Some Things Never Change

I recently read the following in General Eisenhower's memoirs, at ease...

"The War Department moves in mysterious ways its blunders to perform  -- this sentiment expresses my mood in the fall of 1924.  Why, three months ahead of schedule , I was moved thousands of miles from Panama to the Chesapeake Bay to join three other officers in a football coaching assignment is still a cosmic top-secret to me. Then or now, one guess would be as good as another.

The whole thing may have started in a heavy think session of staff officers asa an attempt to (what is now called) "improve the image" of the Army.  On the other hand, it may have come about because some bright young junior officer , relaxing with his seniors after a golf game, remarked for lack of anything more constructive to say, "Wouldn't it be dandy to get an Army team together that they could play an undefeated, untied season and smear the Marines?"

"Such a casual question, if dimly comprehended by a senior officer who nods his head in silent acquiescence as the easiest way of being good company, can result in an amazing amount of activity."

How true this is..still

Link of the Week

British Ministry of Defense reading list...certainly worth a look.  You'll find it HERE.

Rules to Live and Work By

Former SECDEF, Donald Rumsfeld, has recently released his new book, Rumsfeld's Rules.  I bought a copy and am half-way through reading it.  Unfortunately, many people will dismiss him out of hand immediately because of his political affiliation or his handling of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars from 2001-2006.  He is a polarizing figure.  But from what I've read so far, his list of "rules" is bounded in common sense; and while nothing new (Peter Drucker, Dale Carnegie et others have said similar things) the anecdotes he attaches to his rules and his plain spoken language is refreshing.  

I thought it was interesting that he used a stand-up desk, though.  It seems like it is a more productive method, and probably healthier way of getting a lot of paperwork done throughout out the day.  

There's a lot of good stuff in there.  More to follow in an upcoming post.  

The Written Word

Source: Via FuckYeah! Manuscripts

I recently found this fantastic site, interestingly (?) titled, "Fuck Yeah Manuscripts!", that hosts a great/eclectic collection of written manuscripts. Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to the right...more great manuscripts HERE.

What Does Your Perfect Library Look Like?

Via Flavorwire

If You Don't Have Time

“If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”

-- Stephen King

Darwin's Daily Writing Ritual

A great excerpt about Charles Darwin's daily writing ritual from the book Daily Rituals: How Artists Work, by Mason Currey:

"The first, and best, of his work periods began at 8:00 a.m., after Darwin had taken a short walk and had a solitary breakfast. Following ninety minutes of focused work in his study—disrupted only by occasional trips to the snuff jar that he kept on a table in the hallway—Darwin met his wife, Emma, in the drawing room to receive the day’s post. He read his letters, then lay on the sofa to hear Emma read the family letters aloud. When the letters were done, Emma would continue reading aloud, switching to whatever novel she and her husband were currently working their way through.

At 10:30 Darwin returned to his study and did more work until noon or a quarter after. He considered this the end of his workday, and would often remark in a satisfied voice, “I’ve done a good day’s work.”

Darwin made a point of replying to every letter he received, even Cthose from obvious fools or cranks. If he failed to reply to a single letter, it weighed on his conscience and could even keep him up at night. The letter writing took him until about 3:00 in the afternoon, after which he went upstairs to his bedroom to rest, lying on the sofa with a cigarette while Emma continued to read from the novel-in-progress.....At 5:30, a half-hour of idleness in the drawing room preceded another period of rest and novel reading, and another cigarette, upstairs. Then he joined the family for dinner, although he did not join them in eating the meal; instead, he would have tea with an egg or a small piece of meat....

After two games of backgammon, he would read a scientific book and, just before bed, lie on the sofa and listen to Emma play the piano. He left the drawing room at about 10:00 and was in bed within a half-hour, although he generally had trouble getting to sleep and would often lie awake for hours, his mind working at some problem that he had failed to solve during the day."