May 13, 2008

Wild Dunes - Isle of Palms Beach Renourishment

Here is the latest news from Wild Dunes as it relates to the beach renourishment project:

We have Bulldozers, heavy equipment, pipe and personnel on the beach NOW & will start pumping sand soon

2008 Beach Restoration Project

PROJECT SUMMARY

The northeastern end of the Isle of Palms has been enduring a severe erosion crisis as a shoal attaches to that section of the island. If the current episode continues unabated, structures could be threatened. In order to protect the public safety and to ensure that the beaches remain healthy, the City has undertaken a beach nourishment project scheduled to occur in the spring and summer of 2008. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (SCDHEC OCRM) has issued the City a permit that stipulates "up to 885,000 cubic yards of sand will be dredged from four offshore borrow sites and pumped via hydraulic pipeline to renourish 13,785 linear feet of beach." This project will restore the dry sand beach, control the erosion and include the removal of all sandbags currently placed in the erosion area.

ANSWERS TO PROJECT QUESTIONS

When will the project start?
Soon, but the exact start date is still undecided as the final steps are taken in the preparation and permitting process. Weeks Marine, the company that will perform construction, has mobilized their equipment. Any day now, beach goers may notice equipment on the beach.

When will the project end?
July 31, 2008.

Where will the project start and end?
The beach to be restored runs from

53rd Avenue
to Dewees Inlet. The project map (coming soon) shows that sand will be placed in three major areas called Reach A, Reach B and Reach C. Where the project starts and ends exactly, including where construction occurs on any specific day, depends on several variables including weather conditions and the potential presence of sea turtles.

What about the sea turtles th! at ne st on the Isle of Palms?
The City has been working closely with all appropriate local, state and federal agencies to ensure maximum protection for sea turtles. The permits issued by the agencies allowing construction to occur include clear guidelines to protect sea turtles. Every night and every morning, turtle monitors will walk the construction area looking for turtles and their tracks, and if one is found, the appropriate steps will be taken to protect the turtle and its nest.

Will the project run all day and night?
Yes. The project will run 24 hours per day and 7 days per week, even on Memorial Day and July 4th. The goal is to complete the project as soon as possible, so unless inclement weather forces a delay, construction will continue all the time.

What will construction be like?
Beach restoration is a large project that involves an off-shore dredger, large pipeline and heavy equipment and truck! s. Vi sitors and residents in close proximity to the project can expect to see this large equipment and hear noise. At night, lights will illuminate the beach so construction can continue. These disruptions will be temporary as the project moves down the beach.

Will the beach be closed?
The beach to be restored is approximately 9,200 feet long, but only a section of the beach will be under active construction on any given day. The section under construction will be clearly marked and closed to visitors. The rest of the beach will be open as usual. Also, the construction will be progressive, meaning it will move along the beach during construction.

Will the project affect boaters?
Boaters needs to be aware that pipeline, marked with buoys, will be submerged in the waters around the project.

What about the sandbags?
By the end of the project, all the sandbags will be removed from the beach.

What will the beach be like with the project is completed?
The goal of the project is to restore a dry sand beach.

April 28, 2008

Live to Tell

LivetotellI was recently invited to travel with Hope International to Rwanda and was quite embarrassed at my lack of knowledge about the  country and their history (especially the genocide in 1994). In my research I came across this book and was completely blown away by it. I cannot fathom what this lady went through any more than I can fathom that fact that basically the entire world stood by and let this happen. Where was I for that matter? The following is from the synopsis of her book:

Immaculee Ilibagiza grew up in a country she loved, surrounded by a family she cherished. But in 1994 her idyllic world was ripped apart as Rwanda descended into a bloody genocide. Immaculee’s family was brutally murdered during a killing spree that lasted three months and claimed the lives of nearly a million Rwandans.

Incredibly, Immaculee survived the slaughter. For 91 days, she and seven other women huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor while hundreds of machete-wielding killers hunted for them.

It was during those endless hours of unspeakable terror that Immaculee discovered the power of prayer, eventually shedding her fear of death and forging a profound and lasting relationship with God. She emerged from her bathroom hideout having discovered the meaning of truly unconditional love—a love so strong she was able seek out and forgive her family’s killers.
The triumphant story of this remarkable young woman’s journey through the darkness of genocide will inspire anyone whose life has been touched by fear, suffering, and loss.

April 10, 2008

The Last Lecture

Landing_ll_2 I caught some of this last night and was pretty touched by this story.  I will read his book. This is from his site on the book:

A lot of professors give talks titled “The Last Lecture.” Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can’t help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?

When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn’t have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave—“Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”—wasn’t about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because “time is all you have…and you may find one day that you have less than you think”). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.

In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come.

For more information visit http://www.lastlecture.com

December 27, 2007

Wild Dunes Review

100_0166We received a very nice review from some of our guests at the Wild Dunes condo recently:

Review Title: 33124 - "This condo more than met our expectations"

Review Rating: 5

Our group of 3 couples thoroughly enjoyed the beachfront condo and we all thought it was an exceptional value for the cost. The unit was very nicely furnished and had all the comforts of home. It was clean and the rental process, instructions, key pickup and checkout all went smoothly. Access to Wild Dunes was simple and we found many interesting sites and restraunts in the area. The weather was good during our stay and the ocean temps were still fine for swimming. We were interested and surprised by the extent of beach erosion along some parts of Isle of Palms but it did not affect nor detract from our vacation. We all agreed to another get-together in the area in the not too distant future.

For more informationabout renting this condo click the photo on the sidebar.

December 21, 2007

Take a Breath!

I have been asked a number of times why I have not been blogging regularly and quite frankly simply have not had the time. Several months ago I sat down with a pad of paper and laid out some 6 month goals as described best in Tim Ferris's Four Hour Workweek, a book that I have blogged about previously. Here's how that planning session turned out:

HAVING
1. Set-up a personal assistant/ virtual assistant
2. completely outfit our downstairs basement as a game room with big screen TV, pool table, etc
3. find a mentor and become one

BEING
1. in shape physically
2. learn to tap dance
3. learn and understand more about the Bible

DOING
1. go on a long weekend camping trip with the family
2. go on a mission exploration trip
3. develop a "muse" and get up and running

As I review this list after 6 months I realize how the only way to complete all these is to only work 4 hours per week!! Pretty aggressive list!  And I did not come close to completing them all.  More on that tomorrow...

October 17, 2007

Pepsi, Coke Rivalry Becomes Physical

PepsivcokeINDIANA COUNTY, Pa. -- Pepsi or Coke? The battle continues. State police in Indiana, Pa., are investigating after a Pepsi employee allegedly assaulted a Coca-Cola employee while making a delivery at a Wal-Mart in White Township on Oct. 1. A

According to police, Robert Koscho, 48, of Ebensburg, and the Pepsi employee, David Paulina, 42, of Clymer, were bickering back and forth while making their deliveries at the Oakland Avenue store. Police said the two are also accused of trying to run each other over with pallets full of soda bottles. As Koscho left the store, police said, Paulina called him over and punched him three times in the face, breaking Koscho's nose and giving him a black eye. "As the victim left the store, the suspect came over and got into a physical confrontation with him and struck him a few times," said Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Jeanne Martin. "He hit him in the face, gave him a black eye and broke his nose." A Coca-Cola representative told WTAE Channel 4 Action News that the fight started over shelf space in the aisles of the store. Shelf position is very important for product sales, and the competition for prime space can be fierce, according to Gary Baum, who owns Cook's Market in Greensburg. "Most places have to pay premium prices for each linear foot of shelf space, especially when you get to the frozen food, beverages, cigarette companies," Baum said. Pepsi said they have fired Paulina over the incident, saying they don't tolerate violence in the workplace.

At this time, police continue to investigate the incident.

PDF Print E-mail

from Pittsburgh News 

I always wondered if this every really happened...

October 15, 2007

300 - The Workout

300leonidasMy trainer started me on this training program last week and I must say that it is totally kicking my butt! It is the same workout that the actors used to get in shape for the movie 300, and also is the number of reps that you perform during each workout.  Here is how it breaks down:

  • 25 pull-ups
  • 50 deadlifts at 135 pounds
  • 50 push-ups
  • 50 box jumps with a 24-inch box
  • 50 "floor wipers" (a core and shoulders exercise at 135 pounds)
  • 50 "clean and press" at 36 pounds (a weight-lifting exercise)
  • 25 more pull-ups -- for a total of 300 reps
  • There is not any scheduled rest between exercises - though you may need it!

    For an article on the movie and the workout click HERE.

    October 11, 2007

    Miller & Coors join forces in the US

    This shouldn't have any real effect on my business, but it is pretty interesting:

    Molson Coors, SABMiller Combine U.S. Ops

    PDF Print E-mail
    Tuesday, 09 October 2007
    NEW YORK: The makers of Coors and Miller Lite plan to combine their U.S. brewing operations in an effort to compete better against industry leader Anheuser-Busch.

    The joint venture announced Tuesday will be known as MillerCoors and will have responsibility for selling brands including Miller Lite, Miller Genuine Draft, Coors, Coors Light and Molson Canadian in the U.S.

    Anheuser-Busch Cos. accounts for about half of the U.S. market with brands such as Budweiser, Michelob and Bud Light.

    For complete article click HERE.

    October 10, 2007

    This One Really Got to Me

    I ran across this story today and thought about how great our trip out there was this past summer.  I can't imagine the pain this family must be experiencing right now...

    4-year-old girl dies after falling off edge of Grand Canyon
    By The Associated Press
    GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. — A 4-year-old girl was killed Tuesday when she slipped off the edge of the Grand Canyon and fell several hundred feet.

    The girl’s father immediately scrambled down the cliffs and started CPR with the help of a park ranger who rappelled into the canyon, National Park Service spokeswoman Maureen Oltrogge said.

    The child’s body was 400 to 500 feet below the rim, Oltrogge said. The area where she fell is a combination of sheer drops of 30 to 50 feet, then slopes leading to more drop-offs.

    September 12, 2007

    You Know You Are in the South When...

    Shotgunwedding2 I recently attended a wedding that had the following paragraph printed in the program:

    "In the spirit of true Redneckism we chose to be married on September 8th in honor of Dale Earnhardt, Jr., NASCAR's current Number 8 driver, and at 3:00 PM in memory of the late Dale Earnhardt, Sr., NASCAR's Number 3 driver."

    I wonder what they will name the kids...

    September 10, 2007

    Patrick Henry Hughes

    Patrick and his father appeared in Chicago earlier this month at the Leadership Summit in Chicago and he and his incredible story inspired us all! I am not sure which one of them impacted me more - Patrick or his dad. Not a dry eye in the house....

    Patrick was born blind and somewhat deformed yet discovered an amazing musical gift. He is an amazing kid with an inspiring story.

    Check it out on this You Tube video HERE from an ESPN clip.

    Also from Patrick's web site (www.patrickhenryhughes.com):

    Patrick is a remarkable young man who was born without eyes and without the ability to fully straighten his arms and legs, making him unable to walk. Additionally, two steel rods were surgically attached to Patrick's spine to correct scoliosis.
    Despite circumstances that seem overwhelming to you and me, Patrick has overcome these physical issues to excel as a musician and student. Patrick started playing the piano at the age of only nine months, and also plays the trumpet and sings. He even participates in the University of Louisville School of Music Marching and Pep Bands with help from his father (Patrick John Hughes), who tirelessly maneuvers his wheel chair through the formations with the other 220+ members of the Cardinal Marching Band. Patrick is usually a straight 'A' student, having received only 5 'B's' since 6th grade up to and including his freshman year of college.
            A virtuoso pianist, vocalist and trumpet player, Patrick has won or finished very high in numerous competitions, as well as winning awards acknowledging the circumstances he has overcome to achieve these heights.  He has been featured on ESPN, ABC-TV, Oprah, CBS-TV, FOX-TV, CSTV, People Magazine, Sports
    Illustrated, and many, many others.  Patrick has made appearances from California to Chicago to New York and Miami and countless points in between,  even performing in South America and Europe. 

    UPCOMING  APPEARANCES  -   Springfield, Illinois
                                                Williamsburg, Virginia
                                                Hickory, N. Carolina
                                                Chicago, Illinois
                                                Houston, Texas
                                                Phoenix, Arizona
                                                Roanoke, Virginia
                                                Perrysburg, Ohio

    September 07, 2007

    Braggin'

    Goldsgymlogo1_2After reading Tim Ferris's book Four Hour Workweek I sat down and set some 6-month goals.  One of them was to get the whole "eat right and exercise regularly" thing figured out once and for all. I have been involved in athletics since I was a kid and have always been in moderately good to good shape (5 marathons in the past 7 years), etc., but I have never been satisfied with the way I looked - a little chunky in the places that men get chunky. So when this topic again came up during the 6-month goal setting process I decided to hire a personal trainer and get serious about tackling it.

    Now before someone comments that I could have shared all this back when I made this decision I will defend myself only with this:  I really wanted to make sure I was serious about it before I went out on a limb and shared it - nothing worse than making a decision that either doesn't stick or just flat fails. I am now a strong advocate of the personal trainer. Some would watch a workout session and conclude that they simply count reps and write down the weights, but belive me when I write that the accountability of having a set time and day to meet and workout and the knowledge that the proper nutrition requirements will be asked about have made all the difference. So - here is the bragging part.  Since beginning at the end of May and as of this morning I have lost a total of 1&1/4 inches in my neck, 3 inches in the waist, 4% body fat and a grand total of 14 pounds!! And I guess the best part is that I feel great!! My goals at the beginning of the training were to lose 10 pounds (down to 175 lbs) and to drop the body fat % down to 15% (from 18%). This morning's measurements were 171 lbs and 14%!!!  So now the big question from my trainer is "what are your new goals?" More on that later.

    September 06, 2007

    Brave New World

    Bioarm_embed1_2More than 130 veterans of the Iraq war now face the daunting challenge of learning to live with a missing arm. To make that transition easier, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or Darpa, has launched a $55-million project that pools the efforts of prosthetics experts nationwide to create a thought-controlled bionic arm that duplicates the functions of a natural limb. If all goes well, by 2009 the agency will petition the Food and Drug Administration to put the arm through clinical trials.

    This summer the team hit a critical milestone when it finished Proto 2, a thought-controlled mechanical arm—complete with hand and articulated fingers—that can perform 25 joint motions. This dexterity approaches that of a native arm, which can make 30 motions, and trumps the previously most agile bionic arm, the Proto 1, which could bend at the elbow, rotate its wrist and shoulder, and open and close its fingers. A person wearing a Proto 2 could conceivably play the piano.

    The next steps are to shrink the battery, develop more-efficient motors, and refine the bulky electrodes used to read electrical signals in muscles. As for making actual music, the wearer is on his own

    How it Works

    1. Control System
      Researchers are experimenting with injectible myoelectric sensors (IMES) that detect muscle activity and wirelessly transmit commands to the prosthetic arm. The setup eliminates bulky electrodes glued to the chest. A wire coil wrapped over the shoulder supplies wireless power to the implants and relays signals to computers in the prosthetic that decipher the command and tell the arm to move. The team is also considering implanting electrodes directly on nerves—or in the brain itself—to achieve more natural neural control by 2009.
    2. Power
      Researchers are exploring a hydrogen-peroxide pneumatic system to replace electric motors, which are bulky, slow and weak. The hydrogen peroxide reacts with an iridium catalyst to drive the arm's movements. The wearer would install a fresh hydrogen-peroxide canister each morning.
    3. Flexibility
      The Proto 2 performs 25 joint motions: The shoulder and wrist are capable of roll, pitch and yaw, the elbow can flex, and the fingers and thumbs bend at each knuckle. Each joint brings together two lightweight "bones" made of carbon fiber and aluminum alloys.
    4. Building blocks
      Modular construction—shoulder to elbow, elbow to wrist—allows doctors to adapt the limb to patients' needs.

    By Bjorn Carey and Michael Belfiore | August 2007

    PopularScience.com

    September 05, 2007

    Drum Corps International is on ESPN2 TONIGHT

    09_04_2007_dci_espn_header_250x282
    Don’t forget, the 2007 Drum Corps International World Championship will be broadcast on ESPN2 today, Wednesday, Sept. 5 at 10 p.m. Eastern / 7 p.m. Pacific. You won't want to miss this exciting opportunity to see the world’s most elite and exclusive marching music ensembles, performing at their highest levels, on this nationally-televised broadcast.

    And if you can’t watch it live today, remember the two-hour program will be rebroadcast on ESPN2, split into two one-hour episodes first on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 2 p.m. Eastern time and then on Thursday, Sept. 27 also at 2 p.m.

    August 24, 2007

    Reveal

    RevealbookminiI first learned about Reveal at the Leadership Summit a couple of weeks ago. It is the culmination of a process that began several years ago at Willow Creek Community Church in south Barrington, IL initiated by Greg Hawkins, Executive Pastor. He began asking questions about the best use of the church's financial resources to help people grow spiritually.  Three years or more later, after thousands of hours and surveys and meetings later, the Willow team discovered some amazing information that has implications worldwide about the church. Their research is ongoing and will now include about 500 churches from around the world to assess the information and it applicability.

    The biggest piece of the puzzle (IMHO) that they uncovered and figured out was that people were increasingly more UNsatisfied with their churches as they grew more spiritually mature. This would seem to be counterintuitive, but as folks grew up (spiritually speaking), the churches were unable to continue to provide the spiritual nourishment that each needed to grow more in their faith.  The Willow team concluded, and the Bible completely backs this up, that they had failed to educate their folks on the disciplines of self-feeding. Their people expected the church to continue to do it for them. Paul talks about the importance of learning how to "feed" yourself as you mature in belief in Christ in the New Testament.

    If I had a nickel for every believer I knew that expressed frustration that the church wasn't meeting their needs I'd have a lot of nickels. These folks do not have a plan or routine for their own spiritual growth and aren't growing! The church can do more and will - but folks are going to have to realize what's going on and address it!

    I have included below more information about Reveal, with links to order. ENJOY!

    Overview
    It started with a church doing a congregational survey. The initial results provided exceptional insights into individuals’ spiritual growth and development. Now we're opening the door to other churches—of all shapes and sizes—to work together to help people grow in their love of God and others.

    So, what is REVEAL?

    It’s an ongoing conversation among a community of pastors and church leaders who have been called by God to help people grow in their love of God and others.

    Fueling the conversation are the insights gathered from millions of answers to survey questions given to (thus far) thousands of people from churches all across the country.

    Why the name? According to Greg Hawkins, the point leader for REVEAL: “We truly believe that God revealed new insights to us about the people of our church—and how our church can help them grow closer to Christ. Our prayer is that other churches will join with each other so that we all can keep building on these insights.”

    Short History of REVEAL
    Since the early 1990s, Willow Creek Community Church has used congregational surveys to find out about its congregation. As with most surveys, the data provided a strong understanding of some key basic demographics:
    • Life Stage: age, marital status, sex, etc.
    • Spiritual background
    • Involvement: serving, small groups, services, etc.
    • And more

    By 2004, the church’s leaders were looking for more information. They found it when they connected with Eric Arnson, founder of ORIGINATE, a research and strategy consulting firm that develops and applies new approaches to understanding consumer-based loyalty for corporations.

    Here’s how Eric describes his business approach: “I use scientific methods to look beyond surface characteristics such as demographics into the deeper issues: emotions, motivations and needs.”

    After he had met Eric, Greg Hawkins asked him if his methods could dig below the surface to better understand the spiritual development of people. Eric believed it could. How? “We ask people behavioral questions about things like serving, Bible study, small group involvement, spiritual practices including prayer and solitude, attendance at services—anything that tied into their spiritual lives.”

    The results? According to Greg, “God began to reveal new insights—biblically based insights—to us as we looked at data from a congregational survey at our church in 2004. We discovered through this research, we could gain a unique understanding of the spiritual lives of our people—how they grow and what we can do to help them.”

    Click HERE for more info.

    August 22, 2007

    American Band

    Americanband_4I finally put myself on a self-imposed book moratorium.  No more new books until I finish all the ones that I have started. I actually started and finished this one last week and must say that for anyone that has ever performed in a high school marching band, this one is well worth the trip down memory lane.  I actually had to fight back tears at the end - what a sap! For those of you that have wondered what the big deal is with the whole marching band thing, well here you go.

    From the book:

    Author "Kristen Laine went back to the heartland-- to the America so many of us fly over without blinking an eye-- and uncovered ... a world where salvation and ambition and teenage angst collide in strange ways no outsider could ever understand, unless you read American Band."
    --Michael Bamberger, author of Wonderland: A Year in the Life of an American High School

    Every fall, marching bands take to the field in a uniquely American ritual. From the stands, it looks easy. You don’t see them sweat. For millions of kids, band is more than a show. It’s a rite of passage—a first foray into leadership and adult responsibility, and a chance to learn what it means to be part of a community. Nowhere is band more serious than at Concord High School in Elkhart, Indiana, where the entire town is involved with the success of its defending state champion band, the Marching Minutemen.

    In the place where this tradition may have originated, in the city that became the band instrument capital of the world, band is a religion. But it’s not the only religion, as director Max Jones discovers. After four decades, Jones’s single-minded devotion to musical excellence has fallen out of step with a younger generation increasingly focused on personal salvation. In what his students do not know is his final season of directing, he has assembled his most ambitious show ever, for the strongest senior class he has ever directed. Amid conflicting notions of greatness, the band marches through a season that starts in hope and promise, progresses through uncertainty and disappointment, and ends, ultimately, in redemption.

    AMERICAN BAND is an unusually intimate chronicle of life, in all its triumph, disappointment, and drama, in the kind of community in which most of America lives. It is an especially timely portrait, capturing as it does the spirit of the heartland at a time of profound change. If you have ever been—or yearned to be—part of something bigger than yourself, you will be rooting for the kids whose voices fill this book.

    Excerpt from the first chapter HERE.

    Back to School

    BacktoSummer is over. No more lazy hot days at the pool. No more late bedtimes, weeknight sleepovers or sleeping in. New schedules to adjust to. New expections to meet. New friends, new teachers. Plenty of homework. Sports, dance classes, piano lessons, etc.

    Whether they realize it the kids are ready to get back to it. They are bored now and ready for the new challenges that school brings. Moms everywhere are relieved, but also have their own adjustments to make. 

    The annual rite and all the trimmings known best as "Back to School."

    August 16, 2007

    Buffalo, Lions and Crocs - Oh My!!

    Saw this today and was pretty amazed by it - wanted to share.  Here is the description:

    "[This video] may be the hottest upload in web history that doesn't include a naked famous person or a politician saying something career-ending." -Time Magazine

    "[My favorite online video is] the one with water buffalo, lions and a crocodile."
    -Chad Hurley, YouTube Co-Creator, at the Webby Awards(Transcript | Video)

    The Battle at Kruger--a battle over a baby calf between a pride of lions, a herd of buffalo, and a crocodile-- was witnessed by Jason Schlosberg and David Budzinski in September 2004 at a watering hole near Pretoriuskop Camp, Mpumalanga in South Africa's Kruger National Park.

    Click HERE to view.

    August 15, 2007

    For Holy Name Shall Always Be

    Garfield60The following is an email sent by Dave Shaw, an alumnus of the Holy Name Cadets, that gives tremendous insight into the impact of the drum corps activity on those that are privileged to experience it. The sense of history and honor is thematic throughout. Enjoy!

    THREE DAYS IN PASADENA

    THREE DAYS OF PRIDE

    And so, the 2007 season comes to a close; but the memories and the pride of this Old alumni war-horse will linger on for the rest of my days.

    Approximately three months ago I met with George Hopkins in a Paramus Shopping Mall at Starbucks (where else?), to discuss Cadet Alumni activities. Shortly afterwords I received a communication from George asking if I could arrange for a representative group of Holy Name Alumni to attend Memorial Brass, reason unspecified. I contacted quite a few, but because of holiday weekend family commitments and short notice, I was only able to convince two of my fellow 1957 Cadets to accompany me; John Avella and Ken Shedosky. We literally hadn't seen each other in 40 plus years. Neither John nor Ken had seen a drum corps perform or been in touch with the Cadets during that entire period of time. We had no idea why we had been invited, but we knew why we were going. It was way past time to reconnect the past with the present.

    We arrived in Allentown wearing our brand new Holy Name Cadet jackets, and from the first moment we arrived we were treated like visiting royalty. George, the Yea staff, the Cadets' instructional staff, parents, board members, and spectators present to attend the concert, all welcomed us warmly and with reverence. Then it happened. The 2007 Cadets began to emerge from the concert hall following their rehearsal, and they were all wearing "the shirt." On the front was the program logo for the season, "I Believe," and on the back was the words "For Holy Name Shall Always Be." I will never forget that moment for as long as I live. John, Ken, and I looked at each other and began to cry, and for the rest of the evening the tears flowed freely.

    At just about the same time we spotted the Cadets, the Cadets spotted us, and we were mobbed. I have no idea if the Cadets had been informed that we would be attending, or if it was just spontaneous; but it didn't matter either way. Cadet Alumni representing 73 years of Cadet history were symbolically reconnecting with "our corps and our kids," and for John, Ken, and I, it was moving beyond description. Our love affair with our 2007 Cadets began at that moment. Later we took the seats reserved for us in the theater and sat in stunned silence as the curtain opened and The Cadets, wearing "the shirts" appeared, and proceeded to blow us away with the most awesome display of talent any of us had ever witnessed in our entire drum corps experience. But, the best was yet to come.

    Following other excellent groups participating in the program, The Cadets made a second appearance, this time in "the uniform." The three of us lost it completely. This time we just couldn't make the tears stop..

    .and we didn't want to make them stop. Our corps was our corps again, and all was right with the world.

    After intermission John, Ken, and I were invited out on the stage where we were introduced to the audience by George, and presented with a plaque for the 1957 Holy Name Cadets commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the 1957 American Legion National Championship, the last National Championship won under the Holy Name banner. This plaque will be on proud display at the Great-Gathering-of-the-Maroon in Atlantic City, September 12 thru 14. We had a surprise for George as well, and I think for once we caught him off-guard. We presented him with a Holy Name Cadet jacket and informed him that from that moment on we expected him to sing The Holy Name Hymn with all other Cadets, past and present. He might not have considered himself a Cadet, but after 25 years of service to our corps he is a Cadet, and it was time to join his voice with ours in the most beloved of all Cadet rituals. We left that night to drive home three very happy Cadet Alumni, and we proceeded to tell every other Alumnus w e were able to contact what we had seen, and what we had experienced. The re-bonding of our corps had begun.

    The three of us also traveled out to Allentown a second time for the Cadets'

    first dress-rehearsal performance of their "This I Believe" program. Once again we were blown away by the unbelievable talent of the 2007 Cadets. After the performance we went down to greet the Cadets at their food truck, and were once again mobbed. They had another surprise for us as well that was completely unexpected. Two of the young Cadets had "Holy Name Cadets" tattooed on their bodies. If you never marched Cadets you probably don't realize what an impact that had on us. The three of us were Cadets top to bottom, but we never reached the point of displaying our corps pride so indelibly. It was at that moment that we realized that the bond between our past and their present was now unbreakable. We became born-again Cadets in a dark parking lot outside the walls of J. Birney Crum Stadium, and we knew that it was our mission to let all Cadet Alumni know that the history, traditions, and legacy they had built, were alive and well.

    Not too long afterwords many Cadet Alumni gathered for a reunion at Giants'

    Stadium for the Cadets' home show. All the events associated with that reunion were packed, and all divisions between segments of the corps had disappeared. No one grouped themselves or isolated themselves by banner. We were still part of the Holy Name Cadets or the Garfield Cadets or the Cadets of Bergen County or The Cadets; but now that was a sub-title. We were all Cadets, and we were all Holy Name. We were one corps, and we began to realize that our history was not just our past, but our present and future as well. We realized that the modern-era Cadets are living history, and that through them the best is yet to come. At the end of the pre-contest reception alumni from all eras, and a representative group of Cadets, sang the Holy Name Song in unison.

    There wasn't a dry eye in the house. The Chairman of the YEA Board perhaps said it best at George's Testimonial the following day celebrating 25 years as Director of The Cadets. Mr. Silverstein closed his remarks with this statement:

    "Our job is to ensure that The Cadets will be around forever, and that Holy Name shall always be..."

    We are part of a competitive activity. While competition may not be the primary component of the Cadet Experience; it is a valuable tool for teaching and learning a lot of life lessons. This year the DCI Championship Competitions were held in Pasadena, California. I was present for those competitions. The atmosphere was, to put in mildly, extremely hostile. Somewhere along the line a growing number of members of the drum corps community have lost their civility and self-pride, and become rude, obnoxious, and self-focused. Sadly, in Pasadena that group prevailed, and swept along with them a large number of people who in retrospect I would be willing to bet are now dismayed at their own behavior, and ashamed that they were a part of such a denigrating spectacle. I have been around drum corps for 57 years, and during that entire time I have never seen anything remotely similar occur. The most disturbing part to me was that many of the people swept along in the mob-like atmosphere that prevailed in the stands were wearing corps jackets, tee shirts, and other items advertising their allegiance. They did not seem cognizant of the fact that if they were members of any of the corps competing and they acted in the manner in which they were acting, they would probably have been thrown out of their corps.

    For myself, I have never been prouder to be a Cadet or to display my colors than I was in Pasadena. The 2007 Cadets were magnificent; in their talent, in their performance abilities, in their behavior, and in their ability to stand tall as Cadets under the hailstorm of abuse they encountered. Yes, I suspect they did learn some valuable lessons in Pasadena. I suspect that you will never see behavior from them that was exhibited towards them. One of the primary lessons of the Cadet experience is the importance of personal accountability. How unfortunate that those booing and heckling in the stands never learned that lesson.

    At the quarterfinals we had our first drum major, John Baumfalk, now 89 years Old, viewing The Cadets for the first time in 57 years. He was a guest of DCI in the press box. Interviewers and photographers from local publications, radio stations, drum corps publications, activity and corps websites, etc., were lined up to get his story on tape and on film. I don't think he heard much of what occurred. He was too busy displaying the grace and character of a man who planted the seeds for the corps he had come to see...The Cadets. If he did hear the boos or observe the behavior of the audience, I suspect he would have too much courtesy to comment on it to his hosts.

    Did the boos affect The Cadets' performance? Absolutely! Who could have been prepared for anything even close to what they encountered. Did George do the right thing by pulling them off the field to permit the field to be relined?

    Absolutely! The Cavaliers, performing just before the Cadets, experienced several members falling, and their Director not only notified George of the condition of the field, but was solidly in support of George's decision. The irony is that the Cavaliers were the only corps that would have benefited from a penalty assessed against the Cadets, but Mr. Fiedler, like George, chose to do the right thing rather than the advantageous thing. It amazes me how so many people both in the stands and in the theaters characterized what occurred according to their own distorted prejudices and/or invalid assumptions. On Thursday night in the Rose Bowl the audience became a mob, and our long-held belief that drum corps people were something special was tarnished forever .

    At the semi-finals on Friday the Cadets came back with a vengeance. It was the finest drum corps performance I have ever witnessed. They placed second by one half a tenth. Should they have won? That's a matter of personal perspective. The judges had a near-impossible job, and I think for the most part they performed it well. Each judge has a single segment to evaluate, and sometimes the numbers don't work to your advantage. The Blue Devils had a fine corps, and whichever way the numbers fell, either corps could have emerged on top. The Cadets entered the field to be greeted by a hostile audience. They left the field with the sound of a standing ovation ringing in their ears. They turned the mob back into an audience again, with only isolated idiots playing out their self-assigned roles. All season people on the drum corps forums blasted the Cadets' program concept, the narration, the tonality of the Cadets doing the narration, and everything in between. Most of them had never even seen the Cadets perform live, but they still felt qualified to pass judgment.

    In Pasadena there was a whole new element. People with signs and people yelling out comments that were either insulting, meant to disrupt, or five second routines by wanna-be stand-up comics. I sat next to one who thought he was so amusing and witty that his running commentary on the Cadets should be shared with the world. I hope he has a day job.

    On Saturday morning I had the very great honor and privilege to attend The Cadets traditional Finals-Day breakfast. There was a huge turnout of alumni, parents, friends, and supporters. Most important of all was the long-anticipated opportunity for John Baumfalk, our revered first Drum Major and horn instructor, to meet the 2007 Cadets. These young people showered John with love and attention and reverence. They made me very, very proud. They made John very, very happy. Afterwords we got to witness one of the famous "Hop Meetings" with his Cadets. The young men and women of the corps were seated on the field, with the adult attendees standing facing them. George gave a short explanation of how he attempts to relate the Cadet experience to imminent life experiences, and he thanked the young Cadets present for the privilege of leading them, and thanked their parents for entrusting the most precious people in their lives to his care. Following that he opened up the discussion for anyone to speak. I am told this is a regular component of his regular meetings with The Cadets throughout each season. Several Cadets stood to thank him for the experience of being a Cadet, to thank their parents and/or sponsors for making it possible, to thank their instructors for the incomparable learning experience, to tell the alumni present how much their support meant to them this season, and to tell their fellow Cadets how much they loved them. The discussion was then opened to the guests present. Several parents echoed their sons or daughters by thanking George for what he had done for "their" Cadet. Someone else who seemed to be just a fan thanked the Cadets for the joy they brought into his life by their performances and by his observations of how they conducted themselves. Finally a Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Jim Reilly, asked to speak. He informed everyone present that he had been following the Cadets as a fan since 1947. He spoke from the heart about his feelings for the Cadets, and most particularly for the 2007 Cadets. He made us laugh, he made us cry, and he made us all very, very proud. His final words to the group of Cadets sitting on the ground sharing their final moments together with those of us gathered in tribute to them was, "and you truly are Athletes of God." Some people this summer have criticized and ridiculed that phrase. I will never understand why! As I watched the young Cadets, and Troopers, and Pioneer, and Scouts, and Bluecoats, and Crown, and members of every other corps enter the stadium gates for each of the three nights of competition, I was filled with admiration and conviction that each and every one of them was in fact truly an "Athlete of God." My opinion of those ridiculing or booing any single one of them is far less lofty.

    Saturday was the culmination of my three days of pride in "Our" Cadets. I can't begin to imagine what was in the mind of each Cadet proudly entering the field wearing the maroon and gold. They performed magnificently. They stood tall in retreat formation and never wavered. They left the field with dignity and pride.

    Now they are dispersed once again; to states near and far, to Countries most of us have never visited. They have begun their lifelong Cadet journey. I can tell you what's in my mind now. I think their legacy will live on in Cadet history forever. I believe they have honored our corps beyond measure. I believe that the words "I Believe" are part of a new Cadet creed. Thank you 2007 Cadets. You have made history! We now have a united corps that will work together, as never before, "to ensure that the Cadets will be around forever, and Holy Name shall always be..."

    Dave Shaw, 1950-58

    August 13, 2007

    DCI Finals results

    Div_i_corps_imageHere are the results from the Drum Corps International Division I Finals held Saturday night at the Rose Bowl in Anaheim, CA:

    1 Blue Devils 98.000
    2 The Cadets 97.025
    3 The Cavaliers 96.350
    4 Phantom Regiment 94.850
    5 Santa Clara Vanguard 94.175
    6 Carolina Crown 94.150
    7 Bluecoats 94.050
    8 Blue Knights 90.275
    9 Boston Crusaders 89.100
    10 Colts 86.150
    11 Glassmen 85.750
    12 Spirit from JSU 84.500

    As an alum I am especially proud of the Cadets, but I must also give a proud southern shout out to the Carolina Crown in 6th place.  Moving into the upper tier of the drum corps activity is very difficult to do - keep after it Crown! Also congrats to the Spirit from JSU - another southern corps that made it into the finals show at 12th.

    Here is a link to a well put together season recap that I thoroughly enjoyed - click HERE or go to www.dci.org

    Death Clock

    Rip_bottomAccording to a new website called deathclock.com my official date with death will be:

    Sunday, October 30, 2061

    Billed as the Internet's friendly reminder that life is slipping away... second by second. Like the hourglass of the Net, the Death Clock will remind you just how short life is.

    Make every day, every second count!! Calculate your own date with death at www.deathclock.com.

    Rotateskull

    August 12, 2007

    Cadets Going for It All in Pasadena

    Top three Division I corps within one point after Semifinals


    Blue Devils

    Fans gathered at Rose Bowl Stadium tonight for the Drum Corps International World Championship Semifinals. The top 17 corps in the world took to the field tonight, giving fans and each other some of the greatest performances of the year so far.

    The Blue Devils (97.300) won tonight’s World Championship competition, barely placing ahead of the Cadets (97.250) and the Cavaliers (96.775). Blue Devils will now look for a sweep of the championships competition and hope to finish strong for their home-state crowd.

    “It was a great performance for the corps tonight and everything is getting very consistent,” said David Gibbs, director of the Blue Devils. “We’re gearing up for tomorrow night and we’re excited for our last show. We backed off of the kids a little bit tonight, so I think we have a couple more gears left in us for tomorrow night’s performance.”

    The Cadets and Cavaliers put on powerful performances as well and are excited for an undoubtedly strong finish to their competitive seasons tomorrow night, as less than six tenths of a point now separates the top three corps.

    “Tonight’s performance was excellent. The corps has been great for a long time now, but I’m really proud of them tonight,” said George Hopkins, director of the Cadets. “Tonight, the corps really wanted to prove that the show and everything we’ve put into it is worthy. It’s great to be in the mix again right now.”

    From www.dci.org. For the complete article go HERE.

    Cadets Penalty Withdrawn

    Putting it on ‘the line’: Cadets’ two point penalty withdrawn

    Brief controversy was sparked during the 2007 Drum Corps International World Championship Quarterfinals on Aug. 8, when director George Hopkins, concerned for the safety of his corps performers, indicated that the hash marks were not visible on the field prior to his corps’ performance. A 15 minute delay followed until the lines were repainted at Rose Bowl Stadium.

    All corps directors agreed at a Wednesday night meeting in preparation for the DCI World Championships that the field painting schedule would allow for the lines and hashes to be refreshed only during each of the scheduled breaks.

    Based on that agreement the initial reaction of Drum Corps International Contest Director Tony DiCarlo, the Cadets were penalized two points for delay of contest. As all facts came forth, however, it was clear that while the yard lines were painted during the second break the hash marks had not been.

    “At no time was Mr. Hopkins anything but respectful of the contest director and the situation. After reviewing all facts in the matter, Judge Administrator John Philips, Contest Director Tony DiCarlo, and myself determined that it was in the best interest of all parties involved in the competition to withdraw the penalty,” said DCI Executive Director Dan Acheson.

    Turf managers at the Rose Bowl Stadium were quick to respond to the situation and have agreed to a more frequent painting schedule which will eliminate similar issues for the remaining nights of Division I competition.

    “Drum Corps International would like to formally apologize to the members of the Cadets, their staff and their fans for any misconception based on actions of Thursday evening,” said Acheson. “All decisions were made on strict interpretation of the rules, but once the facts were in, the withdrawal of the penalty was seen as the appropriate option.”

    August 08, 2007

    Son of Hubble, Prepare for a 2013 Liftoff

    Stsci200709The Hubble Space Telescope is 17 years old — that's like 150 to you and me. Next year, the geriatric orbiting eye will receive its final tune-up, and soon it will go live on a farm where it can play with other obsolete space-based observatories. The good news is that NASA scientists have already cooked up a replacement. The James Webb Space Telescope, scheduled for a 2013 launch, folds to fit into the cone of a rocket for deeper deployment than its predecessor. Once in orbit, it will capture infrared instead of visible light and — since distance equals time in space — will be able to see back to about 400 million years after the big bang. That should let it snag shots of the first bright objects, the origins of planetary systems, and the assembly of galaxies. "Every time you get new capabilities, you see a quantum jump in progress," says Mark Clampin, the observatory's project scientist. "I'm sure we'll discover things we've never seen before."

    Read more here at WIRED.

    August 07, 2007

    The Leadership Summit

    Wca_leadershipsummit_logoLast year Caroline & I attended the Leadership Summit at the South Barrington, IL campus and were amazed at the new facility, the teaching and the worship (Nicole C. Mullins). This year's line-up looks like we are in for another incredible event. I will be attending at Columbia International University here in town.

    The speakers include Bill Hybels, Colin Powell, Michael E. Porter, John Ortberg, Floyd H. Flake, Carly Fiorina, Marcus Buckingham, Richard Curtis, Jimmy Carter and guest artist Kirk Franklin.  Complete bios of these amazing folks are online HERE.

    August 03, 2007

    Flower? Ice Cream Cone?

    Img_7286Finding interesting creatures, formations and shapes out of the rocks was great fun out west. Can you see the flower and the ice cream cone? (Don't worry, they'll get a lot more difficult!)

    August 01, 2007

    Vision and Leadership - Father Theodre M. Hesburgh

    The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet.

                                                                                - Theodore M. Hesburgh
    This quote led me to want to know a little more about Father Hesburgh, president of Notre Dame for 35 years. Here is a little more about the Father:

    Photo_fatherhesburgh2Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., president emeritus of the University of Notre Dame, continues in a quiet but pivotal way to advance the interests of the University he led for 35 years. Considered one of the most influential figures in higher education in the 20th century, he is now 90 years old.

    Father Hesburgh stepped down as head of Notre Dame on June 1, 1987, ending the longest tenure at that time among active presidents of American colleges and universities. After a yearlong sabbatical, he returned to a retirement office on the 13th floor of the newly named Hesburgh Library. One of his first projects was completion of an autobiography, "God, Country, Notre Dame," which was published in November 1990 by Doubleday and became a national best seller.

    For a complete bio clck HERE.

    Antelope Canyon - Page, AZ

    West_trip_191Photographer's paradise - this shot is aptly named "The Candlestick." Please check out the photo album from Antelope Canyon. We could have stayed all day!