\newcommand{\customListPrefs}{\setlength{\parsep}{0cm}\setlength{\itemsep}{0cm}}
\newenvironment{customList}{\begin{list}{}{\customListPrefs{}}}{\end{list}}
\newcommand{\customItem}[2]{\item[#1] #2}

\newenvironment{tasklist}{\begin{list}{}{\customListPrefs{}}}{\end{list}}
\newcommand{\task}[2]{\item[\textbf{#1}] #2}

\definecolor{taskA}{rgb}{1,.5,.5}
\definecolor{taskB}{rgb}{.5,1,.5}
\definecolor{taskC}{rgb}{.5,.5,1}
\definecolor{taskD}{rgb}{.5,1,1}
\definecolor{taskE}{rgb}{1,.5,1}
\definecolor{taskF}{rgb}{1,1,.5}
\definecolor{taskdone}{rgb}{.5,.5,.5}

\newcommand{\taskdone}[1]{{\footnotesize\textcolor{taskdone}{#1}}}
\newcommand{\taskA}[1]{\colorbox{taskA}{#1}}
\newcommand{\taskB}[1]{\colorbox{taskB}{#1}}
\newcommand{\taskC}[1]{\colorbox{taskC}{#1}}
\newcommand{\taskD}[1]{\colorbox{taskD}{#1}}
\newcommand{\taskE}[1]{\colorbox{taskE}{#1}}
\newcommand{\taskF}[1]{\colorbox{taskF}{#1}}

\newcommand{\emphStyle}{\em}
\newcommand{\emphSpan}[1]{\emph{#1}}
\newcommand{\boldSpan}[1]{\textbf{#1}}
\newcommand{\remoteSpan}[1]{#1}

\newenvironment{overlayBlock}{}{}
\newenvironment{scriptsizeBlock}{\scriptsize{}}{}
\newenvironment{boxBlock}{}{}
\newenvironment{footnotesizeBlock}{\footnotesize{}}{}
\newenvironment{smallBlock}{\small{}}{}
\newenvironment{landscapeBlock}{}{}
\newenvironment{gridBlock}{}{}
\newenvironment{formalBlock}{}{}

\newenvironment{todoBlock}{}{}

\newenvironment{bookBlock}{}{}
\newenvironment{booksList}{\begin{list}{}{\customListPrefs{}}}{\end{list}}
\newcommand{\booksItem}[2]{\item[\textbf{#1}] #2}

\newenvironment{exampleBlock}{\bfseries{}}{}
\newenvironment{examplesList}{\begin{list}{}{\customListPrefs{}}}{\end{list}}
\newcommand{\examplesItem}[2]{\item[#1] #2}