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I love traditions. While I enjoy surprises, spontaneity, and serendipity, there is something comforting about doing the same thing at the same time year after year. My family wasn't big on traditions though, as much as I loved them. That might be partly why I love my Catholic faith – the rituals and customs offer a sense of peace, comfort, and belonging – comfort food for my soul.
Daily routine is always labeled as boring, but something that is done less frequently, like once a year, becomes special. It becomes tradition! Every year, I know what I will be doing on Holy Thursday evening. I don't necessarily know where I will be, but I am certain of who I will be with and what we will be doing. Because it's a 30-year-old tradition!
This week is what is known in the Christian world as "Holy Week" – a remembrance of the final week of Jesus' life. While all of the events of the week are important, especially the commemoration of Jesus' death on Good Friday, the traditions of Holy Thursday have always held a special place in my heart. The Mass that is held on the evening of Holy Thursday is different from other Masses held throughout the year. While every Mass is a remembrance of the Last Supper, on Holy Thursday we remember the institution of both the Eucharist and the priesthood in a very special way. We sing the beautiful Pange Lingua and Tantum Ergo as the Eurcharist is processed around the church. The Mass does not end in the usual way, but the altar is stripped bare and the Eucharist is reposed in a special side altar where it will remain until Mass is once again celebrated on Holy Saturday.
In some cultures, it became customary to visit churches on Holy Thursday evening after Mass. The reason for the visits is to spend time in prayer in commemoration of Jesus' night in prayer at the Garden of Gethsemane. The act of visiting churches probably originated in Rome many years ago as a form of a pilgrimage. How many churches should be visited? Most cultures say 7 churches, which is quite possible if you live in a large city. But time constraints usually held us to 3 – most churches now close at midnight or earlier so it is no longer possible to spend the night visiting churches.
This tradition in my life began when I was in high school. It was 1982, and my friend Lou and I were 15 years old. After the Mass that evening, the young priest at our parish and the nun that we helped at school asked if we would like to accompany them to visit a few churches. Little did we know then that it was the start of a yearly tradition. After high school, Lou entered the seminary and eventually was ordained a priest himself, so he did not continue the visits with us each year. But other than a few years here and there, the three of us continued our tradition.
Because our practice itself became routine, it is the years that I broke with tradition that stand out in my memory. One year Lou and I joined a friend and another parish priest, and we drove to a neighborhood in Philadelphia that has three big, beautiful, old churches all within two blocks of each other. One of the three churches was St. Adalbert's, and I was happy to visit there since I knew it was where my grandparents were married. Since this was before my genealogy passion began, I did not know was that my great-grandfather was one of St. Adalbert's founding parishioners. During our visit, two men and two women broke the silence with song. They were professionally trained singers, and their spontaneous hymn was in beautiful 4-part harmony. I remember little else about that night, but I can still remember being in awe at their song of praise.
In 2006, I was in Rome for Holy Thursday. What a place to be – I could have visited a hundred churches that night! They were all open, and lit candles lined the entrances to beckon you to enter. We walked without a plan and quickly found several churches. Some were famous, while others were small and not usually visited by tourists. I don't even remember the names of the places we visited, but the experience was special. Even though I was far from my "traditional" friends, I was happy that I found other friends that wanted to share the experience.
There have been one or two other exceptions to the rule but aside from these few instances every other year – for the last 30 years – my "original" touring company continues the tradition. When we gather after Mass, the first question is usually "Where are we going this year?" A church name is suggested. "Didn't we go there last year?" It's an amusing task to decide where to go, because we can never remember where we went year after year.
We have been to many churches more than once. Every year we say we should write down our "picks" for the year, but we never do, and it's more fun to argue about where we've been and haven't been. Over the decades, we have been to just about every church in Northeast Philadelphia (more than once) and a good portion of Lower Bucks County. When Father was made a pastor in Delaware county, I'd pick up Sister and trek down that way for Mass, and we found a whole new cache of churches to visit. And yet there are still many in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia that we have not yet seen.
Our tradition isn't all pious, however – part of what makes the evening enjoyable is the company. Some years, when life got in the way, it was the first time we had seen each other since the previous Holy Thursday. Occasionally one of the three of us had to miss due to illness or other commitments, but the remaining two continued on schedule. After our visits, we go out to eat (before the Good Friday fast begins) and catch up on each other's lives and memories.
If you've never participated in the custom of visiting churches on Holy Thursday evening, consider starting your own tradition tonight!


text:
Armor All Bike Synthetic Lubricant is formulated to work and last under severe riding conditions. The PTFE provides a non-stick coating that keeps all small moving parts rust free and functional.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Earth360 and Bill's Blog
Bill Lauritzen's Articles and Designs
Bill Lauritzen is an author, educator, speaker, scientist, visionary, performance artist, actor, director, entrepreneur, and athlete. Because of his wide-ranging interests he has been called a modern-day renaissance man. Sir Arthur C. Clarke, inventor of the communications satellite called Bill "some kind of genius." Harry Kroto, Nobel Prize winner, invited Bill to present his ideas at the first international conference on the buckminsterfullerene molecule. Among his other accomplishments, Bill invented a new number system, designed a modern-day Stonehenge, called SpaceHenge, and wrote a paper explaining the value of geodesic domes. He also wrote a book about the invention of religion and mythology called, The Invention of God.
He is a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. One of his advisors at the Air Force Academy was Roger Bate who co-wrote the Dover classic book on Astrodynamics and also stimulated Bill's lifelong interest in computer science. While at the Air Force Academy, Bill was named the Outstanding Graduate in both Behavioral Sciences and Philosophy. Bill received a master's degree from Purdue in Human Factors Psychology. (He learned Human Factors Psychology at Purdue from Ernest J. McCormick, one of the founders of the field.)
In the Air Force he designed jet cockpits as a usability engineer. In the wake of the Vietnam War, he left the Air Force as a pacifist, but has since realized the necessity at times for military intervention. He has taught in many schools the inner city of Los Angeles, at Otis College of Art and Design, at Los Angeles City College, at Johns Hopkins University (Center for Talented Youth), and at Columbia College Hollywood. He also taught for 8 years at a national university in China, Xiamen University, where he was associated with the College of Foreign Language and Culture and the Brain-Like Intelligence Systems Laboratory. Including all his substitute teaching experience, he has taught at about 115 different schools, colleges and universities, in every grade from kindergarden through college, making him perhaps the world's most experienced educator.
In the 1990s, Bill used his computer programming skills to study highly composite numbers and wrote a paper about them. In the 2000 decade, Bill was perhaps one of the first people to develop a web robot to find jobs for substitute teachers. Since 2010, his main interests have been human factors, cognitive science, education, technology, computer programming and artificial intelligence. For awhile he was a member of the Binghamton University of scientists and scholars studying religion and evolution. He is also an advisor to the Lifeboat Foundation, a group of scientists and scholars who study issues related to humanity's survival. His hobby is swimming, and he sometimes competes in ocean swimming or gives swimming lessons. He was ranked by Swim Magazine in the Top Ten in the World in master's swimming. More about Bill
Following are some comments by some of the world's leading scientists and scholars on work by Bill Lauritzen contained on this site:
"Bill Lauritzen... who is some kind of genius."
"I enjoyed reading it and begin to wonder about its applications..."
"I read your article with high interest... eminently publishable."
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"... the famous triangle paper... "
"I read your article on Atlantis with great interest..."
"... thought provoking."
"I admire the clarity of your writing and the originality of your thought."
"Thanks you very much for your letter... It appears that the... alignments may be cardinally oriented. If so, it is an interesting situation."
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"A fine piece..."
"I passed your essay on to my Dean of Architecture..."
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"... interesting paper..."
"Your paper on numbers interested me greatly."


text:
Carpeting warms your feet and cozies your house, but it's at risk for stains. Upholstery, too, is fodder for absent-minded sloshes of red wine, coffee and more. The worst part is you cannot just pop these items in the washing machine, so what to do? Keep your home bright and clean by understanding how to get out stains before you're faced with one.
1. Blot. Never scrub and rub a stain on carpet or upholstery. Blotting allows the stain to be absorbed by the cloth and minimizes the surface area that is damaged.
2. Work outside in. This means take your blotter and start toward the margin of the stain and blot in toward the center. This keeps the stain from enlarging.
3. Test spot. Before you try a cleaning method, find an area of the rug or upholstery that is not obvious and test your technique or cleaner. This way you find out ahead of time if the technique will help or make things worse.
4. Use cool or cold water. Never use hot or warm water to clean a stain. This will only set the stain and make it harder to remove.
5. Club soda. The bubbling action of carbonated water helps release a stain without damaging upholstery or carpeting. Blot dry.
6. Color-safe bleach. Mix a solution of one part dish detergent and two parts hydrogen peroxide. Use this cleaner to blot the stain away.
7. Lift the stain. Using a paste of cream of tartar and water, or baking soda, cover the stain and allow the paste to dry in place for a few minutes. Scrape up the residue and rinse with cool water and blot dry.
8. Laundry detergent. For stubborn stains, you may mix a few drops of non-bleach concentrated laundry detergent and water together and spray onto the stained area, according to How to Clean Stuff. Blot until stain is gone. Rinse well with cool water and let dry completely.
9. Vinegar spray. Mix one part vinegar and two parts water. Spray this mixture onto the stain, after you've blotted it. With a clean cloth, blot the cleaning solution away and spray clear water to rise. Blot and allow the rug or upholstery to dry.
10. Professional cleaner. If all else fails, get the number of a good professional upholstery and rug cleaner. These companies have a variety of solutions and techniques that are very effective at stain removal. They usually guarantee their work and insure against damage.


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That's what he does. Cartooning in comics for 39 years - now he's trying to remember some of it...
Thursday, 8 December 2011
Last Chance To See
Now It Can Be Told, part 2:
It's been hard work, but very enjoyable. I didn't originally intend to write or co-write them all, but it ended up that way, and I must have scripted more than 100 of those pages, and worked out more from brief plots: Sean Baldwin wrote several full scripts and I adapted parts of others into different stories. Duncan Scott wrote half a dozen too. David Quantick supplied three paragraphs, each being a delicious distillation of a daft idea which I gratefully adapted into full stories. I also spoke with Al Murray, Milton Jones, Brenda Gilhoolie and others, including, would you believe it, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson (yes, really!!) who wanted to help but in the end couldn't find the right approach, so a big thank you to Sean and Duncan and David who really got the feel and came through with great ideas! Of course Harry Hill himself was very helpful, and came up with the strapline, 'Real-life Adventures in TV Land' which defined and directed the whole enterprise! He also texted me with the news that he found the first one "insane, hilarious and original" which I elected to take as a compliment.
As I'd never written anything for DC Thomson, let alone Harry Hill before, I had initially hoped someone (a writer perhaps?) would write the scripts, but after writing the first episode myself, the general consensus was that obviously a writer wasn't required as the pictures and my word balloons seemed to work out just fine. So, partly as a 'selling point' and partly to obscure the true credits in case the strips were thought a bit second rate (not having been written by a writer!), I made up the fiction that Harry Hill wrote them and I just drew them, but, dear reader, as we are now at the end of the line, I can exclusively reveal that I wrote most of them as I went along- quite literally, drawing a bit, writing the word balloon- drawing a bit more- changing what I'd done in the word balloon- and so on, until after two or three days real effort, as if by magic, out came a finished two page set. It was really was 'as if by magic' because usually I found it very very difficult to come up with an idea and make it work, let alone pepper it with jokes and such, and many times I felt like giving up, spending hours and hours trying to get one line written right. And struggling to think of a new way to get 'FIIIGGHHTT!' or 'What are the chances of that happening' into the dialogue often seemed beyond my capabilities. Yet somehow I managed to churn out two (or four - or, on one memorable occasion, TWELVE-) pages a week. After investing so much time and energy into them, I was glad that a lot of people seemed to like them, and, although at least one odd little clique of protesters will be delighted to see the end of the strip, I know some readers will be saddened to hear it's all over.
I'd like to thank Harry for his continued enthusiasm and encouragement, and his agents, both past and present, who helped us, particularly his new agent who was very supportive and wanted to extend the franchise to other areas. And I'd like to thank Craig, the Dandy editor, for starting the whole thing off and keeping it going as long as it did.
22 comments:
- George Shiers said...
It's a shame he's going - it was a very funny and well drawn strip. My favourite line from the whole series was when Jeremy Clarkson bought a pair of shoes and the automatic machine said "Unexpected canoes in the bagging area!"
So is that actually the end of the series as we know it? or are there chances of it returning after a break like others stories have?
Congratulations on everybody who helped in the strip, it was hilarious, very detailed and the colouring was excellent! :D
- Thursday, December 08, 2011 9:27:00 am
- NP said...
Thanks, George. No, it won't be returning to the Dandy, that's it.
- Thursday, December 08, 2011 9:30:00 am
- Peter Gray said...
It was the best thing in The Dandy..
well written Nigel...loved all the little details..gags..talking to the reader..
I think the 12 Doctors leaping stood out..
- Thursday, December 08, 2011 10:10:00 am
- Kid said...
As you know, I'm not a big fan of certain aspects of the new Dandy, but the inclusion of celebrities was never something that bothered me. Harry Hill was definitely one of the better drawn strips (perhaps even THE best) in The Dandy, so I hope you'll be getting work to take its place.
- Thursday, December 08, 2011 10:20:00 am
- Fanton said...
Aw, that's a proper shame, Nigel. I really enjoyed the strip, and your artwork was never less than sumptuous! Hope you'll have more stuff to fill the void, aside from the Little Celebs.
- Thursday, December 08, 2011 12:33:00 pm
- Lew Stringer said...
Very sorry that The Dandy is losing its lead strip. Easily the wittiest strip in UK humour comics, harking back to the quickfire comedy patter of the best Radio Fun strips (but with a modern edge).
And brilliant artwork too of course!
- Thursday, December 08, 2011 5:32:00 pm
I agree, Harry Hill's run in the Dandy has been great. Your artwork was always brilliant and the scripts were always loaded with gags, which allowed it to stand out even by the high standard set by the Dandy since last year's revamp.
I must also say that I was delighted to hear about the way you wrote the strips as you were drawing them! I always do it that way but I was starting to think that none of the professionals did it - I find that quite reassuring.
I hope you receive another big job on either the Beano or Dandy soon.
- Thursday, December 08, 2011 6:26:00 pm
- Harry Rickard said...
Okay, before I say anything I'll just say I'm not going to have a rant about Harry Hill - in fact I'm going to apologise for my actions and I honestly found Harry Hill was getting a lot better, so much to the point that I think I might just miss it.
I wish you all the best of luck Nigel and I hope to see more of you in the Dandy very soon (maybe a bring back of C&D?)
Although this has opened a big question, what story shall replace Harry Hill as the main story? My guess is one Desperate Dan or Bananaman, I just hope it's not one of the reprinted strips. That'd be awful.
Anyway, good luck Nigel and I'm sorry if I lowered your confidence with any of my rants on celebs in comics.
All the best,
- Harry
- Thursday, December 08, 2011 6:44:00 pm
So... absolutely no hints as to why it's stopping, then?
My dislike of celeb-centric strips (even historical ones from the likes of Film Fun) has been well-documented elsewhere, but I feel Harry Hill was a cut above the rest, and I'll be sorry to see it go.
The quality of both writing and art (and colours!) was consistently excellent, and some of my biggest laughs while reading the Dandy sprang from its pages. It took me a while to get over my prejudices and like it, but when I recently reread the debut issue of the 2010 Dandy (Simon's trousers, what?!), I concluded it simply took a while to get up to speed - by early 2011 or so, when you'd really got into your stride, it had one of the highest LOLs-per-page rates in the entire comic. My favourites were the restaurant and the hospital episodes.
It's a shame it's been cut off in its prime, and I hope you do get another regular strip in the Dandy (and I second Harry's desire to see Cuddles and Dimples brought back!), as it'd be a shame to see your talents wasted on stuff like Jedward's Olympic Torch Tragedy.
-- swirlythingy (whose OpenID service is apparently down)
- Thursday, December 08, 2011 11:12:00 pm
- NP said...
Thanks for the kind words, guys. I can't really comment -yet- on what's going to happen next or why we stopped doing Harry Hill. Except that it wasn't my decision.
- Thursday, December 08, 2011 11:27:00 pm
- Kid said...
NP, I've read on various sites that it's cheaper to subscribe to The Beano and Dandy than it is to buy them in the shops. (At the £1.50 price, it worked out at £1 per issue for subscription.) However, I noticed a few months ago (and again tonight) that The Sunday Post (a DCT publication) is offering a 6 month subscription to The Beano for £40. As this works out at £2 dearer than paying full price for them in shops, then surely the 'subscription is cheaper' claim isn't quite accurate. No doubt I'm missing something and there's an explanation - do you know what it is?
- Sunday, December 11, 2011 11:35:00 pm
- James Spiring said...
£38 for 26 issues? Your maths is wrong, Kid. They always do more expensive issues (£2.50 instead of £1.50) during school holidays. Also, both the three month and annual subscription deals are better than the six month one.
Nigel, so I've heard that Cuddles and Dimples are in the Christmas Dandy too! Are they back for good, or is it a one-off like Marvo last year?
- Tuesday, December 13, 2011 11:02:00 pm
- Kid said...
It's not my Maths which is wrong per se, but perhaps my starting premise is. Without a Beano to hand to check the annual subscription price, I was going by the claim on various other sites that the price per £1.50 issue worked out at £1 on subscription.
Therefore, based on that information (which I now learn is erroneous), the cost of 52 issues works out at £52. Only it doesn't, because a yearly subscription is £75 I've now learned. (Because, as you say, this covers more expensive issues throughout the year.)
This leads me to wonder why people were ever claiming that a £1.50 issue only cost about a £1 on subscription when clearly it does no such thing.
However, that covered, the point of my question concerned the discrepancy in costs between different subscription deals. If a year costs £75, six months should surely cost only £37.50? Especially as, for three months at £17, this works out at £34 for six months in two three-monthly instalments.
However, this means that a year only costs £68 in four three-monthly instalments. This doesn't seem, on the face of it, to have been worked out too well, so again I ask - what am I missing? (First person to say "a brain" gets shot.)
(You see my point? It seems to work out cheaper to get either a six month or yearly supply of comics in three month instalments, than it is to get a straight six month subscription. Why?)
- Wednesday, December 14, 2011 10:25:00 am
- Mike said...
The Dandy's subscriptions are £15 for 15 issues, which is certianly £1 an issue! But as the price of the comic has gone up a bit lately maybe subs will too. Not sure about the Beano
- Thursday, December 15, 2011 7:19:00 pm
- George Shiers said...
I think a comic strip all about me should replace Harry Hill ;D
- Saturday, December 17, 2011 7:29:00 am
- NP said...
OK George.
James, the Cuddles and Dimples was a reprint.
Kid, I dunno about the subs, I buy it at the shops.
- Saturday, December 17, 2011 11:58:00 pm
- George Shiers said...
Yey! I'm excited about seeing it :D
Or if not an entire comic strip - could I appear in the background? That would be aces!
- Sunday, December 18, 2011 10:22:00 am
- Lew Stringer said...
A quick visit to the DC Thomson website proves that The Dandy is a pound an issue on subscription:
Dandy a pound a copy
The Beano is a bit more expensive for some reason; £17 a quarter on Direct Debit.
- Monday, December 19, 2011 2:16:00 pm
- Mike Hobart said...
I shall miss it. Living in Australia, I have never seen Harry Hill on television, but the comic strip was always a high point of The Dandy each week.
You know what the old music hall star said: "Always leave them wanting more..."
- Tuesday, December 20, 2011 10:29:00 am
- James Spiring said...
New Year comics ae out already - is that your Bananaman, in the BEANO!?!
- Saturday, December 31, 2011 7:36:00 pm
- nika said...
he will be missed and remembered with a smile and a chuckle ;)
- Monday, January 16, 2012 9:13:00 am
The Hornet has confirmed that there is a strip in this week's Dandy called "Celeb School", drawn by you. What i'd like to know is: is it a new, regular strip or just another one-off celeb strip like the ones which were in the comic almost every week from July to November? Another strip by you, Cuddles & Dimples, is of course coming back in reprints in this week's edition too. Looks good, a sort of mini-revamp for The Dandy as Kid Cops comes back too and there's a new strip called Noshy Monsters drawn by Wayne Thompson.
- Monday, January 30, 2012 6:05:00 pm


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White Lion – Return Of The Pride (2008, Frontiers/Airline Records)
- Sangre De Cristo
- Dream
- Live Your Life
- Set Me Free
- I Will
- Battle Of Little Big Horn
- Never Let You Go
- Gonna Do It My Way
- Finally See The Light
- Let Me Be Me
- Wait (live)*
- When The Children Cry (live)*
Band Lineup:
Mike Tramp – Lead Vocals
Claus Langeskov – Bass
Jamie Law – Guitars
Troy Patrick Farrell – Drums
Henning Wanner – Keyboards
Produced by: Mike Tramp & Claus Langeskov
Total Time = 63:29
White Lion official website
Mike Tramp official website
White Lion MySpace page
Frontiers Records
When singer Mike Tramp announced that a new White Lion album would be released in 2008, many in the Hard Rock community thought that a reunion of Tramp and guitarist Vito Bratta was on the horizon. Bratta still had a controlling interest in the White Lion franchise and Tramp needed his involvement and/or permission to use the band name without any problems. Unfortunately, Vito decided to continue his reclusive life away from music and Tramp was able to use the brand that they both made famous with hit singles 'Wait' and 'When the Children Cry'.
So what does White Lion 2008 have to offer? An updated sound for one thing. Mike Tramp has maintained a solo career all these years, as well as, having another band called Freak Of Nature. Both outlets are Hard Rock but they contain a more modern and heavier style than the slick and polished classic White Lion hit machine. Overall, there are classic White Lion influences and a lot of that has to do with the familiarity of Tramp's singing voice but there also some melodic touches that add an '80s inspired flavor to the aggressive contemporary Hard Rock the new White Lion is creating.
The album starts off with the 9 minute progressive epic 'Sangre De Cristo' that combines acoustic interludes and harmonies with a faster rough guitar base. With their pedigree, you don't really expect White Lion to start with such an adventurous song but the band is following a similar formula, at least length wise, as they did on 1991's MANE ATTRACTION with 'Lights And Thunder'. 'Dream' is a mid-paced track that takes us back about 20 years for a quick look back at prime White Lion with big harmonies and a crunchier guitar sound. You can hear the miles added to Tramp's voice from years of service, it's got a gritty depth to it instead of the high pitch golden voice from songs like 'Wait' and Jamie Law's guitar solo is particularly good. I'm not sure about 'Live Your Life', it sounds like a Green Day song with it's Pop-Punk style and the simple repetitive chorus, not my cup of tea. The chorus sticks in your mind as easy sing-a-long fun but the song is out of place after the two opening songs.
More old school White Lion shows up on 'Set Me Free' with it's quiet moody intro moving into a rough and ready rocker with solid harmonies and smoldering guitar. So much has been made of Vito Bratta not being involved with the resurrection of the band but Jamie Law has done a superb job of handling the guitar duties and he is the shining star so far on this new album. Another low-key intro opens 'I Will' with a simple keyboard and vocal moving into a mid-tempo groove. This is another '80s influenced song that really comes across as a bouncy, uplifting affair due to that main keyboard line but it has that modern rock sound. The topic is Tramp singing of a father/son relationship and the dedication of each to the other…..sounds like a song that would fit on his solo album CAPRICORN (1997). The second epic on RETURN OF THE PRIDE is 'Battle Of Little Big Horn' and, although ambitious, sounds out of place as a White Lion song. When I listen to White Lion, I expect more upbeat fare rather than this dark brooding tale of General Custer's last stand, this is Iron Maiden subject matter! After being bored by the second epic, it's good to hear Tramp and the band return to more familiar territory with the first ballad of the album, 'Never Let You Go'. It's a piano based song with a solid vocal and good harmonies at the chorus, I'd say it's similar to the classic sound.
Jamie Law returns the focus to guitar driven rock with 'Gonna Do It My Way', a fast rocker that sounds like it could have come from the PRIDE/BIG GAME era. The main riff is unmistakably '80s based and the chorus has big background vocals, it's exactly what I expected from a new White Lion record and is one of my favorites. A quick drum intro by Troy Patrick Farrell starts 'Finally See The Light' and the song moves into another guitar song that has major keyboard support. Once the chorus hits, it's an obvious '80s influenced song with the fat harmonies and keys but the guitar tone keeps it from being totally retro. The chorus has that hook that made White Lion a late '80s powerhouse, the only drawback is that the keys detract from another great Law solo. The original material ends with the uptempo rocker 'Let Me Be Me', another guitar rocker that sounds like a mix between the classic band sound and Mike's later work, more solid guitar from Jamie Law.
The album was originally released in Europe on Frontiers Records but my copy is the U.S. release on Airline Records. This version has two live bonus tracks: 'Wait' and 'When The Children Cry'…..obviously catering to the familiarity of the American audience. These songs are fine, nothing overly special…..I'd rather have the original song, 'Take Me Home', that is the bonus song on the European edition via Frontiers.
Bottom Line:
I honestly didn't expect too much from this new White Lion record. With all the controversy between Tramp and Bratta, and the new band being Mike Tramp fronting all new members, I figured this would be a total train wreck. Surprisingly, there is new life in an old band and this is a solid record. Jamie Law has proven that he can handle his own on guitar and step out of the long shadow of original axeslinger Bratta and the rest of the band provides a solid base for Tramp and Law to stand on. Mike Tramp has had a decent solo career under his own name and Freak Of Nature so he is still on his game creatively by bridging what people expect from White Lion and what he has been doing since the glory days. The whole record has an updated, guitar based sound that uses the '80s roots as a compliment, what is here is solid songs with solid performances. There are a couple of clunkers with the boring 'Battle Of Little Big Horn' and the Pop-Punk 'Live Your Life' but the rest of the originals make up for them. I could also do without the two live tracks and get the Euro bonus track instead but I didn't do my research when the album had it's U.S. release. I would have ordered the Frontiers version online had I looked into it more closely.
Favorite songs: 'Gonna Do It My Way', 'Sangre De Cristo', 'Never Let You Go', 'Dream'


text:
Welcome to Fields & Brown, LLC
Since 1987, the attorneys at Fields & Brown have been committed to providing aggressive legal representation with cost-effective solutions. Fields & Brown is the oldest and largest minority-owned law firm in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Our attorneys bring over 150 years of combined litigation experience in representing small businesses, corporations, and governmental entities. The firm has attained a peer reviewed Legal Ability Rating of "AV" through the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. Our firm's practice is focused in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Financial Services, Insurance Practice, Labor & Employment, Workers' Compensation Defense.
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text:
|Sgt. David L. Roustum Tribute to Sgt David L. Roustum, and all those that serve our Country.
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Promises made.
Hello everyone. This is an updated look at the events of the past three weeks. This is not only a tribute to David, but to ALL of those defending our freedoms around the world.
My friend "Armrdangel", Sheila uses this signature...
As it was their job to defend our freedom, so it becomes our job to honor their memories .
And so it goes......promises made and this is a promise kept. I for one will never forget this courageous young man.
If you have a rememberance or photo or word of encouragement......please feel free to post it here.
Re: Promises made.
Where to start??
What has been a profoundly sad three weeks just never seemed like it would ever end.
I'll start here, some time ago, a new family moved in across the street. Nice folks, two young kids. Just nice people.
As the years went by and the kids grew up, the years of football in the street, hockey, school, college, summer jobs and Military service, both kids grew to be responsible young men and productive citizens. The kind of young people every parent dreams their kids will turn out to be.
Looking forward to the future and embracing life.......
That all came to an end November 20, 2004 when the youngest child, David, was killed during an ambush and subsequent fire fight in Baghdad, Iraq.
Our worst fears became reality that morning as the Army notified the family. No details were availabe at the time.
And thus began the wait......
The wait
We were at a going away family get together for another young man on his way to Iraq and came home to the news.
The house was already full of friends and relatives.....grief was just everywhere......disbelief.....and tears.....lots of tears.....the Army was very supportive and assigned an E-7 to help with the myriad of paperwork and details .......
when will he come home??
The question on everyones mind. First sent to Kuwait, then on to Dover. That was all that was known at the time. Many calls back and forth.....now the press becomes aware of what has happened and people are everywhere. The curious drive by....people try to help and comfort one another......friends come by and recall happy times.......moms and dads of men wounded during the battle come by and tell of Davids heroism, and unselfish giving of himself so that their sons might live. A steady stream of Military personnel, family and friends come by to pay their respect......neverthe less.....the wait is so very hard to endure.
Days pass and finally word comes that Davids Brother Daniel will fly to Dover to identify and accompany him to Buffalo.
Thursday, December 2nd, 2004 is to be the day of his homecoming.......
The time of arrival is set at 4;30 PM, Buffalo time. We arrive at the funeral parlor to take a small procession to the airport to meet David there. The trip is unevetful, but plans at the airport suddenly change and we cannot drive our cars onto the runway. We ride out with the Deputies and assemble on the tar-mac. A Military Honor Guard stands by. Men that are home on leave from the 1st Cavalry Unit David is part of stand at the ready......the plane finally is opened and the cargo hold is empty except for the Flag draped coffin containing my young friend. What a profoundly sad site. All we see is two months earlier, a smiling and handsome young man, home on leave, full of life, and now........
Now.....the Honor Guard is called to attention, Present Arms!! , is called, the casket slowly is lowerd to the waiting soldiers to carry him to the car....family and friends slowly move to the casket.....the scene is excruciating.....proufoundly sad.....but at the same time profoundly PROUD to be an American. This is the cost of freedom.
The scene at the airport
words cant express the sorrow.......
Promises made.
Now he is at the home and Honor Guard is posted around the clock., time to take one more day before the visitation begins. The waiting is over and a new set of circumstances start. Relief that he is finally home.....sadness that we are not the only ones to be enduring what is happening to David. Time seems to be in some sort of limbo. And now it begins, what appears to be thousands of people come by the home. Former team mates, fellow students, fellow Guardsmen and women, family, friends, people he did not even know come by to express their heartfelt emotions....through it all the pain on everyones heart is clearly evident.
Flowers everywhere, and tears......more tears.
How can this be happening???
Men of Honor
Sunday comes too quickly and it will soon be over.....but wait! The Army is allowing two of the young men on Davids vehihicle and wounded in the battle to leave the hospital at Ft. Hood, Texas to fly up to attend the service. They arrive at the house and are pretty banged up. The scene is intensely emotional. These young men are among the finast America has to offer. This is something that goes way beyond the scope of Davids sacrifice. This is what America is about. When we fail to stand up for what is right and good, we will no longer exist as a free nation, but be in servitude to some other power.
These young people stand for what is right and good about this country.
The Final Journey
Eight o'clock a.m.
Private service at the home. Honor Guard is ready, prayers are said and its time to move out. Abundant tears....don't think we have any left....but there are more.
Move outside as keepsakes are placed in the casket.....our dog tags go with him.....wait....wait....its snowing, cold and windy. The horses are calm, the Honor Guard moves to bring him out.....Davids C.O. and First Sgt. stand ready ....the casket appears through the doors and is placed on the caison...slowly the horses pull away....its two miles to the Church. People line the street , some with hands on hearts, some at attention, others holding Flags or saluting. Davids Platoon members march along side of the casket as it is drawn.....the Captain follows with the Company Guidon....police everywhere.....arrival at the Church among great ceremony and respect. There are 800 people in a 750 person church, many others waiting outside. We follow him into the sanctuary and take our seats. Knowing its soon time to let him go......we dont want to and it gets even more difficult.
Daniel gives a tearful eulogy (not his, our tears) and we remember. But now its time to go.....
The procession has two hundred cars and is one mile long.
At rest
Final rest ......
The ceremony at the graveside is hushed and somber.
The rifles sound....the Flag is folded and presented....the snow starts to come down.....Davids Mom is presented with the Flag, the medals David earned, Bronze Star with "V" for Heroism, his Purple Heart....taps are sounded and its over......but its not over.
It has been said that a man is not dead until he is forgotten. so for me, he lives on. My grand children will hear of him and know him. I for one will never forget the sacrifice of this young man or that of every soldier and Marine that has paid this utmost of price.
Re: At rest
He will never be forgotten, from what you have written he not only served our country with proudly, he served his family with pride.
Re: Promises made.
The procession.
Daniel Roustums Eulogy for David Roustum How do I sum up 22 years in just a few moments?
Let me start by saying that no one I know has lived a fuller life than David. 22 years seems like just a stitch in time but hes managed to leave an indelible mark on a myriad of peoples lives. Just look around you here. The amount of people here doesnt even begin to tell his story. Its the quality of the people here. Surrounding us today are Soldiers, Airmen, Marines and Sailors; former teammates, fellow students from Orchard Park, Buffalo State and U.B.; and of course his closest friends and family. The one thing that we all have in common is not so much that we are all here to pay our respects to David; its that David had the innate capability to see the good in all of us. We all would like to believe that we have that same gift, but the truth of the matter is that some people are born with open hearts and the rest of us spend our lives trying to learn how. To David it didnt matter who you were or where you came from. He had the ability to see the good in you. Even after being in Iraq, his belief in the human spirit never wavered. Most of us have more than likely questioned whether or not the people of the world have the capability of understanding American values. Dave simply said, Its not these poor peoples fault they were born into this way of life. It wouldnt be right to leave them suffer just because its easier to walk away than to jump into the fire. David knew what he was doing. Perhaps his most admirable quality was his ability to discern, then act. Most of us, myself leading the charge, usually tackle life in the opposite manner. He knew, he ALWAYS knew. Shortly before deployment, we were talking at a local establishment and more than one person commented on his eerie sense of calm and purpose. He knew. David had a better understanding than most of the graveness of the task at hand because of his ability to discern and our family dynamic. He knew, but he never tired, never wavered and never blinked. Honor and integrity are words that are bandied about quite freely these days. They werent just words to David. He lived by them, and he died by them. There was nothing this world could confront him with that would make him sacrifice his integrity. If you were his friend, you hadnt a worry in the world if David was around. If you were lucky enough to share the same blood with him, then you had the privilege of being comforted and awed for 22 years. He could do anything. There is an all too common misconception that people only join the military when they have no place else to go. Look around . You wont find any lost souls hiding in uniforms here! David was just like all the men and woman you see here today. He could have gone anywhere, done anything. He chose to join the military because he knew it was right in his heart. Not to hide from the demons that swirl. Even in war time his selflessness shone through in his emailing and phone calls. I feel as though I know each of the men in his unit because he talked about them, not him. Postle, Polley, Bona, Bridge, Tipton, a tough old Sergeant whose fan he took so much delight in unplugging on the hottest nights. The list goes on and on. He always said that they knew their jobs and they did them exceptionally well. He trusted each and every one of the men with his life and he only asked that they do the same in return. A man has no greater love than this; that he lay down his life for his friends. David wouldnt have it any other way. I have the distinct honor of having the kindest, bravest, most honorable man I know be my brother for 22 years. Truth is, however, that I wasnt his only brother. He would have gladly given his life for any of the men that he trained with and fought for. What more a display of brotherhood does one require?
Old men forget, yet all shall be forgot, but hell remember with advantages what feats he did that day. Then shall his name familiar in their mouths as household words be in their flowing cups freshly remembered. This story shall the good man teach his son. And not one day shall go by from this day to the ending of the world that we shall not be remembered. We few, we happy few, this band of brothers, for he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother. And gentlemen in England now a-bed shall think themselves a-cursed that they were not here, and hold their manhood cheap while any speaks that fought with us on Saint Crispens Day.
David had a lot of brothers, and we love, respect and are praying for them all. David was the best brother, son, nephew, cousin, uncle or friend than anyone could ask for. Ive many times told David I love you but I never did tell him the one thing that I should have. Thank You. Thank you for always being there. Thank you for learning all the lessons of life and becoming a man long before your time. Thank you for being the shining light of a family that loves you more than life itself. Thank you for that steely look of determination and understanding that I already see in my daughters eyes. But most of all, I thank you for your gift to me and all of us. That gift of freedom. My girls and all of our children will not have to be raised in an environment where heroes are a thing of lore. They wont have to read about men of courage and integrity from a book. They will know you because we will teach them. We will have the freedom to do so because of you and people like you. People who dont run, people who are at their best when circumstances are the gravest. That is the true measure of a man. So I thank you, thank you for comforting Mom and Dad for 22 years. Thank you for showing me a better way to live and what a real man is. You didnt have to wear a uniform to show the world your soul. We already saw it. You did what you knew was right and good in your heart. Thank you for showing me all that is good about the human condition. And most of all thank you for being you, because a better man there never was, nor shall there ever be. My wife and girls will always have an angel watching over them, although I never envisioned an angel being 6 feet tall with muscles in his teeth. So until we meet again, I know Heavens streets will be well guarded and you had better have the football there waiting for us! You make me proud little bro, not for what you did but for what you were and always will be! Thank you and I love you, Danny
The proudest brother that ever walked the earth!!
Re: Promises made.
To Dana, who wrote me and asked me to keep David in prayer, and to write to him to keep him encouraged and lifted up cause he was so special to him, Dana, thank you for such an honor. Although I never heard back from David, and I never expected too cause I know they are so very busy and can't possibly answer all the mail they recieve, I did have a peace that David knew in his spirit how much we all were praying for him and all our troops. I was very grieved to hear of his death, although I had a peace about his being with Jesus now and awaiting all his family and friends to come join him, my heart and prayers turned to you Dana and his precious family. Danny, after reading your Eulogy, I know I have met someone very special. I don't know how many of David's unit are still in Iraq fighting - but you & they have another friend, someone who continues to pray for you all and all those still underfire or the threat of it. From what I have read about David, he fits the character of every soldier, airman, sailor or marine I have met or talked too. But what is so beautiful, is, although each one of our troops, our vets are similiar cause of training and desire to be the best they can be for God and Country - each one of you has a special gift that you offer to all that come to know you - that is what is so special to me - You all are the best, and having read and reread all that has been said about David, he was so very special - So, Dana, you and David's family will continue to be in my heart and my prayers. God bless and Keep you always, sandy
Re: Promises made.
funny how this is located in the city where the only Al Queada cell was arrested and convicted......
Re: Promises made.
epilogue? It still continues today......
Re: Promises made.
from Iraq.
Re: Promises made.
David's family after the ceremonies and tumultous times tapered off, tried to come up with some way to help the men from David's Guard Unit and preserve a lasting memorial also. Dave spent a lot of time in the gym and keeping himself fit, so his family put the resources together to place a gym and workout room in the armory. Here are some photo's of the gym and the dedication ceremony.
A old thread flagged flagged from 5 years ago. It is still worth reading all the way through.
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Posts tagged Minnie Driver
The Critics Are Wrong, Batman vs Superman Dawn of Justice is Good0
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Welcome to the I Hate Critics Movie Review Podcast. On this 194th episode of the podcast we talk about Batman vs Superman Dawn of Justice for the second time. We briefly talk about My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, but then we move onto our third annual March Movie Madness tournament. This year we took sixteen movies, some of which were suggested by the audience and between the three of us decided which movies moved on to the next round. The only requirement was that we had to pick movies we'd never talked about on the podcast before…or at least movies we don't remember talking about.
The movies were:
Citizen Kane vs Paths of Glory
Swingers vs Gross Pointe Blank
Good Will Hunting vs Punch Drunk Love
LA Confidential vs The Verdict
Fargo vs O' Brother Where Art Thou
Glengarry Glen Ross vs Hard Candy
Waking Live vs Monsieur Lazhar
The Silence of the Lambs vs Phantasm
Let us know where we messed up.
Deepwater Horizon
Lights Out
War Dogs
Batman – Honest Trailer
Superman – Honest Trailer


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"Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off" premieres Sunday, Sept. 8 on Food Network
Rachael Ray and Guy Fieri are back to battle it out for ultimate bragging rights, but this time mentoring the most talented kid chefs around, in "Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off," premiering Sunday, Sept. 8, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Over four episodes, eight children are divided into Team Rachael and Team Guy, as they compete against each other in a series of challenges, designed to test the kids' culinary know-how. In each episode, the teams participate in a pop quiz crafted to highlight their talents in the kitchen, followed by a classroom mentoring session with Rachael and Guy, and culminating in the creation of a menu plan for the cook-off.
Guest judges, including chef Richard Blais, chef Duff Goldman, Jennie Garth ("Beverly Hills, 90210") and Marion Ross ("Happy Days"), will taste and grade the dishes and give each competitor a report card. The kid chef with the highest score on each team will be named MVP of that challenge and win a prize. In the end, the junior chef with the highest overall score will win a Web series on FoodNetwork.com.
"Rachael and Guy each have true passion and dedication when it comes to working with children," said Bob Tuschman, general manager and senior vice president of Food Network. "With 'Kids Cook-Off,' they get to up the ante, and have their mentoring skills tested like never before, with the goal of insuring their team's kids all succeed in the kitchen."
The "Cook-Off" competition will continue in the new year as well, with Rachael and Guy returning to coach a new star-studded cast of celebrities in the new season of "Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off."