Library Variations

“Real luxury is time and opportunity to read for pleasure”
                                --Jane Brody

A Long Road

Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road,

Healthy, free, the world before me,

The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.

—Walt Whitman, “Song of the Open Road”

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.

 

“If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.”

– Lewis Carroll Alice, “Adventures in Wonderland”

Photographs by RJW

Life’s Cadence

“Do not lose hold of your dreams or aspirations. For if you do, you may still exist but you have ceased to live.”

                                                                                        –Henry David Thoreau

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.

Enjoy your Monday

Photograph by RJW

When Words Flow

 

“I love talking about nothing. It is the only thing I know anything about.” 

                                                                               –Oscar Wilde

 

On a good day the words just flow. On a bad day each word is akin to passing a kidney stone.

The Last Book Store

Photograph by RJW

Sit and Think

“My eyes are an ocean in which my dreams are reflected.” 
                                           --Unknown

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.

Maybe it’s neither. Just appreciate the spectacular view.

Photograph by RJW

Read Your Eyes Out

"I read my eyes out and can't read half enough...the more one reads the more one sees we have to read."                           ―John Adams letter to Abigail Adams, Dec. 28, 1794

The Last Book Store

The Last Book Store

Vincent van Gogh, Piles of French Novels and Roses in a Glass ("Romans Parisiens"), c. 1887

Photographs by RJW (painting by van Gogh)

Winter is Gone, Spring is Here

“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].” 
            ― with apologies to E.B. White (1899-1985), essayist, "One Man's Meat"

Water lily at Hearst Castle

Photograph by RJW

The Mind on Books

“No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” 
                                                                   - Confucius

Serenity on a Monday

"I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.” 
                                   ― William Shakespeare

Oh the serenity, such a distant memory on Monday morning.

Around Napa, California 2012

Photograph by RJW

The Flower of Separated Lovers

 

“And one by one the nights between our separated cities are joined to the night that unites us.”                        ― Pablo Neruda

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.

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.

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.  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.

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.

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.

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).

It is said that if the mountain Naupaka and beach Naupaka flowers are reunited, the two young lovers will be together again.

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.

Photographs by RJW

Sunset in Kauai

"Ocean is more ancient than the mountains, and freighted with the memories and the dreams of time."                                                    --H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937), Writer

Low tide at sunset, watching the clouds go by in Hanalei Bay, Kauai. 

Photograph by RJW

Watching the World Go By

"Why does the eye see a thing more clearly in dreams than the imagination when awake?"
                                                       --Leonardo da Vinci

A couple who clearly see what is going on.

Photograph by RJW

On The Road

"Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.” 
                              ― Jack Kerouac, On the Road

 On the road in San Francisco            

photography by RJW

The Sorcerer's Books

"When I am attacked by gloomy thoughts, nothing helps me so much as running to my books. They quickly absorb me and banish the clouds from my mind."
                                       — Michel de Montaigne (1533 - 1592), essayist.


I snapped this picture at The Last Book store in downtown Los Angeles. The store occupies an old bank building.

Clouds Are In My Eyes

Bows and flows of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air And feather canyons everywhere, I've looked at clouds that way. 
Joni Mitchell, singer/song writer "Both Sides Now"

I love clouds. Watching them regally float by makes me feel as if I can ponder the world and its many issues. Having recently been to Kauai and waking up to what appeared to be a never-ending parade of morphed dirigibles that not only rivaled Macy’s, but put them to shame.  They had no strings 

Song interlude:

 I've got no strings

So I have fun

I'm not tied up to anyone

They've got strings

But you can see

There are no strings on me

 From Pinocchio, "I’ve Got No Strings"

Every morning I eagerly went to the window to view the clouds that covered the ocean like a top sheet on a neatly made bed. I watched as they tumbled by, some slowly evaporating, others expanding moving slowly as if they were royalty meandering by exuding elegance. 

From the painterly or the photographers’ point of view, clouds accent the mountains, enhance the sunrise, and magnify the sunset such that it often makes those who catch its pause to note the autumnal oranges, pastel pinks and blues.

Your mood can change based on the type of clouds coming over the horizon, but in Kauai they were generally light and fluffy transforming into whatever I imagined them to be as they blew from right to left following the trade winds.

Photographs by RJW

Bond, James Bond

Q has blown up a dummy with an explosive pen
Q: Don't say it... 
James Bond: The writing is on the wall. 
Q: Along with the rest of him. 
From the movie "Dr. No"

My favorite actor portraying the indestructible super secret agent James Bond was Timothy Dalton. I thought that he was the dark, cold, and ruthless character Ian Flemming had in mind. Bond was modeled to resemble the musician Hoagy Carmichael.

Hoagy, who wrote Stardust Melody and many others

Craig is not bad, but he reminds me of Russia's President Vladimir Putin or deceased actor Roy Scheider.

 See the evidence for yourself--

Roy Scheider

Daniel Craig

Vladimir Putin

What James Bond should look like--

Timothy Dalton

The real James Bond --

Bond, James Bond

The Rolling Stones Doom & Gloom

Lost all that treasure in an overseas war It just goes to show you don't get what you paid for Battle to the rich and you worry about the poor Put my feet up on the couch And lock all the doors Hear a funky noise That's the tightening of the screeeeews
Jagger/Richards, The Rolling Stones "Doom and Gloom"

The ol' boys of rock and roll can still deliver.

War is Hell

“You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.” 
Paul Sweeney

"The Yellow Birds" by Kevin Powers was a very moving and a very descriptive book. 

From Michiko Kakutani, the New York Times book reviewer:  Kevin Powers joined the Army when he was 17 and served as a machine-gunner in Iraq in 2004 and 2005. Drawing upon those experiences, he has written a remarkable first novel, one that stands with Tim O’Brien’s enduring Vietnam book, “The Things They Carried,” as a classic of contemporary war fiction. 

Throughout the book I felt his pain, fear, and sense of loss. There is also a sense of frustration with our military and how they care for our soldiers after going through battle.

I would also highly recommend reading "Matterhorn" by Karl Marlante. This book is about a troop in the jungles of Vietnam during the turbulent 1960s as well as bureaucratic nonsense that takes place in headquarters. This book made me feel even more compassion and admiration for our WWII vets who fought in the jungles of the Pacific.

Our soldiers who go into battle truly go through hell. Sadly too many people have no idea of all the ramifications of battle and the toll it takes on people. Of course those clueless people seem to be the ones the most hawkish and vocal about going to war.

Lincoln, the Movie

"Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration"
Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865), 16th U.S. President

Lincoln, the movie was phenomenal. Daniel Day Lewis will win best actor easily, the movie will win best picture, Spielberg will win best director, and Tony Kushner's screenplay. They won't have just won, they will have earned it. 

If you are not interested in politics, history, or the process works find another way to spend two plus hours.

Step Right Up

It gets rid of unwanted facial hair, it gets rid of embarrassing age spots,

It delivers a pizza, and it lengthens, and it strengthens

And it finds that slipper that's been at large

under the chaise lounge for several weeks

And it plays a mean Rhythm Master,

It makes excuses for unwanted lipstick on your collar

And it's only a dollar, step right up, it's only a dollar, step right up

 --Tom Waits, singer, song writer "Step Right Up"

 

I was asked do I want to make money selling products on Toner Mishap?

Subject: For the owner/writer of TONER MISHAP

 Hi ,
I work for ACME and wanted to reach out to you.

We came across your blog TONER MISHAP and thought you'd make a great person to work with for a mutually beneficial initiative we've started. We're looking to have a select group of bloggers like yourself pick out their favorite ACME products and then ideally mention them in a blog post. The product selection is quite varied so I'm sure you'll find something that fits perfectly with your blog.

To make this really fast & easy, we've developed a tool that guides you through everything. It even helps generate a blog post title and the actual content once you've chosen your products.
You can get started by visiting this url: goflyakite.com
It should only take a couple minutes, but we would like to offer you an ACME gift certificate in exchange for your time if this sounds interesting to you.

All the best,
Shyster 

I replied with an uppercase NO.  What would my ethics be if I wrote about their merchandise by causally slipping in a surreptitious product plug without alerting you?  What if I did alert you and conveyed my weak little deal with the devil? There would be no credibility in my third-party endorsement. They would even give me a free gift certificate to write about their stuff and I still say NO!

I also wonder who would want someone with the pseudonym The Misanthrope to write about their tchotchkes? I don’t believe they even read this blog to see if the tone is right or if anything has been endorsed on this blog previously. Even if I used my real initials (RJW), which I don’t because I can’t remember my password the answer would still be NO.

So dear company representative, the answer today, tomorrow, and as long as I am asked for my opinion the reply will always be NO.