| Richard Orchard 15.03.2004 00:20 |
he always seems kind of angry in his soapbox... |
| Farlander 15.03.2004 00:33 |
Not really. I think it seems that way because he uses the soapbox as an outlet to vent sometimes. Like that March 14 one about smoking. He sure seems angry. I think he is entirely wrong, personally, but whether or not you agree with him, it seems he took the whole thing way to hard. But I think that's just how it comes off. It's hard to get a handle on how people really are just from reading a few paragraphs, particuarly when they were written in a moment of anger or whatever. |
| Robin 15.03.2004 07:25 |
He sometimes comes off as a big baby to me. It's hard to interpret the written word, I know, but he just seems to bitch about everything! "Ban smoking everywhere! Don't eat meat, signing autographs sucks, Roger talks bad about me when I'm not around", and who could forget him going off on Michael Allred. He says some interesting things and his pics are great but geez, what a whiner. |
| Sebastian 15.03.2004 07:53 |
I agree. Note his "I can't sing" post some months ago |
| Fenderek 15.03.2004 08:05 |
I actually find it quite difficult to read sometimes- boring and from time to time a bit... childish... Like those wars with tabloids or Classic Rock or other stuff... |
| iGSM 15.03.2004 08:11 |
You'd be angry if you had that much hair too. |
| PieterMC 15.03.2004 08:17 |
I think he comes across as being very bitter in his Soapbox. Maybe he should vent some of that anger into some new music.... |
| SallyJ. 15.03.2004 08:23 |
"I think he comes across as being very bitter in his Soapbox. Maybe he should vent some of that anger into some new music.... " yes, I totally agree! |
| ilizarov 15.03.2004 08:23 |
Yep, he does come across as a whinging wee shite in alot of cases. |
| Arnaldo "Ogre-" Silveira 15.03.2004 08:44 |
"You'd be angry if you had that much hair too." LOL Well, I still think he's a very nice guy, with very interesting views and a very good way to tell them. I guess what's happening to you is that you are getting to know him better. That way, he's no longer a distant God, but a human being. And thank God he's human, I couldn't live with the idea that the Red Special would be an harp or something :) Cheers, Ogre- |
| Merlot 15.03.2004 08:44 |
|
| Arnaldo "Ogre-" Silveira 15.03.2004 08:51 |
From the Soapbox, march 14th. Does that look bitter? :D "About 5am last night I was finishing my E-mails and a bit of guitar playing, even... and I looked out, and lo and behold it was snowing. So beautiful, so magical - I felt like a child as I put on some warm clothes and went out walking in the garden. I could feel the snow falling on my face, see the conifer trees decorated in the exquisite tracery of newly fallen icing sugar, feel the excitement in the air, almost hear that rustling sound as the flakes gently settled on my coat, and the surrounding white landscape. I scooped up some snow, slid around a bit .... and had that big feeling of being so very lucky to be alive.... It got quite serious, the settling snow - under my feet there was a white scrunchy carpet of 2 or three inches of that amazing stuff I used to make snowmen out of. I took a couple of photo's, running around like a kid .... then went to bed, feeling very blessed...... the only shadow being the fact that I couldn't share it with my loved ones..... In the morning all the snow was gone. IT was raining, and somehow rain, try as I might, just didn't seem so magical .... When I was a kid we used to see a lot of snow - great drifts of it, making it hard to open the door, and ponds frozen over so you could walk over them, sometimes for weeks .... have things changed so much ? It certainly seems so - global warming ? Random Fluctuations? Other effects ....? I'm inclined to think it is we who are messing things up ..... Well, at least there's still a LITTLE magic in the air.... Love Bri " |
| Brian_Mays_Wig 15.03.2004 08:55 |
Sometimes I like soapbox, sometimes it pisses me off. The smoking bit is bollox. How did he go on in the studio with Fred, Rog and John puffing away?? As far as a ban on smoking goes...Im a smoker and I couldnt give a shite what happens, but I dont need labelling for it! |
| Hank H. 15.03.2004 09:20 |
Yes, big baby is spot on. Especially his admiration for his "heroes", like his comment on the message which Clapton left on his answerphone. Maybe he wants to come across as "one of us", but especially when the next day he tries to come across as the rock hero it's a bit childish. On the one hand I like it when people are natural and say what they think, even in danger of being ridiculed, on the other hand he writes a lot of bullshit on there and I think a person in his position should have learned to keep a lot of those thoughts in private. And I do have the feeling that not everything he says is honest, there's way too much promotion which is just disgusting. |
| Spiderleg Synthia 15.03.2004 09:46 |
I agree with Hank H. The style does rather come across like an online journal or blog, where the writer pours everything they have onto the page. He seems to be treating his fans as a completely open minded, caring audience, which a lot of the time just isn't the case. |
| Hitman 15.03.2004 10:20 |
Anyway it's nice that a "superstar" shows his thoughts to the world without caring of opposite views.I appreciate him. It's normal that everyone can disagree about one or more subjects...we are different from him! (my hair is very short, for example... ;) |
| Penis - Vagina 15.03.2004 10:31 |
I think he's just being human. I admire him for saying what he feels. Brian has a lot of pressure on him all the time, and media hounding him. I wonder how any of us would sound speaking our minds if we were constantly being picked apart for every decision we make, and had cameras aimed at us everytime we tried to get away for some peace with our families. And I agree with him 100% about smoking! I am a smoker but I didn't start until I was 23 (which is really stupid) so I know how awful it is to have to put up with the fumes. I grew up with both parents smoking and a father who was particularly non-caring and would smoke in the car with the windows all up (claiming that the ventilation/air conditioner would take care of it.. it didn't!) and wouldn't bend the slightest at my beggings to be able to breathe clean air. Now as a smoker I am very aware of other people's feelings. I won't smoke in a restaurant even if it is permitted. If a smoker can't go a couple hours without one while they enjoy their meal then they are in need of help. If need be, step outside after your meal and come back. And about smoking in the studio.. it did bother Brian but I guess he was too nice to say anything until when he finally did (according to Hutton's book) Freddie agreed and stopped smoking completely because it was causing him other problems anyway. |
| Rien 15.03.2004 11:16 |
It's indeed one of his outlets. Perhaps he's doing it a great bit for himself, but he's sharing it with us. I appreciate that. He has a great knowledge of things it seems, like astronomy - amazing. |
| Adam Baboolal 15.03.2004 11:53 |
"Im a smoker and I couldnt give a shite what happens" Oh, that's nice. "I think a person in his position should have learned to keep a lot of those thoughts in private." I thank god he doesn't! When was the last time we heard any star rant on like he does? It's both hilarious and interesting to read. Too many stars have their lips sealed because of their worry for how it'll affect their career or reputation. My brother smokes and he's curtious enough to move to somewhere where the smoke won't annoy and won't linger. It's just being mindful of others. Which is why my hat is off to someone like Deacon Fan. I could care less if people smoke cause that's their business. But when it bothers others in public places, it's just not a nice thing to do. I'm not agreeing with the whole banning thing going on, but it does give places like restaurants a nicer atmosphere. Peace, Adam. |
| Robin 15.03.2004 12:15 |
I was a smoker and now am a non smoker....20 years now, so I know what he's saying. It's the way he says it. Next time he will say something and if that doesn't work he'll take "further action?!" WTH? If smoking is legal in the retauraunt he visits then what the heck is he talking about? I have been in smokey places, if it gets to me I leave. I hate it when people shove their beliefs in your face. He chose the wrong place to eat, plain and simple. Until they ban smoking in restaraunts, he'll have to deal. |
| Dr Zoidberg 15.03.2004 12:40 |
He very often comes across as whiny and somewhat childish, and while I usually enjoy his remarks about music and science, he seems to be painfully naive and uninformed about a lot of other subjects. Like many people with views similar to his own, he's all in favor of free expression and dissent except when it comes to a subject he feels strongly about. Then eveyone of the opposite view is a villain and must be stopped - by the power of the state where necessary and possible. I'm glad he's a musician and not a politician and I hope he gets back to being a musician instead of whatever it is he's doing now (theater promoter? professional cause organizer and spokesman? burgeoning multimedia baron?). How about just making some music again? |
| Brian_Mays_Wig 15.03.2004 14:40 |
Adam, I was misunderstud. Im a smoker and couldnt give a shite, I meant that if its banned in public, so what, If its not banned in public, so what! As long as I can enjoy a smoke in my home, my car or at work, Im not bothered. To a certain extent, I agree with a ban, but you watch the businesses, such as bars, pubs, clubs ect that will fold due to a ban. Or on the other hand, the aount of businesses that will open because they are non smoking only. Brian chose the wrong place to sit and the wrong place to eat. WE CANNOT BE LABELLED OR LECTURED JUST BECAUSE WE ARE DOING SOMETHING WE ENJOY. And Brian has NO right to say it. He is entitled to his opinion, but he makes us sound like cretins! I could be hit by a bus tomorrow. |
| Erin 15.03.2004 17:52 |
"I think he comes across as being very bitter in his Soapbox. Maybe he should vent some of that anger into some new music...." Yeah, but does that mean there would be a bunch of songs about how he hates smoking? :-) I'm a non-smoker, but I hardly would compare people smoking to someone "farting in my face." Just go to non-smoking restuarants, dude. Isn't most everywhere non-smoking at this point, anyhow? Maybe some Prozac is in order here..;-) |
| Saffron Caribou 15.03.2004 18:43 |
Hehehe. I've came to this conclusion a long time ago. Hehehe. Brian is just expressing his opinions, I respect him for that. I do agree that he does come as rash sometimes, but it is just hilarious. The more he rants over little things, the funnier he gets. However, forcing me to believe that smoking should be banned? Uh no thanks. Has he ever heard of free will? Has he ever heard of democracy? I'm sure he has. That's why he should've chose to go to a NON smoking restaurant, instead of a restaurant that permits smoking. If that place was so famous, he should've known before hand that smoking was permitted. |
| Mitti 16.03.2004 05:42 |
Brian is never Bitter (haha!) In his soapbox? He always seems very happy to me! With 46664 he was kind of bitter I guess... Maybe sad??? |
| Lester Burnham 16.03.2004 09:59 |
Having just read his position on smoking (yet again), Brian seems to be under the impression that all his readers are nonsmokers and just about as fed up with smoking as he is. I'm sure he's doing what he feels is best for himself, and it sure as rain is titled Brian's Soapbox, but at least he should educate himself first before going off on a rant; you can't get cancer from second-hand smoke, and if he's that concerned about smoke, he should have asked before he sat down if there was a non-smoking section. |
| Erin 16.03.2004 10:14 |
"you can't get cancer from second-hand smoke" Uhh..actually you can. link |
| Robin 16.03.2004 10:34 |
*but at least he should educate himself first before going off on a rant; you can't get cancer from second-hand smoke* In fact you can get cancer from second hand smoke. My initital point was that he needs to go to NON smoking restaruaunts not threaten people in smoking restaruaunts. |
| Togg 16.03.2004 10:56 |
A well known (UK) personality called Roy Castle died from second hand smoke as a direct result of working in far too many smoke filled clubs in the sixties and seventies |
| PieterMC 16.03.2004 11:12 |
The real question here is how many of you have had somebody come up to you while you are eating a meal and fart in your face? |
| Lester Burnham 16.03.2004 11:15 |
That article says that it COULD increase the possibility of getting cancer. It's worded very peculiarly, hinting that people may be able to get cancer from second-hand smoke. It doesn't say that a smoker sitting directly in front of a non-smoker blowing cigarette smoke into the non-smoker's face will give him cancer. However, anything will give you cancer these days. |
| Adam Baboolal 16.03.2004 11:46 |
But Lester, you can't deny what happened to Roy Castle. A non-smoker contracted cancer through all the smoke he inhaled while working in pubs. Very sad story and I wonder how angry he was when he found that out... And the most important part of this is that there are two options here. Smoke or don't smoke. An individual's choice. But why should the person who doesn't smoke have to endure somebody elses bad habit? I don't think that's fair. Peace, Adam. |
| Lester Burnham 16.03.2004 12:13 |
"But Lester, you can't deny what happened to Roy Castle. A non-smoker contracted cancer through all the smoke he inhaled while working in pubs. Very sad story and I wonder how angry he was when he found that out..." I don't know who Roy Castle is, but I do agree that it sucks. "And the most important part of this is that there are two options here. Smoke or don't smoke. An individual's choice. But why should the person who doesn't smoke have to endure somebody elses bad habit? I don't think that's fair." I agree with this - in fact, this is similar to what I posted initially. But what I'm saying is that, if the restaurant that Brian was at had a strict "no smoking" policy, then the people who were smoking are in the wrong. However, if it was stated nowhere that you can't smoke, then the smoker(s) were techincally in the right: if there was an ashtray on the table, and no one affiliated with the restaurant came up to them and asked them to stop, then there is no problem. Brian could have politely asked them not to smoke - there are other ways other than flipping out on a patron to get them to co-operate with you - but, if he's that concerned about second-hand smoke, then a simple call-ahead to a restaurant asking them if they have separate smoking and non-smoking sections is certainly hardly an issue. Also, a smoker chooses to be such, and it's a two-edged sword, really, a "damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't" issue: if Brian complains to a smoker that his smoke is making his experience less enjoyable, Brian comes off as whiny and selfish; if a smoker complains to Brian that he has the right to smoke where he wants and when he wants, then he's coming off as uncooperative and selfish. Either way, it's a lose-lose situation, and Brian should be able to accept the fact that there are smokers out there unable to kick their habit, no matter how bad it's perceived, whereas smokers should accept the fact that there are people out there who are allergic or sensitive to their cigarette smoke and should be a little more considerate. |
| Togg 16.03.2004 12:28 |
Be my guest PS, use and abuse me at your will! ;-) |
| Sir Archie 'Tiffany' Leach 16.03.2004 15:23 |
You bastards!!! The word's Brian and bitter made me think my ship had come in. Some genius had at last made a Brian bitter. I could see it now - cool with a thick texture but a bit too aged and with too much hair on it's head. *forget it, cancel the order* |
| Dr Zoidberg 16.03.2004 15:50 |
Just an FYI, but cigarette smoke is not the only cause of lung cancer. There are many potential causes, including some that spontaneously appear for no discernable reason, therefore the fact that someone who did not personally smoke tobacco but who worked in an environment where other people did smoke developed lung cancer does not mean that the second hand smoke was unquestionably the cause of the cancer. Its a potential or possible cause but it cannot be proven conclusively. There are too many other extraneous factors that occur or develop during one's lifetime which cannot be accurately measured or accounted for after the fact of the cancer diagnosis. The only thing that can be said conclusively is that first hand smoking is not cause it, assuming the individual truly did not smoke. It can therefore not be said that there is a direct causal connection between a specific individual's lung cancer and second hand smoke based purely upon that person's assertion, no matter how strongly the person may have believed it to be the case. |
| Arnaldo "Ogre-" Silveira 16.03.2004 16:09 |
LOL ROTFL "The real question here is how many of you have had somebody come up to you while you are eating a meal and fart in your face?" |
| geeksandgeeks 16.03.2004 16:19 |
Well, Farlander - smoking did kind of kill his father, you gotta cut him a little slack. For the record, I thought he was right on the ball with that one. I've always thought Brian seemed a bit...smirky. Never really bitter, just very smirky. Margoish. Most smart people are. Richard - does this mean you are going to swoop down from Mount Olympus and converse with we mere mortals more often? I look forward to it. |
| Farlander 16.03.2004 16:54 |
Sorry geeks, but I can't agree. Smoking killed my grandmother, and it's going to kill my mother too, but that's no reason to abandon reason. I mean, he stated things that were simply not true. All this "second hand smoke" kills stuff is demonstrably factless propaganda generated by "massaging" the data. I hate smoking, and I hate being around people who smoke, but that changes nothing. Sitting close to a table full of people smoking is not going to give you cancer, period. I can see there being serious effects if you're around it all day every day, like whats-his-name that everybody's on about. (But then, how many people were in the exact same conditions as him but never were affected?) As a scientist (sort of), Brian should know better than this. If he's angry about it, then he can rant all he wants on his website, but he should refrain from making outrageous claims like that. |
| geeksandgeeks 16.03.2004 17:13 |
Yes, but some of us do not want to sit in clouds of acrid acetone. I don't know where brian's getting his stats, but I Agree with his position head-on. Smoking killed my grandmother, and it makes my hands ache. Don't ask. |
| Little_Queenie 16.03.2004 19:20 |
No, I don't think he's bitter. He's just a human, and under big pressure, and still he writes his thaughts for all to see. I admire him, think he is a beautiful person. So what if he gets boring sometimes, it makes him a human. I'm even more boring while babbling about cancer and non smoking:) I just think he's a great guy, not actually bitter. |
| MexQueenFM 16.03.2004 19:25 |
I'm just glad i read this so i don't idolize him, he's just a human being, and he has his opinions, just like anyone, i'm glad i found this out :) |
| Saffron Caribou 16.03.2004 19:52 |
He's turning to an boring old fart. As Hans said in the chatroom, he doesn't want fans, he wants friends. I, a smoker, am no longer his friend. *sniff sniff* Ah well no Xmas card from the May clan this year. |
| Farlander 16.03.2004 21:54 |
geeks: "Yes, but some of us do not want to sit in clouds of acrid acetone. I don't know where brian's getting his stats, but I Agree with his position head-on." As I said neither do I, but the restaraunt was fine with it. Brian said it was not a "smoking restauarnt," but that's wrong. If there were ash trays available, or if the management did not ask them not to smoke, smoking is explicitly allowed, and that seems to be the case here. If Brian doesn't like it, he can just not eat there. Nobody is forcing him to be exposed to it, and I say the government has no right to dictate to a business that it can't allow smoking inside its own doors. Brian disagrees, and I say that is ridiculous. "Smoking killed my grandmother, and it makes my hands ache. Don't ask." It killed mine too, and as I said, my mother is soon to follow. This has nothing to do with it. |
| Kuku 17.03.2004 01:04 |
I admire Brian for his absolute time management... what is he? He practically does everything and is everywhere... Even I, a mere lazy student, have little time to do such things like write every day in my website... and answer emails? :| Never seen a celeb doing that, actually. He bitches and complains in his soapbox, but that's because it's his soapbox. If someone doesn't want to read it, don't. :-| No hardship about that... I would be somewhat disconcerted to find other people constantly criticizing what I say and what I feel. I suppose he's a celeb and should be more careful about what he says... but that would be very "fake" at the same time. I read only interesting bits. (Why would anyone try to read everything in that site unless it's all interesting?) What I usually do is taking an advantage of the fact that his messages are clumped in one page. That way, I can ctr+f --> meaning keyword search on the page. Usually my keywords are "concert" and "Freddie". Regarding the latter keyword, here's an interesting excerpt. "Dear Rui To be honest - these are hard questions for me to answer! Freddie was a strange mixture. There were areas he applied himself to totally, and his penetration in these areas was immense. There were also areas he had little interest in, and therefore would avoid completely. At table tennis he was highly skilled - and he took a pride in it, and was merciless! In most other sports he would not participate. He said to me - "I hate to play games I can't win!!!" Maybe this is the closest I can come to answering your question - Freddie was a person who was not shy of unbalancing his life quite deliberately to get to the place he wanted to be. I think some of us do this UNconsciously - often in an unfocussed way. And some of us CONSCIOUSLY DON'T allow ourselves to do this. we try to remain all-rounders in life. Maybe that means we have a tendency to become "quite good" at everything !! Now there's a thought !!! Freddie a futurist? A determined free spirit, I would say ! Love bri" I simply love these letters. |
| dragonzflame 18.03.2004 17:30 |
I have to say, he does come across as a bit of a whinger about some things but I'm well with him on the smoking thing. I think it's people's choice whether or not they want to smoke, and since I choose to be a non smoker I really resent going out and coming home reeking of other people's cigarettes. Often it really pisses me off and can ruin what could otherwise be a perfectly enjoyable night out. Soon a law is going to come in here banning smoking in workplaces, which will include bars and restaurants. I can't really understand why people resent having to go outside to smoke - people are going to be pissed off with me for this but they made their bed, so they can lie in it. I have no problem with people who smoke but hell - keep it away from me! |
| The Real Wizard 18.03.2004 17:40 |
I hate having to breathe in the smoke of ignorant smokers who cannot address the feelings of others who are just looking out for their own health. As for the smokers themselves, let them keep buying their cancer sticks. In Ontario, they're raising the prices of cartons and packs almost annually in efforts to balance the deficit. Good on them. I hope they're 200 bucks a carton next year, cuz they'll still be bought. |
| SallyJ. 18.03.2004 18:40 |
Funny......nobody complains about pollution by cars, airplanes, etc etc etc. And all of that is in the air, you breathe it in every day. By the way, most smokers would be polite enough to not smoke around people who have troubles with it. Over here it's forbidden by law to smoke in public places and at work. You can only smoke in certain area's. A good solution, don't you think? What's next? Car- and airplane free area's so nobody has to breathe in the polluted air that planes and cars and whatever cause?? Or we could simply respect eachother a bit more. The smokers will smoke outside, or somewhere else, and the none smokers will stop their witchhunt. How about that? |
| The Real Wizard 18.03.2004 18:54 |
"Funny......nobody complains about pollution by cars, airplanes, etc etc etc. And all of that is in the air, you breathe it in every day." This conversation just happened to be about smoking. Don't get so defensive. But now that you mention certain methods of transportation, of course there are health issues there as well. However, the difference between smoking and the others is that smoking is not something that requires people to function in their everyday lives, unlike methods of transportation. |
| Mitti 19.03.2004 11:54 |
Shoujo Revolution, maybe it is because my English is not that good but what is the big problem? Roger smokes (or has smoke) quite a lot as far as I know. Brian and Roger are friends (aren't they?). Please tell me or mail me (for mail: woody@queenzone.com (don't send my spam please?)) That were a lot of please, but I'm just very eager to learn (as well from what people think as to learn English) |
| geeksandgeeks 19.03.2004 13:02 |
Hey there, Brian is my hero!. Actually, there is a story behind that, and it was Freddie eventually solved the problem. Every member of the band smoked for a while except for Brian. Fred, however, could see how much the smoke bothered Brian,and created a policy that there would be no smoking in any enclosed space from which Brian could not escape - namely, the studio. So no problem there. However, it would be more than slightly impolite to walk up to a stranger and tell them to put the vile thing away. |
| bolan 20.03.2004 05:23 |
He always looks like he is going to clobber someone in all photos eg:cover of Radio Ga Ga and in the Sleeve for Greatest hits II |
| iGSM 20.03.2004 06:08 |
I was shocked to see John smoking..I cried for 9 days and then got over it. |
| Mitti 21.03.2004 12:13 |
thanks geeksandgeeks! You've been a great help! I stil don't get the problem for real but I can understand now why you could see a problem... Tnx!!! |