Another music-related thread, kinda. From Clay Tarver, in the NYTimes:
… Jason Everman has the unique distinction of being the guy who was kicked out of Nirvana and Soundgarden, two rock bands that would sell roughly 100 million records combined. At 26, he wasn’t just Pete Best, the guy the Beatles left behind. He was Pete Best twice.
Then again, he wasn’t remotely. What Everman did afterward put him far outside the category of rock’n’roll footnote. He became an elite member of the U.S. Army Special Forces, one of those bearded guys riding around on horseback in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban…
What’s on the agenda this evening? Who’s got tomorrow off?
maya
Did he have red hair and sunglasses?
Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)
Yesterday I drove to Madison and this afternoon I took a bus from there to O’Hare Airport. I am currently sitting there waiting for my flight to LAX, to be followed by a flight to Beijing and then another flight to Xi’an. I have realized just how deeply I don’t want to be doing this and I figure that, until I actually board the plane I can at least pretend that I could turn around and go home.
maya
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN): Lord have mercy. I used to do a lot of commuter flights up and down the west coast, AZ and CHIcago. Grew to hate it. White-knuckler up to Seattle really got old. Haven’t been on a plane in 9 years.
FourTen
I was invited to join in a ID4 parade with the local Dem organization. I liked being on the other end of the candy throwing for once. Now its movie/video game time. Finally saw Agora, fantastic. Was going to play Remember Me, but Blade Runner came on.
Josie
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN): I have had that very strong feeling several times in my life, and they all involved a plane trip to someplace far away. Once I actually got on the plane and in the air, I was fine, and all the trips turned out great. Several were to O’Hare in Chicago from south Texas or to Washington State or Colorado. I think what you are feeling is perfectly understandable anxiety about getting out of your routine and comfort zone. You are really brave to do this, and I’m hoping your trip will turn out as well as mine always did.
Just Some Fuckhead
Fascinating story, fascinating guy.
There isn’t enough information provided to determine what makes him tick but I’d guess he doesn’t like himself.
RobertDSC-PowerMac G5 Dual
I’m on the downward side of outfitting my latest Mac, a dual processor 1GHz G4 tower. The last step is installing my favorite software and that’s copying off the thumb drive as I type. The system software has already been upgraded from the base Mac OS 10.4 to 10.4.11. Just a few more steps and then it’s done.
Keith
Almost as cool as being in Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, AND Temple of the Dog.
Botsplainer
We sleep on our back sometimes.
i.imgur.com/pp27BnR.jpg
Mnemosyne
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN):
New things are always scary, especially when they could potentially lead to even more new things, like new jobs in the US after this job in China. Just take it one step at a time and try not to think too much about the “what ifs.”
FourTen
Holy crap is the PS3 a pain in the ass some/all of the time. I’m going to end up half-watching this 30 year old movie again and playing Defiance.
If Steam Trading Cards ever take off, I’ll eat my hat
Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)
As long as I’m in a bitchy mood, can I also express how depressing it is to walk through a bookstore and see that yet another piece of crap from John Sandford is on the bestseller list? Not only is the guy a hack but I knew him 20 years ago and he’s also a dick. He considered one of his responsibilities as a parent to be to lie to his children so that they would be prepared for the real world.
Mnemosyne
Did a short (3 mile) bike ride to the store and back for dinner supplies. Not as hot as was originally predicted, but still pretty toasty out there (in the low 90s).
One of these days, I’m going to find a lower-calorie recipe for the red, white and bleu (cheese) potato salad they make at Vons, but I was too lazy to make it from scratch this time. There’s always Labor Day.
jeffreyw
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN): I remember a couple trans Pacific flights where I was issued an M-16 at the other end. And no in flight wifi or movies on a phone. And stay offa my lawn you damned kids. Jeebus, that’s been 45 years ago. State of the art Boeing 707s! Wait..what was I talking about?
A Ghost To Most
Read the whole article; very interesting.
In other news, morons will be morons. Watching nervously a fire burning on Lookout Mtn above Golden. Assholes with fireworks, sounds like.
JWL
Great thumbnail of a biography.
As was also once written of Pete Best (according to Paul McCartney):
“He is mean, moody, and magnificent”.
Roger Moore
@jeffreyw:
Think of the positive: you got to come back as a passenger rather than cargo.
PeakVT
Two inches of rain this afternoon. I should have planted more this year, since I haven’t had to water a thing since
PurpleGirl
Currently watching Yankee Doodle Dandy, a 4th of July tradition for me of many years duration.
One year when it wasn’t being shown on TV, I found that the Museum of Modern Art was showing it. At the time people entered into the theater, first on line, first inside for movie. They were showing something else before Yankee Doodle Dandy and I let people move passed me into the theater. The guard said he didn’t remember anyone ever doing that and he let stay on the line for Yankee Doodle Dandy. One young woman joined me in waiting — it was one of Cagney’s nieces who couldn’t get to the farm that year. (I’m an old, what can I say.)
Tomorrow, TCM is showing 1776. A newer tradition for the 4th of July.
Mnemosyne
@PurpleGirl:
We watched 1776 today, because G always insists. I somehow managed to wreck the physical DVD of it (probably by leaving it in my car) but fortunately Amazon had it available to rent via streaming, so our marriage was saved. ;-)
It’s not a great musical, but it’s an interesting story. Apparently the “Cool, Considerate Men” song was removed from the original theatrical release of the film at Richard Nixon’s request, but it’s been restored in most of the DVD versions and is probably in the version TCM shows.
Steeplejack
I am lying low without air conditioning in NoVa. The system is working, but the air coming out is room-temperature. Have informed the (out-of-state) landlord, and things are in process, but slowly. Outside temp is 87° now, down from 89° a while ago, humidity is 60%, dew point is 72° (uncomfortable, perilously close to really uncomfortable). Inside temp is 84°, the hottest it has been since this problem started. (We had rain and gray skies the past couple of days, which cut the heat a bit.) The saving grace is the ceiling fan in the bedroom, which is the coolest room in the place anyway, since it gets the least sun exposure. So the nights are not uncomfortable. The worst times are like now, sitting in the living room and just sweating. Might nip out to Target and get a fan. The forecast is for 90° tomorrow and 91° Saturday. Might be a good weekend to go see some movies in ice-cold theaters.
In the Balloon Juice tradition of asking for conflicting advice, what’s the thinking on running the A.C. anyway just for air circulation and maybe to reduce the humidity a little?
maya
@Steeplejack: You’d be better off with the cheapie fan idea. AC @ room temp sounds like a refrigerant problem and running it doesn’t improve it. Electric bill, if that’s an issue, would be better off too.
Edit: Check fins of unit if its a window unit. Could be blocked up with dirt. If so, blow out with air compressor or good reverse vacuum.
Schlemizel
Saddest 4th event? I’m voting for the hot dog eating contest on ESPN.
Applejinx
I do not normally think of soldiers as automatic heroes.
This guy and his tenacity and endurance and ability to reinvent himself in spite of anything the world could do to him?
Hero.
Another Halocene Human
I’m just gonna leave this right here, from the guy who doxed SABU:
jesterscourt.cc/2013/06/26/so-about-this-snowden-affair/
It’s an interesting take in part because (with a different background from the liberal blogosphere) he has no interest in Greenwald at all.
Yatsuno
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN): Fair warning: domestic air travel in China is terrible. As in God-awful white knuckled get my ass on the ground now terrible. The FAA is an amazing agency for protecting air travel in the U.S. You definitely notice it not being there.
PurpleGirl
@Mnemosyne: The first show I helped a friend stage as fundraisers for various Masonic Lodges was 1776. Not the whole show but scenes from it. Cool, Considerate Men was not one we did — too political. I still have a fondness for many of the songs. There was (is?) a suite of rooms in the Masonic headquarters on West 23rd St that were decorated in a colonial/Federal style and we used that suite.
Yatsuno
@jeffreyw: :: hug :: so sorry about Buddy.
Baud
@Yatsuno:
Unless you hit another plane, how would you notice? Do the planes do loops in midair?
quannlace
Yeah, I’ll be working. A deadline for a children’s book I’m illustrating; just have to finish off the last two illustrations.
HinTN
@Steeplejack: a/c not cooling will not dehumidify either. Get moar fanz
Yatsuno
@Baud: Think aircraft maintenance, airport scheduling, making sure the plane actually has enough fuel to get to its destination. All of that is highly regulated in the US and Europe. China not so much. It’s too bad JMN isn’t taking a train to Xi’an, but I guess they don’t have bullet service there.
jeffreyw
@Yatsuno: Thanks, Yutsy.
Mnemosyne
I was going to take tomorrow off, but I got that stinkin’ migraine on Wednesday and had to leave early, so now I have to work at least a couple of hours tomorrow to get caught up. Feh.
Narcissus
@Another Halocene Human: Your link tried to give me Malware dude
ChrisNYC
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN): If the thing you don’t want to be doing is going to China, fwiw I spent some months there and really loved it. Diff than having a job there, which I didn’t but still. I don’t know what exactly it was. Anyway, I felt a sort of very light grief — missing it — when I came back. Sounds strange but the culture reminded me of Italy. Loud lively and warm.
ruemara
@Another Halocene Human: Interesting, thanks. Read about his activities on my Hacker News feed.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@jeffreyw: I’m so sorry to hear about Buddy. They leave such big paw prints on our hearts.
red dog
Here in NORTHERN CA we hit 108 today and BART is on strike so I dare you to try and go anywhere. This is not the desert as we are only 25 miles from SF with grass and trees and stuff. Damn.
pat
@Yatsuno:
What happened to Buddy???
Mike E
@jeffreyw: 45 years ago I flew on some kinda Pan Am jet to Disney Land. I was 5. I remember the inflight movie coming back was Romeo and Juliet.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
From the (fascinating) story Anne Laurie featured, following the link to the author’s story about his deal. Do read to the end where he tells his twins. I cackled, loudly.
Ultraviolet Thunder
I discovered today that my wife had never seen Blazing Saddles. I practically burned rubber all the way to the video store. That’s the agenda, along with plenty of popcorn. She is so gonna love me for this.
Ultraviolet Thunder
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN):
Monday I’ll be flying to Alabama for the 4th time in 3 weeks. Most of my travel is in the US but after Tuscaloosa I’m headed to Noble, Ontario and I have no idea where that is.
PsiFighter37
Good day in FL today – lots of beach, lots of beer, relaxing day overall. Not sure what’s on the agenda tomorrow, but was not super healthy. Think I’m going to need to get back on the exercise wagon hard once I get back to town Saturday.
JWL
@red dog: 108 degrees? Damn. You must be inland east bay. Sonoma is still hot, but with a beautiful, saving breeze to take the edge off.
HinTN
Watching the Swedish trio of Girl with Dragon Tattoo, Girl who Played with Fire and Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest reminds me how bad we are at complex stories. Too bad for us, these are real movies. Happy Birthday Uncle Sam!
pat
@Yatsuno:
I found the post about Buddy on a previous thread. So sorry for your loss. He looks like a great dog.
Mike E
@Ultraviolet Thunder: She’ll finally see where “The Sheriff’s a Ni-” and “Where the white women at?” references come from.
Bob In Portland
I remember when Pete Best released an album, “Best of the Beatles.” I can see an “Everman’s Nirvana” or something at some point if he doesn’t buy the farm over there.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
So the real Red Rascal is finally identified. And it’s not Jeff Redfern – whoever could have guessed?
HinTN
@pat: dog and cat buddies break me down (in a good sweet way)
Suzanne
It is hot, and I just went outside to get frozen yogurt. I will not make that mistake again.
Re: China. I have a friend who is teaching English over there, and has been for a few years. He has had years of struggles with depression but is really enjoying China. He’s moved around a lot, teaching in many of the cities.
Heliopause
Looks like I missed all the Star Spangled Banner fun. Probably was brought up somewhere in comments but in case it wasn’t:
First, it’s a shitty song, and no matter how well you perform a shitty song it’s still shitty.
Second, it contains lyrics gloating over the dead bodies of former slaves.
Third, Francis Scott Key was a raging, slaveholding, slavery-defending asshole.
ruemara
it’s about 110 up here near Sac and I was gonna head out and take pics of the local events, including my beloved Taiko drumming, but I took a nice cool shower and got into my jammies. Oh well. Just finished 7 Psychopaths, starting Parker, may close out the evening on Argo or Hansel & Gretel.
Southern Beale
We saw World War Z today.. AWESOME!
Litlebritdifrnt
@Mike E:
Was that the Zeffirelli version? I remember that in Secondary School, we were dragged to see it at the Dukes Theatre in Lancaster by our English Teacher. We were just too cool for school to be watching that shit but the minute Leonard Whiting appeared on the screen every female in the class was transfixed, the minute Olivia Hussey’s boobs appeared on the screen every male in the class was transfixed. I still think it is the best film of the play ever.
Just One More Canuck
@Ultraviolet Thunder: if you mean Nobleton, it’s just outside of Toronto.
PurpleGirl
I have no idea how hot it was in NYC today. When I went out for ice coffee and a bagel around 9 AM, I’d already put on the living room A/C.
Macy’s fireworks start at 9:25, They are on the Hudson again this year so I’ll only see the very high ones from my apartment terrace. When they have them on the East River I see a lot more of them.
SyFy’s Twilight Zone marathon currently showing… To Serve Man.
eemom
@Heliopause:
He has a very nice bridge named after him here in deecee. And Jefferson Davis has a whole highway.
Ultraviolet Thunder
@Just One More Canuck:
if you mean Nobleton, it’s just outside of Toronto.
I meant Nobel, way north of Toronto. I’m in Detroit. Looks like 6 – 7 hours’ drive from the map. They’ll probably fly me partway, but I’d rather take a day and drive the whole way. I’ll find out why I’m going when I get the mission from my boss.
That reminds me to hit the bank and pick up some Cn currency. Maybe exchange Pesos and Euros for it just to be extra confusing.
sacrablue
It is only 108 in my backyard. Seventh day in a row over 105. I’m going stir crazy with my arm in a splint from fingers to armpit. The first available appointment at the clinic is July 30th. Damn Tricare. I guess it is a good thing that the pain only keeps me awake 20 hours a day. I’m also grateful that Costco sells really big bottles of Ibuprophen.
Mike E
@Litlebritdifrnt: Yes. Boobs! Also, her casting was a little scandalous because she was closer to the character’s historical age (17 to 13) than previous actresses.
Ferdzy
Ultraviolet Thunder, you will be just north of the Wahta Mohawk cranberry bog. Be sure to stop on your way by, and stock up on dried cranberries and unsweetened cranberry juice. Great stuff. The exit is on Iroquois Cranberry Growers Road, off of the 400, on about a line with Bala.
Suzanne
Oh, and I am laying my ass on the couch, and watching the first episode of “Game of Thrones”.
Just One More Canuck
@Ultraviolet Thunder: I had to google Nobel – never heard of it before. Enjoy the drive.
Joel
@Yatsuno: train to Xian is an overnight communist era. Makes you feel like an old Bond movie for ~80 a passenger if you take the best class (recommended).
Mnemosyne
@PurpleGirl:
We caught the very end of “The Howling Man” and are now watching “The Odyssey of Flight 33.”
I have a strange patriotic urge to watch Hail the Conquering Hero (which is a strange yet patriotic film), so we may dig it out of our library and put it on. We were thinking of hiking up into the hills to see if we could spot any fireworks, but poor G managed to twist his ankle this afternoon so no hiking for us today.
Paul in KY
@JWL: Supposidly it was Pete’s success with the wimmens & the press at the time thinking he was a leader in the Beatles that caused them to get rid of him.
Paul in KY
Since ‘Bleach’ has ended up selling 2.1 million recs, I would assume Mr. Everman has made back his $600.00.
brendancalling
Tarver’s band, Bullet LaVolta, was incredible.