WUNDERKAMMER XI
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This project seems to go on forever.
Every so often I see something that is a part of my everyday life, but it is
old, unusual, and/or rare enough to be of some interest to others. Of
course, the “interest to others” part may or may not be true.
These two items were on display on bookshelves
in 1994 during the
Northridge earthquake. They are both treasures purchased during our
stay in Bangkok. The jade Buddha remained seated but did a 180° turn,
“hid” in a corner and was remarkably undamaged.
The celadon face left the shelf and suffered
two cracks in its head piece. Both items continue to be treasures.
The remarkable
Texas Instruments
Programmer capable of doing mathematics in decimal, hexadecimal, and octal.
In the years 1977 through 1981, very few computer programmers went without one.
Powered by a nine-volt battery, it is still operational.
A bit older, and probably unknown to most
people today, this Bates Numbering Machine provided a means for adding a
regularly advancing number to a typed, handwritten or otherwise manually
prepared document. It may sound funny today, but it filled a very
important role in its time!
I’ve tossed around buying a new car various
times since I moved to Hawaii and I always come to the same conclusion.
I’m too lazy to cover it regularly and I can’t face thinking of a new car
rotting in the sunshine and rain, since I don’t have covered storage.
So-o-o, I make do with what I have. The two passenger side power windows
failed in the down position. I “fixed” one with corks and one with
doorstops. Recently, the driver window failed similarly. I really
needed that window, so I spent $350 or so instead of corks or doorstops.
Other flaws bring derision from friends, but
the car runs well so I just make repair “payments” when absolutely necessary and
personal “repairs” otherwise. The glove box latch failed and I used duct
tape for quite a while. Duct tape stretches and deteriorates in the sun,
so recently I found a way to fasten it with wire. While duct tape loses it
“sticky power” in the sun, as you can see, the sticky material bakes on.
The roof of the car has been beaten by
automatic washers, rain, droppings from trees, birds, pest control, and
fertilizers, and the nearly constant sunshine. All mixed together the
result is spots and discoloration in a unique and fascinating pattern.
Behold a genuine “Maui Cruiser”! Not
much to look at, but virtually immune to theft.
This is the HoMedics
Shiatsu+Vibration Massage Cushion with Heat. I bought it a few months ago,
and just having it available seems to be helping my back. Remember when we couldn’t open a can without an electric device. I don’t know when or where this came from, but this Oster Designer has been decorating my kitchen for YEARS and the only time I use it is to sharpen knives.
Don’t ask how these two got together – I don’t
know. I remember wearing this raincoat ONE time since I got to Maui – and
that time was without the liner.
I believe my doormat is one of the original
ones from the opening of this condo complex in 1987. Don’t know how I was
lucky enough to have kept it, but look quickly – it is nearly an antique and
therefore increasing in value.
Remember the leisure suit? Here is Pono in 1976 with a full beard, black hair and lots of it, a sun tan and a very sharp leisure suit. With a little search, and some cleaning, here is that self-same jacket in 2015. Why? Why do I keep asking
I have lots of books, but I promise that I
will only present a few of them to you. These are books that have personal
meaning to me due to subject, writer, donor or other attribute. I’ll try
to explain.
“The Beak of the Finch” by Jonathan Weiner,
1994. Peter Grant and his wife Rosemary spent decades studying evolution
in real time, observing the Finches of the Galápagos. This book is the story of their
adventures and my son Stuart gave me a copy. In 1999, Peter Grant’s office
at Princeton was just next to where Stuart hung out. I visited Stuart
there and was fortunate enough to meet Peter Grant.
“A Mile in Her Boots” Edited by Jennifer Bové,
2006. A collection of articles by “Women Who Work in the Wild”. One
article is by good friend Judy Edwards and details the excavation of a nest of
hatchling sea turtles. Judy and I shared the
experience of a natural hatching of a nest laid by Orion, the same
Hawksbill. The other 27 authors have equally fascinating tales.
“The System Builders” by Claude Baum, 1981. I worked for SDC from
1963-1971, so “The Story of SDC (System Development Corporation)” covers my
entire stay with them. I have to admit that I was not aware of the
corporate politics while there, but the technical side seems realistic. I
knew of Claude Baum, but we were not friends.
This copy of the Holy Bible was presented to
me when I was raised to a Master Mason by Perry Lodge No. 350 Free & Accepted
Masons on April 19, 1962. It contains the signatures of several of my
brothers who witnessed the event, including my father.
“The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the
Window and Disappeared”, Jonas Jonasson, 2009. If the title doesn’t
intrigue you, what would? It’s like a senior version of Forrest Gump, with
Swedish overtones. This book was a gift from a couple who vacation here
regularly and often cross my path while walking in the morning.
“The Book of Mormon”, 1830. This book,
“Another Testament of Jesus Christ”, was given to me by a dear lady who
befriended me when I spent untold hours in the early 2000s at the Latter Day
Saints Family History Center in Kahului researching my ancestry.
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AFTERWORD |
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JR and Stuart have closed their mother’s
estate after her death in 2014. I requested a few items that are
meaningful to me and they show up here as the jade Buddha, the Celadon face and
the TI Programmer. A few more such items may show up if there is yet
another in the Wunderkammer series.
A reminder to you – ALL of the
previous Ponograms are available
online. I find it convenient to refer to some of them in nearly every new
edition, but you may want to review others that had some meaning to you.
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