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The World According to Scott
This is the section of my site that is strictly reserved for my opinions, my beliefs, and whatever I feel like talking about at the moment. It's updated generally on an almost daily basis, so check back to see what the most recent things on my mind are.
See the bottom of the page for links to previous months' Rants.
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Really funny article about music at weddings. Here's one of the best quotes from the article: "The thought of 'wedding music' is sure to elicit a groan from your average music obsessive. Here in America, the standard wedding DJ's crate is bulging with novelty songs like "The Hokey Pokey" and "The Macarena," worn standards by Sinatra that have long-since lost their appeal, and pop hits that always seem about a half-generation off in one direction or another. And in the center of this awkward world of the music is the wedding DJ, always easy to recognize with his dark brown mullet, well-trimmed moustache, cheap tuxedo, and mouthful of inane banter recalled from countless Masters of Ceremonies appointments. These DJs cater to the 10-CD crowd, and people who take music 'seriously' want nothing to do with them." Couldn't have said it better myself.
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And yet another list to end all lists: this one is: 10 Seminal bands that you love but never actually listen to & 10 Irrelevant bands that you never mention but listen to every day. My one disagreement, is that I do like Slayer & do listen to them.
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Here's something that's worth a giggle. Some idiot decided to put together a definitive list (in his opinion) of the Top 100 Albums You Should Remove From Your Collection Immediately. I can see his points on some of the albums, even if they are personal favorites of mine. But mostly, this guy is just someone with a chip on his shoulder who's been to too many "frat" parties in college & hated the music that was playing. Being a member of a fraternity that hosted regular parties that were attended by countless beer leeches (like this clown) who trashed our house, I really hate hearing this kind of crap. It's these types of idiots who trashed us & other Greeks, but would inevitably sign up to during the rush period & come to open parties, JUST to drink as much free/cheap beer as possible. Then, later on in life, they can be all high & mighty looking back & bashing all the "frat" brothers at the parties that they drank at & the music they played. I can't stand guys like this... In any case, his list is good for a laugh. But that's about it.
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Just finished reading the band biography of Motley Crue called "The Dirt." I've been waiting to read this for a while (too cheap to pay the price of hardcover, so I waited until it was released as a paperback). Very entertaining stuff, although somewhat disillusioning as well. These four clowns have had notorious reputations for years as chronic drunks, drug addicts, womanizers, & general social misfits. It's always weird to read about what was going on internally in a band, when all you saw was their videos on tv & heard their music. I really enjoy reading about bands & how they came together & rose to fame & success, but sometimes it's just such a drag to watch the same things happen again & again: band struggles for a record deal while drinking/drugging/womanizing, band gets record deal & continues drinking/drugging/womanizing, band releases several multi-platinum back-to-back albums while drinking/drugging/womanizing rises to new levels of depravity, band members egos become more important than the music or the fans & band starts to believe it's own press clippings all the while continuing to drink/drug/womanize the entire time. Eventually, one or more members will OD, die, or quit the band, or all of the above, & then they fall from grace, only to eventually reunite when they realize the world doesn't care about them as solo artists & are only interested in them as a band. You'd think that they could offer some kind of introductory course, like ROCK STAR 101 or something for these idiots to take so they could make an effort to avoid this kind of nonsense. Don't get me wrong, the book was thoroughly entertaining, but as I said, sometimes it's a drag to know that band members hated each other & weren't even talking to one another while they were still on stage playing together. I think the part that bums me out the most, is that everyone always encourages rock stars to do whatever they please, until the sales of their albums start to drop. Then, it's like, "Hey, clean up your act & go to rehab!" What a strange & bizarre life to lead. Anyway, the book is a lot of fun & very over the top. If you were ever a metal fan in the 80s, you'll enjoy reading this.
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Wednesday July 17, 2002 is Cassidy's 10th birthday. We've had her since she was 12 weeks old. Happy birthday Cassidy!!
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Here's a good article praising the return of "garage rock" by some of my new favorite bands - The Hives, The Strokes, The White Stripes, & another new band that I plan to check out called The Vines.
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New updates in the Rash photo & Women of Rash sections.
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We visited the Farm Sanctuary this weekend for the first time. What a great place. It was started by a couple of deadheads in 1986, & has grown into a 175 acre sanctuary for animals that have suffered abuse & neglect. Being there really makes you think & re-evaluate things as far as your diet & eating habits go. I got to get licked by a cow, & scratch the bellies of some big, fat, sloppy pigs. One of the most inspirational moments of being there was getting the chance to see Freedom. She's a cow who escaped from a stockyard in Cincinnati, OH by jumping a six foot fence, & then hid for almost two weeks to avoid capture. I honestly don't think I've ever seen a cow that looked happier, just standing there swishing her tail in the warm afternoon sun. The Farm Sanctuary is located a few miles away from Watkins Glen, NY. It's worth going to & it'll make you think.
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Came across a great site that some diehard fan put together as a tribute to one of the best movies of all time - "The Warriors." This site is great, it's full of details about the film, the characters, & all kinds of stuff. I have loved this movie since I was in the 8th grade.
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Was watching a repeat broadcast of Pirate TV last night from last week. Michael Angley kills me. This show is on public access here in Ithaca. All it really is, is Angley sitting in front of a microphone, with a continual non-changing close up shot of his face, while he rants for an hour straight. Like him or not, he's great to watch. Living here in Ithaca (noted as one of the "most enlightened cities in America") where we are surrounded by "activists," it's great to see someone walk it like he talks it. His show is on Channel 13 on Public Access on Thursday nights. Check it out.
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Saw two movies recently. Went to the theater to see "Minority Report" this past weekend. Honestly can't say I enjoyed it very much. Visually, the film looked great, so Speilberg deserves much credit for this. Tom Cruise did the best he could with the weak storyline & script, but he was limited by the film itself. The whole idea of "Pre-Crime" units who arrest people before they commit a crime is an interesting topic, especially in this day & age where the government seems to be looking for ways to limit our rights, but, just the same, it didn't hold up for an entire film. I give both Cruise & Speilberg credit for trying something original though. If this is one you're interested in, don't let the big names fool you - wait for the video. On a better note, I rented "A Beautiful Mind," & enjoyed that very much. I'd forgotten until the very end credits rolled that Ron Howard had directed the film. It was both sad & eerie watching Russell Crowe's character, John Nash, slowly succumb to the schizophrenia that plagued him for most of his life. I won't give out any plot spoilers, but it was inspiring to see him trying to overcome the difficulties that his disease afflicted him with. After having watched the film, I was not surprised to be reminded that Ron Howard won an Oscar for Best Director, & Jennifer Connelly won for Best Supporting Actress for their participation in the film. The movie was very well done, & gave a very human point of view of what it must be like to live with a severe mental illness within yourself, or within someone you love. This is one of the better films I've seen in quite some time.
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Word is that there's a new movie set for a 2004 release date called "Batman vs. Superman." If this movie follows in the tradition of the fantastic graphic novel "The Dark Knight Returns," by Frank Miller, it should really be something worth seeing. If you ever read the comic, then you'll recall the final battle between the two titans. Great, great stuff & I'd love to see it brought to the big screen. I've also heard that Darren Aronofsky (director of the tragically sad & beautiful "Requiem for a Dream") is supposed to be doing a movie based on Miller's other adaptation of the Dark Knight's beginnings, "Batman: Year One."
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Here are some pictures someone posted of the fireworks on 7/3/02 here in Ithaca.
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In typical fashion, the major label record companies are working on coming up with another way to try & insure that they remain rich - by possibly targeting & suing individuals who use online peer-to-peer file-sharing services. Stating that 2001 was a "sluggish" year for CD sales, & claiming that 2002 has shown a 5% decline in overall sales of CDs (this decline is a first since the CD format was introduced in 1983), they are looking for a scapegoat in the actual consumers who buy their products. Can you believe that these rich fat cats are so concerned about a 5% decline, that they would actually go through with this? Maybe if CD prices were to come down, especially on back catalog items, people wouldn't be so apt to just download & burn their own music for free. Instead of continuing to fight the online community who use the internet to find their music, these idiots should be embracing the future, & coming up with a creative way for people to be able to have access to large amounts of files from their own labels' artists, & charge people per track that they download, or just provide the same service for a monthly subscription rate & regulate it themselves. But no, they'd rather bury their heads in the sand & ignore this technology, as if it's going to go away, which obviously isn't going to happen. If anyone ever comes up with this system, & if what they're offering is worth it, I'd be the first in line.
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Former RASH member Steve Jakubowski married his long time girlfriend Dianne Fox this past weekend. All the RASH members attended the festivities, with both myself & Roz also serving as ushers in the wedding party. Jake surprised the rest of us by presenting each of us with a 24" x 36" RASH poster he'd created. It was all pictures of the four of us playing together, live & practicing. It is the coolest gift EVER. Dianne & Jake are off to Ireland for their honeymoon. In other RASH related news, Chewie & his wife Suzie will be buying & moving into their first house at the end of this month. We'll be getting back together again for the third time as a trio at their new place in September.
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