2013-11-30 Saturday - New Library Additions

I made a trip to my favorite thrift store this weekend, and picked up 39 books for ~$44

Travel Related

Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World
by Michael Lewis
http://www.amazon.com/Boomerang-Travels-New-Third-World/dp/0393081818

The Rough Guide To New Zealand, Fourth Edition
by Laura Harper, Tony Mudd, Paul Whitfield
http://www.amazon.com/Rough-Guide-Zealand-Travel-Guides/dp/1843533251

Frommer's Scotland's Best-Loved Driving Tours, 25 Unforgettable Itineraries
http://www.amazon.com/Frommers-Scotlands-Best-Loved-Driving-Tours/dp/0028638409

Frommer's China: The 50 Most Memorable Trips
by J. D. Brown
http://www.amazon.com/Frommers-China-Most-Memorable-Trips/dp/0028616367

Sailing Related

Adrift Seventy Six Days At Sea
by Steven Callahan
http://www.amazon.com/Adrift-Seventy-Six-Days-Sea/dp/B0011N6APE

Captain Cook, R.N.,
The Resolute Mariner
by Thomas Vaughn, and  A. A. St. C. M. Murray-Oliver
http://www.amazon.com/Captain-resolute-mariner-international-Oceanic/dp/B002J83XCI
 

Languages

Oxford French Grammar
by William Rowlinson
http://www.amazon.com/French-Grammar-William-Rowlinson/dp/019860341X

Getting by in Italian
Barron's
Second Edition
http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Italian-British-Broadcasting-Company/dp/0812084446

History

When the Going Gets Weird: The Twisted Life and Times of Hunter S. Thompson
by Peter O. Whitmer
http://www.amazon.com/When-Going-Gets-Weird-Thompson/dp/1562828568

Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10
by Marcus Luttrell
http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Survivor-Eyewitness-Operation-Hardcover/dp/B00BP0N100

Submarine
by Tom Clancy
http://www.amazon.com/Submarine-Tom-Clancys-Military-Reference/dp/0425190013

Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West
by Stephen Ambrose
http://www.amazon.com/Undaunted-Courage-Meriwether-Jefferson-American/dp/0684826976

The World's Last Mysteries
Reader's Digest
http://www.amazon.com/Worlds-Last-Mysteries-Readers-Digest/dp/089577044X

The Idea of India
by Sunil Khilnani
http://www.amazon.com/Idea-India-Sunil-Khilnani/dp/0374525919

Philosophy

The Nicomachean Ethics (Oxford World's Classics)
by Aristotle
http://www.amazon.com/Nicomachean-Ethics-Oxford-Worlds-Classics/dp/0199213615

A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful
by Edmund Burke
http://www.amazon.com/Philosophical-Enquiry-Sublime-Beautiful-Classics/dp/0199537887

The Problem of Pain
by C.S. Lewis
http://www.amazon.com/The-Problem-Pain-C-Lewis/dp/0060652969

Don't Squat With Yer Spurs On! A Cowboy's Guide to Life
by Texas Bix Bender
http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Squat-Spurs-Cowboys-Guide/dp/0879054700


Architecture & Construction

Architectural and Building Trades Dictionary, Third Edition
by Robert E. Putnam
http://www.amazon.com/Architectural-building-trades-dictionary-Robert/dp/0442274610

New Old House - Designing with Reclaimed Materials
by Ed Knapp
http://www.amazon.com/New-Old-House-Designing-Reclaimed/dp/1586850490

The Architecture of Frank LLoyd Wright
by William Allin Storrer
Second Edition
http://www.amazon.com/The-Architecture-Frank-Lloyd-Wright/dp/0262690802


Business
Becoming Self-Employed
by Susan Elliott
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Self-Employed-Create-Independent-Livelihood/dp/0897091493

Selling to VITO
by Anthony Parinello
http://www.amazon.com/Selling-Vito-Important-Officer-Parinello/dp/B000K066T4

Successful Large Account Management: How to Hold on to Your Most Important Customers - And Keep Them Going Strong - In Today's Marketplace
by Robert B. Miller, Stephen E. Heinman, Tad Tuleja
http://www.amazon.com/Successful-Large-Account-Management-Marketplace/dp/0446393568

Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
By Jim Collins, Jerry I. Porras, Jerry I. Porras as, James C. Collins
http://www.amazon.com/Built-Last-Successful-Visionary-Companies/dp/B007OVBTSK

How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere: The Secrets of Good Communication
by Larry King
http://www.amazon.com/Talk-Anyone-Anytime-Anywhere-Communication/dp/0517599058

Research Design: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches
by John W. Creswell
http://www.amazon.com/Research-Design-Qualitative-Quantitative-Approaches/dp/0803952554

Scientific
Pocket Guide to Stars & Planets
by Ian Morison
http://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Guide-Stars-Planets-Morison/dp/1845377893

Writing
The Language of News: A Journalist's Pocket Reference
by Jack Botts
http://www.amazon.com/The-Language-News-Journalists-Reference/dp/081382494X

Literature

A Salty Piece of Land Hardcover (With Free CD in Back)
By Jimmy Buffett
http://www.amazon.com/Salty-Piece-Land-Jimmy-Buffett/dp/0316743763

Complete Sonnets (Dover Thrift Editions)
by William Shakespeare
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Sonnets-Dover-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486266869

Greek Classics (Cliffs Notes)
Mary Ellen Snodgrass
http://www.amazon.com/Greek-Classics-Cliffs-Notes-Snodgrass/dp/0822005662

The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights
by John Steinbeck
http://www.amazon.com/Acts-King-Arthur-Noble-Knights/dp/B0019VKHJI

Babbit
by Sinclair Lewis
http://www.amazon.com/Babbitt-Barnes-Noble-Classics-Sinclair/dp/1593082673


Cooking
The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Cookbook: Recipes and Reflections from FORREST GUMP
Southern Living Magazine
http://www.amazon.com/The-Bubba-Gump-Shrimp-Cookbook/dp/0848714792

Humor
We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupidby Denis Leary
http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Suck-Staying-Stupid/dp/0670031607

The Official Explanations
by Paul Dickson
http://www.amazon.com/Official-Explanations-Paul-Dickson/dp/0440564492

Politically, Fashionably, and Aerodynamically Incorrect
by Berkeley Breathed
http://www.amazon.com/Politically-Fashionably-Aerodynamically-Incorrect-Collection/dp/0316107018

Night of the Mary Kay Commandos Featuring Smell O-Toons
by Berkeley Breathed
http://www.amazon.com/Night-Commandos-Featuring-Smell-O-Toons/dp/0316107387

2013-11-09 Saturday - New Thrift Store Treasures

In my eternal quest to assemble a respectable private library, I found the following treasures after visiting a local thrift store today...

Survival Chinese, by B.L. De Mente

The Professional Service Firm50, by Tom Peters

Charles Jordan's Best Card Tricks, by Karl Fulves

The Two Trillion Dollar Meltdown, by Charles R. Morris

Cathedral, Forge, and Waterwheel, by Frances & Joseph Gies

The Best of Time, by L.O. Hooper

Coming of Age in The Milky Way, by Timothy Ferris

Pirates Aboard!, by Klaus Hympendahl

San Juan Islands, A Falcon Guide

The Longman Writer's Bible

How to Model It, Problem Solving For the Computer Age, by Starfield, Smith, Bleloch

The Big Book of Poker, by Ken Waren

Shoal of Time, History of Hawaii

Confidence Men, Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President, by Ron Suskind

Alone At Sea: Joshua Slocum, by Ann Spence

LoveActually (script + behind the scenes) by Richard Curtis

Border Boating, Twelve Cruises Through the San Juan and Gulf  Islands

2013-10-30 Monday - R.I.P. Tommy G. Meeks

My father has passed away.

Before I was a gleam in his eye...

"Rattler" - the dog that died saving me from a rattlesnake

The enduring gift of my father - teaching me to "fix things"

His Golden Age

Tommy G. Meeks

January 2, 1939 - September 30, 2013

                               

Memorable Sayings of My Father:

"What's this 'we' business cat-shit?"

"Every Day's a Holiday, Every Meal's a Feast"

"Cotton is down, to a quarter a pound, and I'm busted"

 

"Two Goods and A Better"

"Son-of-a-Bitch!"

"It was the government" (re: 9/11)

"I Suppose"

 
"No Worky, No Eaty"

Things My Father Loved:

Arkansas

A cold beer after a hard day's work, during summer

Country Music 

 

  Fixin things


Things My Father Enjoyed:

Pepsi

Fried Chicken

Black-eyed Peas and Fried Okra 

Cornbread

Licorice

Bologna Sandwiches

Fishing Greers Ferry Lake

The Tractor Supply Store

Wearing his fancy 3-piece suit at Christmas

Oaklawn Park Race Track (in Hot Springs)

Buying Lottery Tickets



My Father's Gifts:

His innate intelligence

Independence of thought

Self-educated

Mechanically gifted

His long-suffering in the face of incompetence

His Honesty

 

My favorite memory of the times I visited with him in his final years: When I could make a joke - that would bring cascades of laughter from deep within his belly.

 

In terms of physical appearance, I always thought that my father most resembled the actor Andy Griffith - during the time he played the character of Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry, in The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968), and Mayberry R.F.D. (1968-1971).

[image source: Wikipedia.org]

 

 

There is much that resonates in my memory of my father - with the character of Al Bundy, in the television show, Married With  Children, which he greatly enjoyed watching.

A memory from my youth...sometime in the late 60s, sitting on the front steps of our house in the woods...a summer day...hot and sticky with sweat from clearing brush...

My dad offered me a sip of his beer (Budweiser). 

He asked if I liked it. 

My reply: "tastes like horse piss". 

 We never really ever understood each other. But, we were men - and the menfolk don't talk about their feelings in my family. 

 

 2026-05-26 Tuesday:  

My mother passed away this past Sunday.  

After my father passed away in September 2013, it took some time for me to be able to grieve for him. A few years later, while I was living in downtown Seattle - it was a rainy Sunday, the weather was cool - I was sitting outside a Starbucks, enjoying the gentle feeling of the rain...and a feeling of grief for his loss welled up from within,and my tears finally flowed. 

 

2013-09-25 Wednesday - Links to tips on writing

http://bighow.com/news/the-art-of-great-writing-60-writing-tips-from-6-alltime-great-writers

http://bighow.com/news/the-art-of-great-writing-part-2125-more-tips-from-20-all-time-great-writers

http://www.paulgraham.com/writing44.html

http://dannystack.blogspot.com/2009/01/joss-whedons-top-10-writing-tips.html

2013-07-06 Saturday - Thrift Shop Books [treasures]

Another trip to a local thrift shop today (Spent ~$39) resulting  in the following additions to my library

Finance

Investments, 2nd Edition, by Zvi Bodie, Alex Kane, and Alan J. Marcus

Mathematics

Probability Without Tears, by Derek Rowntree
Where Do I Put The Decimal Point, by Elizabeth Ruedy and Sue Nirenberg
College Mathematics, Barnes & Noble College Outline Series
Mathematical Fun, Games and Puzzles, by Jack Frohlichstein

Business

Purple Cow, by Seth Godin
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, by John C. Maxwell
The Forbes Book fo Great Business Leters, edited by Erik Bruun
Smart Moves for People in Charge, by Sam Deep and Lyle Sussman

Writing

The Berlitz Complete Book of Effective English
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Screenwriting, by Skip Press
Podcasting for Dummies, by Tee Morris and Evo Terra

Spiritual / Philosophy

afterzen, by Janwillem van de Wetering
The Wisdom of Judaism, by Dan Cohn-Sherbok
Secrets of the Zohar, by Michael Berg

Nautical

learning to cruise, by H. A. Calahan
The Way of a Ship, by Alan Villiers

History

A History of the Scottish People 1560-1830, by T.C Smout
The Army of the Potomac: Mr. Lincoln's Army, by Bruce Catton

Literature  / Fiction / Biographical

The King of Torts, by John Grisham
Watership Down, by Richard Adams
Jian, by Eric Van Lustbader
My Horozontal Life, by Chelsea Handler

2013-01-28 Monday - New Library Additions

Last week I had the chance to visit another thrift store one evening, while traveling on business.

I picked-up the following additions to my library:

"A Sea of Words, A Lexicon and Companion for Patrick O'Brian's Seafaring Tales"
By Dean King, John B. Hattendorf, and J. Worth Estes

"Practical Beekeeping"
by Enoch Tompkins and Roger M. Griffith

"Words I Wish I Wrote, A Collection of Writing That Inspired My Ideas"
by Robert Fulghum

"The Fatal Shore, The Epic of Australia's Founding"
by Robert Hughes

"Go Basics, Concepts & Strategies for New Players"
by Peter Shotwell

"The Stock Market: Theories and Evidence, 2nd Edition"
by James H. Lorie, Peter Dodd, and Mary Hamilton Kimpton