Entries by Jeff Morris

9 Oct, 2015

Rolling Stone interview

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Mayer and Weir are interviewed by Rolling Stone, about their upcoming tour together as Dead & Company. The band started discussing the tour with Mayer in January but did not book it until after the Grateful Dead’s highly successful Fare Thee Well gigs with Phish in Santa Clara, California and Chicago. Mayer:

I remember writing Bob afterward going, ‘Hey, enjoy the afterglow. To be quite honest, those [Dead & Company] dates came out in groupings not because we were trying to stage this really high-energy, suspenseful plot of dates — we were putting them together as they were coming out.

Mayer says he has been practicing nonstop, attending what he calls “Grateful Dead University.”

You have to understand that particular song’s flow. And then I pick up the guitar and find out kind of where it lives on the fretboard, and then I sort of go a little deeper. Each song gets that layered thing, so that by the time I really know it, I know how the song goes, what the sort of guitar approach is, but then also what the sort of ethic of the song is…Grateful Dead songs are so much fun to play. And some of them are as fun as they are hard to play. Part of the challenge is not disappearing into how much fun it is — [where] you forget that this is actually a highly complex composition.

Weir:

John’s enthusiasm for this is amazing — I couldn’t believe it,” he says. “He learned the songs, has great enthusiasm, and he’s a great guitar player. So he fits in perfectly.

U.S. abandons training Syrian rebels

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The United States will largely abandon its $580 million plan to train moderate Syrian rebels fighting Islamic State, and instead provide arms and equipment directly to rebel leaders and their units on the battlefield.

50th annual Summerset Regatta starts

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The golden 50th annual Summerset Regatta, hosted by the Caloosa Marching and Chowder Society (CMCS) sailing club, sets sail this weekend along the Fort Myers Beach shoreline. Organizers:

It appears that the Summerset Regatta will be the biggest one yet, for sponsorship, community support and number of boats participating…Summerset is best known for supporting youth sailing. When all costs are in, we’ll figure out what our support level will be this year, but, it should be the same, if not more, than last year, which was $16,000.

China: No violations of territorial waters

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China says it will not stand for violations of its territorial waters in the name of freedom of navigation, as the United States considers sailing warships close to China’s artificial islands in the South China Sea. Foreign Ministry :

We will never allow any country to violate China’s territorial waters and airspace in the Spratly Islands, in the name of protecting freedom of navigation and overflight.

Opposes Califf nomination

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Sanders says he will vote against Dr. Califf as the next commissioner of the FDA, citing the nominee’s close ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Instead of listening to the demands of the pharmaceutical industry and their 1,400 lobbyist, it is about time that the FDA and Congress started listening to the overwhelming majority of the American people, who believe that medicine is too expensive.

Says Ryan reconsidering Speaker job

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Issa says Ryan is reconsidering his decision not to seek the House speaker job and has support from many GOP members, included the House’s conservative Freedom Caucus.

[He has] a resounding amount of support [among Republican members].

Issa says he will consider the position if Ryan does not take it.