Seasonal Paradise

Top Picks For Office Tools To Give You An Unfair Advantage Over Your Competition - Web

I use and recommend all of the following Web tools and sites ...

Amazon
Time is money so why trail around at real world stores?  I use Amazon to find it, buy it, and ship it, in seconds.
Cision
For their int'l press contacts database, so I can follow up with press when we post summaries of their articles on OPW and SNW.
Conduit
Custom toolbar I offer to my readers to help keep them connected with the news.
Feedblitz
Allows my readers to get new blog posts in their email every day.
Feedburner
My preferred RSS feed. Some good publicity tools also.
Flock
A leg up on Firefox.  My new preferred browser.  Great RSS reader.
Google Reader
Simple, foolproof web-borne RSS reader.
Plaxo
I use this service for ecards and birthday reminders more than anything else.
Sidestep
Most time efficient site for finding best-fit, best-priced flights, hotels and rental cars.
SpamArrest
No more spam.  Nada, zero, killed it all.
Typepad
Fairly simple, reliable blogging engine. Word Press is my #2 choice.
WebMasterWorld
For getting the skinny on SEO and online marketing.

I'll add lists under categories for Fun and Hardware that I use each Thursday for the next 2 weeks.  Finance, Management, Telephony and Web have been covered so far.  Click on the 'Tips' category (see category cloud to the right) for future reference.

Please leave a comment if you have any additional web productivity tools that you can recommend from personal experience.

Unidentified Object 2

Unidentified Object 2
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Irena went to the doctor again today to see if he could identify the strange
growth in Irena's tummy. It seems to have grown quite a lot larger, and was
moving around.

Top Picks For Office Tools To Give You An Unfair Advantage Over Your Competition - Telephony

I personally use and recommend all of the following Telephony tools...

Broadvoice
For my home phone and soft phone. $30 a month for free int'l calling.
eVoice
I've used this voicemail-to-email service for some clients PR lines.
Free Conference
For conference calls and recording interviews.
Grand Central
Another handy tool I use for voicemail with some clients PR lines. 
Jajah
Handy when abroad for calling USA from my foreign cell phone.
Jangl
For widget based anonymous calling off blogs and profiles. (Full Disclosure: Jangl is a client of Courtland Brooks)
Send2Fax
Handy online fax service.
Simulscribe
Takes all my voicemails, transcribes them into emails.  Huge time saver.
Skype
Backup for my Broadvoice line.  Also for forwarding calls to whatever international cell phone I'm on, and for on the fly conference calls.

I'll add lists under categories for Web, Fun and Hardware that I use each Thursday for the next 3 weeks. Finance, Management and Telephony have been covered so far.  Click on the 'Tips' category (see category cloud to the right) for future reference.

Please leave a comment if you have any additional telephony tools that you can recommend from personal experience.

The Proposal

Marc lured Irena out across the Charles Bridge.  She was expecting to meet me for breakfast at our usual spot.  As they crossed the bridge they encountered a pitiful beggar prostrated and freezing, covered by a blue blanket.  Marc persuaded Irena to give the begger some money.  But it wasn't really a beggar...

Unfortunately my prepared speech fell apart as soon as I saw the tears in Irena's eyes, I asked, she managed a yes, and we both turned into a bubbly schmooshy mess.  Afterwards we went to Allegro, the highest Zagat ranked restaurant in Prague. 

Top Picks For Office Tools To Give You An Unfair Advantage Over Your Competition - Management & Communication

I use and recommend all of the Management, Collaberation and Communications tools following...

Basecamp
For sharing documents and collaberating on documents.
Camp Fire
So we can all speak at the same time. Makes conference calls more time efficient.
Earth Class Mail
Virtual PO Box.  They scan in mail and email it to me.
Gmail
Simple, reliable online email with super fast search.
Google Calendar
Simple online calendar that allows me to share calendars with my team.
LinkedIn
For managing my business network and finding senior level contacts at companies my clients want to do business with.
Task Anyone
For managing my team and reporting to clients, automatically.

I'll add lists under categories for Telephony, Web, Fun and Hardware that I use each Thursday for the next 4 weeks.  Finance and Management have been covered so far.  Click on the 'Tips' category (see category cloud to the right) for future reference.

Please leave a comment if you have any additional management and collaberation tools and sites, etc, that you can recommend from personal experience.

Jazz On The Charles Bridge

Top Picks For Office Tools To Give You An Unfair Advantage Over Your Competition - Finances

Evan Marc Katz asked me for some recommendations on office tools and I started writing an email, and then thought I'd share the tools with everyone.  Good luck with them.  I currently use all of the following...

ADP RUN
For the best deal on easy payroll processing.  Paycycle and SurePayroll are more comprehensive alternatives.
Bank of America
Allowed me to open 16 accounts with no monthly fees, so clients mail payments directly to dedicated accounts.  Helps streamline invoicing and lighten my admin load. The portfolio manager allows me to track all my investments in one place and graph progress.
Chase Freedom Credit Card
1% cashback, adds up fast.  Make sure they give you a card type without a cap on the rebate!
Identity Guard
Keeps track of my credit rating and alerts me of identity fraud attempts.
Freshbooks
An essential tool for sending invoices.
OzForEx
Stop getting ripped off on foreign exchange.
Paypal
Leave your money online here for the best paying money market account around. Currently   4.6%. Takes three days, and is free to transfer money to any bank account, when you need it.
Paytrust
Pays all my bills, automatically. I also use it to pay the Courtland Brooks team.
Shoeboxed
I email and mail my receipts and they take car of scanning them in.
Vanguard
Check out the Emerging Markets, S&P 500 and Target Retirement indexed funds.
Upromise
Saving up for my future kids education.

I'll add lists under categories for Management, Telephony, Web, Fun and Hardware that I use each Thursday for the next 5 weeks.  Click on the 'Tips' category (see category cloud to the right) for future reference.

Please leave a comment if you have any additional finance tools or sites, etc, you can recommend from personal experience.

Morning Routine

Morning Routine
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

We're getting into a morning routine of heading out at dawn across the Charles
bridge and having breakfast and coffee in Mala Strana under Prague Castle.

Waking up with the sun is good for the soul, especially in combination with
a misty morning walk.

Prague At Dusk

Prague Castle At Dusk
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

It really doesn't take that long to do a daily blog.  This is a test to see how fast I can go from photo to blog post.  4:34pm leapt up from table to take photo, 4:37pm emailed post with picture attached, 4:39pm post was processed from gmail to Typepad via Flickr.  3 minutes more for tweaks and adding the post to appropriate categories.  Under ten minutes.  C'est fini.  So why is it 20% of the 100 blogs I added to Google Reader are as dead as doornails one year later. 

End Of The Day - 2:10am / 8:10pm EST

End Of The Day - 2:10am / 8:10pm EST
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

The end of the work day.  I went through to see Irena, thinking she'd
be snoozing by now, and she's toying with the HTC Advantage still.
Time for us both to crash.

Irena's Office - 4:30pm, 10:30am EST

Irena's Office
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Working away in our snug little office overlooking Prague, and the balcony that Irena and I met on in October 2005.

Starting Work - 9:40am / 3:40am EST

Starting Work - 9:40am / 3:40am EST
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Earl grey with a view of the city rooftops.

One Day In Prague - 8:30am / 2:30am EST

One Day In Prague - 8:30am / 2:30am EST
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Starting the day with a walk across Charles Bridge.  Here's my best shot, post cappuccino. 

First Prague Snow

First Prague Snow
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

We woke on Sunday morning to an inch of snow, and put it to use in the
afternoon.

Czech Lunch

Czech Lunch
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Lunch at Irena's parents.

Unidentified Object

Unidentified Object
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Irena and I went to the Czech Gynecology today.  We found this strange
object in Irena's tummy.  Its 11.6mm long, 7 weeks and 1 day old and
has the tiniest of tiny heartbeats.  :-)

Prague, Traveling Light

Prague, Traveling Light
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Traveling light, to Prague.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Irena, looking over the harbor from the roof of The Vinoy Hotel, St
Petersburg, FL.  2008 will be our greatest year yet, in every way possible.