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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 a fairly regular basis, so check back to see what the most recent things on my mind are.
The views and opinions expressed on this page do not reflect that of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department or Cornell University.
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First of the three big debates was last night between Kerry & Bush. I think I've made if fairly clear if you've read anything else I've posted here where I stand on the whole presidential race. I felt that Kerry started off a little reticent for about the first five minutes, & then found his footing & was very strong for the remainder of the debate. Granted, he didn't tell us anything very new or offer any big surprises, but he spoke very eloquently. It was very obvious that the man is a very capable debater & is able to think on his feet. Regardless of whose side you're on here, I'd think most anyone would have to admit that Kerry did have the upper hand - he remained calm, he kept it together, he took notes & gave thoughtful responses to both the questions & Bush's slams against him. I'd imagine it must be frustrating to know that you're the smarter, more well equipped candidate & still know that a large part of the American population still believes everything that our President is saying. What that says about our country, I'm not too sure...
Speaking of Bush, isn't it about time this man got his walking papers? Could he be a worse debater & public speaker than he already is? His act is starting to wear pretty thin & it's fairly obvious. Every time he didn't like something that Kerry said, he huffed & puffed, he made faces, he fidgeted, he got impatient to speak, & most importantly, he appeared to be genuinely rattled at some points. Is he the President of the United States, or a five year old? Wouldn't you think that for someone who's had the same job for the past four years & has already been through an election already, that he'd appear more confident? Or, are the cracks in his armor starting to become apparent even to him, because it's THAT obvious what a poor job he's done as President? If Bush was running a company I worked for, I'd be terrified for my own livelihood. He's a horrible leader - he's arrogant, prideful & just plain not that bright. His whole act of trying to be folksy is really getting old & it just doesn't work that well any more. I read somewhere someone was quoted as saying that Bush looked like "someone who'd shown up thinking it was a 9 minute debate, & began to panic when he realized it was 90 minutes." I'd say that was pretty accurate. Since they implemented that new system so that the TV camera can see the lights letting the candidates know when they're going to have to stop talking, it only served to make Bush look even more foolish (if that's possible). Which is ironic, because it was HIS staff that wanted us to see them. Funny, huh? It was painfully apparent that at a number of points, he was pausing to try & stall for time, & he consistently ended his comments before his full time was up. Watching this man try to debate & speak without prepared remarks is painful. And what the Hell does "transshipment" mean anyway? Is he just making up words when he can't come up with anything else to say?
At this point in Bush's Presidency, he's got very little to go on when you fully examine all the mistakes & careless blunders that have been made during his time in office. All he's got left is to try & spin things in a deceitful manner with the hopes that the lowest common denominator of American intelligence will continue to side with him. If you noticed, Bush continually used a number of the same phrases again & again last night: "wrong war, wrong place, wrong time," "sending mixed messages," "grand diversion," "that's not how a commander-in-chief acts" for some specific examples. He seems to believe that if he continually says the same things over & over, that people will believe it, regardless of if they're true or not. Does this man, our supposed President, thinks so little of our country's citizens, that he feels he can just keep spitting out the same sound bites time after time, whether they're valid or not, with the pathetic hope that they'll continue to believe him? I'm sorry, but I expect a LOT more from someone who's had the job for four years. He's not showing us anything, other than the fact that his act is tired, & it's time to give someone smarter the chance to do the job right.
I am hoping that Kerry will continue to be strong & energized by his performance last night. If he continues to keep swinging at every pitch in the dirt that Bush keeps throwing at him, he's going to blow it. If he can just give Bush enough rope to hang himself, & make this election about who's the better, smarter candidate, & specifically show how he's failed our country, he'll do all right. If he sinks down to Bush's playground tactics, he's going to lose.
Overall, I thought it was a good debate. I'd say that who "won" depends on who you ask. But, I'd give Kerry the edge. Bush held his own, & showed us what we've got left to look forward to if he wins (in Kerry's own words): MORE OF THE SAME.
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It's a dark day as another of rock's icons passes - Johnny Ramone, guitarist for the seminal punk band The Ramones finally succumbed to his five year battle with prostate cancer & died Wednesday 9/15/04. Untold amounts of guitar players were influenced by his sound & style. Let's hope that Johnny has reunited with his other fallen brethren Joey & Dee Dee & they're jamming some place where the music never stops. ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR...
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Here's some good news & something to look forward to - the new U2 album is going to be called "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb" & will be released on 11/23/04. It also appears that they've been nominated for the 2005 class in the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame. While this is no surprise to me, I am pleased to see that The Pretenders are also getting their due & being nominated as well. It's good to see Chrissie Hynde & the rest of the fine musicians she's played with over the years being recognized. They've been a personal favorite of mine for years.
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Here's an interesting site: Rock & Roll Confidential: Your Band Sucks. It's kind of a joke-y spoof site, but it's pretty funny. It's the kind of place you hope your band never ends up as the butt of many jokes. Check out the "Hall of Douchebags" section & you'll see what I'm referring to.
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Caught Yes last week on 9/2/04. Interesting set list: Firebird Suite, Going For The One, Sweet Dreams, All Good People, America, South Side Of The Sky, Don't Kill The Whale, Yours Is No Disgrace, Amd You And I, Awaken, -- Encore- Starship Trooper, Roundabout. I wouldn't have chosen to include "Don't Kill The Whale" in there, but it was interesting to hear nonetheless. It was one of those kind of sets where you got the hits ("All Good People," "Yours Is No Disgrace," & "Roundabout"), & a mix of stuff that you would only appreciate if you're really a fan of the band ("Going For The One," "South Side Of The Sky," & "Awaken"). The band was very tight, as they always are. Steve Howe showed us all why he's one of my all-time favorite guitar players by playing his solos & parts in "Yours Is No Disgrace" absolutely flawlessly, as well as when he & Rick Wakemen traded solos at the end of "South Side Of The Sky." Which, by the way, was worth the price of admission alone just to hear that tune. The arrangement was very, very cool. Chris Squire did not disappoint, as he never does, & showed why he's one of the best bass players in the business. Wakemen was perfection in progress, as the man can do no wrong.
The mix for the show was absolutely terrible, I thought. It didn't take away from the songs or the musicians themselves, but it was a very unclear mix, with no low end at all. When you've got one of the world's most outstanding bass players in a band, whoever was running the board might have wanted to think about actually TURNING UP THE BASS!! By the time they got to the encores of "Starship Trooper" & "Roundabout," the sound clown finally got it together. Every time I see Yes I'm never disappointed. Hard to believe this is their 35th Anniversary tour. Kat & I took my brother-in-law Nate to the show & it was his first time seeing them. Needless to say, he was appropriately impressed.
Unfortunately, we got a late start going to the show, & then I took us the absolutely LONG way around the entire midway of the State Fair, so by the time we got to the grandstand & got our seats, Dream Theater were just finishing their last song. We got to see them take a bow, thank the crowd & split. Oh well, maybe next time, dammit... Of course, there'll probably never be another double bill like this, but what are you going to do, right?
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Bought the new one from My Chemical Romance called Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge. Good sophomore album from an up & coming Jersey band. Solid pop punk with dark lyrics & imagery, rounded out with loads of hooks & melodies that stick in your head. Judging from the press photos of the group, lead singer Gerard Way is trying to do his best Glenn Danzig impression. Good album, nothing ground breaking, but very listenable.
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Link to my bass player's site from SOS, Paul Schuh. A bit sparse at the moment, with more to come in the future. Check back.
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Napoli's is a locally owned & operated restaurant here in Ithaca, NY. Excellent classis style pizza & wings. Highly recommended.
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Here's a good one - the 10 most hated people in rock. Check it out, see what you agree or don't agree with. While somewhat harsh & not 100% correct, it's pretty close to being accurate.
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Got forwarded a cool link from my buddy & bandmate Bryan. Find out: What Kind of Pre-1985 Video Game Character Am I? Here are my results:
 I am a Gauntlet Adventurer.I strive to improve my living conditions by hoarding gold, food, and sometimes keys and potions. I love adventure, fighting, and particularly winning - especially when there's a prize at stake. I occasionally get lost inside buildings and can't find the exit. I need food badly. What Video Game Character Are You? |
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Well, it appears that I had very little to say during the month of August. Yes, lame, I know.
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