April 2020 Murfreesboro Pulse

IN THIS ISSUE

WE WERE THE STATES / KARATE CHAD / NAVIGATING VIRUS PANDEMIC / HAROLD BALDWIN / ROCKET SHIRTS APRIL 2020 / VOL. 15, ISSUE 4

/ FREE

Middle Tennessee’s Source for Art, Entertainment and Culture News

ART OF COOKING Taste a Symphony of Flavors at Primrose Table, Offering Chops, Chicken, Steaks, Skins and more

2020 FOCUS ON THE BORO PHOTO CONTEST MOVES ONLINE

HYPERDECK: GO USA OFFERS NEW VIRTUAL REALITY ATTRACTION

DO SOMETHING: DOERZ MOTIVATION ENCOURAGES GROWTH

Contents

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ON THE COVER: City Hall photo by Tiffany Spangler/ Focus on the Boro RIGHT: Eagle by Michael Loyd/ Focus on the Boro

FEATURES

IN EVERY ISSUE

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4 Letter

DO SOMETHING

Doerz Motivation drives mental, growth. physical, spiritual growth

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ART OF COOKING

Taste a symphony of flavors at Chef Table.

Jason Matheson’s Primrose Table

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FOCUS ON THE BORO

Community photo project and contest 2020. moves online for 2020

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NEW WORLD AT GO USA

FROM THE EDITOR Do not fear, and hold on to your rights; wisdom from Yoda, Kane and Chuck Norris

6 Events

CALENDAR Cancelled and postponed events; helpful resources

8 Sounds

Hyperdeck brings fun virtual reality Park. experience to Go USA Fun Park

ALBUM REVIEWS We Were the States; Karate Chad

LOVE LOCAL BUSINESSES

MUSIC NOTES Mindful Care benefit rescheduled.

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All Murfreesboro businesses are pandemic. feeling the effects of the pandemic

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HERE FOR GOOD

Rocket Shirts offers local businesses opportunity. revenue stream opportunity

14 Living

GARDENING Say no to invasive species—they spread.

Art Director: Sarah Mayo

Publisher/Editor in Chief: Bracken Mayo

20 Art

BALDWIN MTSU photography program founder Harold Baldwin passes.

POETRY Poetry during a pandemic

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BUSINESS MOMENTUM A Flux in Time: Dealing with Change

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Opinion

PHIL VALENTINE Media seems to delight in crisis and panic.

Reviews

LIVE . . . WELL! Be the light.

MOVIE The Hunt

HEALTHCARE UPDATE Healthcare system has become cattywampus,

by Rep. Mike Sparks.

VIDEO GAME Vanquish

29 News

BUSINESS BUZZ Hunt Pools, Parker Brother’s, Mario’s, Grind House Boxing and more HIGHLIGHTING BUSINESS Floativation, Part VI: Saltwater Serenity

Contributors: Jennifer Durand, Laura Lindsay, Luke Kautzky, Blaine Little,

Copy Editor: Steve Morley

Jon Little, Angela Loupe, Zach Maxfield,

Advertising: Dave Trout

Jay Spight, Andrea Stockard, Phil Valentine,

Edwina Shannon, Rep. Mike Sparks, Kory Wells, Michelle Willard

35 Sports SPORTS TALK The NFL Draft is on April 23–25. Titans bring back Tannehill, Henry, add Vic Beasley.

Copyright © 2020, The Murfreesboro Pulse, 714 W. Main St., #208, Murfreesboro, TN 37129.

Proudly owned, operated and published the first Thursday of each month by the Mayo family; printed by Franklin Web Printing Co. The Pulse is a free publication funded by advertisers. Views expressed in the Pulse do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. ISSN: 1940-378X

714 W. Main St., Suite 208, Murfreesboro, TN 37129 • 615-796-6248 To carry the PULSE at your business, or to submit letters, stories and photography: bracken@boropulse.com

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The Murfreesboro Pulse

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YOU MAY NOTICE THIS EDITION of the Pulse does not contain many local concerts or events, generally a big part of our publication and mission.

Tennessee’s governor, as many other government officials have done, has issued an executive order banning public gatherings of 10 or more people, in response to a new virus going around.

You may not have heard of the COVID-19, since it hasn’t received very much media coverage yet (ha-ha) . . . but it has succeeded in quickly impacting the world like very few little microscopic things have in quite some time.

Here in Murfreesboro many of the local businesses are doing what they can to survive in the disruption to commerce during the great American pandemic scare and to keep the local economy moving.

I got bills to pay, I got mouths to feed, there ain’t nothing in this world for free.

Maybe the worst-case scenarios are true. The virus rapidly spreads to all parts of the globe. Some scientists predict COVID-19 has the potential to kill one to two percent of the world’s population. That’s a small percentage, and the human race will go on, but that’s still millions and millions of lost loved ones over the next few years. Every life matters.

But is a small percentage of lives worth shutting down the lives and livelihoods and freedoms of everyone?

Do we destroy the world economy, local economy, life as we know it and American liberty over the possibility of saving the lives of the lowest percentage of the most immunity-compromised?

Yes, in reality, society indeed faces those very real and serious questions as we enter the roaring ’20s.

Maybe a medical team will develop a

4 * APRIL 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

vaccine. Maybe it saves many lives. Maybe it becomes a part of the cocktail of dozens of other recommended vaccines and this COVID deal was just a little blip, a minor disruption of a few weeks.

Maybe the new vaccine has a bunch of side effects that won’t be known for years . . . maybe not.

Maybe a charismatic world leader will emerge, a heroic and beloved figure, seeking to finally unite the people of the world under the banner of a single, global government.

“Microchip us and monitor our health and movement. Give us our food rations.

Tell us when we can travel. Use our electronic screens to fill us with your propaganda,” the people will cry out.

Maybe this fizzles out in a couple of weeks on its own and the optimistic theory of herd immunity will come to pass.

There are a lot of maybes right now.

In the midst of all of these most serious matters that could affect the health and interaction of the human race for generations, the American people have spoken with clarity and a unified voice, and they have spoken: the single most important thing, if they are faced with long-term isolation, is . . . toilet paper.

This trial run of doomsday has hit many very hard with the realization of how unprepared they are for anything resembling self-reliance. How many of us have no care or idea of where our food comes from, other than demanding that it be butchered and shrink-wrapped far, far away, loaded onto a truck and shipped to the local supermarket for convenient pickup at any hour of the day. What! The meat case is empty . . . now what?

“Fear leads to suffering.”

— YODA

The orders banning gatherings of 10 or more people, naturally, do not apply to Kroger, Walmart, Publix and Aldi, since, you know, we trust them with our lives and all.

Seriously, Pulse readers know how much this publication applauds and promotes the local entrepreneurs and the message of shopping local and supporting the small business owners in the community.

But this unprecedented period has caused many to gain a sincere appreciation for the big-box stores and the role they play in our community, as employers, as managers of resources within a complex global supply chain that reliably brings products that make modern life convenient and affordable.

Still, the small businesses that give our town personality require support to stay in operation. And many of these local shop owners are operating, chasing their dream, giving their customers personal and unique experiences and services, without the safety net of such things as a

Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs a.k.a.

Kane

“salary” or the possibility of “unemployment” benefits.

What a time.

What have we always been told with a virus? Let it run its course . . . it will pass.

Fear not. Do not worry. Rejoice!

It’s going to take a lot more than this to throw me off of that philosophy.

Fear is the virus. Do not spread fear.

“Fear leads to suffering,” as Master Yoda put it.

Remember, up to this point this corona is killing far, far fewer people than cardiovascular diseases and heart problems.

As of press time COVID-19 has killed approximately 35,000 worldwide.

The fear, of course, is over what may hypothetically happen. The World Health Organization says nearly 18 million people die of heart disease each year worldwide.

You can do things to strengthen your heart health. Statiscally, you are far more likely to die of something cardiac-related.

Many Americans now have COVID-19

and do not even realize it. independent, unbiased, fair The fact that so many who and balanced information carry the disease remain in your social media feed. asymptomatic is one of the It’s becoming well known dangers of this virus, since that Zuckerberg’s platform they can spread it without will put in front of its users knowing, infecting someone the information that fits its who could potentially deagenda and will silence the velop more serious sympvoices of dissent. toms, or perhaps not survive Not to get too deep into the effects. conspiracy theories here, Still, the long-term dambut I would recommend age done to the economy by watching the Event 201 quarantining and staying at Pandemic Exercise seghome may be very detrimenments, available on Youtal to many businesses and Tube. These meetings are households. President Trump quite interesting considering takes an optimistic approach, the events that unfolded just maintaining that most of the months after that exercise, country should soon return which touches on the idea of to work, church and school, a centralized global group and cautioning that the reof elites attempting to exert sponse should not be worse some control over the flow than the virus itself. of information, on social me“How long can we dia, on television networks Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs seems to allow Americans, and on smaller-scale comshare the president’s sentimunity levels during a corowho are a ment that after a few weeks navirus pandemic. There are freedom-loving of madness, fear and panic, no coincidences. it’s about time to get back The great Chuck Norris people and to work. He points out that will fight hard for freedom. patriots, to be more people in his county “How long can we alhave recently died of suicide under ‘lockdown’ low Americans, who are a than those who have died people and in their own homes freedom-loving from the new coronavirus. patriots, to be under ‘lockwithout working?” down’ in their own homes “We have to determine how we can respond to COwithout working?” Norris — CHUCK NORRIS VID-19 in a way that keeps wrote recently. our economy intact, keeps people employed He predicts that if “shelter-in-place” orders and empowers them with a feeling of hope extend for much longer, if law-abiding masses of and optimism—not desperation and despair,” U.S. citizens continue to be “placed into libertyJacobs said. inhibiting shackles,” many will very soon rise up There could be some very interesting court in rebellion against tyranny and elected leaders battles to come in response to the way other assuming a bit too much authority and control. mayors and governors are overstepping their Stay healthy, stay fearless. bounds with executive orders controlling travel, If you don’t think you could survive this virus, gatherings and commerce. by all means, isolate yourself.

Some patriotic Constitutionalists maintain Go along with the quarantining and social that the Constitution does not catch a virus, distancing for a little while if you feel so led, and that Americans have a right to peaceably but I support and acknowledge Americans’ assemble even if a virus is going around. right to peaceably assemble if and when they Once a population loses rights, it can be choose to do so. quite difficult to regain them.

We don’t want the response to be worse than the virus.

I also believe that a free and independent Peace, press is going to be quite important over the BRACKEN MAYO coming years, as it always is.

Publisher/Editor in Chief Do not believe that you are always getting

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Events

CALENDAR / APRIL 2020

PLEASE CONTACT the organizers of these events before attending to inquire if they have been postponed or canceled.

with Bohemian Sisters and a rhythmic drum circle. For more information, and to find out if this event will be postponed, find the event on Facebook.

APRIL 18

APRIL 25

BORO YOGA FEST

FAMILY NIGHTS AT THE MUSEUM

The fourth annual Boro Yoga to benefit Eat, Breathe, Thrive is Saturday, April 18, from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. at Cheval Manor (7052 W. Gum Rd.). All levels are welcome, and a vast array of styles will be taught. Mats are available, and Core Life Eatery offers lunch options. For more information, contact kim@boroyogafest. com or 615-796-1335. To purchase tickets or find out if this event will be postponed, visit boroyogafest.ticketbud.com or boroyogafest.com.

APRIL 19

Family Nights at The Sam Davis Home (1399 Sam Davis Rd., Smyrna) features Paws & Claws on Saturday, April 25, from 4–5 p.m., as they celebrate National Pet Month in April. Heather Moore, founder of Wag It Better dog training, shows several awesome tricks to teach your dog. Learn ways to entertain your dog at home and make a craft to take to your pets. Feel free to bring your leashed fur babies for this fun Night at the Museum. Tickets can be purchased at pawsandclawstn.com. For

BY ANDREA STOCKARD

more information or to see if this event is postponed, contact 615-822-3666 or pawsandclawstn@gmail.com, or visit samdavishome.org.

THESE EVENTS HAVE CONFIRMED THEIR PLANS ARE POSTPONED:

MAY 16 WALK TO CURE ARTHRITIS Originally set for May 3 at MTSU, the national Walk to Cure Arthritis has moved to an online format, and has changed dates to Saturday, May 16, at 3 p.m. Donations are still needed to find a cure for arthritis.

After taking a personal walk, supporters can the come together on the Walk to Cure Arthritis Facebook page to celebrate with live conversations and stories about

POETRY IN THE BORO Poetry in the Boro is scheduled for April 19 at the Walnut House; a decision will be made April 12 whether to postpone. For more information and virtual readings, find Poetry in the Boro on Facebook.

APRIL 21 THE SNEAKER BALL Join First Shot Foundation and Terry Greer as Pastor Allen Jackson of World Outreach Church interviews Tennessee Titans superstars Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill about their faith, their profession and what it is like to be a professional athlete and a man of faith in the 21st century.

General admission tickets are $30 and VIP packages are available. The First Shot Foundation seeks to provide an opportunity for all children to excel in a safe environment from academics to athletics.

The event is at World Outreach Church, 1921 New Salem Rd. To find out whether this date is postponed, stay in touch with First Shot Foundation and Terry Greer on Facebook, find the event on Eventbrite or visit firstshottn.org.

APRIL 24 FRIZZ FEST AT THE BORO Frizz Fest is set for The Boro Bar & Grill (1211 Greenland Dr.) on Friday, April 24, at 8 p.m. Join bands like Thunderfrog, Skeetzo N’ Krysis, The Buddy System and Finger Lakes, artists such as Meagan Armes, Delaney Fitzhugh and Dinkyinked Arts, Jimbo Hooten Magic, belly dancing 6 * APRIL 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

HELPFUL RESOURCES: Tennessee Talent Exchange powered by Jobs4TN helps the community find jobs by matching workers with employers who have immediate job openings in the grocery and retail industries. Good paying jobs with flexible hours. Apply at tn.gov/ workforce/covid-19.

Need a WIC (Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children) appointment? Call 1-800-DialWIC or visit tn.gov/wic.

Contact Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network at tspn.org, Text TN to 741 741 or call 1-800-273-TALK. Tennessee businesses are being asked to join in the fight against COVID-19 and donate their new, unused personal protective equipment to a National Guard Armory location. Visit tn.gov/tema.

People who are mildly ill with COVID-19 are able to recover at home. Do not leave, except to get emergency medical care. Do not visit public areas. Questions? Call the TN Department of Health Public Information Line at 833-556-2476.

Find the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development on Facebook for a video and more information about unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Small businesses and nonprofit organizations that have suffered economic injury as a result of COVID-19 can apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million per applicant to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have otherwise been met. Learn more at tn.gov/ecd.

Contact the Tennessee Department of Health at tn.gov/health, 833556-2476 or 877-857-2945 from 10 a.m.–10 p.m. CDT. With many blood drive events cancelled due to COVID-19, donors are needed to replenish the blood supply. If you are a healthy individual, you are encouraged to call 800-REDCROSS for information.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue’s deadline for March & April Vehicle Registration Renewals is extended to June 15. For more information, visit tn.gov/revenue.

why organizers are so passionate about conquering this life-altering disease. To register for the virtual walk or more information, visit events.arthritis.org or contact 615-881-4065.

JUNE 4 CELEBRITY WAITERS DINNER The 11th Annual Celebrity Waiters Dinner, originally scheduled for April 2, has been postponed until June 4. Held at Stones River Country Club with a reception and dinner alongside live entertainment, silent auction and a live auction, funds raised through the dinner support the programs of The Exchange Club of Murfreesboro including Americanism, youth activities, community service and their national project—the prevention of child abuse, specifically via Kymari House and The Family Center of Tennessee. For more information, contact 615-896-9460, 615-494-7970 or 615-893-2067 or visit noonexchange.org.

TBD QUILT APPRECIATION DAY Want to show off the antique quilts in your attic? A Quilt Appreciation Day will be hosted by Family and Community Education Clubs of Rutherford County.

The event will be at Lane Agri-Park (315 John R. Rice Blvd.). Admission is free.

Stay in contact through 615-898-7710 or cybush@utk.edu. More information is available via rutherford.tennessee.edu or ag.tennessee.edu.

TBD UGLY DUCKLING BALL Charity Circle of Murfreesboro’s annual Ugly Duckling Ball in April is postponed.

This is Murfreesboro’s first and longestrunning local charity ball. For more information and updateson a new date, visit charitycirclemboro.com.

TBD KOMBUCHA & CREATIVES The Pop Up Artists and Float Alchemy are postponing their April Kombucha & Creatives. The series will support local artists, such as John Arley, Cheryl Gibson Jones, Gregory Lannom, Lindsey Wilson, Cora Green, E. Roy Lee, Rachel Odom and others, and allow others to discover their work. Check the Kombucha & Creatives Facebook event page for updates.

TBD RUTHERFORD ATHENA AWARDS The Rutherford ATHENA Awards, originally set for April 17, will be rescheduled. The ATHENA Award, named after the highly esteemed Greek goddess, goes to “individuals who excel in their professions, give back to their communities and help develop other leaders, especially women.” For more information on Rutherford CABLE, visit rutherfordcable.org/athena.

TUESDAYS WORKING ARTIST INITIATIVE Scheduled on Tuesdays through June 17, Working Artist Initiative is a cross-genre group of visual artists, musicians, writers, photographers, and filmmakers of all levels who commit to the completion of a project of their choice, meeting every other week. Contact lbrowning@murfreesborotn.gov or visit Cultural Arts Murfreesboro on Facebook for information on when the series will resume.

SOME OUTDOOR PARKS FEATURES OPEN: As of press time, Murfreesboro Greenway trails, outdoor tennis courts, the trails at Barfield Crescent Park, outdoor pavilions, open park spaces and the pickleball courts at Patterson Park Community Center are open.

Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation plan to keep these facilities closed through at least April 24: Sports*Com, St. Clair Street Senior Center, Patterson Park Community Center, Adams Tennis Complex, Bradley Academy Museum and Cultural Center, Cannonsburgh Village, Gateway Island Reception Center, Wilderness Station, playgrounds, restrooms and baseball and soccer fields. For updates on Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation closings, visit murfreesborotn.gov.

The outdoor trails at Stones River National Battlefield and Historic Cemetery also remain open.

FOOD FOR THOSE IN NEED Rutherford County Schools expands its free food program providing breakfast and lunch for children to 26 sites during the shutdown; for a complete list of locations and times, and more information, visit rcschools.net or call 615-893-5812.

Contact Nourish Food Bank for hot meals at 615-203-3963.

LifePoint Church is providing food boxes; they can be reached at lifept.org/ forthecommunity.

MAY 1 AND 2 SPRING REDNECK RUMBLE The Redneck Rumble is the South’s greatest gathering of hot rods, customs, rat rods and motorcycles. The huge swap meet features new and used parts, vintage stuff, live music, flat track and motorcycle races at the Wilson County Expo Center (945 E. Baddour Pkwy.) beginning at 10 a.m. Friday, May 1, and continuing through Saturday evening. Camping is available. For more information, call 615-364-1828 or visit bothbarrels.us.

ONLINE RESOURCES:

THROUGH APRIL 10 WHIPPING THE CORONAVIRUS CONTEST Following the release of a new PSA featuring coaches and players Barry Wortman (Blackman High School), Kevin Creasy (Oakland High School), Emmanuel Smith (Kansas City Chiefs) and Joshua Smith (Tennessee Titans), Rutherford County Director of Schools Bill Spurlock is challenging administrators, teachers and students from all schools to record videos and share them on Twitter showing how you are doing your part to “whip the coronavirus.” Get creative by dropping a beat, writing a poem or doing whatever lets you express yourself. The contest runs through Friday, April 10. Eligible videos must include the #RCSWhipsCoronavirus hashtag and indicate your school. Winners will be decided by the most tweets and retweets, and the director has a special prize in mind for the winners.

THROUGHOUT APRIL ONLINE CLASSES WITH THE CHATTERY The Chattery, a nonprofit learning collective located in Chattanooga, offers fun, affordable and accessible classes and workshops for adults to learn from a variety of community leaders, experts and hobbyists. Upcoming online classes include healthy habits, home organizing,

 Send community event information to CONTACT@BOROPULSE.COM

calligraphy, financial planning, vegetable fermentation, dairy culturing, personal style, art, soap making and more. For more information, visit thechattery.org.

ONGOING ONLINE RUTHERFORD COUNTY SCHOOL RESOURCES Rutherford County Schools offers optional assignments and activities to keep students engaged throughout the COVID-19 shutdown. New assignments will be added for each week. Teachers in all content areas will be sharing supplemental resources via their websites and will provide feedback on submitted assignments, although a grade will not be given.

Schools will also be making arrangements for students to request and access a device for internet. Printed packets can also be made available, as needed. Two local internet service providers are offering free high-speed internet service for two months for those without internet access.

For more information, visit rcshools.net.

LIBRARY RESOURCES The Rutherford Country Library System offers many ways for all ages to continue learning and stay active with children and family members. Visit rclstn.org for the Virtual Library, Book Recommendation Newsletters, RCLS Reads weekly lists, Awards Lists, E-book Alerts, Author Spotlights and more.

Booklistonline.com and hoopladigital.com

offer books online through the library, and StarNet offers a wealth of resources and activities for people of all ages at clearinghouse.starnetlibraries.org/66-activities. Visit worldbookonline.com for learning resources.

KidSpeak offers introduction for children learning new languages at rclstn.org/ databases.

Girls Who Code has made educational activities free to download for anyone at home at girlswhocode.com/code-at-home.

The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program continues at 1000booksbeforekin dergarten.org/resources.

Highly acclaimed author and illustrator Mo Willems hosts daily online drawing sessions on the YouTube channel of the Kennedy Center.

Digital magazines can be found online at flipster.ebsco.com.

Imagination Library offers resources and activities to do along with each book your child receives. Those can be found at governorsfoundation.org.

Curbside pickup at Linebaugh Library (105 W. Vine St.) may still be available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. For more information, call 615-8099225.

ONLINE WORKOUTS Join Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation and Murfreesboro Sports*Com on Facebook for live workout videos throughout the month. Sports*Com trainers plan to host live sessions at 9:15 a.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Many other local gyms and personal trainers are also offering online services this month.

VIRTUAL TOURS Visit Rutherford features 12 Virtual Tours of Rutherford County at visitrutherfordtn.com including attractions such as the Stones River National Battlefield, The Earth Experience: Middle Tennessee Museum of Natural History, Center for the Arts, Todd Art Gallery at MTSU and more.

ONLINE ART CLASSES WITH CASSIE STEPHENS Cassie Stephens, an art teacher at Johnson Elementary School in Franklin, is offering live classes online for children via her Instagram (@cassie_stephenz) and her Facebook every weekday from 11–11:45 a.m. until schools reopen. Her themes change weekly from robots to pirates. Parents can email Stephens their children’s finished work. Her videos are also available via her YouTube. For more information, visit cassieart.etsy.com or cassiestephens.blogspot.com.

BOROPULSE.COM

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ALBUMS

WE WERE THE STATES

KARATE CHAD

Though the band has not been as active in playing shows in the Middle Tennessee area over the past few years, We Were The States (at one time known simply as The States) released a live album in December 2019. The release captures the group’s indieand punk-styled pop-rock vibe, or whatever you label the sound of early-2000s rock played by The Strokes, The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Jet and those guys.

The tunes by We Were The States feature some great, bouncy and lively bass guitar work. The bass drives the music aggressively, riding on top of the beat in an active but nonetheless chill, reggae sort of way.

The cool and catchy but not overly complex songwriting may have many passionately singing along “Marigold, Marigold” during that track, a tale of a shipwreck.

Overall, the tracks are bouncy and energetic but not too wild. I believe The States have found a very pleasing middle ground in between cheesy pop-rock and extreme thrash, a hybrid that fans of that early-2000s style should appreciate. The delivery is precise but not cookie-cutter, showing a hyper, bold rock vibe. The vocalist, Justin Webb, lets himself go to a moderate degree, not too concerned with sounding pretty, but also keeping things somewhat controlled and reined in.

The longtime Murfreesboro band, now signed to Chicken Ranch Records out of Texas, is still making rock ’n’ roll music! WWTS sprinkles the songs with attention-grabbing gems, such as a cool guitar switch-off from left to right channels in “Start Something” and the intriguing chord progression on “Supra,” and its motivational message of if you ever get discouraged, don’t quit, not today, not today.

The performance on Live in Austin Texas seems fairly solid for a live recording; it contains perhaps a few passages here and there the band may have opted to redo or clean up if it were done in a studio setting, but overall the listener may often forget they are hearing a live capture. — BRACKEN MAYO

Most pop songs are self-portraits, caricatures generally, in which an artist is poised firmly in the foreground of the frame, insisting on their centrality. To draw you in, pop musicians rely on a catchy melody, a witty lyric, or their own oversized personality. Not Karate Chad.

Each track on the six-song dream-pop album Best Friends is catchy, but it’s rarely a melody or lyric that jumps out and grabs you. It’s more subtle than that. It’s a feeling, an ambiance that seeps in and wraps around, holding you enthralled.

Chad’s penchant for the atmospheric can’t be overstated. If, as I’ve said, most pop songs are oversized self-portraits, his are landscape paintings in which the individual is of no more consequence than any other element, and certainly not the central focus.

Take his vocals for example. Vocals are the beating heart (or snarling face) of most pop songs, but in Karate Chad’s deft hands they are simply another texture, another instrument to layer on. Like clouds drifting across a massive sky, Chad’s vocals, often edged with distortion, deepen the atmosphere rather than draw one’s attention away from it.

Each song on Best Friends sounds huge.

Swelling with synths, distorted guitars, reverbsoaked vocals and murmuring bass lines, each track plays like a world unto itself—full, but never too crowded.

I especially enjoyed “Halloween Tonight” and “Drowning,” but on an album like this, there’s hardly a point in recommending individual tracks. Just let the album play. Marinate for awhile. You’ll be happy you did. Fans of early Beach House should especially enjoy.

Find Best Friends by Karate Chad on Bandcamp. — JON LITTLE

Live­in­Austin­Texas

A CLASSIC OUTSTANDING

Best­Friends

AVERAGE BELOW AVERAGE

AVOID IT DEAD

JACK PEARSON

JACK PEARSON, JOHN SALAWAY TO PERFORM MINDFUL CARE BENEFIT, MOVED TO OCT. 15 ORIGINALLY SET FOR APRIL APRIL, Mindful Care will host its Benefit at Hop Springs on Thursday, Oct. 15, featuring live music by guitarists Jack Pearson, formerly of the Allman Brothers Band, and indie artist John Salaway.

Admission is free, though organizers suggest a $25 donation to support Mindful Care’s Music Therapy Program, bringing the healing powers and stimulation of music to elders with aging and memory issues.

Guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and session musician Jack Pearson is best known as an A-list blues/rock lead and slide guitarist but is also a soulful, creative songwriter and artist in his own right. During his 40-year career, he has mastered a wide range of instruments including electric, slide, acoustic and resonator guitar, mandolin, old time banjo and Hammond organ, which he incorporates into many musical styles. He was a member of The Allman Brothers Band from 1997–99 and has worked with music legends including Vince Gill, Jimmy Buffett, Earl Scruggs, Amy Grant, Faith Hill, Ronnie Milsap, Jimmy Hall, Lee Ann Womack, Martina McBride, Trace Adkins, Eric Church and John Hiatt.

Since moving to the Nashville area in the early 2000s, John Salaway has earned a weekly residency at BB King’s JOHN SALAWAY Blues Club while also playing shows with acts like Peter Frampton, Ben Folds, Anderson East, Zach Williams and Denny Laine. He’s a drummer, guitarist and pianist whose 2019 album Americana Dreams shows the full range of his abilities, mixing a lifelong appreciation for the Beatles’ classic pop melodies with the Southern-fried sounds of his adopted hometown.

For more information about the event, contact Tom Tozer at ttozer@comcast.net or Cindy Jones at cindy.jones@gmail.com.

There are 5.5 million people nationwide afflicted with Alzheimer’s—more than 3,000 in Rutherford County. In 10 years, those numbers will double. Seventy percent of those are being cared for at home. Mindful Care, a nonprofit that operates a day program for persons with Alzheimer’s disease, wants to be a life-preserver for the person with dementia and a lifesaver for the caregiver. Mindful Care operates out of New Vision Baptist Church on Thompson Lane, five days a week, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit mindful-care.org.

MUSIC NOTE

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Living

 FITNESS

Ambrose of Doerz Motivation Drives Mental, Physical, Spiritual Growth STORY AND PHOTOS

BY BRACKEN MAYO

A

unique journey has led Ambrose Leburu to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where he works at the Murfreesboro Athletic Club as a personal trainer under his Doerz Motivation brand. Leburu’s story began in the African country of Botswana, where he witnessed the horrors of war and violence.

His family moved to the United States, first settling in California, then experiencing the extreme cold of South Dakota for one winter before landing in Atlanta.

As a high school student in Atlanta, Ambrose took an interest in soccer, and through determination, desire, motivation and following habits that led toward accomplishing his goals, willed himself from being a very average soccer player to becoming the MVP of his team by his senior season. He even earned a scholarship to play soccer at DeKalb College (now part of the Georgia State University system).

However, as Leburu wrote in his book, Cut the Crap, this resulted in “losing my scholarship by flunking my classes for playing around too much.”

His next step was to join the U.S. Army, and while finding himself holding an automatic weapon in Bosnia and Croatia 12 * APRIL 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

may not have been a part of his initial plan for success, Leburu says his time in the military did help further build resilience and determination.

Now, working as a personal trainer (after a brief time in radio broadcasting in South Florida), the Doerz Motivation founder aims to help motivate others to cut the crap and achieve their goals.

“Fix your face,” Ambrose sternly instructs a client in the midst of a difficult set of

chest presses at the MAC. He’s not insulting them. He’s reminding his trainee that if he convinces himself that the exercise is difficult, it will show on their face. It will translate to his breathing pattern. It will be difficult. He will defeat himself psychologically even though he is physically capable with a little motivation and determination and digging deep. If the client controls his mind, if he tells himself he is in control of his body, if he meditates on being capable

of completing the requested exercise, it will happen, with precision and control.

The Doerz Motivation trainer will push his clients to improve and remind them that they are capable of great things, in control of themselves, their bodies, their minds, their lives . . . even when their muscles may be trying to cry out in an uncomfortable burn.

“It’s not about the number [of repetitions], it’s about the squeeze [of the targeted muscle being trained],” Ambrose says during a different routine. “Don’t sacrifice form for numbers.”

He does add a numerical goal into a set, though, with a little method the trainer likes to call 21 Savage. This killer set of 21 involves seven regular repetitions of a particular exercise, followed by seven at an exaggeratedly slow pace to emphasize control, then seven more normal reps, for a good burn.

Most everyone has an opportunity for great transformation, and the ability to make it happen, with the right motivation and habits, Ambrose says.

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing. That’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar Leburu is there to help those around him kill their kryptonite—identify the thought patterns, habits or even people in their life that hinder them from accomplishing their goals, and to then discard them from their lives.

“What excuse do you have for your lack of self-discipline?” he asks.

He emphasizes the importance of surrounding oneself with doers, with those disciplined and motivated individuals who can provide a source of positive energy.

“Commitment means sticking with it until the job is done,” Leburu says. “A lot of people have great ideas and goals but are stuck between the knowing and the doing.

That simply means we know and have the means to make things happen—but doing it is another story. I’ve had clients who sit in front of me and tell me everything they will not sacrifice in order to see results. If you’re not willing to sacrifice, don’t waste your time dreaming or talking about your goals.”

PULSE: Your organization is called

Ambrose Leburu keeps a client, Leslie, focused and motivated

Doerz Motivation. Where did that name come from?

AMBROSE LEBURU: The name came

from James 1:22: “be a doer and not just a hearer.” Biblically, everyone has their definition of that. But that described who I was: a professional procrastinator. I had so many plans and goals, my book being one of them. Do something. The minute your mind is prepared, it is training.

So your method to success is training the mind just as much as the body?

I always tell my kids, “finish what you started.” But the hardest part is starting.

We’ve been trained and programmed, “No, don’t do that. You can’t do that. Be careful, be careful. Don’t go there. Don’t say that. Don’t eat that.” Eventually, that’s all you’re going to do. Think in negatives.

But when a kid is born, they’re going to take risks. They’re going to jump off that couch, even if they are two feet tall.

Don’t play defense. Even with losing weight. The doing, the doing . . . the power is in the doing! James 1:22.

You use positive reinforcement, then, and encourage your clients to play offense . . .

Losing weight, getting healthy, getting rich—the only thing that stops you from that is your mindset. People telling you all your life that you can’t.

Fitness is so commercialized now, many people don’t take it as seriously as spirituality, marriage, finance, relationships, their career. Why is it that we don’t approach the health and fitness compartment with the same vigor? There are so many elements that keep us from exposing who we really are.

What is some specific exercise advice you would recommend that anyone can do, even with limited time?

Number one—and I’m telling you if you don’t do this, nothing else will fall in place—you have to start with loving yourself. Self-affirmations. If you don’t believe that you are healthy, if you believe that you are fat . . . whatever you tell the universe, it will say “yes.”

Start with that, loving yourself . . . then work on your cardiovascular. Start with half a mile of walking, I’m talking about a novice here. Then do a mile. I’m not talking about running a marathon. One brick at a time, not two bricks, not three bricks, one.

Then, movement. Any type of movement. Move. Do something.

Let’s talk about the food aspect of it. Nutrition. We all eat the same food: chicken, beef, fish, veggies, pastas. But how are you preparing these meals? The key word

to nutrition is preparation. If you prepare your meals, you are not going to fall for the commercialized, processed foods, [which are] really the reason obesity is ridiculous.

You know you shouldn’t eat sweets every day. You know you shouldn’t drink alcohol every day. Now, I say don’t eat meat every day. We have kids seven years old developing breasts [due to the possible presence of hormones such as estrogen in the meat].

Where’s all of this cancer coming from?

We talked about preparation, now, [the next step with nutrition is] moderation.

Strength training—you either need to have a friend that is already doing it who can show you, or you need to get a personal trainer. Strength training is important for everyone; especially older folks, who will trip over a pillow or something and lose their balance and damage themselves. If you do not lift weights, you are going to get injured. And this can be body weight. That’s fine: pushups, sit-ups, pull-ups, squats.

If there’s one exercise that I can say if you don’t do anything else, do dead-lifts.

You have to lift; you have to lift yourself off the ground!

Then you have flexibility, some men don’t like it, but be aware of your body and how your body moves.

How does someone move from interest to commitment?

It’s all about your whys. Your why is so important. It’s all a belief system. The process will decide for you.

For example, why am I doing Doerz Motivation? I really believe there is something in me that I need to give birth to that can help and inspire a lot of people. Whatever that thing is that is brewing inside of you, let it come out. Let that God-given gift shine. What more needs to happen to let you know that tomorrow is not a promise?

Stop giving a shit [about the opinions of others and their negative comments] . . . give the world your gift. Live, bro!

How important is surrounding yourself with those who share your vision, and to have some accountability?

Very important. If you are married and you are hanging around with single people, you are looking for trouble. If you are looking for success in your business, and you are not hanging around successful businesspeople, you are looking for trouble.

If you want to improve and lift heavy, hang around people who are lifting heavy.

For more information on Ambrose Leburu and Doerz Motivation, call 615689-7309 or visit doerzmotivation.com.

Living

Farmers Market Education Series

BY EDWINA SHANNON

Identify and Minimize Invasive Plants During the Planting Season MINDS WORK IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS. Here I am, inside my home, choosing to minimize my interactions with the world outside my four walls. I walk around the perimeter of my property for fresh air and notice the encroaching English ivy from two of my neighbors. I sure don’t want that lush, green vine taking over the land and climbing my trees and eventually eliminating leaves and killing them. It’s an invader looking for a host, and I need to protect my property from the attack.

Oh, the parallels to our current health situation are ironic to me. I have the topic for this month’s column: Invasives and how to limit their proliferation is my timely topic.

Properly named, an invasive is a plant that is not native to where it is growing. It may be pretty. It may be a short-term solution to a problem. The plant is brought to the area from another place, often another continent, that has similar growing conditions.

Unlike its home place, the newly arrived plant has no natural predators or problems.

With the similar growing conditions of its home and no natural checkpoints to curtail its takeover, its population explodes, and it is in invasive stage.

Unfortunately, there are so many invasives to list and to caution people against purchasing and planting. The sharing of plants and insects in this global marketplace is not typically done without an effect in the newly occupied area. Insects are typically hitchhikers in the freight busi14 * APRIL 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

ness. There is a history of imported insects decimating their new area. There must be a balance within an ecosystem or the new bug takes over. Same thing in the plant kingdom. Thankfully, their spread is usually slower than insect replication. Good ole manual removal does work with some plants. Let’s get more basic, though, and prevent the need for removal.

Why? Well, what value does the plant bring to the new area? What safeguards are in place to prevent the takeover? Can it get along with the existing plants or does it slowly replace them? How about the local wildlife? What value does this new plant bring to them, and does the value equal or exceed the benefits of the native plants?

Does it change the soil, preventing natives from growing?

Did you realize that invasive plants can be in waterways as well as on land?

Responsible boaters have practiced inspections looking for hitchhikers for decades.

Invasives into the waterways change the habitats, affecting the fish and those who eat them. Yes, invasives can be deadly.

To borrow a phrase, the best defense is a solid offense.

Just don’t plant them. A plant from another area may pique your curiosity and be beautiful, exotic and intriguing, but at what cost? The decision is not all about you. Our actions and decisions affect our environment.

Choose a native plant when selecting new trees, bushes, ground covers, vines, etc.

They support the ecosystem, including the birds, bees, squirrels and larger lifeforms.

Gardeners do have the choice to help the wild things survive and to keep your piece of the earth in balance. That intent is stewardship, and the action should be to keep it local. Your hunter and fisherman friends will thank you. Work on removing any existing invasives. Expect it to be an ongoing, tedious process for awhile.

As you add to your landscape, be diligent and informed. Avoid invasives. Educated and caring nurseries will be able to provide you with alternates to the imported, marketed plants. Express what you are trying to do on the property and ask for native plants to accomplish it.

INVASIVE PLANTS:

Winter creeper (ground cover) English ivy (berries are toxic to humans and animals) Japanese honeysuckle (yellowish, often found in woodlands or fences) Chinese wisteria vine Bamboo (roots can be 20 inches deep) Winged burning bush (tons of seeds per plant) Nandina domestica (spreads through root; berries are toxic) Privet (sold for hedges) Autumn olive (tons of seeds per plant) Russian olive (hard to eradicate due to very deep roots) Bradford pear trees (out-compete the other trees) Vinca, a.k.a. common periwinkle (a ground cover) Japanese barberry (alters the pH of the soil)

Sweet autumn clematis Weeping lovegrass Japanese spirea Goji berry (spreads root and berries.

Berries are edible) Jerusalem artichoke (tubers spread) Comfrey (Used for mulching through chop and drop, but spreads) Mimosa Kudzu Cogongrass* Giant reed* Ice plant Onion grass* Pampas grass* Tree of heaven Red sesbania (buy a Redbud) * Always assess if an ornamental grass adds any value as a foodstuff to the native animals.

THERE ARE MORE . . .

In addition to the UT resources, there is some great invasive information on You Tube. I want to thank the Epic Gardening and Plant Abundance channels for helping to create the above list.

APRIL TASKS:

– Direct-sow spinach and other spring crops to avoid the heat of mid-May and later – Finish site preparation – Have soil tested and apply pre-plant fertilization for summer crops – Lay irrigation tubing – Mid-April is the beginning of green bean and sweet corn planting in Middle Tennessee – Warm season transplants can go into the garden at the end of the month – Record the last frost for your records (which could be in May)

Food Art of Cooking

A Symphony of Flavors at Primrose Table, Offering Chops, Chicken, Steaks and Skins

Clockwise from left: Lamb chops; Cornbread panzanella salad; Korean BBQ-stuffed potato skins

STORY BY BRACKEN MAYO HERALDED BY MANY for adding a touch of elegance and gourmet to the Murfreesboro culinary landscape, Primrose Table offers some very creative ingredient combinations, alongside meat and potatoes and more accessible burgers, in its Memorial Boulevard restaurant space.

Billed as family-friendly fine dining, patrons can opt for an indulgent multi-course splurge with wine, or a classic cheeseburger.

Primrose Table does not have an overwhelmingly huge menu, but the restaurant’s two-page menu contains quite a variety, and some uncommon items and ingredients.

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PHOTOS BY SARAH MAYO The Korean BBQ-stuffed potato skins emit a wonderful, complex aroma as the server places them on the table—four potato halves loaded with kimchi, slaw, roasted pork, peppers, cheese, Marmite and sweet pepper aioli.

There are lots of tasty flavors, and colors, going on in this dish, and with the hearty potato, one could make a meal off of this.

Primrose Table owner and chef Jason Matheson said he wanted to do something different when creating this item, which he served for years on his food truck, but have something “that ate like a taco.”

“The Korean BBQ potato skins are just to

die for. It’s very obvious that the dishes here were perfected over time,” Primrose Table patron Christi Binkley said.

Also listed in the starters section of the menu, but quite a substantial dish in itself, are the lamb chops. The meat on these small but tender chops is excellent on its own, but “Get a bite of lamb with the eggplant,” as the server suggests, as well as the accompanying yogurt and pistachio for a knock-out combo of Mediterranean-inspired deliciousness.

Perhaps pair this item with a salad for a very satisfying meal.

The cornbread panzanella salad delivers a sweet, apple-y taste along with cooked greens, as small pieces of apples blend with roasted brussels sprouts, braised cabbage and cranberries, along with big puffy pieces of toasted cornbread as a crouton.

Matheson, who grew up in the Priest Lake neighborhood between Murfreesboro and Nashville, has amassed a great deal of experience in fine restaurants throughout

his career thus far. He has worked in the kitchens of 101st Airborne Restaurant, New Orleans Manor, Watermark and Marsh House in Nashville, and has served as the executive chef at a few golf courses.

The Dish RESTAURANT: Primrose Table LOCATION:

1650 Memorial Blvd., Murfreesboro PHONE: 615-900-5790 HOURS: Tues.–Thurs.: 4–9 p.m.;

Fri. and Sat. 4–10 p.m.

PRICES: Bacon Swiss burger with

one side: $11; Roast chicken breast with Woodford Reserve cream sauce: $19; Fish & Chips $15; Korean BBQ Stuffed Potato Skins $12; Pork chop with spiced apple butter, roasted potatoes and coconut creamed kale: $29; 16-ounce ribeye with roasted potatoes and coconut creamed kale: $38

ONLINE: primrosetable.com

Clockwise from left: Gulf grouper with mushroom parmesan risotto; An array of breads with homemade butter; kids cheeseburger meal; Chef Jason Matheson

 IN CASE you are unfamiliar with some of the ingredients used, here’s a dictionary for Primrose Table.

LABNA – A thick, strained, sour yogurt served with the lamb chops BEEMSTER – A cheese named for a region in The Netherlands, produced in part by hand-stirring the curd; served with the poached pear salad CHIMICHURRI – A sauce commonly made from herbs, oil, garlic, vinegar and pepper; served on the slaw and on the lamb chops GASTRIQUE – Caramelized sugar, deglazed with vinegar; a Meyer lemon gastrique accompanies the grouper While he is proud to welcome customers to his Murfreesboro establishment, he seems to feel most at home in the back of the house, working in the heat of the kitchen. Matheson says that since the restaurant opened in October 2019 he has personally cooked every steak and every burger coming off the grill.

His line-caught gulf grouper is quite special and incredible, another wonderful combination of flavors. A base of a wild mushroom and parmesan risotto holds the fish as swirls of a Meyer lemon gastrique adorn the side of the dish. This represents the high art of cooking and plating, not often seen in Murfreesboro establishments, where the dish closer resembles a painting or a symphony. At $32 for this plate, most would consider it a special-occasion luxury, but many consumers appreciate having this type of dining option in Murfreesboro.

Many also appreciate that Primrose Table is very welcoming to youngsters and emphasizes family, while still allowing the

MARMITE – A yeast extract byproduct of beer brewing POMODORO – Literally, tomato.

Or a pasta with a light tomato sauce GRUYERE – A hard, yellow swiss cheese; served on the bacon swiss burger adults to enjoy a special, high-class meal.

Another local diner, Stu, complimented the pork chop and apple butter, which comes with roasted potatoes and coconut creamed kale, after a recent meal.

“The chop is bone-in and thick cut. It was flame grilled and had nice grill markings, lightly seasoned [and] letting the pork be the star flavor. The apple butter was a perfect compliment to the meat, and I definitely suggest eating those two together. The kitchen cooks the chop to medium unless you specify otherwise. If you have some kind

of weird fear about undercooked pork, I suggest you order something else. Do not order this beyond medium, or it will be dry and tough,” he said. “The potatoes were tender and super-garlicky. They were fantastic. As for the kale, I’m not a fan of kale usually. It’s bitter and earthy in a way that isn’t appealing to me. However, this kale was excellent.

The coconut cream added and slight sweetness and the two flavors mixed together had flavor profiles similar to Thai dishes.”

Many enjoy the opportunity to have a very affordable burger in a nice, modern industrial fine-dining setting, in addition to the higher-dollar items. The burgers and starters offer great value, and some say those carne asada fries, topped with steak, pickled carrots and jalapeños, slaw, cheese and salsa, are delicious.

“Everything was extremely flavorful,” Mary Margaret Williams said. “I highly recommend the carne asada fries—completely drool-worthy.”

Another customer, Daina Glisson, said “The pear salad was delicious and the chicken was the best I ever had.”

Primrose Table offers some killer kids meals, quite generous and delicious for $7,

including a fantastic quarter-pound burger, hand-cut fries and a cookie.

Marian Wright said that all in her group “were extremely impressed by the entire experience! The Korean pork potato skins were very good. I was impressed with my chicken entrée and the kale was delicious (not something I say often).”

Oh, and homemade butter—a light and creamy, soft, whipped butter accompanies breads from Murfreesboro’s own Simply Pure Sweets.

Primrose Table does currently offer pickup service as of early April 2020, and Matheson says that once dine-in operations can return to normal he plans to hold some more wine or bourbon dinners and other social events, and institute a Sunday brunch, possibly with wife Nevada’s flower truck available out front for these brunches.

Prior to this disruption, reservations were recommended for weekend dining.

“This is going to be my go-to. This place is legit. Atmosphere was perfect. Service was impeccable,” said Jonathan Harmon following a visit. “The lamb chops were great, the ribeye was perfect. Even the mac and cheese was stupid good.”

BOROPULSE.COM

* APRIL 2020 * 17

Art

 EXHIBIT

Focus on the Boro Community Photo Project Moves Online in 2020 THE 2020 FOCUS ON THE BORO photography exhibit, originally slated to be on display in the City Hall Rotunda, will move online this year, according to organizers.

This photography project, now in its third year, aims to inspire the community to get out and take pictures, experience a fun and friendly competition, and have the opportunity to exhibit and enjoy photography.

Participating photographers submitted images in categories including people, landscape, still life, animals, flora, architecture, sports/action, abstract/ special effects and Murfreesboro; Focus on the Boro will award separate awards in each category for youth (17 and younger) and adults.

The community can view the entire exhibit at focusontheboro.com.

Judging will proceed, and prizes will continue to be awarded to contest winners, according to Focus on the Boro organizer Jessica Nelson.

“All 2020 participants are invited to exhibit in 2021. If we cannot exhibit in the Rotunda this year, we look forward to including your images in next year’s event,” she told participants.

For further information about the Focus on the Boro contest and exhibit and photography in Murfreesboro, email photographyconnectmboro@ gmail.com.

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Clockwise from top left: photos by Tiffany Spangler, Keegan Dietz, Mike Barbieri, Jackson Dalby, Mary Gunter and Laura Alsup

Art

 EXHIBIT

MTSU Photography Program Founder Harold Baldwin Dies at 93

M

TSU photography Professor Emeritus Harold L. Baldwin, whose dedication to his craft and art helped him guide and encourage the vision of thousands of students and assemble a million-dollar-plus photographic collection during a 32-year college teaching career, has died at age 93.

The Murfreesboro resident, who joined the MTSU faculty in 1959 from the Colorado public school system to teach industrial technology, died March 19.

“Harold Baldwin was a man to emulate,” said Billy Pittard, chair of MTSU’s Department of Media Arts and a longtime friend and colleague of the late professor. “He was a scholar, an artist, an innovator and a positive influence on his students and the world around him. He truly made the world a better place.”

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MTSU PHOTO BY J. INTINTOLI

Baldwin initially taught metalwork in what was then the Industrial Arts Department. He founded the program’s printing component, which evolved into the photo program.

By 1964, he established the MTSU Photographic Gallery to enhance and expand his classroom instruction, hoping it would help expose students and the surrounding community to the work of photographers from around the world. He also founded Lightyear, a yearly publication of the gallery’s collection and student work.

Over the years of expanding the gallery, Baldwin began to build a permanent collection from exhibits by artists such as Ansel Adams, Edward Weston and Minor White, as well as one of his mentors, Jerry Uelsmann.

In a 2012 interview with MTSU Magazine, Baldwin recalled one of his initial efforts to bring photographic artists to campus: reaching Adams.

“This was before big PR agencies handled big photographers. They handled their own shows,” Baldwin recalled. “So I wrote him a letter asking him to come, and he sent me a postcard, saying, ‘I’m going to send you one of the best little shows you have ever seen.’

And I thought, ‘Well, my God!’” That pleasant exchange ultimately helped bring one of the Baldwin Gallery’s

most prized pieces to Murfreesboro: a print of Adams’ most famous photo, “Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico.”

During his teaching career, Baldwin served as president of the MTSU Faculty Senate and received the university’s Outstanding Teacher Award.

Baldwin retired from MTSU in 1991 to continue his photography and family adventures, and the university renamed the gallery in 1996 to honor him. The Baldwin Photographic Gallery was located in a hallway of the McWherter Learning Resources Center until building renovations displaced it in 2012, so Baldwin gave the university $100,000 to find and renovate a new location on campus and to help sustain the collection.

The result was the region’s premier photographic gallery, a bright space inside the Bragg Media and Entertainment Building that opened in January 2014. The facility moved into a larger, more accessible space in MTSU’s Miller Education Center in March 2019 and now houses the university collection, valued at more than $1 million. It showcases exhibits by guest artists, alumni and the annual Student Photography Show.

MTSU photography professor Tom Jimison curated the Baldwin Gallery from 1991 until his death in 2017, followed by professor Jackie Heigle from 2017 to 2019.

Professor Shannon Randol now serves as the gallery’s curator.

“Harold was a constant figure in the MTSU community and leaves a significant legacy,” Randol said. “He would often come through the photography building, and I will miss getting the opportunity to introduce him to students. He constantly had a project he was working on, and his voracious attitude was contagious.”

In 2013, MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment added Baldwin to its Wall of Fame as a “Friend of the College” for his educational service.

MTSU’s Center for Popular Music also helped preserve Baldwin’s own work: his sole major collection of documentary images, the Harold L. Baldwin Grand Ole Opry Collection, which consists of images of the Opry stage, backstage, audience, street crowds and environs shot between 1969 and 1971 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. That collection is now also housed in the Baldwin Archive in the Miller Center.

For more information on the Baldwin Gallery, visit baldwinphotogallery.com.

Memorial donations can be made to the Baldwin Photographic Gallery to continue the work of Harold Baldwin at mtsu.edu/supportbaldwin.

Art

 POETRY

BY KORY WELLS

Murfreesboro Poets Share Thoughts During Time of Pandemic APRIL IS NATIONAL POETRY MONTH, and a few weeks ago, this column was going to be chock-full of local events. The coronavirus has, of course, changed all that.

In lieu of promoting events, I’ve asked a few local poets to share what’s on their minds these days regarding reading, writing and poetry.

These same poets, plus yours truly, are scheduled for an event called “Why We Love Poetry” at Linebaugh Library on Tuesday, April 7, at 7 p.m. However, this event and others will most likely be postponed or changed to an online format. Check online for the latest details on local area poetry and literature events. Poetry in the Boro will be trying to share schedule changes of all events as we learn them.  AMIE WHITTEMORE: “How can you move with, rather than against, the changes ahead?”

Amie is the 2020 Murfreesboro Poet Laureate and author of Glass Harvest from Autumn House Press.

Honestly, as our lives tilt toward a new horizon during this pandemic, it has been hard for me to focus on the writing of poetry. I have done a bit of reading and it has been nice to get lost in the beautiful structures of poems, these temples of glass, that feel strangely antiquated now, talking to me from a different though familiar universe. That said, I do think there is a guide from literature for us to follow: the indomitable Octavia Butler.

Her novel Parable of the Sower, published in 1993 and tracking the transformation of society in the 2020s, is eerily prescient.

Her narrator, Lauren, opens the book with these words: “Prodigy is, at its essence, adaptability and persistent, positive obsession. Without persistence, what remains is an enthusiasm of the moment. Without adaptability, what remains may be channeled into destructive fanaticism. Without positive obsession, there is nothing at all.”

Adaptability, persistence, positive obsession: these are true guides right now: how can you move with, rather than against, the changes ahead? How can you persist?

How can you root yourself, into a hobby or skill or craft, some positive obsession, that will help you during this time—and, thus, help others? Maybe it’s poetry; but it might also be art, gardening, sewing, singing, knitting, baking, crafting community from isolation—there are so many possibilities. Find yours; become positively obsessed with it as you ride out this season of change.

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 MIKE JAMES: “If it scares you, keep going.”

Mike is the author of 15 poetry collections, most recently Journeyman’s Suitcase, released this year by Luchador Press.

Poetry can be entertainment and escap-

ism. Homer and Virgil provided both thousands of years ago. Then, along came Shakespeare, who did the same thing.

Poetry doesn’t have to be about today’s world. Many of us spend hours each day worrying about health and family, work and society. Good poetry should be able to take a reader away from the world outside her window in the same way that Isaac Asimov can teleport us into a future we haven’t gotten around to making yet.

The worst advice any young poet can get is “write what you know.” Most of us don’t know much and most of what we do know is boring stuff like how to fry an egg or how to lace shoelaces. A better piece of advice might be “don’t be afraid to fail” or “if it scares you, keep going.” The wonderful Arkansas poet Miller Williams once told me that a poem should do two things, and one of those is be interesting. He never told me what the other one was.  GARY McDOWELL: “Tell me your skin doesn’t light up, your mood doesn’t transport . . . ” Gary is the author of six poetry collections, most recently Mysteries in a World That Thinks There Are None from Burnside Review Press, and the forthcoming Aflame, winner of the 2019 White Pine Press Poetry Prize.

Are you tired of singing “Happy Birthday” or the alphabet song while you wash your hands for the CDC-recommended 20 seconds? How about memorizing and reciting a poem instead? My favorite short poem ever—perhaps even shorter than 20 seconds, but you can repeat it twice, if

needed—is “Northern Wisconsin” by Maurice Kilwein Guevara from his book Autobiography of So-and-so: Poems in Prose.

Maybe it’s because of my absolute affinity for the North Woods, or perhaps because loons are one of my favorite animals, or maybe it’s just how damn sensuous it is.

Feel the p’s and the o’s as they fumble to your tongue and tell me your skin doesn’t light up, your mood doesn’t transport to a simpler place, a place lit with stars and smiles, firepits and walleyes on the end of a fishing line. Either way, here it is in its entirety—and yes, it is a prose poem and so features no lineation: “I’d love to put the tip of my tongue there, on that copper synapse, inside the long nape of the loon, just before she disappears.”

Gary concludes, “Hold one another tight, and let poetry be the thing that ties us together.”

“Happy the Man” was written by the Roman poet Horace over 2,000 years ago. From Odes, Book III, xxix. Translation by John Dryden. Public domain.

HAPPY THE MAN Happy the man, and happy he alone, He who can call today his own: He who, secure within, can say, Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today.

Be fair or foul or rain or shine The joys I have possessed, in spite of fate, are mine.

Not Heaven itself upon the past has power, But what has been, has been, and I have had my hour.

I say, to paraphrase Horace: For all its strangeness, claim every small joy, and call today your own.

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briefly introduced to the confused American caricatures who gather around a large wooden crate like they’re waiting for the Hunger Games to begin. From there, the hunt is on, showcasing the film’s true raison d’être: grindhouse ultraviolence. Characters are picked off fast and loose; in what is one of the film’s few surprises, you can’t count on an actor’s clout to keep their character alive.

The violence is played for shocks and

laughs, but elicits neither. And with its outlandish stereotypes, from the politically correct, self-policing yet murderous elite, to the gun-loving, immigrant hating “rednecks” (as the film calls them), the script—cowritten by Damon Lindelof—amounts to a tone-deaf “hot take” worthy of the loneliest Twitter trolls. The ad campaign surrounding The Hunt would have you believe it’s the button-pushing bad boy of cinema, but the idea that this painfully tongue-in-cheek film could incite rage on any side is one of the only laughable things about it.

The film’s saving grace is its heroine, Crystal (Betty Gilpin of Nurse Jackie and GLOW). She, or her character, alone, seems to see through the ridiculousness of it all, and delivers some of the best and most unexpected line reads of this or any other movie in recent memory. Like Samara Weaving in Ready or Not, Gilpin gives an inspired if unconventional performance in a film that plays it too safe on both the political and exploitation front, making The Hunt barely worth seeing, if only just for her.

— JAY SPIGHT

tandem, present the player with unparalleled options for navigation and flanking. Gameplay in Vanquish is stylish and intense, and it only falters in rare instances where the player is expected to slow down.

Most of the game’s larger encounters thankfully keep the sense of speed intact, though, such as a race across a collapsing bridge and directly into enemy forces.

While not a major overhaul, this remas-

ter does improve on the original release in a few ways. The game finally runs at a smooth 60 frames per second on consoles, with 4K support available on the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X. A small weapon DLC from the original release is bundled in, adding some fun (if overpowered) offensive options. Really though, the greatest achievement of this remaster is just making the game available to owners of modern consoles for a reasonable price. PC players have had a comparable version of the game available for some time, so this enhanced release is mainly for people who do not use a PC for gaming and missed out the first time around.

Vanquish is technically not a perfect game. The story is nonsense, the voice acting can be quite bad at times, and a few bosses rely too much on instant kill moves. But these are minor gripes in the grand scheme of things. Vanquish is a shot of pure adrenaline, an antidote to the stop-and-pop gameplay that stagnated the shooter genre at the turn of the decade.

There is still no game like it, and if you have never played Vanquish, then you now have no excuse. Rocket-slide over to your console of choice and download it.

— LUKE KAUTZKY

THE HUNT DIRECTOR Craig Zobel STARRING Betty Gilpin, Ike Barinholtz, Glenn Howerton RATED R

The latest filmic twist on Richard Connell’s century-old short story The Most Dangerous Game, The Hunt is perhaps best known for its twice-unfortunate timing. The film, which revels in its gun-violent plot where rich elites kidnap and hunt a dozen online conspiracy theorists, was originally postponed in the wake of two mass shootings in August of last year. Its new release date then had the luck of landing smack dab in the middle of the coronavirus quarantine, where, were it not for the virus, its producers had hoped to cash in on the film’s cache of controversy, earned or otherwise. Now, as a last resort, it is available to rent on demand for the price of a movie

ticket, with some small concessions.

There’s not much more to the film than its high-concept premise suggests. Thankfully, it wastes little time getting to the point, starting with a brief prelude on a garishly lit plane in which a perfectly-cast Glenn Howerton toys with an uncomfortable flight attendant. Moments later, we’re dropped in with the hunted as they each wake up in the woods, gagged and groggy. We’re then

GAME VANQUISH Vanquish is one of those games that has to be seen to be believed. A hyperkinetic third-person shooter that makes its contemporaries feel like molasses, the game sprints out of the gate and rarely slows down for its relatively brief runtime. Despite coming out to critical acclaim a decade ago, Vanquish never spawned many imitators. This remaster for modern platforms demonstrates why many were not foolish enough to try.

Vanquish follows Sam Gideon, a DARPA agent armed with a high-tech suit who’s tasked with infiltrating a space colony under siege by the Russians for . . . reasons. Honestly, the plot in Vanquish is a mishmash of simplistic, static characters and absurd plot developments that make no sense and are never adequately explained. The cheesy dialogue is occasionally quite funny, but most of the game’s cast and story are forgettable, and trying to make heads or tails of character motivation is an exercise in confusion.

None of that matters, though, because Vanquish plays like a dream. The aforementioned high-tech suit comes equipped with boosters that let the player slide across the battlefield at high speeds, a sensation that never grows old. The ability to slow down time is also available, allowing players to line up the perfect shot or even shoot approaching missiles and grenades out of the air. These two abilities, when used in

A CLASSIC

24 * APRIL 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

OUTSTANDING

AVERAGE

BELOW AVERAGE

AVOID AT ALL COSTS

OPENING IN APRIL

GAME

PLAYING THIS MONTH

APRIL 3 Coffee­&­Kareem

APRIL 10 Trolls­World­Tour We­Summon­the­Darkness

APRIL 17 My­Spy;­Promising­Young­Woman The­Quarry

A New World at Go USA GO USA Fun Park Now Offers Hyperdeck VR Experience GO USA FUN PARK, a Murfreesboro attraction with outdoor fun including batting cages, mini golf, a driving range and go-karts, will frequently add to its indoor arcade portion to bring new and entertaining experiences to its customers.

These offerings now include a flight simulator ride and a machine known as Virtual Rabbids: The Big Ride, an amusement about the size of a standard two-player racing arcade game that gives riders quite a wild trip aboard a roller coaster once they strap on the virtual reality headsets.

Go USA added an even larger and more intricate virtual reality adventure in February with the MajorMega VR Hyperdeck, something new and innovative for Murfreesboro gamers.

The Hyperdeck is the size of a small room, with four VR headsets and handsets.

Participants strap on the goggles, grab onto the guns and prepare to enter a whole new world.

Here, in these colorful new surroundings, the players must first use their guns to grab crystals before some sort of heavy-metal-shredding villain takes over the world . . . don’t think too hard about the plot. Just grab as many of these blue crystals as possible—and there’s a lot of them—to rack up your score prior to the next segment, which sees players speeding through the desert having to blast some manner of mechanical alien menaces.

Fans moving air, heat and the tilting and moving of the platform add to the immer-

sive visuals to allow players to soak in this otherworldly experience for a few minutes.

Step out of the Go USA interior for a moment into a separate environment.

And while this game, known as H.A.I.R., is currently the only one available on the Go USA machine, Go USA manager Terri DeLong says new games will be loaded onto the local Hyperdeck very soon.

Go USA offers The Hyperdeck for $9.50 per play. The fun park is located at 2270 Armory Dr., just off of Thompson Lane, and is open from 10 a.m.–11 p.m. Sunday–Thursday; 10 a.m.–1 a.m.

Friday; and 9 a.m.–1 a.m. Saturday.

— BRACKEN MAYO

APRIL 22 The­Willoughbys

APRIL 24 Antebellum;­Bad­Trip

BOROPULSE.COM

* APRIL 2020 * 25

All Local Businesses Feeling the Effects of the Pandemic and Government Response

Thor and Barb Rankins, owners of THOR’S TENNESSEE FURNITURE AND TRAINS, are having a drive-thru rocker sale throughout the month of May. The porch rockers that Thor’s has sold for 34 years are made just outside of Murfreesboro and are made from poplar, Tennessee’s state tree.

“People can call or come into the parking lot and honk their horn and we will load up their rockers or any other merchandise they need without them getting out of the car,” Thor Rankin said. “People are also getting into modeling right now, and we sell train track and accessories.”

BY LAURA LINDSAY IN THIS TIME, UNLIKE any other many Americans have seen before, the community is binding together to support its small businesses. The local Murfreesboro businesses are finding creative ways to make sales and stay afloat as customers follow the direction of officials to socialdistance and mostly stay home to slow down the spread of coronavirus.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic Tennessee Governor Bill Lee issued executive orders banning gatherings of 10 or more people, stating that gyms and fitness centers will be closed to the public, suspending dine-in service at restaurants and limiting non-emergency medical and dental procedures.

Ken Strode, co-owner of HANK’S HONKY TONK, said that COVID-19 has had a massive impact on his business, just as it has on so many others.

“We are trying to run on takeout—my employees essentially are unemployed. My servers, bartenders and most of my cooks.

Fortunately, by doing the takeout, I can keep my primary two cooks. It is really devastating to the rest of the employee base. Hopefully they can get unemployment,” he said. “This impacts not just my employees, but all the vendors, and I have done music here almost every night of the week—[live music is] done. The musicians are hurting financially. The trickle-down effect is enormous.

“As with some other small businesses, I can go 30 days and survive this, but if it goes 60 or 90 days a lot of small businesses won’t be able to continue,” Strode said.

“It’s really a dark time right now.”

Hank’s can now sell beer or a bottle of wine with a takeout meal.

“People really like our burgers, our catfish, and we do a deep-fried pork tenderloin that is very popular,” Strode said.

“Things are very tough right now,” said Noy Viravouth, who owns 219 MIXED 26 * APRIL 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

CUISINE with her husband, Sam. “At this time all I can do is leave everything minimal and low-profile,” she said. “We are doing carryout and delivery.

During this time, I am going to remodel a section to make more private rooms.

And also, a lot of customers ask for the big cakes like Gondolier used to carry, so I will try to bring those back. I hope by the time things get back to normal, I will have those cakes ready to serve to customers and that section we are remodeling will be very nice also.”

“We are all being affected by this”, said Brittany Davidson, owner of THE EXCHANGE BOUTIQUE. “What is scary is we don’t know what is to come or when it is going to happen and when it will end.

The community is so huge here that when they see trouble or distress, they do whatever they can to wrap their arms around things and support them. I have totally felt it and I know a lot of my neighbor businesses have felt it, too.”

In the final afternoon of operation before voluntarily closing in late March, just before the order of mandated closure, LIQUID SMOKE co-owner Kelly LaMure said some of the bar’s loyal customers were enjoying their favorite craft beers there.

“We are going to be closed until whenever . . . we don’t know,” she said.

“We decided to close for the health of our employees and our customers. The majority of our customers are mid-30s to 80. We just thought that for the health of everybody this was the right thing to do.”

Christy Hackinson, co-owner of THE ALLEY ON MAIN, says their first concern is everyone’s safety, and they are really pushing their to-go menu, along with delivery and food truck sales.

“Our servers are driving for delivery orders and we also have a food truck that we are scheduling in neighborhoods,” she said. “So once people can get a head count of 50 people or more then we get them on the schedule. Then people can put their orders in ahead of time. We will bring our food truck out and cook for the whole neighborhood. They set up a time to pick up their order to get that fresh restaurant food but are able to take it home.

“Thank you to all the people who have continued to support us. A lot of regular guests have really shown their love and it means a lot to everybody,” Hackinson said.

WOODSVIKING BARBERSHOP co-owner Shawn Templeton said depending on how things go, if they have to take off work for two weeks or more, customers can still get their products online and buy from them to use their products at home.

“So if you see us go under, still buy our products,” he said.

Jennifer Durand, owner of THE NURTURE NOOK DAY SPA & GIFT SHOPPE, made this statement: “Job 34:4 says ‘Let us choose to use judgement: let us know among ourselves what is good.’ I believe it is vital not to be ruled by fear. [Giving in to] fear relinquishes our innate ability to determine what our inner wisdom is telling us. It can manifest emotional and physical stress, which can add

discord and discomfort. These become the symptoms that need to be treated. However, if you go to the source of these issues and change your thinking, you will assuredly change your experience. Individually and collectively it is wise to not tune in to the minute-by-minute swirl of possible misinformation and negativity, which only increases alarm and adds stress. Rather, digest the information to determine what is true and what is not. Ultimately, isolation is not good for humanity or health.

Unite together in the basic courtesies of life and connect with your friends, family and neighbors as best you can while supporting the government’s guidelines.

“Our spa is providing online comfort consultations, mindful moment practices for self care, as well as virtual skin care consultations. These services remind us of our true nature and enable you to meet the challenges of day-to-day life, as well as the unexpected, with a greater sense of ease and clarity.”

Don Robertson of TRI-STAR PROPERTY SERVICES, says this is a unique situation, but the basics of operating a business remain the same.

“Determine how your revenue is going to change,” he said. “If it’s going down and nothing can be changed, you look at what expenses can be cut. You look at the short term and long term and decide whether you will ride it out or move to a different opportunity.

“There are more government resources that might help bridge a gap,” Robertson said. “This is also an opportunity to help others, which creates goodwill.”

BOROPULSE.COM

* APRIL 2020 * 27

❤ LOCALBUSINESS

THE WORLD IS VERY DIFFERENT than it was a month ago. Most everyone is facing hardships in one form or another. From health concerns to social distancing, from quarantines to financial struggles, many feel the pressures of this new environment in one way or another. So, what happens when everything suddenly changes? Do we flight, or do we fight? One local business has chosen to fight, embracing an enduring philosophy: when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

Rocket Shirts, a local T-shirt shop in Murfreesboro, has been open for four years. However, in March the proverbial tap dried up. The amount of business the company would typically see in an hour was the total amount they took in for a week. In a business that is based around local events, community gatherings, schools and sports, these times of closures and quarantines have hit hard.

Businessman Shelby Craig, owner of Rocket Shirts, faced a decision.

When schools were shut down, events were canceled and sports teams stopped playing, he was left with a scenario that many in our city can relate to. But Craig decided to fight fire with fire. He went viral.

“We had two options. We could either sit on our hands, and wait for someone to bail us out or give us money, or we can get up and we can do what we do best, which is make T-shirts,” he said. “Meanwhile, we can figure out a way to help other small businesses succeed in this time as well.”

Choosing the second option, he and his team designed a T-shirt that encompasses the business landscape of Tennessee, adding the catchphrase HERE FOR GOOD TN. Consumers can pick the color of shirt that they want, and the business that they want the proceeds to go to, and by doing so help pay the bills for that business. If a company hasn’t yet been nominated, simply nominate them. The average size company that is benefiting from this idea has less than 10 employees. The idea is to help keep 28 * APRIL 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

Here for Good Rocket Shirts Offers Other Local Businesses Opportunity for Revenue Stream During Crisis

BY ANGELA LOUPE smaller businesses afloat during these uncertain times. It’s a way to share the love.

Craig’s initial post of the idea was shared on social media over 18,000 times in the first 24 hours. The orders started coming in. It’s a way for members of the community to support each other when they aren’t sure what to do. While the majority of the benefiting businesses are local, more businesses are being nominated daily, and Craig

has opened the idea to the entire state. He feels that his job right now is to help others succeed during this time.

“It’s not about our business, it’s about every single one of these Murfreesboro businesses. Not only are they a customer of ours, they’re a friend of ours. Not only are they a friend of ours, they’re almost like family to us, and so, if we can help them succeed to be here for good for another 20

or 30 years—if what we do best, which is make T-shirts, can allow them to be here for my kids to enjoy their services—that’s what it’s about,” Craig said. “It’s 100 percent worth it.

All we know how to do is make T-shirts, and we do it well, and we want them to do what they do well, and we want to help support them every step of the way.”

The T-shirts can be purchased for $20 rocketshirts.net/products/hereforgoodtn. at rocketshirts.net/products/hereforgoodtn Another project that can help businesses, churches, sports teams and other organizations during this downturn, involves the organization setting up a digital T-shirt store, with $0 up-front investment, at rocket.ist/fundraiser.

The business uploads its logo, and Rocket Shirts sets up a digital ordering form. A shirt is not produced until a customer orders it, but if someone makes a purchase of a shirt with a local business’s logo on it, Rocket Shirts will produce the shirt and ship it to the purchaser. The revenue is split between Rocket Shirts and the business whose logo is on the shirt.

Even if they are closed for normal operation, businesses can sell shirts to their supporters. The consumer can make a purchase and support their favorite local business without leaving home. It’s a way for Rocket Shirts to make some money to pay its team during this bizarre time.

Another shirt currently on the main Rocket Shirts page and warranting mentioning reads FEAR IS A LIAR: NEVER GIVE UP. Rocket Shirts explains that if someone cannot afford the shirt, the business will send it for just the cost of shipping. If one can pay more, then the Rocket Shirts owner considers them a rockstar!

The ordering page goes on to say “whatever you do, don’t you dare give up. No, not you.

There’s too much at stake. You’ll be better at the end of all of this!”

For a company that last year helped schools, churches and small businesses raise over $180,000, the message has always been loud and clear: they don’t just talk the talk. They walk the walk.

Rocket Shirts is located at 141 MTCS Rd., Suite B. For more information, call 615-900-5677 or email shelby@rocket shirts.net

AROUND TOWN ’BORO BUSINESS BUZZ

Hunt Pools; Parker Brothers; Mario’s Tint Shop; Unity Chiropractic; Grind House Boxing; Spinelli’s Closes

BY MICHELLE WILLARD With recent discouragement of social gatherings along with orders that restaurants and bars suspend dine-in operations, I have a feeling the Closing Corner will be longer over the coming months, but as of press time there are only a few businesses that shuttered in March.

Many local independent business are operating on a razor-line margin, and any disruption like the one we’ve seen over the past few weeks can spell disaster.

Ask yourself which locally owned restaurant or shop you would miss the most if it were gone. Give them your money because their kids go to your kids’ school, or they donate to your favorite nonprofit, or you just like them.

It makes a difference. Support local businesses because Murfreesboro matters.

Two of Murfreesboro’s window-tinting shops have relocated. PARKER BROTHERS WINDOW TINTING has moved into a new building on Memorial Boulevard across from the Murfreesboro Athletic Club. For 40 years, Parker Brothers has been tinting Middle Tennessee windows and it is doing it now as the midstate’s exclusive 3M Window Film dealer.

Not to be outdone, MARIO’S TINT SHOP has opened at 1414 Broad St. near the former Dog Haus. Mario’s brings 15 years experience in automotive accessories to the tinting game.

“As owner of Mario’s Tint Shop, I am very proud to now offer high-quality products and services such as ceramic window films, paint protection films, and paint and glass coatings,” Mario said on his Facebook page.

UNITY CHIROPRACTIC has opened a second location in Murfreesboro.

The Franklin-based chiropractor has added a clinic at 525 N. Thompson Ln., where they hope to “provide the highest level of chiropractic care.”

Learn more at unitychirotn.com.

Work off your quarantine 15 at GRIND HOUSE BOXING. The new gym is headed by Charlotte Price.

Price became an Athletics and Fitness Association of America-certified trainer and taught “Box-n-Burn” classes before picking up a pair of gloves and learning how to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee herself. Now she uses her skills as a boxer and trainer at Grind House, 2812 Old Fort Pkwy., Suite E, in Murfreesboro. Learn more at thegrindhouseboxing.com.

 CLOSINGS CORNER SPINELLI’S & NICK NEWTON’S has closed following the death of co-owner Nick Smith. Smith died Feb. 28 at his home in Tullahoma. He was 38 years old. Smith also co-owned Daddy Billy’s in Tullahoma.

In a statement on its Facebook page, Spinelli’s & Nick Newton’s made the sober announcement that its restaurant on West Main Street in Murfreesboro was closed March 17.

ZOE’S KITCHEN on Medical Center closed March 20. The Franklin and Brentwood locations remain open.

On March 1, HUNT POOLS AND SWIM opened its doors next to Carmen’s Taqueria on Northfield Boulevard. Hunt Pools was a fixture on Thompson Lane until 2015 when it moved to Jackson Heights. Hunt’s address may have changed, but its commitment to the community will stay the same as it has for the past 30 years, owners say.

Hunt Pools provides new pool construction, cleaning services, renovations, repairs and inspections, seasonal openings and closings, and water testing. The shop also offers a wide variety of swimwear from Speedo, Arena, Finis and TYR.

OLD CHICAGO in Murfreesboro has been “mothballed” by its debtor-in-possession after financing was withdrawn because of the global pandemic, according to parent company, Craftworks Holdings. Craftworks closed all 261 of its Old Chicago and LOGAN’S ROADHOUSE restaurants.

“The debtors hope that they will be able to restart their operations at some point in the future, but there are many preconditions to a restart. . . .” Craftworks said in the filing.

“The shutdown could persist for a prolonged period of time, if not permanently.”

MT BOTTLE, on Shelbyville Highway, has closed and the building is for sale.

PHO EXPRESS at 2705 Old Fort Pkwy. in Murfreesboro has permanently closed. A sign in the window reads: “Thai restaurant coming soon.”

BOROPULSE.COM

* APRIL 2020 * 29

HIGHLIGHTING BUSINESS

Floativation, Part VI Seeking Saltwater Serenity (and More)

BY STEVE MORLEY In this ongoing series, Pulse contributor Steve Morley explores the effects of sensory deprivation and reports on his experiences using the flotation tanks and other therapeutic resources at Murfreesboro’s FLOAT ALCHEMY. Previous installments can be found at ­boropulse.com/floativation.

IN THE LAST INSTALLMENT I BEGAN

a dialogue with local doula and birth educator Amanda Johnson. She’s been generously sharing her knowledge of the birth process and helping me explore the mysterious matter of how my mother’s amniotic fluid deficit might have affected me during and after my birth. As Johnson explained, there’s little research to date about adults who were born to mothers with oligohydramnios (a Scrabble-winning word describing a womb with a lower-than-normal level of amniotic fluid). Even so, she supported my speculation that discomfort inside my mom’s fluid-deficient womb might have set the tone for my emotional sensitivities, chronic muscle tension and lack of ease with physical movement, and my inconsistently regulated breathing.

So, what does this have to do with using a flotation tank, which I’ve been doing at 30 * APRIL 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

Murfreesboro’s Float Alchemy since late summer? Well, perhaps it’s an abstract notion, but I’m seeking a therapeutic reconnection to my womb experience via the flotation tank, based on my assumption that the two environments would be comparable in some ways.

Johnson confirmed my thoughts. “Floating is very similar to the womb experience, as far as we all understand it, although the actual womb experience is most likely more noisy.” Noisy, indeed—the womb excursion includes a ticket to a pulsing, 85-decibel suite of thumping heartbeat, swooshing fluids and other body sounds, the physiological equivalent of a 1975 concert by The Who . . . doing one of their most subdued numbers.

I’ve learned that the tank does resemble a healthy womb in that it’s a darkened environment with “neutral warmth”—that is, a comfortable temperature perceived as neither hot nor cold. In the tank, one experiences the lightness of zero gravity.

While this doesn’t precisely match womblike conditions, which also includes pressure from contact with Mom’s uterus, the fluid in the womb does create a degree of buoyancy.

“Amniotic fluid,” Johnson notes, “provides a multitude of uses to the unborn

baby and the mother. It provides a cushion for the baby,” she says, “keeping compression from the uterus from cutting off as much blood flow.”

So, how much amniotic fluid is “enough”? How much of a deficit must exist to create a quantifiably negative experience for the baby? Serious deficits are known to pose significant health risks for baby, but it’s difficult to estimate what kinds of comparatively minor effects—though adverse nonetheless—might result from amniotic fluid levels that aren’t dangerously low.

In part 5 of Floativation I projected an image of myself trying to stabilize my position inside my mother, a notion that later brought a quizzical look to the face of my chiropractor. She considered it unlikely that I had developed my abnormally high muscle tone (hypertonicity) by exerting my tiny limbs against jarring movements inside the womb, but thought it quite possible that low fluid could have caused me to be less comfortably positioned inside my mother than might be the case with a full supply.

Amanda Johnson told me that the possibility of a baby’s abnormal position in the womb is one of several reasons why she recommends float tanks to expectant moms she serves as the owner of Gentle Voice Prenatal Support. Johnson, who has visited Float Alchemy and describes her own floating experience as “weightlessness—not knowing where your skin has ended and the water begins”—goes on to say that “floating is excellent for relieving stress and tension in muscles and can lessen pain in our bodies. As a pregnant woman, the extra weight from the baby, placenta, amniotic fluid, and her own blood and tissues, put a strain on the body. Floating,” she affirms, “is a fantastic way to allow muscles to totally relax and release the tension and tightness from supporting this added weight.”

Among the potential benefits, she adds, are relief from edema, sciatica, round ligament pain and more.

“For a blissful hour, they are completely weightless,” Johnson says. “Some mothers use floating as a way of bonding with their babies as well, as many babies move a little more when their mothers are completely relaxed.

“Floating can also be an excellent way to encourage a baby in a suboptimal position to ‘flip’ or rotate into a more favorable position,” Johnson continues. “We usually want to see babies presenting head first, facing their mother’s back. If a baby is in a breech or transverse position, floating has proven to be promising when used along with other tech-

niques to encourage these babies to move.

This can help a woman prevent a cesarean or an external cephalic version (ECV).”

Having been floating semi-regularly for months now, I’m well acquainted with the stress relief and associated benefits it offers, despite having never, um, been pregnant.

In fact, having been too busy to fit in a visit to Float Alchemy over the last month, I’ve begun to notice how much more readily I lose my cool under pressure. So, yes, I can testify that floating has the potential to take the edge off of stress. But can it also lead to a sense of restoration, delivering me from a less-than-ideal womb experience? Certainly, it’s led me to the point where I can even ask that question.

Johnson firmly believes the tank can be a valuable therapeutic tool, providing a physical connection to a womblike environment.

That connection matters, she says, because “there is so much physicality that goes on with the development in the womb, and the feelings in the womb. Floating is a really great way to open the door to that. It gives you that physical experience to relive it.”

Pondering all of this, I had a recollection about my first therapeutic massage, 30-some-odd years ago. After my session, my masseuse shared an observation she’d made from working on my muscles: “you aren’t grounded.” In three words, she summed up the awkwardness I’ve long felt in my body.

Only now am I beginning to understand how this might relate to factors at play during the prelude to my debut as baby Steve. One’s physical orientation is in fact tied to a process during gestation that relies on the baby’s ability to tumble gently in Mom’s amniotic fluid and respond to her movements. This helps the baby develop an awareness of body position and, ultimately, a sense of balance and groundedness.

I’m still gathering more specifics from my mom about her pregnancy, but it’s clear that she lacked the fluid level that would have allowed for optimal development. It gave me a shot of hope when Johnson suggested that I could use visualization during a float to mentally reframe my birth experience. “Are you wanting to be grounded now? Are you wanting to loosen that unease?” she asked me, as much rhetorically as not. Absolutely! my mind silently screamed. “Be honest in what you’re looking for,” she advised, “and then go from there.”

Honestly, I’m seeking freedom from internal constriction. The tank awaits.

Stay tuned, Murfreesboro, and may the freedom of the float be with you.

BUSINESS MOMENTUM

BY BLAINE LITTLE

A Flux in Time

Dealing with Change SOME SAY the only true constant is change, but what exactly is change? Most importantly, how do we deal with change?

According to Google Dictionary, change is “the act or instance of making or becoming different.” My personal definition is that of “a flux in time.” I like my description because it reminds me that all change, good or bad, is temporary. It’s a bend in our existence, a hiccup in history. The effects of the coronavirus has given most of us more change than we have perhaps ever had to confront in previous times.

No matter the definition, all major change is going to be an upheaval to someone’s life. Even what we consider to be good change will more than likely have a negative effect to someone, somewhere.

What it boils down to is a loss of certainty.

A few years ago, I taught an adult Sunday School class and I noticed a recurring theme with many of the lessons. Whether it was about attitudes, a particular sin or our relationships with one another, the moral was that to truly see God’s grace, we would need to let go of our own sense of control. That’s when it struck me that we as humans are actually out of control more times in our lives than we are in it.

As a self-confessed “control freak,” that is not an easy thing for me to confront. But the universe is much larger than I. Look at how many times a day decisions have already been made for us. The alarm clock tells us when to wake up. Society, or our spouse, tell us we should practice personal hygiene each morning. Traffic lights tell us when we may or may not proceed through an intersection. Our boss tells us what we will do that day and when to leave work.

Our children tell us how we will spend our evening. Then, we do it all over again,

because we have to. More decisions are made for us than we make ourselves and it has always been that way.

Control is an illusion. But we hold onto that illusion because it gives us a sense of security. We like to know what to expect.

The world is a much scarier place if we do not know where our next paycheck will be coming from, how we will put food on the table, or whether our children will receive an education. Yet, this is exactly what millions of Americans are dealing with now. Once this pandemic subsides, much of what we once knew in the country will have changed. But to what degree? We will have to wait and see.

Business futurist Alvin Toffler stated in the ’70s: “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”

Many may have to find a new job or learn a new skill if the old employer is no longer there. Some having little in-pocket cash have turned to a barter system or trading with neighbors for necessities. Online or “distance” learning is now the new normal. Change has come at us fast. The

one thing we still have is how we decide to deal with that change.

Much has been mentioned about the psychological and emotional health of those who are “sheltered in place” in the spring of 2020. Over the years, I have noticed those who are happiest and most successful in business are those who are able to adapt to the changing times. Fortunately, this rarely involves changing our core principle, but it does mean making a shift in our perspective. Perhaps we all know someone who still believes the internet is just a fad. In fact, it’s the only way in which most schools, institutions and many businesses are functioning at all right now.

There are a few things we can do to help us deal with change and protect the six inches between our ears. I have compiled a list of half a dozen things that will help us transition during and after this current health care crisis.

1

Flexibility When I was a young pup in the Army, I had a difficult time dealing with change, especially when the work for one plan had already been done. Sergeant Finnel, my squad leader, once told me, “Above all, remain flexible.” I’m not sure why he said it that way, but it is something that I always remember him saying. I’m not perfect, but I do strive to be flexible in the face of adversity.

2

Manage Your Expectations A lot of discussion had been had as to how long we must hunker down in our homes or exercise precaution when we venture out. Physicians and politicians are not always of the same mind as to how long this will last. It’s probably best not to set any hard dates in our minds in order to avoid upset later.

“This is a time of challenge and we decide how we will face that challenge. Our attitude, at least, is still in our control. No doubt, we will discover things about ourselves we never imagined.”

3

Show Appreciation This may be something we do almost begrudgingly, but it is necessary nonetheless. At the risk of sounding cavalier, keep things in perspective. There are other countries who are having a much more difficult time with the coronavirus than us.

4

Limit Your News Intake How much news did you watch a month or two ago? Was it just half an hour a day? Try to return to that level now. I remember after 9/11 it was reported people not anywhere near the attacks suffered from depression simply because they watched the hour-by-hour reports on TV.

5

Establish Daily Routines Sleeping in until almost noon when we normally wake at 6 a.m. is not a good practice. We all know how it feels to return to work just after just a week of vacation. If you are not able to work from home, then consider cleaning, organizing, painting or taking up a hobby for a certain amount of time per day. Gain back a certain amount of that sense of security by keeping a schedule for yourself.

6

Draw on the Support of Others If you or a family member begins to feel despondent, be certain to have a conversation with loved ones and express yourself or ask for what you feel you need. Also, be there for others, even online. Someone may be having a tougher time of it than you, though they don’t show it. Check on your neighbors, even if you don’t know them that well. A pleasant conversation with you across the fence could be the best part of someone’s day.

Change is inevitable, but we can help one another through it. This is a time of challenge and we decide how we will face that challenge. Our attitude, at least, is still in our control. No doubt, we will discover things about ourselves we never imagined.

What do we want those discoveries to be when we look back at the flux in time?

Blaine Little is the founder and CEO of Momentum Seminars Training, helping companies remain profitable by investing in their people. Learn more at momentumseminars.com.

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Opinion

T

Media Seems to Delight in Crisis, Panic and Disaster

he news media’s handling of this coronavirus crisis has been nothing short of despicable. An idiot couple in Arizona ingested fish tank cleaner to keep from getting the disease and the media blamed it on President Trump. Governor Cuomo of New York fumed that he wasn’t getting 30,000 ventilators even though only 26,000 people in the state had coronavirus. The media blamed Trump instead of explaining that only a small percentage of people with the disease would need to be hospitalized.

The left-wing media are downright giddy about what this is doing to the economy. They would literally rather see this country burned to the ground than see Donald Trump win re-election. But do we really believe the American people are going to turn to Joe Biden? Bless his heart, but this guy is lost. He stumbles and rambles and wanders off camera. He does not generate a lot of confidence.

And Bernie Sanders is snapping at reporters for getting too close to him like a get-offmy-lawn grumpy old man. He’s staying in the race until New York. Why, we just don’t know.

President Trump has taken decisive action since the beginning of this crisis. Even before it became a crisis. Shutting off travel from China was a bold move. So was banning travel from Europe. The latter drew virtually no fire from the media. The former drew accusations of racism, as did his reference to the disease as the “Chinese virus,” a term originally coined by the same media that attacked him.

And then there’s the malaria drug. President Trump placed high hopes on this drug being effective in treating coronavirus. The media battered him for giving false hope, and then a man in Florida was virtually cured by it. Governor Cuomo said they should use the drug on patients in New York and he was hailed by the media as a genius.

VIEWS OF A

CONSERVATIVE

PHIL VALENTINE

philvalentine.com

Now President Trump hopes to open the country back up by Easter. MSNBC and CNN trot out activist doomsday doctors who claim it’ll be a disaster.

Chris Hayes at MSNBC claimed 50 percent of the country would die. Of course, this is the same network that claimed Mike Bloomberg had spent a million dollars per U.S. citizen when he’d actually spent a buck-fifty-two. Fifty percent of the country dead? Really? Right now the mortality rate in the U.S. is running around one percent. Even if the entire country got this virus, which isn’t likely, the mortality rate wouldn’t even begin to approach 50 percent. That’s just vicious, irresponsible journalism, if you can actually call it journalism.

Chris Cilliza had one of the dumbest tweets of the entire crisis when he tweeted “Viruses don’t, uh, recognize borders.” Well, Chris, viruses don’t have the capability of recognizing anything, but people at borders sure recognize viruses. Can you imagine, in the midst of all of this, that there’s still some resident of Moron Mountain who believes borders are bad?

Imagine if Trump hadn’t secured our borders in January. There’s no telling how rampant this disease would be. In fact, if he’d just done it a week earlier Patient Zero in Seattle who had just flown back from Wuhan wouldn’t have killed all those poor folks at the nursing home.

There’s so much we’ve learned through all of this. We’ve learned that liberal policies are deadly, whether it’s open borders, shutting down an economy long term, or trying to ram through Green New Deal policies in a coronavirus relief bill that have nothing to do with coronavirus.

Thank God Hillary never got elected.

“Chris Hayes at MSNBC claimed 50 percent of the country would die. . . . Really?

Right now the mortality rate in the U.S. is running around one percent.”

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Phil Valentine is heard each weekday afternoon on SuperTalk 99.7FM in Nashville and online at 997wtn.com. For more of his commentary and articles, visit philvalentine.com.

Live Exceptionally...Well!

BY JENNIFER DURAND

Be the Light

NEED A LITTLE LIGHT in your life? Now is the time to BE THE LIGHT. The flow of life is always shifting, sometimes at a slow or moderate pace, and sometimes, like now, at rapid speed. As the challenges of global complexity and uncertainty have increased, some of us are feeling more excited, productive and on-purpose then ever. Others are feeling more overwhelmed, distracted and stressed. Most are feeling both in the same day.

The bottom line is that active resolution and recovery are more important than ever. In other words, don’t let your battery get below 50%. When you do, and end up on the couch watching Netflix and eating heavy food to escape those feelings, it takes three to five times more time, energy and physiological resources to get back to normal productivity. If you, or your tribe, need support with your peak performance and mindset there are many resources available.

First of all: Stop the noise.

While it is important to be aware of major life changes or current events, it is not necessary to track details by the minute. This adds to anxiety and stress rather than resolution or transformation.

Stay active and productive. Keep your mind on what adds value to your life.

I remember back in 2008, right before the economy suffered, I wanted to make a shift in our household regarding television.

There was always noise of the TV

in the background, as my husband enjoyed watching it. However, after working, talking and thinking all day I didn’t want to hear any more superfluous sound. I felt like our quality time and quality of life were hindered by this subtle activity. After considerate discussion, we decided to remove TV service from our home and living room.

What a remarkable discovery! We actually sat in our living room with our sons and had more conversations. We were the focus of interaction in the room, not a box making noise. My husband missed sports and news but found other ways to engage in that.

Another thing I noticed for several years prior to this shift was weather-related news. I found myself growing increasingly anxious when I listened to the minute-by-minute reports of where the bad weather was headed. When I came to the realization that this anxiety was brought about by watching TV, then discussing such with friends, I knew something had to change. I could tell if the weather was bad when I looked outside. I didn’t need a blow-by-blow play of how or where it was going. I have neighbors and friends that are happy to give my a “warning” if they feel strongly about it. I no longer experienced such restlessness in my mind or body over weather, after giving up TV. Take a good look at the activities you engage in and how much time you spend doing them.

Create a “test pilot” for a period of time and minimize the amount

of time you normally spend in your superfluous activities. Give it some time and write down what you notice when you don’t watch TV shows or play games for hours. I’m not saying give up your enjoyments altogether. I’m just suggesting that you monitor the amount of time and make some adjustments, just to see what else might show up for you!

Second: Take Action! Be a leader and inspire others to get up and move.

Or be a good follower and motivate others to join you.

People have become very creative using online tools to bring folks together during this quarantine time. Just remember step 1 and monitor the amount of time you are putting into this, too. Exercise groups, meditation practices, do-it-yourself projects, contests, brain game challenges, courses/ classes, nutrition are all being made available to help you stay active, connected and growing in healthy ways.

lenges us in unexpected ways, even without a pandemic. The point is to live more intentionally, and be better prepared for the unexpected, by the choices you make every day. Then in more urgent life shifts, the hit won’t feel so extreme or unmanageable.

In doing these simple things you can be a beacon or ray of light to others who are still learning or struggling.

Sometimes the simple things can be very challenging to do. If you need a jump start—picture the sun. Close your eyes and see the bright, full light. The rays are extending from the source

and shining so radiantly you have to look away. But, you squint and still try to look as closely as you can without blinding yourself. Drink it in. Let it fill you up with its warmth. Then share it.

Jennifer Durand is the owner and operator of The Nurture Nook Day Spa & Gift Shoppe; she is a certified QiGong and Breathe Empowerment instructor, and is licensed in massage therapy, body work and somatic integration. Visit nurturenook.com or facebook.com/nurturenookdayspa or call 615-896-7110.

Third: Put Down Your Phone and Look Up! I know you hear this one a lot, but it still needs to be said. It has become an appendage in the name of getting things done or even unplugging from people (games, mindless scrolling or cyber-wandering). Sometimes, and it should be in blocks of time, you don’t need to get things done or disconnect into a tinier TV-like unit. Believe it or not, people can and will wait. Read a book, listen to music, talk with friends. The practice of this will provide great sanity and peace, once you get past the sensation of withdrawals. And you might just have deeper relationships than you thought possible.

Don’t allow excuses to get the better of you. Stay focused and keep your mental, emotional and physical batteries charged by employing moderation, movement and good choices—with time, food and activities. Life chalBOROPULSE.COM

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Opinion Our Healthcare System Has Become Cattywampus Consumers Deserve Price Transparency

BY STATE REP. MIKE SPARKS

IN MARCH, during a Tennessee House Insurance Committee meeting chaired by Robin Smith, members listened to testimony from Dr. Lawrence Van Horn, associate professor of management (economics) and executive director of health affairs at Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management.

Dr. Van Horn spoke passionately about the need for more transparency as a part of healthcare reform.

As you may recall, this past summer President Trump issued an executive order on healthcare price and quality transparency, much of it due to the insights and analysis offered by Dr. Van Horn. The professor was also on hand at the White House last summer for the announcement of two new rules requiring hospitals and insurers to make their negotiated prices public.

Regrettably, many hospitals and insurance companies are doing everything they can to force the Trump Administration and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CCMS) to stop their plan to force negotiated price disclosures.

Many hospitals and insurance companies believe the president’s proposal to make hospitals post their prices for medical services would be bad for business and patients. Fortunately, economists and patients themselves see price transparency as a good thing—after all, who purchases a dinner, a home, clothes or a car without first knowing what the price is and possibly shopping the competition for a better deal?

“We should also require drug companies, insurance companies and hospitals to disclose real prices to foster competition and bring costs down,” President Donald Trump said.

During the professor’s presentation, I had

34 * APRIL 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

the opportunity to ask him a few questions: “Dr. Van Horn, my late father, who served in WWII, often used the term ‘cattywampus.’

Have you ever heard that term? How has our healthcare system become so cattywampus?” There was a chuckle in the crowd (I thought everyone knew what cattywampus meant). I went on to explain how Nashville and Middle Tennessee have become hubs for healthcare with great hospitals and many innovative healthcare startups, but we still have problems.

I went on to explain how my family has been personally affected by the high cost of healthcare. First, I shared the story of my sister Vickie, who is in a nursing home with three others in one room at a cost of $6,000 each month and has lost everything, and how her insurance company (which starts with an “H”) wasn’t there for her despite her having faithfully paid her premiums. I explained that we are taking care of my 88-year-old Scotch-Irish mother and that she doesn’t want to go to the doctor because of mainstream medical care being what she refers to as a “racket.” (However, I do appreciate Dr. Patterson and Dr. Sing, who have provided great compassionate care to her.)

Across our country, patients are frustrated with the increased costs and lack of transparency within our healthcare system, and they are asking for solutions.

Can anyone think of a worse business model than our current healthcare system?

When an entire industry is afraid to disclose their prices, common sense tells me they have something to hide.

Last year I contacted Ralph Weber, CEO of Medibid Inc. and author of several books, including Rigged: How Insurance Ruined

Healthcare (and how to fix it). I called Ralph to ask for advice and his thoughts on what we as a state could do to improve our healthcare system. That is what led to House Bill 1366 on reference-based pricing, which we believe has the potential to save the state’s taxpayers $80 to $100 million dollars.

Ralph has served on many healthcare panels, including one I attended a few years ago in Nashville with Newt Gingrich, who served as the 50th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

There is no doubt a lack of transparency exists in our healthcare system today.

Maybe that explains why BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee has filed an antitrust lawsuit against our state’s executive director of the Department of Finance & Administration and 100 state employees in an attempt to block the release of 2018 claims data related to the state’s employee health plans by Chairman Martin Daniel—a move they contend violates their contract with the state along with several federal laws.

Chairman Daniels watched testimony of House Bill 1366 when it was presented by Ralph Weber a few months ago. Our office made similar requests for information and, thankfully, Chairman Daniels—who is known as a “bulldog” when it comes to getting answers—signed the legislation and started asking questions. Martin, myself and a few other lawmakers were concerned upon learning that an examination of state employee claims revealed an “extraordinary difference in claims paid for similar services.”

Ralph’s testimony pointed out many disparities between claims within our state’s healthcare plan and showed various outliers.

I recently read the story of James Schlieper in a CBS report, who drove five hours from Central Texas to a surgery center across state lines for his hernia surgery—a procedure his catastrophic insurance wouldn’t pay for. The local hospitals back home quoted him cash prices of over $30,000. Schlieper went online and found the Surgery Center of Oklahoma’s cash price was roughly $3,000.

“It’s like [the] a la carte menu at a Mexi-

“Fortunately, economists and patients themselves see price transparency as a good thing—after all, who purchases a dinner, a home, clothes or a car without first knowing what the price is?”

can restaurant,” Schlieper said, laughing.

“It’s great. What do you want? That’s how much it costs.”

Rising healthcare costs, lack of transparency, suppressed competition, our aging baby boomers and the need for better healthcare outcomes have reached a crisis level. As individuals age 65 and older spend, on average, three times more on healthcare per person than working-age individuals and five times more than children, it is clear that this path is totally unsustainable.

I am proud that President Trump initiated a campaign on ways to drive down drug prices and find savings for patients. Ironically, right after he made the announcement, more than a dozen major drug makers enacted price freezes, rollbacks and price reductions.

His administration’s efforts helped to lower prescription drug prices for the first time in nearly 50 years.

In 2018 President Trump signed two pieces of legislation into law. Both measures, the Know the Lowest Price Act and the Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act, aim to end the drug industry’s so-called gag orders of pharmacists, which prevent them from discussing cheaper price options with consumers. These price options include discussing whether a medication may be less expensive if using insurance or paying out-of-pocket.

I am grateful for the work being done by the leadership in the Tennessee General Assembly on the topic of healthcare. Before I voted for Cameron Sexton for Speaker of the House and both Chairman Jeremy Faison and Leader William Lamberth, I asked them how assertive they would be on healthcare, treatment for drug addiction and other needed reforms. They all agreed those would be among their top priorities.

Although there is considerable amount of work to do regarding healthcare, it’s an issue that sooner or later, we will all face.

Rep. Mike Sparks (R) serves the 49th House District in the Tennessee General Assembly, which includes areas of Smyrna, LaVergne, Almaville and north Murfreesboro. Rep. Sparks is the chairman of the Consumer Subcommittee. He also serves on the Insurance Committee, the Consumer and Human Resources Committee, the Property and Casualty Subcommittee and the Naming, Designating and Private Acts Committee.

Contact Mike at rep.mike.sparks@capitol. tn.gov or at (615) 741-6829.

SPORTS

TALK

COLUMN BY “Z-TRAIN”

titanman1984@gmail.com

That threat to the league has ruffled a few feathers, but I applaud it. This is business during a tough time and the man in charge is laying down the law. The draft has already taken proper precautions. This year’s draft will not include public events or feature top prospects and their families. The teams also don’t get the opportunity for player visits or medical checks. It’s business as usual in an unusual way, a very health-conscious way.

So why are so many morons upset about this? At a time when the country is desperate for some normalcy as many Americas self-isolate, the NFL would be a welcome diversion.

The NFL is the only sport in America that has been providing any meaningful commentary from free agency to this upcoming draft.

Yet, like always, we have plenty of outraged people. Sports writers across the country have called the NFL tone-deaf to this pandemic. They have also called Roger Goodell—Dictator Goodell, who only cares manding, passionate and 100 percent about the bottom line . . . and that’s money! unscripted. I am not always a fan of the The draft will be safe, that’s guaranteed cheap shots and jabs the president throws at with these precautions. Should we cancel his opponents, but I find him a unique and something that can be done because a few entertaining presence who knows how to run “anonymous” coaches and executives supa smart economy. President Trump has my posedly have issues with the process? Everysupport heading into the fall election. one will have the same problems.

All right, enough of that. Normally this This is the latest sign that we’re living in month’s issue would be on March Madness; some strange times: Commissioner Goodell this March was mad, but not in a good way. is doing a great job! Unlike the NBA, MLB Roger Goodell is rightfully one of the mostor NHL the NFL doesn’t have to worry hated league commissioners in America. He is yet about canceled games or practices. So, robotic and has botched many situations since regarding the draft that can be conducted becoming commissioner of the NFL in 2006.

100% safely, the question is: if not now, Yet he surprised me the other day and earned when? When you stop and look at it like some respect from me personally. The league that, it just makes sense to give sports fans a has decided not to cancel the NFL Draft much-needed diversion. that will take place April 23–25. I am a little This NFL Draft will be interesting. Talent dumbfounded that so many people seem to be will be evaluated solely on game tape and upset about this. Goodell gave a powerful yet the NFL Scouting Combine. This draft will clear message to all 32 franchises stating the have an old-school feel with teams having to 2020 draft will proceed. call their picks in to the commissioner, and “Everyone recognizes that public health I’m genuinely excited about the event taking conditions are highly uncertain and there is place April 23–25. no assurance that we can select a different Alrighty then! Let’s talk Titans. Not an date and be confident that conditions will awful lot to discuss regarding free agency. be significantly more favorable than they are I always believed the goal for Jon Robinson today,” Goodell wrote. “I also believe was to retain the team, rather than that the draft can serve a very adding new faces.

Ryan Tannehill has a nice positive purpose for our new deal that screams “you clubs, our fans and the damn well better win country at large.” some division titles and Goodell also issued take this team into the a warning declaring playoffs.” Derrick Henry “public discussion of has been tagged and issues relating to the will remain a Titan for draft serves no useful at least another season. purpose and is grounds ROGER GOODELL I hear a lot of people say for disciplinary action.”

VIC BEASLEY

NFL Draft to Go On; Titans Bring Back Tannehill, Henry, Add Vic Beasley THE TRAIN DADDY IS BACK—not even the coronavirus can stop that—and as always I’m bringing sports news, life lessons and politically incorrect talk to you, the sexy people of Middle Tennessee.

I have a feeling this article will be one I pull out of the archives in 20 years and read again. The last few months have been historic.

I don’t understand the toilet paper hoarding. It was invented in 1857, not that long ago. I just read an entire article on when TP was invented and what they used before. The Romans shared a sponge on a stick and some regions in the Middle East and India just use their left hand as the right tool for the job. Yuck! Okay, after reading that article I changed my mind; TP is important, and how did it take mankind that long to invent it?

In all seriousness. I pray for this country and you the reader. Most all of us have been affected in some way. My job has been postponed until further notice like those in many other businesses in America.

Before we talk sports (NOT MUCH GOING ON), let me get this off my chest.

President Trump receives so much unfair coverage. Between the national media and the outraged Twitter and Facebook junkies, they have more than likely helped make this 2020 election a guarantee for Trump.

A new Gallup Poll shows a 60 percent approval rating combating this pandemic. His standing with Democrats and Independents, also rising during this outbreak, brings his approval rating to its highest level yet. This is factual, and it must be a hard pill to swallow if you have Trump derangement syndrome.

Hate him or love him, he’s funny, com-

it was disrespectful to give Tannehill a big contract and tag Henry. I assure you it wasn’t.

The tag is a tool the team rightfully used, and Henry is a great player that unfortunately plays a position where contracts become tricky. The Titans and Henry have until July to figure out a new deal or Henry plays 2020 under a one-year franchise tag. We as fans have no clue what goes on behind the scenes, so what do I know? I will say that I am very excited and happy to see Tannehill and Henry both back in Tennessee blue this season.

Tennessee has made more moves and spent more money to retain players than to add them. The Titans have signed just three players in free agency so far: a pass rusher in Vic Beasley (who is on a one-year “we don’t know if we trust you, so prove it” deal), backup tackle Ty Sambraillo and specialteamer Nick Dzubnar.

The Titans are about to make some noise.

I was certain it was going to be Jadeveon Clowney after they traded Jurrell Casey away to Denver for no other reason than clearing cap space. John Elway admitted he got a steal in that trade.

I believe if Jon Robinson doesn’t eventually make some magic out of trading Casey it has the potential to rank as one of the worst decisions Robinson will have made as general manager.

We’ll see what happens. I am just saying it would be inexcusable for the Titans to start the season with over $20 million in cap space and without Casey, so I predict a big move soon. The last I noticed, the Titans had the ninth-highest cap space in the league.

Logan Ryan, who has been a great player for this team and had a career season in 2019, also remains unsigned. Ryan, who reportedly won’t take less than $10 million a year, is entertaining all offers. I find it baffling that we’re this deep into signing period and Ryan remains unsigned. Teams should be fighting with each other to sign this man.

The Titans could re-sign Ryan or go allout with a player like Clowney. The Titans are in a position to improve this team that made it one game away from the Super Bowl last season.

Alright, that’s it. The Train Daddy is rolling into the station. I am praying for you, for this country and for the world. I can’t wait for the economy to get rolling again, for kids to go back to being kids and for all this fear to end. This virus shut the world’s economy down and even got the Olympics postponed, something not seen since World War II. Stay safe out there and be a positive voice, not a spreader of fear. We will get through this.

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