going through this whole google+ thing in my profile..

I had almost forgotten I had this. This doesn't quite remind me of the old bbs days. I remember wanting to make this a hiking blog. It's easy to fall back into sedentary ways. I keep "reminding" myself to check out when they do the volunteer trail improvement thing ahead of time instead of groaning about missing it at the last minute because I forgot to write it on my calendar ahead of time. Anyhoo. I browsed back to this post here: http://revatman.blogspot.com/2007/09/my-first-pot-smoking-experience.html and it still trips me out to this day. It was a pretty crazy adventure. And it was a pretty shitty thing to do to that hardware store owner. I don't know if they're even still in business. I'm going to take a look at a google map and see if I can figure out which store it was and tell them what I did and pay them back for it.

Not really crazy

When I was a teenager I had this switchblade comb. Looked just like a switchblade, but with a comb, obviously.

One day my step-mom Pam was in the kitchen. I walked up behind her and flicked open this comb and said "you know I've had just about enough of your shit."

She just about jumped out of her skin. Hahaha. Because she thought I was going to cut her.

Hahaha.

I guess you had to be there.

I've started..

a totally separate blog for the hiking and camping stuff. It felt really weird having a blog that was about hiking and camping that I also posted music to. I feel a lot better about separating the two.

the hiking and camping blog is hardly started yet. but I feel a lot more comfortable posting music here knowing that outdoor freaks won't be offended by the whole music posting thing.

heading off for vacation tomorrow. I think I can manage to start posting more tunage and that when I get back.

hope the weather is great wherever you're at. it's still very wintery here.

My Review of Leatherman Juice S2

Originally submitted at REI

This cutting-edge multi-tool features a bevy of useful tools and distinctive burnt-orange anodized handles, contoured for comfort.

Leatherman Juice S2

Mostly what I need, not lots of junk

By Jerry from Montana from West Yellowstone, MT on 12/19/2009

 

4out of 5

Gift: No

Pros: Sharp Blade, Comfortable Grip, Functional

Cons: Bends

Best Uses: Camping

Describe Yourself: Avid Adventurer

I wanted a multitool specifically for hiking and camping out of a backpack. I spent quite a while shopping for one that had the few things I need without a whole bunch of things that I don't need. My requirements are very minimalist. I need:

1. A pair of pliers. Early last summer my buddy had a zipper blowout on his backpack. It required both his and my pliers to get the teeth lined back up so he could close the zipper. A pair of pliers is a must. One minor issue with these. When I'm squeezing down on the pliers, there's the tiniest bit of flex in the tool that I'm a little concerned about. I worry that one day when I'm really bearing down on something with the pliers, it's gonna break.

2. A pair of scissors. For opening freeze-dried meals, mostly. But also if I need to cut bandages. For certain tasks a knife doesn't work as well as a pair of scissors. I like the scissors on this. I like the feel on the thumb. The blades are a nice size.

3. A good sharp knife that's not too big and not too small. For a large knife I'll carry a separate large knife. This one is a little larger than a paring knife. It locks open so I know it's not going to fold when I'm using it.

Aside from those three things, I don't really need much else. Here's some thoughts on the other gadgets:

A can opener is okay to have, but not really necessary. When I hike into the back country of Yellowstone I'm not lugging cans of food, I'm carrying lighter dehydrated or freeze dried food. I suppose I could picture going on a day hike and stuffing a can of chili into my pack, in which case a can opener would be useful.

I'm trying to think if any of the camping or hiking gear I have has screws of any kind. The screwdrivers are pretty small and take up little space, so it's not bothersome to have them there.

This tool does NOT have: a file (I don't need it), tweezers (I have a good pair in my emergency kit, don't need an extra), a toothpick (I can whittle one with the knife), extra knives (I just need the one).

This isn't quite the perfect hiking/camping/backpacking multitool, but it's the closest I've been able to find. The real trick was finding a multi tool that had both pliers AND scissors, without having 20 other things on it. Take a look for yourself. Look at all the multitools that have both pliers and scissors and see how many extra gadgets they have.

This is a cool little tool

(legalese)

re: my last post..

I posted my mediafire stoner rock folder for people to scan through. I'm gonna be closing that in about a week. so grab what you want.

I think I posted this already, but I'm not sure...

unreleased Unida. Produced by Ric Ruben.

I'm durnk as fuck. No graphic. No description. Here ya go.

http://www.mediafire.com/?i1mbnm0sy3a

It's the shiznit.

Slayina is especially great. Would have done great on the radio, if they'd gone that direction. Fuckin' a right.

My Review of Snow Peak Titanium Double-Wall Cup

Originally submitted at REI

Keep your beverages piping hot and reduce weight in your pack--this lightweight cup features insulating double-wall construction.

Snow Peak Titanium Double-Wall Cup

Spendy price but a really good mug

By Jerry from Montana from West Yellowstone, Montana on 9/28/2009

 

5out of 5

Gift: No

Pros: Easy To Clean, Durable, Lightweight, Compact, Stable

Best Uses: Hiking, Backpacking

Describe Yourself: Avid Adventurer

What Is Your Gear Style: Minimalist

I've taken this camping into Yellowstone a couple times now and it's great! I'm still shopping for the perfect bowl/saucepan setup for me so I've used this for mugs of stew and chili. It seems to retain the heat for a long time.

I like the mesh bag that comes with it. I can put a 2oz bottle of Campsuds into the mug and then jam a bandana in with it (for cleaning things). Then I just cinch it into the mesh and stuff it into the bottom of my pack. I know the Campsuds aren't going to come out into my pack and make a mess.

(legalese)

My Review of REI Jungle Juice Plus Insect Repellent Spray - 4 oz.

Originally submitted at REI

Find instant relief from biting insects with this easy-to-apply and long-lasting lotion that is 3 repellents in 1.

REI Jungle Juice Plus Insect Repellent Spray - 4 oz.

Not great for heavy infestations

By Jerry from Montana from West Yellowstone, Montana on 9/28/2009

 

3out of 5

Gift: No

Pros: Easy To Apply

Cons: Not effective

Describe Yourself: Avid Adventurer

I used this a few weeks ago on a back country camping trip near Shoshone Lake in Yellowstone. In areas where there were small amounts of mosquitoes it worked pretty well, however the bugs around the lake are very very thick, and this stuff is almost useless. It kept most of the pests at bay but I was still continually harassed.

It wasn't durable at all. One application lasted maybe an hour at most. I was constantly having to put on more.

I'm not the biggest fan of DEET but a higher concentration works way better. My buddy had a spray that was 98% DEET, and that's what kept us alive during the trip.

(legalese)

How to camp overnight in yellowstone park

"It was a blast! Had a bison ramble right past our camp site!"

How I did it: Found a buddy who digs camping too.  We egged each other into it.  Had to watch a vid at the back country office about back country safety.  Had to reserve the camp site ahead of time.  We picked one maybe a bit far in for a first over-nighter.  But it was worth it.

Lessons & tips: Get the right gear and just go for it!

Resources: REI.COM for all the cool camping gear you'll need.  Plus there's lots of tips and pointers from experts there.

It took me 4 years.

It made me woot

See more progress on: camp overnight in yellowstone park

follow up to my last Brant Bjork/Facebook post...

Monster Magnet also has a page there, and Dave himself sometimes posts stuff.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Dave-Wyndorf-Monster-Magnet/102835440192?ref=ts

Brant Bjork is on Facebook.

so add him as a friend.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/brant.bjork?ref=nf

Bored and felt like posting something here..

IMG_1373
Originally uploaded by revatman

Trying to get various life things together (as always) so I haven't been around posting much. So I thought I'd post this from my flickr page.

My Review of Justin's Organic Nut Butter Blend - 1.15 oz.

REI

Justin's Organic Nut Butter Blend is the perfect snack for people on the go!

Justin's Organic Nut Butter Blend - 1.15 oz.

Quick tasty snack for a hiking trip

Jerry from Montana West Yellowstone, MT 6/13/2009

 

5 5

Gift: No

Pros: Flavorful, Nutritious, Lightweight

Best Uses: Backpacking, As a Snack, Quick Boost

Describe Yourself: Casual Adventurer

I took some of these on a quick day hike in Yellowstone. They're small and fit into a hip pouch great.

I've read reviews on other sites that complained about them having sugar. But from what I can tell, there's no refined sugar. The sweeteners are honey or maple sugar, and are meant as flavorings.

Any future order I place with REI is going to include some of these.

()

the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Mo' Width (repost @320)

allmusic sez:

Recorded in 1992, Mo' Width is somewhat of a precursor to 1993's Extra Width. The album introduces some of the experimental '70s-style recording techniques that come to fruition on Extra Width, and the songs sound as if they were written contemporaneously. Spencer and company, however, have yet to develop the innovative and gritty blues-rock fusion that defines their later work, and so the record may fail to impress most casual listeners. Collectors, though, will find Mo' Width, with its alternate version of "Afro" and guest appearance by Kurt Hoffman of They Might Be Giants, a solid and likeable album which won't just gather dust on their shelves. The off-the-cuff playing style, lo-fi recording, and intermittent bottle smashing contribute to an overall live performance feel, and the Blues Explosion always sounded better live anyway.

get it here:

Mo' Width

wow, "Magic" GuitarBand?

more of a toy than anything, but it's sure fun to play with.

sorry...

my last music post, Nebula - Heavy Psych, somehow I got the wrong file linked. man I'm a dope.

it's fixed.

finally figured the tagging stuff here...

so I'm going back and tagging all my old posts with relevant identifiers. shit like "pot" and band names and "story" (which is weird autobiographical stuff ya'll might find amusing). probably take me a few days to get it caught up, but hang in there.

again, props and thanks to you folks who've bothered to stop by here. I'll try to make it worth your while.

okay, gonna get caught up with some older stuff... [fixed]

Here's "Heavy Psych" by Nebula. Freakin' awesome.

Very spacey, aptly named album. Same laid-back singing style from Eddie Glass. Heavy thumping bass.

Man, I'm so bad at this review shit.

The guitars sound like a pignose amped through a marshall stack.

Okay, here's my review.

Smoke a big fat doob. Crank this to 11. Smoke another big fat doob.

There ya go.

right here

the door to the dumpster just slammed down on my fuckin' head...

minor blood and major pain.

This is probably my favorite Incredible Hulk episode.

It's got a mad scientist.

When he leaves another hot chick in another town, it's always heart-wrenching.

to you Mac users, don't forget that the Dictionary on your computer also does Wikipedia lookups

I really haven't been around blogging that much..

but my 'recently loved tracks' on last.fm gets a fair amount of action.

i'm really sorry I haven't been posting much..

I get into these grand funks. I have a whole huge shitpile of killer diller tunes I wanna share, but I just can't seem to conjure the right mood to pick out an album, write an original review, zip the tunes, upload it, etc.

winter is coming on. and I go batshit without something to do. so I 'spect I'll be more busy, coming up.

for those of you who've bothered to drop by my site, I appreciate your attention. peace and love.

minus 13 Fahrenheit

made a really good sammich

Started out with a slice of toasted honey wheat bread. Added a layer of Adam's Natural Peanut Butter (chunky):


Then some Welch's Concord Grape Jelly:


Next, BACON!!



Another slice of toasted honey wheat bread:



Oh man, this is GOOOOD!

'bout to go to the dentist, have a cavity filled

long overdue. I can feel it with my tongue.

hopefully they won't fill the whole cavity between my ears. or if they do they'll fill it with something good. like killer weed.

Jon Lajoie - High As Fuck

one of my online contacts, Lady C, hipped me to this.

I used to really get seriously carded for beer until I was like 28 or 29.

This election happened to coincide..

.. with our hotel closing for the winter season. I'm still getting my hours though.

Yesterday I got out of bed around 5:30ish. Dressed in my regular street clothes. Read a few of my RSS feeds and scanned Google News while I smoked a cigarette. Left the house and headed down to the local coffee shop. Which was closed. Which is unusual. I hope Chris the owner is okay. He's a great guy. And I've been having to settling for sh!tty convenience store coffee. His place was closed up again this morning.

I got to the hotel a couple minutes before 7am. The owner was there and he let me in. We lock all the doors and turn out the lights at the hotel when we close. The owners don't like for this place to ever be empty, so they always have someone staying here when we're closed to keep an eye on the place. I'm gonna be staying here tonight for about a week.

I got really sick of this election maybe 2 weeks ago. And I started getting tired of guests here at the hotel maybe a month ago. So yesterday, for the election to finally be over and for me to be able to come in to work in my street clothes and not have guests to deal with. AND for me to get a chance to stay at the hotel for a week. I have a nice little bit of synchronicity going on right now. If I were superstitious I'd go buy a lottery ticket.

... smoking, etc..

when i showed up at the Bonneville county jail to serve my 5 days for possession of about a tablespoon of weed, I showed up with an overnight bag. with my wallet, my checkbook and my address book. and my cell phone. and down at the very bottom there was a busted in half cigarette. the first thing I did when I got outside was dig down to the bottom of that bag for that busted cigarette. which was a huge fuckin' mistake.

leftoverking hipped me to this vid

http://leftoverking.blogspot.com/ , and I can't watch it enough.

The End of America

In a stunning indictment of sweeping policy changes during the Bush years, best-selling author Naomi Wolf (The Beauty Myth) makes a chilling case that American democracy is under threat. Investigating parallels between our current situation and the rise of dictators and fascism in once-free societies, Wolf uncovers a number of deeply unsettling similarities-from the use of paramilitary groups and secret prisons to the targeted suspension of the rule of law. With this galvanizing call to arms based on her recent book, she urges regular citizens to take back our legacy of freedom and justice.

[work] more stupid whining about inane crap

i freakin' hate it when i'm talking people through the registration and X'ing each spot for an initial or signature, people try to take the pen out of my hand before I'm finished. guy just now, I almost got in a tug of war with him. that sh!t pisses me off. he LOST the game and resorted to pulling a pen out of his own pocket.

i get this fairly often with impatient people. a while back I went through this with a guy, I thought to myself "screw it" and let him have the pen. I've made a point of not handing over the room keys till they finish the registration. so this guy a while back, he scribbles his signature on the bottom and he puts his hand out wanting his keys. I go "I also need an initial here and here." he gets this annoyed look and then initials in one of the spots I had just indicated, but not the other, and then slams the pen down. I give him my best Forrest Gump and go "need here too." at this point he's pissed and gives me this look like i'm fucking with him. I return a blank stare.

don't fuck with front desk clerks. really. i mean, if you want to come back to the desk a whole bunch of times to have your keys rekeyed because they're not working anymore, then act like a dick. when I get bored in the evening it's people like that who stand out in my head.

whups.. that last novadriver post..

i somehow password protected it. all good now.

Nova Driver - Deeper High

Here's what allmusic has to say:

Nova Driver's long, four-year hiatus between first and second albums was a rather bizarre one. Vocalist/organist Mark Miers effectively quit the group to pursue other interests, presumably found them to be less interesting than expected, and then rejoined in time to complete an album -- 2005's Deeper High -- which, at least sonically speaking, behaves as if he never left in the first place! All good considering the Detroit natives' first outing had set a very good precedent; standing out from a rather stale late-'90s stoner rock revival by brusquely shaking (not stirring) equal doses of classic rock, space rock, and their hometown's vibrant, proto-punk legacy around a shiny (heavy) metallic canister -- then spicing it with just a dash of those dangerously excessive jam tendencies. Here, as then, instantly foot-taping nuggets like "You Want Yours, You Want Mine," (an ideal, slow-building opener); "Roll You" (a brutal aural mugging); the memorable title track (affording plenty of soloing room for guitarist Billy Reedy), and "Turn to Stone" (simply a timeless classic rocker) come souped-up for maximum highway-driving enjoyment. And even though it eases off the gas pedal considerably, the semi-ballad "Dark Aftermath" is unconventional enough to keep the listener interested until the dirty garage-psych charge of "Machine" can restart the engines and lead the way into the downright spectacular "Bury Me Alive." A near-perfect example of Nova Driver's fluid songwriting chops, this album and career standout does, however, also draw attention to the fact that, in a broader sense, the band still frequently comes off sounding like a sleeker, tamer, less gonzoid version of Monster Magnet -- as further witnessed by easy flowing, space-groove runs like "Stars After Stars" and "Blackout." Then again, Dave Wyndorf himself would be the first to admit to channeling these same musical devices from earlier sources, dating back as far as the late-'60s, so that the inescapable similarities are only there inasmuch as such things are inevitably cyclical in rock & roll. Moreover, as the feedback creation "Whiteout" fades down to black, the feeling that lingers is how great it is having a new Nova Driver album. Tragically, bassist and key songwriter Jim Anders passed away shortly after Deeper High's recording sessions, leaving yet another major challenge for the band to overcome.

I say:

freakin' awesome!

get that sucker here: Novadriver - Deeper High

i know this has been around the blogs already, but a buddy of mine on Multiply asked me to repost it, so I posted it there. this is a crosspost from that.

Russia clls for a European alliance to counteract NATO and the US influence in the area..

Not going to bother looking for a link.

The influence of NATO in Europe is making Russia nervous. They've called for an alliance of countries to rival NATO.

Dig this. The French president has said that such an alliance would be fine, but that it would have to included the United States.

Us Americans joke about the French all the time, but they sure are acting like an ally right now.

my old funky ass neighbors are finally gone..

the place next door is empty right now, and i"m trying to decide if I wanna just enjoy the quiet for a while, or do I go out and find somebody the landlord could put in there who's mellow, and maybe lessen the risk of having a shitty neighbor.

here's the best picture i have of my place. looking at the photo, the place is split right down the middle. i'm on the right, the empty place is on the left.

also what's nice, mine's the only vehicle in the driveway. there used to be freakin' four more besides mine out front. someone told me a while back that it looked like a used car lot. I just realized I otta find out what parking my solitary truck right down the middle of the driveway feels like for a while.

creamcycle and ass

thats what our lobby bathroom smells like this morning.

yet more on iTunes Genius..

Okay, I've written a couple of love posts about this already.

Stoner Rock is a pretty obscure genre of music. To go more into that would be a whole afternoon of music journalism exercising. And I'm totally not in shape for that shit.

But just as hard rock has more than just one sound, and bluegrass has more than just one sound, and 'indy' (hate that freakin' term) has more than just one sound. Stoner Rock is not just one sound. There's heavy, mellow, thashing, etc.

I picked a less heavy song (band: Nebula, album: Charged, song: This One) and iTunes Genius was able to match songs for this.

Holy Crap.

Or more appropriately, What The Fuck. Where is it getting this shit?

Get out of my head iTunes Genius! Aaaah!

Leon Lederman, Nobel Prize winner, sits on a street corner and answers science questions

I went to my last.fm page just now to find that it mysteriously says "subscriber" beneath my avatar..

anyone have this happen? either someone bought me a subscription, or someone working at last.fm hooked me up. my guess is that last one. and I think I know who.

"big box" store mentality is mind boggling to me..

Sittin' here at the front desk, a lady comes up to the desk and asks me if there's a Walmart in town. I tell her no. "Well, is there a K-mart?" Again, "no. There's no major chain stores here in town." She looks at me perplexed "well, are there any stores here at all?" The implication being if there's no big box stores here then us locals must be breatharians who make all our own appliances and clothes and whatever else we need.

"Yes, we have stores. What are you looking for?"

"Excedrin." I guess I was expecting some specialized item that you'd need to go to a big box store for. What that item would be I have no idea.

I know some people actually use the word "coke" when what they mean is "soda pop." My brain isn't awake yet, but I know there's other instances where someone will use a brand name as a generic term for a product. But I get this all the time here, and I get tired of playing 20 questions. I don't equate "Walmart" as a generic term for "store." Not real fond of charades either. If she had just said flat out "where can I buy some Excedrin?" I could have told her without having a brainless exchange.

from the USA Today

Olympia Washington - a jury awarded $10,000 to Ramtha School founder JZ Knight in a lawsuit against another spiritual teacher. The jury agreed that Whitewind Weaver copied teaching practices from the seminars in which Knight says she channels the spirit of an ancient warrior. Weaver attended 12 classes or retreates at teh Ramtha school in Yelm before conducting her own workshop in nearby Rainier.

um. yeah. like, wow. kookie.

I gotta figure out a way to start some sort of spiritual racket. an aunt told me several years ago I should start a cult. that I'd be good at it.

gonna have to think about this stuff a bit more seriously.

before I moved to Montana, I was getting pretty angry. living in the 'hood sucked..

I don't think I've told this one before. before I start I'll just say that I'm not like this anymore. not at all.

I drive down to the local strip mall in Emeryville to CompUSA. I forget what for. I drive all around the parking lot and I cant find a parking place anywhere. I get to this one spot in the parking lot and I see a brand new (or almost new) Trans Am parked right down the middle line of two parking places. so i finally find a place to park in the street, walk over to the TA and dump my strawberry milkshake on the windshield. and down the hood. I go into the store and take care of my business. there's a taco bell there so I go in, get something to eat. I come out and am walking back to my vehicle and I see this guy walking up to this Trans Am. He yells "WHAT THE FUCK!?" I'm walking by, he sees me and I get this look on my face (academy award performance) like "oh man, that sucks." he goes back to ranting about his car, I go back to my truck and go on with my business.

Ben Kingsley does "Minor Threat" by Minor Threat

Sir Ben Kingsley STOMPS into the shoes of Minor Threats' Ian MacKaye from Mean Magazine on Vimeo.

Sting gone bad: Deputies lose 75 lbs. of pot

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (AP)

The pinal County Sherrif's Office says a suspect made off with a police vehicle and 75 pounds of marijuana they had used for bait in a drug sting.

Deputies from the county's drug task force set up the deal to close out a months-long investigation in Casa Grande. Court records show undercover deputies agreed to trade a Hummer vehicle for the marijuana they possessed from a prior drug seizure.

But the deal went sour on Wednesday at a mall parking lot off Interstate 10 when five men showed up in the Hummer and a pickup. One got into a sedan with the pot and drove away before a SWAT team could close in. The other four were arrested.

Pinal County chief deputy Jeff Kirkham says such failed stings are rare and played down the effect of losing the marijuana.

another true story..

back in my twenties, I drove between dallas and s.f. maybe 4 or 5 times in the course of about 6 months. I had gotten the route down really well. and at the time I was driving a '78 camaro /insert picture here/. it was white with red interior. it didn't have a very big motor tho. it was almost a creampuff. the engine was like a 287, or 270something. something weird. with a catalytic convert that required unleaded gas. but I had a bitchen stereo tho. pioneer super tuner 3, with a cassette deck that had a SEARCH function. with a 40 watt eq. jensen triaxle speakers in the back with 9" speakers in the front. it would hurt your ears.

going through the desert I liked to drive really fast. like 95 or 100, for long stretches at a time.

so this one time I decided I was going to change my clothes. I remember I was wearing like jeans or something, and a button up shirt. and I wanted to change into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. so I decided I was going to change my clothes while I was driving. I was all revved up about driving so fast. so i managed to get my my shoes off pretty easy. and I get my pants off and shorts on without much problem. and I then i got my shirt off okay. but then trying to get my t-shirt on, I get each arm in the sleeves, and I go to slip my head through the hole, when I get it tangled up on my head. and I'm going like 95 on the highway with no other cars around out in the middle of nowhere in the desert

I went into pure panic mode for about 3 seconds, but I kept it together, got myself untangled (I think it was mostly luck) and got the shirt on, before I had time to even think about how I was going to slow down or stop without flying off the road. then I hyperventilated for about 30 seconds and kept on driving.

I have another story about driving in that camaro that I'm going to have to try to remember to write about.

desk clerk rant of the day..

me: "blah blah, this is Jerry, how may I help you?"

phone person: "hi!, you're located in West Yellowstone, right?"

me: "yes, we are."

person: "is that on the way to Seattle?"

me: "well, depending on where you're coming from it's on the way to anywhere."

pretty much made up my mind..

gotta grow the hair back out.

oh snap! Dude action figures!!

from the USA Today:

Timed to the 10th anniversary of The Big Lebowski, Bif Bang Pow! collectibles and entertainment earth.com are releasing action figures ($25) of the stars of the Coen brothers' film, Jeff Bridges and John Goodman, as well as a Dude bobble head ($13). The special edition DVD ($20) is out Sept. 9.