This is the way I heard it.

The toilet had never done anything to Jason, but Jason was nevertheless determined to blow

the toilet to pieces.

His reasons were those of a moody kid plagued with enough teenage angst to fill the entire

state of Washington.

So Jason lit the fuse of the M80, dropped it into the bowl, closed the lid, and walked

out of the restroom.

A minute later, the toilet was gone.

As a deafening roar echoed through the hallways of his junior high school.

Today, a stunt like that would land Jason in jail.

Luckily, this was the early 80s, and the principal decided on a week's suspension instead.

Lucky or still was his grandmother's decision to make Jason talk to a counselor.

And Lucky as of all, was the presence of a guitar in the counselor's office.

Jason was immediately taken with the instrument, and the counselor invited him to pick it up.

And start strumming.

Before long, the two were jamming for most of every scheduled session, launching what his

grandmother would later call the most expensive guitar lessons in the world.

By the time he finished high school, Jason still had some angst, but he also had a plan.

He was going to be a rock star.

His first band made a splash in the Seattle Grunge scene and showed real potential.

But there was something in Jason that still wanted to blow things up.

And this time it wasn't the plumbing.

...