Otic Thoughts from the White Board - Sept 29

That's "Otic," meaning of the ear.  Learned that back when I was in Pharamcy Technician school.  Boy that seems like a long time ago.

Now why would I bring up something like that, you ask?  Well I did something kind of dumb last night.  I was using a Q-Tip to clean my ears, and I was kinda tired, so my hand accidentally slipped and jammed the thing into my ear canal.  Much deeper than intended.  I hit something in there.  And it hurts.

I don't recall enough anatomy to know what I smacked into in my ear, but now it is all plugged up in there and quite painful.  I imagine I am on my way to having an ear infection. 

They should have to put this warning on every single Q-Tip, for those of us too dumb to read the box (or in my case, to take it seriously).  Boy, that would make the price of the things go up, I tell ya. / Source: NakedLoon.com  - I kid you not, that's where I got it from.

I've been doing this offending practice for years; that is, putting a Q-Tip in my ear, not blogging or complaining, though I've done both of those for years as well.  I have finally managed to do some harm, and now I'm ruing the day.  Ruing, I tells ya!

Book Review: Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

With this review out of the way, I'm caught up again.  At least on book reviews.  Now I need to do other things.  Like an Op/Ed piece that is just burning at the back of my head.  Or homework.  Yeah, I could do homework.  Certainly have enough of that to do.

Source: Amazon.com

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

From the book’s cover:

Anyone who has read J.D. Salinger's New Yorker stories--particularly A Perfect Day for Bananafish, Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut, The Laughing Man, and For Esme With Love and Squalor--will not be surprised by the fact that his first novel is full of children. The hero-narrator of The Catcher in the Rye is an ancient child of sixteen, a native New Yorker named Holden Caulfield.

Through circumstances that tend to preclude adult, secondhand description, he leaves his prep school in Pennsylvania and goes underground in New York City for three days. The boy himself is at once too simple and too complex for us to make any final comment about him or his story. Perhaps the safest thing we can say about Holden is that he was born in the world not just strongly attracted to beauty but, almost, hopelessly impaled on it.

There are many voices in this novel: children's voices, adult voices, underground voices-but Holden's voice is the most eloquent of all. Transcending his own vernacular, yet remaining marvelously faithful to it, he issues a perfectly articulated cry of mixed pain and pleasure. However, like most lovers and clowns and poets of the higher orders, he keeps most of the pain to, and for, himself. The pleasure he gives away, or sets aside, with all his heart. It is there for the reader who can handle it to keep.

Book Review: Night Shift, by Stephen King

Gotta get caught up here, as I just finished reading The Catcher in the Rye right after reading Night Shift.  So it's going to be another stretch of book reviews, with an Op/Ed piece thrown in somewhere, if I have time.

I know I've said it before (and recently, to boot), but if somebody would just pay me a little for the work I'm doing here, it'd sure help.  Because I love it.  You can tell, huh?  I hope so.

Oh, to do the work you want, and not just the work you have to do.  A man can dream, can't he?

The paperback version of Night Shift I had. / Source: Amazon.com

Night Shift, by Stephen King

From the book’s cover (the 1978 hardcover version, which differs from later texts):

Stephen King has brought together nineteen of his most unsettling short pieces--bizarre tales of dark doing and unthinkable acts from the twilight regions where horror and madness take on eerie, unearthly forms...where noises in the walls and shadows by the bed are always signs of something dreadful on the prowl.

The settings are familiar and unsuspected--a high school, a factory, a truck stop, a laundry, a field of Nebraska corn. But in Stephen King's world any place can serve as devil's ground...if the time of night is propitious, and the forces of darkness are strong, and the victims are caught just slightly off their guard...

Book Review: Win Your Case: How to Present, Persuade, and Prevail-Every Place, Every Time

Been busy studying for an upcoming test for my Intro to Economics class, and therefore I had to cut back on my posting for a bit.  School is ramping up nicely, I guess you'd say.  Lots of little assignments keeping me busy.  But I do need to try and keep up with my reviews, since I still have time to read and am getting through lots of books.  This one is only the latest, and was pretty interesting, despite the fact that it sounds like some sort of self-help book for the decidedly unassertive.  Just the opposite, in fact.  But I'll let the review do the talking.


Source: Amazon.com


Win Your Case: How to Present, Persuade, and Prevail--Every Place, Every Time by Gerry Spence

From the Book's Cover: 

Gerry Spence is perhaps America's most renowned and successful trial lawyer, a man known for his deep convictions and his powerful courtroom presentations when he argues on behalf of ordinary people. Frequently pitted against teams of lawyers thrown against him by major corporate or government interests, he has never lost a criminal case and has not lost a civil jury trial since l969.

In Win Your Case, Spence shares a lifetime of experience teaching you how to win in any arena-the courtroom, the boardroom, the sales call, the salary review, the town council meeting-every venue where a case is to be made against adversaries who oppose the justice you seek. Relying on the successful courtroom methods he has developed over more than half a century, Spence shows both lawyers and laypersons how you can win your cases as he takes you step by step through the elements of a trial-from jury selection, the opening statement, the presentation of witnesses, their cross-examinations, and finally to the closing argument itself.

Spence teaches you how to prepare yourselves for these wars. Then he leads you through the new, cutting-edge methods he uses in discovering the story in which you form the evidence into a compelling narrative, discover the point of view of the decision maker, anticipate and answer the counterarguments, and finally conclude the case with a winning final argument.

To make a winning presentation, you are taught to prepare the power-person (the jury, the judge, the boss, the customer, the board) to hear your case. You are shown that your emotions, and theirs, are the source of your winning. You learn the power of your own fear, of honesty and caring and, yes, of love. You are instructed on how to role-play through the use of the psychodramatic technique, to both discover and tell the story of the case, and, at last, to pull it all together into the winning final argument.

Whether you are presenting your case to a judge, a jury, a boss, a committee, or a customer, Win Your Case is an indispensable guide to success in every walk of life, in and out of the courtroom. 

Quiescent Thoughts from the White Board - Sept 23

It's a rather peaceful and easy Sunday afternoon, thus the prefixed title to this post.  I actually have several things to write about, but seeing as there are also a bunch of tasks that need to be accomplished for school and around the home instead, I think I'll just save that burgeoning storm of activity for another day.

What's on my mind that I'm putting off, you ask?  Well, there are a couple of Opinion-Editorial pieces now, as well as some work on a movie review (I went to the cheap seats and saw the new Total Recall movie last night - and took notes afterward, so I can actually do a review justice this time).  And a book review for one I finished a few days back.  It was called Win Your Case, and was quite engaging.

And probably by tomorrow afternoon, I'll have finished another book and will need to be thinking about the review for that one too.  Been listening to Stephen King's Night Shift.  Since it is a collection of short stories, I'll have to try and make it a short review...  of each story, that is.

I'm trying to keep up with things around here because I have plans on the horizon for some changes I'd like to make.  I'm afraid if I fall behind, those changes won't happen, or will be greatly delayed.  It is a real shame that I can't make enough money with this thing to really supplement our income, as it can be a lot of work sometimes and I could use some compensation.  But then, I don't write because I want money (yes, I dream of writing for money, but people who love what they do dream of being paid well for it).  I do it because I like it.  And so I will keep on doing it and try to be content, for as long as possible.

Book review: The Silmarillion, by J.R.R Tolkien

As an aside right up front, the last time I went to the movies in the theater (I can't recall when that was, just now), I saw a preview for this movie (Wreck-It Ralph, as shown in the preview below), and I just happened across it again today.  The whole support group scene may be a bit overdone in movie comedy, but in this case...  seeing villains from games I loved as a kid made it hit the spot.  Anybody else remember Zangief from Street Fighter 2?  Check him out at the 57 second mark or so.

 Wreck-it-Ralph looks to be worth my big screen full price ticket, come November.  Fingers crossed.

And now, on to the review:

Source: Amazon.com

The Silmarillion, by J.R.R Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien (editor)

From the book’s cover:

The tales of The Silmarillion were the underlying inspiration and source of J.R.R. Tolkien's imaginative writing; he worked on the book throughout his life but never brought it to a final form. Long preceding in its origins The Lord of the Rings, it is the story of the First Age of Tolkien's world, the ancient drama to which characters in The Lord of the Rings look back and in which some of them, such as Elrond and Galadriel, took part.

Homey Thoughts from the White Board - Sept 16

That's "Homey," as in:
  
hom·ey/ˈhōmē/

Adjective:

(of a place or surroundings) Pleasantly comfortable and cozy.

and not:

Homie        

The term "homie" was started by Mexican-Americans, most commonly in East Los Angeles, though, of course, the credit given for the term goes out mostly to African-Americans. The term derives from Homeboy, and was shortened down to just "Homes" or sometimes spelled "holmes", which is another Mexican-American term, commonly used in California. Rapper Biggy Smalls has used the term Homes/Holmes commonly.  Source: UrbanDictionary.com, with spelling errors corrected.

Anyway, yesterday I went to the Weber County Heritage Foundation's 2012 Historic Home Tour.  It was an assignment for a class.  No, really.  I don't know what all those other people were doing spending $15 quid to go around people's houses and gander at their architecture, but I was there for the betterment of my education.

The theme was "Mid-century Modern."  I had in mind a bunch of 50s era houses (you know, mid-century), but apparently mid-century is code for late 1960s and early 1970s.  They were all up on the hillside above Ogden High School, though.  Nothing in the ghetto.  If they'd been in the ghetto, they'd have still had their original shag carpet.  Plus some new additions, like a meth lab in the basement and some chalk crime scene outlines in the driveway.  Maybe a shell casing or two, and a used needle.  You know, ghetto charm?

Ogden isn't as bad as I make it out to be.  Certainly not as bad as wherever this place is.  That's pretty brazen, don't ya think? / Source: RideLust.com

Book Review: Slaughterhouse Five

After reading my last post, my wife asked what the point was?  Now I would have thought that was fairly self-explanatory.  You know, "space travel to Mars is probably going to be a one way trip?"  I suppose if you didn't even crack open the link to the original story, it might seem a bit off.

Just the same, I suppose this means I have been writing a lot of serious stuff lately.  Hey - I'm trying to throw in more fiction reviews!  Instead of all "boring" history texts and deep thinking stuff.  I may not be completely succeeding (see my review below) but I'm trying.  Some people just can't be happy, I guess.  Sigh...  It's tough being married an intellectual Neanderthal as I am.  Tough as all get out, I tell ya.  Can't even discuss anything more interesting than a manicure without getting out a white board and some graphs.

...

Ain't it great when you can be all dramatic and yank somebody's chain?  I get a kick out of that.  She's a good sport, kids, let's give my wife a hand.

Anyway, here's that review.



Source: Amazon.com

 Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut

From the book’s cover:

Slaughterhouse-Five, an American classic, is one of the world’s great antiwar books. Centering on the infamous firebombing of Dresden, Billy Pilgrim’s odyssey through time reflects the mythic journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we fear most.

Martian Thoughts from the White Board - Sept 13

Anybody want to go to Mars?  Apparently, it should be a one way trip (according to Buzz Aldrin, that is).

Read the story on iO9.com, which quotes Buzz Aldrin as saying that going to Mars should initially be a one-way trip

This article makes sense to me, to tell the truth.  When people have traveled to far off places in the past (prior to global communication and rapid transport via airplane), they often made a commitment to stay where they went, even before they set off to get there.  Then again, Mars is not like going to Timbuktu, or even Tristan da Cunha Island (I Googled "most remote islands" and it ranks right up there as one of the most out-of-the-way and yet still inhabited places on the planet).  Yes, exotic and distant places on Earth may have perils such as strange insects, diseases that can only be avoided by getting the "peanut butter shot," and potentially unfriendly neighbors who might eat you (Papua New Guinea, anybody?).

But at least they all have oxygen in rather abundant supply.  Tough going, without that.

Book Review: The Bro Code

It wouldn't be Wednesday afternoon if I didn't have a blog post to give, now would it?  Another review here.  And I've got one more in the pipeline.  Look for Slaughterhouse Five in the next couple of days.

Source: Amazon.com

The Bro Code, by Barney Stinson, with Matt Kuhn

From the book’s cover:

Everyone's life is governed by an internal code of conduct. Some call it morality. Others call it religion. But Bros in the know call this holy grail The Bro Code.

Historically a spoken tradition passed from one generation to the next, the official code of conduct for Bros appears here in its published form for the first time ever. By upholding the tenets of this sacred and legendary document, any dude can learn to achieve Bro-dom.

Somber Thoughts from the White Board - Sept 11

A rumination on the events of September 11th, 2001...

I've noticed these past few years that sometimes I overlook the anniversary of this day, even though it coincided with a pretty significant event in my life.  You see, a few days before the events of that particular September morning, I had asked my boss for the day of September the 12th off.  That was the day I had determined to ask my then-girlfriend to marry me.  At that time I was working as a materials receiver at Parker-Hannifin, which was and still is a manufacturer of a vital aircraft components, and therefore a major supplier of the airline industry.  

I was nervous that whole week before. You see, I knew my girlfriend was somebody I wanted to be in my life for always, but then again I wasn't too sure I was ready for marriage.  Just the same, I'd gone and bought a diamond ring, and I was looking forward to having the day off.  It was to be a major turning point in my life.  I couldn't imagine anything else that could overshadow such a day.

Book Review: Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

Another intellectual book, but this one is better than some.  Although my review is fairly glowing, I must note that I'm not fully converted.  As my reviews alludes to, Mark Twain had a saying about lies and statistics. But just the same, the book was worth my time.  Good thing, as it is one I had to read for a class.

Source: Amazon.com

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

From the book’s cover:

Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool?
What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common?
How much do parents really matter?
These may not sound like typical questions for an economist to ask. But Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He studies the riddles of everyday life—from cheating and crime to parenting and sports—and reaches conclusions that turn conventional wisdom on its head.

Freakonomics is a groundbreaking collaboration between Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, an award-winning author and journalist. They set out to explore the inner workings of a crack gang, the truth about real estate agents, the secrets of the Ku Klux Klan, and much more.

Through forceful storytelling and wry insight, they show that economics is, at root, the study of incentives—how people get what they want or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing.

Book Review: Locked On

I told my dear wife that I wouldn't use all my Wednesday in-between class time to blog, and I won't.  I swear.  I also have some reading to do for my afternoon class.  But I did want to get this little review - ok, not so little, but at least I'm trying - out of the way.  A hint: if you're in a hurry, skip to the Recommendation section.  The rest is mostly filibuster on the novel's good and bad points, and won't bring you closer to true Enlightenment, I'm sure.

Source: Amazon.com

Locked On, by Tom Clancy, with Mark Greaney

From the book’s cover:

Tom Clancy's All-Star lineup is back. Jack Ryan, his son, Jack Jr., John Clark Ding Chavez and the rest of the Campus team are facing their greatest challenge ever.
Jack Ryan, Sr. has made a momentous choice. He's running for President of the United States again and thus giving up a peaceful retirement to help his country in its darkest hour. But he doesn't anticipate the treachery of his opponent, who uses trumped up charges to attack one of Ryan's closest comrades, John Clark.
Now, Clark is in a race against time and must travel the world, staying one step ahead of his adversaries, including a shadowy organization tasked to bring him in, all while trying to find who is behind this.
Meanwhile, Jack Ryan, Jr., Ding Chavez, Dominick Caruso and other members of the Campus-the top secret off-the-books intelligence agency founded by Jack Ryan during his first term in the White House-deal with a question of their own: Why is a Pakistani military officer meeting with Dagestani terrorists? The answer will ultimately lead to a desperate struggle, with nothing short of the fate of the world at stake.

Thoughts from the White Board - Sept 4

The Thoughts return!  After a couple of months of almost exclusively Book reviews (and that one Op/Ed piece), I decided to put out one of these.  It doesn't hurt that they are a bit easier than book reviews.  That did play into my decision, you can be sure.  I do have a review for a recent Tom Clancy book that I just finished at the end of last week, but I haven't edited it yet, so I'll polish it up and submit in the next few days.  I'm sure you're breathless with anticipation.

Anyway, hope yall had a good Labor Day 2012.