My Life, and My Thoughts on the matter

After today, wind ensemble is at a point to where we are in very large danger of not getting a one at U.I.L. Today was our final rehearsal before tomorrows Hays PreUIL critique. Of course it was cancelled because we cannot FINISH A SINGLE PIECE WITHOUT HAVING TO STOP (even our march). I don't understand why so many people don't care enough to actually practice or to think. Remember what i said about intelligence, well it's very true after today's rehearsal. I mean, i was pissed, unlike many people i enjoy getting my tux on and going a far distance to perform. But after a deliberation of the director's, now wind ensemble, which by the way is supposed to be the best band at SPHS and which presents the standard and the example to the other bands, cannot complete a single piece of music and we are having to AMEND our program. What is the deal. Why can't we do it, we've done it before. One reason i think is this: in the past two UIL programs which Sedatole has presented, wind ensemble has never truly been tested with an extremely difficult program. Every year there has been only one major piece which has given us trouble, this year there are two which i think wind ensemble cannot handle. We are litterally breaking apart. These are really insensitive analogies but it's like we're the space shuttle columbia and challenger. Either we will break up like columbia during rehearsal or during a performance, we'll be on the right track and then BOOM, we are finished. Anyway tomorrow is a rehearsal and i'm not putting up with crap anymore. Just like Marching season, that crap doesn't work, we will work, we will shut up and listen, and we will have a BRAIN!!!

On a more funny note: if you would like to get a good laugh than ask me to show you my driver's license picture, I look like a criminal. It's worse than most mug shots of famous celebrities. I got it today and I was so mad. Those pictures are pretty much permanent for a while, so like most of my I.D. cards with horrible pictures, here's another one to add to the collection.

After hearing and reading the words of Greg I decided to write about the latest topics in band right now. Someone told me that i might be ruining my chances at being president but as i see it, if you can't say it as it is then you shouldn't be a leader. With words comes change, and with alot of words comes alot of change. Okay, the bus thing. At first i was pissed not because i was one of the unfortunate non-wind ensemble people to not have a fair chance at signing up, but because the process of which it was conducted was unjust. It has worked in the past, but this year Sedatole i would assume just didn't organize himself in a thoughtful manner. Having MAtt B. yell out " everyone going on the Dallas trip sign up for buses now" moments after the bell has rung during wind ensemble is not the proper way to do it. It should have been announced to all of the bands that we would be signing up for buses at a particular date. that date should have been met, and no one would have issues. And Sedatole's solution to all of the upset is to cause even more upset by "equally" distributing the buses which is also unfair. I paid 300 dollars and barely could go on this trip and i expect to at least have the choice of which bus i will travel on for 4 hours. And now i might not be with two very important people in my life and more friends. And this band is literally falling apart. If people like myself and greg and all of those silent people who have an opinion do not express that opinion, then change will not occur. What I am doing may seem stupid to some, and even crazy and outspoken, but I don't care. I will do whatever i have to do to help this band be as good as it can be. I love this band, band is my life, nothing else has been as fulfilling but music and band in my life and it is deeply a part of who i am.

This is about Wind Ensemble:
First off, there is a certain amount of intelligence needed to play music, and i mean MUSIC, not notes of rythmns, but that deep thing called music which is what i love. And right now the top band at SPHS is not playing music. In fact, many of them are playing complete total crap, and it is dragging us down. I have put up with alot of crap this year and so have many of you. And to see such smart people attempt to play their instruments and play them horribily, astounds me to a degree that i cannot express into words. I would literally have to get up and say to their face, "YOU SUCK". Now i know that those words are harsh, but they need to hear it. I will say it as it is, if it sounds bad, then it does, and doesn't sound like anything else. To see so many smart people not use the intelligence that they have to play MUSIC just stirs me inside. And those of us in wind ensemble who hear it day after day know what i'm talking about. Those people who are not putting the effort when i know there are so many people in other bands who would kill to be in wind ensemble and who would work their butts off just pisses me off. If you are in wind ensemble, expect to work. I could care less about your personal policy regarding practicing, you need to make it happen. And if that consists of actually participating like you do in all of you other classes, then do it. There are no excuses, you're in the top band and you should play like you're in it.

Osama used to be on the watchful eyes of all people, but now with the

Rove scandal and all the other crap the media is showing, we've

forgotten about him. Where is he now? I will tell you. He's either

dead, waiting to die, or under Bush's desk in the oval office. .

Rove is one ugly guy. This is a really funny picture. Can you believe

that last year he was the most fascinating person of the year, and now

look where he is.

region is tomorrow, and i thought that this picture taken on the top of

mount fuji has revelance. throughout you journey, which can be whatever

it is, has obstacles and has different pathways in which you can go.

there is your goal, which you can see, very distant and very clear. you

know precisely what it is, becuase it's sitting right their in your

mind, you are invisioning it as you want it, exactly. the hard part is

getting there. even though you can see it out there, there are so many

ways in which to get there. going straight forward isn't always the best

way, because that's usually where the most difficult obstacles are. you should

approach your goals from the side, go around it from behind, jump on

them from above, or sweep them from the bottom. because ultimately, we

choose how we get there, no one or nothing else.

For those of you with HBO (sorry Lobna), watch George Carlin. He's

really funny, hell, he's hilarious. You might be offended, but it's not

intentional. He just wants to cross the line, and take you with him,

and later he'll make you glad that you crossed it.

i didn't want to name this region, cause i think that's stupid. anyway, let's talk about region. it's not hard, but it's not easy. you're under pressure to perform etudes in front of around 50 people if you play an instrument like mine or flute. so you have to play in front of everybody, and you're nervous. but this year i feel better. i was telling b about this earlier. we've got about 6 or so clarinets audiotioning on saturday. that is great. let me tell you why. i think that the more people you have in your room who you know, who are your friends, who you know are people who support you, and want you to do good, and hope you do good, usually you will do good, and that's a good thing. it's great just for them also because it's not enough to just practice. practicing and practicing doens't do anything for you like actually performing music does. why practice and play music if you're the only one who's listening, why? i'm very proud of all the clarinets who are choosing to go to region on saturday. i know that not all of them can play their music perfectly or up to tempo, and i know that not all of them can play every part of their music perfectly. but i'm proud because putting that aside, they're still going to do it. because later in their music lives they will realize that it can be good to perform when you're not quite ready, because it is good to do it anyway, becuase it makes you better. don't feel nervous, or feel bad about yourself, please, don't do that to yourself, it hurts, but have confidence, enjoy what you're doing. you obviously like making music, and you like your instrument. so on saturday just play and enjoy, because no one can yell out anything negative because they will be disqualified. stay relaxed, stay confident, and keep on playing, you can't take back time, so making a mistake is nothing more than the past, keep moving forward.

It's hard to be a football fan, especially a stony point football fan,


I was one of those people, you know, who would say, " we won't win",


I even knew we wouldn't.


But


This year was different, we won three games, and we had the chance to go to playoffs,


we were there, at the last game, cheering, hoping, and yet thinking about the future,


when we would face Westlake, knowing we would


But


Then it happened, they scored, and our hopes were destroyed, the head had been severed,


We yet again were disappointed by defeat, we had lost.


But


It was a great season, this is the beginning, this is the foundation for next year,


and it was great getting to this point,


i do wish that we could play one more game, but it won't happen,


and I accept that.


But it sure is great to be a Stony Point Football fan,


GO TIGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


the blue and gold will be forever true

How

did i forget Proof. Such a great movie. I mean great. Of course you

probably wouldn't like, maybe Lobna. Anway, it's got a great cast:

Gweneth Paltrow, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anthony Hopkins and Hope Davis. And

the acting, just wonderful, and the story, even better. So make the

drive to Arbor Cinemas and go see Proof. GO SEE IT.

I saw SAW II with some friends on holloween night. That movie is freakin' messed up. It's wasn't neccessarily bad, but it was just disturbing. Go see it, cause you know you want to.

        School                    Ratings                Overall Rating

Westwood	1-1-1	1
Westlake	1-1-1	1
Cedar Park	1-1-2	1
Crockett	1-2-3	2
Georgetown	1-1-1	1
Bowie	1-1-1	1
San Marcos	2-1-2	2
Leander	1-1-1	1
Round Rock	1-1-1	1
Akins	2-1-1	1
Bastrop	2-2-2	2
Pflugerville	2-2-2	2
Stony Point	1-2-1	1
Hays	1-1-1	1
Austin	3-1-1	1
Anderson	3-1-1	1
McNeil	2-2-1	2

(rrhs band website)

peronal notes: What was that one judge thinking giving 3's to Austin and Anderson when the others gave them 1's. McNiel actually got a 2-2-1, not the 2-2-3 as some had hoped. Sorry Crockett, they just get screwed every year (1-2-3).

i am so proud of this, the stony point marching band. WE've achieved something that we have worked so incredibly hard for. We earned a 1, yes. We are superior, but not just that. Superior doesn't say it all. Superioty is not great enough for us. We are exceptional. And now everyone knows it. The Fighting Tiger Band has fought and won. To every senior before who has graduated without being acknowledged as exceptional. For every supporter, for every band director who has ever served. This band can now say what we have always only dreamed of saying, " we are exceptional, and now they know it."
11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 GO TIGERS

UIL is tomorrow night. I'm not as nervous as i thought i would be. All I can say is good luck, no, success for the band. tomorrow isn't about luck. it's about how hard we've worked, how many hours we've put into this show. we will be fine. we are exceptional.....

Finally, some reward for hard work. I'm very proud of the band. Too bad we couldn't beet McNiel though. Anyway, I thought Judson was great. The true test for this band is going to be whether we can fix the problems we have while keeping the good parts good. We've never done that, and if we can we will get a 1. UIL is on Tuesday, and we have stadium rehearsal on monday. it is sunday.

Flightplan is a good movie, don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. Go see it, it's good. And it's about time Jodie Foster starred in a movie again. Even if it's just like her last one, Panic Room. Also a good movie, go see it, it's good.



END DAY.

Why does everybody always gotta play the same damn music. Huh? WHy? I'm serious, tell me. Why? Go on. Jeese, does every ensemble in the wolrd have to play Jupiter. Now even the Region Orcehstra is playing it, and they're accepting barritones, what's happening. Every where I turn, Jupiter, Holst, Jupiter, Holst,....Mars. I know it's the bringer of Jollility, but play something else. Like Uranus.

Democracy, Communism, Fascism. What is America. I'll tell you. We, I, thoughy it was a Democracy. But realized(whilst showering) that you don't have a democracy when the people you elect take away your rights.(Lobna, pay attention). Government is supposed to protect the rights of it's citizens. So, we think that when we elect leaders they'll do that. But what we don't understand is that when we elect people, we give them a massive amount of power. The cabinet of the United States has some of the most power people in the world in it. Let me tell you now, The Bush Administration is a Fascist administration. Let me tell you why, Bush, Cheyney, they are corporations. Let me explain, they are CEO's of companies that control a heck of a lot of the economy and aid. I.E. HALLIBURTON. Carlyle. When corporations control the government, you have fascism. Get it. You people need to watch Bill Maher. On HBO friday nights.
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I've been noticing how our world is steadily going down the drain. New Orleans, one of my favorite cities, the city where my family is from, my cajun and creole routes, is no more. It will never be the same. I saw things that i never thought i would see. I watched CNN and saw the people at the domes, but when they came to my school that was a wake up call. If you think about that, just for a second - evacuees staying seeking shelter from a hurricane in my school- that's a big thing to happen, and to see. I've seen a government destroy it's people. I've seen a virus steadily gathering stregnth like the hurricanes and it might hit us. THe avian flu could kill millions, no joke, I saw it on CNN. In 1918 a pandemic after the first world war killed 100,000,000 people around the world. And if this bird flu mutates to where it can become highly contageous my humans, more people could die. No JOKE.

I just don't get. We are so close, but yet so far. I never thought I would be where I am - a junior, a leader- and yet thinking, "WHEN THE HELL AM I GONNA' GET A 1". That was for people in the past, they were the ones not getting ones. Not me. My class is different, so i thought. Why? That's all. It's frustrating being someone who has seen two shows get a two, and yet when we get an easy show, we just can't pull it off. THen i think about next year, and leadership. I'm going to be a senior and I feel as though i'm going to be alone. Alone from people older than me who've been incredible leaders. people who gave me advice, people i could go to. And they'll we have left by next year. I don't know what to do, prey, yell. Nothing helps. NExt year things will be different.