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RANTS-N-RAVES
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.
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Finally, a release date for the "America: A Tribute to Heroes" CD - 12/4/01. After having watched "The Concert for New York City" & read about the "United We Stand" concert in Washington, D.C., I really think that of the three programs put together to benefit the 9/11 victims' & their families, the first one was the best. It was recorded live & broadcast on 9/21/01, which was still fairly soon after the tragic events on 9/11. And you could tell, because every artist who participated was serious, & really came off to me as being sincere for wanting to do their part. The musical performances were top notch, & in some cases, really touching, I thought. It just didn't seem to ring quite as true for the other two tributes (although admittedly, while I did see the New York concert on tv, I only read an unfavorable review of the D.C. show). It seemed to me that by the time the other two concerts had been put together, enough time had passed since 9/11 that they'd become just star-studded affairs that didn't really seem to have the same type of sincerity & authenticity of the very first one. In any case, I'm looking forward to it, & one of the main reasons why is for U2's version of "Walk On" that they did. That just knocked me out when I saw it. I'd buy that CD just for that song alone. Look for it on 12/4/01.
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Ace Frehley, legendary lead guitarist of the mighty Kiss, makes an interesting statement, although it's no surprise to me. When asked about his relationship with the other members of Kiss, he said, "On a work level, I work with them. On a personal level we don't talk very much." I've loved these guys since I was 10 years old, & have read quite a bit about them & followed them for a lot of years. It's really too bad that they've had such difficulties putting aside their personal issues, & can't just focus on the music. But, I don't think I could work with Gene Simmons & his amazing 24 hour ego either... Either way, Kiss still rules.
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All right, that is IT. I am THROUGH with posting anything else on Plastic.com. I may log on once in a while in the future to check it out, but I'm done participating. What a bunch of leftist, whiny maggots. Today was the final straw - someone posted something about how two fraternities (Delta Sigma Phi & Beta Theta Pi) at Auburn University in Alabama had a Halloween party & they dressed in blackface, dressed as KKK members, had a mock lynching, & also dressed in blackface & oversized jewelry, while wearing the fraternity Greek letters of an all African-American fraternity, Omega Psi Phi. The article is here, & the pictures of these idiots are here. I couldn't decide what I was more amazed at - that they were so idiotic to have a party dressed like this in public, OR, that they took pictures of themselves & posted them on the web!! Unbelievable!!! THEN - to really just set me off, other people posting on Plastic.com actually had the unmitigated gall to DEFEND these racist morons, saying that they were just "kids having fun," & that they should be protected by the 1st Amendment, because what they did falls under the category of "free speech." Take a look at the pictures for yourself, & you tell me if this is supposed to be "fun," or if their ideas of racist jokes should be covered under "free speech." I just could not believe that the leftist, idiots on Plastic.com were actually defending them. I will admit, that in the last month since I've been frequenting this site, both posting & reading, that there's been a vast majority of the time that I just have NOT agreed with a lot of what's posted on there, because it's all just such crap. It's just a bunch of self-serving, self-interested, armchair politicians who think they're making the world a better place because they post their ignorant claptrap on some stupid web site. And they think just because their politics slant to the left, that what they're saying is "just," & that they're "fighting the good fight." What a steaming load of crap... I may go back there to read now & then, but I am DONE posting anything or being involved with a site that caters to idiots like this. It's too bad really, because the whole idea of it is pretty cool. I just couldn't believe that anyone, ESPECIALLY those leftist whiny maggots, with their ultra-sensitive, liberal viewpoints, would have the audacity to defend what those idiot fraternity guys did. I give the brothers of Omega Psi Phi alone a ton of credit for handling this situation like they did. When I was in school, if another house had put Psi Phi Delta letters on period, much less insulted us AND took pictures AND posted them on the web, we would have declared all out war on them. Again, I can't decide which is worse - what those two fraternities did, or the fact that the idiots on Plastic.com came to their defense. Either way, I am DONE with that site.
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Here's a link to a cool article on Spin.com. It's the 50 Most Essential Punk Albums. I had read the print version of this when the actual issue came out. It's pretty cool, even if you don't agree with all of their choices, although I do agree that The Ramones' first self-titled album should be listed at Number One. My first real exposure to punk rock was The Ramones' album "End of the Century." After looking back over the years, I'd have to say that they were the "big bang" of punk rock. It's hard to imagine what the world would have been like without them. In any case, check out the article, it's pretty cool.
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As always, birthdays mean new music! My lovely wife usually indulges me to a CD shopping spree for my birthday, & this year was no different. Here's a breakdown of what I got:
The Romantics - "The Romantics." A true 80s classic album & completely worth having on CD. This album is a tribute to power pop at its very best. For anyone who only knows these guys for their biggest hit "What I Like About You," I advise you to buy this album. It's full of upbeat, great tunes that take me right back to being in high school & jumping around my living room playing air guitar with my best friend Brian.
The Strokes - "Is This It." Here's a new band out of New York City. On the strength of a 3 song EP ("The Modern Age"), they generated a bidding war between several major labels & drew comparisons with The New York Dolls, The Stooges, & Television. Personally, I think the vocals sound like if you took a blender & added Iggy Pop, Lou Reed (circa The Velvet Underground), Stephen Malkmus from Pavement, & then tossed in a dash of Stephen Kilbey of The Church, you'd have it. The music definitely has an indie-kind of feel to it, with the vocals being that sort of condescending, I'm-cooler-than-you kind of feel that you'd expect from this style of music. They've been getting quite a bit of decent press lately here, here, & here, just for a few examples. I like the album. In this day & age where it seems like most bands are going the already way overdone "nu-metal" route, complete with self-flaying lyrics, the cliché inclusion of the DJ on turntables, or a blatant hip-hop influence (for street cred), it's nice to just see a band go with the standard drums, guitar & bass formula. The songs are fairly minimalist, with few effects on the guitars, but that just lends to the honest, stripped-down sound. I can't really say that these guys are anything you haven't heard before, but it's what we NEED to hear right now. If you liked the New York scene during the mid to late 70s (Max's Kansas City, CBGBs, & all the bands that whole era produced), you'll appreciate The Strokes. Are they the second-coming of rock-n-roll? Who knows, but they'll do in the meantime.
B.R.M.C. - "Black Rebel Motorcycle Club." I heard part of a song on MTV2 & it really caught my ear. The album itself is a dark, sort of goth type of rock, with a definite nod to the 80s. I'm not entirely sure who best to compare them to for a reference point. Loads of effects on the guitars & vocals. It definitely rocks, & I really dig the tune, "Whatever happened to my rock-n-roll (punk song)," which seems to lament the loss of a good scene & music. Being the elitist snob that I can be sometimes, I can relate. This probably won't be huge, but it's still worth a listen.
Live - "V." When I first heard the lead off single of "Simple Creed," I was really put off by the obvious hip-hop influences that they were making such a blatant attempt to inject into their sound, that hadn't been there before. Again, being the snob that I am, my first reaction was "How lame!" thinking that due to lagging sales in comparison to their "Throwing Copper" album, they were trying to cash in on the rap-nu-metal tip. Then, after a few listens, the course/refrain of "We've gotta love each other" got to me - that's the song's real hook. In these lovely times we're living in right now, this is a good message, & I came to dig the tune. Recently, I heard the song "Overcome" on the radio, & immediately liked it. I'd read in a couple of places that people had been listening to this song, as sort of an outlet for their feelings of what happened on 9/11. So, based on the strength of those two songs, I figured this was worth picking up. Turns out I was right. Seems like lead vocalist Ed Kowalczyk has gotten the hint that being a little too esoteric & metaphysical like their last couple of albums, wasn't what people wanted to hear, & now he's gotten back more to what their earlier stuff was- good riff driven tunes, with clever lyrics. Hopefully this album will bring them back into mainstream, where bands like them belong.
Slayer - "God Hates Us All." What can you really say about Slayer? I mainly was inspired to buy this after hearing Henry Rollins talk about using this album as a means to an end in annoying people in heavy traffic (see below). I've read a few reviews of this album, & they've all stated the same things - these guys haven't changed their tune since 1982. They're still kicking it old school thrash metal, & thank God for it. I'm sick of nu-metal lightweights who think they're so bad ass, when all they are is watered-down garbage. Most of the "metal" bands of today have about as much substance & staying power as Winger, Poison, & Warrant did. Not Slayer- they haven't changed their formula at all. Screaming vocals, pounding drums, bludgeoning bass, & machine gun guitars. If you never liked Slayer, you're not going to start with this album. But, it's good, loud, aggressive, in-your-face music, not for the faint of heart. Metal is not dead - long live Slayer.
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While in Rochester this past weekend, we found the coolest place to eat called Mel's Diner. The decor is similar to that of an old time restaurant from the fifties. I said to Kathryn that it reminded me of the restaurant that John Travolta takes Uma Thurman to in Pulp Fiction, called Jack Rabbit Slim's (this is the place where they dance in the twist contest. If you've seen the movie, you know what I'm talking about). Both the food & the atmosphere were great. If you're in Rochester, check it out, it's a fun place.
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I spent a great weekend celebrating my birthday with Kathryn. We went to Rochester to see Henry Rollins do a spoken-word gig on RIT's campus. I was really excited about doing this because I've never gotten the chance to hear him speak live. I was not disappointed. He was great & spoke about a variety of topics, some of them being: the joys of 31 hour airline flights, world travel, how the rest of the world treats Americans abroad, driving in L.A. & using a combination of laying on your horn & blasting Slayer as motivating tools to get people moving when the light turns green, the misconceptions of becoming a 40 year old & the realization of just what an odd demographic you enter at that age, traveling in India, how & why America is planning to take over Canada in the future, the dangers of being the opening act for Iron Maiden in Portugal & facing 25,000 angry metalheads who hate your guts just for the simple fact that you're NOT Iron Maiden, the challenges of trying out for the wrestling team in high school, why men crave order & stability in their lives & how Home Depot plays such a large role in finding it, & the pleasure of being a man & collecting things. Sounds weird, huh? He tied it all together & spoke for two hours straight. He's a great entertainer & truly an inspiration. And man oh man, is he funny!! I haven't laughed that much for that long since I cannot remember when! If you're a fan of his music or books, I urge to catch him doing a spoken word gig if you are able. You will NOT be disappointed. Rollins lets it all hang out, & is almost painfully honest on all topics. Anyone who has ever called him a "sellout" isn't looking nearly deep enough. He is a great man, & I truly admire him. Both Kathryn & I thoroughly enjoyed his performance.
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I turned 34 on 11/4/01. I guess the cliché thing would be for me to be having some big crisis about getting older or something, but I honestly don't feel that way. I kind of liken this age to being smart enough to know better, but not necessarily always being smart enough to make the best choices. I wouldn't want to go through my teenage years or my twenties again for anything. They were hard enough the first time... I am comfortable with my demographic. Happy birthday to me. Everyone sing along! "Happy birthday to..."
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I created a new photo gallery with pictures from Halloween. Check them out. I will be posting more new pics in the future, when I get off my lazy but & get around to it.
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Read something today that someone posted on Plastic.com & thought it was fairly appropriate: "We may be pulling together as a nation & reaching out, but we're still f***ing each other over on the freeway." I'd say that about sums it up, wouldn't you?
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Did I mention that they're doing construction right next to my building? They're currently working constructing Duffield Hall, which will be a new Engineering facility. They've only been working on it since July, so they're still doing excavation. The fun part is, for the last week or so, they've been doing blasting. Yes, blasting, with dynamite. So, every once in a while, you hear a very large BANG, & feel the vibration go through the entire building. I know what it is, & even though it startles me, it's not like I don't know exactly what it is when it happens. But just the same, in today's climate & times, it just makes me kind of jumpy.
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We rented 3 movies over the weekend. We started & did not finish "15 Minutes" & "Billy Elliot." Neither of them really managed to hold our attention, so we gave up on them. For all the rave reviews "Billy Elliot" had received, I thought it would have been more interesting, but it was fairly slow. The third movie that we did watch all the way through, was "Bridget Jones' Diary." This is worth renting, even if the plot was somewhat formulaic. Renee Zelleweger is almost always appealing in most roles she chooses, & was equally so in this one. Her voice-overs that were supposed to be excerpts from her diary were very cleverly written & funny. Hugh Grant played the perfect scoundrel, as her sexist, womanizing boss, who she falls for. This one is worth checking out, especially when movies completely loaded with senseless, gratuitous violence that do not serve the plotline, other than to drive up a large body count (e.g. "15 Minutes," which we did not even watch for a whole 15 minutes) don't seem quite so entertaining these days. Then again, seeing people getting killed in New York City right now isn't really what you want to see for entertainment purposes, since we've all seen more than enough on the news of late. Rent "Bridget Jones' Diary," it's entertaining, good for a few laughs, & no one gets killed.
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We had our first Halloween in our new house in our new neighborhood last night. We actually had a decent amount of trick-or-treaters. In light of recent events, I wasn't sure if many kids would come out or not. I was glad to see them. We probably got around 25 or 30 total, I guess. The odd thing, was that the average age was probably in the 13-15 year old range. I'd rather see kids going house to house for candy at that age than out getting into mischief, so this is a good thing. From about that age, until you're old enough to go to bars, Halloween kind of becomes this sort of limbo - you're too old to trick-or-treat, but too young for more "adult" types of activities. This is probably why kids turn to throwing eggs, spraying shaving cream, & the other sorts of nonsense that has an appeal at that age. Then again, for all I know, kids don't even do that sort of stuff anymore, which is for the best, I'd think. The most interesting group we had come to our door, consisted of about 8 or 9 teenage girls, who were in the 15-16 year old range (they told us this, because they asked if we thought they were too old to be out trick-or-treating). Kathryn got them to bunch up together, & took their picture twice with her digital camera, & then they all gave her their email addresses, so she could send them copies. (Their pictures are posted here.) We both thought this was pretty cool. We enjoyed the whole thing. We also had our friends Jose, Eric, Elaine & Melanie over. Jose cooked us a fantastic dinner too. Some of us wore costumes, & we took some pictures that I have posted here. All in all, it was a nice night.
This morning, I brought in some of the leftover candy from last night to put in my candy jar that I keep on my desk at work. I was loading it up, & was going to put some Pixie Sticks in with the other stuff, & then stopped myself to think about it for a second. Pixie sticks are those paper straws that are basically filled with colored sugar, that is super sweet. But, the sugar also resembles white powder as well. I'd gotten an email this morning that there'd been reports of "unknown" white powder in several locations on campus, including the building I work in. Needless to say, the Pixie Sticks didn't make it onto my desk. The last thing anyone needs is to spill one of things somewhere, & have other people freak out about it. Life sure has gotten strange in the past couple of months...
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It would appear that my nephew Kevin Coldren is now an artist in his own right, & has recently begun illustrating stories for children on the web. See for yourself here. As you'll see, he's quite the adept artist & his interpretations of this story are quite astute. I expect that this is only the beginning for him. _________________________________________________________________________
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