Daily Thoughts 7/6/2010

Wood Engraving, Three Muses, Reynold's Miscellany of Romance, General Literature and Art.

Daily Thoughts 7/6/2010

Today, I went in to work and just tried to hold things together with so many people gone. It was very hard. I spent a little bit of time turning on computers which is not something I usually do. I guess, I may be doing some different things than I expect in the coming two weeks. I learned a little bit more about what was happening. I found out a few more things all the part-time people had their hours cut in half in January. It is very sad.

I guess part of this is just being there and getting used to the feeling of a changed place. We got off a little early today. I finished reading Dean Koontz's Frankenstein Lost Souls. It had a lot of interesting characters in it. I will review it later.

Right now, I am reading Fitzpatrick's War by Theodore Judson which is steampunk.

Daily Thoughts 8/20/2009

Bertrand Russell Nobel laureate in Literature 1950

Daily Thoughts 8/20/2009

Today, I have been weeding some more in the 800s. I am in the poetry section right now. Sometimes, you find odd titles which are appealing like Untitled Epic Poem on the History of Industrialization by R. Buckminster Fuller. I found it rather intriguing.

I finished reading Dean Koontz's Frankenstein Dead and Alive Book Three. The series was satisfying but a little strange. It is also on the Locus Magazine paperback bestseller list. Dean Koontz has been focusing on writing about odd people a lot lately. The last book I read of his before this series was Odd Thomas. In the Frankenstein books, I can recognize the influence of the british writer Brian Lumley. It is a nice distraction if you want something to pass some time reading.

I read some more of The Practice of Management by Peter F. Drucker. It identifies the main purpose of a business is to create customers. Businesses do this through marketing, innovation, and productivity. Profit is the end point of doing these things right. The book makes a lot of sense. There is no jargon in this book. It is very different from more modern business texts. There are no charts and statistics.

Daily Thoughts 8/8/2009

Joshua Thomas and the first? book wagon or bookmobile. It was reported that the horses names were Dandy and Black Beauty, and that they were stabled at Corderman's Livery Stable in Hagerstown. Washington County Free Library 1905. Picture from Wikimedia

Daily Thoughts 8/8/2009

Today has been slow and quiet. I went and dropped off my library book. It was a pleasant walk up the hill and back.

I'll probably watch The Castle Cagliostro also known as Lupin III which is an anime film. I like to watch films while I do my exercises. I got a chance to watch a little bit of it. I really enjoyed it. This is the kind of movie a teenage boy would really like. It is based on the manga, Monkey Punch and is directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Hayao Miyazaki directed Princess Mononoke which was excellent. This is one of the better anime films I have seen. This is the second time I am watching it.

I was at the mall this afternoon. In the Barnes and Noble window, they had a book with a near perfect title, Madoff With The Money by Jerry Oppenheimer. The cover and the title really fit well. I think it will be something to suggest that we buy. The book is coming out on August 17, 2009.

I have been reading Dean Koontz's Frankenstein A Novel City Of Night Book Two. I read the first book, Prodigal Son a while ago. I will probably read the third book in the series, Dead and Alive as well. The three part series is out in paperback. In this series, the monster who has taken the name of Deucalion is the hero, and Doctor Frankenstein is the villain. It makes for a very nice twist. The setting is New Orleans. Dean Koontz started out writing as a science fiction writer. It feels a little like one of his early novels, except the writing is much better.

I also started reading Keeping Customers published by Harvard Business Review. The writing in this book is very dense, it will take some time to read. There is companion book that goes with this book, Seeking Customers. This is an older book from 1993. The earliest copyright date is 1968. It has proven the test of time. This book about putting customers as the central reason for your business.

Morning Thoughts

Morning Thoughts

I have been having a very nice vacation. I managed to stop myself from doing anything thought related, I didn't see the doctor or the mechanic because although I think I might need to, I really need to rest more than anything to be back to work on Monday. This week has been relaxing.

Anyways, I read In Odd We Trust by Dean Koontz and Queenie Chan. I just wasn't that fascinated by the graphic novel. There was nothing which really stood out about the story. The drawing was quite frankly plain. The story was entertaining but it had very little depth. I think this was Dean Koontz's first graphic novel. Maybe he will do better with his Frankenstein story. In Odd We Trust had a kind of fluffy feeling to it. I'll think of it as a nice first attempt. It was alright. Something which many people may not realize is that Dean Koontz started out as a science fiction writer.

I walked up to my library this afternoon. I am sitting at one of the library computers right now. I have a copy of The Other Wind by Ursula K. Le Guin. Although, it was written in 2001, it is something which I haven't read yet. It is a novel in the Earthsea series.

I am going to be logging off soon. I have to pay a fine for a video I returned late.