CDs and solid state memory were not yet invented - or not available for the general public.  Back then, the choice of recorded media was the cassette.  It was compact, easy to take around and could play in your car's stereo.  Much smaller than 8-track tapes and available with pre-recorded albums recorded on them.

But listening to them meant hanging out in your car in the school parking lot during lunch time or hanging out by your car at Ala Moana beach park.  And it also meant draining your car's battery.

But that all changed on July 1, 1979, when Sony introduced the Sony Walkman TPS-L2.  A 14 ounce, silver and blue portable cassette player that came with headphones and a slick leather case.

Now music was portable.  And the Sony TPS-L2 even came with a second headphone jack so ONE of your friends could share your music with you.

But it's a far cry from today's iPods and other MP3 players.  Today's kids ask their MLC dads "Did you used to have one of those huge Walkmans?"  And the dad would reply "Yup, wore it on my belt."  And the kids say back "Please don't ever repeat that." 

I remember when my friend bought one.  He was working as a valet and his co-worker turned him on the the Walkman.  The very next day, a few of us went with him to Shirokiya to buy his new toy.  He immediately opened it up, stuck in the 2 AA batteries, popped in a cassette and was rockin' and rollin' as we were walking around the mall.  But he had the volume turned up - so much so - that when he asked a question, he yelled out "WHERE'S HE GOING?".  My other friends and me just looked at each other and started busting out laughing.  My friend with the Walkman quickly took off his headphones and said "What, did I say that too loud?".

Do you remember the old Walkmans?  Maybe you even had one.  Or perhaps you had the deluxe model with the built-in AM/FM tuner.  Come on, own up.  Do you have any portable music players today?  I have a few iPods - 4 to be exact.  What can I say - I love my music.

Paula and I went to the Honpa Hongwanji bon dance this past weekend.  On Saturday night, it was like a mini tweet up (without Ynaku).  Melissa Chang of Urban Mix Plate was there and introduced me a quite a few new tweeple that I'm now following.  I also introduced myself to TwoBeerQueers.  They have a number of videos on Metromix.

TwoBeerQueers and Me - do I look a little scared or what?

Even saw Ocean Lover working in the food booth.  Every year he volunteers his services.  What a trooper.  He also introduced us to Ocean Hater (his wife).

For one, the ethanol tax break comes to an end.  That means another 10¢ to 12¢ increase per gallon of gas.
I topped off my gas tank this past weekend.  You might want to do the same too before Wednesday.

Let's see - other taxes that will increase will be cigarette tax, hotel accommodations tax, conveyance tax, and State income tax on higher earners.

Oahu folks will see the following changes: tax increases on Vehicle Weight tax and Real Property tax, No homeowner tax credit, increased parking rates, and increased bus fares.

Man, are we being gouged.  Must not be an election year, eh?

And the biggie for Oahu folks: No use of a mobile electronic device while operating a motor vehicle.

• Q: What is Bill 4 (2009) Relating to the Use of Electronic Devices While Operating a Motor Vehicle?
  A: This is a new law that prohibits the use of mobile electronic devices while operating a motor vehicle.  The law’s purpose is to make Honolulu roadways safer for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists.

• Q: What is a “mobile electronic device”?
  A: “Mobile electronic device” refers to any hand-held or other portable electronic equipment capable of providing wireless and/or data communication between two or more persons or of providing amusement, including but not limited to a
  • cellular phone,
  • text messaging device,
  • paging device,
  • personal digital assistant,
  • laptop computer,
  • video game, or
  • digital photographic device.

The law does not prohibit the use of audio equipment or any equipment installed in a motor vehicle for the purposes of providing navigation, emergency assistance to the operator of the motor vehicle, or video entertainment to the passengers in the rear seats of a motor vehicle.

• Q: What does “use” or “using” mean under this law?
  A: “Use” or “using” means holding a mobile electronic device while operating a motor vehicle.

• Q: Does the law ban all mobile electronic devices?
  A: The law applies to hand-held devices.  Hands-free devices are still allowed.

• Q: What is a "hands-free" device?A: A "hands-free" device may be a wireless or wired connection to your mobile phone which:
  • Allows you to answer your phone either through touching a button on the device or voice activating for answering, and
  • Does not require the holding of the phone while in use.
  • Some hands-free devices will allow voice-activated dialing, which is allowed under this ordinance.

• Q: Does the law prohibit texting?
  A: Yes, it is illegal for drivers to text or engage in other hand-held uses of mobile electronic devices while operating a motor vehicle.
• Q: May I make a call on my phone while stopped in traffic?
  A: No.
• Q: What if I need to use my phone in an emergency, but I don’t have a hands-free device?
  A: The law exempts the use of cellular phones for emergency 911 calls.
• Q: What is the fine for this offense?
  A: $67 for the first offense.
• Q: Does the law apply to out-of-state drivers?
  A: Yes.
• Q: Are passengers affected by this law?
  A: No, only the driver of the vehicle.
• Q: When does the law take effect?  Will there be a grace period?
  A: The law will be in effect July 1, 2009.  There is no grace period.

Now what defines "while operating a motor vehicle"?  If you have to take a call and you pull over on the side of the street, take the call while your motor is running, you are "operating a motor vehicle".  Be sure to turn your engine OFF!
Now if you pull into a parking lot on private property and take a call while your motor is running, is that still breaking the law?  I would guess not since you're on private property, right?  But don't take my word for it.

Now the law states that I'm allowed to touch a button on my device to answer a call.  So if I press the button to answer a call and touch it again to put the call on speaker, then leave the phone on my center console, then I'm okay, right?  As long as I'm not holding it with my hand(s).

And if your phone doesn't have a speaker option or bluetooth, there is a simple solution:

Too cute, yeah?

Can you see him sleeping under there?

In the Do You Remember... Hanafuda entry, a few of you asked where you could buy Hanafuda cards.  Well, this weekend I was at Ala Moana Shopping center (no surprise there, eh?) and I found them at Shirokiya:

Weird, they're made by Nintendo.

There was a sample deck so I took the cards out and they are just a stiff as I remember them.  I'm sure they'll make that "pak" sound when you slam down the cards.

An email went out on June 16th to people on the 70's Nightclub Runion web site mailing list that tickets were on sale.  They sold out in 33 minutes! Insane.  A lot of people were upset that they weren't able to get tables, although Standing Room Only tickets were available - and may still be.

Needless to say, Rob Kimura of Greenwood and Candy Au of the Ala Moana Hotel felt awful that people couldn't get the seats they wanted.  Quite a few angry emails and phone calls were taken by Rob and Candy.  So the following letter was created in hopes that people will understand that not everyone can be accommodated.

Aloha,

On behalf of the Ala Moana Hotel's Catering Department and the 70's Nightclub Reunion committee, we would like to thank you for your tremendous support in making this such a successful event.

We also extend our apologies to those who were unable to reserve seats for this event.  The 70's NCR has grown tremendously over the past five years and our facility simply cannot accommodate the total number of seating required for every one who desires a seat that attends our function.

This event would not be possible without the commitment, dedication and hard work of the bands that have decided to reunite to participate as most have not played together for decades.  Countless hours go into preparing for this event and logistics (since many members now live abroad) make it even more challenging.

The main ballroom has a maximum seating capacity of 600 seats with an additional 250 seats available in the Garden Lanai.  Reunion V drew over 900 people.  So doing the simple math, we were already at SRO (Standing Room Only) status for the past event.  For 2009 we decided to implement an email data based system which is tied to our website.  The intent was to be able to distribute at one time, the announcement that tickets are available for sale.  We had four people fielding calls for Reunion VI vs. one for Reunion V with the sole intent of taking reservations more efficiently.  With the tremendous number of calls that came in within the first 33 minutes, the Hibiscus Ballroom and Garden Lanai were sold out.

This event is currently in SRO mode and will remain so until the facility is at it's maximum capacity levels in compliance with Hawaii's fire code.  Again we regret and apologize that we could not provide the necessary seating to satisfy all that called for reservations.  This event would not be possible without the support of all that attend and the bands commitment to reunite.  For this we extend our deepest appreciation.

Mahalo,
Candy Au
Director of Catering
Ala Moana Hotel

Where did you see this?

Update: And the Answer is:

Longs Drugs - Pali at the corner of Pali Highway and Vineyard

Kage got it right on his first guess.  Congratulations, Kage!

Snow and opso get honorable mention. 

Since everyone and their grandmother is going to blog about Michael Jackson, I chose to remember Farah Fawcett.  Plus, I had the iconic Farrah Fawcett poster in my bedroom, but no Michael Jackson poster.

Did you have this poster too?

Here's a touching report about Farrah's fight with cancer.

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Did you know that before Charlie's Angels, Farrah Fawcett also did commercials?

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"At the sign of the cat"  Remember that catch phrase?

And of course, Charlies Angels
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What are your memories of Farrah Fawcett?  Did you girls have the "Farrah flip" hair style?  Did you guys have the Farrah Fawcett poster?  I did.  Was Farrah your favorite "angel"?  Mine was actually Kate Jackson.  Do you remember in Charlie's Angels what was the relationship between Farrah Fawcett and Cheryl Ladd?

Michael Jackson video playlist <--- click it

Oh, if you do go, stop by the food tent and look for Ocean Lover.

See my previous blog entry: A Summertime Tradition

See you there!

HNL2LAS wrote:

UR: I think I mentioned what happened in a previous blog? I'm not sure. My grandma passed away on a Friday. I had gone back to LV 2 days before, and when I got the call I freaked out! I should have stayed home longer! I was to go back to work the next week, as my leave had ended, so although I was unsure if I should go back yet, I did.

Sunday morning, I woke up thinking "wow, what a weird dream." I had dreamt that I was in my grandparents house and I saw both of them outside the glass doors. They didn't speak, but grandpa had a sign, something about when bells ring(he had passed away a year 1/2 prior). They started getting smaller and smaller, floating away and I saw my grandma dancing and I swear they had wings. Later that day I realized they visited me to tell me they were ok. It also dawned on me about the bells. It's a Wonderful Life! I had never seen the movie before, but I had heard somewhere, it was said that when you hear bells it means another angel has gotten their WINGS!!!

Kage and Ducksinthewind also mentioned that they too were visited by the spirits of loved ones who came to visit through dreams.

Were they really dreams?  Or perhaps the spirits communicate with us when we're sleeping - when our minds are at a calm state - so as not to scare us.

A while back, I had one of those weird dreams - not so much of someone who has passed on that came to visit, but more of a message of what's beyond life in this Physical world.

In this dream I was riding in a car with some friends somewhere around Maunawili and as we passed by this one house, standing alone around a lot of overgrown brush, I suddenly found myself in a room (not sure if it was that house).  I was sitting with 2 men and a lady.  One man told me to put my hands together while the other one started beating slowing on a drum.  I didn't know what was going on so the lady gently grabbed my hands and put them together for me and helped me hold them together.

Then 4 people appeared before me, sitting in a semi-circle.  I quickly recognized one of the 4 people as a childhood friend that had passed away.  Then another person entered the room and I also recognized him as another childhood friend that had passed on.  He joined the others and sat with them.

I didn't recognize the other 3 people sitting in the semi-circle.  One of the 3 was a young girl maybe in her early twenties.  Since I knew that my 2 childhood friends that were there had passed on, I asked the 2 men and the lady if the other 3 also had passed away.

They nodded yes.

Then I felt a strange emptiness in my heart, like it was purged.  But then it was followed with a very calming feeling.  A feeling of pure love.

I asked if this is what it's feels like when we pass away.

The 2 men and the lady shook their heads no.

But I knew it was.

It was a feeling like I've never felt before.  Calmness and a peaceful serenity is the only way I can describe it.

Then I woke up with tears in my eyes.  Tears of joy.

As I thought about the dream, I believe that the 2 men and the lady lied to me (to protect me) and told me that the peacefulness that I felt wasn't what it feels like after we die - only because they didn't want me to long for that feeling and die before my time.

Was this dream some kind of message to reassure me to not be afraid when the time comes and to let me know that it's okay when people die.  In fact, it's almost something to look forward to.  The emptying of the heart, then being filled with love, peacefulness, and a calm feeling of serenity.

It's not exactly a dream where I was "visited", but I just wanted to share that dream with you.

Sometimes spirits visit to let you know they are okay and to say one last good-bye.

Sometimes spirits visit because there is unfinished business and they can't rest in peace until the unfinished business is resolved.  Usually a visit to a priest, clergymen, or kahuna can explain what needs to be done so the spirit can move on.

Have you experienced these "visiting" dreams?  Or if not you, maybe your friends or relatives and they've shared their stories with you?  Or perhaps you had a dream similar to mine where a message of some sort is trying to be relayed to you?  Share your stories with us.

Now on a more serious note, I've been contemplating this entry for some time now.  And with Melissa Kamakawiwo'ole and Kevin Kawamoto starting up the Caring For Hawaii's Elders blog, I thought this might be a good lead-in to their new blog.

My mom has dementia.

It's not Alzheimer's (which is just one form of dementia) but dementia nonetheless.  She has no short term memory and doesn't always recognize me.  For example, on my last visit with mom, she asked me about 3 or 4 times where I'm living now.  I always give her the same answer, but she doesn't remember.  But when I ask her about growing up, she can recall everywhere she lived and what my grandparents used to do.  So I try to ask her questions of long ago to keep the conversation going.

She is also paranoid that people are stealing from her - which is another symptom of dementia.  Because she can't remember where she placed something, she thinks someone stole it.  And for that reason, she doesn't like people coming over to her house.

One night when Paula and I were over visiting, we were sitting at the table talking with my big brother (Rod's Big Bro) and my mom would get up from the living room every few minutes and pace around.  My brother said that she doesn't recognize us and thinks we're strangers in the house.  Until finally she said "It's getting late so you folks better be going soon."  (it was only about 7:00 pm and we were there for maybe a couple of hours having dinner with her).  So now I make it a point to sit with her and keep the conversation going so she knows it's still me there visiting.  I always tell her who I am as soon as I get there and give her a hug, but it's still tough trying to keep the conversation going for more than an hour.

We're fortunate that my big brother is now living with her.  He's retired and single so he can be there during the day to make sure she takes her daily medication and prepares food for her.  We've unplugged her stove as a precaution.

One co-worker of mine told me once that her father who suffers from dementia almost burned down his house and luckily the fire was contained to the kitchen area.  That was a wake up call and her and her husband decided to move in with him to make sure he's safe.

But living with someone with dementia can be tough.  I didn't realize how wide-spread this was until my mom came down with dementia and I talked to other people about it.

J was sharing with me that when her mom came down with dementia, they had her move in with her and her family.  But the stress was getting to her - and destroying her marriage.  She told me that she spent many a night sitting alone in a dark bathroom, crying because she couldn't take it anymore.  They had to have her mom put into a care home to save their marriage.  And their family.

I asked another person about her father who was living alone and suffered from dementia.  She goes over every morning and take care of him until the early afternoon when her sister comes over to relieve her so she can go to work.  She too said that she spent many a times crying on the drive to work after leaving her father's house because the stress was just too much.

Then she read a book that opened her eyes and helped her.  So much so that she recommended this book to me and said to be sure to read the chapter on Dementia.

The book is titled "How to Care for Aging Parents" by Virginia Morris.

The chapter on dementia explains that it's important to understand that dementia is a disease.  And the person with it can't help what they're doing because they have this disease.  And once the caregiver can understand this, they can then cope with it better.  The actions of the person with dementia is not meant to be taken personally by the caregiver or the people visiting.  It's the dementia that causing them to act in such a manner.  They might lash out or question and accuse one of something, but won't remember it in the next minute or two.  And because of the lack of being able to remember, they get frustrated or paranoid and say things.  But again, it's the dementia that's causing them to do it.  It's not they've lost their loving personality and have become hateful and bitter, it's the damn disease.

It requires patience.  Tons of patience to deal with the constant repetitive questions and accusations.  And for those caregivers, I admire your strength and courage to be able to deflect all these harsh barbs and still give the person the best care possible.  I can't image how tough it is and know that you need a break every now and then to keep your own sanity.  And that you too have a life to live.

So, Thank You Rod's Big Bro for stepping up.

There is a term called "Care Gap".  It's affecting a lot of the baby boomer generation as they have aging parents that need their help as well as children to tend to or their children's children that need to be watched.  And the Care Gap folks are getting overwhelmed between helping out caring for their parents and their grandchildren.

And as we start getting up there in age, what happens if we too start falling to the dementia disease?  Are you prepared to deal with it if your spouse is diagnosed with dementia?  What if we start falling to it?  What can we do to prevent it?  Are you scared?  I am.

So sometime today, please take a moment to remember McLovin and say a little prayer for him and his loved ones.  Thanks.

1. What are your feelings about milk?
2. What are your feelings about cheese?
3. What are your feelings about yogurt?
4. How do you feel about soy milk?
5. How far are you from the nearest cow?

Here's my answers:

1. What are your feelings about milk?
   Growing up, I drank milk only when I was told to - like with our school lunch.  Then one day, I was at a friends house (losthawaiian) and during a break from playing, he went in to get something to drink.  It was milk.  I was shocked!  "You drink milk when you don't have to?!" And his reply was "Yeah, I like milk".  I thought that was pretty cool (to like milk) so from then on, I started drinking milk every night for dinner.  Thanks losthawaiian!
   Somewhere in my early 30's, I became lactose intolerant.  Not so much with ice cream, mostly with milk and rich cream sauces.  If I'm constipated, a glass of milk or a plate of alfedo sauce will cure me.  Instantly.
   So now since I can't drink milk, I get my daily allowance of calcium by taking Citracal.  Recommended by Dr. Laura.
2. What are your feelings about cheese?
   Hated it.  Now I like it.  Growing up, only my dad ate cheese and it was cheddar.  I thought that was the only kind of cheese there was.  Then I was introduced to pizza.  Mmmm, what's this white cheese?  I like white cheese.  Then as I got older, I ate different types of cheese and found that I like cheese.  But I still don't care much for cheddar.
3. What are your feelings about yogurt?
   Never acquired the taste for it.  Tried a few times, but NCH (No Can Handle).  Too sour tasting for me.  Even if I pretend it's ice cream, nope.
4. How do you feel about soy milk?
   After I found out that lattes go right through me, I tried them with soy milk.  Meh.  Didn't really care for it.  But I'm willing to try it again.  Someday.
5. How far are you from the nearest cow?
   He, he.  Could have fun with this question, but I won't.  I'd say the nearest cow to be would be the one standing in front of Foremost over by OCCC (across Marukai).  Say, isn't that Lani Moo?  Is she still there?  Is Foremost still there?  Do you folks know the cow I'm talking about?  She's black and white and always stands in the same position.

Post you answers.  And I'll leave you with this Milk and Cereal video:

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I never did learn how to play hanafuda.  I often watched people play it and they would say that you simply had to match the pictures.  Certain ones were worth different points and the ones that were worthless were called "rubbish".

In Hawaii, the game was sometimes called Sakura or Higobana.

But it is also popular in South Korea where the cards are called "Hwatu" and the most common game is called "Go-Stop" or "Sutda".

The game itself has many variations such as:

• Koi-Koi
• Hachi-hachi (88)
• Hana Awase - Hiyako Variant
• Mushi
• Sudaoshi
• Tensho
• Hachi

Did you used to play Hanafuda?  If so, think you still remember how to play the games?  Or like me, did you used to just like to take the cards out the little wooden box and mess around with them?  What kind of memories does the hanafuda cards bring back to you?  Perhaps watching your parents play with the uncles and aunties or your grandparents trying to teach you how to play?  Share your memories with us about Hanafuda.

Honestly, I had to look it up and I found a good interpretation of the song.  But before I post it, I thought I'd give the MLC readers a crack at it.  Of course, you too could look it up, but what would be the fun in that.

So, I'll list the lyrics with breaks in it where I found the interpretations.

On Tuesday, I'll edit my entry and add my findings.

But first, here's a video of the song:

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A long, long time ago...
"American Pie" reached #1 in the US in 1972, but the album containing it was released in 1971. Buddy Holly died in 1959.

I can still remember how
That music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance,
That I could make those people dance,
And maybe they'd be happy for a while
One of early rock and roll's functions was to provide dance music for various social events. McLean recalls his desire to become a musician playing that sort of music.

But February made me shiver,
Buddy Holly died on February 3, 1959 in a plane crash in Iowa during a snowstorm.The news came to most of the world on the morning of February 3, which is why it's known as The Day The Music Died.

With every paper I'd deliver,
Don McLean's only job besides being a full-time singer-songwriter was being a paperboy.

Bad news on the doorstep...
I couldn't take one more step.
I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
Holly's recent bride, Maria Elena, was pregnant when the crash took place; she had a miscarriage shortly afterward.

But something touched me deep inside,
The day the music died.
The same plane crash that killed Buddy Holly also took the lives of Richie Valens ("La Bamba") and The Big Bopper ("Chantilly Lace"). Since all three were so prominent at the time, February 3, 1959 became known as "The Day The Music Died".

(Chorus)
So... Bye bye Miss American Pie,
Miss American Pie *is* rock and roll music. Don McLean dated a Miss America candidate during the pageant. (unconfirmed)

Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singing "This'll be the day that I die,
This'll be the day that I die."
One of Holly's hits was "That'll be the Day"; the chorus contains the line "That'll be the day that I die"

Did you write the book of love,
"The Book of Love" by the Monotones; hit in 1958.

And do you have faith in God above,
If the Bible tells you so?
In 1955, Don Cornell did a song entitled "The Bible Tells Me So". Rick Schubert pointed this out, and mentioned that he hadn't heard the song, so it was kinda difficult to tell if it was what McLean was referencing. Dave Tutelman tells me that this particular song wasn't exactly a gem of rock 'n roll.

There's also an old Sunday School song which goes: "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so" (Stephen Joseph Smith tells me that Bartlett's gives the source of this as "The Love of Jesus", by Anna Bartlett Warner, 1858.)

Now do you believe in rock 'n roll?
The Lovin' Spoonful had a hit in 1965 with John Sebastian's "Do you Believe in Magic?". The song has the lines: "Do you believe in magic/it's like trying to tell a stranger 'bout rock and roll."

Can music save your mortal soul?
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Dancing slow was an important part of early rock and roll dance events -- but declined in importance through the 60's as things like psychedelia and the 10-minute guitar solo gained prominence.

Well I know you're in love with him
'Cause I saw you dancing in the gym
Slowdancing COULD just be dancing, or it could be vertical "making out". It wasn't hard to watch a couple slow-dancing and figure out whether they had some sort of relationship, if you knew anything about slow dancing. So just the fact they were dancing didn't tell you anything, but if "I saw you dancing in the gym" I could tell from watching whether there was anything between you (figuratively :-). (Thanks to Dave Tutelman for this note.)

You both kicked off your shoes
A reference to the beloved "sock hop".(Leather-soled street shoes tear up wooden basketball floors, and rubber-soled sneakers grip too much for dance moves, so dancers had to take off their shoes.)

Man, I dig those rhythm 'n' blues
Some history. Before the popularity of rock and roll, music, like much else in the U. S., was highly segregated. The popular music of black performers for largely black audiences was called, first, "race music", later softened to rhythm and blues. In the early 50s, as they were exposed to it through radio personalities such as Allan Freed, white teenagers began listening, too. Starting around 1954, a number of songs from the rhythm and blues charts began appearing on the overall popular charts as well, but usually in cover versions by established white artists, (e. g. "Shake Rattle and Roll", Joe Turner, covered by Bill Haley; "Sh-Boom", the Chords, covered by the Crew-Cuts; "Sincerely", the Moonglows, covered by the Mc Guire Sisters; Tweedle Dee, LaVerne Baker, covered by Georgia Gibbs). By 1955, some of the rhythm and blues artists, like Fats Domino and Little Richard were able to get records on the overall pop charts. In 1956 Sun records added elements of country and western to produce the kind of rock and roll tradition that produced Buddy Holly. (Thanks to Barry Schlesinger for this historical note. ---Rsk)

I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
"A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation)", was a hit for Marty Robbins in 1957. The pickup truck has endured as a symbol of sexual independence and potency, especially in a Texas context. (Also, Jimmy Buffet does a song about "a white sport coat and a pink crustacean".

But I knew that I was out of luck
The day the music died
I started singing...

(chorus)

Now for ten years we've been on our own
McLean was writing this song in the late 60's, about ten years after the crash.

And moss grows fat on a rolling stone
It's unclear who the "rolling stone" is supposed to be. It could be Dylan, since "Like a Rolling Stone" (1965) was his first major hit; and since he was busy writing songs extolling the virtues of simple love, family and contentment while staying at home (he didn't tour from '66 to '74) and raking in the royalties. This was quite a change from the earlier, angrier Dylan.

The "rolling stone" could also be Elvis, although I don't think he'd started to pork out by the late sixties. It could refer to rock and rollers in general, and the changes that had taken place in the business in the 60's, especially the huge amounts of cash some of them were beginning to make, and the relative stagnation that entered the music at the same time.

Or, perhaps it's a reference to the stagnation in rock and roll.

Or, finally, it could refer to the Rolling Stones themselves; a lot of musicians were angry at the Stones for "selling out". Howard Landman points out that John Foxx of Ultravox was sufficiently miffed to write a song titled "Life At Rainbow's End (For All The Tax Exiles On Main Street)". The Stones at one point became citizens of some other country merely to save taxes.

But that's not how it used to be
When the jester sang for the King and Queen
The jester is Bob Dylan, as will become clear later. There are several interpretations of king and queen: some think that Elvis Presley is the king, which seems pretty obvious. The queen is said to be either Connie Francis or Little Richard. But see the next note.

In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
In the movie "Rebel Without a Cause", James Dean has a red windbreaker that holds symbolic meaning throughout the film (see note at end of Annotated American Pie). In one particularly intense scene, Dean lends his coat to a guy who is shot and killed; Dean's father arrives, sees the coat on the dead man, thinks it's Dean, and loses it. On the cover of "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan", Dylan is wearing just such as red windbreaker, and is posed in a street scene similar to one shown in a well-known picture of James Dean. Bob Dylan played a command performance for the Queen and Prince Consort of England. He was *not* properly attired, so perhaps this is a reference to his apparel.

And a voice that came from you and me
Bob Dylan's roots are in American folk music, with people like Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. Folk music is by definition the music of the masses, hence the "...came from you and me".

Oh, and while the King was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
This could be a reference to Elvis's decline and Dylan's ascendance. (i.e. Presley is looking down from a height as Dylan takes his place.) The thorny crown might be a reference to the price of fame. Dylan has said that he wanted to be as famous as Elvis, one of his early idols.

The courtroom was adjourned,
No verdict was returned.
This could be the trial of the Chicago Seven, but McLean seems to be talking about music, not politics at this point in the song. With that in mind, perhaps he meant that the arguments between Dylan and Elvis fans over who was better just couldn't be settled.

And while Lennon read a book on Marx,
Literally, John Lennon reading about Karl Marx; figuratively, the introduction of radical politics into the music of the Beatles. (Of course, he could be referring to Groucho Marx, but that doesn't seem quite consistent with McLean's overall tone. On the other hand, some of the wordplay in Lennon's lyrics and books is reminiscint of Groucho.) The "Marx-Lennon" wordplay has also been used by others, most notably the Firesign Theatre on the cover of their album "How Can You Be In Two Places At Once When You're Not Anywhere At All?". Also, a famous French witticism was "Je suis Marxiste, tendance Groucho."; "I'm a Marxist of the Groucho variety".

It's also a pun on "Lenin".

The quartet practiced in the park
There are two schools of thought about this; the obvious one is the Beatles playing in Shea Stadium, but note that the previous line has John Lennon *doing something else at the same time*. This tends to support the theory that this is a reference to the Weavers, who were blacklisted during the McCarthy era. McLean had become friends with Lee Hays of the Weavers in the early 60's while performing in coffeehouses and clubs in upstate New York and New York City. He was also well-acquainted with Pete Seeger; in fact, McLean, Seeger, and others took a trip on the Hudson river singing anti-pollution songs at one point. Seeger's LP "God Bless the Grass" contains many of these songs.

And we sang dirges in the dark
A "dirge" is a funeral or mourning song, so perhaps this is meant literally...or, perhaps, this is a reference to some of the new "art rock" groups which played long pieces not meant for dancing.

The day the music died.
We were singing...

(chorus)

Helter Skelter in a summer swelter
"Helter Skelter" is a Beatles song which appears on the "white" album. Charles Manson, claiming to have been "inspired" by the song (through which he thought God and/or the devil were taking to him) led his followers in the Tate-LaBianca murders. Is "summer swelter" a reference to the "Summer of Love" or perhaps to the "long hot summer" of Watts?

The birds flew off with the fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
The Byrd's "Eight Miles High" was on their late 1966 release "Fifth Dimension". It was one of the first records to be widely banned because of supposedly drug-oriented lyrics.

It landed foul on the grass.
One of the Byrds was busted for possession of marijuana.

The players tried for a forward pass
Obviously a football metaphor, but about what? It could be the Rolling Stones, i.e. they were waiting for an opening which really didn't happen until the Beatles broke up.

With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
On July 29, 1966, Dylan crashed his Triumph 55 motorcycle while riding near his home in Woodstock, New York. He spent nine months in seclusion while recuperating from the accident.

Now the halftime air was sweet perfume
Drugs, man.

Well, now, wait a minute; that's probably too obvious. It's possible that this line and the next few refer to the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The "sweet perfume" is probably tear gas.

While sergeants played a marching tune
Following from the thought above, the sergeants would be the Chicago Police and the Illinois National Guard, who marched the protestors out of the park and into jail.

Alternatively, this could refer to the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". Or, perhaps McLean refers to the Beatles' music in general as "marching" because it's not music for dancing. Or, finally, the "marching tune" could be the draft.

We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance
The Beatles' 1966 Candlestick Park concert only lasted 35 minutes. Or, following on from the previous comment, perhaps he meant that there wasn't any music to dance to.

'Cause the players tried to take the field,
The marching band refused to yield.
Some folks think this refers to either the 1968 Deomcratic Convention or Kent State; following on from the Chicago reference above, this could be another comment on protests. But perhaps the players are the protestors at Kent State, and the marching band the Ohio National Guard...

This could be a reference to the dominance of the Beatles on the rock and roll scene. For instance, the Beach Boys released "Pet Sounds" in 1966 -- an album which featured some of the same sort of studio and electronic experimentation as "Sgt. Pepper" (1967) -- but the album sold poorly.

This might also be a comment about how the dominance of the Beatles in the rock world led to more "pop art" music, leading in turn to a dearth of traditional rock and roll.

Or finally, this might be a comment which follows up on the earlier reference to the draft: the government/military-industrial-complex establishment refused to accede to the demands of the peace movement.

Do you recall what was revealed,
The day the music died?
We started singing

(chorus)

And there we were all in one place
Woodstock.

A generation lost in space
Some people think this is a reference to the US space program, which it might be; but that seems a bit too literal. Perhaps this is a reference to "hippies", who were sometimes known as the "lost generation", partially because of their particularly acute alientation from their parents, and partially because of their presumed preoccupation with drugs. It could also be a reference to the awful TV show, "Lost in Space", whose title was sometimes used as a synonym for someone who was rather high...but I keep hoping that McLean had better taste.

With no time left to start again
The "lost generation" spent too much time being stoned, and had wasted their lives? Or, perhaps, their preference for psychedelia had pushed rock and roll so far from Holly's music that it couldn't be retrieved.

So come on Jack be nimble Jack be quick
Probably a reference to Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones; "Jumpin' Jack Flash" was released in May, 1968.

Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
The Stones' Candlestick park concert?

'Cause fire is the devil's only friend
"Sympathy for the Devil", by the Stones -- seems to fit with some of the surrounding material.

It's possible that this is a reference to the Grateful Dead's "Friend of the Devil". But I doubt it.

An alternative interpretation of the last four lines is that they may refer to Jack Kennedy and his quick decisions during the Cuban Missile Crisis; the candlesticks/fire refer to ICBMs and nuclear war.

And as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in hell
Could break that Satan's spell
While playing a concert at the Altamont Speedway in 1969, the Stones appointed members of the Hell's Angels to work security (on the advice of the Grateful Dead). In the darkness near the front of the stage, a young man named Meredith Hunter was beaten and stabbed to death -- by the Angels. Public outcry that the song "Sympathy for the Devil" had somehow incited the violence caused the Stones to drop the song from their show for the next six years. This incident is chronicled in the documentary film "Gimme Shelter".

It's also possible that McLean views the Stones as being negatively inspired (remember, he had an extensive religious background) by virtue of "Sympathy for the Devil", "Their Satanic Majesties' Request" and so on. I find this a bit puzzling, since the early Stones recorded a lot of "roots" rock and roll, including Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away".

And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
The most likely interpretation is that McLean is still talking about Altamont, and in particular Mick Jagger's prancing and posing while it was happening. The sacrifice is Meredith Hunter, and the bonfires around the area provide the flames.

(It could be a reference to Jimi Hendrix burning his Stratocaster at the Monterey Pop Festival, but that was in 1967 and this verse is set in 1968.)

I saw Satan laughing with delight
If the above is correct, then Satan would be Jagger.

The day the music died
He was singing...

(chorus)

I met a girl who sang the blues
Janis Joplin.

And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
Janis died of an accidental heroin overdose on October 4, 1970

I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before
There are two interpretations of this: The "sacred store" was Bill Graham's Fillmore West, one of the great rock and roll venues of all time. Alternatively, this refers to record stores, and their longtime (then discontinued) practice of allowing customers to preview records in the store. (What year did the Fillmore West close?)

It could also refer to record stores as "sacred" because this is where one goes to get "saved". (See above lyric "Can music save your mortal soul?")

But the man there said the music wouldn't play
Perhaps he means that nobody is interested in hearing Buddy Holly et.al.'s music? Or, as above, the discontinuation of the in-store listening booths.

It's also possible that this line and the two before it refer to the closing of the Fillmore West in 19?? -- but I've been unable to verify that it was actually closed when this song was written.

And in the streets the children screamed
"Flower children" being beaten by police and National Guard troops; in particular, perhaps, the People's Park riots in Berkeley in 1969 and 1970.

The lovers cried and the poets dreamed
The trend towards psychedelic music in the 60's?

But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken
It could be that the broken bells are the dead musicians: neither can produce any more music.

And the three men I admire most The Father Son and Holy Ghost
Holly, The Big Bopper, and Valens
-- or -- Hank Williams, Presley and Holly
-- or -- JFK, Martin Luther King, and Bobby Kennedy
-- or -- the Catholic aspects of the deity. McLean had attended several Catholic schools.

They caught the last train for the coast
Could be a reference to wacky California religions, or could just be a way of saying that they've left (or died -- western culture often uses "went west" as a synonym for dying). Or, perhaps this is a reference to the famous "God is Dead" headline in the New York Times. David Cromwell has suggested that this is an oblique reference to a line in Procol Harum's "Whiter Shade of Pale", but I'm not sure I buy that; for one thing, all of McLean's musical references are to much older "roots" rock and roll songs; and secondly, I think it's more likely that this line shows up in both songs simply because it's a common cultural metaphor.

The day the music died.
This tends to support the conjecture that the "three men" were Holly, The Big Bopper, and Valens, since this says that they left on the day the music died.

And they were singing...
(chorus)

Last weekend was the big high school graduation weekend.  My how times have changed.  So here we go.

1. Where was your high school graduation ceremony held?
2. Do you still have your tassel?  Do you know where it is?
3. How did you spend the night after your graduation ceremony?
4. Do you remember what your graduation song was?
5. Do you still have a copy of your senior portrait?

Feel free to cut & paste the questions into your reply.  And leave additional comments of memories from your high school graduation.

1. Where was your high school graduation ceremony held?
   Our graduation ceremony was held on the school's football field.  The bleachers were condemned at the time due to termites.  But at least the weather cooperated and it didn't rain.
2. Do you still have your tassel?  Do you know where it is?
   Yup, I have it in a little black jewelery box.
3. How did you spend the night after your graduation ceremony?
   After the ceremony, I hung out in the parking lot for about an hour with friends as we let the traffic clear out.  Then went home to a full spread of food that my mom had set up.  Uncles and Aunties from the graduation were there to party.  Then later in the evening, went to a party the the Big Surf hotel.
4. Do you remember what your graduation song was?
   We May Never Pass This Way (Again)
5. Do you still have a copy of your senior portrait?
   

One of the biggest surprises at my graduation was when an old girlfriend came to give me a lei.  Totally caught me off guard.

I also remember that during rehearsals, McDonalds of Kailua donated cheeseburgers so as we all walked up to practice receiving our diplomas, we received a cheeseburger instead.  It tasted good.

And somehow, the graduation program didn't have my name listed under the "L"s.  But instead, it was listed towards the end of the program under the heading "Additional graduates".  My uncle asked me "What?  Wasn't sure if you were going to graduate?".

All my older brothers who graduated from Kailua High School had their graduation ceremony at the HIC.  Ours was the first year it was back on the field - because KHS was banned from the HIC due to the graduates popping firecrackers in the arena.  But you know what?  It was more memorable to me graduating on the field.

Also, it was the first year that the school used "disposable" graduation gowns.  In other words, we didn't have to go back to the school later to return the school's property.  And it was the first year that the gowns were sky blue instead of navy blue.
I still have it, I think. 

Ahh, the memories...

Have an MLC weekend!

Kenny Rankin passed away this past Sunday at age 69 following complications related to lung cancer.

A full biography of Kenny Rankin can be found here at his Kenny Rankin web site.

Personally, I discovered Kenny Rankin from his very successful album Silver Morning which debuted in 1975.  Specifically, his version of The Beatles "Blackbird".

Maybe you've seen Kenny Rankin here in Hawaii as he's played quite a few concerts here.  Unfortunately, I never did see him in concert.  That would've made for a good MLC outing...

As a tribute to Kenny Rankin, I've compiled some of my favorite Kenny Rankin songs from You Tube.  I'm trying something new here and have put them into a playlist so you can play all his favorites with one click, and enjoy the mellow voice of Kenny Rankin as you work and play.

Kenny Rankin Playlist (click it)

Were you lucky enough to see Kenny Rankin live in concert?  What kind of memories does his songs conjure up?  What are your favorite Kenny Rankin songs?  Share you memories here or just leave a note of condolence.  Although the artist is gone, his music will live on forever.

Rest in Peace Kenny and thanks for all your soothing music.

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