a huge noise (especially when the movie featured the dreamy Robert Pattinson as Edward), I had to rush out to the nearest Barnes and Noble and buy the entire series!
Yeah, I know, I am a little freaky that way: if I know that a book is a part of a series, then I have to buy the whole thing, because then I read all those books one after the other… if not, I go stir crazy!
Anyways. I read the whole Twilight series. And I liked it – for the most part. To be honest with you – I am a huge fan of Vampires, but I just cannot stomach the stupid Vampire books / movies. In any case, the Twilight series has all the elements to make me want to just keep on reading – vampires, a love story, a vampire and a girl falling in love with each other, the girl wanting to become a vampire, hints of a historical / mythological background … I was hooked!
But towards the end of the fourth novel I figured the author just wanted to tie up all of the loose ends she had created so wonderfully during the series of books. She just wrapped things up – suddenly. It was jarring.
But overall, I think as a series, the books are a total hit!
So, when Ms. Meyers came out with yet another book – which did not belong to this series, I was a little skeptical to say the least. But I ventured out and bought it.
The theme of The Host has been done before (remember Body Snatchers?) but I wanted to see how she had handled it.
See, when someone has written a very successful series of novels, that has a huge fan following, the movies coming out and all that jazz, it is a very, very bold and crazy move for such a writer to put out a new book that follows a different theme and does not belong to the aforementioned series of novels.
Bold because she is really telling her fans to test her mettle. And crazy because the verdict may go either way.
End of the day, it is her talent at storytelling which will be tested through and through.
If she wins, she will remain in the limelight and be recognized as a talented writer through and through. And if not, she will be a one-series wonder – and may even be easily forgotten.
Ms. Meyers, has however, succeeded in reducing all the fears to dust with her new book.
Not only has she proved her mettle at writing with her storytelling, but she has also taken the reader deeper into a perspective of the theme, in a way that wasn’t done before. With The Host, Stephanie Meyer has proved to me, that she is, in fact, a really amazing writer and really gifted at her craft.
Smashing plot. Amazing insight into the characters. Not a dull moment in the narrative. And most of all, this time round, the plot wasn’t hastily closed or wrapped up. The story wove together well, leaving me wanting to keep on turning the pages to find out what happens next… and then too, the ending was well put together.
Hats Off to Stephanie Meyer! Ten Out Of Ten!
My recommendation: This is one writer to watch out for. Go buy her books. They are a worthy addition to your collection.
In the past couple of years, I have been fortunate enough to get the chance of reading the Dune series of novels. Written by Frank Herbert, the first book was published in 1965. And in 1966, the book won the Hugo Award and also the Nebula Award for Best Novel. A series of at least 7 novels (the last of which was finished by his son Brian Herbert), the scope of these series of novels is vast and amazing.
Of course, the series of novels had a great impact on me: first as a writer, I was spellbound by the way the author has constructed the fictional world and its mythology, geography, rituals – the whole jazz (this is called as ‘World Building‘ by most sci-fi authors); and, secondly as a tarot card reader the philosophy and the pros and cons of prescience and the ability to see (and even meddle with) the future is something that certainly made me think.
Among other things, the novel talks about a Kwisatz Haderach or a super-being. Such a super-being has been defined in the book as ‘the one who can be in many places at once’. In the novel, the Bene Gesserit sisterhood has been involved in a breeding program. The aim of this breeding program is to create this Kwisatz Haderach. Along with unlimited powers of prescience, this super-being would also be able to predict several possible futures and select certain threads from among the different time-lines, so as to manipulate and create a particular future to happen.
Growing up a Hindu, we have always been regaled by the stories of Krishna. We heard stories of his mischievous childhood, of his inimitable teenage years, and then his exploits as an adult, followed by his role in the Mahabharata where he divulged the text of one of the most sacred books of the Hindus, the Bhagwat Gita. As a human being, and as a God, Krishna stood for what is considered to be the poorna purusham – the complete man.
Krishna is considered to be the Avataar of Vishnu. He is also said to be all knowing, all seeing, and aware of the past, present and future. All this, is also combined with the power to change the future, and the ability to ‘be at many places at once’ (remember the ‘Raas Lila‘ where he simultaneously appeared to be dancing with Radha and all of her friends).
It just struck me a few days ago, that the qualities described in the book – the qualities of a Kwisatz Haderach, are pretty much the qualities that Krishna possesses.
Often enough, myths and mythological characters / ‘Gods and Goddesses’ are the sources of inspiration for many a good heroes, heroines or special / central characters of many a well known and well loved stories.
Now, I don’t know if Krishna was the source of inspiration for Frank Herbert for his template of the character of the Kwisatz Haderach. But one thing that I certainly do know is that the characteristics possessed by Krishna and the Kwisatz Haderach are pretty much similar.
Myths and Mythological characters are the main sources of inspiration for many a interesting stories – and even plots. After all, these Myths were in fact, the first stories ever told.
I personally also feel that these character sketches of these Gods and Goddesses are based on real people – perhaps a mixture of 2 or more real people, plus with a whole bunch of other characteristics that often we may like to see in us / other people. The characters of Gods often are personifications of certain good qualities which we idealize and want to idolize. But then too much perfection doesn’t set in well with our perception of any particular character. So we end up throwing in some ‘human’ characteristic or two.
In the same spirit, I feel that the characterization of Krishna and the Kwisatz Haderach are based on the similar blueprint or model.
For a while now, I have been exploring how to go about implementing my GTD strategies in place for ensuring that my workflow remains consistent with deadlines and what-not. Sure enough, I have spent time searching for and using a variety of tools (read software programs) that will help me Get Things Done!
But see, that is just me – if I want to do something, I will ideally look for a software, nay, a freeware, to do this for me etc. And that is how the long saga back home began. I did encounter and use a number of good programs. But, to my utter amazement, I discovered that my Mac has all the tools that I require to Get Things Done.
And given below is the article that practically showed me the light!!
[From Getting Things Done (simply) in Mac OS X | pronductive]
Go ahead and give it a look! I am sure you guys will find the technique useful.
I know I have.
So, now without any further ado and dawdling, let me get back to work and Get Things Done.
P.S. :: Sorry for the non-Mac readers of my blog – but I am sure you can find a way to implement a similar strategy in your Windoze programs too! I suppose a little creative thinking wouldn’t hurt!
I never thought that I would do a follow-up post after my previous post about Writing Online In The Cloud, but then I kinda stumbled on this new site. Adobe has launched Acrobat.Com – a website which uses your Adobe Id to give you access to a number of online tools – and all that in a wonderful interface.
Personally, out of all the different interfaces I have worked with, this one is THE BEST.
When you log in, you see a wonderful screen that really invites you in!
So, out of all these different things, what did I like the most?
The first one is Adobe Buzzword. Word Processing Online – in style!
The interface has all the standard bells and whistles that any good word processor program would have – and in fact, I find myself comparing it to the iWork Pages interface.
Hmmm…
The next thing that I really love is the Adobe ConnectNow screen sharing and web conferencing thingy…
In the free version, you can share your screen with 2 more people – by sending out a URL.
Plus, you can even do a web chat and an audio chat as well…
Nice! Really Nice!
So, if you want to work online, with a whole lotta functionality and even more lotta style, then Acrobat.Com is absolutely THE site for you!
As I watched the 2-DVD long version of the film ‘Scarlett’ yesterday night and today morning, I began to wonder about the much maligned but universally loved genre of Romance.
Oh yes! Romance! Something which most of us deny liking, but are often prevailed upon to watch (via movies), do and endure during our lifetimes. Romance is the most eternal genre among all the different genres that exist in the writing world. And, I must point out that often enough, many stories revolve around this particular aspect of any story. And yet, many of us deny liking it, much less loving it!
As I wondered more and more, it also struck me, that it is only in this particular genre that when the ending is sad, we remember it more poignantly. Sad endings – tragedies – these are those essential parts of the genre of Romance which stay with us no matter what.
And it is important to note, that most of these Romantic Tragedies emerge from books – and very rare, few movies move us in the same manner.
Gone With The Wind – the movie is based on the book by Margaret Mitchell. There are many differences in the book and the movie – not to mention that the central character of Scarlett O’Hara is painted quite differently in the movie version. Sad. However, when Rhett Butler leaves her on the footsteps of the staircase in her house saying “Frankly My Dear, I Don’t Give A Damn” we are all moved and touched. Scarlett has finally realized how much she really loves Rhett, and then he leaves her.
Many decades passed and the sequel to that book was written: Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley. A worthy effort it was. Eventually taking us through many twists and turns, and finally uniting Scarlett and Rhett Butler. Finally, they find their true love again. After several trials and tribulations.
But somehow, this seemed much like wishful thinking. If I were to believe it, then the magic that was Gone With The Wind is totally lost! Somehow, I like the way the story ended – the uncertainty – the tragedy. That is what set it apart in my mind. And in my heart.
Another such well known tragic love story is Romeo and Juliet. A play written by none other than the great Bard Shakespeare himself. We all know how that story ends – they both die committing suicide for each other – thinking the other is dead.
So many such love stories exist out there in folklore and myth – stories of love that ended up in tragedy. These are the stories which remain with us throughout.
With the stories that have happy endings, we know that it all goes well. So we are happy. It is nice. And so we promptly forget all the things about it. With the sad stories, we tend to remember the pain.
All of us have had a love lost at some point of time or the other. We end up relating to the loss. We end up retaining it – the deep feelings associated with loss touch us more effectively than the happy feelings associated with happy endings.
Now, I am not saying that happy endings are bad. Just that sad endings remain in our hearts much deeply and more firmly.
This is exactly what I mean by Dreaming Up the Good Stuff!
Five dream discoveries
Scientists believe that a nap can boost creative thought and help problem-solving. So what major breakthroughs in science and the arts have been made during sleep? The old adage “I’ll sleep on it” may have some truth in
As I read this article today on my blog reader, I remembered how so many of my short stories came to me in my dreams… and how, I just go off to sleep for an hour or two before I sit down to write something creative…. It is a ritual… and for the first time in my life, I am going to describe it to you guys.
First, if there is some background material to be read, then I read it. All of it. Then I go to the porch and have a cigarette while mulling things over inside my head. Then I come inside, and just get into bed, pull the covers all around me and go off to sleep. When I wake up, I go and make a cup of tea / coffee (whatever gets me going at that time) and then take that out to the porch. There, I drink my coffee, smoke at least 2 more ciggys, and then in one of those random moments, I have my first line. With that, I stub out ciggy and rush back to my laptop and start typing….
This is my ritual… There are some other articles from the Lateral Action Blog which I would also like to quote over here…
How to Sleep and Daydream Your Way to Success
These days, plenty of people are facing “involuntary entrepreneurship.” They’ve lost their gig and need to reinvent themselves as self-sufficient solos or small business owners. Others understand that “job security” has always been a myth and are simply sick of the crap that comes with working for others. Regardless, all it takes is one good idea, right? The temptation, especially when under pressure, is to work more, rest less… cranking away until you get that great idea. Grind it out. Stay focused. Be tough. Sleep when you’re dead. Wrong.
[From LATERAL ACTION | HOW TO SLEEP AND DAYDREAM YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS]
And here is the other one:
Daily Routines of Famous Creative People
I discovered a fantastic blog at the weekend — Daily Routines: How writers, artists, and other interesting people organize their days (via Undead Pixel). It contains what it says on the tin: first-hand accounts of how famous people optimise their daily routines for creative work.
[From LATERAL ACTION | DAILY ROUTINES OF FAMOUS CREATIVE PEOPLE]
So what kind of rituals do you follow in order to get your creative spark going?
As a writer who spends a lot of time online, and writing for online media, I have recently stumbled upon several websites which offer a few great facilities which can make life really smooth and amazing for someone like me. In this blog post, I am going to attempt to review some of these sites which I have checked out.
My first encounter with such kind of online office suites was when I stumbled onto the Microsoft Office Live Workspace. Basically what it does is allows you to store your MS Office documents online and then you can share them with the people you want, and give them rights like downloading and editing. To do so, one would have to have MS Office 2007 installed, and also download and install a plugin which gives this additional functionality. This facility is free for all those who have MS Office 2007 installed on their computers.
The second encounter I had with a similar kind of online office suite was with Google Docs. Again, you have the functionality of creating and editing documents and spreadsheets online, storing them, accessing them from anywhere across the internet, and allowing others to access, edit and download your online documents.
The third such online office suite I encountered was when I got my Mac. I had iWork on it, and it comes with all the bells and whistles already installed to make iWork.Com a functional and useful add-on to your workspace. Again, it is only accessible via the iWork suite. You can add your native iWork documents on to this online workspace, and allow other users to access, edit and download the documents and spreadsheets in formats like doc, xls and pdf.
Now, the fourth online office suite that I encountered was Zoho.Com. Packed with a variety of features, this is by far the best online office suite that I have seen. You can have documents, spreadsheets, planners, wikis, notebooks, chat, crm, web conferencing, reports, project management and even polls. I think you have to pay for some of the features, while most come free. And you can login with your Google Id.
With more and more online services getting into the ‘Cloud’ writers – or even such business people who have made the Internet their office space, can have a much easier interface to work with and collaborate with their clients online. These services are a beautiful add-on to the already existing functionality of the computer – as they are veritably online – and thus more easily accessible for those of us who are always on the go. This way you are not limited to your laptop or desktop – you can access your workspace from wherever in the world you are, as long as you have an internet connection.
And guess what? The next wave of online-in-cloud computing for people who have internet based workspaces is yet to come! So hang on folks! This one is about to take off and fly!
About Me
My name is Madhavi Ghare. I am a Website Content Writer and a Tarot Card Reader. I conduct Tarot Workshops for those who want to Learn Tarot.
For the Web, I Write Website Content, Blog Content, SEO Articles, and E-Mailer Content.
For Print Media, I write copy for Brochures and Press Releases.
I also write Scripts for Films, Flash Presentations and Voice-Overs.
I stay in Dumont, NJ, USA.
