cf144

You missed my point entirely. The point is that smoking in public is a hazard that threatens the health and well being of the public and for this reason laws that "discriminate" against smokers are acceptable and arguably desirable for public safety. This makes the previous post comparing the new law to anti-smoking laws a poor comparison for exactly the reason you mention. In case I didn't make myself clear, I agree with your point - if not the personal attack. And I will refrain from hurling a personal insult back at you. So far this debate has remained civil and should remain so.

Your analogy isn't applicable. A person smoking in public is infringing on the rights of the non-smokers who are forced to breathe the toxins that they are spreading putting their health and well being at risk. I fully support the rights of anyone to do whatever they want in private - like kill themselves slowly with tobacco. But they do not have the right to inflict their toxic wastes on me or my family in public.

I LOVED the traditional BD uniforms of that era.

I think you are correct. I sat next to a PR booster in Indy in 2013 and I'm 99% sure she said that is exactly what they did in part because they were planning to replace them entirely in 2014.

1984 saw the Philly PAL Cadets merge with the Windjammers from Toms River NJ. Lasted one year.

Wait -- can we have a snipe hunt?

That's exactly what I am saying. The problem is that there is a subset of the population at large that preaches respect and tolerance - but ONLY if you agree with them.

Frankly - I'm tired of any segment of the population telling me what I should believe, but ESPECIALLY that segment that screams from the rooftops about tolerance and equality - but only if you agree with them. I couldn't care less about what anyone else believes or does as long as it doesn't threaten me. None of my business what 2 (or more ) consenting adults think or do, but neither do they have a right to tell me what I should think or do.

Never been to Vancouver but would like to. DCI championship week would be a GREAT excuse to go there. I second the motion.

Back then, Crossmen were a local suburban Philly group made up mainly Philly area HS and college kids so that certainly was a part of it. Our drum instructor at PAL was a former Crossmen (Dale Adair) so his influence was there as well. I liked the way he wrote and taught - we had the best drumline in our circuit (took high drums at our circuit championship in '82) and I saw the Crossmen drumline as similar in style to ours but at a much higher level of course. And I loved the style of jazz they played. Several of us PAL guys decided in Montreal that we would try out for the Bones in '83. Of all of us that talked about it, I was the only one to actually go to the first camp. Actually got to march in the 1982 Gimbles thanksgiving parade in Philly as a Crossmen (wish I had a photo of myself in the '82 uniform). They taught us their street beat and the 2nd half of Russian from the '82 show to play in the parade. By the end of the 2nd camp I knew that I was light years away from being good enough and told them I wouldn't be coming back. I took the exercises they gave us - as well as all of the pointers and suggestions from the staff and returning members from the line, especially Andy Tamarin - and went home determined to work my azz off until I was good enough to try again. Went back to PAL and worked at it for 2 years until I felt that I had a shot. Went back to try out for '85 and made the tenor line.

I spoke with someone in Indy this past August (can't remember who it was) that said that the original 10 year contract had been extended to 15 years.

As someone who marched that uniform - My recollection is that most of us loathed them and thought Robby had flipped his lid when we saw them for the first time.

Having missed out on that experience myself (I marched in '85 and '86) I can really appreciate that. I can't call it a regret since I wouldn't have marched anywhere else, but I am saddened that I never had that experience. I do feel pride though anytime I see them knowing that without our '86 group persevering through a very difficult year there very well may have not been a Crossmen anymore.

That's a good one! That was the first time I was able to get to finals since marching and I remember getting goosebumps when BAC took the field Saturday night. Been fortunate enough to be able to go back every year since '99 and with the exception of the announcement of the Blue Stars score at semi's in 2012 that confirmed the Bones return to Saturday night, that moment is right at the top for me.

Nah - that would take too much effort. The heck with it.

Are there any all age corps that limit their workout program to 12oz arm curls?

1986 at the end of retreat - SCV turned to face the champion BD and saluted them by blasting Great Gate at Kiev to them.

Looking at a white-out ouside my window in Philly at the moment.

Not to mention a little bit north and a little bit more central than the shin. Now THAT smarts!

Crossmen march cymbals and have always done so (unless my aging memory fails me)

Personally - I love a cymbal line. I like the visuals, I prefer the sound of cymbal crashes made by striking 2 cymbals together rather than striking one with a stick or mallet and I like the sound of the battery playing cymbal rides where appropriate. Just one guy's opinion.

Director's bracket - Harold Robinson: Founder Crossmen Instructor's bracket - Mark Thurston (Percussion arranger/caption head) Crossmen

Thurston at his best. We also had a set of timbales that he tuned so low that the heads were almost wrinkled. He dubbed them the "floppy drums". I have one of the floppy drum heads hanging in my study at home.

We used steel drums in the Crossmen during the drum solo in '86. I played one of them.