Mac Meda Destruction Company

Jack in the Box Head On Top of La Jolla High’s Flagpole

Jack in the Box head perched on top of La Jolla High School in 1970 as a prank by graduating 1970 students - photo by Bruce Thorson

Senior pranks tend to be an unofficial tradition at most high schools, similar to the unofficial senior skip day. It is crucial to find the perfect prank; one must realized the fine line between harmless and mischievous and vandalism or criminal. Some of the typical ones are TPing the school grounds or passing a beach ball (no not Steve Roel) during graduation ceremonies. Or what Mac Meda’s,  Donnie Tomlison, Willie Ronaldson and a few others did by cutting down a tree and got caught, and had to replant and maintain that tree as their punishment. But that is another post.  Read more... (947 words, 2 images, estimated 3:47 mins reading time)

End of an Era in La Jolla – The Way We Were, by Tommy Carroll

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I was sent this the other day, and even if it is a bit before Mac Media, it is a classic of what La Jolla was in the late 1940s and set the foundation for the craziness and bizarre times of the 1960s and 70s.

Many will recognize the dads and moms of their friends and people they past forgotten about. No doubt this will spark some fond memories of the way La Jolla was back then.

Classic photos of La Jolla High School being built,  La Jolla Cove, a few shots of Gunnery Training at Bird Rock (rare photo) Ocean Beach pier, Pacific Beach’s dirt streets, WindanSea and some of the luaus that later become Mac Meda Conventions, summer at the beach, lifeguards, the Plunge, La Jolla High football team and cheerleaders, football team and the few buildings  La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club had, with no homes in the background.  Read more... (249 words, 0 images, estimated 60 secs reading time)

Date Night in Tijuana, Mexico – Long Bar, Peeing and Coffee Cans

Joining in date night and standing (L-R) Richard Krug, Kip Ives, unknown, Frank Eblen (RIP), can't remember the next two, Debbie Balsomic (sp?) Sitting (L-R) Truck Cryster, Stevie Decker, Sara "Preston" Burton, Dave Burton (RIP), Marlille Bircht, Jim Bottomly (in jail), Jim and Dafney Jaminson, Mark Stapoae (sp?), Ray Townsend, Debbie Ketting. Phot0 by Stevie Decker, taken in 1970

Coffee cans played a major role in a road trip to Tijuana, Mexico. When Folgers came out with their one gallon cans, it set a new trend in date night to the Long Bar.  Read more... (798 words, 3 images, estimated 3:12 mins reading time)

Police Raid WindanSea, La Jolla – Mac Meda July, 1968, Convention

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Brian Munoz probably summarized it best; after getting a few “to-go orders”  for a beer run, he went to the Liquor Box, filled his truck with cases, and when he started pulling out of the parking lot  heading down Nautilus St -  that’s when he slammed on his brakes. He suddenly had become the caboose of a freight train of police cars heading to WindanSea Beach.

It was known fact in La Jolla, any whisper or rumor of a Mac Meda party the cops, press, and school authorities took it seriously, or in this day of age, “A Terrorist Attack,” and  became anal about the carnage of  drinking, destruction, and sex that a Mac  Meda Convention would generate.  In this particular case, WindanSea Beach was going to be the targeted area and this time, the departments heads of police were determine to break up the outlaw group once and for all.  Read more... (566 words, 0 images, estimated 2:16 mins reading time)

Carmel Valley – Adobe House Convention

L-R - Phil Hendricks, Mike Chacon (RIP), Chris Hendricks, Ray Darby, Pete Nestejon, Jerry Thaster, John Insinger, Bruce Collins, Jon Sarrett, and Sandy Woods - photos provided by Jon Sarrett

As Red Mountain Inn owner, David Osborn said in a comment, “Mac Meda’s conventions had to move around a bit. The cops were always looking to bust the next one.” Besides, Browns Ranch, WindanSea and Sea Lane, there was the coolest of all coolest places to have a Convention. This editor knew it as the Adobe House or Farm in Carmel Valley.  Read more... (579 words, 2 images, estimated 2:19 mins reading time)

Nate Parrish – La Jolla Volleyball Champ, Model, and First Streaker

Some of the people pictured are, Patty Brewer Macpherson (Roman lady), Pat Shea (ballerina) Brunette on far right is Little John Sylvada’s girlfriend, Jack (Roman Solder). Jack always had the photo of Pat Shea framed …and there was this infamous quote to his wife Pinky, “Bring my real clothes. I know some guy is going to pick a fight with me and I don’t want to go to jail in a tutu.”

Jack MacPherson said,  Nate Parrish was the GREATEST volleyball player from San Diego and his stories are legendary as this slide show of a Halloween party at his Mission Hills home in mid 1960. It was just another Meda Party where a ton of beer was consumed.  Read more... (465 words, 0 images, estimated 1:52 mins reading time)