LEGENDARY LES

Les was definitely more

Light up your Zippo and hold it aloft in memory of Les Paul.

The man who made modern rock 'n' roll possible died yesterday at age 94.

It all started with an experimental guitar dubbed “;The Log,”; which morphed its way into the Gibson Les Paul. The instrument has been the voice of legends, including Pete Townshend and Slash.

Paul's tinkering was also ultimately responsible for multitrack recording.

Rock as we know it wouldn't be the same without him.

CLASS STUDY

Schools author Bayer goes public

Author Ann Shea Bayer tackles some mighty touchy subjects in her book “;Going Against the Grain: When Professionals in Hawai'i Choose Public Schools Instead of Private Schools.”; Her work deserves a wider audience, and interested readers can meet her at two book signings this weekend. Bayer will be at Borders at Ward Centre tomorrow at 2 p.m., and Sunday at Barnes & Noble at Kahala Mall starting at 1 p.m.

SUNNY STATE

Don't worry, Hawaii, be happy

Hawaii residents are the most content in the nation, according to a new Gallup poll conducted during the first half of the year — as the state was mired in high unemployment, government budget cuts, plunging tourism and general unease.

Even with all that trouble, Hawaii scored a 69.4 on the midyear 2009 Well-Being Index, edging out second-place Utah (68.7).

The national average was a 65.1, down slightly from this time last year. The index, calculated on a scale of 0 to 100, averages six sub-indexes that examine life evaluation, emotional health, work environment, physical health, healthy behaviors and access to basic necessities.