HornTeacher

Ahhhhh...are we speaking of the notorious Madame Simpson??

Very, very true, Lance. And yet...not always a practice followed across the board. I think we've all seen cases of that.

Given that many on a corps staff are performing their duties on a remunerative basis not anywhere near commensurate with the amount of time and energy which they give, I would tend to think that, out of fairness, they should be receiving word of any prospective changes to their corps from their corps itself...not as fodder for speculation on an internet site. I would guess that is the very least that any one of us would not only hope for, but expect if we were to be the ones in their shoes. (Climbing back into my hole of naivete, and re-erecting my "Pollyanna" mailbox.)

If, as has been reported, the police did in fact offer Mr. Snyder the option of pressing charges against the attendant, I find that to be rather telling I am going to assume that the attendant is a resident of Indiana...or Indianapolis itself. Mr. Snyder (as well as the entire Trooper organization) can be thought of as being "outsiders" -- there for a short duration of time, then returning back home. I would think that it is simply common human nature to show, even subconsciously, a bias toward a fellow individual of common residence to one's self. Though I would (and almost always DO) attempt to extend a feeling that a law enforcement official would be of a "justice first" philosophy, I also think that he (or she) might have that subconscious bias toward one of his own. To almost immediately take the side of an outsider against a "local" speaks volumes to me, especially when it would have been just as easy to give the individuals their space and allow time to hopefully heal the wounds.

I will take issue with those who maintained, and I quote: "a (weak) elbow." Having watched this a number of times, I would hardly classify the initial contact...the elbow...as being of a "weak" variety. If one watches the video carefully, it is quite evident that the stadium official put a pretty good amount of bodily impetus behind the elbow...which, by the way, appears to have been thrown (and connected) at the jaw, and not at the neck. (Also notice that the stadium official steps forward with his right foot just as he delivers the elbow. This indicates a clear intent to deliver the blow with impetus.) Not only that, but it is not like throwing an elbow behind you -- an action which one might follow with an "oops...excuse me." This was delivered in FRONT of the official...in a forward manner. Stand up where you currently are and try it yourself. Trying throwing your elbow ahead of you...with the softest of intent, even. The subsequent chokehold was not delivered out of any reaction by Mr. Snyder, but was, in fact, done while Mr. Snyder was reaching up toward his own chin with his right hand, and while facing away from the stadium official. As for how Mr. Snyder should or should not have reacted. It is one thing to see someone react and judge whether or not that person reacted to a physical attack upon his body with a proper amount of propriety. It is quite another to decide how YOU, yourself, would have responded. None of us knows until which time it should actually happen.

If I recall correctly, last year the Bluecoats went directly to the Devils in congratulations as soon as the corps were dismissed. Devils just returning the honor immediately. From my end, very nice to see.

Hunting for flak jacket...

Are crumbs pro-rated?

One must be careful. When I was taking Research courses in college, the very first rule that my professors stated over and over was this... Correlation does not equate Causality.

Keep your chin up, and head held high for your group, MadMan. It'll happen. Just don't let "has been" ever enter your mind. There's something about self-fulfilling prophecies that sometimes come back and....

Classy, BigBadMadMan. Classy. And I'm not even a Boston "homer."

To which, I can only say... This.

Thanks for the detailed explanation, cfIrwin (and, through extension, Jeff). And thanks cf, for taking the time to assist me. I was not speaking of/against/for any individual corps. Just a totally general question. I think you understood that and granted me the respect for such through your kind explanation. I've learned...which makes you a pretty ###### good teacher.

You're disappointed. We get it. I'm sorry for you. Some of us are a little down too, based on our group's results. However we, at least, choose to retain some level of class and dignity over the whole deal, and despite our disappointment. I, personally, find your final sentence to be snide, out of line, and totally and underservably disrespectful to a group of individuals who have striven hard to achieve what they have ultimately achieved. That being said... Congratulations, BAC. Your hard work and failure to say "die" are rewarded. My hat is off to you!!!

And therein lies the charm. A totally clear and understandable show -- yet written and performed in a way which isn't condescending to the viewer through hitting one over the head again and again with the message. Never a feeling of "get it, yet? Then maybe this will help...". Just a simple and effective FLOW to the message.

"...and 6 hours later, jumped into his car with the rest of the DCP'ers there, and sped off to the competition." (NOT an indictment of percussion judges everywhere...just providing a punch line. I'd say the same thing about a brass, visual...heck, any judge. DCP'ers? We'll leave that unsaid. )

Thank you, cfIrwin3. One of the more accessible explanations which I have seen for the unenlightened (Read: clueless, in my case I guess) on the matter. That being given, may I ask a question or two regarding the emboldened portion of the above? It is has been a topic of great confusion on my part over the years, especially more so as shows have become increasingly intricate/esoteric through those years. It appears, though I may be wrong, that you are implying that no matter the level of execution on a given night, whether it be of an extremely adept or of a totally missed-the-boat (relatively, of course...not literally) nature, a portion of the score is not going to change. Am I reading your words correctly? The tiny "enlightened" portion of my mind (if such indeed exists) can understand that in terms of the compositional aspect -- but I have a problem understanding it in terms of GE. By that I mean -- if I saw a specific corps on two successive nights, and there is a great difference in that corps' performance, it would follow that I would have two different responses in terms of my GE response to those two performances. And to carry it further...any difference in performance may affect how I interpret the composition of the program, even minutely. Sorry, I'm rambling...to the crux...does the "in stone" portion of the show mean that a corps assessment (score) will not change, either up or down, in terms of compostion -- no matter the given level of performance? To be honest, that seems odd to me. It seems odd that a corps could go onto the field, having not yet performed a single note or move, yet know that a portion of their score, no matter how large or small, will not change from the night before...or even the night before that. To me, that totally goes against the "any given night" philosophy of the performer,whether it be in music or adjudicated athletics. I've taken a risk here, and indicated my true level of stupidity as applies to D&BC. But that's ok with me...I am far more interested in increasing my knowledge and understanding than of pulling wool over collective eyes. Thanks again for your explanation, and please know that I ask these things out of respect to you, not out of any snarkiness (new word for Webster? )

Late to keyboard for this...sorry. Great job, Troopers. So very proud to be your fan.

Ahhhh....the best laid plans of mice and men...

Such as? (Understanding that you did say "rumors," of course.)

Seconded. And in particular, the young lady's (trumpet) sound had me totally and audibly sighing. SUCH beautiful tone and control. And judgng by the post-show interview, a sweet and well-grounded young lady, to boot.

That's a good point, Dad. I had totally forgotten about it...

You think that's bad?? I'm so overwhelmed that I can't even see you...much less hear you.

Ain't it great??

As I said Sunday night after seeing them in Rome NY...I wouldn't be surprised if they're not done moving upwards.