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| Adventures of a Middle-Aged Editor |
GH Editor Michael Egan takes a terrifying trip
to Las Vegas. |
| New Hope for Alzheimer’s Sufferers |
| GH Medical Reporters discuss a series of dramatic breakthroughs. |
| GH Survey Winners |
| You could be the lucky recipient of a gift certificate. |
| Are You Older Than Your Boss? |
| Here are eleven coping strategies for dealing with a younger manager. |
| The Amusement Park |
| A new cartoon feature by Michael Egan. |
| A Whiskey a Day Keeps the Doctor Away |
| Moderate alcohol consumption is good for you! |
| Brother Noland Sings |
| Cover story features one of the Islands’ most popular musicians. |
| Heart Check |
| The American Heart Association offers women good advice. |
DEPARTMENT:
We
hope you enjoy this issue of Generations as much as we enjoyed putting
it together.
There’s no doubt that the highlight for us was interviewing the extraordinary Brother Noland, Hawaiian musician, activist, philanthropist and all-around good guy. We were delighted that he agreed to be our cover feature and he did not disappoint. He posed for his portrait like the professional he is, and afterward gave generously of his time and thoughts. If you’ve only heard Noland’s music, you’ll take equal pleasure in the man; if you know both the man and his music, you may be surprised at his personal candor.
Almost as much fun as interviewing Noland was my trip to Las Vegas, for a wedding. Not mine, but friends from the Big Island, who elected to be married in the Graceland’s Chapel by Elvis himself. Well: not exactly the famous Mr Presley, but close enough. He wore Elvisian hair and gear and (see our report in Adventures of a Middle-Aged Editor) peppered his delivery with lines and phrases from the King. At first my wife and I had our doubts about the wisdom of a Graceland’s union, but found ourselves cheering enthusiastically by the end.
Before and afterward the ceremony we revisited a city that has dramatically changed in the ten years since we were there last. Not changed in kind and nature, of course, but definitely in architecture, tone and feel. It’s still the same old money-mill, yet despite the vast new hotels (Luxor, Bellagio, etc.) there’s a distinctly shop-worn feel about the place. Its dominant personalities remain Sinatra and the Rat Pack and the ethos is of the Fifties. The relentless sexual advertising (‘Just wait ‘till you see the rest of her,’ leers the voice-over in the striptease commercial running continuously, 20 feet high and 60 feet long, over the MGM Grand’s reception desk) seems oddly dated in a world where such things are freely available online. The one-armed bandits are gone, replaced by automated, single-button affairs that give you an even more diminished sense of actually playing a game.
You put your money in and you take your nothing out. The dollar bills disappear into the creature’s maw and its mocking garish lights leave you—left me—feeling like an even bigger sucker than they did back in the 20th Century when at least punters had the illusion of controlling the speed and duration of the spin.
I always promise myself not to gamble in Vegas: how can you beat a machine programmed to steal your money? And of course I always break my promise, and always kick myself morosely back to my overpriced hotel room. That’s another thing about the new ‘old’ Vegas—board and lodging aren’t that cheap anymore. I guess they’ve figured out that the tourists will stream in anyway, and we do, we do.
Readers of the last issue loved Reeve Weiner’s new last-page feature, The Back Door. This month she interviews Dorvin Leis, one of Hawaii’s wealthiest men. It’s sweet to think that he considers his greatest achievement hitting every golfer’s dream: a hole in one. His other thoughts are worth pondering too.
In addition to this rich feast of stories and personalities, you’ll find inside a discussion of the do’s and don’ts when it comes to working for a younger boss (a dilemma confronting many of our readers), Eddie Sherman’s great column (particularly well written this time, we think; the man is a natural stylist), and all our regular features including the Merrills’ relationship advice, Percy Ihara’s financial wisdom and a new health column by Dr Neal Winn.
Have fun! We did!
Michael Egan
Editor