Picked this up from Kahless as today has been a bit trying, what with trip to the launderette with king-size double duvet, on account of cat's over-enthusiastic regurgitation, and not finding any Mother's Day cards that wouldn't make it sound like I'm taking the piss. So anyway,
The rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
The book, which belongs to Mr. Signs, is called Extreme Project Management - that's in bold red. Underneath in orange it says "Using Leadership, Principles, and Tools to Deliver Value in the Face of Volatility." Their idea to put all those capitals and that last comma before the and - just saying. The three sentences after the fifth on page 123 read:
Principle is one of the most effective communication tools you have: you get what you want by showing someone how what you want can get them what they want. It means you have to get out of your own way and see the situation from the perspective of the other person. And how do you do that?
Ok, that's three sentences. Sorry, but if I type in the answer I'll be breaking the rules. Word in your ear though, it has something to do with talking to the other person and listening. Bless me, what do they teach them in these schools? What happened to the good old-fashioned School of Because I Say So or You're Fired?
But I know nothing about such things (and if I do I'm keeping my mouth shut). I am Elasticus Artisticus, Poet, Poseur, Jaques of few trades and Mistress of One - and Mr. S is Patron of the Arts.
13 comments:
Ah Signs,
Methinks you have a closet meme fetish...
:-)
And what a fine one this is. You surprised me with the nearest book. And I thought you weren't meant to put a comma before an and?! But then you said it was their idea....
I like the old fashioned school of Do as I say not as I do!
Hi Signs, this exercise appeals the way looking up my horoscope does even though I don't believe it. Hope you don't mind my posting here, not having a blog yet and all.
I cheated a bit as I counted the part sentence at the top of the page as the first. I picked up this book first thing this morning after the limbering up exercises of picking books up off the floor and tidying my pencils didn't work. I think you will recognize Lamott humour:
'You are going to have a number of days in a row where you hate everyone and don't believe in anything. If you do know the author whose turn it is, he or she will inevitably say that it will be your turn next, which is what the bride always says to you at each successive wedding, while you grow older and more decayed. It can wreak just the tiniest bit of havoc with your self-esteem to find that you are hoping for small bad things to happen to this friend - for, say, her head to blow up.'
I began the year with very dark thoughts, but things are brightening - I hope for you too.
Kahless, I do seem to be acquiring a meme habit - going round scrounging them now, I mean to say. But indefatigable blogger that I am, sometimes needs must. I'll come to you for counselling if it gets bad.
Nicola! Where have you been? Of course you can post here, but do I detect an intention to begin a blog in that little word "yet"?
This must be from "Bird by Bird" which, I have to admit I have not quite finished. Why, I can't say as it was not difficult, but it is still lying on the floor by my bed, having lost the fight to Siri Hustvedt. I am still curious, Ms Mystery, to know what your connection to the creative writing thing is. I remember you saying before that you were writing an essay.
I am trying to channel dark thoughts into creative endeavour. When they break through into Real Life my strategy is to pretend they are not there and focus on something else. Crude but effective. Glad things are brightening for you.
Signs, Forgive me for being so vain, but I am posting my *own* book, in view of its postponed status, although I am sure all will be well.
This is what I have to offer from pg. 123, ch 11.
*
Can't sleep. Am such a bastard, slagging off Clare, when she gives me half-price leg waxes. I just don't want Richard to make a mistake, he deserves to be happy.
*
Blimey, NMJ, I'd be disappointed if you didn't post from your own book. Lovely. So looking forward to having the book in my hands.
Interesting post, dear Signs. I like the idea. The cat regurgitating made me smile – I am a sicko (and a former cat owner who remembers such incidents all too well)...
OK, I'm posting this from a work in progress:
A short man with eyes so dark that they appeared black glided towards him. For the umpteenth time, he reminded Raj of a hawk.
‘Hello Jean-Pierre,’ said Raj, looking away from the shiny, eager face, ‘Is my guest here?’
Mel D, this is definitely going to be on page 123, right? When the book is published I will be checking!
LOL! Elasticus Artisticus - I love it!
I keep seeing this meme doing the rounds, perhaps I should give it a whirl the next time I'm feeling all blogged out (which seems to happen very frequently of late...)
Do it,Vanilla - very little effort involved and blogheaven will give you points. Make sure you're not sitting near the Chaucer.
Alright. I had to bend the rules a little bit, too, for common good, as the closest book was my Russian textbook, and the next few are in Finnish. But this is from the closest-to-hand book in English, which happened to be "Marguerite Duras - A Life", by Laure Adler:
But the affair continued.
Still Delval told her nothing - not what had happened to Robert or Marie-Louise or any of the other friends he had arrested in rue Dupin. Did he actually know anything?
Quite riveting, no? But then it is from a chapter entitled "From Collaboration to Resistance". Mayhap I ought to confess also that I haven't yet read the book itself, although I bought it at the sales a couple of years ago. This tends to be a shortcoming of mine - wanting to own a book and then, as I know I can read it whenever I like, not getting round to it at all. I have read a fair amount of Duras, though (although alas, I know no French at all, so have to rely on translations).
You bent the rules, Anna? I would have gone straight to the Chairman of the Federation of Memes and reported you - if you had not mentioned the name of Marguerite Duras, and if you had not introduced me to something I may like to find, as I esteem Ms Duras highly. So you got off lightly this time. But, as a certain personage might say: watch it.
Hi Signs,
Just catching up on your blog after a stint with no internet. Here's my offering from 'The Sumi-E Book' Though there is only one sentence on the page after the first three:
You can add extra spines with the bird stroke, smaller and smaller.
Verrry nice, Doktor, and somehow - verrry apt. Sumi-E book? Must investigate.
Post a Comment