With the death of Michael Jackson comes a lot of issues. The one that I find interesting is if it is correct/appropriate/acceptable to separate the man from the art. It seems in creativity we find many odd characters and Michael Jackson is the poster child for oddity. Some have vilified him as a child molester, at the very least most call him a weird guy.
But what about the music?
I spent a rather long time driving the other day on my way to and from Torrey Pines and part of the trip I spent listening to an L.A. station, KJLH, and it's tribute to the King of Pop. After a couple of hours of hearing hits like "Thriller", "PYT", "Remember the Time" and countless other tunes I felt happy. I like the music. I am thankful that he was here for as long as he was and created such joy with his music.
Listening I remember where I was the first time I heard "Off the Wall" (it was my first trip to Hawaii) and the first time I saw the video for "Billy Jean" (on that video show Richard Blade hosted in the 80's called MV3). I remembered how with "Billy Jean" Michael Jackson opened the world media to black artists. Before he came on the scene with the lighted sidewalk MTV was exclusively white artists. MJ changed everything. I remember Richard Blade introducing the video on MV3 and starting off by saying that he knew he would get some flack for playing it on a "new wave" show but he also knew that this was something extraordinary that he needed to share.
There is no doubt that his legacy will be the music but is it appropriate to support his legacy even with the child molester claims?
I think so.
I think that creativity comes with the price that ultimately cost the man his life. Just like artists that commit suicide (Kurt Cobain). Just like people who get famous for being crazy and fall to the excesses of celebrity (John Belushi, Chris Farley). I believe that many of the most revered men in history (e.g. Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson) had demons that they fought with that never got the in depth coverage of a tabloid or a website. Do we really know what being a "womanizer" was back then?
I do not condone child abuse of any kind but I can separate the personality from the art and say "I like the music".
Thank you Michael.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Oahu Part 1
To be home on the islands, how I missed it. So many things that seemed so familiar but many of the landmarks of my childhood visits were gone. What to do in 4 days to recapture that feeling of Aloha?
We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village and if you avoid the $30 pizza and use the $16/day internet service wisely I think this is an affordable place to stay. We booked the cheapest room possible and when we arrived I flashed my blue (lowest level) Hilton Honors card and the helpful woman at the desk found us a nice upgrade to a mid level room in Kalia Tower which is located at the back of the property but has the easiest access from the main road.
We had a wonderful view, little noise, and surprisingly comfortable bedding. Valet parking at the Hilton is only $5 more ($29) than parking yourself so it was a no-brainer.
Our first night after careful deliberation we picked the Side Street Inn about 2 miles from the hotel for our dinner. When I called my brother to meet us there I told him that this place was recommended for local food but that it was not in the most desirable neighborhood (there were strip clubs and seedy bars along the way). The food here was great. We feasted on Kalua Pork Sliders on peking duck style buns, Katsu Chicken, Soba Noodle, Fried Pork Chops, and my favorite Ahi Belly. The Ahi Belly was covered in a salt & pepper husk and flash fried to perfection so that the inside was rare and the outside was nicely crisped. Throw in a couple of the local lagers and you are set!
The next morning we wandered around the property and checked out the exclusive lagoon area at the Hilton. We scheduled lunch with the family at the Big City Diner which is a chain restaurant but has good local food. This trip was all about local food for me. I had the kalua pork with lomi salmon, rice and all the good stuff. Nina got the loco moco with Kim Chee fried rice and it was quite delicious. We spent the afternoon touring the island looking for spots to perform the scattering. There were many nice locations but the minute we saw the Pali Lookout it seemed a perfect place.
On the path to shave ice we came across Leonards and had to stop in for malasadas! Malasadas are puffy donuts covered in cinnamon sugar (or powered sugar if you prefer) and can come with different fillings if you choose. I stuck with my favorite cinnamon sugar no filling. Nice! We made it to Waiola Shave Ice as well and their snow drift powdered ice was quite a treat. The guy behind the counter doesn’t smile but who can blame him he serves shave ice all day and it’s hot and humid in this place!
Since we were full on treats we passed on dinner and instead Nina and I went to the Tropics Bar at the Hilton for a late night adult beverage. She had a Mai Tai that was so strong she couldn’t finish it and I had an amazing Watermelon Mojito.
It tasted like a watermelon jolly rancher candy.
A fitting ending to a night of treats!
We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village and if you avoid the $30 pizza and use the $16/day internet service wisely I think this is an affordable place to stay. We booked the cheapest room possible and when we arrived I flashed my blue (lowest level) Hilton Honors card and the helpful woman at the desk found us a nice upgrade to a mid level room in Kalia Tower which is located at the back of the property but has the easiest access from the main road.
We had a wonderful view, little noise, and surprisingly comfortable bedding. Valet parking at the Hilton is only $5 more ($29) than parking yourself so it was a no-brainer. Our first night after careful deliberation we picked the Side Street Inn about 2 miles from the hotel for our dinner. When I called my brother to meet us there I told him that this place was recommended for local food but that it was not in the most desirable neighborhood (there were strip clubs and seedy bars along the way). The food here was great. We feasted on Kalua Pork Sliders on peking duck style buns, Katsu Chicken, Soba Noodle, Fried Pork Chops, and my favorite Ahi Belly. The Ahi Belly was covered in a salt & pepper husk and flash fried to perfection so that the inside was rare and the outside was nicely crisped. Throw in a couple of the local lagers and you are set!
The next morning we wandered around the property and checked out the exclusive lagoon area at the Hilton. We scheduled lunch with the family at the Big City Diner which is a chain restaurant but has good local food. This trip was all about local food for me. I had the kalua pork with lomi salmon, rice and all the good stuff. Nina got the loco moco with Kim Chee fried rice and it was quite delicious. We spent the afternoon touring the island looking for spots to perform the scattering. There were many nice locations but the minute we saw the Pali Lookout it seemed a perfect place.
On the path to shave ice we came across Leonards and had to stop in for malasadas! Malasadas are puffy donuts covered in cinnamon sugar (or powered sugar if you prefer) and can come with different fillings if you choose. I stuck with my favorite cinnamon sugar no filling. Nice! We made it to Waiola Shave Ice as well and their snow drift powdered ice was quite a treat. The guy behind the counter doesn’t smile but who can blame him he serves shave ice all day and it’s hot and humid in this place!
Since we were full on treats we passed on dinner and instead Nina and I went to the Tropics Bar at the Hilton for a late night adult beverage. She had a Mai Tai that was so strong she couldn’t finish it and I had an amazing Watermelon Mojito.
It tasted like a watermelon jolly rancher candy.
A fitting ending to a night of treats!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Final Resting Place
June 8th 2009 Oahu, Hawaii.
It was a cathartic moment for all of us. At a time where I have struggled with my faith or with what it means to have faith in something more than this life. Something more than the hard surfaces I walk on, the heavy weight of the luggage, the savory taste of the local cuisine and sweet smell of the flowers that line the pathways of Waikiki. To see the ashes of my long departed mother cascade down to rest on the lush vegetation below the Pali Lookout gave me a sense of accomplishment. A voice in my head that echoed the thoughts of those around me. “It's done” and so with it a weight was lifted from those who had anticipated this moment for more than 16 years. And as the last remnant of my mother's physical being left the container it happened.
It can best be described as a shudder. It was something that I felt throughout my body, similar to the fatigue after a rough workout. It compromised my physical self where my emotions had stayed intact. It challenged my current belief in the “collision of coincidence” where all things in life are random and we look back on them and try to make sense of them by making weak connections. It brought to question whether my mother's soul or some element of it was trapped in that plastic box for all these years. None of this was expected.
There was something about what brought these people together at this time in my life that made me reconsider what it means to have faith. That which so many depend on in their daily lives. That which has seemed to have left me behind.
More to come...
It was a cathartic moment for all of us. At a time where I have struggled with my faith or with what it means to have faith in something more than this life. Something more than the hard surfaces I walk on, the heavy weight of the luggage, the savory taste of the local cuisine and sweet smell of the flowers that line the pathways of Waikiki. To see the ashes of my long departed mother cascade down to rest on the lush vegetation below the Pali Lookout gave me a sense of accomplishment. A voice in my head that echoed the thoughts of those around me. “It's done” and so with it a weight was lifted from those who had anticipated this moment for more than 16 years. And as the last remnant of my mother's physical being left the container it happened.
It can best be described as a shudder. It was something that I felt throughout my body, similar to the fatigue after a rough workout. It compromised my physical self where my emotions had stayed intact. It challenged my current belief in the “collision of coincidence” where all things in life are random and we look back on them and try to make sense of them by making weak connections. It brought to question whether my mother's soul or some element of it was trapped in that plastic box for all these years. None of this was expected.
There was something about what brought these people together at this time in my life that made me reconsider what it means to have faith. That which so many depend on in their daily lives. That which has seemed to have left me behind.
More to come...
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