So I was doing my normal scanning of my RSS feeds in iGoogle, when I found an article on Lifehacker.com called, GTD:How To Fail at Getting Things Done.  As a GTD black belt,  jumped over to read the article (which was a good article).  In the article there is a link regarding the Weekly Review.  I clicked it, only to find that it led me to my own comments about the Weekly Review, from a previous Lifehacker back in July.

Referenced by Lifehacker.com?   Check.

Now that makes for a good weekend…

It is a fear of every GM that haunts us between every session: that dreaded feeling that comes over you before you write your next session - that you can no longer run your game any more. It could be that the idea well has run dry or that your will to GM has been sapped. In either case, you are moments from emailing your group and pulling the plug on your campaign. Don’t touch that “Send” key until you read this post.

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I love Remember The Milk (RTM). It’s a ToDo list Web2.0 service. It is a linchpin of my GTD system. Today, the fine folks Down Under, released some software updates to the system.

The whole list can be found here, but some of my favorites include:

• Wide Screen Support. At home I have a modest 19″ wide screen monitor, but at work I have a beefy 24″ widescreen monitor. RTM now has a wide format for accommodating wide-screen monitors. It is nice, and the extra real estate is used well.
• Tags Now Visible In Task List. Tags are a must for me, as I use them to establish relationships between certain tasks, and for use in Smart Searches. Now the tag names appear in-line with the task name, as well as off to the side, in the information box.
• Tag Management. A new Settings screen that allows for better management of tags. You can now merge synonymous tags. You can delete tags you no longer want, and you can create new tags on the spot. I spent 10 minutes cleaning up my tags.

If you are looking for a To Do list manager that is chocked full of features, and easy to use, get over to RTM and check them out.

“I didn’t spend all those years playing Dungeons and Dragons and not learn a little something about courage.” — X-Files
That quote has been a running joke in my gaming group for years, but as I started to create Encoded Designs with its dual emphasis on creativity and productivity, I began thinking about the fact that I have transfered ideas and skills from the business world to enhance my gaming style and techniques. Then, just the other day I asked myself, was there anything I have learned from my years playing RPGs that would apply to the business world? So, I started to put a few ideas together, and soon I realized that a number of skills I utilize at work started behind the GM Screen.

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I saw these earlier today, and wanted to put something up about them.  These are a new set of tri-colored dice from Q-Workshop.  

I have seen Q-Workshop, at the past two GenCon’s and have bought a few dice from them.  Their past dice sets were nice, but I have been a Chessex man for some time.   But when I saw these dice, I knew that at this year’s GenCon, I would be back at the Q-Workshop booth with cash in hand.  I can’t wait to see what other color schemes they can come up with for this design.

Do you like them?

Tags: gaming, rpg

Hello once again.  My apologies for anyone who might have been waiting on the Friday post on Recapping With Style.  My Editor In Chief, and wife, was at a craft show selling her handmade cards,  and was not able to edit my post until the weekend.  If you did not read the article yet, I encourage you take a look at it, I think it is a pretty good technique.

This weekend was a busy one around the house.  No big projects, but a bunch of little ones inside and outside.  With the exception of raking the leaves that have not yet fallen from my tree in the backyard, all my outdoor prep for winter is done.  The last of my son’s toys were put away and the sandbox was prepped for winter.

I did take some time this weekend and set up a Facebook account.  I have become part of the collective.  To be truthful, I am doing it to help raise my profile and drive some more eyes to this blog, but I did find several people, from both High School and college, that I have not talked to in some time, so that is pretty cool as well.  If you are Facebook member look me up (Phil Vecchione).

Last night was suppose to be Spenser’s True 20 Dresden game, but one of the players was not feeling well, so the game got canceled.  In it’s place, Spenser, Sargon, and I fired up the Dreamcast and played some more Gauntlet: Legends.  We have been playing weekly for the past few weeks, and just completed the Blue Levels and are now between 20th and 27th level.  Its a fun multiplayer game, and the three of us have fun playing it.

This week, I have to crossover posts, where I am going to mix my gaming with my business life.  On Wednesday, I am going to talk about what I have learned from Role Playing Games, that helps me in the Office.  The second article is going to be about GM Burnout, and I am going to discuss two great articles I have read about them (one an RPG and the other a Business article) and add my own two cents to it.

Enjoy the week, and the articles.