trumpetman1288

I know it's your opinion, and I respect that, but how could not feel that Duncanville deserved to be in the top 3? I've said before, I liked their show, but I am not fond of the type of performances that Duncanville puts on. Preferences of show types aside, Duncanville executed their show to its full potential. They had a show worthy of being placed 3rd among ALL other 5A bands in the state. Not to mention that there are over thirty 5A districts in the state, most of which have 5-6 schools MINIMUM. If it were MY choice on who got what ranking at state, I would have put Churchill 1st, LD Bell 2nd, and it would've been up in the air for third between Duncanville and Cedar Park. Yes, I feel Churchill deserved to win state because they executed their show better in the evening. Ironically enough, they had a group of students fall in prelims and got first. Bell had a student fall at the very end. Maybe to win state, you have to have at least one fall in your show... OK, jokes aside, that is what I would have put. But that is why UIL has a panel of 5 judges to do this job for us. A group of men and women that have a degree in music and work at either a college or professional level with music. If Duncanville earned 3rd amongst the decision of 5 musicians, then they must have earned it. If LD Bell finished 1st in state finals despite Churchill having an outstanding finals performance having 5th place to show for it, then so be it as well. Personally, I think it is EXTREMELY difficult to rank the top 10 bands in the state for UIL. Texas flat out has one too many good bands.

The Conservation of mass and energy are both defied by E=MC^2. In both a physical and chemical reaction, mass and energy will always remain conserved. Once you get into a nuclear level, however, we know that mass can be destroyed, energy can be created, and so on and so forth. We know that light is usually an indication of energy, but it has no mass or physical properties with the exception of it being visible. In E=MC^2, mass is turned into energy, and theoretically, you can turn energy into mass. So what does all that have to do with black holes and the multiversal theory? Light, being a form of energy can be manipulated by black holes, or even space for that matter. But Xakaniz brings out a good point; light has no mass. If light has no mass, it cannot fall victim to the effects of gravity. Granted, we have found ways here on earth to slow down and manipulate the speed of light, none of which involved using gravity. Light is manipulated by matter or waves that disrupt the frequency at which it travels. A black hole is source of GREAT energy, so it must be producing waves to manipulate light, but light still cannot fall victim to the gravity of a black hole.

I actually liked Duncanville's show believe it or not. I mean, certainly not designed to be an "entertaining" type of show, but it was rather a show designed to impress crowds. I enjoyed the fanfares, the section features later on in the show, and October... I enjoy October; it's hands down one of my top 5 favorite pieces ever written. I am ALWAYS let down any time I see October on the field because it loses the magic and beauty that the piece creates. Duncanville did not let me down. Props to them for making October as beautiful on the field as it is in a concert setting.

Yes, I know the randomness makes FG funny. I love FG as well, but I guess it just hits too much on the fact that the general American society does not like to have to think to be able to get jokes (Take Napoleon Dynamite for example...stupidest movie EVER by far, yet it was popular with teens because it was "funny"). FG episodes lose their humor after seeing it about twice whereas in the Simpsons you might have to see it at least 2-3 times to get every single joke within, making its humor even better. I just get the feeling FG makers are trying too hard to get people to enjoy it while the Simpsons makers have their own comedic geniuses at work.

Well there was a used condom on the picnic table outside...we hope people were just playing with it because there is bird poo all over the floor and some of the tables...they havent been cleaned all summer. Hamsters or gerbils?

Concured. Sadly enough, there STILL will be about half the people that show up that cannot play the music.

There're always the good ol' "steal another band's show" or the "illegally borrow an arrangement" approaches. Not that I've heard stories about those before

The Simpsons take the win in my book any day of the week. My beef with Family Guy is that they have to use those "just like that time when..." or "you remember what happened last time..." or different things like that to lead into some of their funny stuff. They don't do it ALL the time, I know, but it distracts from the main elements of a story in certain episodes. Like some of the episodes where Peter fights that cursed chicken. Funny stuff...but it goes a little too far. The randomness of the fight is what makes it funny, not so much the extremeness of it. The Simpsons is for real lovers of satire. There are some jokes in the Simpsons that most "educated" people would not get because you really have to pay attention. The Simpsons is pure genius. The Simpson family is a crude version of the average American family, yet most people do not realize it. Sure, boys are not as mischievious as Bart, men are not as foolish as Homer, and so on and so forth, but they are that way to poke fun at the average American family. Think about it..the story reeks with satire. Mr. Burns...the rich boss that doesn't know his employees' names except for his brown-noser. Marge, the over-protective mother that can sometimes be such a bore. The Flanders family...the family that we love for their goodness, yet despise for their overly religious ways. Principal Skinner...the representation of the education...worried about the trouble makers and forgetful of those willing to learn. The list can keep going on. So I say yes to the Simpsons

Yeah..I would have put another band in place of Clements in 2004. I mean, no disrespect to the band because there is a great program over there, but I feel that Brazoswood that year should've been in finals. They flat out performed. Great show for them too...it was nicely executed and the music was played to perhaps its fullest potential. Then again, what do I know, or all of us for that matter. The combined scores of not one, but five judges is what got them into finals.

I guess something else I should add, and most of you will probably dog me for this, is that I really did not like Cedar Park's 2004 show. No doubt they played INCREDIBLY well (their loud section towards the beginning of Mars...you know what I'm talking about...remains my favorite opening statement despite my dislike for the show) and it stood well in BOA standards, but they had a show that did EXTREMELY well in UIL. Why is that? Well, Cedar Park, along with Duncanville, LD Bell, Langham Creek (I think), and Churchill (correct me if I forgot someone), was one of the few TRUE marching bands at that contest. They played music, difficult music at that, and had a nicely executed drill that fit the music. No funky little electronic sounds that make a show more show...ish. I'd be lying that if I didn't say that I enjoyed Haltom, Reagan, the Woodlands, or any other of the state finalists, but they were shows that were made to entertain...not to be technical and judge who has the best marching program, which is what UIL is all about. LD Bell was clean, had a band with great marching fundamentals, and they played a great show. That is what decides the best band. Sure, anyone can pay good money for a neat show, but to MAKE a show clean and to execute it well is what decides if a band is worthy of being called the best band in Texas.

Tony!

Yeah...I would like to add that LD Bell, Churchill, Haltom, Cedar Park, the Woodlands, and Reagan were all BOA finalists in that year. The Woodlands even went to on to compete in GN finals that year as well. While the rankings vary quite a bit from BOA to UIL, UIL is not a GE fanatic like BOA is. I would say that UIL does look at musical effect and visual effect, which ties more into execution, which is what UIL looks more.

Yes....well, for me, in English. I tend to curse in Spanish quite a bit for some reason.. How long do you think it will be before the US Postal Service starts charging us $1 to mail a letter?

No, the REAL fun one. During a quiet section in a song, pull someone's arm hairs out when they are wandering off. It's funny to hear them try to stay quiet and pretends it's nothing.

yeah...thats the eastern part of the RGV. It's made up of four counties (Willacy, Hidalgo, Cameron, Starr) and I am experiencing a brain fart at the moment, so I can't remember which county is which...I think I got it. Cameron is where Brownsville, Harlingen, and most of you should know this one, South Padre Island are. Hidalgo is west of that one and is home to Hidalgo, Mission, McAllen, Edinburg, and other places. The next county is Starr...where Roma and Rio Grande City are. There really isn't much out there except for those two cities. Really...it's mostly dirt and dry grass and a tree every so often. The only reason RGC has a 5A school out there is because RGC has Ringgold fort and some other historic background, in addition to a number of jobs out there. Willacy county...I don't know much about that area. Mostly ranches out there. I think Raymondville is up there...don't remember, oh well. Willacy is north of Cameron. But yes...that was your geography lesson for today.

I think the only way we would ever see for our own eyes is to invent something that can turn mass into light and then back again.

It's on the far west of the Rio Grande Valley (AKA, the Valley). For those of you that don't know where the RGV is, its the region that is at the very southern tip of Texas, just north of Mexico.

This is my opinion and I REALLY think it will happen... This year will be perhaps one of the most competitive years for state. So I guess to answer your first question, it will be better. I mean...after all, not only the top bands in the state get better...so do some of the lesser known ones. I feel the top 10 will be full of shockers. A number of programs have improved since the last state year. I think LD Bell, Cedar Park, Churchill, Duncanville, and Reagan are probably the only bands that are guaranteed to be in finals. I think the bottom 5 will be filled with different bands. It wouldn't be a surprise if the Woodlands, Haltom, Brazowood, or a few other bands take those spots though. Despite this, I am still expecting some upsets for the state finals. I think it will be between Reagan and LD Bell for the super regional. If LD Bell goes to SA this year, they will definitely give Reagan a run for their money. BOA is a whole different type of contest from state, and Reagan dominates BOA in Texas. Last year at GN, however, they finished 2nd and 3rd with a half point margin. You can't say that one of them will overthrow the other. It's just going to come down to whoever executes their show better at SA.

I am a big fan of Reagan in general, but I just feel that their program is one of those that straddles of the line of marching band and show band. Despite that, I feel they were the best this year. Big time props to Bell. Such a contrast from the show in 2004. You all aren't the state champs for nothing and it showed in 2005. Despite all adversity, nice come back. Props to Roma as well. Not many people know about them, and it's a shame. They are a 4A powerhouse. They won class AA at the super regional and missed finals by less than a point. They would have been a 4A band competing in perhaps the hardest contest in the state, which is totally dominated by the 5A schools. Not to mention they are a military style band. That's right...no visuals (except for a horn flash every so often), props, or any type GE booster. Roma definitely deserves more attention than they get. But that's just my opinion, as the title of this thread suggests.

I don't think we really have a weakest or strongest section at the moment...a lot of people are kind of slow at learning music. I am probably one of the few that can take the music at tempo. If I had to pick one though, I would say drumline and front ensemble. They both are just expected to learn the fastest, be the cleanest, work the hardest, and be the most disciplined.

Sadly no...Kind of sad because so many people are talented here...just many of them are lazy. Does the dentist scare you?

No...I'm already as big as you can get without being outrageously fat. Thankfully, I'm tall, so it all gets distributed (I'm 285 lb and 6'2 1/2"...I am rather large. It's always fun seeing people's faces of disbelief at my weight) How many state etudes do you have perfectly down minus dynamics (I have one)?

*gasp* YOU DONT KNOW WHO MARIO IS?!? The original man of the video game industry? MARIO!! OK, now that that's out of my system, vanilla. Do you ever feel fake when you put on a smile for a camera?

Yep. In fact, everytime I think of multiverses, I think of that movie. That would kind of suck though...if your other self came to kill you so that he/she could become stronger.

A date Mario or Sonic?