I actually am a fan of political correctness in many forms, and I think members of our society should treat each other with respect and dignity. But the latest bit of Hysteria over Halloween costumes really has me seeing red. According to a news story, the University of Colorado Boulder has banned "Offensive" costumes this Halloween. [...]

The 2013 competitive marching band season is finishing up for many bands and I’m so proud and appreciative of the many bands that have trusted me to help them create their shows.  I’m particularly proud of the many “Happy” shows that I helped design and bring to life this season. The marching activity is full [...]

I heard a really interesting interview on NPR radio last night about education.  The gentleman was asked about the state of education in the US and his response was clear and profound.  He said that some politicians saw education as an expense and others saw it as an investment.  How you viewed education made a [...]

I heard a fascinating interview on NPR Radio the other day with a woman who had written a book comparing parenting styles in the US and around the world.  The differences were striking! Most interesting were the way that parents dealt with very young children.  In Japan, very young children are given a lot of [...]

What will undoubtedly go down in history as my favorite ALL TIME example of ridiculous spoiled celebrity behavior happened this week.  I saw it on “The Fashion Police.”   Justin Bieber, who continues to spiral out of control these days, was photographed driving his new Leopard Print Audi R8. As if this car is not ridiculous [...]

DCI is working through a bit of a crisis, where many corps are trying to find a working model for longevity.  I don't know all the details, but it seems that the present model of touring, travel, and performances is not seen as sustainable into the future.  Many are saying that something has to change [...]

In the last 6 weeks we've had three surgeries and 2 funerals.  Understandably, we're exhausted.  Of course, life moves on and we have plenty we have to do.  Someone has to clean the house, shop for groceries, and of course go to work.  This kind of upheaval tends to make one stop and think about [...]

There are MANY articles out there trying to justify "Grey Thursday" shopping.  As if our American consumer greed was not out of control enough, some stores opened on Thursday evening to get a jump on sales.  I see your justifications of "hard times for retailers" and "a lovely way to spend an evening after stuffing [...]

I recently got a positive message from that great metaphysician, songwriter Calvin Harris.  Driving in my car, I clicked on the Playlist "Lee's Party Tunes" and the dance hit "Let's Go!" started to play.  I had been trying to lighten my mood and I was pleased to hear the words "It's not about what you've [...]

Recently, the world's best dog, Gus, had a small procedure on his eyelid and was forced to wear the "cone of shame" for a week.  I'm not sure if anything is as sad as a dog with a new cone on their head!  Gus tended to just sit without moving, trying to figure out how [...]