Today, at lunch time, I went up to the gas station near my office to get fuel for my car. (The gas station's conveniently located next to a good taco shop.) Anyway, I started pumping my gas and, about five minutes later, I noticed only about 5 gallons had been pumped. So I got disgusted, and walked around to sit in my car while that lame-ass pump gobbled up my lunch hour. When I got in the car, I decided to listen to a practice CD of some new songs we're adding, just to figure out the changes. I cranked it up, and it was the Doobie Brothers' "Take Me In Your Arms" (an Isley Brothers cover). Meanwhile, I was watching the guy on the other side of the pump, a guy with a long, white ponytail and a big bushy white mustache. Pretty soon, he hears my CD blasting away, and he comes over and says, "That's one of my songs." I said, "What do you mean?" He said, "I used to play with the Doobie Brothers." Then I recognized him. I said, "You're not Jeff Baxter, are you?" He says, "Yeah." I was so blown away, I could barely talk. I asked him what in the heck he was doing in these parts, and he showed me his employee badge: General Atomics. He says, "Yeah, I'm working on high-energy lasers." Turns out, he's a whiz on missile defense systems, and consults with congress and the Pentagon on defense issues. Oh, you don't believe me? Do a Google search on him. My feet haven't touched the ground since noon.
Yeah, but he doesn't belong in the Doobies. And neither does that dorky John McFee. And whatever happened to Tiran Porter? I mean, Skylark's OK, but Tiran is a Brother. That's all.
Cool for you Munji. I knew about his missle defense stuff because he comes out to Washington DC quite a bit. The drummer in my band who is a government contractor had the wonderful opportunity to meet with him for business. He told me that he was a real nice guy and very knowledgeable. It always nice to see a guy with a life after being a pro musician, as opposed to being in rehab or something like that.
So Munji, does everyone in San Diego work in a defense- or tourism-related business? It really seems that way.
Oh yeah. Wasn't that crazy Mormon dude who had a battalion-level weapons depot buried in his backyard a Diegaño? I know he was a biotech researcher who had previously worked for the CIA, parachuting into Angolan battlefields to get tissue samples from dead Cuban soldiers to find out what vaccines the Soviet bloc was using against biological warfare agents...
Yeah, I was watching a director's commentary on one of the King of the Hill episodes for which Skunk did the soundtrack, and the director mentioned that government laser thing.
Was he wearing his trademark beret? Skunk was on C-span a few nights ago. It was a presentation on the social/political impact of Rock music.
Everyone has one of those guys in their neighborhood, am I right? In my neighborhood I'm 'that guy'. brad cook
I saw the Doobie Brothers play live at a REALLY small little place, Chataqua Institute. I used to go there every summer with my friend, and one of the summers i saw them and Abba.
osama, the bassist from jimmy's chicken shack can be found in the towson guitar center often...that being said he was one of the rudest, most egotistical musicians I've ever met...and he doesn't even play guitar!