tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87932102024-03-09T04:59:30.275-08:00Toner MishapThe Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.comBlogger1919125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-42251106689009142762014-08-25T14:46:00.002-07:002014-08-25T17:36:21.392-07:00Elvis Costello Turns 60<style>
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<i>I'm a
working travelling musician, but just on a bigger scale.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Elvis Costello, musician, singer, song writer </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Declan Patrick MacManus turned
60 today. You and I know him as Elvis Costello. The man has an impressive body
of work. I first heard of him in the early '80s singing "Watching the Detectives" and
"Radio, Radio." His lyrics were what drew me to his music that I have grown to
love over the years. I have seen him in concert three or four times and I am
going to see him in a couple of weeks at the Hollywood Bowl.</div>
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I wrote this little piece
because I saw a post that it was his birthday and they listed 10 songs that
they thought were his best. When someone has a body of articulate work as Costello
does picking 10 songs or even 20 as the best is a fool’s errand.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YP_l15yms4a9hg_NY6AJTUFL27VidDM0yNRxdBObpTB8WqfSdLTZluyhG2iDVI4clbzc33ijrotUHbZwP97_2XbcAkP2EKDKHWK7DDqzL5nSEXSzjFENHFFR-4jOLAM-Le82/s1600/elviscostello_1766546i-460x288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YP_l15yms4a9hg_NY6AJTUFL27VidDM0yNRxdBObpTB8WqfSdLTZluyhG2iDVI4clbzc33ijrotUHbZwP97_2XbcAkP2EKDKHWK7DDqzL5nSEXSzjFENHFFR-4jOLAM-Le82/s1600/elviscostello_1766546i-460x288.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
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Depending on my mood or life’s
circumstances certain songs rise to the top. When I was going through my
divorce and everything I had worked hard toward was disintegrating before my
eyes the song, “This is Hell” resonated for a while. </div>
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Here are some of my favorites in
no particular order:</div>
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<b>Veronica</b> – I only found out a
couple of years ago from my daughter that this song was about Costello’s
grandmother who suffered from Alzheimer’s. This was a big hit, but I am sure
not many knew the story behind it. This was co-written by Costello with
Paul McCartney. McCartney plays on his Höfner bass. </div>
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<b>Just about Glad</b> – I love the
lyrics and especially the chorus: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Just
about glad we didn't do that thing / Just about glad we didn't have that fling
/ Just about glad we didn't give it a try / Just about glad, is that a tear in
your eye?</i> I dedicated this song to relationships that never developed or
went too far.</div>
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<b>Episode of Blonde</b> – Once again
his words are biting and so on target: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A
tornado dropped a funnel cloud with twenty tons of rain / Though she had the
attention span of warm cellophane / Her lovers fell like Skittles in a 10-pin
bowling lane / But nothing could compare with the explosion of fame.</i></div>
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<b>Let Him Dangle</b> – I always felt
that there was a short story in this song and there was certainly a real life
true story behind this song: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">As the
hangman shook Bentley's hand to calculate his weight / Let him dangle, let him
dangle / Let him dangle, let him dangle…From a welfare state to society murder
/ Bring back the noose is always heard / Whenever those swine are under attack
/ But it won't make you even, it won't bring him back / Let him dangle, let him
dangle / String him up. </i></div>
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<b>Deep Dark Truthful Mirror</b> – This
has a wonderful jazzy piano sound and according to Costello’s website it is
just bizarre lines regarding butterflys and monkeys, which<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mean nothing. In a BBC interview EC said he lifted them from a nature program he was watching as they sounded cool.
He has also said that the idea was to give the impression the main character in
the song is hallucinating.</div>
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<b>Psycho</b> – When I first heard this
song on the highway to Laughlin probably 15 years ago, I got goose bumps from it. I listened to it so
much that it has lost its shock, but still you should hear it once or twice.
<i>We were sitting on a bench.</i> <i>Mama / Thinking up a game to play / Seems I was
holding a wrench. Mama / And then my mind just walked away.</i></div>
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<b>This is Hell</b> – This is a song
that can always come in handy: <i>My Favourite Things" are playing again and
again / But it's by Julie Andrews and not by John Coltrane / Endless balmy
breezes and perfect sunsets framed / Vintage wine for breakfast and naked
starlets floating in Champagne / All the passions of your youth are
tranquillised and tamed / You may think it looks familiar, though you may know
it by another name / This is hell (this is hell), this is hell (this is hell) I
am sorry to tell you / It never gets better or worse (it never gets better or
worse) / But you'll get used to it after a spell / For heaven is hell in
reverse / This is hell, this is hell.</i></div>
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<br />
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Costello also has amazing jazz
and classical CDs</div>
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<b>My Flame Burns Blue</b> – It
consists of recordings from the North Sea Jazz Festival in July 2004, made with
Steve Nieve and The Metropole Orkest, with Vince Mendoza conducting. It peaked
at No. 2 on the Billboard Jazz albums chart.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HUdmf4pCiHUMYz21gvep9NU_uGURjwpBAvm3etJLfcvhr-_6frWD7MJmCgpuuWyDy02jgVnbS603ORxYD4aGdaaTGTXkZThS4W_JiMtlmXZxcOTm9G1Ayel9tFVhW1XdX4qD/s1600/myflameburnsblue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HUdmf4pCiHUMYz21gvep9NU_uGURjwpBAvm3etJLfcvhr-_6frWD7MJmCgpuuWyDy02jgVnbS603ORxYD4aGdaaTGTXkZThS4W_JiMtlmXZxcOTm9G1Ayel9tFVhW1XdX4qD/s1600/myflameburnsblue.jpg" height="198" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>Il Sogno</b> – This is performed by
the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, recorded at
Abbey Road Studios in London. It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Classical
Music albums chart.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<br /></div>
The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-11677724009912351622014-07-13T09:19:00.001-07:002014-07-13T09:23:22.806-07:00CSNY 1974 – Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young<br />
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<i>I'm a lot like you<br />
I need someone to love me<br />
the whole day through<br />
Ah, one look in my eyes<br />
and you can tell that's true.</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Neil Young, singer, song writer, from the song "Old Man" </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young are an interesting and
amazing group of individual musicians and artists. I have been listening to
their new CD simply titled CSNY 1974. It captures their stadium tour in the
middle of that year.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSOp0LLloh4-i6wUoNbex1S3S6VmX_C1tgquN_dCTrkKUwkLChCnnBdKb6V-9TVFA3pDf45lBuS-AmNtmcoBsH7IsEIi8TH6nHxA8KRJyVRNNuIpAinNJXypP7_3ygr8LuQz1/s1600/CSNY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSOp0LLloh4-i6wUoNbex1S3S6VmX_C1tgquN_dCTrkKUwkLChCnnBdKb6V-9TVFA3pDf45lBuS-AmNtmcoBsH7IsEIi8TH6nHxA8KRJyVRNNuIpAinNJXypP7_3ygr8LuQz1/s1600/CSNY.jpg" height="182" width="320" /></a>The CD is a wonderful collection of their songs that many
already have and have heard myriad times over the decades. This compilation
breathes new life into the songs because you can hear the enthusiasm of the
musicians and the power of their lyrics. I was reading through the 186-page
mini book that is included in the three CD package that also features a bonus
DVD of one of their shows. </div>
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<br /></div>
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What I didn’t know is they were pegged with the reputation
as the American Beatles. That is a weighty title to live up to. When you consider
they took off just as The Beatles disbanded, they may have reached that lofty stage
from time to time. Musically CSN&Y seems more technically skilled than the
Fab Four were and their intricate vocal harmonies equaled and even surpassed the
Liverpool lads. Yet without The Beatles there probably would not have been CSNY. Some of their songs are certainly anthems of the times,
timeless, and inspirational. Individually and collectively they have outwardly
embraced a social consciousness “Love The One You’re With,” “Teach Your
Children,” “Ohio,” “Long Time Gone,” “Wooden Ships,” and many others. They have
said themselves that egos and drugs may have limited their time together.
Still, individually they also assembled an impressive list of songs, not unlike
John, Paul, George, & Ringo individually. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdNaBCvI2l5h2EpSEnYYxEBpLCVPiVd7hLNtLANB_ay6CylFEYLLR4asrdtzhyphenhyphenxYFjFL3yMV-NwNvUlJDbBFBTuEF6_nXgdzDdJy9H3FzbVbjhy0yrq0rqQBrjGJImSgOfuBO/s1600/CSNY+II.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdNaBCvI2l5h2EpSEnYYxEBpLCVPiVd7hLNtLANB_ay6CylFEYLLR4asrdtzhyphenhyphenxYFjFL3yMV-NwNvUlJDbBFBTuEF6_nXgdzDdJy9H3FzbVbjhy0yrq0rqQBrjGJImSgOfuBO/s1600/CSNY+II.jpg" height="224" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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The CD follows the concert format with the first CD called
The First Set, which includes “Love the One You’re With,” “Wooden Ships,” “Immigration
Man,” “Helpless,” “Carry Me,” “Johnny’s Garden,” “Traces,” “Grave Concern,” “On
The Beach,” “Black Queen,” and “Almost Cut My Hair.” This set is a raucous and
high energy. “Black Queen” Stephen Stills’ song brings to mind Jimi Hendrix and
the CD closes with the bluesy “Almost Cut My Hair.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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The second CD is mellow and showcases their harmonies. Songs
on this CD include “Change Partners,” “The Lee Shore,” “Only Love Can Break
Your Heart,” “Our House,” “Fieldworker,” “Guinevere,” “Time After Time,” “Prison
Song,” “Long May You Run,” “Goodbye Dick” (a short ditty by Young regarding
President Nixon resigning just before they went on stage), “Mellow My Mind,” “Old
Man,” “Word Game,” “Myth of Sisyphus,” “Blackbird,” “Love Art Blues,” “Hawaiian
Sunrise,” “Teach Your Children,” “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.” This version of “Old
Man” with the harmonies of Stills, Nash, and Crosby has deeper and fuller feel,
same with “Blackbird.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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The third CD features “Déjà Vu,” “My Angel,” “Pre-Road
Downs,” “Don’t Be Denied,” “Revolution Blues,” “Military Madness,” “Long Time
Gone,” “Pushed It Over The End,” “Chicago,” and “Ohio.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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The guys are still putting out music. My recent favorite is
David Crosby’s “Croz.” His music just lays it out there. His song “Time I Have”
includes the lyrics:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3-brDCkhu_bS1GyRH8NVgkzr-Hy5fakA6xGQ5vnsSLzMVFKTKOzUX9wJF08xwBkP6skKCFaUcdtxXmNUKJDIHeybvifLF_bIn68UdYPUUt5YpZxw-CkFocO48oY1fB9DYS65/s1600/Croz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3-brDCkhu_bS1GyRH8NVgkzr-Hy5fakA6xGQ5vnsSLzMVFKTKOzUX9wJF08xwBkP6skKCFaUcdtxXmNUKJDIHeybvifLF_bIn68UdYPUUt5YpZxw-CkFocO48oY1fB9DYS65/s1600/Croz.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">People do so many
things that make me mad but</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Angry isn’t how I want
to spend what time I have </i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cognitive dissonance
they call it </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I wonder just how
small it </i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Could be made to be </i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In me</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">There so much
disturbing shortsighted shit<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We must be able to do
better than just live with it </i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’m looking to find
some peace within me to embrace </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To encourage that
smile to find my face</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sometimes I’m </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">winning</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These guys collectively and individually are artists and
poets who teach and delight.</div>
The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-13293180190789328772014-04-21T20:01:00.000-07:002014-04-22T07:54:58.353-07:00By The Book<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<i>There is no friend as loyal as a
book.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ernest Hemingway (1899 – 1961)
Writer</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
I have taken the liberty of
copying the New York Times’ book review feature called By The Book and asked
myself some of the same questions they ask authors. Here is a brief interview
about books with myself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What books are currently on your nightstand?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
I don’t have any books on my
nightstand. I read outside of the bedroom. What I am currently reading is “An
Object of Beauty” by Steve Martin.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Who is your favorite novelist of all time? And your favorite novelist
writing today?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
I would say John Cheever and William
Trevor. Trevor can pack so much information into a relatively short sentence
better than anyone else I have ever read. Cheever creates situations where I
feel I am viewing a family or an individual’s private moment during a moment of
crisis. Philip Roth just retired, but I think he is among the best writers I
have ever read. There are many other writers I like such as Dennis Lehane, Edward P. Jones, to give just a couple of names.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What books would you most recommend?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
It depends on what they liked.
For example, I think a good mystery is a great way for someone to start
reading. A good mystery is a page turner and it provides the reader with the
excitement of a good book that is beyond anything the movies can deliver.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Who do you like as a mystery writers?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
I would say that I am rather stuck
on Lee Child’s character Jack Reacher. A new writer that my wife and I
thoroughly enjoyed was Roger Hobbs’ “Ghost Man.” I am looking forward to
reading P.D James and Jo Nesbo.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are your literary guilty pleasures? Do you have a favorite genre?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVJeXAwJ4yoIAHuhGnw_oczxCvTxAItZgIy-ouOBrJAqmXtla6D-SbhAu7W728bEhXUIQrFsIvpLEXuwEk2h5887zEYUbp3U6lahf8Fwwr-Cl3C_fsiET4VAETuEMxqjg6Y4C/s1600/library.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVJeXAwJ4yoIAHuhGnw_oczxCvTxAItZgIy-ouOBrJAqmXtla6D-SbhAu7W728bEhXUIQrFsIvpLEXuwEk2h5887zEYUbp3U6lahf8Fwwr-Cl3C_fsiET4VAETuEMxqjg6Y4C/s1600/library.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a>Mystery. I love bibliomysteries
best of all. My favorites are John Dunning’s series with his bookshop detective
Cliff Janeway. I also enjoyed Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s The “Shadow of the Wind” and
its cemetery of lost books.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Which books might we be surprised to find on your bookshelves?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
“How Murray Saved Christmas.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What was the last book to make you laugh?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
There is always at least a line
or two in most books that makes me laugh out loud.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The last book that made you cry?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
It doesn’t take much, but I so
enjoyed reading “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand” by Helen Simonson. It felt like a Hallmark movie, just an old fashion love story.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The last book that made you furious?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
Probably some nonfiction about
our government’s involvement in Iraq that one wishes was fiction.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What kind of reader were you as a child? And what were your favorite books?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
Not much of one, but I did read
a few books.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What were the most influential books you read as a student?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
Mark Twain’s “Mystery Stranger.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Whom do you consider your literary heroes?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
I wouldn’t call them heroes, but
I admire prolific, talented writers. The writer who makes me most jealous is
Steve Martin. He is just so talented in so many areas. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Who was your biggest influence regarding what you read?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
I would say both my uncle and my
friend Mark.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How do you find out about books?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
The New York Times book critics
and the book review section on Sundays, friends, articles, bookstores, etc.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Which novels have had the most impact on you as a writer? Is there a
particular book that made you want to write?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
I initially wanted to be a
journalist. So, any books about reporters made me want to write. Also, now I
enjoy essayists.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBBU3sUfIsLUPQwsIy-xMEANLJvngAdHUsxXRRz_X_BBCn6uSMyBqtxZCK8qkglYV_4D4ftEtNnzMtqb05LWtMiVCadZsvNPLpEYJG3Zrncp-YQcmg5Y7TNjDpyGdd-6lGgIa/s1600/bookcase.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBBU3sUfIsLUPQwsIy-xMEANLJvngAdHUsxXRRz_X_BBCn6uSMyBqtxZCK8qkglYV_4D4ftEtNnzMtqb05LWtMiVCadZsvNPLpEYJG3Zrncp-YQcmg5Y7TNjDpyGdd-6lGgIa/s1600/bookcase.JPG" height="188" width="200" /></a>The biography of George
Washington “His Excellency” by Joseph J. Ellis. Washington was a saint;
especially compared to the egoistical, lying mercenaries we get to choose from
today. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You’re hosting a literary dinner party. Which three writers are
invited?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
It depends on what type of
evening I wanted. For history David Halberstam, Kevin Phillips, George Seldes,
Doris Kearns Goodwin, Studs Terkel, Gay Talse, and many others. For fiction Mark
Twain, Charles Dickens, Philip Roth, and I could go on. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
I would simply be a fly on the
wall. Just to listen to them would be thrilling and inspiring.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What kinds of books do you like to read before you go to bed?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
Whatever book I am currently
reading.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do you enjoy historical fiction?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
Yes, I love long sweeping
stories by Beverly Swerling, Ken Follett, and many others.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What’s the worst book you’ve ever read?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
I didn’t finish it and don’t
remember it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What books are you embarrassed not to have read yet?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
Many of the classics that I just
will never get around to. Although I do hope to read “The Three Musketeers” by Alexandre
Dumas and “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What do you plan to read next?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
There is a new western coming
out by Larry McMurtry that I am looking forward to reading.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Any overlooked books you want to mention?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
I thoroughly enjoyed “The Last
Samurai” by Helen DeWitt and thought it would be on all the bestseller lists.
From the dust jacket’s first paragraph: Ludo, age six, is a prodigy. His
mother, Sibylla, raises him alone and tries hard to keep his voracious
intellect satisfied while she struggles to make ends meet.</div>
The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-70107210373135374602014-04-16T16:49:00.000-07:002014-04-16T16:50:23.322-07:00Bands, Singers and Songs that Influenced My Musical Preferences<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Music should
come crashing out of your speakers and grab you, and the lyrics should
challenge whatever preconceived notions that listener has.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Lou Reed (1942-2013), singer, song write</span>r</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s either high school or college where the songs you hear
are the ones that stick with you through life, generally. I say that, but I still have fond memories of songs that give me that from an
earlier period. I can recall running around our old neighbor waiting to
hear The Beatles "Yellow Submarine" on the radio. The station was AM KHJ 93, boss
radio. But, I was not a Beatles fan early on. I preferred <b>The Monkees.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I liked The Monkees well
beyond the years I should have. Micky Dolenz was my favorite. I recall being teased when I left my neighborhood buds to
go home to watch The Monkees Monday at 7:30 p.m. on NBC. I would come back outside
once the show was over to scorn and ridicule, but I was full of confidence for
no reason and it didn’t bother me. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eventually it was through these same friends that I
discovered <b>Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa</b> and <b>The Mothers of Invention</b>. "WPLJ" (Wine
Poured Lemon Juice) was an early favorite. This was around the 8<sup>th</sup>
grade. We’d listen to "Fat Man" by <b>Jethro Tull</b> and sing it to one of the over
weight kids in our hood.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By high school, I was a fanatical Rolling Stones fan. It
happened gradually. In 1971, I purchased Sticky Fingers and listened it to over
and over. I had my parents old beige Hi Fi (short for high fidelity, not to be
confused with Wi Fi). By the time <i>Exile on Main Street</i> came out, the Hi Fi was
passed its prime and I needed a new record player to play <i>Exile</i> on. The album
would skip around. The only song I could hear all the way through was "Hip
Shake." I helped an uncle who was driving a moving van and earned $30. I
immediately went to Kmart and purchased a stereo that would play <i>Exile</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over the years, my bedroom décor evolved from motorcycle
pictures and black-light posters of Dennis the Menace flipping off the world, a
pull-top chain that circled my room, to a shrine to the Stones. However, there
was a large poster from the cover of David Bowie’s <i>Diamond Dogs </i>that was
allowed on my Stones wall, which my parents disliked. Just thinking about
<i>Diamond Dogs </i>brings back a flood of high school memories.</div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<b>Impressionable songs and groups</b></h3>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwLMgcgQFYivXSKlFDPMUbOmOoUUy2rxxWAfYDDEOOZfecbxjE8WY_hzPRlthGr1HbSuIzhXhhZXxm9M9NmcJCFRLkn57ot28QeVpdtMVVxWNyoQOcmQpMZcD8vlkapzhu1Iy_/s1600/The+Monkees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwLMgcgQFYivXSKlFDPMUbOmOoUUy2rxxWAfYDDEOOZfecbxjE8WY_hzPRlthGr1HbSuIzhXhhZXxm9M9NmcJCFRLkn57ot28QeVpdtMVVxWNyoQOcmQpMZcD8vlkapzhu1Iy_/s1600/The+Monkees.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">One of my first records</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Monkees</b> – "I’m a Believer" written by
Neil Diamond and recorded by The Monkees in 1966 may have been my first rock and roll record. Micky Dolenz was the lead
singer as he was for most of their songs. I sat in front of my grandparents’
stereo and listened to it over and over while staring at the cover wishing I
could meet them. My grandparents were obviously very patient with me. It has a
very cool organ opening and an easy chorus to sing along
with. I had no idea what the song was about, thinking it might have been about
fairy tales. I was ultimately right since the song was used in the movie <i>Shrek</i>. Some of my favorite songs included: "Pleasant Valley Sunday," "She," "Mary Mary," "Words," and "Going
Down."</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_UDBs_vjA2JmavpymcGRPoYK5KGsZOoAUKYcc6aPJdIDnp7CTT7urCfbHKEgz2mdlivMSp3V3h3zD0PSLpzVM8cAZ5PWEFeB5EGTUCnIJ6eMdQTJehMM0hsxyGMAdXsGjeHU/s1600/Beatles_-_Abbey_Road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_UDBs_vjA2JmavpymcGRPoYK5KGsZOoAUKYcc6aPJdIDnp7CTT7urCfbHKEgz2mdlivMSp3V3h3zD0PSLpzVM8cAZ5PWEFeB5EGTUCnIJ6eMdQTJehMM0hsxyGMAdXsGjeHU/s1600/Beatles_-_Abbey_Road.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Beatles</b> – After The Monkees I gravitated to the fab
four. The first album I owned was Meet the Beatles that my father purchased for
me because he thought The Monkees were silly. What did he know? Oh how I wished
I still had that Beatles album that he got for me. I have since replaced it with
another original. The first real album that I requested was <i>Abby Road</i>, which I
received as a birthday present from my grandparents. I was in the 7<sup>th</sup>
grade and I liked "Octopus’ Garden" and "Maxwell’s Silver Hammer." </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjkoFR0j63r8cEF244txFQSM42ziFqgh13ah0nD6merWoy-8mPhjAMsBPUgCEMGNVvJvsrTaKW52-tNFiySXax7zUi344CmqtjVRFF23Ktrog1fmC9i04YVyhtX-RKuVRoyn1/s1600/rolling+stones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjkoFR0j63r8cEF244txFQSM42ziFqgh13ah0nD6merWoy-8mPhjAMsBPUgCEMGNVvJvsrTaKW52-tNFiySXax7zUi344CmqtjVRFF23Ktrog1fmC9i04YVyhtX-RKuVRoyn1/s1600/rolling+stones.jpg" height="173" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Sticky Fingers cover</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Rolling Stones</b> – The Beatles broke up, so naturally off
to the Stones. <i>Sticky Fingers</i> was the most current at the time. "Brown Sugar" and
"Dead Flowers" were my initial favorites, but soon I grew to love the whole
album. Of course the whole concept about sticky fingers or why there was a
zipper and a man in his underwear was lost on me. <i>Get Yer Ya Ya’s out</i>, The Rolling Stones live album featured the best version of Jumping Jack Flash, which I would play to get myself
pumped up for our park and recreation basketball team. Eventually, every song
became a favorite.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIdsR80ycZofXa9zeZIiL76AptJahKpYAL1UcLmS3PMhEQPC0-hi0N_ikU-e8786bYgTe_k0-oEwo3gFGejlmiXVytZaex6w_NvAa6b4sjrEOwj-7Gvaj9E2nc0KAswp0ignP/s1600/Leon+Russell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIdsR80ycZofXa9zeZIiL76AptJahKpYAL1UcLmS3PMhEQPC0-hi0N_ikU-e8786bYgTe_k0-oEwo3gFGejlmiXVytZaex6w_NvAa6b4sjrEOwj-7Gvaj9E2nc0KAswp0ignP/s1600/Leon+Russell.jpg" height="200" width="199" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leon Russell</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumjmFTAEkCq6oOnAs-wNZD7o1GX-bZplDBCSfXRKnBByzrBXgcpDp1pBqApmyjovQ-hn-HSCjWIUOL5D-cfEJu-yj-BxiwYhOB6GINqDZ5prjcFpfeTxssRpBWcNfC0NIgMV8/s1600/cat+stevens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumjmFTAEkCq6oOnAs-wNZD7o1GX-bZplDBCSfXRKnBByzrBXgcpDp1pBqApmyjovQ-hn-HSCjWIUOL5D-cfEJu-yj-BxiwYhOB6GINqDZ5prjcFpfeTxssRpBWcNfC0NIgMV8/s1600/cat+stevens.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cat Stevens</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Leon Russell & The Shelter People</b> / <b>Cat Stevens' </b><i>Tea for
the Tillerman</i> – I have to group these two together because at a family
gathering, a third or fourth cousin brought a date who worked for Rolling Stone
Magazine. I must have talked to her about music and she sent me these two
albums along with the current issue of Rolling Stone that had the first part of
Hunter Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas article. I gravitated to Leon
Russell. I loved his raspy voice. I started my snooty taste in music at this
point. If you didn’t know who Leon Russell was or didn’t like his music, we had
nothing to talk about. I liked a few songs on <i>Tea for the Tillerman</i> and
eventually in high school the song "Wild World" reminded me of my first love when
we broke up the first time.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy6hwEwtM-ZD5VLEf8VQ2hOz9RspYVl1mh6WYAOrdmdPqYB6ls3wgYtTrA496UIcGXmoqlKO8jI0R28xGT2P01xD0VldHxUj__M8Qt6jn03ItsDZuQDSGYdAvkTk5pH7yFGQbq/s1600/Bowie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy6hwEwtM-ZD5VLEf8VQ2hOz9RspYVl1mh6WYAOrdmdPqYB6ls3wgYtTrA496UIcGXmoqlKO8jI0R28xGT2P01xD0VldHxUj__M8Qt6jn03ItsDZuQDSGYdAvkTk5pH7yFGQbq/s1600/Bowie.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Bowie's Space Oddity</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>David Bowie</b> – <i>Space Oddity</i> was a record I borrowed from a
friend. I put inside my notebook, so no one would think I was too weird. I
played the album while shooting hoops in my room (you know, one of those foam
balls and plastic hoop). I was now a David Bowie fan. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Frank Zappa</b> – Over Nite Sensation was a wonderful album </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XVJfYq7BKPabxWWa6xqddw1ZEgP85-sA5KidJkHAn_cI-clrTBenfN5r9RxXmXr8RaPkAX37P9UfLw0NwTj9TyDBpEAO-kaUNOnRgxnc8yOYFEFMWkovkosYAUI_yzL6qIcy/s1600/Frank-Zappa-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XVJfYq7BKPabxWWa6xqddw1ZEgP85-sA5KidJkHAn_cI-clrTBenfN5r9RxXmXr8RaPkAX37P9UfLw0NwTj9TyDBpEAO-kaUNOnRgxnc8yOYFEFMWkovkosYAUI_yzL6qIcy/s1600/Frank-Zappa-.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frank Zappa's Over Nite Sensation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
with
a great cover. You simply were not cool unless you liked Zappa. In science
class the teacher would let us bring in albums to play during class when we
were dissecting frogs or whatever. I brought in Frank Zappa and The Mothers’
J<i>ust Another Band From LA</i>, which featured "Billy the Mountain." Some of my
classmates were offended by the ending chorus of "Billy the Mountain" – <i>You don’t
fuck around with a mountain</i>. The teacher not wanting to make a big deal out of
it let it play on.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4kg6q_ahqZgBFcuIMiNi6dtG0sDH-GM5UIish48Z4h71u0rTRueVSUv3xBRFbJTOJIkcj02P-K9EFfv08J1THcJMoOpTJhmCwxivvqSoGUFi0cBSwbU1cJnTSfG8pMxrjLYA/s1600/Cocker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4kg6q_ahqZgBFcuIMiNi6dtG0sDH-GM5UIish48Z4h71u0rTRueVSUv3xBRFbJTOJIkcj02P-K9EFfv08J1THcJMoOpTJhmCwxivvqSoGUFi0cBSwbU1cJnTSfG8pMxrjLYA/s1600/Cocker.jpg" height="199" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe Cocker</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Joe Cocker, Mad Dogs & Englishmen</b> – I listened to this
one over and over and still listen to it when I play ping pong with my buddy. I discovered Joe Cocker through Leon Russell. Some of my favorites included: "Delta Lady,"
"She Came in Through the Bathroom Window," "Feeling Alright," and "Cry Me a River." They have released a deluxe CD featuring more of the songs from that tour. It makes an already great album that much better. I
recall around this time in the early '70s that another friend and I walked to the local theater
to see the double bill of Joe Cocker, Mad Dogs & Englishmen with The
Rolling Stones’ film <i>Gimme Shelter</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Kinks</b> – I saw them at CSUN, again at Irvine, and
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflMxeXQEDGOXd8KoiUyNrg9up6h-sFTaKKa0bnBvD-C2ar0LIMTiQBiaUN-69t6J8EtY2i-gTh8HUCbIg0ua4RBgYcTpZKDwYxA5yT1YPbX4xoshaaz8EcOViQesim-JDVH7K/s1600/Kinks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflMxeXQEDGOXd8KoiUyNrg9up6h-sFTaKKa0bnBvD-C2ar0LIMTiQBiaUN-69t6J8EtY2i-gTh8HUCbIg0ua4RBgYcTpZKDwYxA5yT1YPbX4xoshaaz8EcOViQesim-JDVH7K/s1600/Kinks.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kinks' Soap Opera</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Universal. They were a fun band and I enjoyed most of their songs. When a friend
first said he was now into the Kinks back in ’75, I said, yeah right and I am
listening to Herman’s Hermits. The Kinks made a come back with this <i>Soap Opera</i>. Some of those
songs still resonate today such as "Rush Hour Blues," "Nine to Five," and "Have
Another Drink." I was barely working back in those days and they still meant
something to me. I suspect that is where I eventually picked up my appreciation
for good lyrics.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg14jyHynRIrTZB6RpeL4CgtqjmzvU_mSsTbkIz_FAPl68_MbTaDkf2DRsfyeQSbHbdUVZlkp-seM1lyb8bccnWnxXysaP5hlpipL5GPmrn2r_sRqyXslCJf6FQGjI-cKTlVfNB/s1600/Bob+Dylan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg14jyHynRIrTZB6RpeL4CgtqjmzvU_mSsTbkIz_FAPl68_MbTaDkf2DRsfyeQSbHbdUVZlkp-seM1lyb8bccnWnxXysaP5hlpipL5GPmrn2r_sRqyXslCJf6FQGjI-cKTlVfNB/s1600/Bob+Dylan.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><b>Bob Dylan </b>– I knew of him, but never listened much to him.
Once I broke up with my first love, I found the lyrics "Positively Fourth Street" resonated. Then, "Don’t Think Twice," and pieces of "Just Like a Woman" all made sense to me. Dylan
became a very important artist to me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnoS4dWqiQNAPaAs3SL5cBWNtXfgfAJd2SYyAzfF9uDJ72GTZ4IMSAblE_eXxfa1CO9MBwEfbOZEl0vSh0aajg1TdVbJmiOo6km5d6rut8BEtBymeGrf6bNVm-lVytR9Oi7rCr/s1600/Tom+Waits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnoS4dWqiQNAPaAs3SL5cBWNtXfgfAJd2SYyAzfF9uDJ72GTZ4IMSAblE_eXxfa1CO9MBwEfbOZEl0vSh0aajg1TdVbJmiOo6km5d6rut8BEtBymeGrf6bNVm-lVytR9Oi7rCr/s1600/Tom+Waits.jpg" height="198" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom Waits' Night Hawks at the Diner</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Tom Waits</b> – Continuing my appreciation for raspy voices and
solid lyrics, Tom Waits fit the bill. I also think my snobbishness played a bit
of role here. I detested much of what radio played especially when it came to Boston,
Rush, Kansas, and the like. I remember playing his song "Better Off Without a
Wife" numerous times before I was married to daughter’s mother. There is a
lesson learned (or not learned) in there somewhere.</div>
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<b>Elvis Costello</b> – This guys lyrics always good. "Watching the
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAaNs_oaLM69ZB85PcryOLtwvKVeL16OrgIUeV7W7v7Ibnl5JS0hDK9PxPMJMm3MmOx-dAGFUnBcN5HAH5r-aZjaompuirdVoNzXgdGzGBfa65Mi_2o1nHO1rs9sdzt61JDow2/s1600/Elvis+Costello.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAaNs_oaLM69ZB85PcryOLtwvKVeL16OrgIUeV7W7v7Ibnl5JS0hDK9PxPMJMm3MmOx-dAGFUnBcN5HAH5r-aZjaompuirdVoNzXgdGzGBfa65Mi_2o1nHO1rs9sdzt61JDow2/s1600/Elvis+Costello.jpg" height="199" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elvis Costello</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Detectives" was the first song I recall liking, but over the years his words grew even more
biting and to the point. An old favorite was "This is Hell," which was how I was
feeling about my home life in late ‘94.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccPFwXzJPO-mkTXp_IEsy7XD4cF7sNM64cB8yzogjTqEfaXDe5HRaN31zq9wzUF_b420YyXjqIYFUCqYsNO-zxnjQCcOWSNxVYMlkLTWdoJx_XFUYmCb6C5i2XJ8kvjWfWoRq/s1600/sinatra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccPFwXzJPO-mkTXp_IEsy7XD4cF7sNM64cB8yzogjTqEfaXDe5HRaN31zq9wzUF_b420YyXjqIYFUCqYsNO-zxnjQCcOWSNxVYMlkLTWdoJx_XFUYmCb6C5i2XJ8kvjWfWoRq/s1600/sinatra.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sinatra's Trilogy featured New York, New York</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Frank Sinatra</b> – He came into play during college. A friend
called up excited that I had to listen to "New York, New York." Sinatra warrants
his own essay, which I will do eventually. Sinatra was my gateway to jazz. I loved my discoveries of
various Sinatra songs.</div>
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<br /></div>
The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-35592501505076031392014-04-14T17:12:00.000-07:002014-04-16T08:12:33.761-07:00An Updated List of Concerts I've Seen<style>
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</style><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia, bookman old style, palatino linotype, book antiqua, palatino, trebuchet ms, helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, avante garde, century gothic, comic sans ms, times, times new roman, serif;">Music
cleanses the understanding; inspires it, and lifts it into a realm
which it would not reach if it were left to itself. </span></i></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: georgia, bookman old style, palatino linotype, book antiqua, palatino, trebuchet ms, helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, avante garde, century gothic, comic sans ms, times, times new roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887), </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">abolitionist</span><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abolitionism_in_the_United_States" title="Abolitionism in the United States"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Rock concerts </b><br />
<b>Frank Zappa</b> (3xs, my first concert ever. Tom Waits was the
opening act. This was at the Santa Monica Civic)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Beach Boys</b> and <b>Chicago</b> (Anaheim Stadium)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>David Bowie</b> (2xs, Diamond Dogs tour, Anaheim Convention
Center, and The LA Forum)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Jethro Tull</b> (Los Angeles Forum)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>ELO</b> (Santa Monica Civic)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Tom Waits</b> (2xs, Ivar Theater in Hollywood and at the Pantages
Theater)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Leon Redbone</b> (opened for Tom Waits)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Arlo Guthrie</b> (Santa Monica Civic)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Pete Seeger</b> (Cal. State Long Beach)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Kinks</b> (3xs CSUN, Irvine, Universal)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUx3QoWRcZGC2_Z3PbCSSyQNxmgWlDR2ETkpdfP_l7_7YFxF5kQMWldq8N2hjrniPXwCHjHvC9EyVIXR48csroNz7OZ51msC2ZqeZW9W0Z07MqDwPNLML1APjVZtqXi683RTr0/s1600/Paul+Simon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUx3QoWRcZGC2_Z3PbCSSyQNxmgWlDR2ETkpdfP_l7_7YFxF5kQMWldq8N2hjrniPXwCHjHvC9EyVIXR48csroNz7OZ51msC2ZqeZW9W0Z07MqDwPNLML1APjVZtqXi683RTr0/s1600/Paul+Simon.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Paul Simon in concert <i>Photo by DKW</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>The Rolling Stones</b> (14 times: LA Forum 2xs ’75; LA Coliseum
’81; Anaheim Stadium ’84 not sure of the year, Rose Bowl 2xs one of those was
Daughter’s first Stones concert, of course she wanted to go to the bathroom
during the encore, but we were back without missing a song; Seattle Dome;
Staples Center Halloween night three years ago; Madison Square Garden.</div>
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<b>Joe Cocker </b>(2xs, Santa Monica Civic & UCLA)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Bob Dylan</b> (3xs, Universal Amphitheatre, Tucson, and Lake
Tahoe casino, front row center)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Paul McCartney </b>(2xs, his first tour after the Beatles and in
2011 at the Las Vegas MGM)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Elton John</b> (2xs, Hollywood Bowl and at Caesar's Palace)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Guns & Roses</b> (opened for the Stones)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Sheryl Crow</b> (opened for the Stones)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>J. Geils Band </b>(opened for the Stones)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Prince</b> (2xs, once opened for the Stones and was pummeled
with shoes and at Staples Center)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Bruce Springsteen</b> (2xs times, LA Sports Arena, Coliseum)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Red Hot Chile Peppers</b> (Opened for the Stones)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Sting</b> (Wiltern Theater)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Guns & Roses</b> (Opened for the Stones)</div>
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<b>Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young</b> (Hollywood Bowl)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Crosby, Stills & Nash</b> (at the Greek) </div>
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<b>The Eagles</b> (2xs The first time was a free private concert at
the Wiltern sponsored by American Express and an open bar promoting Jack Daniel’s
Black Label)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Grateful Dead</b> (Santa Monica Civic)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Paul Simon </b>(2xs)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Ray Davies</b> (2 or 3xs)</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AA3K7i-LJKZW9liXday3SC-CkJG0iQYLkE4TXzSnVws6mbTNCeXeTlUU-ku8A05JHkZgYbhTM3JG7lXxBB5sIkQjXnS0dKahdiETeSx4usLywdifhTTMZi6S7lJqElVMwR89/s1600/concerts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AA3K7i-LJKZW9liXday3SC-CkJG0iQYLkE4TXzSnVws6mbTNCeXeTlUU-ku8A05JHkZgYbhTM3JG7lXxBB5sIkQjXnS0dKahdiETeSx4usLywdifhTTMZi6S7lJqElVMwR89/s1600/concerts.jpg" height="199" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption"><i>from Google images</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Elvis Costello</b> (2xs)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Lucinda Williams</b> (opened for Elvis Costello)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Leon Russell</b> (at a local venue in Agoura)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>John Fogerty</b> (Nokia Theater) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Randy Newman </b>(Universal)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Rod Steward</b> (early ‘80s, LA Forum)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Taj Mahal</b> (Lake Tahoe, opened for Bob Dylan)<br />
<b>Zac Brown</b> (Hollywood Bowl) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Jazz concerts</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Frank Sinatra</b> (4xs, three at the Universal
Amphitheater, once at the LA Forum with <b>Liza</b> and <b>Sammy</b> <b>Davis</b>)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Tony Bennett</b> (Hollywood Bowl)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Ella Fitzgerald</b> (Hollywood Bowl)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Sarah Vaughn</b> (Blue Note in NY)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Mel Torme</b> (2 or 3xs, at the Hollywood Bowl)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Carmen McRae</b> (4xs, Catalina’s Jazz Club)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Brandford Marsalis</b> (Catalina’s Jazz Club)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Terence Blanchard</b> (Hollywood Bowl and at local jazz club)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Ray Brown</b> (Catalina’s Jazz Club)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Benny Green</b> (Catalina’s Jazz Club)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Jane Monheit </b>(3x at Catalina’s Jazz Club)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Tierney Sutton</b> (3xs Catalina’s Jazz Club)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Karrin Allyson</b> (3xs, Catalina’s Jazz Club)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Dee Dee Bridgewater</b> (2xs, Catalina's Jazz club)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Oscar Peterson</b> (Hollywood Bowl)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Diana Krall</b> (Hollywood Bowl)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Regina Carter </b>(Catalina’s Jazz Club)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Joshua Redman</b> (2xs, Catalina’s Jazz Club)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Sonny Rollins</b> (somewhere in Orange County)</div>
The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-869009309525293122014-04-13T15:07:00.001-07:002014-04-22T07:54:06.765-07:00A Few Items About The Misanthrope<style>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: small;">“What is the answer? In that case, what is the question?”</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Gertrude Stein,
1874-1946, Writer</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
Read a couple of blogs posts at <a href="http://tosyandcosh.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tosy and Cosh</b></a> that inspired me to start posting again. We’ll see
how long it lasts. Not sure why I stop and start. I enjoy publishing them on
Toner Mishap, but then stop just as suddenly as I start.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
Let’s be optimistic and say this time, we’ll try to post more
frequently. Now I am careful to emphasis that I am not going to post every day,
which is just too much effort. We did it for one year in 2005 until 2006 and we
had fun and gathered a bit of attention. Most of the posts from me were
political in nature. While in hindsight the posts were rather too full of
hyperbole, but then again that was my aim to call attention to the views and
get comments.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIAzz8vIipamMwGAB-2HN-ftZs80QZn-OAsMqG_N98v7IrMELfi_fgUwUA0IEO0ScBYkQjRB_w0vqdv-Q4LT3cVxYS5N_eGVn4-XOnH0En2lvpDzebahvoqWnCbECmQUpYo5X/s1600/Thinker.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIAzz8vIipamMwGAB-2HN-ftZs80QZn-OAsMqG_N98v7IrMELfi_fgUwUA0IEO0ScBYkQjRB_w0vqdv-Q4LT3cVxYS5N_eGVn4-XOnH0En2lvpDzebahvoqWnCbECmQUpYo5X/s1600/Thinker.JPG" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Photo by RJW</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So in the spirit of starting anew here are a few things you
may or may not know about me. Me being the Misanthrope, I would rather not use
the pseudonym, but I have almost 20 followers under that name.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here are a few things about me:</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I enjoy reading</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I’d rather go by the initials RJW</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I like to write and like to be read as well</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I go to the gym more often than not</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I work from home and rather happy about that
since I spent years driving to downtown Los Angeles from a far away suburb</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I often make notes while reading I underline in
light pencil in my books or I write down a phrase or sentence I admire </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I play darts with a buddy, but not in bars</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I play ping pong and have yet to find any one
who can beat me on a regular basis</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I am pretty good at darts</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
like more drama type movies over silly slapstick movies</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
am not a fan of slapstick, except for the old time greats: Marx Brothers, Laurel
and Hardy, W.C. Fields</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">12.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
love Godfather and Godfather II</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">13.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A
close second or third depending on how you count is Django Unchained. My
favorite scene is when Christoph Waltz is surrounded by a crowd after shooting
a marshal and then ends up getting paid</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">14.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
like to golf, but rarely do</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">15.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Happily
married, finally</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">16.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
feel very grateful and thankful for all I have</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">17.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
am looking forward to retiring in five years at most, but hopefully sooner</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">18.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Photography
is of interest to me. I would like to get much better </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">19.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
write poetry, but have no idea if it is any good</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">20.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
love music and my tastes have evolved over the years (this will be a post in
the near future)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">21.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
have hundreds of books and have turned our living room into a library</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">22.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
dislike cheap, stingy people</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">23.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
have no interest in religion or fairy tales that people believe verbatim</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">24.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
have more than 23,000 songs in iTunes</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">25.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
have playlists based on moods</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">26.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Politics
have gotten even more ugly over the years. Yes, in the early days of this
country it may have been even worse, but we are suppose to be more civilized</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">27.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
don’t think American is as good as it once was</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">28.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>We,
America, have no business being the world’s sheriff</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">29.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
like scotch before a steak dinner</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">30.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
like red wine. Melbec is rapidly becoming a favorite</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">31.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Utah
has a lot of beauty, but far too many narrow minded people</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">32.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
do not like pretentious people</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">33.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
have written short stories, but have never submitted any for publication,
mostly because I don’t think they were good enough</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">34.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
have written essays and I had one published in the Seattle Times, but upon
rereading it I can't understand why it was published</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">35.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Arrogant
people make me sick</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">36.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Don’t
understand why more young people don’t listen or learn from their elders</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">37.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
have been burnt out in my job for a few years now, but keep going because I have
no choice</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">38.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>My
favorite rock band was the Rolling Stones beginning in 1971 with Sticky Fingers
and growing with Exile on Main Street</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">39.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Discovered
the poignancy of Bob Dylan after the break up of my first love</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">40.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Enjoy
many of Woody Allen’s movies. One of my favorite's is Midnight in Paris. I used
to love Annie Hall, but not so much any more</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">41.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
tear up too easily for anything emotional</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">42.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
wish I set a better example for my daughter in many areas</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">43.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I’m
very proud of my daughter who has a bachelor’s, master’s, and a law degree</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">44.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
miss my dad, my grandparents, and my uncle</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">45.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
met my wife on Facebook. We knew of each other since the 7<sup>th</sup> grade.
We were on opposite pages in our school year books through junior high and high
school, but never hung out or talked much</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">46.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Now
my wife and I are together most of the time</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">47.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
love puttering and hanging out around the house</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">48.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
love my wife’s grandchildren. Daughter has none yet</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">49.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
don’t go to many concerts any more because I’ve seen most everyone I want to
see and they are too expensive these days</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">50.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
have a great idea for a short story that I have been toying with for years</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">51.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I
appreciate and thank you for reading through all of the above</div>
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<br /></div>
The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-63494779394987482192013-11-21T15:55:00.002-08:002013-11-21T15:57:25.580-08:00Oh, For The Love Of Christ<i>"Imagination and fiction make up more than three quarters of our real life. </i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Simone Weil</span><i>,</i> <span style="font-size: x-small;">French philosopher</span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><br />
</i>Costo apologizes for labeling the Bible fiction.<br />
<br />
Of course it belongs in the non-fiction section, right next to the Dr. Seuss' tomes. There is no such thing as allegory.<br />
<br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4aHR72U968UlihgMIijOnBJzh8bYDXA8s-T56iJ6078bzM53OD2pDEtuZ5lqcza5R3n-QQbgxJf1lq_v_tRuswCfkgzPZMI2IuNyR771gx16P2CBJRWzEpUyhUmDCSGYC8WcF/s1600/bible-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4aHR72U968UlihgMIijOnBJzh8bYDXA8s-T56iJ6078bzM53OD2pDEtuZ5lqcza5R3n-QQbgxJf1lq_v_tRuswCfkgzPZMI2IuNyR771gx16P2CBJRWzEpUyhUmDCSGYC8WcF/s640/bible-001.jpg" width="480" /></a></i></div>
<i>
<br />
<br />
</i>The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-35976991106040665112013-11-18T15:52:00.002-08:002013-11-18T17:03:02.180-08:00It’s Not Art. It’s Graphic Defecation!<style>
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<i>“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nelson Mandela, former South African president</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQt5TNnRu2QmmlcDzqdM6DNYRwG8U6PAzc9kM1DF4IUig5z4QA5IVt_BcI7aloS7b8IMHt5PpKu_oQTpahOKEIFlJEeDET5z4pjpLfkOItqoDabAyW2NBr77bKlwBlYcZdsxu2/s1600/Steve2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQt5TNnRu2QmmlcDzqdM6DNYRwG8U6PAzc9kM1DF4IUig5z4QA5IVt_BcI7aloS7b8IMHt5PpKu_oQTpahOKEIFlJEeDET5z4pjpLfkOItqoDabAyW2NBr77bKlwBlYcZdsxu2/s200/Steve2.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXQvmFD9uclnSMoGUGE2Dc99Mqc8EyDajDmpImpooKnEk7FS0DsoelhiAwAnf_H0kMDDtCLSC3CDWTdedE4tvvmhwl8L0PN4pJGsdmBFciEjwF6iDZe2ejXHlALF_QcymwF1e/s1600/Steve1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXQvmFD9uclnSMoGUGE2Dc99Mqc8EyDajDmpImpooKnEk7FS0DsoelhiAwAnf_H0kMDDtCLSC3CDWTdedE4tvvmhwl8L0PN4pJGsdmBFciEjwF6iDZe2ejXHlALF_QcymwF1e/s200/Steve1.jpg" width="133" /></a>Ever since Daniel Boone allegedly tagged a tree stating he
killed a bear a couple of hundred years ago graffiti has proliferated. The
hills of Chatsworth, California and surrounding areas are where hundreds of old
movies, mostly westerns were filmed from as early as 1914 (beginning with D.W.
Griffith’s short silent drama “Brute Force,” which was a story of cavemen and
dinosaurs), through the late 1950s. The trails around the areas are generally
easy hiking trails and they provide a beautiful panoramic view of the
surrounding San Fernando Valley. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Steve (identified only by his first name) is not pushing a
rock up hill, but he is trying to save rocks and boulders from being another
eye sore and casualty of graffiti from gangs, drunken teenagers partying in the
hills, and wantabe graffiti artists. It as close to a true Sisyphean effort as
there may be.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85Yz-9zUeZ3kKC5w7rP2AY8oqOwh69_qjrjDNmRGNKMXFCxk7Rp_RAw66viHGr_wHXRb0LCGpJeOwMcBM-ch9uSWl5pKwyLcim0q4cOGC-EN1cEcQmvtJPHOh-ZM7LbzrWbdF/s1600/Steve3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85Yz-9zUeZ3kKC5w7rP2AY8oqOwh69_qjrjDNmRGNKMXFCxk7Rp_RAw66viHGr_wHXRb0LCGpJeOwMcBM-ch9uSWl5pKwyLcim0q4cOGC-EN1cEcQmvtJPHOh-ZM7LbzrWbdF/s400/Steve3.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div>
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Over the years, the recognizable rocks of Chatsworth Park
have filled with graffiti marking gang names, lovers, and favorite beverages has
served as a place to show off artistic prowess, some dated long before graffiti
artist Banksy became famous.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyUgZI6b_o0qtRXsDl28agl3aLYOFMysS2AH7GaW3DqPD1GcAYjbs5QP0huvZkrJwSeTrJZjQqL5i2N3fwytLpIaVbvMgnlv7cnVyNa4sesOhlBjUi_np5YvNBjcqV3nxzANl/s1600/Steve4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyUgZI6b_o0qtRXsDl28agl3aLYOFMysS2AH7GaW3DqPD1GcAYjbs5QP0huvZkrJwSeTrJZjQqL5i2N3fwytLpIaVbvMgnlv7cnVyNa4sesOhlBjUi_np5YvNBjcqV3nxzANl/s200/Steve4.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbopQwgVznLxBnMZPmi8lB0qclA0ePRsfBUfp01kpAVrGHb6o1dkSq12YqnxK9PZ7UFpU6KPVVgVCCHVI9UEeKX04AdxAM4-VgGyM4zJhj8g-zZ2eo77tlruzegIZrhKS7qcO/s1600/Steve+with+roller.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbopQwgVznLxBnMZPmi8lB0qclA0ePRsfBUfp01kpAVrGHb6o1dkSq12YqnxK9PZ7UFpU6KPVVgVCCHVI9UEeKX04AdxAM4-VgGyM4zJhj8g-zZ2eo77tlruzegIZrhKS7qcO/s320/Steve+with+roller.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QGeQTalnKL2QuiC5YiseR_p0_Zr6VJu7up-vFGd5DzDr6MhGsInpEaqvrELnGKAqqHDUsNVb1-rSAtKix9NLVmcjaFsqLnimtzZx65ELaX9FLgGG4xBedCkm7hFG5tHQLR2t/s1600/Steve6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QGeQTalnKL2QuiC5YiseR_p0_Zr6VJu7up-vFGd5DzDr6MhGsInpEaqvrELnGKAqqHDUsNVb1-rSAtKix9NLVmcjaFsqLnimtzZx65ELaX9FLgGG4xBedCkm7hFG5tHQLR2t/s200/Steve6.jpg" width="170" /></a>Steve is an avid hiker and the bombardment of senseless
defacing of nature was frustrating. He called the Graffiti hotline several
times and never had a called returned. Three times he called Los Angeles County
Michael Antonovich’s office, which is the County’s fifth Supervisorial District
that comprises San Fernando Valley, and not a single call was returned. He
called Metrolink on whose property much of the graffiti resides and was told
he’d need a train spotter at $750 a day, even though he is hundreds of yards
away from the railroad tracks. He called the park ranger and was told that he
cannot paint over the defaced rocks or he would be arrested, as if he were tagging
the rocks with graffiti. He finally talked to LA County Sheriff’s who were more
sympathetic to his quest and would most likely ignore him.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4xayA9b5sbLGukuFhD9y962U6n-SlZo0vLrgo1_z6fRWBXDJRob7YaNSt-5Tb2isSvmeyFEmX4LrCeJZ1p_j0cI5pZyIKcDbGxLBNN-sPI99-1a0OqERAufwFqBsiTFUJ08U/s1600/Steve5a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4xayA9b5sbLGukuFhD9y962U6n-SlZo0vLrgo1_z6fRWBXDJRob7YaNSt-5Tb2isSvmeyFEmX4LrCeJZ1p_j0cI5pZyIKcDbGxLBNN-sPI99-1a0OqERAufwFqBsiTFUJ08U/s320/Steve5a.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RbpRdjP8NgzubmjJkGeODoji8n2GzbHAKGq5sSM-jLKeVl_d9PZAVT_UQn92sNcEXzedZSzPdd2WrhW4wnSIjbDpkcCGcxBGQ7_jAjxi4clRTJXD0UEoY20U614YDiaAqPZO/s1600/Steve's+last+shot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RbpRdjP8NgzubmjJkGeODoji8n2GzbHAKGq5sSM-jLKeVl_d9PZAVT_UQn92sNcEXzedZSzPdd2WrhW4wnSIjbDpkcCGcxBGQ7_jAjxi4clRTJXD0UEoY20U614YDiaAqPZO/s320/Steve's+last+shot.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yVDDq4Hwzs_GLF-GtRYWibY30MxNaJo9DyNzTGd3K4UeDgkHdvNfhnaDzd6xXdXpOmSc93ldrVdHmR29q7S395Px6_iEXawVlm_8pZordLtmfm3sHBpSv2owZosMgG3x2PqL/s1600/Steve+in+the+brush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yVDDq4Hwzs_GLF-GtRYWibY30MxNaJo9DyNzTGd3K4UeDgkHdvNfhnaDzd6xXdXpOmSc93ldrVdHmR29q7S395Px6_iEXawVlm_8pZordLtmfm3sHBpSv2owZosMgG3x2PqL/s400/Steve+in+the+brush.jpg" width="266" /></a> Mad as hell, Steve took action into his own hands. On a
sweltering November day he loaded his truck with two gallons of paint, roller
brush, paintbrush, and rope and started his quest. Traipsing through the brush,
he climbs the hills with a 20- to 30-pound backpack. He covered up a few of the
offending tagged rocks. He has no reason other than the graffiti aggravates his
aesthetic sensibilities. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It’s not art. It’s graphic defecation,” said Steve. He has
made five trips up there and spent 15 hours. “I feel like I have made a lot of
progress. Maybe by the time I get 30 hours in it will just be maintenance.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The color was a bit
off on the first patches, but he found the right color. The guys at the Do It
Center hardware store laugh that they have never mixed paint for rocks before.
Steve spends $40 a trip to do his part to restore nature as best he can.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuDDmrw2rCSntzWb5bo8zaTZlFAedLGZ6_ViyAp88LK3V9p25umb9Vey2lSKKkdXC67n5K59JeSkYYYEyb9sL-ubCRwJ0YU2grp8pbBm0aBL9PCHJSxyg3Ah9yFyZskZUHI71r/s1600/Steve5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuDDmrw2rCSntzWb5bo8zaTZlFAedLGZ6_ViyAp88LK3V9p25umb9Vey2lSKKkdXC67n5K59JeSkYYYEyb9sL-ubCRwJ0YU2grp8pbBm0aBL9PCHJSxyg3Ah9yFyZskZUHI71r/s200/Steve5.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On his fifth trip up there, he loaded his truck up at 6 a.m.
on a Sunday. Hiking up to the area, he was mildly surprised and frustrated that
one of the cleaned rocks was already painted over. He is hopeful his efforts on
the higher boulders last longer than some of the urban hieroglyphics.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I don’t want to wake up any sleeping giants. It’s enough
that it is getting done. Maybe I’m doing it for karma points.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYwKHQHhBgkU4NkVgotJDx89hk9fCmejEr9MnzdeGUcaMRK-IDaVa6xoacAGTTs9GoxFY_IM6Ec0XznFNO5uykfJ9Whg6w5gDQY8QfYlIorYDf61LIGSMPD_nuREXewE-ueg1/s1600/Steve+can.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYwKHQHhBgkU4NkVgotJDx89hk9fCmejEr9MnzdeGUcaMRK-IDaVa6xoacAGTTs9GoxFY_IM6Ec0XznFNO5uykfJ9Whg6w5gDQY8QfYlIorYDf61LIGSMPD_nuREXewE-ueg1/s400/Steve+can.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All photographs by RJW</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-22676334060446814712013-10-03T05:38:00.000-07:002013-10-08T17:34:41.295-07:00Have You No Decency -- Republicans Hold Nation Hostage<i>"...You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"</i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">--Joseph Nye Welch (October 22, 1890 – October 6, 1960) was the head counsel for the United States Army while it was under investigation by Joseph McCarthy's Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations for Communist activities, an investigation known as the Army–McCarthy hearings.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">From <i>The New York Times</i>: Because some states are not expanding Medicaid, two-thirds of the poor
blacks and single mothers and a majority of the low-wage workers who do
not have insurance will not benefit from the new health law. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Millions of Poor are left uncovered by Health Law and Republicans continue to try and stop the availability of health care.</span> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2PdxpyIKs8_IVHlWNMnWv4d8jdt3qLbmcDBjmZ6AuupfWYJLuqtZYaYP9FQ9ePYEUOIWRQJPQXZWjG7eYiP4OWd-2g8Fm2D0Wr-6g6SPWIqnZM47Y4U_MkHsgSWXewHxfsLD/s1600/Healthcare-logo-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2PdxpyIKs8_IVHlWNMnWv4d8jdt3qLbmcDBjmZ6AuupfWYJLuqtZYaYP9FQ9ePYEUOIWRQJPQXZWjG7eYiP4OWd-2g8Fm2D0Wr-6g6SPWIqnZM47Y4U_MkHsgSWXewHxfsLD/s1600/Healthcare-logo-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-12349519300632312262013-10-01T06:29:00.001-07:002013-10-01T06:30:37.811-07:00Republican Congress Tells Citizens to Eat Cake<i>“If the people have no bread, let them eat cake.” </i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">--falsely attributed to Marie Antoinette</span><br />
<br />
<i>"If you are sick, please die"</i><br />
--<span style="font-size: x-small;">U.S. Republican members of the House of Representatives tell U.S. Citizens </span><br />
<br />
<br />
Unlike Marie Antoinette's misattributed quote, there is no mistaking Congress' disdain for its citizens, led by House Speaker John A. Boehner. They don't care if more than 800,000 federal workers across the country are facing an
uncertain financial future, including everyone with a 401K savings that is losing retirement money.<br />
<br />
In the days ahead many government agencies
prepared to close their doors, set up barricades and turn out the
lights all because Republicans don't like President Obama's Affordable Health Care Act.<br />
<br />
Just remember in November to quote another outspoken, knuckleheaded Republican when you vote and tell your elected representative, "You're fired!"<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-nmJX6CkVkcH4_QkBz0NDzsetOR60WYDjGrWY6DFQyyIjX7Y7bCrss_TNAC4v0Bz1ccx4QDpRK7utah9RK2IMOXptAtGy-GVaIFFJ2OmPu53CE_YBsWrXDRifadVUOgfaCvm/s1600/boehner+clown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-nmJX6CkVkcH4_QkBz0NDzsetOR60WYDjGrWY6DFQyyIjX7Y7bCrss_TNAC4v0Bz1ccx4QDpRK7utah9RK2IMOXptAtGy-GVaIFFJ2OmPu53CE_YBsWrXDRifadVUOgfaCvm/s1600/boehner+clown.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-79700531786170878122013-09-15T12:43:00.001-07:002013-09-17T14:42:38.452-07:00Endless Roads<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>"The road
that leads to nowhere for others might just be the road that leads to somewhere
for you!”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS 明朝","serif";">―</span> Mehmet Murat ildan, writer</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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What is it about roads? I love
paintings and photographs that show a road disappearing into a distance. Maybe
it easily captures the imagination and instantly allows the viewer to imagine
driving off down the road or possibly the opposite that a lost love is
returning (<i>see the Long Road post below</i>). </div>
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It’s not just visional arts, but
there are myriad songs that talk about the road from going down the road,
hitting the road, lost on the road, people who live on the road. We are suckers
for the promise of a new start whether coming or going down the road.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4W2y6kkDI5sIE_uw-W9yBZVczkTDTG5jvNa9vf5pAZ2rsjIuWRXFMxSCAga62C7iVZrSAOouUWosZS7oRVz6TIapfSoiRdusrmofpWWtQEuAQMfdyg8eBeRwJ2GycRVpnLm1/s1600/A+dirt+road+in+Brian+Head.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4W2y6kkDI5sIE_uw-W9yBZVczkTDTG5jvNa9vf5pAZ2rsjIuWRXFMxSCAga62C7iVZrSAOouUWosZS7oRVz6TIapfSoiRdusrmofpWWtQEuAQMfdyg8eBeRwJ2GycRVpnLm1/s640/A+dirt+road+in+Brian+Head.JPG" width="372" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A dirt road in Brian Head, Utah that leads up the hill to 11,000 plus elevation for a breathtaking view</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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When I added up all the time in
the last 11 years I spent driving back and forth to downtown Los Angeles, I
frighteningly found that I sat behind the wheel for six straight months 24
hours a day. Until I calculated all that time, I simply accepted it because I
refused to live in Los Angeles County proper with its crazy congestion, crime, and
corruption. I adapted and enjoyed my alone time listening to the news, books,
or music. I suspect that is why one of the reasons that I have a relatively
large collection of music. The last time I checked it was 23,000 plus of songs.
I could probably drive for a few weeks without worrying about running out of
songs. My Misanthropic playlist includes 780 songs and will play for 2.1 days,
according to iTunes. I am continually revising my numerous lists. The first few
songs of The Misanthrope Songs list include:</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Wrote a Song for Everyone by John Fogerty</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Heart on a Strong by Jason Isbell</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Checkout Time in Vegas by the Drive-By Truckers</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Waiting for Dawn by Bobby Long</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Long as I can see the Light by John Fogerty with
Morning Jacket</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Take Me to Tomorrow by Dave Matthews</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Operator by Grateful Dead</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Useless But Important Information by Jimmy
Buffett</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Call Me The Breeze by John Mayer</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Different Days by Jason Isbell</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Oldest Surfer on the Beach by Jimmy Buffett</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Ripple by Grateful Dead</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Happy Just to Be Like I am by Taj Mahal</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>He’s Gone by Grateful Dead</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Time Passes Slowly by Bob Dylan</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Goddamn Lonely Love by Drive-By Truckers</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I Throw it All Away by Bob Dylan</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Roll Another Number by Neil Young and another
761 songs</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFiRpWsB4R-B9u6cCoirxqubPU5VTwoCG1hjr4bdGCN_UU-nW4u7xgMTBxEUmaf33_pSwq72c5QfOKxjwP2QfEw93C3Zykv-yyx80SE7AwBot6faTSYwC6ovw3UUONIhawWE2E/s1600/Lone+house.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFiRpWsB4R-B9u6cCoirxqubPU5VTwoCG1hjr4bdGCN_UU-nW4u7xgMTBxEUmaf33_pSwq72c5QfOKxjwP2QfEw93C3Zykv-yyx80SE7AwBot6faTSYwC6ovw3UUONIhawWE2E/s640/Lone+house.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption">This little structure was built in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. From this lookout you can see parts of Nevada and Arizona.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTiVziysm7xCo_-dAOICsEEWDeKQPmeK1WaNyNxFsqtU9SL1LeVLfLvvE3dTHODOIM2kkGO7c10YDF1Ra3cEGJ5jghFaZGjSJDuqQAAGeMZDhLK9sdWg-lLPwxbvGcC0ghdSw/s1600/Utah,+Nv,+AZ.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTiVziysm7xCo_-dAOICsEEWDeKQPmeK1WaNyNxFsqtU9SL1LeVLfLvvE3dTHODOIM2kkGO7c10YDF1Ra3cEGJ5jghFaZGjSJDuqQAAGeMZDhLK9sdWg-lLPwxbvGcC0ghdSw/s640/Utah,+Nv,+AZ.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the shack above</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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A few years
ago when I drove alone from San Francisco back home, I navigated Highway 1 all
the way. For some reason I felt my playlist of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
was apropos. After a practically tough day at the office, I used to listen to
my Misanthropic Jazz list, but today it’s mostly played when writing or
reading. Because of
the recent deaths of people close to me (my dad and uncle), as well as a short
story idea I keep puttering with I feel I have assembled a perfect list for the
time being. A few songs from my jazz list include:</div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Star Dust by Joshua Redman</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>So Long Mr. T by Aki Takase</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Let it Be by Joshua Redman</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I Have Dreamed by Christian McBride</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Solitude by Aki Takase</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I Guess I’ll Have to Forget by Christian McBride</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>State of Mind by The Christian Jacob Trio</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Left Along by Terence Blanchard</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I Got it Bad and That Ain’t Good by Aki Takase</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>The Folks Who Live on the Hill by Joshua Redman</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>One for My Baby by Chris Botti</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Melancolico by Stan Getz</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Apres un reve by Arturo Sandoval</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Don’t Explain by Dexter Gordon</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Here’s That Rainy Day by Art Pepper</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Fables of Faubus by Project Trio**</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Fat Back and Greens by Regina Carter and
Christian McBride</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Slow Song for a Dog by Chris Thile & Edgar
Meyer</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9d9RR67FKgaxer893v6YBDnCcz3_j0JoAFh09fl1wRYXUJMkpNgfTi_1uIAscNpCYrVjDKds13VXKBfndrLJJTZHFW-GeuvR-elpaoeiwNlB3DbmJJH5CYPXHH1k0pdb0RXg/s1600/Sunset+on+Hyw+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9d9RR67FKgaxer893v6YBDnCcz3_j0JoAFh09fl1wRYXUJMkpNgfTi_1uIAscNpCYrVjDKds13VXKBfndrLJJTZHFW-GeuvR-elpaoeiwNlB3DbmJJH5CYPXHH1k0pdb0RXg/s640/Sunset+on+Hyw+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the photos from my journey on Highway 1, all those years ago</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I have a
Coffee House play list with acoustic songs and another one title Bar Jazz with
Sinatra, Nat Cole, Diana Krall, Dean Martin and many others. So, you can see
why I got use to driving and sometimes didn’t mind it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I have not
created a playlist of songs that incorporate road, but a quick sort found
dozens, but here are a few:</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Wrong Side of the Road by Tom Waits</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Winding Roads by Terence Blanchard</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Rules of the Road by Nat Cole</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Revelation Road by Shelby Lynne</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Heaven’s Only Days Down the Road by Shelby Lynne</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Old Dirt Road by John Lennon</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Coming Down the Road by John Mellencamp</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Love is a Long Road by Tom Petty</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Lowside of the Road Tom Waits</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>One for My Baby (And one more for the road) by
Frank Sinatra</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>The Long and Winding Road by The Beatles</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Why Don’t We Do it in the Road by The Beatles</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Road Ladies by Frank Zappa</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Dark Road Annie Lennox</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>King of the Road by Dean Martin</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Further On Up the Road by The Bank</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>On the Road Again by Willie Nelson, and I am
sure hundreds more, but you get the idea.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Short city
driving is certainly not my favorite and my little, redneck conservative city
will eventually become known as the city of stoplights. I counted 12 traffic
signals just going four miles and that does not include the stop signs. That
kind of interruptive, stressful driving is only occasionally helped by music,
so I try not to drive much in town.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It’s the
long open road winding out to destinations unknown that stoke our imagination
and keep us hopeful.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfuwGBhmxO_upugjhERFvAx25_tADhS5OZRhtywRf-Zl7v8QAgOwx8YiKdd2vhISMETCPZmFerYr4VvfeXs_RRssAenSI82UrtBgCWeGUKnbCYsvfyGMPIRVhuQYksDTTfSkv/s1600/Flower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfuwGBhmxO_upugjhERFvAx25_tADhS5OZRhtywRf-Zl7v8QAgOwx8YiKdd2vhISMETCPZmFerYr4VvfeXs_RRssAenSI82UrtBgCWeGUKnbCYsvfyGMPIRVhuQYksDTTfSkv/s640/Flower.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A wild flower along the road<br />
<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Photographs by RJW</i></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>**
"Fables of Faubus" is a song composed by jazz bassist and composer
Charles Mingus. One of Mingus' most explicitly political works, the song was
written as a direct protest against Arkansas governor Orval E. Faubus, who in
1957 sent out the National Guard to prevent the integration of Little Rock
Central High School by nine African American teenagers. Source: Wikipedia. I
just discovered this when I was looking up the word Faubus for this piece.</i></span></div>
The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-26786672640276380552013-08-21T01:00:00.000-07:002013-08-21T05:04:43.043-07:00Keys to Anything<style>
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<i>“I get up in
the morning, torture a typewriter until it screams, then stop.”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">--<span id="goog_838347432"></span><span id="goog_838347433"></span>Clarence B. Kelland, American Writer (1881-1964)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0u_Gmeurf0NceGbTKPK-6A2qsW7SwiNUWhzUigGgMxGcvpZ02CPmn0qOrocskZSDvrePCYdKoUEUHkPktmhou-zeYMXfKdsc18YizYxNxEjdJMVu4mOg2E2vTyhdAZjHeKMv/s1600/Keys.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0u_Gmeurf0NceGbTKPK-6A2qsW7SwiNUWhzUigGgMxGcvpZ02CPmn0qOrocskZSDvrePCYdKoUEUHkPktmhou-zeYMXfKdsc18YizYxNxEjdJMVu4mOg2E2vTyhdAZjHeKMv/s640/Keys.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">photo by RJW</span></div>
The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-42517402837349684382013-08-20T12:12:00.000-07:002013-08-20T19:20:09.757-07:00The Days of Ribbons and Keys<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>I'm totally in control of this tiny, tiny world right there
at the typewriter.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3.0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">--<b>Joan Didion</b>,
<b>writer</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is a bittersweet melancholy to the remembrance of
things past. Recently we were in a river town in the mountains of southern
California and the main road had several antique shops. Not sure why other than
it is a tourist destination. Saturday morning after breakfast we ventured out
to see the offerings of a bygone period.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwZZ4kqvGD5oCIgY1RCJgZe6HkMcfvxLmDEVdXDOygbupD_Iy3Ml-qb0FyP2IFgG6oAoMQQ7WOCGyD2Mtn7mNccmQzyhEa7R3r2R4z5L32JcoU71PPyy54tn0bBJXB3hOBRWD/s1600/Letter+R.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwZZ4kqvGD5oCIgY1RCJgZe6HkMcfvxLmDEVdXDOygbupD_Iy3Ml-qb0FyP2IFgG6oAoMQQ7WOCGyD2Mtn7mNccmQzyhEa7R3r2R4z5L32JcoU71PPyy54tn0bBJXB3hOBRWD/s200/Letter+R.JPG" width="178" /></a>As we walked through the stores item after item brought back
a time of youth. There was a Browning camera that I remember my grandparents
used. There were dishes my wife noticed that her mother used frequently when
Kennedy and Johnson were leaders of the United States. Long playing records
from the same era and even earlier featuring Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, as
well as many other bands and artists from the 1950s through the 1960s. Surprisingly
Bruce Springsteen’s first box set of live performances from the mid-80s was
also in one of the stores.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9A9QsZ2Az0kyujRYJ-DT0JqgqDQ55dPe4_fVH3we8l0Y2vV1oprEBuMkcdPBOwmudbX-Gt3FeBSWh-ygPNAQSnn8KA3AJf4W0J3iQ7GzM0Fro8LElgP4v4GaI9_-cg1T-PfHm/s1600/Letter+J.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9A9QsZ2Az0kyujRYJ-DT0JqgqDQ55dPe4_fVH3we8l0Y2vV1oprEBuMkcdPBOwmudbX-Gt3FeBSWh-ygPNAQSnn8KA3AJf4W0J3iQ7GzM0Fro8LElgP4v4GaI9_-cg1T-PfHm/s200/Letter+J.JPG" width="169" /></a>I purchased a heavy duty Smith-Corona typewriter. It was
similar to the gun-metal gray Remington I used as a budding journalist. For
those young’uns who might venture to read this, typewriters were the
indispensable tools for practically all writing, similar to your smartphone or
your computer today. While I have my issues with technology, I have no
intention of returning to the typewriter. Once the personal library is
restored, the typewriter will grace a shelf along side a 1950s rotary phone
with a letter prefix, instead of an area code.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLThMySuRH8TCMqzc8R6mHosg_pvyvqRqXpapjU9lAHSkwEdMJtnF15VXZap13L3pOQl6VMSn5GncZg-JZsmmQ6RvdYxVAzmzLzk_ArDwzPRsrKjEZzqmu9LLA0nBFPp2smugs/s1600/Letter+W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLThMySuRH8TCMqzc8R6mHosg_pvyvqRqXpapjU9lAHSkwEdMJtnF15VXZap13L3pOQl6VMSn5GncZg-JZsmmQ6RvdYxVAzmzLzk_ArDwzPRsrKjEZzqmu9LLA0nBFPp2smugs/s200/Letter+W.jpg" width="125" /></a>Browsing through the aged goods were myriad unknown family
photos and portraits exhibited in various old-fashion picture frames, but my
thoughts drifted to the families who were once so thrilled to view and own
those photos. I doubt any of the subjects or their relatives would really want
their family photos on display as just filler. Sadly, more likely than not,
those in the photos had either passed away and their relatives had no idea that
a photo ended up discarded as part of an estate sale. Then again, I know people
who have no interest in fulfilling a love one’s last request.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What will the antique store in 20 years contain? Will there
be smartphones, iPads, DVDs all replaced by Google glasses or will they
eventually be obsolete and people will communicate telepathically? But, that
may be hard if everything continues to be so dumbed down that any
communications will have to be nearly Neanderthal.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtwCfiNqFGPKd-27yfgdHQKvzbp1ZD-rynl1kMGUeD46QU18Bbb5QQLkNyd9BPGz8UoktsUWdvxg2b1RSW8hyphenhyphenOqMJyMxzJ-rOD4gJleZCC5t4Mvidvb95Cx4wGQI3wQEJ6ekY/s1600/typewriter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtwCfiNqFGPKd-27yfgdHQKvzbp1ZD-rynl1kMGUeD46QU18Bbb5QQLkNyd9BPGz8UoktsUWdvxg2b1RSW8hyphenhyphenOqMJyMxzJ-rOD4gJleZCC5t4Mvidvb95Cx4wGQI3wQEJ6ekY/s320/typewriter.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maybe we should return to ribbons and keyboards that allow
people to ponder and provide some thought to what is communicated.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photos by RJW </span></div>
The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-38824775848013684422013-05-10T05:04:00.000-07:002013-05-10T05:32:27.053-07:00Time to Change our End of Life Rules<style>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long
last, have you left no sense of decency?”</i>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
--Joseph Nye
Welch</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
I can’t imagine any scenario where
the end of a love one’s life is joyous. It is frequently rationalized and justified that the dying person is in a better place in order to make the survivors
feel a bit better, but the departing loved one just went through several circles of hell to get there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The end of life is not a pleasant production. There are
hallucinations, painful, poignant, and pleasant memories, combined with some
sad good-byes. There is the blue book of death ”Gone From My Sight, The Dying
Experience” by Registered Nurse Barbara Karnes that Kaiser Healthcare provides
to its patients in between fighting for palliative or hospice care, that explains
what signs to be cognizant of during a love one’s last day(s). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Experts, specialists, and medical staff can recognize all
the signs from decreasing appetite, disorientation, physical changes, and
breathing patterns, but yet we do not allow the patient or the love one to make
the call to leave their mortal coil. We would never let our pets suffer the way
our society demand we have to suffer the indignities of the Grim Reaper’s
visit, but we have to let our parents and other love ones go through the opprobrium
of having everything shut down before we allow the life to ebb from their bodies.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why is that? It seems there are reasons from religion’s rules
to legal liabilities that continue to allow people to suffer until everything
stops working, no matter how painful, even if morphine is of little help.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After jumping through hoops in contorted positions, one is
lucky if hospice shows up in a timely fashion to ease the pain. The hospice people
seem friendly and sympathetic; maybe it’s because they know how hard it was to finally reach this point of care.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On Mother’s day last year, I was on the phone demanding
morphine and calling the caregiver from his family dinner to get his butt back
to ease my father’s suffering. It is approaching the one-year of my dad’s
passing and now my uncle is preparing to go. Yet, my relatives have gone
through the same difficult stages. My uncle realized his time was approaching
and told them that he was ready to go, but no. They explained he’d have to go
to Oregon to die with that kind of dignity.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What a shame that a convicted killer can come closer to
getting his/her request for death honored easier than you or I can at the end
of our life. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“…I think I have never really gauged your
cruelty or your recklessness.”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
--Joseph Nye
Welch</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqYpGgf3yEU7vVTo4rvmdLQl_i1VhS67hBW4CMG23FrWLoGcm46E79_wKwgSSGRdglGqukCAvHZAGQbdgmqw0HWOYuJHbKTfcBENun1AtNHnoFsk5FaxgcDiDkchB0CZ6vT3X/s1600/Sunrise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqYpGgf3yEU7vVTo4rvmdLQl_i1VhS67hBW4CMG23FrWLoGcm46E79_wKwgSSGRdglGqukCAvHZAGQbdgmqw0HWOYuJHbKTfcBENun1AtNHnoFsk5FaxgcDiDkchB0CZ6vT3X/s640/Sunrise.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> photo by RJW</span></div>
The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-51880800634684599332013-04-30T20:53:00.002-07:002013-05-01T05:45:24.717-07:00The Following Losing Followers<i>I hate television. I hate it as much as peanuts. But I can't stop eating peanuts.</i><br />
--Orson Welles, director<br />
<br />
I watched The Following with great hopes at the start of the season. Sadly at every turn the show disappointed with nonsensial plot twists and unrealistic police or FBI procedures. I am not even close to knowing all the proper protocols, but if I can tell the show lacks verisimilitude that is bad.<br />
<br />
I will probably try to watch it next season, but if it continues its silly course they will have lost two viewers, which I suspect may be indicative of what many others are feeling.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj955oHVCrmd7RXAlm1K2t9qq8KfgFid3NNw076xhsMTPfh9ITQXBGairelsjFLIRXMrC0sm1v9sDSeDEHnFeVLfk-oZtoJJW1w20NQufw2zhUmc9ZvI1GVSSgbneiCrgyibrLG/s1600/following.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj955oHVCrmd7RXAlm1K2t9qq8KfgFid3NNw076xhsMTPfh9ITQXBGairelsjFLIRXMrC0sm1v9sDSeDEHnFeVLfk-oZtoJJW1w20NQufw2zhUmc9ZvI1GVSSgbneiCrgyibrLG/s400/following.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-57249182901580756692013-03-30T08:22:00.001-07:002013-03-30T08:22:48.436-07:00Library Variations<i>“Real luxury is time and opportunity to read for pleasure”
</i><br />
--Jane Brody<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2xLjJwRLj6ddFWkgcFUA9exv66anHlSxeCrMq_s0QE7A0fDW5a7XoXU9YkawQ5UwD58zE9o_u5NBRUbQJUw5DkfXuqLTLg87J9fuL5CRt-Jf0uruhPe7fDJtdfQqjpOkzgzZ/s1600/Variations+of+a+library.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2xLjJwRLj6ddFWkgcFUA9exv66anHlSxeCrMq_s0QE7A0fDW5a7XoXU9YkawQ5UwD58zE9o_u5NBRUbQJUw5DkfXuqLTLg87J9fuL5CRt-Jf0uruhPe7fDJtdfQqjpOkzgzZ/s640/Variations+of+a+library.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-23949541348528886982013-03-26T17:05:00.001-07:002013-03-30T14:49:26.290-07:00A Long Road<style>
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</style><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Afoot and light-hearted I take to
the open road,</i>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Healthy, free, the world before
me,</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The long brown path before me
leading wherever I choose.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
—Walt
Whitman, “Song of the Open Road”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Photographs of roads leading into the horizon capture the imagination.
One can contemplate and stare at the road that stretches before them and wonder
where they lead. The physical destination is not as important as the mental
journey – it makes all the difference.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<style>
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<span id="goog_2035165289"></span><span id="goog_2035165290"></span><br />
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<br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“If
you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.”</i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
– Lewis Carroll Alice, “Adventures in
Wonderland”</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACMq5XpmHADd_UTiYd82LNLEgi284slLJAt3aWqtziEL2aeM7-Rb-Dm78Z6cxd0LMKyeKVv87hEjZ2l1WUujyRO2l7tXslW9lksMIltD5rNFUMPy7-o8qWg5QpQopJ7g_zmf99w/s1600/Highway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Photographs by RJW</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-87602940005263849502013-03-25T05:29:00.001-07:002013-03-30T14:50:12.902-07:00Life’s Cadence<style>
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<i>“Do not lose hold of your dreams or aspirations. For if you
do, you may still exist but you have ceased to live.”</i></div>
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–Henry David Thoreau </div>
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<br />
Once a strong and healthy tree cut down in its prime by
Mother Nature. A strong wind, fierce waves finally broke it into submission.
Now sitting in the ocean repeatedly enduring the pulse of the waves absorbing
the water’s cadence.</div>
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Enjoy your Monday</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Photograph by RJW</i></span></div>
RJWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12420467875066244288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-87202345013783140252013-03-24T10:29:00.001-07:002013-03-30T14:51:03.416-07:00When Words Flow<style>
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<i>“I love talking about nothing. It is the only thing I know
anything about.”</i> </div>
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–Oscar Wilde
</div>
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On a good day the words just flow. On a bad day each word is
akin to passing a kidney stone.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5JEIAJm2qt1Vi9D1FjZtiigmLnpIWkNT7ZK6C-uiYCHeMyNZzeQ7Ipt6kmYM2yxYQg9i_BahRQmuaVYXQdeO5AkdjZJbj3Hkanzvz_Z5kYJIqaDUqmpQxJtJjBVtitjhxm1bN/s1600/typewriter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5JEIAJm2qt1Vi9D1FjZtiigmLnpIWkNT7ZK6C-uiYCHeMyNZzeQ7Ipt6kmYM2yxYQg9i_BahRQmuaVYXQdeO5AkdjZJbj3Hkanzvz_Z5kYJIqaDUqmpQxJtJjBVtitjhxm1bN/s640/typewriter.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Last Book Store<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Photograph by RJW </i></div>
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-5992210269278970632013-03-23T20:58:00.001-07:002013-03-30T14:51:46.205-07:00Sit and Think<i>“My eyes are an ocean in which my dreams are reflected.” </i><br />
--Unknown<br />
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<br />
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Sitting and pondering the future or revisiting the past,
either topic is best approached from such a location that provides blue skies
and pillowy clouds. Rare is undisturbed contemplation to determine whether
introspection or simple vacuity is called for.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maybe it’s neither. Just appreciate the spectacular view.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQlsaK4rpHpeik6DEFAK6YhY-no20uG07lCye88M97WWzpsiyed0GUY00schTVAqOZmN1yZi0m-rLxbmU6N5qeEuTNAEnLbfIs1bk5vezAY7oDs-QX5bSrBU76vDo6JJfILZK/s1600/bench+%2526+clouds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQlsaK4rpHpeik6DEFAK6YhY-no20uG07lCye88M97WWzpsiyed0GUY00schTVAqOZmN1yZi0m-rLxbmU6N5qeEuTNAEnLbfIs1bk5vezAY7oDs-QX5bSrBU76vDo6JJfILZK/s640/bench+%2526+clouds.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Photograph by RJW</i></span></div>
<span id="goog_850175714"></span><span id="goog_850175715"></span>The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-59284149413405222932013-03-21T09:03:00.001-07:002013-03-30T14:53:42.318-07:00Read Your Eyes Out<i>"I read my eyes out and can't read half enough...the more one reads the more one sees we have to read." </i> ―John Adams letter to Abigail Adams, Dec. 28, 1794<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQGdUEMn-JYf6Q1WnklDvOMy9u4AT-gMuJoPYckuFnPLTUNAYwOXvJviTczWSs3702QUxTJnnNnSMdOeba4YAzl9UYAas8KT4bNv5Qa86Apvol-zUgGx3X4OxeMLBCF0eRL70/s1600/Books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQGdUEMn-JYf6Q1WnklDvOMy9u4AT-gMuJoPYckuFnPLTUNAYwOXvJviTczWSs3702QUxTJnnNnSMdOeba4YAzl9UYAas8KT4bNv5Qa86Apvol-zUgGx3X4OxeMLBCF0eRL70/s640/Books.jpg" width="473" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Last Book Store</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbkVFvYxZhenMCZksZKQde69Njjsru4OWHDU5VDdhhnTfmgvXWBunLbubJvLLY5QThgLSij2LDvqb6GeiT91tBIBw8SVzAJlDdMuGclISEo2XdBKXBOii9kP3T6voHSMFITsE/s1600/Books2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbkVFvYxZhenMCZksZKQde69Njjsru4OWHDU5VDdhhnTfmgvXWBunLbubJvLLY5QThgLSij2LDvqb6GeiT91tBIBw8SVzAJlDdMuGclISEo2XdBKXBOii9kP3T6voHSMFITsE/s640/Books2.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Last Book Store</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cyD4aS90y0sY_5OUJq5wQs6sgRl9ZLlwWG7HjBq-uAGdJ6U_Y5txm9nNlcNfIZlTEnLXOfTPKBii86JgN1_TW1YFovMBQ_YDRprc_kXwKzhqEL4dMqeq49lx8r8oALtiO6Lj/s1600/Vincent+van+Gogh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cyD4aS90y0sY_5OUJq5wQs6sgRl9ZLlwWG7HjBq-uAGdJ6U_Y5txm9nNlcNfIZlTEnLXOfTPKBii86JgN1_TW1YFovMBQ_YDRprc_kXwKzhqEL4dMqeq49lx8r8oALtiO6Lj/s400/Vincent+van+Gogh.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent">Vincent van Gogh, Piles of French Novels and Roses in a Glass ("Romans Parisiens"), c. 1887</span></span></h5>
<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}" style="text-align: right;">
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent"><i>Photographs by RJW (painting by van Gogh) </i></span></span></h5>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-73686999080241861602013-03-20T06:16:00.001-07:002013-03-30T17:47:50.986-07:00Winter is Gone, Spring is Here<i>“The first day of spring was once the time for taking the young virgins into the fields, there in dalliance to set an example in fertility for nature to follow. Now we just set the clocks an hour ahead and change the batteries in the smoke alarms [oil in the crankcase].” </i><br />
― with apologies to E.B. White (1899-1985), essayist, "One Man's Meat"<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivXheZaQtAp5P3yqLf-iiS26zAK8JYiqnz2WXMVRHbU_PKCd6eKoeLGgP6DBK2iXkNNNn-AGCQU9CBDawYUPgAi-nVp7y7fBEORWj2240PyHwBrfS51IgSExu943h3cbPsBya/s1600/Spring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivXheZaQtAp5P3yqLf-iiS26zAK8JYiqnz2WXMVRHbU_PKCd6eKoeLGgP6DBK2iXkNNNn-AGCQU9CBDawYUPgAi-nVp7y7fBEORWj2240PyHwBrfS51IgSExu943h3cbPsBya/s640/Spring.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water lily at Hearst Castle</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Photograph by RJW</i></span>The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-7634778522247867192013-03-19T05:51:00.000-07:002013-03-19T05:51:36.252-07:00The Mind on Books<i>“No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” </i><br />
- Confucius<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPPK2dwjJDCZxVW44Awg2giW7eLNz5NDn1nxb8z-UrEY_rEzlY-6T7FzCqAacyHT6dsxa3kuKXzUfDoaPz4R4WKxOvlIFCRJXQebQ5xF1deh1kP8trucxV-s6lROMySeBnnWs/s1600/The+mind+on+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPPK2dwjJDCZxVW44Awg2giW7eLNz5NDn1nxb8z-UrEY_rEzlY-6T7FzCqAacyHT6dsxa3kuKXzUfDoaPz4R4WKxOvlIFCRJXQebQ5xF1deh1kP8trucxV-s6lROMySeBnnWs/s640/The+mind+on+books.jpg" width="388" /></a></div>
The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-72592828935977673522013-03-18T05:39:00.002-07:002013-03-30T14:54:37.312-07:00Serenity on a Monday<br />
<i>"I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.” </i><br />
― William Shakespeare<br />
<br />
Oh the serenity, such a distant memory on Monday morning. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQY8dAS20MC7iv_XggLTdyMfp9fyNGwgeZ9_tbyvAxpsxq2MsUWDRLOGCiEc5LtDqIoAd8kaXEtfaLAAvDH_r45bWTR6nvBhwpNY2Gs7V-aCuvAcNb5sPPqLgbd07G9QjCU18/s1600/Napa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQY8dAS20MC7iv_XggLTdyMfp9fyNGwgeZ9_tbyvAxpsxq2MsUWDRLOGCiEc5LtDqIoAd8kaXEtfaLAAvDH_r45bWTR6nvBhwpNY2Gs7V-aCuvAcNb5sPPqLgbd07G9QjCU18/s640/Napa.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Around Napa, California 2012<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Photograph by RJW </i></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793210.post-23569863010982092452013-03-17T11:36:00.000-07:002013-03-30T14:56:33.823-07:00The Flower of Separated Lovers<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“And one by one the
nights between our separated cities are joined to the night that unites us.”</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>― Pablo Neruda</div>
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<br /></div>
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Our honeymoon gift from an ATV guide as we cruised the Kipu
Ranch on Kauai made our day even more special. We took a three-hour tour of the
3,000-acre property that extended from the Huleia River to the top of the Haupu
Mountains. This was a property owned by Hawaiian royalty, then given to a
priest, whose family went on to become sugar-cane millionaires and land owners,
all the while thanking God.<br />
<br /></div>
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Our tour included a stop where Harrison Ford, in the first
Indiana Jones movie, escaped to the awaiting seaplane from the inhospitable
natives protecting their treasures. We had the opportunity to swing out over
the river just as Ford did, so we did.<br />
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6M32p4vACgVWe2c62yCdUaaBGOdKP7l7zT-kPe2T9ZiOl0ve_3bLVPXnHoyJ9Ca0V7xAuzP2ytnM-VavAmiHbnbJzd-WpN7UFeeUHdicdBDBMdSbky3qd0YvQLhH4_0rsA1ZR/s1600/Flower+of+love1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6M32p4vACgVWe2c62yCdUaaBGOdKP7l7zT-kPe2T9ZiOl0ve_3bLVPXnHoyJ9Ca0V7xAuzP2ytnM-VavAmiHbnbJzd-WpN7UFeeUHdicdBDBMdSbky3qd0YvQLhH4_0rsA1ZR/s200/Flower+of+love1.JPG" width="200" /></a>The highlight of the trip was the breathtaking beauty that awaited
us at the top of Haupu Ridge. This isolated area is on the privately owned
ranch that provides an awe-inspiring view of Kipu Kai beach that is only
accessible by boat to the public. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However,
there is a road now accessible only to the caretakers of this isolated beach. The
makers of the movie paved a road down to the beach for the caretaker that was
the payment instead of cash to film there.</div>
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<br />
We soaked in the beauty of the place and prepared to leave,
we mentioned to our guide that this was our honeymoon. He said, that he had a
story to tell us. He pointed out a half flower called Naupaka. Its blossoms appear
incomplete; they are only half a flower because all the petals are on one side.
In reality, the flower is complete.<br />
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The flowers are white or cream colored, often with purple
streaks. They have an irregular shape with all five petals on one side of the
flower making them appear to have been torn in half.<br />
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwiS8uT8LwOlRO3etpeyCvRSOo7wI4-R2BYw9kIz39DoTzEi584QuiQnVumYTDKt826AL1bRxJhmuVjhfpB0FIk7jfPCUCpc2pjBiuDkP7Z-SBT4JFSKE1tSYSXOQFhc8chhe/s1600/Flower+of+love.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwiS8uT8LwOlRO3etpeyCvRSOo7wI4-R2BYw9kIz39DoTzEi584QuiQnVumYTDKt826AL1bRxJhmuVjhfpB0FIk7jfPCUCpc2pjBiuDkP7Z-SBT4JFSKE1tSYSXOQFhc8chhe/s400/Flower+of+love.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
One of the myths surrounding the flower is that a princess
was forbidden to marry her true love, a fisherman, because he was a commoner.
As they parted ways forever, she tore a flower in half, giving one half to him
and keeping the other half for herself. She then returned to the mountains
where her family lived. Brokenhearted, they both cried and planted their
halves of the flower. Each half grew and became the two forms of naupaka – the
beach naupaka (naupaka kahakai) and the mountain naupaka (naupaka kuahiwi).</div>
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<br />
It is said that if the mountain Naupaka and beach Naupaka
flowers are reunited, the two young lovers will be together again.</div>
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<br />
Here is the secret of the flowers: when the two are jointed
they create a heart. This was our guide’s honeymoon gift to us.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhp_qnH4iPHyaMsPll5lBpOlMIThGqizrdtOYnKiJcqqoL9EDrenVzoXGFcsjs311gY-OkwpDDdl9zrWr6pHgzq64zV_BQszvVq_ddzEGMD1aiTzMq9TAUeWyyBfNvScIyzXVa/s1600/Donna+&+Randy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhp_qnH4iPHyaMsPll5lBpOlMIThGqizrdtOYnKiJcqqoL9EDrenVzoXGFcsjs311gY-OkwpDDdl9zrWr6pHgzq64zV_BQszvVq_ddzEGMD1aiTzMq9TAUeWyyBfNvScIyzXVa/s320/Donna+&+Randy.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Photographs by RJW</i></span>The Misanthropehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15697151793588884333noreply@blogger.com0