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rayfallon

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Posts posted by rayfallon

    Guess Who?

    in DCA All-Age Corps and Alumni Corps Historical Forum

    Posted

    ... BTW - this thread has been languishing or been on topic for quite a while, whatever that was....held off closing it in the hopes that you all kind of get back to Guessing Who. I really enjoyed reading you all - awesome stuff.

    Wow ... that's a pretty interesting BTW ... did you really mean to use languishing and "on topic" in the same sentence? ...

    ... and did you really mean to smack our knuckles with a ruler by telling us to get back to being a Whoer or you'll shut the thread down? ... broadcasting it like Mother Superior as in a veiled threat to others?

    That is P|SS POOR ... IMO ... maybe you don't realize how insulting that BTW is ...

    Too bad ...

    Took it the same way, but I for one am too small a part of this GW community to want to be responsible for getting it locked.

    So my lips are zipped.

    Guess Who?

    in DCA All-Age Corps and Alumni Corps Historical Forum

    Posted

    Thanks for the update, Mr. Swiss Ambassador. Things have been rough down South, and our thoughts are headed in that direction.

    Auto-immune conditions like Lupus go undiagnosed sometimes for years, only getting figured out after they've done a lot of damage.

    Hoping that Don and his wife are able to hang tough until all this eases up.

    If any Moderators are reading, yet another reason to temper such decisions as "Lifetime" bans.

    Our lives are short enough when we arrive on Earth, shorter still by the time we get to this "Planet".

    Folks can use all the personal connections they can get, even if they don't exhibit charm learned at Miss Lily's Finishing School for Young Ladies.

    In the meantime we'll continue to monitor back channels such as Ambassador Tony.

    Just makes me sad.

    Also a little Sad that GW has been so slow...

    • Like 2

    Inside the Arc - "The Gods Must Be Crazy"

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    In the Hollywood version (brilliantly re-created by Phantom Regiment a couple of years back), the Roman authorities have surrounded the rebel slave army, led by Spartacus.

    When they demand that the head troublemaker identify himself, he does so, and so do virtually all his soldiers, each repeating "I am Spartacus" in a show of unity.

    Of course, this probably never happened, but makes for a powerful albeit imaginary scene, like the one in the article, which will likely never happen either.

    In "Gods", it's a coke bottle (thrown carelessly from a plane) that end's up in the hands of African bushmen who assume it must have come from the gods. As it causes them a good deal of social strife, the god's must have taken leave of their senses to provide such an alien thing.

    Some might find parallels within our beloved activity.

    Not that there have ever been any issues with Coke in our beloved activity...

    Highest Attended DCA Show

    in DCA - All-Age Corps Discussions

    Posted

    March of Champions at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium used to really pack them in too. Many thousands, year after year. Only problem there was trying to keep lines parallel to the sideline since the curved stands would take over your perception of the sideline ( first base line), leading to a lot of tics on the field and comments from the GE M&M judge way up in the stands.

    Ray

    Great place to march - like the Dream at Roosevelt Stadium you had no idea of where you were relative to the sidelines, but a great crowd of appreciative fans.

    Coldest showers in the friggin' Universe too.

    Freeze the ##### off a brass monkey.

    • Like 1

    Inside the Arc - "The Gods Must Be Crazy"

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    Interesting reactions to an interesting post.

    I haven't been reading many of the threads on DCP - I've aged out of most of them - so I don't know if this is topical or relative to something on these forums.

    I don't know what triggered this one - I can imagine any number of catalysts.

    I also believe that it has become difficult to write or even talk about discrimination in our society as a whole and our activity as a microcosm. I've given up trying to do it for any number of reasons, not because I don't think it's an important, even critical subject, but because I don't want to initiate a crap slinging contest (not that those happen on DCP - we left all of that on RAMD, right?)

    But I'm glad that someone of Frank's stature and eloquence tackles the issue - it's sad that it still needs tackling in the 21st Century, but it does.

    Makes me feel a little sad with next week being the memorial service for one of the activity's great men, who, sort of like Bill Russell, was bigger than the race issue that he lived with on a daily basis.

    I once chided Gene (Bennett II) about working with a group that had denied membership to African Americans in the 60s, his heyday as a marching participant.

    It wasn't really my place but I naively said "Gene, they wouldn't have let you march there - why would you work with them now?"

    His response, "Fallon, if I avoided everyone that's ever ###### me off I'd have no one to talk to."

    Some folks just rise about this issue, in my opinion the original sin of the original colonies and later our great country - they just get it, and won't let bitterness keep them from greatness.

    But what a shame that this level of magnanimity was, and is still necessary for some to succeed.

    The term "Why can't we all just get along?" has been turned into a (bad) comic one-liner.

    As to whether the framers intended sellers of ice cream cones to make them available to all, maybe they didn't, and maybe you can't legislate it, but if that's the only way we can have ice cream cones (or whatever it is that's being kept from some of us), I'll pass. I don't need the calories

    At any rate, as I often do, I find myself being proud (or maybe envious?) of Frank's ability to craft a message and his courage in going where it needs to be said, but probably won't reap many rewards for him.

    I've long since given up on Peace on Earth, or even much hope of one nation under God, (or pretty much anyone else), but I hope the flame never burns out - the voice telling us how much better we could be if we had the will.

    "Besides, they're all the same, in essence. They'll figure it out." Or not...

    But in the meantime, Thanks, Frank...

    They don't have to like it, but it never hurts to hear (or read) it.

    • Like 2

    Guess Who?

    in DCA All-Age Corps and Alumni Corps Historical Forum

    Posted

    Was emailing back and forth with our friend "The DON". He asked if I would let everyone know......

    Don's Health update....

    Subject: news about my heart
    *Donald Incardona <donincardona@gmail.com>
    Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 6:26 PM
    i went to the doc today and we reviewed my last echocardiogram. this is mt internist. we found that one ventricle is akinetic. this means there is a dead spot there. the echo said my ejection fraction is 40 % but he said with that dead spot it can't be right. it HAS to be power. i concur. it's how i feel. and that dead spot is because sometime, and we don't know when, i had a heart attack! i guess because i have diabetes i didn't feel it when it happened. it's not from clogged arteries. it's from the ventrical fluttering or something. i was stunned. so i just thought i'd pass this sugar plum along. so for now we are all caught up.
    --
    " THE DON "
    *Tony W <sunriserdm@gmail.com>
    Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 11:15 PM
    To: Donald Incardona <donincardona@gmail.com>
    DA%N!!
    Sit down and take care! heh
    Thanks for the update, really.... take care my brother. (I don't want to be looking for another twin, ya know what I mean? LOL)
    *Donald Incardona <donincardona@gmail.com>
    Sat, Mar 14, 2015 at 8:27 AM
    To: Tony W <sunriserdm@gmail.com>
    well my brother i'm doing the best i can. it just shows us we really have no control over all this stuff. i was always proud that with all my illnesses i never had a heart attack. now i can't say that. since i don't have the people on GW email addys please let them know. i know most care about me.
    --
    " THE DON "

    Take care dude - many folks live long active otherwise healthy lives after a heart attack.

    Be healthy and keep us in the loop, even if you have to use back channel diplomacy, like the Swiss Embassy of drum corps planet - TW.

    • Like 3

    Guess Who?

    in DCA All-Age Corps and Alumni Corps Historical Forum

    Posted

    I had the pleasure of watching my grandson play trombone with the Fort Worth Youth Philharmonic Orchestra tonight. Up until recently I thought he was a cross-country runner, or basketball player, or baseball player that also played music, but watching his intensity on stage at Bass Hall, and listening to his playing (and watching the technique) shows me that at 14 he's a real player.

    Even neater is that their excellent tuba player was in Iceland looking at school (can't make this stuff up) so Kevin sat in on tuba, 2 seats over from Connor.

    What we do is worth something - in some cases it's worth a lot - we have inspired people to love music and to want to play better - in some cases to want to play supremely well. We've bought instruments, we've taught our kids, and more important we've gotten out of the way and gotten them better teachers when they had all we had to offer.

    Our activity has made a difference in the lives of thousands and thousands of kids, and almost 100% for the better - nothing's ever 100% good.

    The last piece tonight was "Jupiter" from Holst's "The Planets"

    I was listening to Connor playing the trombone part that the Cavies played - big and majestic and pulsing.

    Life is good. Life with music is better. Live with low brass music is best.

    Good night from the Lone Star State - back to frozen Boston (where it's supposed to snow again tomorrow) tomorrow night.

    • Like 3

    Guess Who?

    in DCA All-Age Corps and Alumni Corps Historical Forum

    Posted

    Thanks Andy, Unless something changes I have to be back in Orlando on 04/21. Yes Ray I will be flying Jet Blue the only direct flight between White Plains and Orlando

    With 36 channels of complimentary Direct TV on every seat, comfortable leather seats, over 100 channels of XM Satellite radio, and award winning snack service - winners of ten consecutive JD Powers Awards for Best Customer Service (and counting).

    JetBlue isn't the only way to fly, but it should be.

    I did my homework during my 10 years with JetBlue.

    Good choice.

    Guess Who?

    in DCA All-Age Corps and Alumni Corps Historical Forum

    Posted

    ... Want me to start a petition?

    Oh wait - not sure how many of my brothers know who I am...

    No petition necessary ... the last few years we've been travelling down to FL from around Easter to Mother's Day to spend time with our daughters ... we haven't planned it out yet ... we'll see ... and ... and you're known in the fraternity ... at least by Cossetti ...

    :-)

    Yeah but he doesn't like me...

    We were talking today...

    • Like 1

    some old corps photos

    in Historical Junior Corps Discussions

    Posted

    After 10 years on DCP, it seems that most of us have purged our scrapbooks and are running out of archival pictures. Having said that, I'm going to take the opportunity to be a little self-indulgent and perhaps take this thread in a different direction at the same time.

    For those of us who have been involved in This Thing Of Ours, we've shared stories and spoken at length about the joy we've gotten from our experience. Because the drum corps experience has become such an integral part of who we are and who we've become, it's only understandable that we would want to share that experience with our children.

    My little boy, Ryan (he's not so little anymore - 26), decided that he wanted to become a trumpet player like his old man. At the time, I was still on staff with Surf, so he spent the majority of his summers as a young boy getting a taste of the drum corps experience. Going into the 2001 season, Mother & I decided that Ryan was old enough to give marching a shot, so he became a member of the Jersey Surf brass section. For the majority of the next 10 years (taking the occasional season off to earn $$$ for college), I got to watch my little boy grow up in the activity. I know that I'm not alone in saying that it's entirely possible that the pride, pleasure and satisfaction I got from watching my son march may have very well exceeded the pleasure I got from the 30+ years I was involved myself.

    Anyone else out there have pictures or stories to share? Here are mine:

    2001

    Ryan%20Surf%2001_zpsrsdfrbie.jpg

    He's the little guy, 3rd from the left

    2005

    Ryan%20Surf%2005_zpsj7hpnsls.jpg

    Front & center, after Div. II Finals

    2007

    Ryan%20Surf%20Horn%20Arc%2007_zpsa8ryt9n

    Ryan%20Surf%2007_zpsfwna1isp.jpeg

    2010 - Ageout year

    Ryan%20Surf%2010_zpsnsefkg0p.jpg

    We all have scrapbooks of our kids during the formative years. For me, having one like this that bears so many similarities to the ones my folks kept for me as a kid can't be topped for me!

    He looks just like the old man. How're his up top chops?

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