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At the start they were all laughing. “But by the end of the week, everybody was just… well, nobody was laughing,” says Connor Steven, a fourth-year pupil from John Ogilvie High in Hamilton. “We just stopped and froze.”
Yet as they board the bus at
the start of this school trip no one can imagine it will change them so profoundly. It promises to be fairly routine: 25 pupils and three teachers setting off on a tour of the battlefields of Belgium and France. But their journey will take them deep into the past, deep into their own emotions, challenging their attitudes and sense of perspective.
Des Brogan, a former history teacher who now runs Mercat Tours, insists the pupils board the bus in military fashion, to the sound of pipes and drums. “In the First World War,” he says, “Pals Battalions were recruited from factories and community clubs. Friends joined up together and fought together. For the next few days, we will follow in their footsteps. We will be the 1st John Ogilvie Pals Battalion. And we will begin our journey in the traditional manner.”
Pupils exchange looks of amusement and disbelief; little do they realise that, by the end of the trip, they will be proud to call themselves ‘Pals’.
The Ogilvie Pals travel overnight and for most of the following day, arriving on Thursday evening at a youth hostel in Kortrijk, Belgium.
Early the following morning, their Battlefields experience begins with a rude awakening. ‘Field Marshall’ Brogan marches up and down the hostel corridor, banging on doors and blaring out First World War songs from a ghetto-blaster. “Wake up, Pals,” he commands. “Breakfast in half an hour. Don’t be late.”
Sleepy faces peer around doorways, some laughing, others incredulous. This is all part of the plan to immerse them in the past. Brogan had warned them the previous evening: “By the end of the week, you won’t know whether you’re in 1918 or 2008.”

scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com

Wikipedia tells us that show tunes are "frequently written for actors with limited vocal abilities," but Randy tells us tonight’s songs are all very difficult. Simon says the Andrew Lloyd Webber songs will challenge the "American Idol" singers to seem contemporary.
That’s probably the real challenge for listeners as well. This is a style of music that never really left the 1940s, despite the addition of electric guitar. I mentioned to a friend that Andrew Lloyd Webber would appear on the show tonight, and she said "he’s still alive?" Yes, and he’s Younger Than McCain.
To be honest, the only music that I find more irritating than showtunes is the undergrad a capella that seems to accompany it on otherwise decent college radio stations. But this evening isn’t about my dislike for showtunes. It’s about my disdain for the talents of "American Idol" contestants.
Let’s get started with Syesha’s rendition of "One Rock & Roll Too Many." She does it as a neo-soul cabaret kind of thing, and if it weren’t for the insipid lyrics I’d actually like to hear it again. I can only assume this means she’s getting voted off tomorrow.
The dreadlocks were a bit of a shock for our poor old coach, but that doesn’t stop "Memory" from being an adequate torch song in Jason Castro’s hands. Randy says it’s a "train wreck," but Paula thinks that’s just because a lot of people expect it to be sung by a woman with enormous pipes. Simon hates the choice and thinks it’s awful.
Brooke White, in the coaching session, has a hard time understanding the song, but as we’ve already reported, she comes through and becomes ALW’s favorite. She’s singing "You Must Love Me," which has a key advantage as a song selection: Because it was written for the "Evita" movie, rather than for a stage musical, it’s got the structure of a pop song. But she stumbles over the words at the beginning, and starts the song over. Then, during the first few phrases, her voice is weak and wavery. Once she gets going it’s OK, but the start was really subpar. Simon is moved to kindness, saying only that he thinks Brooke will be very disappointed when she sees the tape, but that she more or less did the right thing. It’s a real bummer: She’s a better singer than this.

blog.meevee.com

Herbert Hamrol, a little old man in glasses and a borrowed baseball cap, sat in the back of a vintage Lincoln convertible in the chilly hours before dawn Friday, like a living legend.
Hamrol, who is 105, chatted with the city’s mayor and the fire chief, shook hands, gave radio and television interviews and kissed any lady who asked.
“There is no greater San Franciscan than Herb,” Mayor Gavin Newsom told a crowd of about 350 that gathered in the chilly predawn darkness at Lotta’ s Fountain at Kearny, Geary and Market streets to commemorate the 102nd anniversary of the great earthquake and fire of 1906.
Hamrol is one of the last survivors. Two years ago, on the centennial of the earthquake, there were a dozen ancient men and women on hand at Lotta’s Fountain, to bask in the memory of having lived through the city’s darkest hour.
All the rest have faded away or are too infirm to make the annual event. Last year and again this year, Hamrol had the stage to himself.
He seems to have faded a bit, like an old picture. It was too windy and cold Friday morning for him to get out of the car. He wore a heavy police sergeant’s coat against the chill. Blankets kept his legs warm.
He was modest, as he always is, about his memory of the earthquake and fire. “I was young,” he said. “I was only 3. I remember my mother carrying me down the stairs.” His family lived South of Market; the whole district burned down and the Hamrols had to move to Chicago temporarily.
“We don’t get an earthquake every day,” he said, “so we celebrate the one we had. It was a beautiful earthquake.” Chicago, in fact, had its own earthquake Friday, a 5.2 magnitude shaker that surprised the citizens but did no damage.

sfgate.com

Australian audiences have always been a spoilt bunch.
With a plethora of talented artists sprouting on our front door steps, we’re gradually becoming aware of the strength of the homegrown music scene.
Australian hip-hop is no different. Aussie punters have well and truly embraced the genre’s recent rise to eminence and immersed themselves in the burgeoning hip-hop scene, which boasts a swarm of ambitious musicians competing for favour.
However, through this pack of contenders clawing their way through relative obscurity and into the spotlight, Melbourne ensemble True Live have truly emerged at the fore.
Perhaps this is because True Live is far more than just hip-hop.
Armed with a three-piece string section (cello, violin, double bass), drum kit, keyboards and led by singer/rapper/songwriter/producer RHyNO MC, this ensemble have caught Australia’s breath in their fusion of organic orchestral sounds and beat heavy, hook laden, bass thumping rhythms.
True Live exploded into the national spotlight with their hit TV — with lyrics “one day, we might be on TV, we might be on television, we might be on TV … till then, let’s just jump around” — and the Melbourne six-piece caught the attention of everyone from Rolling Stone magazine to Molly Meldrum and released The Shape Of It to acclaim, selling out venues around the country on tour.
This is modern hip-hop which manages to separate itself from the so frequently dated Australian hip-hop scene.
It stands independently on an international level offering a truly multicultural sound with its mix of European, American and ethnic influence and a lyrical candour that could only be found in Australia.
Now the group is heading back to jump around Coolum’s Sol Bar this Saturday, bringing with them one great night out.
But make sure you head back again on Sunday when The Fumes return to the popular original music venue.
Bursting onto the scene in 2004, Sydney two piece The Fumes have rarely been out of the national gig guides. Along the way they garnered a reputation for their raw delivery and energetic live performances.
Gaining respect from industry and a growing public they worked equally well from blues festivals to headlining their own shows in rock venues. They also sweated up stages with the likes of Cog, Ash Grunwald, Hayseed Dixie (USA) and Dan Kelly to name a few.
The Fumes won Blues Artist of The Year at the Music Oz Awards in 2005 and promise another massive Sunday night in Coolum.

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