..........what's going on here?

Well, it's been a while since my last post. Those of you who are familiar with my yearly schedule know all about my life from the 3rd Saturday in November through the Saturday after Thanksgiving - you got it - parades with the marching band!!! We had some great parade weather for most of our performances. We were the Honor Band at Concord this year and the weather was in the high 50's. We were in the middle of a horrible storm system for the Salisbury parade on November 22; but, as good fortune would have it; the rain stopped minutes before the lineup time. We had wind (30 mph + gusts) and a damp 45 degrees at that one. We won the best Drum Majors, best Flag Corps, and won the Honor Band title there as well. We spent the night in Charlotte (always fun with 98 teenagers at a hotel), and marched in the 59th Annual Carolinas' Carrousel Parade on Thanksgiving Day. We won the Honor Band title there as well. The Saturday after Thanksgiving took us the the small town of Blowing Rock. From the time I called the band to "attention" to the time I called "fall out" was fifteen minutes flat! The highlight of that day was when Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R) sought me out to shake my hand. I think I got some ink on me from where she has been "rubber stamping" so many things in Washington! Sorry about that! All in all, it was a good parade season, especially with the changing of the Christmas tune this year.

I'm doing this post from home and not on a school computer. I say this because I want to go out on a limb and tell you something that I got on my school email today. Word came down from the central office (the CO) that we were not allowed to have any Christmas trees in the classrooms at all. You may have trees in the lobby area, office area, or in the cafeteria; but, they may not have any religious symbols displayed on them!!! What kind of crap is that? I know, don't shoot the messenger. They (at the CO) are only doing as they have been instructed. So, when are we no longer allowed to play Christmas music in band or sing sacred music in chorus? When will we do away with calling that period between semesters the "Christmas Holidays"? Who is responsible? I hate to say it, but I think my old pals the Democrats and a very liberal, "let's don't offend anyone" policy. We are a predominant Christian nation, and I take great offense at these "can't do that" policies. I'm glad that I'm a "short timer" in the public schools - this crap is only going to get deeper as the years go on!

On to different issues. So what's the deal with Cosmo Kramer? The "n" word rears it's ugly head yet again! I agree that Cosmo lost it and made a real ass of himself. He also used language that should not be used. This word should be offensive to everyone and should not be used by anyone. Now, enter the list of who can use the word and who can't. African Americans are offended by the use of the word by anyone except other African Americans. What a stupid load of BS!!! If the word is offensive, then get it out of circulation altogether. Get it out of rap (notice I did not say rap music - rap and music do not coexist), and get it out of your slang. My case rests. Oh, by the way; I would now like to be referred to as "Caucasian American" because I'm not white!!!

How about O.J. Simpson? The Juice is an embarrasment to all mankind and should attempt to get completely out of site. Instead, he writes a book and signs an interview on Fox about "how he would have done it, if he did it". Rupert Murdock at Fox (I still can't believe that Fox would have even entertained the thought of putting this on the air) stated that the outcry of the public was so strong that they decided not to air the interview or participate in the book deal - translation - the businesses that advertise on Fox were going to pull their advertising time off Fox if the deal was not cancelled!!! Money talks yet again!!!

How about President Bush in Vietnam? I love the blue traditional outfit. The President was announced into one assembly of people by none other than......yes, the Vietnamese nipple gong! Did anyone see the gong? I was so happy to see and hear one in action. Bush later played a tune on a traditional Vietnamese mallet instrument. I was impressed. He even looked away from the instrument as he played part of the tune.

Three weeks of school left until the CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS!!! I'm getting a little nervous though - there is still no sign of the music for our upcoming Liberty Bowl performance. If this arrangement is anything like some of the Bowl Game music I've seen in the past, it will be about 175-200 measures long! That will not be cool at all. We are playing along with LeAnn Rimes this year - what a hoot!

Oh, back to Thanksgiving. As tradition has been at our house since 1989, we have our feast on the day after Thanksgiving (parades, you know). I took my JROTC Cajun Spiced turkey and warmed it up on the charcoal grill. It was great! We made white bean (excuse me Caucasian bean) chili with the leftover meat.

I apologize for this long post. I had a lot of thoughts going on. The citrus fruit comes in on December 5. I can hardly wait. The band kids sold an average of 1,093 4/5 bushel boxes this year - great for them - bad for unloading, sorting, and handing out orders. Do I have any "experienced" volunteers from the Salt Lake area that would be willing to fly out and help?

..........Non-Serious Friday Post!!!

I think one of my greatest problems is the fact that I am way too serious! I often think too many deep thoughts concerning things I can do nothing about. This self-realization has prompted me to declare each Friday as a non-serious post. A decree is therefore issued by the mangaging editor here at Beware of the Elephant In Tall Grass stating that no serious or controversial posts can be posted on Friday. "So let it be written, so let it be done" (does anyone know what movie that quote came from? If so, you may be eligible for a Husky spirit item!). If a serious post does occur, there will be serious consequences! Well, here it is, a cryptogram.........

YVG LWWR YVFY NT NB QWZ NT YVG LEER YVFY QWZ RW UWM WYVGMT.
- MWLGM KFKTWB

It is a quote. Have a great Friday!!!

..........WWJD?

So, I wonder what Jesus would have to say about the debate that is raging in the North Carolina Baptist Convention right now? The issue - do we accept gays into the church? As usual, I have a controversial and seemingly liberal response. Being a United Methodist, we open our church to everyone who has the desire to learn more about God and the teachings of Jesus Christ. We have no pre-requisites for taking part in worship or communion. As for the gay issue - I don't believe in the gay lifestyle, and I don't support the gay political adgenda. The only question that I have in the back of my mind is this - is a person gay at birth or is it always a chosen path? Many argue that many gay individuals are just that at birth and they cannot control their attraction. If this is indeed the truth, then God created them in that way. Again, if this is true, is God capable of a mistake? Is God trying to teach us something about universal acceptance? I don't really know; but, I do know that I don't descriminate aganist those who say they are gay. I have taught gay students in school throughout the years and I can't imagine not treating them any different than the other students. I can't imagine not being kind to someone who is openly gay, or helping them out when they need a hand. With that, should we deny the openly gay the right to worship in our churches? I could not. I want everyone to know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that the love of God is always with us. To make a denial for someone to worship based on chruch doctrine, may cause a person to not learn the way of salvation, and know the love that God has to offer. I have been a Christian my entire life, and am far from perfect. Each day I sin aganist God in thought, word, and deed; by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved God with my whole heart, and I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I can only ask forgiveness for my sins. Who knows, acceptance in the church worship may even change the way an openly gay person lives their life. Church should be inclusive not exclusive. Like I said earlier - controversial, at best; and quite liberal.

..........what would Forrest Gump say?

I must not be nearly as sharp politically as I thought I was. I never saw the Rumsfeld resignation coming! I'll have to say, it made me feel pretty stupid when I heard about it yesterday. Then the President openly admitted that the policy for winning in Iraq was not on the right track and needed some change. The news commentators were all over that before the sound of his (the President) voice dissapated. The questions as to "why" and so on and so forth went on all night long. The speculations are numerous. The President did a smart thing by preparing for this well ahead of time. Great attention would be given to the "Architect of Operation Iraqi Freedom" if the House and/or Senate would be controlled by the Democrats. The decision to make the change now and get someone else who was approved by the current White House is a smart move. There is no doubt that the President is a loyal man to his friends and appointees. I'm sure it was a difficult decision for him to make, but the right decision. Maybe there is a different route we could take in Iraq to win stabalization and still retain democracy - I hope so. Too many American lives have been given to the cause to give up completely.

Now, on to something else. Many of the Democrats are in celebration with the win in the House and probably a win in the Senate. I really would have liked to have seen a Democratic House and a Republican Senate. My hope here is that more bipartisan dialogue would have been possible, and a move closer to the center of things could have been achieved.

I must say, I am very dissapointed with our media - ha, ha, ha. I'm sure that sounds like a broken record. Presently, the Democrats are viewed by the Republicans as these left wing liberal nut jobs that want to abandon all moral and ethical standards in America. I heard a very well educated person yesterday ranting (literally ranting) that "we're going to have all our guns taken away and the gays are going to control our standards! Who made the Republican voters think that way? The media, of course. The media reports the actions/thoughts of Ted Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi as being the Democratic standard. I don't think that is nearly the true representation of a real Democrat. Reporting the far left side of the party is better news than those Democrats who are closer to the center on things. Rush Limbaugh has done more to hurt this nation by polarizing the Republicans from the Democrats than anyone alive! Who could really trust what this guy has to say? On the other side of the coin, the Democrats have done the same to the Republicans. The far right wing of the party is reported on so much that Democrat voters think the same about the Republicans. Many Democrats feel that the Republicans don't care about anyone with less than a yearly earning of $500,000 per household, and huge stock investments in oil companies. I know that's not true either. Moderate talk is not very interesting, so, it's not headline worthy. I hope our leaders can get closer to the middle and work for all Americans. We need social programs when assistance is needed. We need limits as to how social programs can be used. I feel that is an example of how well these parties could work together to better things. Maybe I live in a fairytale way of thinking, but I still have some hope that America won't let the far right and the far left be our standards of interpretation. Everything should be taken in moderation. Too much sugar is not healthy. Too much loud music is not healthy. Being to far to the left or right throws us off balance as well. Moderation is healthy. Being anything else is arrogant and wasteful. ........"and that's all I have to say about that!"

..........sometimes, underdeveloped is good.

I have really enjoyed working with the Caribbean steel drum band that we have started at our high school. To tell the truth, this ensemble has been a real driving force in keeping my enthusiasm high during the last years of my career. The charm of the music and the unique sound of the instruments truly speaks to me personally. It's a sound that brings such a "laid-back" feel.

Steel drums were developed on the Caribbean island of Trinidad beginning before World War II. It was a direct decendent of the Carnival celebration, and was discoverd almost by accident. These instruments were discovered and developed by low socio-economic people. The instruments were not well refined for quite some time. The rhythms and melodies speak of African, Latino, and local Caribbean island traditions. Steel drum music is unlike anything I have ever been involved with.

Many of the instruments that I have for the school were actually made in the "pan yards" of Trinidad. Great numbers of these instruments are made for export each year before Panorama. I just made an order for another set of six-bass last month. I was told that it was a good thing I ordered then; because, all the pan yards were going to be making instruments just for Panorama beginning in November. Panorama is a huge festival/contest for steel pan bands on Trinidad each year. Steel band is so big in Trinidad that they actually have pictures of pans on the money.
Anyway, the instruments I get from Trinidad definitely sound different from those I have purchased from makers here in the states. What's the difference? The American made instruments have a much more refined sound. While this is a very pleasing sound, some of the charm of the steel pans are lost with refinement (in my opinion). In my eyes, this music is not supposed to be so perfect.

The original pans were and are made from 55 gallon (and some smaller) steel drums; just like those you would expect to get raghead juice from the Middle East. Oops! Sorry, that was way too political for this post. Alright, let's get ourselves back on track. Pan makers are now building their own barrels. Why? They are trying to 1) get the barrels better constructed and limit the amount of rattles while they are being played, 2) making the barrels larger (bigger diameter) so they can put more notes on the pan, 3) making the pans larger to cut down on bleed over from note to note. I pay an average of $700 for an imported Trinidad tenor pan - the new ones built here in the states - $2,500 each on average. Don't get me wrong, these are great sounding instruments, but with no imperfections. I like the imperfections. Some of the note "bleed over" is part of the charm of the original. I guess I'm too old school. I love progress, but I like traditional too.

I just saw an article in my latest Music Educators Journal (published my MENC), that advertises a book on steel band. At present, there is no "set" and accepted way of instrumentation for the steel drum ensemble. It won't be that way for long. As books and "experts" develop their ideas, there will be standards. Damn the standards - leave it alone!! Anyway, this book addresses a wide variety of topics, including instrumentation, personnel, basic pan technique, repertoire, and rehearsal strategies. The book, The Steel Drum Game Plan: Strategies for Starting, Building, and Maintaining Your Pan Program, is written by Chris Tanner. Tanner is the founder and director of the Miami University (Ohio) Steel Drum Band. This book is available from MENC for $24.95, and will tell me all I need to know in order to arrive at some "civilized" way to run my steel pan program.

I hope the charm of the steel band does not go by the wayside as we develop these ensembles in America. I'm already somewhat guilty myself. We play a variety of music styles on our instruments. We break the traditional by playing rock n' roll, movie tunes, and classical music in our ensemble. People respond to the sound of a steel band. Many audiences that we play for often remind me that they have heard these instruments on cruises, etc. Appalachian State University is keeping the tradition of the original music alive with their performance of many of the traditional Panorama tunes. At any rate, this is a fantastic medium of musical expression. I love being a part of it, and I plan to resist some of the refinements. I plan to keep alive some of the original tunes from the 1940's and 1950's. I also plan to not allow my decisions to be affected by these American "refiners". As "experts" develop, the original style could be lost.

..........useful websites Friday!

The election is bearing down on us and we're so serious about everything. In the midst of all our serious thoughts and behavior, we sometimes lose track of what is really important - it's Friday!!! No political stuff today - no need to fear elephants in the tall grass (or donkeys, for that matter). I thought you may want to check-out a few helpful webistes.

1. If you are looking for your favorite celebrity, a site called "Who Represents" can help you find the name of the agent who represents them.
www.whorepresents.com

2. "Experts Exchange" is a knowledge base where programmers can exchange advice and views.
www.expertsexchange.com

3. Looking for a pen? Look no further than "Pen Island".
www.penisland.com

4. Need a therapist? Try "Therapist Finder".
www.therapistfinder.com

5. Then of course, there is the "Italian Power Generator Company"....
www.powergenitalia.com

6. And now, we have the "Mole Station Native Nursery", based in New South Wales....
www.molestationnursery.com

7. Computer software? No problem...
www.ipanywhere.com

8. Welcome to the "First Cumming Methodist Church".
www.cummingfirst.com

9. Then there is these brainless art designers at
www.speedofart.com

10. Want to holiday in Lake Tahoe? Get a free brochure at
www.gotahoe.com

I hope all of you enjoy Friday as much as I know I will!

..........political correctness or considerate?

I'm starting to get a different view of what some call "being politically correct". I have often been angry when I have to refer to someone or a group of people by a different nomenclature than I am used to, as to be politically correct and to not offend. I heard something on Glenn Beck last night that made me change my views. One of the actors on "Scrubs" - oh, I can't think of his name now - he has curly red hair and was also in the movie "Platoon". Well, no matter. He was on the air to comment on people who use the term "retard" and "tard" to denounce others. He made the point that many of these "slang" terms are often used because the source of the slander cannot fight back and speak for themselves. He has a child who is Down Syndrome (over 350,000 Americans are Down Syndrome); and who else could not speak up for themselves than the mentally handicapped. This is a great point. We often "pick-on" those who are less fortunate than ourselves and weaker in numbers. That is an arrogant behavior that we seem to allow in our society. Now, what about being politically correct. Many of the words we use to describe people are not very respectful. Maybe being truly politically correct is also being respectful to others. Example: Blacks - African Americans. You know, these people come in all skin shades, none of which is black. Their origins are from the African continent; so, why not - African American. By the same token, Indians - Native Americans; Latino Americans, etc. How about, whites - Caucasion Americans. We could go on and on. I really don't have a problem with using these terms out of my own respectful nature - if it makes someone feel better about themselves - sure!!! Arrogance (which is nothing more than a false sense of superiority) breeds hatred and isolation for individuals, groups, and even countries.

..........stupid Democrats (and some other stuff)!!!

What are they thinking (I bet everyone wish they knew)? Some of these people are already coming out with a support of John Kerry and his statements. They are obviously not running for an office next week. At least one candidate that had scheduled Kerry to speak for him has cancelled the appearance altogether, and I'm sure more will follow to avoid the fallout. I am still in a state of amazement that he (Kerry) would use such words in public. I know what you're thinking - we're not surprised at all!! I'll give you that one. As Limbaugh is too right wing, so is Kerry too left wing. Moderation, moderation, moderation; where are the moderates in this country? The media has everyone in the country convinced that the Democrats will make some gains next week - that everyone is ready for a change. That may be true on many issues (i.e. the policy in Iraq); but, do the Democrats offer solutions with the change in offices? I don't think so. The Democratic camp is split into many different agendas. It's easy to point out the problem - fixing it is a different story, and they (the Dems) don't have those solutions at present. This whole Iraq War deal is getting out of control. We underestimated our enemy and what it would take to reach our objective. I picture that objective as being: 1) remove Saddam; 2) create democracy in a very unstable region; 3) put a wedge into the whole terriorist support system. If those are the objectives, then we have got part of it right. We have removed Saddam, we are trying to support a democratic system in Iraq, and we may have halted some terriorist activity (although we may also be creating a greater cause in the terrioist world to recruit many more people than we anticipated). No doubt, the region of the Middle East is more unstable than it was before the war began. We have got to figure out what to do in order to stablize and to get our people back home. We are now looking at nearly 3,000 Americans dead, and another 20,000 wounded. Has it been worth the sacrifice? I guess that is a matter of great debate and opinion. We are getting to a crossroads with our military. Many servicepeople are now entering their 2nd and 3rd tours. At some point, they will get tired of the whole "life in danger" thing and get out of the military. Are we replacing them quick enough? Absolutely not - if we were, then the need for 2nd and 3rd tours in active and reserve/guard units would not be as necessary. Many regard a timetable for withdraw as unrealistic - it will have to happen, or the whole thing will be a bust for us. We are going to have to become better diplomats in the world. I know, I know, America is the strongest nation in the world and we shouldn't have to answer to anyone. The only problem is, we can't go on being the problem solver in every situation worldwide where we have "interests" - our military, our public, and our economy will not support it. "Cowboy diplomacy" is not the answer. We have got to become more tolerant and moderate to adapt to the world. That sounds pretty liberal; but, we are losing ground in the popularity contest; and it will take some popularity worldwide to form alliances. We can't stand alone forever.