Wooden Book

A recently finished a book my wife gave me, "A Game Plan For Life: The Power of Mentoring" by John Wooden and Don Yaeger. I enjoyed the mentoring stories Coach Wooden had, but especially like the second half of the book which had chapters written by people mentored by Wooden. This list included Lewis Alcindor (as Coach called him) and Bill Walton. Highly recommended for those considering mentoring or being mentored.

Union Spelling Dispute

Some local union came by the office and had a labordispute.

Funny thing is, directly out of view, on the building, is a huge NG logo with the correct spelling. Work union, spell worse.

Steve Blank

Heard Steve Blank talk at SD Tech Founders meetup.

Weekend Activites

* Replaced broken water heater. The old one was leaking and finally croaked when a short cause a small conflagration.
* Got sick.

The Pacific Book

After watching the mini-series (most episodes, at least) I read the companion book to "The Pacific". I prefer the book. The show is great, with good acting and chilling action scenes. But the scope is narrow: marine enlisted infantry. The book covers aviators, officers, et. al. Not meant to be a definitive narrative (which it isn't) it gives a great feel for the war and the different emotions swirling around during that period.

Consolidated Plant

The UT had a nice article on the Consolidated/Convair/General Dynamics plant I visit quite often.

Abacus

Bengt passed his 9 kyu level abacus exam! The next level has more complicated multiplication and starts division.

Traffic Jam

Here is a snap of a local freeway cam during the storms a few weeks ago.


I would hate to be in traffic like that.

Howard Lindzon

Howard Lindzon gave a great (and funny) talk at SD Tech Founders meetup.

Weekend Activities

* Dog hikes at Cardiff and San Elijo Lagoon.

Weekend Activities

* Visited the zoo to see the Elephant Odyssey exhibit which was very nice. I liked the comparison of prehistoric animals to present day ones.
* Spent time at the beach to take advantage of the nice weather.

Books

More Books:

• Geek Dad by Ken Denmead - has some interesting projects but not as good as Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction.


• Throwing the Elephant: The Art of Managing Up by Stanley Bing - a goofy book about managing executives; only common sense advice; more satire than real advice.


• Victory and Deceit: Dirty Tricks at War by James F. Dunnigan and Albert A. Nofi - An ok book on deception tactics over the years. The most interesting items were the late 20th century deceptions like Bosnia and the Gulf War.


• Iwo Jima: Portrait of a Battle by Eric Hammel - A truly outstanding book. The pictures should be mandatory viewing. The narrative is well written but a bit tough on the brass.

X-Com

Thanks to Three Moves Ahead #92 and Steam, I am playing X-Com again. Time-waster supreme.

IBD Wonk

I started a new blog about investing the CANSLIM way, IBD Wonk.

1955 on Kickstarter

I just become an official backer of "1955: The War of Espionage" board game on Kickstarter. Can't wait for it to be produced. They only need $132 in the next 5 days.

Busy Weekend

* Bengt tested for his orange belt and passed!
* Jaya finished up her performances in the Star Theater production of Annie.
* Tried to stay dry.

More Books

• Hell Is Upon Us: D-Day in the Pacific--Saipan to Guam, June-August 1944 by Victor Brooks - There aren't many books on the Marianas Campaign (except for the naval Battle of the Phillipine Sea) so I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately this is one of the most poorly-edited books I have read. The author has some good material and you do get a good feel for the invasions of Saipan, Tinian and Guam, but the errors and never-ending references to the Civil War are bothersome in the least.


• Persian Gulf War (America At War Series) by Rodney P. Carlisle and John Stewart Bowman - A decent basic history of the 1991 Gulf War.

Why I Like Board Games

Here are some good reasons why I love board games and play them with my family.

Book Potpourri

Knocked out a few more books:
* Kingmakers: The Inventions of the Modern Middle East by Shareen Blair Brysac and Karl Meyer - a very rich inspection of the history of middle east beginning at the end of the 19th century through the middle of the Iraq War. Very well done, but a bit British-centric (it helps to know English titles and government).
* The Vietnam War: A History of US Involvement by John Dunn - read this basic narrative in preparation for more detailed books on the Vietnam War.
* The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle - a somewhat interesting book on how talent can be cultivated using different methods of practice; it could have been condensed into 5 pages.
* One Square Mile of Hell: The Battle for Tarawa by John Wukovits - a ground level view of the harrowing battle of Tarawa, one of the Marine Corps' finest moments.

November in Herndon

I just finished a month-long stint in Herndon, VA for a work assignment. Its good to be back.