I've been wanting to use that expression and it's perfectly fitting to describe yet another year of band camp. It started this week. I know I'm not in the band myself, but my daughter is and this is her final year and I want to be as involved as possible. It's rough on me because I have to do so much driving back and forth but it's so worth it! Since I want Hailey get as much possible driving time with me in the car (as opposed to just riding with a friend) I take her and pick her up, over and over and over during band camp! All the while going back to work in the interim! It's crazy! I'm very fortunate that my boss is willing to work with me during this very important time of year.
This week:
Tuesday through Thursday, music camp in the band room 9am-12pm. This is when the instrumentalists start working on their songs for the show. There's always a huge learning curve because of an incoming batch of inexperienced freshmen. Even though the middle school band puts out some impressive musicians it takes them a while to adjust to the demands of the high school band, which are very different.
Tuesday and Thursday, marching practice, on the band field from 6pm-8:30pm. This is when they teach the Freshmen how to march and they don't even play their instruments at this early stage of marching. Tuesday was rained out, Wednesday they do not practice because it's church night. Last night was their first marching practice. Hailey was beaming with pride after her first time being a section leader. She has a whole group of newbies that she has to teach to march. I think this is going to be a great year!
I also, finally found out what their songs are going to be. This is going to be a knockout show! All patriotic songs. Here are three of them and I know that Mr. Pence will have some awesome arrangements cuz that man has got connections!
Next week will be the real killer!
Monday - Thursday either on the field or in the band room, 8-11, 2-4, 6-8 (except for Wednesday, no 6-8 because of church).
Once school starts on August 9th they will have their regular rehearsals Tuesday - Thursday after school.
They have a lot to learn and not much time to learn it because the president of the Tournament of Roses Parade will be here on August 21st and the band will do a special stadium performance just for him. The band is then performing their show during a local college's halftime on August 28th and our first football game is August 29th! Whew! It's going to be crazy but I'm getting really excited! Can't wait to get out there with my camera!
]]>Say have you watched the Golden Girls before? I had seen it and its sad to know that one of the Golden Girls has passed away. Estelle Getty one of the movie which I can clearly remembered is the Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot .
It's one of my favourite movie, can you remembered that movie?
Do you have any favourite movie or show in mind?
]]>
The story unfolds based on the decisions you make, so choose wisely. In
the end, only you can match the tiles and find the balance that brings
about true Happiness.
Ok, I have to admit, I borrowed the title for this post from NPR, but it just fit so perfectly with the news of the day I had to use it!!
Infor has announced the Headline Act for Inforum 2008: American Rock Artist and Farm Aid Co Founder - John Cougar Mellencamp will be performing at our conference at the Venetian Hotel on Wednesday October 15th!! John has just released a new album July 15th entitled LIFE, DEATH, LOVE, AND FREEDOM, and is a perfect addition to a conference that is as empowering and enterprising as he is. He will be coming to us fresh from his September 20th performance at the 23rd Annual Farm Aid concert being held at the Comcast Center in Mansfield Massachusetts.
John Mellencamp co-founded Farm Aid with Country Music Icon Willie Nelson in 1985 with a focused mission to help raise money for America's farmers and increase awareness of the importance of locally grown foods and have since raised over $30M. In today's economy, where rising fuel prices has also increased the prices of the food we eat, many analysts point out that the wave of future is in farming. Consumers can consciously spend their dollars supporting their local agricultural economy and That sustains the families of the consumers and the families of our farmers on whom we depend.
Speaking of farmers, at Inforum 2008 you can find out how the folks at the Dairy Farmers of America are driving their business by migrating to Infor ERP Adage 5 and Role-based Home Pages.
You can find out more and register at http://www.inforum2008.com/
In the meantime, let's hear that Little Diddy 'bout Jack and Diane :-)
BTW: An old high school buddy of mine, Joe Hernandez-Kolski , will be one of the opening acts for John Mellencamp's performance tonight, at the Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island in Chicago. Joe is a spoken word artist and he recently wrote a piece about John Mellencamp's influence on his work and now has the honor to perform with him!! How cool is that?!?! If you were lucky enough to score tickets, look out for my guy Joe! If not, here's a sneak peek at what he will be performing .
]]>
RTG(Real Time Gaming) online Casino software is one of the most popular to download.nowadays. Many of RTG casinos are US players friendly. Most famous online casinos with Real Time Gaming software onboard are Rushmore casino, Sun Palace casino, Las Vegas USA Casino, Slots Plus, Vegas Casino Online. RTG casinos are famous for awful slot games. As deposit and withdrawal method you can use Credit Card, NETeller, eCheck, Firepay and Wire Transfer, Click2Pay, INSTADEBIT, and ECO Card. You can play in flash or downloadable games for free or cash.
Get RTG Sofware detailed review and list of US-friendly RTG casinos
Well I totally got it wrong last week and I knew I did as I saw my pick for the top 3 in the bottom 3.
Coffey - I totally don't get why he's even still on the show after his horrible performance last week but he apparently got the most votes because he was sent to safety first.
Melissa - Yes, she can sing, but her image is just Winonah Judd reincarnate and I just cannot see her making it big in the competitive world of country music today.
Gabe - This is the guy I'm rooting for to win. I think he is the best of the bunch.
Shawn - She's pretty good and has an interesting image. I'm not sure her voice is right for country music though.
Ashlee - Well, little Ashlee got sent home. I was surprised.
The contestants sang songs that they wrote this week. I like Gabe's and Shawn's the best.
Highlights: Jeff, John and Jewel gave the audience a performance. It was kind of weird.
Next week: Apparently they will crown the new Nashville Star. So I guess there will be no top 3 trip home (like Idol) or a superfantastic finale duel between the top 2 (like Idol). I'm not thrilled over this show and I'm ready for it to be over. I predict that NBC wil not pick it up for another season.
]]>
I’d been looking forward to this film for weeks – in fact it was the deciding factor for me to stay in New Zealand for the Auckland International Film Festival – and I wasn’t disappointed. The scenery was as stunning as expected – vast plains and simple nomadic settlements framed by dusky mountain ranges on the great steppes of Mongolia. In this first part of the planned trilogy I don’t know whether Director Sergei Bodrov challenged the genre but he certainly made a good job of it.
Read my full review and more online at
http://watchmorefilms.blogspot.com
Well, this week the contestants were still in Vegas and they had some over-the-top, Vegas-style challenges awaiting them when Guy Fieri showed up as the guest judge.
The first challenge was to record a 30-second demo commercial for their possible upcoming show.
First up was Lisa. They had her strung up in this weird pulley system that shot her up many feet along a vertical wine rack. She spoke her bits along the way up and retrieved a bottle of wine at the top. I've read over and over how this challenge was so much harder than the other two, but seriously could we really see Adam or Aaron flying around like cirque du soleil? I thought Lisa did a pretty good job and since she's always talking about how she loves a challenge this challenge was perfect for her.
Next was Aaron. First he strode across the casino floor with his opening line. Then he had to speak his other bits while standing at a gambling table, pick up a pair of dice and roll them while the audience around him applauded. He stumbled a bit at first but all in all he did OK.
Last was Adam. Adam got to get all dressed up and speak his lines flanked by two Vegas showgirls. He finished it up with a few dance steps. I thought it was adorable and he did a great job!
The food challenge was for each contestant to create a buffet that showcased their theme. It was to feed some Vegas show people, the selection committee and some real live Vegas chefs.
Lisa lost some of her fish,
Aaron made too much pasta,
Adam smoked everything!
Oh, the best part is they also had to do an intro for their buffets.
Lisa, walked up the mike and started singing like a pro! Everyone was stunned! The song she wrote was ridiculous but that girl can definitely sing.
Aaron tried to do a comedy bit that totally BOMBED! It was extremely hard to watch!
Adam kept it simple and just gave a nice description of his buffet.
When elimination time rolled around the judges found both perfection and fault with each contestant and ultimately decided to send all 3 of them to the finale! Totally weird!
I really feel, at this point, that the selection committee wants Lisa to win but I'm still going to root for Adam. There are too many woman on Food Network and with the exception of a couple, most of them are pretty much the same old, same old. Adam is unique and kind of quirky and (finally) proved that he CAN cook. He has an awesome sense of humor and I think he could create a show that people would watch and enjoy.
Go Adam!
]]>Dream Day Wedding: Married in Manhattan
From traditional Uptown to trendy Greenwich Village, choose the wedding
you would like to turn into a bride's dream come true. Enjoy gorgeous
backgrounds as you explore each bride's Manhattan apartment, solve
adventure puzzles and try to avoid a wedding crisis.
Would,
Kenneth Grahame, the author of The
Wind in the Willows be delighted or disgusted to know that his fairy tale classic
for children has had a makeover?
His four main anthropomorphised animal characters Toad, Badger, Ratty and Mole will be played by a cast of entertaining women who are hell bent on making their own version of the tale rock.
My company the Hai Media Group has produced and cast a new cabaret show that takes inspiration from the lazy river days of life along the river in the very English countryside adventure story. I’m playing Toad of Toad Hall and will present this magical story, that evokes the best of pastoral English settings for summer, to quote the book:
"Believe me, my young friend, there is NOTHING--absolutely nothing--half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." –The Wind in the Willows
Who’s Who in the Cast?
We are merrily on our way to The Secret Garden Party, bringing a cast of colourful, loveable, characters who will treat guests to a scrumptious feast of sight and sound at none other than that magical childhood place Toad Hall. Greeting weary travellers who come from far and wide across this great green land of Britain, and beyond, will be our joyful celebration, of dancing, and a spectacular banquet table, in a place to revel.
We’ll debut our all-female revue of The Wind in the Willows at The Secret Garden Party, arts and and music festival this week where Grace Jones is the headline act. Grace Jones:
Our show is among a talented line-up of music acts that will be part of the ‘Come and Play’ area of the festival – a collection of tents that invite guests to play with arcade games, or interact with the performances happening around them.
"The Mole was bewitched, entranced, fascinated. By the side of the river he trotted as one trots, when very small, by the side of a man who holds one spell-bound by exciting stories; and when tired at last, he sat on the bank, while the river still chattered on to him, a babbling procession of the best stories in the world, sent from the heart of the earth to be told at last to the insatiable sea." –The Wind in the Willows
Spread before our guest's eyes will be a dining table, gigantic banquet table, as only would suit Toad of Toad Hall to entertain, along with his friends, all evoking the magical memories of childhood favourite tale The Wind in the Willows. White table cloth, OTT décor and upon this marvellous display, unexpected delights – of poetry reading, dancing and comedy skits, played out spontaneously, between sets of live music.
If
you are planning to attend The Secret Garden Party, please plan to see our
performance – scheduled for 8 PM, this Thursday, July 24th, at the
‘Come and Play’ area. We’ll plan to keep in character and costume for the
night, so stop by after setting up your campsite and dive deep into this
festival’s creative spirit, and come play with us.
"Animals arrived, liked the look of the place, took up their quarters, settled down, spread, and flourished. They didn't bother themselves about the past--they never do; they're too busy." –The Wind in the Willows
Here’s the night’s line-up:
19:00
hrs - 19:30 hrs DJ
Bomber
19:30 hrs - 20:25
hrs The Ratfinks
20:30 hrs - 20:50
hrs Hai Media Group Presents:
The Wind in the Willows
20:50 hrs - 21:45
hrs Kid Id
22:00 hrs - 23:00 hrs The
Fontanas
23:00 hrs - 00:00 hrs
DJ Bomber/ I Heart What?
00:00 hrs - 01:00
hrs Chin Supressor
01:00 hrs - 02:00
hrs Symmetrik
‘Come and Play’ is an exciting new festival venue, which has been put together by the team
responsible for bringing Eco-Arcadia to events throughout the UK for the last 5 years. Join in the welcoming feast of the festival, or just sit back, relax and unwind after your travels, to watch the silly, festive antics unfold, enjoy the music, and dine! Dine! Dine! Upon festival delights.
The only question is – are you a Rabbit or a Weasel? Pick one or the other, and join us! Whiskers and bunny ears will be supplied, or bring your own to be a participant in our version of The Wind in the Willows.
"It's
never the wrong time to call on Toad. Early or late he's always the same
fellow. Always good-tempered, always glad to see you, always sorry when you
go!" -The Wind in the Willows
Many thanks to Kate Risker, aka the fabulous Miss Risk, who invited Hai Media Group to produce and perform this new twist of the old tale of The Wind in the Willows.
A proud & stupid Toad am I,
-Lisa
Who’s Lisa Devaney?
I head the Hai Media Group, a multimedia communications company based in London, offering client’s traditional public relations, combined with new technology marketing strategies. I also perform, creating original Cabaret-style comedy skits for festivals, theatre and parties. Find out more about me, and the talented entrepreneurs I collaborate with, by visiting: www.haimediagroup.com
]]>
This is the general trend of the women featured on Bridezilla: ugly, bitchy hos who still manage to rope in sweet, unsuspecting men. I don't get it.
]]>Innovate it is a swedish company regulated by swedish authorities.
Innovate it is limited by shares(aktiebolag) and must file annual reports to Bolagsverket. Innovate it was started in May 1999 and has since then developed into a stable online business.
Urgently needed huge workers to be working online; expertise from the following filed
from all around the world;All you need is Internet Access Build a great income over time !
Best place to find freelancers, best place to get work from, you do not need to look anywhere else!. - PayLater, Google Top Ten Optimization
* .NET
* ASP
* Audio Services
* Banner Design
* C/C++
* Copywriting
* Data Entry
* Data Processing
* Graphic Design
* Linux
* Logo Design
* OsCommerce
* Photography
* Photosh
* PHP
* Proofreading
* SEO
SIGN UP TO START: www.getafreelancer.com
Innovate it
Box 784
53117 Lidköping
Sweden
Tell no:556572-2401
Are we intrigued by the death of someone that we don't personally know. I think that we are. I know that I am both intrigued and deeply affected, sometimes for reasons that I cannot explain.
For example:
When Dale Earnhardt was killed in the 2001 Daytona 500 I was not a Nascar fan. This particularly redneck dude I was dating at the time called me up. "Are you watching this race?" "No!" I replied with disgusted dignity. He lived in a kind of bachelor pad/college dorm type house where several guys lived together. The other line beeped in continuously. All calls about Dale Earnhardt's untimely wreck and later to be discovered, death. That was Sunday. Early Monday morning I started reading about what had happened on the internet. I read article after article about this man who had died. Of course, living in Alabama I was aware of Nascar. I had even been to Talladega 3 times, but it was strictly to party in the infield and I was vaguely aware that a race was going on (definitely my loss because at that time, Big E was still on the track and I missed it all). The more I read, the more I was affected, it got into my blood and my heart and I'm still grieving the loss of a man that I knew nothing about when he was alive. I've missed very few races since then.
When my daughter was 1 year old, on the day after Thanksgiving my boyfriend and I took her to the mall to go shopping. Afterwards we drove home. No big deal right? After arriving home I received a phone call from my sister who wanted to make sure Hailey was OK. "Of course she is why?" I said. There had been a little girl shot and killed riding in a truck with her parents. She was in her car seat between her parents when her body suddenly went limp. It was determined that it was a stray bullet from a deer hunter in the area, the bullet had come through the back window and into her head. I soon learned that this family lived very close to us, that the little girl was within one month of Hailey's exact age, AND they had gone the same route that we had gone to the same mall and the parents had bought the little girl some cowboy boots (she was wearing them when she died). This totally freaked me out for a very long time.
I somehow happened upon a story online about a woman who was pregnant with twins. It was a rather late in life pregnancy with the woman's second husband. She already had two grown daughters from a previous marriage but she was healthy and her pregnancy was uneventful; however she died delivering the second baby. Out of curiosity I found this woman's myspace page and I found progressive photos of her growing belly, photos of the developing nursery and photos of the children she left behnd. It deeply affected me for some reason. I guess because this woman was so excited about the birth of these babies and, from what I read, she only got to see one of them before she lost consciousness. These kind of things really make you scratch your head and wonder "Why"?
I have also been affected by the death of certain other celebrities. When I heard that Heath Ledger had died, at first I didn't know exactly who it was but I soon found out. I had watched 10 Things I Hate About You many times and loved the movie. I loved him most of all. I immediately went out and bought the movie for Hailey to watch and I also bought Brokeback Mountain (although I have not watched it yet). I read and read about Heath, his life, his history, his daughter, his family. Such a beautiful, talented young man who had so much more life ahead. The debut of The Dark Knight has broken box-office records and from what I hear and read, a lot of that has to do with not only Heath's performance, but also the fact that he is no longer with us. It is a very sad and intriguing story and for some unknown reason, I am deeply effected. Heath Ledger was such an attractive young man and one of those who is so good-looking that I can hardly bear to look at photos where his eyes bore into me. Here are a few that I snagged from TMZ.
Note: These photos did not have a copyright or watermark on them and right-click was not disabled so, to me that means they are free for the taking. I'm just posting this because I know how sleazy TMZ can be and I want to make sure I'm covered. RIP Heath.
PS: My son went to see The Dark Knight last night and he said it was absolutely amazing and Heath's portrayal of The Joker was chilling and demented and downright astounding. Hailey and I may go see it tomorrow.
]]>Top 10 greatest films according to the The American Film Institute.
ANIMATION
1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
2. Pinocchio (1940)
3. Bambi (1942)
4. The Lion King (1994)
5. Fantasia (1940)
6. Toy Story (1995)
7. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
8. Shrek (2001)
9. Cinderella (1950)
10. Finding Nemo (2003)
FANTASY
1. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
3. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
4. King Kong (1933)
5. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
6. Field of Dreams (1989)
7. Harvey (1950)
8. Groundhog Day (1993)
9. The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
10. Big (1988)
GANGSTER
1. The Godfather (1972)
2. Goodfellas (1990)
3. The Godfather Part II (1974)
4. White Heat (1949)
5. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
6. Scarface: The Shame of a Nation (1932)
7. Pulp Fiction (1994)
8. The Public Enemy (1931)
9. Little Caesar (1930)
10. Scarface (1983)
SCIENCE FICTION
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
2. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
3. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
4. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
5. The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)
6. Blade Runner (1982)
7. Alien (1979)
8. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
9. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
10. Back to the Future (1985)
WESTERN
1. The Searchers (1956)
2. High Noon (1952)
3. Shane (1953)
4. Unforgiven (1992)
5. Red River (1948)
6. The Wild Bunch (1969)
7. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
8. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
9. Stagecoach (1939)
10. Cat Ballou (1965)
SPORTS
1. Raging Bull (1980)
2. Rocky (1976)
3. The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
4. Hoosiers (1986)
5. Bull Durham (1988)
6. The Hustler (1961)
7. Caddyshack (1980)
8. Breaking Away (1979)
9. National Velvet (1944)
10. Jerry Maguire (1996)
MYSTERY
1. Vertigo (1958)
2. Chinatown (1974)
3. Rear Window (1954)
4. Laura (1944)
5. The Third Man (1949)
6. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
7. North By Northwest (1959)
8. Blue Velvet (1986)
9. Dial M for Murder (1954)
10. The Usual Suspects (1995)
ROMANTIC COMEDY
1. City Lights (1931)
2. Annie Hall (1977)
3. It Happened One Night (1934)
4. Roman Holiday (1953)
5. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
6. When Harry Met Sally ... (1989)
7. Adam's Rib (1949)
8. Moonstruck (1987)
9. Harold and Maude (1971)
10. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
COURTROOM DRAMA
1. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
2. 12 Angry Men (1957)
3. Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979)
4. The Verdict (1982)
5. A Few Good Men (1992)
6. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
7. Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
8. In Cold Blood (1967)
9. A Cry in the Dark (1988)
10. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
EPIC
1. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
2. Ben-Hur (1959)
3. Schindler's List (1993)
4. Gone With the Wind (1939)
5. Spartacus (1960)
6. Titanic (1997)
7. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
8. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
9. Reds (1981)
10. The Ten Commandments (1956)
