The GTD Model...

"Collect that stuff, then within 24-48 hours everything should be zeroed out!" says author David Allen. This is GTD... getting things done!
There are 2 components to GTD - that mainly focus on freeing you to move ahead by getting all of the stuff that takes over your attention, out of your mind. You accomplish that by gaining control and perspective. Each of these two aspects have a different set of operating principles. Here are the five stages of how to get control:

• capture all of the stuff that has in essence captured you... and your attention,
  
• then clarify them,
  
• organize them,
  
• back off and keep looking at them,
  
• then make choices about what to do about them.

He says there are six horizons to gaining perspective. I guess I will have to read David Allen's first book, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity to find out what they are. This video is a great introduction:


You can pre-order David Allen's new book, to be released December 30, 2008: Making it all Work, Winning at the Game and Business of Life. Check out the upcoming GTD Global Summit March 11-13, 2009 and the GTD blog.

TOOLS:

I'm using Evernote to easily capture that information in any environment using whatever device or platform that's most convenient to make the information accessible and searchable at any time, from anywhere.

Create a Right-Brain File and see what your mind comes up with when it’s not thinking.

"What are you doing?" about the risk of identity loss...

Over the last few months Twitter has become one of my favorite tools, much like a Swiss Army knife. Just when it seemed to be getting somewhat stable, USA Today decided to write it up in a feature story. Yeah, I know, that's a sure sign that it's yesterday's news. But...

When mainstream media starts to promote the question, "What are you doing?" the spawning effect inevitably brings on a ton of new users. It was no surprise to witness the reappearance of the Blue Whale, but I didn't expect the Twitter spam police. Here was I, hoping the recent infusion of $15 million in venture capital would be a boost to the Twitter dev-team, helping them keep up with the ever-expanding tweetflow. The latest crash leads me to think they must have taken a different path.

Many long-time Tweeple, tired of the "Twitter is over capacity" error messages had already put their plan-b's in place, migrating or complementing their Twitter accounts with one or more fall-back alternatives. Plurk, BrightKite, Identi.ca and Friendfeed, started to attract members of SM's inner circle. Like many of them, I came to discover and appreciate the value-added features found elsewhere, like conversation tracking in Plurk and the location-based Bright Kite. But, I return to Twitter because I simply couldn't take my friends there with me.

This wasn't a critical concern until last Thursday, when it came as somewhat of a shock to see my @by_designwise account sheared by more than 50% of the Followers and Following friends I had amassed. I had no way of knowing who I lost, no backup plan and no real way to trace my virtual lost friends on Twitter. I tried backtracking my own Tweets archives and recovered a handful, but even the archive was clipped after about a hundred entries.

Aurelius Maximus says, "Twitter just pulled the Ace from their sleeve and lit it on fire." Like any battered survivor, I quickly come to realize the value of having a risk-management program.

I consider the people I follow on Twitter as a valuable resource - my resource. But nothing is farther from the truth. In the current world of social media nothing is yours within the walled garden. Your Social Footprint is made up of a thousand puddles spread all over the social media grid, none of which are under your control.
My virtual friends are like fire, typically providing me with a warm, steady flow of thought-provoking information, occasional dialogue, a way to both promote and research my own work in public relations marketing and at least a chuckle now and again. When social media is all about the power of grassroots activism and the development of a public grid that sidesteps the mainstream corporate media, the latest Twitter meltdown should be seen as a wake up call - a facesplash of cold water from the Whale's tail. Big Brother may unexpectedly pull the plug on your virtual reality at any time, leaving you stranded like a Crusoe on a deserted isle. And like Crusoe your social footprints may be washed away by the next big wave to hit the beach.

"What are you doing?" about the risk of social identity loss...

just published Anyang City and the Oracle Bone Script http://ping.fm/nvgZg

Due to the fundamental importance of fire in society, it is quite likely that pyromancy was one of the earlier forms of divination http://ping.fm/HPgxH

Dawn of the Noveleet...

Following the twisting path of my friend and Chicago playwright R. O'Donnell, I have just written/crafted/assembled my first Twitter novel - this literary work, just dubbed a Noveleet, is a form R. and I are inventing through cross-pollination. My Noveleet form is based on my previous Burroughs, cut 'n paste media work using radio-dial-divination and book-divination. This noveleet consists of 5 spontaneous in and outbound Tweets - of not more than 140 characters each. It was created in about 10 minutes beginning at approximately 2:28 AM on July 8, 2008:

Love at First Byte...

"If you are not willing to lose yourself and burn in love, do not embark on love's journey.".: - Rumi
Stephen Kastner about 2m ago via twhirl

Mickipedia And you may find yourself in a crappy apartment with a fat ugly wife and you may ask yourself "Well How did I get here?"
Mickipedia about 1h ago via web

@Mickipedia Hold tight wait till the partys over
Hold tight were in for nasty weather
There has got to be a way
Burning down the house
Stephen Kastner about 1m ago via twhirl

" Be drunk on love, for love is all that exists." words of love, longing by 13th century Sufi poet, whirling dervish Mevlana Jelalludin Rumi
Stephen Kastner about 2m ago via twhirl

Techmeme Hans Reiser leads police to body, believed to be his wife (Henry K. Lee/San Francisco Chronicle) http://tinyurl.com/57nwvw
Techmeme about 9m ago via web

R. O'Donnell's Noveleet form is taking off on a different track which can be pursued by following @spooncity on Twitter.

Mikipedia is a genuine roller derby Queen. Her real name is Micki Krimmel, the founder of Sugar Packet, Inc., a tiny company with a big mission: To fundamentally change our relationship with material items. She also works as a web strategist/consultant when she's not dancing to techno or practicing roller derby. Los Angeles is her primary residence with the Internet coming in at a very close second.