I know that I’m not the only person that has those days where all your ideas just plain suck. Usually my favorite brainstorming technique for my not-so-creative days is to do rapid brainstorming. The key to this type of brainstorming is to set a goal of 100 ideas in 10 minutes and write down literally everything you can think of. Even if your mind starts to drift and you think about a dog that is outside your window, write it down. This way you free your mind from the normal line of thinking; If you write an idea about a dog, it may lead to a great idea - normally you would discount this thought all together.

One of the reasons this technique is my favorite when my brain is feeling “blah” is that it purges out all of those crappy ideas that keep circulating in my head. Typically if I set a goal of 100 ideas and time is winding down, I scrape to come up with new things I haven’t thought of. This way I’m breaking out of my normal train of thought which is key when thinking creatively.

Seems the good people at TorrentSpy have decided to stop letting US users search the TorrentSpy site due to uncertainty around US privacy laws. While I can certainly understand TorrentSpy’s position, I don’t like the fact that our country continues to try to apply laws which are out-dated. Like many out there when I’m told I can’t have something; it makes me want it more.

So I say, if you can’t search in the US, then just move to another country, virtually. Visit the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF.org) and download their TOR Onion router. If you follow their instructions the TOR Onion will route your internet connection through several random servers in various countries, thereby giving websites like TorrentSpy the appearance that you are in another country.

It’s a simple way to bypass the system. Better yet, donate to the EFF and help them protect our freedoms online.

Like many of you, I love whiteboards and the collaborative aspect of quickly jotting down ideas on what feels like a large napkin at breakfast. Recently, we moved into a new office and the whiteboard just didn’t look that nice on our new walls. We decided to opt for steel sheets rather then whiteboards.

The Home Depot sells 24 x 36 inch sheets for $7 a piece. They look better then whiteboards and they give you the added benefit of using magnets for posting material in a collaborative space.

When my wife and I go food shopping we always bring a list of items but we often forget a pen to check-off what was purchased. Even when we do bring a pen it is a bit awkward to write on a piece of flimsy paper without leaning against a cereal box. As a dirt simple alternative just rip your check-offs into the side of the paper to indicate what you’ve picked up and what still needs to be hunted down.

The last few weeks I’ve been thinking about how SMS could be leveraged to help our clients market their products & services. In doing so, I found American Airlines txtSAAver program and Ping Rewards. I believe that SMS coupons & specials will become ever more common over time. For the marketer these ads are low-cost and can quickly be generated to maximize sales during low points either in the day, week or month.

However, I do see potential abuse in the system which opens the door to mechanisms which would make SMS marketing less attractive, namely too many text messages and unsolicited messages which would turn customers away from the service. Despite the potential shortcomings I think SMS marketing is a channel which has been largely over-looked to date.