The Underlying Blog

Happy Holidays, Let's Eat

'God is Not Dead, Nor Does He Sleep'

If anyone is noticing a pattern, every year I talk about my favorite Christmas song, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day":

2005

2006

It's still my favorite Christmas song, and I highly recommend you read my 2005 post.

I've embedded a video of the Carpenters performing it, while it's not my favorite version, I believe it does convey the point of the song and the general mood.

 

 Ultimate Victory for We

It's been a year of persistence, and Christmas came early for me: Today my certification as a Mindjet Certified Trainer became official. I look forward to working with the Mindjet Team in 2008 and hope the food is good at all of the events. And if you're curious about where my focus will be at, I suggest your check out Value of an Hour.

 

Happy Holidays, Now Please Feed Me

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Festivus, Happy Hanukkah, to my blogging peers, my Visual Strategist Clients, my family and my friends. You wouldn't be as awesome if I didn't clear out your refrigerators (refers to family and friends... clients be warned of how much I'll eat if you do provide a meal)!

Now who's taking bets on whether or not Grandma has cheesy potatoes this year? Thanksgiving was a check. C'mon Grandma, you can do it!

(NOTE: This post was written at a very hungry moment)

See you in 2008!

Technorati tags: Christmas, Festivus, Kyle McFarlin, Hanukkah, Visual Strategist Solution, Mindjet MindManager, Mindjet Training, cheesy potatoes, VOH, Value of an Hour

MindManager Users, Live By the Following List

My buddy Chuck Frey just put out a list of massively useful tips on improving your visual maps in MindManager. These tips will change the way you map, even for advanced users.

Especially for any of you who are making a mapping project out of your holiday break:

1. Print the list out
2. Download the free resource at the end
3. Refer back to the list frequently

Here it is:

The Mind Mapping Software Weblog: The 8 best ways to improve your mind maps

Technorati tags: Chuck Frey, Visual Strategist Solution, VSS Template Set, Kyle McFarlin, Mind Mapping Best Practices, Mindjet MindManager

Look Mom, I'm on the Radio (and Now in Hiding for What I Said)...

It had to happen, it really did, didn't it:

I'm a Star! (FOLKS THE EGO HAS TRULY LANDED, PLEASE STAND BACK FROM THE CRASH SITE). Tony Goodson of the Productivity Show interviewed me recently... the same show David Allen, the founder of GTD, was once featured on!

Highlights include:

• Kyle's GTD: He's a heretic yet is mostly keeping his own dogfood down
• Mindjet MindManager: Pimp-out the interface 
• The World's most offensive rap album!
• Second Life: The new warzone
• GyroQ and ResultsManager: Pimp your productivity
• Top Tips for having Meaningful Relationships and Pursuits
• Get a Life

THE REAL QUESTION: How does a mind mapping guru end up talking about 'flying penises' and 'burping'?...

Listen now to the most exceedingly delightful, productivity-tip-laced, controversial Interview the mind mapping world has ever experienced:

TPN :: The Productivity Show » Blog Archive » The Productivity Show #34 - Kyle McFarlin (Visual Strategist)

Technorati tags: The Productivity Show, Kyle McFarlin, Tony Goodson, MindManager, Mindjet, Gyronix Training, Mindjet Training, GyroQ, ResultsManager, mind mapping, The Podcast Network

Marc Orchant: Rest in Peace My Friend

I found out today we have lost Marc Orchant. A few thoughts:

When I first started getting into technology for Productivity, I used to download the Tablet PC Show onto my Ipaq and listen to it while walking the rural roads of Ohio. The show was hosted by James Kendrick and Marc Orchant, and was highly formulative to my current activities. You had to get them credit for making an Internet radio show about technology so damn entertaining! Without Marc's musings on productivity, I'd never have gotten into Tablet PC's, discovered programs such as ActiveWords, and wouldn't have made a great friend.

Over time I got to know him, and Marc was always there for me, providing invaluable advice when I began blogging and going forward. Also, on selecting and using a Tablet PC. And folks, countless others would say the exact same thing, that they are in a much better place today because of Marc Orchant's influence in their lives. And he's been the Johnny Appleseed of spreading GTD online, a philosophy that has benefited many yearning souls.

Marc has immortalized his thoughts, wisdom and and wit on the Internet forever, and we are all better for it. You are and will be severely missed my friend.

NOTE: James Kendrick has posted funeral information, and Larry Dignan at ZDNet has posted a nice writetup on Marc.

Technorati tags: Marc Orchant, James Kendrick, Kyle McFarlin, Larry Dignan, ZDNet

Never Give Up. Never Surrender.*

My buddy Walter Terry has some flattering things to say about me in the following entry. He also rightly calls me a 'ham':

Marketing, Elbow Grease & Public Relations Wins The Day & Pantses The Enemy | ROI Copywriting For Internet Marketing

(*'Never give up. Never Surrender.' From the movie Galaxy Quest)

Technorati tags: Walter Terry, Kyle McFarlin, Galaxy Quest

Microsoft Research vs. Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup

My buddy Ron Robison sent along the above clip, which is worth checking out if you enjoy advanced visualization techniques. For every family-friendly image created by the technology, there's going to a few more you wouldn't want in the family reunion slide show.

And all this technology and no cure for the common cold? Well, except for this...

(Click in the blank space above if you can't see a bunch of gray cans)

Technorati tags: Kyle McFarlin, Microsoft Research, Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup, Visualization