Niagara, ON I took offence to something in this article - parade related

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=717690&auth=Herod,%20Doug


I have no issue being called a "geek", but "low-rent costumes" is insulting. If the costumes look "ratty" or "old" or "dirty", they are suppose to look that way.

 

I read the article as well, and I don't think he meant us, but some of of the others in the parade. I think it was more of an unfortunate placement right after us that made the implication.

Mind you if he did mean us, I think a nice chat with him on how much money, time a resources goes into even assembling some Stormtrooper armour would be enlightening to him.

 

Well it was, in the same sentence. As for low rent costumes, I agree that one x-wing pilot in the front of the pack was shabby at best.... hehehe don't yell at me John.

Question about the parade......Can any business enter the parade or do you have to do charity work etc..etc... to be allowed in? And if so what is the cost per entry?

If businesses were allowed in....I believe they would get more colourfull floats and entries etc...

what every happen to the big Maseys Day Parade floating bear that shoppers put in a few years back?

 

That was a topic of discussion that I had with a lady in the facebook forum.

She was not allowed in the parade this year (she was in years past) because she wanted to hand out candy and free tickets to something in the falls. The parade officials told her "no" due to the rule about not handing stuff out, and said she would have to pay $2500 if she did still want to be in the parade because she is not a non-profit group.
They also told her she had to make a new "banner" because she was promoting her group for profit and it did not conform to the "size" rule. It was a half inch to big. She had a few choice words for the parade officials.

 

Wait...didn't we hand out cards or something like that?

 

I think one year we did hand out something, but not this year or last. We didn't want to have anyone getting upset at us.

 

Just read the article, and I agree with Woofer's interpretation. I think it was just poor placement in the sentence. Although a writer that uses "words" like coulda in his article - I just have a hard time taking seriously.

And as for not handing out stuff - did that crazy train ahead of us get away with it because they simply dropped candy as they went along? I know I nearly slipped on a piece at one point.

~Doc_Bev

 

Crazy Train? OZZY Rocks!

I agree with you Woofer, it looks as if they just added that after the geek thing, and not as a reflection of the costumes... Although, Woofer, I'm sorry but your pilot costume is really shabby and looks like it needs some work man!

Just kidding man, I know your stuff is top notch, but I couldn't resist!

 

I don't think it was directed at us, but it was more of a general comment. But last I checked we were in the parade, and we were in costumes, so even if he didn't mean us specifically, we were still included in the comment.

And the "geek" thing did kind of bug me. Ya, I know we all are, but we weren't there to show Niagara how geeky we are, we are trying to raise awareness for a good cause.

 

Geek is chic. It's not a bad thing really anymore, is it?

 

Just curious.....if they allowed businesses in.....

Think about how many floats they would have...businesses (major ones) have advertising budgets they could blow on colourful banners, floats, costumes etc....etc...

And as for being uniformed in the parade....for example the gay pride parade in TO...I hear they have tons of people in the parade that are very colourful etc..etc...they have a big turn out...and they are certainly not uniformed or all marching to the same beat of the drummer.

 

Well... to me it does not appear to actualy mean we're the ones in low-rent costumes... but rather we were there with all the others he mentions before us, and there were also low-rent costumes...

I have no problem being called a geek... call myself that all the time...

What many of the groups will maybe have to do is get Sponsorship... so that the big name companies get their name in the parade, and the charities get higher billing and budgets to improve...

 

With sponsorship you run the risk of conflict of interests. Does Lucasfilm want any product/service endorsed using their characters... They allow us to play in their sandbox and if they decide to they can stop it. Just food for thought.

Of course, would they bother for something harmless like this?

 

Funny enough...Jerry, we carried a DMZ banner in the parade the first year we were in the parade. It was kind of a "scratch my back, I scratch yours" thing. You let us borrow some of your costumes and we said thx by having your banner carried in the parade.

 

I hear what you guys are saying about the whole LFL copy write thing....

But lets say "insert my business" wanted to go into the parade i.e guys in camo...maybe even have people shooting each other with lasertag guns. I can't go in it.

or lets say something like "subway" having a big huge float the shape of a sub sandwhich
or someone like KFC and have a huge Chicken walking around..

whatever../you get my drift.

And Chris how cool would it be to have 10 tuskens, a full scale Bantha, the speeder bike..more Imperials, more rebels..and as discussed in years before some kind of landspeeder golf cart or Jabbas sail barge float?

If you can visualize it and think it will happen...anything is possible.

 

Think smaller speeders.... like Shriner Go-Cart size... lol ... Pod Racers too... X-wings... *sigh*... would be so fun to ride in...