Society

Now This Is A Kick Off

Ladies and Gentleman, I give you Hawaii’s unparalleled marching band.

This also seems a fitting time to note that Rafflaw has agreed to shed anonymity and expressed an interest in posting during our free-for-all weekends. As I mentioned, I have a number of other regulars in mind who have been on the blog for years and have been wonderful contributors. I will continue to explore ways to add new voices as well as the other innovations suggested by our regulars to improve the blog. Guest blogging requires both a surrendering of anonymity as well as a proven willingness to comply with our hard and fast civility rules (even in the face of persistent trolls). I expect some of our regulars would prefer to continue to post commentary in response to stories and I am grateful to both our guest bloggers and regulars commentators. We have a great bench of pitchers and hitters.

Rafflaw and the rest of the guest bloggers will be blogging more than usual between Dec. 22nd and Jan. 2 because I will be traveling to Chicago in our annual Christmas trip. The Internet is a bit spotty at our family’s house on the Northside. However, I will also be posting as the signal allows.

89 thoughts on “Now This Is A Kick Off”

  1. FFLEO,

    I didn’t say so on the Karzai thread, but when you said “I submit that dishonor never exists amongst or against soldiers who honorably fight in otherwise dishonorable wars.”?

    I submit that no truer words have ever been spoken.

    The dishonor of dishonorable wars falls squarely on the men who start them, not the men who fight them honorably.

  2. I know this isn’t a marching band, but I found this to be so phenominal that I think it may have been just as popular as the version performed by Train.

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RURlruTsTRs&fs=1&hl=en_US]

  3. Blouise,

    Oh yeah, drummers are great fun to be around but I wouldn’t want one dating my sister.

    The embedding is disabled for this video, but if you’ve taken those legal drugs – or even if you haven’t – it’s worth going to YouTube for:

  4. Otteray Scribe,

    That was a moving account of your son’s memorial. At the end of this note is something I wrote on another thread earlier today regarding soldiers fighting in dishonorable wars. While I was serving stateside in the Army during the Viet Nam Era, my brother was killed in Laos. Since he was my hero, his death was very traumatic to me. Additionally, just days before he was killed by mortar rounds while helping others to safety, he had just learned that he was about to become a father for the first time. His son is now an Air Force officer/pilot and his Dad would be so very proud of him. I can only imagine what losing a son or daughter to a foreign war is like by uttering the simplest words—I am sorry, that I can somewhat understand the pain you have suffered, and the lament will likely remain with you forevermore—as it has with me. The saving grace is the immense pride knowing that your courageous son chose the right and honorable course at the time.

    From earlier today on the Karzi thread: “… I submit that dishonor never exists amongst or against soldiers who honorably fight in otherwise dishonorable wars.”

  6. Bussha,

    Of course they were also a lot of fun … just not good boy-friend material.

  7. Buddha Is Laughing
    1, December 17, 2010 at 7:23 pm
    “Also, if female, we are taught at an early age to never, under any circumstances, date a drummer!”

    That is some real wisdom there, Blouise.

    I’ve never met a drummer that wasn’t a little unhinged.

    ============================================================

    … and full of illegal substances!

  8. Thanks again to all. Swarthmore Mom, I even like the Texas band!! Former Fed, the Irish song by Paul McCartney was wonderful. I had never heard that before.

  9. Bda,

    I sang with a jazz combo through high-school and college and a Big-Band dance band … good times.

  11. “Also, if female, we are taught at an early age to never, under any circumstances, date a drummer!”

    That is some real wisdom there, Blouise.

    I’ve never met a drummer that wasn’t a little unhinged.

  12. Former Federal LEO
    1, December 17, 2010 at 6:51 pm
    Blouise,

    I never could figger out how you chellerists helt one of them big chellers unner yer chin so I had to stick with a 4/4 fiddle…you must be a very strong woman. As I now recollect, I never did find the chin rest on them monsters, juss that spike bar at the bottom that I guess ya use as a shoulder rest.

    ===========================================================

    Yep, lot of beginners have deep neck wounds cause they missed their shoulder … it’s called the mark of the vampire … however, once one learns the purpose of the tail-spike … viola players beware!

  13. Since rafflaw loves Texas so much I am playing more longhorn band videos for him in order to congratulate him.

  15. rafflaw – my congratulations. I too admire your civility over these years and look forward to your work.

  17. Blouise,

    I never could figger out how you chellerists helt one of them big chellers unner yer chin so I had to stick with a 4/4 fiddle…you must be a very strong woman. As I now recollect, I never did find the chin rest on them monsters, juss that spike bar at the bottom that I guess ya use as a shoulder rest.

  19. Former Federal LEO: Thanks for the nice compliment and video. Actually, the Mull of Kintyre is a beautiful area on the west coast of Scotland. A mull is a bald hill or mountain. The surname Rafferty is Irish, but a family name with a long and illustrious history. In Irish Gaelic the original form of the name is O’Raithbheartaigh.

    Also, thanks to all the nice compliments for the Top Secret Drum Corps. They are dazzling.

    As for the tune Mull of Kintyre, it has a special significance at our house. It was piped at the memorial service for the younger of our two sons. I wrote a diary about it at Daily Kos.

    http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/7/561003/-In-Memoriam:-One-year-ago-today

  20. It did not embed, but all of you Texas lovers can click on to see the longhorn band.

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