Night Thoughts of a Field Linguist

A good Maying to you all and a Bountiful Beltane!

Kevin — Thu, 01 May 2008 05:57:11 -1000

Unite and Unite,
and let us all unite,
For Summer's a-comin' today
And whither we are going we all will unite
In the merry morning of May

Women:

I warn you, young men,
Every one,
For Summer's a-comin' today
To go to the Greenwood and fetch you May home
In the merry morning of May

Men:
O rise up, Our Queen
All in your gown of silk,
For Summer's a-comin' today
And all your body under's as white as any milk
In the merry morning of May

Women:

O rise up, Our King,
And joy you betide
For summer's a-comin' today
And bright is the Bride that sits by Your side
In the merry morning of May

All:

Now fare you well
We bid you all good cheer
For Summer's a-comin' today
and whither we are going we all will unite
in the merry morning of May

I awakened to this song in my head this morning, and thought of the Berkeley Morris dancing up the Sun in the wee hours of this morning at Berkeley's Tilden Park.

I thought of my friends from two years ago who joined me in a Maypole Dance in Honolulu's Kapi'olani Park. Kelly was the May King - don't you love her cloak billowing in the breeze?

I also think of Anna Applegate, the May Queen of Kapi'olani, when we danced together around the pole and posed for this picture:

As I remember, it was very windy that day, and keeping the May Pole (a 30 foot freshly cut bamboo stalk) stationary was quite a feat:

A picture our Maypole revelers as we tied the pole and weaved our upcoming summer dreams into it:

Afterwards, the cameraman caught me in a happy moment before sunset:

And in a more pensive moment:

But we did it - we ushered in the traditional first day of summer on the windy Sunday afternoon of April 30, 2006.

2009 in Tilden Park, Berkeley!

Thank you, cameraman Frank, for the great photos!

An Engineer's Guide to Cats

Kevin — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:38:33 -1000

Too funny!

Lava on the Big Island

Kevin — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 09:34:38 -1000

Readers near and far--

You may have heard about a spike in Kilauea Volcano's activity in the past month or so.

Though I live in Honolulu, I have a house in the Puna District of the Big Island in Leilani Estates, and underlined in green on the PDF map below.

This USGS/County of Hawaii pdf shows the current breakout (in yellow). Though it doesn't look like much, if our brisk tradewinds stop, many people could be affected by the hydrogen sulfide, choking ash, and much worse - not so much lava inundation, but other serious problems.

Once you load the map into your browser, you can blow it up to view things more closely.

Stay tuned.

Another Cat Brain Map

Kevin — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:53:24 -1000

Aaah, another attempt to map the fascinating, secretive brain of the feline...

I love this stuff.

(Originally published in MS Magazine, Vol 3, no.1, July/August 1992)

Pandora bows to the meme...and I'll just nod my head.

Kevin — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:40:34 -1000

My friend Macha NightMare just tagged me with a this meme.

Here are the rules:

The meme:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book TO page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

Here was MY result:

"Pumaia keeps back one favorite pig which he has vowed shall die a natural death. Kuali'i sends messengers to demand this last hog, but Pumaia kills each messenger until none are left. Finally, Kuali'i catches, binds, and kills Pumaia and throws his bones into the pit with others."

From Martha Beckwith's "Hawaiian Mythology" University of Hawaii Press, 1970. (It's very dangerous to tag a librarian sitting at a reference desk!)

I hereby tag Michael C, Adam, Eric, Pam, and Victoria.

See memes from Anne, Cosette, Pandora, and Chas. Oh, and Moonroot too.

Deaf Chinese Dance Troupe

Kevin — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:42:16 -1000

Amazing story! Unfortunately, it's not captioned for the deaf or hard-of-hearing. It's a visual masterpiece nevertheless.

Swamp Romp 2008

Kevin — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 15:44:58 -1000

The Kane'ohe Marine Base here on O'ahu sponsors the Swamp Romp, an annual run in the mud obstacle course. This year 300 teams of 6 persons each ran the course on Saturday February 23, 7am.

I can't run, of course - darn total hip replacements. Frank was filling in for a fellow who came down with the flu two days before the race. Since six people make up the team, if one can't make it, the rest cannot run.

I didn't want Frank to go alone, so I tagged along and took pictures. Little did I know that I was to become the team photographer for the Swamp Pigs and Piglets that comprised four teams.

Photos are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kmroddy/

Go to Sets ----> Swamp Romp 2008 to see an organized set of photos. I'm still fidgeting with the raw photos on the site - you're welcome to view those two.

Below is perhaps my favorite picture of all - of Allen, this year's organizer of runners:

Good going, guys!

Hey! Turn out the lights...a cat's tryin' to get some SLEEP here!

Kevin — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:49:42 -1000

Meet Dewey the cat.

Mean Little Kitty

Kevin — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 23:47:00 -1000

I found this video over at my friend Geo's site. It's captioned for the hearing-impaired. It's one of the few rap songs I can tolerate because the topic is...CATS!

Superbowl Advertising reaches out to the Deaf community

Kevin — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 23:42:24 -1000

I never thought I would feature a Super Bowl commercial here on my Web site, but this one is too remarkable to pass up. Based on an old familiar joke in the Deaf community.

Enjoy.

The Winter Solstice

Kevin — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 17:35:51 -1000

Saturday, December 22, 2007 0108 EST (0608 UT), marked the Winter Solstice. Here is the photo as the solstice sun set in front of my house in Honolulu at 1758 Hawaii Standard Time.

Keep warm on this darkest night of the year.

Kitten serenade

Kevin — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 14:29:00 -1000

My friend Brian plays his mandolin to a very appreciative feline friend...

Artworx Interview with CJ Jones (Part 1)

Kevin — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 06:05:16 -1000

Keep your eyes on this guy!

and Part 2:

Winter in Honolulu

Kevin — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 06:50:53 -1000

I love winter, period.

It's my favorite season, with autumn a close second.

Never cared for spring or summer much. I grew up in very hot and humid summer climes (Nebraska and Georgia) and welcomed autumn and winter each year and breaks from the heat.

That's probably why I enjoyed San Francisco so much - there's not much of a Summer there.

These are shots taken from the front steps of my house in Honolulu - that's Waikiki on the left, and downtown on the right. Beyond the skyscrapers is the ocean.

I'll admit, I do live in a beautiful place - the clouds, ocean, and mountain are beautiful vistas. One can be sitting or standing almost anywhere outside and see breathtaking views. In the above photo, a storm over Honolulu...

The storm grows nearer....until it overtakes us, and envelops the neighborhood in a cloud...

We've been having a wet and windy winter so far. For the past three weeks or so, we've had some big storms move through. We recently planted a hedge of mock orange that is getting well-watered. The blooms are popping up all over the plants, and dey smell nice!

One more example - I believe this photo is representative of morning trade showers - taken right above the house:

A variation on Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans

Kevin — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 02:07:39 -1000

My friend Geo now demonstrates some odd soda drinks produced by the Jones company and the Seattle Seahawks...

His facial expressions are priceless. Way to go, Geo! You are the intrepid one!

I'll stick to Talking Rain, thx!

k-bai.

The "P" word

Kevin — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 07:17:02 -1000

This particular topic has been churning in my head for many months, likely years.

It's the word that many people (often visitors) use in a sentence to describe Hawaii, as in

"Hawaii is P-r-d-s-."

Every time I hear that, I shudder. I compare it to when people call San Francisco "Francisco" without the "anc" - I can't even write THAT down, it's so objectionable to me (it rhymes with a particular type of vegetable shortening, if you need help on this one). I've always advised, "If you don't want to say the entire two words, just call SF "the City."

The "P" word is too loaded, misused and overused - it also has too many religious overtones.

But why is Hawaii considered a P-------?

Is it the weather? The beaches? The mountains? The tropical fruit? Is an average 75-degree sandy, palm-tree jungle the epitome of what everyone envisions as the ideal place to live on this planet, or the mythical place to "live" when one dies?

I'm strange. I like cold weather. In the words of Rhoda Morgenstern from the old Mary Tyler Moore show "I moved to Minneaspolis because I figured I'd keep better." Uh-huh.

The newly landed gentry ("new island residents") use the P word a lot in conversations, as do quite a few of the state's 6 million visitors each year. When they find out I'm a resident, they get this moony look on their faces and ask "What's it like to live in P--------?"

I try to be nice. Yes, I really try, because they are sincere and honest with this question, no matter how distasteful I find it. These folks often hail from places I'd love to visit and maybe live for a year or two - London, Amsterdam, New York City, Seattle, Minneapolis. Places where you can find plenty of P examples.

I explain to them gently. "Paradise" (arrgh, I've written it!) to me anyway, is not a specific place on the planet, but rather a state of mind. I believe that San Francisco is ideal in many ways. One could call it a paradise too. I loved living there, and wouldn't mind living there again. I think Boston is a really neat place. There's so much going on there. Lots to do in New York City too."

Calling one place a "paradise" in an insult to the cities, towns, villages, and hamlets of in the rest of the world. As if Hawaii is any better than other places.

No, it's not.

"Paradise" is where you are the happiest at this moment of your life right now. Needs change as you get older. Your priorities change. Tastes change. What you want from life now is probably radically different than what you wanted 5 years ago, 15 years ago. People who live in rural areas may relocate to cities. People who live in cities may relocate to rural areas. I lived on the Big Island for 10 years, and saw this a lot. Parts of your life slow down, while other parts speed up.

Here's a quick "What I like, and what I don't like" about O'ahu:

Nine things I love about O'ahu.

1. the guy I'm involved with lives here
2. an eclectic circle of friends
3. clean water
4. clean air
5. access to fresh healthy food
6. my colleagues at work
7. the view from our house
8. a very enviable commute
9 an 8-minute walk to a beautiful ridge behind our house where I can walk for hours in the jungle

Eight things I don't like about O'ahu:

1. the drivers
2. the noise - geez, this is a NOISY place!
3. road conditions - for a city this size, the roads are deplorable
4. the lack of true cultural and ethnic diversity (few Jews, South Americans, Eastern Europeans, North Africans, African Americans, Indians)
5. provincial local cultural attitudes about sexuality
6. American Idol participants, the Lost TV show being filmed here, and Dog Chapman are considered the best Hawaii has to offer, because they're always being talked about in local newspapers, speaking of which
7. there are no good local newspapers here
8. and no good radio or TV stations (excluding Hawaii Public Radio/National Public Radio and KTUH (the University of Hawaii radio station)

So there you have it.

But you choose what you want out of life - no one place offers everything.

So you enjoy the positives, and deal with the negatives.

Paradise is in your mind.

Oh Happy Happy Day!!

Kevin — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:00:00 -1000

For those who have considered suicide...put down the agents of self-destruction and get some help, because

You NEVER know what each new day will bring.

I live on an island with much bounty and a fair degree of cultural famine.

I accompanied my friend D to a party in Manoa Valley a few days ago.

I knew no one. There were some musical folks there, and we sang and danced a bit.

And to my astonishment, one of the revelers whipped out...

I kid you NOT...

A Roland V-Accordion!

OMG! These honeys have every single possible accordion tuning known to man available to the player! The latest from Roland, maker of my Juno-G synth. The V-7 has french musette, zydeco, Cajun, Slovenian, Tex-Mex, Polka, Irish, French Canadian...and you can even create your own tunings. I LOVE a nice wet musette!

From the Roland site...

"Because it doesn’t depend on moving parts for sound generation, the V-Accordion is always in tune, and both keyboards can be transposed to play across a wide range of octaves. For sound output, the V-Accordions can plug directly into a sound system, recording device, or plug in a pair of headphones for silent practice. These amazing new instruments must be squeezed to be believed."

These are expensive pieces of technology, but worth every penny.

I'm a weird guy. I'd love to be able to play my accordion at 0400 in da am, but it wouldn't make my partner all that happy (or the neighbors). F is mostly amused by my accordion, though he can't resist making jokes about it all the time. But to be able to play in the morning...mit der headphonen on...

Anyway, this guy plays all my favorites. I'm sitting on the floor, looking up at him like an enthralled 5-year old as his fingers literally tickles the keys. Good accordion players make it look so easy.

They he says "Do you want to play it?"

Gulp. "Uh....SURE!" I said, and I strapped it on. It's about the same weight as my 120 bass Hohner, but the feel of the bass keys (the little black rounded ones) is decidedly different. Less valve like, although Roland has added valve sounds to mimic an acoustic accordion. Neat.

I played for awhile to get a feel for the instrument. There are like, 3 accordion players on this island, and I've met them all. One I ran across playing in a restaurant, another somewhere in Aloha Tower at Oktoberfest, and now this fellow.

I asked him - "Do you teach?" And he said "Yes."

Whee! I just so happen to love an instrument that few people play here, and noone teaches. I never expected that this party would introduce me to a potential accordion teacher. I had just about given up.

Life is good.

Monday Musing

Kevin — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 07:40:32 -1000

For eleven months of the year, I'm a good boy.

I only drink two percent milk in my coffee.

But for the Holidays, I pull out all the stops.

And drink half-n-half.

I recently went to the new Safeway store on Kapahulu Avenue. It's the biggest Safeway in the state. It's also pretty expensive. But it's the only supermarket I've ever seen with tiki torches lit at night.

I shop around in Honolulu - Foodland, Times Supermarket, Star Market occasionally.

But I was jonesing for some half and half, so I ducked in at the Safeway. The parking lot is pretty busy with traffic - guys backing up their too-big trucks in tiny spaces so they don't have to back out of the space when leaving, women walking out to their cars with cell phones in hand, making that all-too-important call to...whomever.

The new Safeway has a KILLER VIEW of Diamond Head from the rooftop parking lot which I'll share soon.

I ran as fast as my little feet could carry me to the dairy section where I viewed the object of my desire:

Fat-free half-and-half.

Hmmm.

I rubbed my eyes, thinking this was a dream.

And I looked again.

And the same damn product was on the shelf.

Aaaargh.

There were no other half-and-half products to be had.

But, I just couldn't buy this stuff.

If not fat, what was the substitute?

Also, it was a full-size container, not the 'shorty' type I prefer.

Sigh. Off to Foodland 'round the corner...

"I'm not here to tell you what to think...I'm here to ask you TO think...seriously."

Kevin — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 13:06:59 -1000

The title of this entry is from Oprah Winfrey's speech in Iowa campaigning for Obama.

You know if Obama truly messes up, she'll give him the same tongue-lashing she did with the author of A Million Little Pieces. In front of a world-wide audience.

Oprah demands accountability. You make her look dishonest or stupid for your own fabrications of reality, and she will call you on it.

As it should be - where the accountability for bad or unethical behavior these days? Confined to kindergarten classes or what?

Oprah's not perfect. She's made mistakes, but she's REAL in a way that most politicians are not. She can relate to all kinds of people that most politicians cannot. This is the biggest gamble she's ever done, and she knows it.

If Oprah's in your court, you have a huge advantage, and Obama must know that.

I will not have many things to say about the 2008 election. I was tired of it last year, and we still have 11 months to go.

I will not slam any politician - there are hundreds, thousands of blogs that do that already, many much better than I could ever do. This is not a negative blog.

I will be positive and forward thinking about who will govern the United States after Bush has left office.

Even Oprah detractors are admitting she did a great job at the rally.

You go, girl!

"Straight from the Horse's Mouth"

Kevin — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 12:54:25 -1000

Think you know the meaning or the origin of the idiom "Straight from the horse's mouth?"

My friend Adrian found out what it really means...

The 411 on Blogs

Kevin — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 16:45:42 -1000

My friend Tara sent this to me. It's a short explanation of what blogs are. We're going to put it on LILO, a database we and others designed for college students to teach them about finding, evaluating and using information ethically:

Cool, huh?

Chag Sameach

Kevin — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 07:14:51 -1000

Last night was the second night of Chanuka 2007 (Jewish year 5768).

I arrived home, and 10 minutes later the lights went out! We've been experiencing very stormy weather on O'ahu... I love it! "Weather drama" is the only drama I will tolerate these days. I'm too old for the other kinds...

The lights were out until the wee hours of Thursday morning. Frank and I had a glass of wine surrounded by candles (L'chayim!), plotted what we were going to buy the relatives for the holidays when we travel back to Boston and New Hampshire.

Blessings and "Chag Sameach" (Happy Holiday) to you all!

I got the chanukiah (the chanuka menorah/candelabra) at a cute little place in Jerusalem when I last visited Israel in 1999. Cute, huh?

"English only is English Lonely"

Kevin — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:35:08 -1000

The latest issue of American Libraries (November 2007) arrived in my inbox. It's a professional publication I scan to find out what's happening in libraries. Actually, AL's format is very readable, and it has a lot of color photos of people and places. The other journals I read are not only stodgy in content but stingy with the color photos and eye-catching layout. AL's great for short-attention spans. I don't have the time to pour over professional journals as I once did. Maybe it's because I know it all already, or I've at least heard it all once.

This issue contains editor Leonard Kniffel's article "English only is English Lonely."

First, a joke:

"What do you call a person who speaks more than two languages? Multi-lingual.

What do you call a person who speaks two languages? Bi-lingual.

What do you call a person who speaks one language? American."

Leonard recounts the debate in some libraries with supplying Spanish-language materials to patrons. Some argue that doing so prevents them from learning English.

Leonard notes: "The American Library Association position on this matter is clear. 'Guidelines for Services to Hispanics,' adopted in 1988, notes that 'persons in the Hispanic communities in the United States do not all speak and read only Spanish; they do not all speak and read only English, nor are they all bilingual. The members of these communities have diverse needs and are entitled to access to materials diverse enough to meet those needs.' "

Right on.

Leonard then talks about Bill Bryson's The Mother Tongue and has this to say about it:

"In this wildly entertaining history of English, Bryson says that perhaps a more pressing concern that the threat to the language posed by Hispanics and other ethnic groups should be 'the quality of English used in America generally.' I would add that the lack of interest most Americans display in learning foreign languages is even more unfortunate.

Debate over bilingual education and companion library collections is healthy, but we should also be asking ourselves why so many children grow up in America speaking only one language. We should all be learning English--and Spanish, and Chinese and Arabic as well. The capacity for children to become not only bilingual but multilingual diminishes with each passing year of their education."

I couldn't agree more with Kniffel on his assessment of the quality of Standard English these days! I've formally studied linguistics for over 23 years now, and informally, accents and attitudes about language almost my entire life (52 years). Most Americans would rather the world learn English than try to learn another language. "It's too hard" they lament.

Some of my friends eschewed the non-English languages spoken in their homes as children. Now, they lament the fact that they could have easily learned Polish, Chinese, or the Syrian dialect of Arabic in addition to English. A couple of them are in adult schools now to learn.

I would have LOVED to have had a bilingual or multilingual home growing up. I've been interested in languages almost my entire life.

SECRET! Anyone remember the "Happy Hollisters?" It was a series of mystery stories aimed at ages 8+. Pete, Pam, Ricky, Holly, and Sue, residents of Shoreham, Any State, were juvenile sleuths on the prowl to uncover treasures, mysteries, and secrets in and around Shoreham. They also traveled quite a bit with their parents (I forgot what Dad Hollister did, but he must have made bucks to take the wife and kids to Europe several times!). I used to copy down all of the foreign language phrases (French and German, mostly) and practice them on the dog.

Go ahead and laugh - but I'm serious! I can trace my fascination with languages to this one series. From that day on, I paid careful attention to the way people spoke. First with Midwest English, then Southern English, Black English, Hebrew, Arabic, Dutch...the list goes on.

Learning another language is a window to another world of customs, thought, traditions, and knowledge.

Learning another language is bridge to other cultures.

Learning another language keeps the brain engaged and activated, and likely slows down or entirely mitigates dementia.

And it's FUN.

i can haz genesis?

Kevin — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 06:56:08 -1000

Linguistic related article.

You know a language is important when someone wants to translate the bible into it.

The icanhascheezburger.com site - is home to pictures like this:

and is the first site in the world (to my knowledge) that introduced the the unique LOLcat dialect to the great unwashed.

Well, a few good people are looking for a few good other people to assist in the translation of the entire Christian bible into LOLcat. Wow - you could be a LOLcat bible translator!

If you're not familiar with LOLcat dialect, visit icanhascheezburger for some ear-training and laughs, or if you're bold, jump right in here:

Boreded Ceiling Cat makinkgz Urf n stuffs

1 Oh hai. In teh beginnin Ceiling Cat maded teh skiez An da Urfs, but he did not eated dem.

2 Da Urfs no had shapez An haded dark face, An Ceiling Cat rode invisible bike over teh waterz.

3 At start, no has lyte. An Ceiling Cat sayz, i can haz lite? An lite wuz.4 An Ceiling Cat sawed teh lite, to seez stuffs, An splitted teh lite from dark but taht wuz ok cuz kittehs can see in teh dark An not tripz over nethin.5 An Ceiling Cat sayed light Day An dark no Day. It were FURST!!!1

6 An Ceiling Cat sayed, im in ur waterz makin a ceiling. But he no yet make a ur. An he maded a hole in teh Ceiling.7 An Ceiling Cat doed the skiez with waterz down An waterz up. It happen.8 An Ceiling Cat sayed, i can has teh firmmint wich iz funny bibel naim 4 ceiling, so wuz teh twoth day.

9 An Ceiling Cat gotted all teh waterz in ur base, An Ceiling Cat hadz dry placez cuz kittehs DO NOT WANT get wet.10 An Ceiling Cat called no waterz urths and waters oscunz. Iz good.

11 An Ceiling Cat sayed, DO WANT grass! so tehr wuz seedz An stufs, An fruitzors An vegbatels. It happen.12 An Ceiling Cat sawed that weedz ish good, so, letz there be weed. (and catnipz 2, so wen i makes kittehs they can getz hai.)13 An so teh threeth day jazzhands.

14 An Ceiling Cat sayed, i can has lightz in the skiez for splittin day An no day.15 It happen, lights everwear, like christmass, srsly.16 An Ceiling Cat doeth two grate lightz, teh most big for day, teh other for no day.17 An Ceiling Cat screw tehm on skiez, with big nails An stuff, to lite teh Urfs.18 An tehy rulez day An night. Ceiling Cat sawed. Iz good.19 An so teh furth day w00t.

20 An Ceiling Cat sayed, waterz bring me phishes, An burds, so kittehs can eat dem. But Ceiling Cat no eated dem.21 An Ceiling Cat maed big fishies An see monstrs, which wuz like big cows, except they no mood, An other stuffs dat mooves, An Ceiling Cat sawed iz good.22 An Ceiling Cat sed O hai, make bebehs kthx. An dont worry i wont watch u secksy, i not that kynd uf kitteh.23 An so teh...fith day. Ceiling Cat taek a wile 2 cawnt.

24 An Ceiling Cat sayed, i can has MOAR living stuff, mooes, An creepie tings, An otehr aminals. It happen so tehre.25 An Ceiling Cat doed moar living stuff, mooes, An creepies, An otehr animuls, An did not eated tehm.

26 An Ceiling Cat sayed, letz us do peeps like uz, becuz we ish teh qte, An let min p0wnz0r becuz tehy has can openers.

27 So Ceiling Cat createded teh peeps taht waz like him, can has can openers he maed tehm, min An womin wuz maeded, but he did not eated tehm.

28 An Ceiling Cat sed them O hai maek bebehs kthx, An p0wn teh waterz, no waterz An teh firmmint, An evry stufs.

29 An Ceiling Cat sayed, Beholdt, the Urfs, I has it, An I has not eated it.30 For evry createded stufs tehre are the fuudz, to the burdies, teh creepiez, An teh mooes, so tehre. It happen. Iz good.

31 An Ceiling Cat sayed, Beholdt, teh good enouf for releaze as version 0.8a.

kthx bai.

Maybe they'll do a better job than Wycliffe, Tyndale and King James...

Oh, just one more.

"What is Remembered, Lives"*

Kevin — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 18:26:40 -1000

I haven't had a World AIDS day remembrance. I've had a World Aids Weekend one.

There are two days a year I set aside to remember those who have passed between the veil and are on "the other side:" Samhain (All Hallows, 31 October) and December 1, World Aids Day. I also honor Veteran's Day - though I have a problem with war, most of the young men served their country in spite of inept politicians who have never served a day like US soldiers have. It's not their fault that they were killed fighting a meaningless battle staged by idiots.

Oh, the waste of young men and women in wars generally, but especially the one the US is involved in now...I am so lucky I've lived to at least 52.

The passage of time has dulled the excruciating pain I experienced when I've lost my friends. The pain has been replaced with fond memories.

As the years go on, I remember these special friends:

Greg Antepenko - Greg and I were best friends for a decade (the 80's).

Greg and Kevin, 1984

There were several times we considered becoming boyfriends, because we both loved each other a lot in our own ways and we had very similar temperaments, but we decided to continue with a friendship that seemed to work. Greg worked part time as a gardener for Melvin Belli, the flamboyant attorney in San Francisco. Belli's office was near the Transamerica Pyramid, and he had plants in window boxes and on the roof. I remember visiting Greg on the roof of the Belli building (circa 1985).

Here's the Belli Building at 722/728 Montgomery, San Francisco:

I usually brought some snacky food. We'd smoke a doob, kick back on his break, look at the San Francisco skyline, and figure out how to make Mel's place more fabulous. I'd end up helping Greg water, plant, and sweep. Belli himself was a real character - pity I never had my picture taken with him, but in those days, all one had was film and taking pictures was much more "of a thing" than it is now. Belli had his office on the street behind a big glass window, so pedestrians could watch him work. I remember that he had a very busy office - chock full of as, we say in Hawaii, "stuffs and junks" - pictures of celebrities all over his walls, little statues, and so much crap on his desk I wondered just how he wrote briefs there. Belli represented a diverse clientele - Wikipedia says that Zsa Zsa Gabor, Mae West, Sirhan Sirhan, and Jim and Tammy Fae Bakker (!) were among them. He always appeared to me as a rather large toad sitting on a mushroom with a large rake, pulling in the dough. When I saw him at work, I was reminded of his guest role in the original Stark Trek series as "Gorgan the Friendly Angel."

Here's a picture of Anna, Greg and I in November 1988 at the Aids Memorial Quilt display in Washington, DC. The three of us were "Quilt workers" dressed in white. Our job was to help people find panels of their loved ones, and hand out tissues and hankies to people. It was the first time I had ever done so much grief-counseling in one place in two afternoons. It had been a heckuva day, so we retired to a nearby tree on the Mall to relax (watch my back, youse guys!):

Greg lived in Rio Nido on the Russian River in his younger days (circa 1979-1982). I'd drive up there every weekend to hang out, and we'd go out to the Rainbow Cattle Company for cocktails and smarmytalk.

Oh, the days when I was more carefree and 25 years old... Thanks for the memories, Greg! I hope you are resting comfortably and making wherever you are more fabulous. To his credit, Greg was an instigator who likely increased awareness of teaching your doctor about AIDS in San Francisco. AIDS/HIV was a whole different world back in the 80's. There were people that wanted to isolate people with AIDS/HIV - people were treated very poorly back then. Fortunately, it has changed somewhat, but there are still many instances of HIV/AIDS discrimination in our society.

Tomas 1986

Tomas Colon-Batis. "Every tingle time (sic)" I think about Tomas, I cannot help but smile. What a happy-go-lucky spirit this guy was. He was Puerto-Rican/Cuban mix, and would think nothing of dropping $250 on a shirt, living on Bell System telephone operator's salary. No matter that he might not have enough to make the rent that month, but at least he would look fabulous when he was evicted. Hw spoke perfect unaccented English, but could easy slip into almost any Spanish dialect (Cuban, Argentinian, Castilian) you could name, hence the "tingle time" above. He was a regular at our dinner table, where the wine flowed freely. He partied, he played, and eventually met his Mr. Wonderful (David, an EMT physician who drove a MB with the license plate NSPIKR) David was his dream come true who domesticated him, festooned him with jewels, a car, and a mansion in Hillsborough, south of San Francisco, and swept him away from his San Francisco family to be a Pensinsula spouse. Tomas' last days were filled with opulence and beauty - and boy, was his mom proud that he scored a doctor! I remember you, Tomas.

Keith Bishop. Aah, Keith. One of the sexiest men I have ever met. We were both members of the California Eagles Motorcycle Club. He drove one of those really LARGE Honda Goldwings. Keith was such a gentleman...

Keith near the Fire, Finnon Lake Calfornia, 1986 (?)

Tim Pacy. He was my ex-partner's best friend, a good friend of mine as well. Tim was partly responsible for our eventual relocation to Hawaii. Tim deserves so much more blog time than I can give at the moment. (Note to self).

Tim and Tomas, 1984 (?)

I miss you all terribly.

*"What is remembered, lives" is a beautiful refrain from one of my favorite Samhain litanies written by Starhawk of the Reclaiming Collective. This song is traditionally sung on Samhain before we take a trance journey to the Isle of Apples, where the souls of the dead go to be reborn...

The Gates
Starhawk

These are the gates of youth and age
These are gates of now and then
These are gates of memory
And desire

Pass through them, slip between the worlds beyond time
Outside the boundaries of your human life

Pass through them, to dance the spiral
The journey of renewal

You warriors! Here your battles are over
You workers! Here your tasks are done
You who are hurt! Here find healing
You who are weary! Here find rest
You who are old! Here you will grow young again
For this is the land of youth, the shining land, the isle of apples

Here is all that ever was, none are forgotten
Nothing lasts forever
All that has passed comes around again
For here, What is remembered lives
What is remembered lives

This beautiful song was published on Reclaiming's "Let it Begin Now" CD available at Serpentine Music.

Skyler Fell, Accordion Fixer Extraordinaire

Kevin — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 11:07:31 -1000

I know some of you know about my accordion proclivities.

I idolized Myron Floren as a kid when I watched the Lawrence Welk show. Yes, I'll admit it - I watched that show, as did millions of others in the 1960's. Though I didn't know until recently, Joann Castle, the ragtime piano player on the show, also plays a mean accordion.

The accordion is one of the world's most versatile instruments. You'll hear it in the folk music played by Mexicans, Cubans, Polish(ians)?, Israelis, Brazilians and a dozen others.

I've always wanted to find someone who not only sells accordions, but repairs them too.

I met Skyler Fell two years ago on the Internet. I was heading to San Francisco for a late summer's vacation, and wanted to find out where I might repair or sell an accordion I bought in Hilo years ago. San Francisco is the logical place to find an accordion person like Skyler. Did you know at one time that San Francisco was the accordion capital of the United States? A number of accordion factories were located in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area.

And I'm sure you know the accordion is also the official instrument of San Francisco.

Anyway, I found Skyler and her Web site Accordion Apocalypse. I emailed her, explained that I had two accordions and was bringing one for an evaluation - either a retuning or perhaps consigning it to her. We made an appointment to meet at her shop in the Bayview district.

Skyler, Kevin, and Skyler's new baby

San Francisco in early autumn is glorious - well, I think San Francisco at any time of year is glorious - even those days when it's foggy and overcast (good for the skin and complexion!) That Friday, Skyler's neighborhood was splashed with brilliant sun and a cool breeze - the magic of San Francisco's summers - bright, warm in the sun, cooler in the shadows.

She met me at the gate of her shop and buzzed me in. The Bayview is a neighborhood in transition. When I lived in SF during 1976-1991, the Bayview was a rougher neighborhood that you didn't want to be in at night, but that seems to have changed somewhat. I don't know what it's like at night, but during the day it appears pretty safe and innocuous.

About Skyler? Youthful energy -- heart is in the right place -- thoughtful -- uses a calculator a lot faster than I can -- wonderful sense of humor -- shop decor inviting and comfortable -- fun friends -- ambitious dreams -- mother and aunt are librarians.

Get the connection now? :o) Seriously, this last bit of information was unexpected. But she likes librarians.

Skyler's on my list of folks to visit when I go back "home."

"Waiting on the World to Change..."

Kevin — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 15:23:11 -1000

My hopelessly photogenic boyfriend...

Kevin — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 07:53:14 -1000

Frank and his family are all remarkably camera savvy - each and every one of them rarely, if ever, look bad in photographs.

Here's Frank at the height of Thanksgiving at our house yesterday:

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thomas Friedman for President

Kevin — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 12:09:52 -1000

I'm not enthusiastic about Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, the two Democratic front-runners. But I'll probably have to hold my nose and vote for one of them next fall, as I have had to do in countless elections since I was eligible to vote. This nation simply cannot have another Republican in power - ever.

So who else is there?

I'm an avid reader of Thomas Friedman, the New York Times columnist, and a specialist on Middle Eastern affairs. This guy is articulate, educated, well-written, and knowledgeable about an area of the world we need to know better.

He's a journalist and a political scientist, NOT a lawyer. It's time to decrease the numbers of lawyers as leaders and politicians with more articulate individuals, especially those who know problem areas of the world firsthand - a guy who doesn't depend on others to tell him the story. He goes and checks it out for himself..

How many times have Hillary and Obama been to the Israel? Jordan? Lebanon? Syria? Saudia Arabia? Egypt? Afghanistan? Have they ever talked to "real people" in these countries?

Has Hillary or Obama EVER been to India, one of the fastest-growing economies on the planet? Or do they depend on their lackeys to provide them "accurate" reports, or real stories?

Thom has been to each country MANY times, and has an enviable roledex of contacts among the intelligentsia, leaders, and prominent business in each place. I'm sure Thom has had to replace his passport many times because he fills it up with his travels. One learns through travel and talking to people - all kinds of people - not just "pre-approved people" as with American politicians in general.

Bush II never even left the country prior to his installment as US President by the US Supreme Court.

Sure, I don't always agree with Thomas Friedman, but he wouldn't want you to. He would likely present arguments to try and persuade you, but if you had compelling arguments back, he would respect you for that. Hillary and Obama and other politicians are so afraid of offending anyone that they don't put out who they really are. I'm totally disgusted with Clinton's recent reaction to a heckler, who dared to ask her a relevant question about her support of the Iraq war.

I'm impressed with the depth and breadth of Thom's columns, and his books, which are both full of accurate descriptions and thoughtful analysis. He identifies solutions to what appear to be impossible problems. Nearly all of his solutions involve trying to understand the other's point-of-view, how the other views the world. Why don't Democrats take him more seriously?

I suspect that the Republicans despise him, because he's one smart Jew. Are there any Jews in the Republican party anywhere? Oh, yes, I almost forgot - Linda Lingle, governor of my fair state of Hawaii, who has a poor record of accomplishments here.

Speaking of Republicans, hold your nose, and check out this Web site if you have any inclinations to vote Republican in the next century.

I am not happy with the Democratic choices for president, though Dennis Kucinich looks very good to me.

Back to Thom.

He is technologically savvy, and recognizes that if Americans continue to avoid studying engineering, mathematics, chemistry or physics, we will be dependent forever on foreign R&D and progress.

Perhaps his latest column is what convinced me completely that we should support this guy:

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda, New York Times, 11/14/07

Oh yeah - Paul Krugman for Vice-President.

I can dream, can't I?

Lilly - Wonder Geographer?

Kevin — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 07:19:15 -1000

Aaah, the Interwebs - endlessly fascinating - who needs TV?

If this is faked, I don't know how - but this kid puts 80% of Americans to shame, first for her knowledge of the world, but ALSO for her attention span!

Cute kid!