Month: July 2005 (page 3 of 5)

I discovered Moleskines a little over a year ago. I’ve just started No.5 this week.

Then I found the Pilot G-2 (blue ink, of course!).

Then I rekindled my childhood memories of wooden pencils. That need sharpening. Black Warriors, of course.

Along the way, I also found out that there are websites devoted to Moleskines and pens. Tonight I found one dedicated to the fine art of the pencil.

Go over there and check out this quote from Mr. Hemingway, on why writers should use pencils…

After you learn to write your whole object is to convey everything, every sensation, sight, feeling, place and emotion to the reader. To do this you have to work over what you write. If you write with a pencil you get three different sights at it to see if the reader is getting what you want him to. First when you read it over; then when it is typed you get another chance to improve it, and again in the proof. Writing it first in pencil gives you one-third more chance to improve it. That is .333 which is a damned good average for a hitter. It also keeps it fluid longer so that you can better it easier.

There is something about writing with a pencil. Maybe it’s the way it sounds slightly scratchy as it goes across the paper. Maybe it’s the fact that – for me, at least – your handwriting is neater than it is with a pen. (No, I don’t know why that is! Do you?) Maybe it’s that great sense that “do-overs” are possible with the little bit of Pink Pearl that extends from the “other” end. Maybe it’s that slight aroma of cedar when it’s freshly sharpened.

All I know is writing in my little journal – whether it’s “a-ha!s” or “hmmmms” or story scraps or prayers or whatever – is a lot more enjoyable for me with the pencil.

Try it!

Thanks to all who’ve been praying for the Bohlenders. See the little “Praying for the Bohlenders” banner over there to your right? See it? Good! Mash it for the latest updates…

You’ve gotta love folks who can keep their “slightly sardonic” sense of humor even in the middle of a very difficult circumstance (Read this whole post…when you get to the part about “healthcare blob” you’ll get it!)

In case you’re coming late to this party, you can get the whole sequence of events here, here, and here.

The latest news from the Bohlenders…

Mash here for the earlier story.

Go here and read the story. You know what to do…

NOTE: I’m going to bump this one every couple of hours or so…

I told you so!

OK, OK! I know that’s an awful scary thought! And you can all just thank your own personal deity that Gary Lamb is not a woman! (Uh, Gary…you aren’t a woman, are you?)

But if Gary was a woman, he’d probably wear flip-flops to meet the President, too! From the news story…

Twenty- and thirtysomethings will pair flip-flops with everything from shorts to cocktail dresses, wearing them at work and at clubs, for a stroll down Main Street or even down the wedding aisle. For their moms, the shoes – best known for the flapping noise they make – are meant for places like the beach.

One of the hottest trends this summer, flip-flops are no longer a dime-store purchase, with some costing several hundred dollars. They come flat and with wedge heels. They have rhinestones and sequins and flowers.

On second thought, Gary would still wear his flip-flops to the White House. At least his flip-flops don’t have rhinestones and sequins and flowers. They do make a statement, though!

My last post included a shot of the lovely and gracious “Mrs. Just Charlie’s” new school. Look at this modified version of that picture. Ya gotta love the random guy who’s sitting on the curb in the school parking lot, just to get in the picture! Smile!

He always is! But today has been a B-I-G reminder of His provision and care.

The lovely and gracious “Mrs. Just Charlie” got a teaching job today! In our county! It has been a nail-biter at times, wondering if it was ever going to happen.

Oh, instead of a 20-mile-plus drive each way, like the last seven years, she’ll be going a little over 6!

Just read an interesting retrospective about the fiasco that was Disneyland’s opening day fifty years ago. Check this out…

When Walt Disney built Disneyland, he supervised every aspect of planning and construction � right down to the paint color inside the railroad station. But there were a couple of things he couldn’t control at the opening 50 years ago: the temperature and the turnout.

The sun rose bright and glowing in a cloudless sky on that Sunday, and the mercury climbed higher and higher. By early morning, all roads leading to the park were clogged. Thousands poured through the turnstiles, more than twice as many as had been invited.

The heat and the crowds, along with a Magic Kingdom full of other problems, contributed to what will forever after be called Black Sunday in the Disney organization.

Long lines formed at the rides, forcing visitors to stand in the sweltering sun. Later it was discovered that counterfeit tickets had been used by the uninvited. Adding to the congestion, crashers scrambled over fences and berms in remote areas of the park.

Several of the rides shut down because of overuse, and by the end of the day all the “Autopia” cars had been sidelined. The deck of the river boat Mark Twain was awash; too many passengers had climbed aboard. And a gas leak was discovered in Tomorrowland, forcing evacuation of the entire area.

Refreshment stands quickly ran out of food and drink, and there were few drinking fountains. Women’s spiked heels sank into the newly laid asphalt on Main Street. Families waited in long lines to use toilets. A saboteur snipped electrical lines in Fantasyland, bringing all rides to a halt.

How did Walt handle the debacle? He made some quick decisions…

Disney’s damage control was immediate.

“Walt was personally around the park every day that first week, looking into every situation and then getting something done about it,” Kurr says.

He also was mending fences with the press, hosting small groups of reporters and editors for dinner and a tour of Disneyland.

One reporter had suggested that Disneyland had skimped on drinking fountains in order to sell soft drinks. Disney called her and explained, off the record, that a local plumbers strike had been settled shortly before opening day. He had to decide between toilets and drinking fountains.

We all do pretty well when things go just like we’d planned. What do we as leaders do when “The Big Day” turns into a “Big Bust?”