A Case of Exploding Mangoes
Book Notes Written with a loving hand by kitt some time around 22:15 on 13 July 2015
Pre-book notes
Mom bought this book when she was on her Indian writers kick. I have no idea what to expect.
Post-book
Okay, this book was completely and totally not one I would pick up on my own. If Mom hadn't bought it in such a format that I would have it on hand, I wouldn't have read it. She was on an Indian writers kick, and read a large number of authors from India, this book and this author being one of her many.
The story is told in two interleaved parts, one from a first person point of view of a major in the Pakistani army, the other from a third person point of view of a narrator. The story is somewhat confusing at the beginning as the two parts intertwine, but totally clears up as the story progresses. I absolutely adored the way the author would tell of an incidental fact or odd coincidence in the story, then a bit later show how it was incredibly relevant in the story. I chuckled a large number of times, pleased when I caught the references.
I didn't catch some of the humour, and many of the references were lost on me, but I was delighted by the book. Totally outside of the books I normally read, and recommended.
Not available
Blog Instead of being asleep at 18:56 on 11 July 2015, kitt created this:Well, that makes closing that tab easy enough.
Hill sprints
Blog Instead of being asleep at 22:26 on 10 July 2015, kitt created this:As part of my decision to be more fit, I decided yesterday I was going to run up the local monster sledding hill not once, but twice today.
I brought my running clothes to work, and on the way home, stopped at the hill to change into shorts and running shoes, and headed out to the hill.
My goal was two runs up the hill: the first one as hard as I could, the second one just make it to the top.
I walked down to the bottom of the hill and took this picture:
And then up I went.
The first run took me 57 seconds to do.
Back down the hill I went, noting the time, and back up I went.
The second run took me 62 seconds to do.
And then I thought, "I have another one in me."
My butt muscles were screaming at me, which reminded me of the conversation about quad and calves vs hamstrings as a way to move up a mountain. I use my hamstrings, planting my heels and pulling backward, instead of using my quads and calves by lifting the knees, landing on the toes with bent legs and driving upward with my quads. I tried to adjust my gait on the third run up, to use my calves and quads, but ran out of steam half way up. The third run took me 78 seconds.
I spent the next 5 minutes at the car stretching, trying to unknot my butt muscles, with little success, I'm afraid. I then spent the next 8 minutes doubled over trying hard not to puke as I was wracked with cramps. I probably should have just puked and been done with it.
So, hill conquered three times, 50% better than my original plan. I am pleased with this.
Positioning
Book Notes Yeah, kitt finished writing this at 20:53 on 10 July 2015
Mid-book thoughts
I'm kinda chuckling at this book as I read it. It's all pre-Internet era advertising examples, which makes them hilarious in the context of today's world. That said, I wish there were an updated, relevant-to-today version of this book. Extracting the message, ignoring the historical juxtaposition with the number of upturned ideas about marketing, and the book is okay so far. Might be a bit too Mad-Men-esque for me.
End of book thoughts
Subtitled, "The Battle for Your Mind"
I read this book on the recommendation in How to Transform Your Ideas into Software Products.
The book was first published in 1981, though there's a 2001 copyright on some of the books. As a result, oh, ha, a lot of the products discussed and idea presented are so dated I felt I was reading a Mad Men how-to manual of sorts. There were references to Xerox's failed attempts at the computer industry, along with references to the Marlboro man on television (uh.... nope, not any more), and American car manufacturers dominance in the minds of Americans. The parts where suggestions about "possibly think internationally" had me giggling. And, aw, man, I understood many of the references to the older ways of doing things (hey, how about that Thomas Register?).
I really would like to have this book rewritten with modern / updated product references and case studies.
That said, the positioning yourself and your career chapter totally hit home. Still relevant, still applicable, and still swirling in my head as "I need to do this."
Many thanks to Poornima for suggesting the book. I wouldn't have read it otherwise. It's a fast book to read, and, despite its datedness, worth the 3 hours to read it.
Comfort food
Blog Yeah, kitt finished writing this at 19:36 on 9 July 2015I went to a paper store today. The last couple weeks have been rough for me, for various reasons including upcoming, somewhat uncomfortable changes. While I would like to say I'm dealing with everything well, I'm not. Upside: learning opportunity! Chance to take care of myself! Something to laugh about years later! Adventure!
Right.
All that.
Perhaps unsurprising to anyone including myself, on a whim this afternoon I went to a paper store. I did my usual walk around the entire store to get a feel for things, before going back to pick up an item or two that caught my eye. Good paper stores are just delightful for me. I use paper stores as one of the five items to check out in a new town to rate the town's quality (the others being chocolate stores, tea shops, and book stores, which a bonus of cupcake stores). This one was a recent discovery, small and well stocked.
I bought a number of comfort items:
The socks completely crack me up. I mean, walking around with "f--- this shit." around your ankles? Priceless!
The journals, yeah, well, the journals are lovely. The bigger one has a stitched binding. While the line spacing is bigger than I like, I do like the journal itself. I am thinking about commissioning some notebooks for myself, have a couple hundred printed and bound just for me, just the way I like it. For now, the larger journal is available. The smaller journal is a Paper Thinks journal. It's a new brand for me. I have a smaller one, of the same goldenrod yellow colour. I like it a lot, so thought I'd try the larger one, too.
The green Chiyogami paper just made me smile when I picked it up. I really love the pattern and the feel of the paper. The page itself isn't large enough to be of much use for me other than an insert that makes me smile when I see it, or maybe a ribbon on a notebook. It's lovely.
And the color origami Tant squares. They are in shades of yellow. I'm going to use them for cranes when I head to Orange county. I'm not sure the grandparents are really going to appreciate the yellow cranes. I'm hoping they won't mind my folding them during quiet times, as a way to settle myself, and comfort myself a bit.
So, that was my journey to the paper store. I like my growing collection of notebooks and books. Each one notebook is an invitation to write a story. Each book is an invitation to read a story.
I'm glad for the comfort.