Feb. 2014 Murfreesboro Pulse by The Murfreesboro Pulse

ONLINE AT: BOROPULSE.COM

MURFREESBORO Vol. 9, Issue 2 February 2014

FREE For You!

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

BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING . . . and Wants a Piece of the Used Merchandise Action

Murfreesboro Police Chief wants local retailers to pick up the tab ART

MUSIC

FOOD

Nashville Print Revival Blonde Iguana Interactive Sketch Exhibit

Traveling, Broke and Out of Gas; Rintrah; D.O.U.G.H.; Anthony Orio; Music Through the Decades

Craft just what you’re craving at Your Pie

PAGE 8

PAGE 20

PAGE 28

2 * FEBRUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

DEAR READERS:

CONTENTS

32 COVER STORY

10 26

EVENTS

February Community Events Black History Month at MTSU; Chamber to honor John Hood, Sheri Morgan

THEATER Oriental Monsoon’ 6 ‘An Chinese production incorporating dance, vocals and instrumentation blows through MTSU.

ART this Month 8 Exhibits Blonde Iguana at JoZoara; Nashville Print Revival

LIVING

0 w

Secondhand Restrictions Big Brother is watching, and wants a piece of the used merchandise action . . . and the surveilance data. A Visit with Poet David S. Pointer Poet talks of honing his writing craft over the decades.

REVIEWS

r Movies Her; Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones Living Room Cinema Lives of Couples Year's One Book t This The Last Policeman available at a variety of locations. Game y Video Sleeping Dogs

SOUNDS

CREW

PULSE

A Guitar Haven The strings in Music World’s high end guitar room will make guitar lovers swoon. Publisher/Editor in Chief: Bracken Mayo

Music Editor: Jessica Pace

Contributing Writers: Gloria Christy, Art Director: Sarah L. Mayo Dr. Philip A. Foster, Nader Hobballah, Zach Maxfield, Michelle Palmer, Advertising Rep: Cameron Parrish, Christy Simmons, Don Clark Jay Spight, Andrea Stockard, Justin Stokes, Copy Editor: Steve Morley Norbert Thiemann, Phil Valentine

Notes o Music Jazz Artist Series, Beegie Adair, Music at the Mill Hills Are Alive! p The Bringing camp meeting shape-note

s f

singing style to Middle Tennessee students. Album Reviews Rintrah, Traveling, Broke and Out of Gas, D.O.U.G.H., Anthony Orio FEBRUARY CONCERTS Karaoke, Trivia, DJ & Bingo Nights Places to go for fun with friends

SPORTS Talk with Z-Train h Sports Seminoles and Seahawks Now MTSU's All-Time Leading Scorer j Rowe Lady Raiders riding 17-game win streak.

FOOD Your Pie? k What's Find your custom topping comination and fire

your pie in the oven at Your Pie. Recipe Corner Sausage, kale and potato soup

OPINIONS

Palabra x La The mysteries of Antarctica Valentine c Phil Raising the minimum wage is a job killer. Sobriety Test Video Surfaces v New Is this the standard practice for all drivers? The Death of the Manager The changing leadership structure of organizations To carry The Pulse at your business, or submit letters, stories and photography: bracken@boropulse.com 116-E North Walnut St., Murfreesboro, TN 37130 (615) 796-6248

Copyright © 2014, The Murfreesboro Pulse, 116-E N. Walnut St., Murfreesboro, TN 37130. Proudly owned, operated and published the first Thursday of each month by the Mayo family; printed by Franklin Web Printing Co. The Murfreesboro Pulse is a free publication funded by our advertisers. Views expressed in The Pulse do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. ISSN: 1940-378X

MY IDEAS ARE LIKE THE UNIVERSE; not only do I constantly have new ones every day, but their rate of expansion is actually increasing. Action taken on one item spawns three new ideas, sometimes the result of completing that first idea, sometimes unrelated. But either way, the more I do, the longer the to-do list becomes. I’ve accepted that. It’s not about being “finished” with “everything.” That’s not going to happen. It’s about accomplishing something, enjoying the process of creation and then taking a break to properly rest for the next day’s accomplishments. I can take breaks, but I’ll never be done. Constantly increasing rate of expansion. The federal budget seems to be the same way. Expanding and expanding, quicker and quicker. Do you think we should throttle back? No!! Spend more and more, every year. Throw some new stuff in there. Those tea party people weren’t serious. Keep on spending and spending. Crony capitalism and taxing and spending. Not many seem to want to stop it. What about raising the minimum wage for business owners? For the self-employed. Who’s going to make sure I get my $10.10 an hour? Or $15 an hour. Even better. I’m typing now; I’m on the clock. Do you realize there are a lot of business owners pouring a ton of time and effort into their projects, and some of them actually lose money! Many do not take a certain amount of U.S. cash money for every hour they spend on their businesses. They are heartless lawbreakers, and someone should require they pay themselves $15 an hour. Edward Snowden for president! Really, watch his interview, read what’s going on. He’ll probably say such things as “I don’t want to be president,” but that’s the sort of person who should be president. What? He’s only 30. OK, then, not for this upcoming election, but the following one. 2020 is just around the corner. That should be plenty of time to see justice served in his case and for him to come back into his country and be recognized as the compassionate champion of liberty and the leader of a generation that he is. In the meantime, Hank III in 2016! Maybe Colbert will take his campaign efforts a little more seriously. He’d win. Anyway, I have decided recently, and this may be a permanent policy change, that I will not involve myself in stress, emergencies or problems. It’s going pretty well. If you have stress, emergencies or problems, stay away. If you need a solution, that’s OK. I’ll happily be part of the solution. But remember, I don’t do problems, I do solutions. I will do my best to help, but I will choose to be at peace, no matter how much of the “stress” that is accepted as part of our culture is thrown at me. I’m alive! Peace, Bracken Mayo Editor in Chief BOROPULSE.COM

FEBRUARY 2014

EVENTS compiled by ANDREA STOCKARD

Send event information to murfreesboropulse@yahoo.com

FEB. 7 CHAMBER TO HONOR JOHN HOOD, SHERI MORGAN The Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce has named John Hood as the 2013 Business Legend of the Year and will honor him at the Chamber’s annual Business at its Best celebration at 5:30 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Murfreesboro Hotel & Conference Center (1200 Conference Center Blvd.), followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. Hood’s career spans over six decades, with posts in radio broadcasting, banking, human resources, higher education and governmental service at the city, county and state levels. He currently serves as director of government and community affairs for MTSU, a position he’s held since 2008. Additionally, Leadership Rutherford has named Sheri Morgan, owner of Tri Star Title & Escrow, LLC in Murfreesboro, as the 2013 recipient of the Pinnacle Award, given to someone who has demonstrated significant leadership throughout his or her career. Morgan has owned Tri Star Title & Escrow, LLC since 2005. She manages six employees and, on a daily basis, develops business relationships in the real estate industry. “Sheri is very deserving of this award,” said Leadership Rutherford Director Stephanie Brackman. “She is an individual so passionate about leadership and her community, and gives of herself tirelessly. Sheri does whatever she can to bring joy and create better lives for those around her.” Morgan currently serves on the board of directors for Special Kids and the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, where she serves as treasurer, and is past president of Leadership Rutherford. She was a Rutherford County Chamber Diplomat for two years and a 2008 Leadership Rutherford graduate. 4 * FEBRUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

“I was always very shy and bashful growing up, and stayed to myself,” said Morgan. “All of this changed when I attended Leadership Rutherford with the Chamber of Commerce several years ago. I became a different person, opening up and speaking in public. This changed my personality and gave me self-esteem. Leadership Rutherford was the best thing I ever did for myself.” Reservations for the celebration are $70 for Chamber members and $90 for nonmembers. To reserve your seat, visit rutherfordchamber.org or call (615) 893-6565.

FEB. 7 WINTER EVENING EXHIBIT SHOWING Special evening viewing of the elegant and fashionable wedding dresses are on exhibit in Maney Hall (900 N. Maney Ave.) during extended evening hours of 5-8 p.m. Admission is $5. For more information, contact (615) 893-0022, info@oaklandsmuseum.org or visit oaklandsmuseum.org.

FEB. 8–9 INTERCOLLEGIATE HORSE SHOW Take part in the Intercollegiate Horse Show at Tennessee Miller Coliseum (304-B West Thompson Ln.) Admission is free. For more information, please call (615) 494-8961.

FEB. 15, 22 BLUE RAIDER BASKETBALL LEGENDS The Middle Tennessee Varsity Club has announced the dates for the annual Basketball Legends events for 2014. The men’s basketball event will take place on Feb. 15 when the Blue Raiders host Southern Miss. The women’s event is scheduled for Feb. 22 when MT welcomes Charlotte to the Murphy Center. All former players, managers and coaches are invited to return for the event. A pre-game reception will be held in the Emmett and Rose Kennon Hall of Fame two hours prior to the game. All returning alumni will be introduced at halftime of both games. “When we began our ‘Legends’ events we planned to have them only once every few years, but the feedback from players and fans alike was so positive that we have made them annual events,” noted Varsity Club Director Jim Simpson. “The fans love to see their favorite Blue Raiders back on the floor again and our players love returning to campus.” Letters were sent to all alumni earlier this month. If a basketball athlete, manager or coach did not receive a letter, please contact Simpson at (615) 898-5632.

FEB. 12 VALENTINE TEA IN THE LEEMAN HOUSE Celebrate the day of love in the 1800s Leeman House at Cannonsburgh Village (312 S. Front St.) from 4–6 p.m. Ages 7 and up dress in your Valentine attire and come for refreshments and a themed craft. Reservations required through Feb. 9. Space is limited. Admission is $3.50 per person. For more information, call (615) 890-0355.

FEB. 17 SCIENCE AND SPIRITUALITY DISCUSSION GROUP Are you interested in exploring the rela-

FEB. 10 AUTHORS TO SPEAK AT LINEBAUGH Linebaugh Public Library is pleased to host authors Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse for a book talk and signing of their newly released title, All Things Hidden, a novel set on the beautiful Alaskan frontier revealing a hidden past that threatens a new love, from noon to 2 p.m. in the 2nd floor Reading Room (105 W. Vine. St.). Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 90 novels. Kimberley Woodhouse is a published author of fiction and nonfiction. A popular speaker/teacher, she’s shared her theme of Joy Through Trials with over 150,000 people at more than a thousand venues across the country. To learn more, call (615) 893-4131 or visit linebaugh.org.

tionship between science and spirituality? Science and Spirituality Discussion Group meets the third Monday of each month from 7–8:30 p.m. at Unity of Murfreesboro (130 Cannon St.). For more information, call (615) 907-6033.

FEB. 17 MTSU’S HONORS COLLEGE HOSTS PRESIDENTS’ DAY OPEN HOUSE High school and transfer students and their families are invited to the fifth annual Presidents’ Day Open House at MTSU’s Honors College and Student Union from 10:30 a.m.–4 p.m. Visit mtsu.edu/honors/OpenHouse.php for a detailed schedule and to register. Enjoy educational events, optional tours and fun activities for prospective students. Attendees will have an opportunity to learn about admissions, financial aid, housing and more. A scholarship drawing will be held and students can take a presidential quiz and win prizes. Contact (615) 898-5464 or Laura.Clippard@ mtsu.edu. Each student who attends will receive three tickets to dine on campus during the visit.

THROUGHOUT FEBRUARY BLACK HISTORY MONTH AT MTSU Feb. 3- The campus community is invited to sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the “black national anthem,” at 12:30 p.m. on the Keathley University Center knoll.

Feb. 6, 13, 20 and 27- Watch Eyes on the Prize, the award-winning fourpart PBS documentary about the history of the Civil Rights movement, at 7 p.m. in the Keathley University Center Theatre. Feb. 7- Visit the information table for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the first floor of the Student Union building. Free HIV/AIDS testing will be available then and throughout the month. Feb. 11- Michael McDonald, MTSU’s first African-American student government president, will be the keynote speaker for the annual Unity Luncheon at 11 a.m. in the Student Union ballroom, paying tribute to community leaders James L. Butler, Pearlie Mae Martin and Phyllis Hickerson-Washington. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students. Contact (615) 8985797 or jonell.hinsey@mtsu.edu. Feb. 17- Dr. Cleveland Sellers, president of Voorhees College in Denmark, S.C., will deliver an address titled “A Voice from the Movement” at 6 p.m. in room 116 of the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors College Building. An advocate for nonviolent social change, Sellers was the only person arrested at the “Orangeburg Massacre.” He received an official pardon 25 years after his release. Feb. 19- See a presentation based on some of the “Myths of the Movement” at 4 p.m. in the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building. This event focuses on how some written and oral history skews the truth about the Civil Rights movement. Feb. 20- Walks through the “Tunnel of Oppression” are scheduled from 1 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 20, in the Tom Jackson Building. Participants experience current-day concepts of oppression, privilege and power. This event coincides with the World Day of Social Justice as declared by the United Nations. Feb. 23- The Scholars Academy, in conjunction with the Intercultural and Diversity Affairs Center, will host “Sista and Brotha, You Rock!” from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Student Union ballroom. MTSU students of color will receive awards honoring them for their contributions to the community. All events except the Unity Luncheon are free and open to the public. For a complete list of Black History Month events, go to mtsu.edu/aahm. For more information, call (615) 898-5797 or e-mail jonell.hinsey@ mtsu.edu. BOROPULSE.COM

FEBRUARY 2014

THEATER

FEB. 6

‘Oriental Monsoon’ Blows into MTSU’s Tucker Theatre “AN ORIENTAL MONSOON,” a theatrical production by faculty and students of China’s Hangzhou Normal University, is scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, in Tucker Theatre on the MTSU campus. The event is free and open to the public. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for MTSU and the community to see these performers and their musical program,” said Guanping Zheng, BAREFOOT IN THE PARK director of MTSU’s Confucius Institute, which 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14, 15, 21 and 22; co-sponsors the presentation. The mission 2 p.m. Feb. 16 and 23 of MTSU’s Confucius Institute is to enhance Murfreesboro Center for the Arts the understanding of Chinese language and 110 W. College St. culture and create opportunities for exchange boroarts.org and collaboration between communities in DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE Tennessee and China. BEAST, JR. Hangzhou Normal University and MTSU 7:30 p.m. Feb. 7, 8, 14 and 15; 2 forged a partnership on Dec. 1, 2009, when p.m. Feb. 9 and 16 MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and HangThe Arts Center of Cannon zhou President Ye Gaoxiang agreed to outreach County 1424 John Bragg Hwy. programs and cultural exchanges. artscenterofcc.com “The Chinese culture is fascinating and our Confucius Institute plays a critical role in THE PHANTOM bringing slices of that culture to our campus,” TOLLBOOTH JR. McPhee said. “Not only will this visit by our 7 p.m. Feb. 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 and 22; 2 p.m. Feb. 9, 16 and 23 friends from Hangzhou Normal be a terrific Murfreesboro Little Theatre learning experience, but an entertaining one.” 702 Ewing Blvd. Zheng describes the upcoming program of mltarts.com dance, vocals and instrumentation as “traditional with a modern flavor.” PRIDE AND PREJUDICE Segment titles include “Tibetan Lasses,” 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14, 15, 21, 22 and 28 and March 1; 3:30 p.m. March 2 “Bathing in the Light of the Moon,” “MonSpringhouse Theatre golian Bowl Dance,” “The Rhythm of Martial 14119 Old Nashville Hwy., Smyrna Arts,” and, in a nod to the Chinese New Year springhousetheatre.com celebration of the Year of the Horse, “ThouCOMEDY sands of Galloping Horses.” with Gail Grantham Moore, “They have a very good international Boston McCown, Jay Kendrick reputation,” Zheng said. “Some of the perand Sam Donnelly formers are among the top artists in China.” 9 p.m., Feb. 7 and 8 Out Front on Main For more information, contact the Confu1511 E. Main St. cius Institute at MTSU at (615) 494-8696 or outfrontonmain.com cimtsu@mtsu.edu.

PLAYING THIS MONTH

6 * FEBRUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

ART

“About Penipotens” by Heather Freeman. Cut-out animation (similar to the style used in Wonderpets and South Park).

Nashville Print Revival Visits Arts Center

Interactive Art Exhibit to Be Presented at MTSU’s Todd Gallery “YOU SHOW ME YOURS, I’LL SHOW YOU MINE: YOUR MOVE” is a collaborative and interactive exhibit organized by the Drawing III students of Department of Art Assistant Professor Melissa Newman. Students included are Kyle Baker, Kayla Connelly, Aubrey Griggs, Lauren Hughes, Tabitha Leathers, Justin Lessard, Travis Luna, AJ Martin Stills, Carlos Paredes, Erin Potter, Morgan Rotenberry, Alisa Stoll, Andrew Turner, Tucker Webb, Russell White, Sienna Williams and Noelle Yeargins. Working through the Department’s Student Gallery Committee (SGC), Newman stated, “The premise of the exhibit is that each gallery attendee be invited to participate in a collaborative drawing event located in Todd Art Gallery 210 (Todd Building) Feb. 5-14. Drawing III student Russell White adds, “You will be expected to contribute to existing drawings or even begin a new one. It is our hope that through the combination of different subject matters and techniques new ideas will be created that could never come from a single artist.” Newman concludes, “Having shared authorship will hopefully allow for more creative freedom and playfulness that what is typically found in the more traditional academic drawing classes.” The event will remain in progress until the close of the exhibit. The resulting work will be donated to the Department of Art’s annual sale benefiting student scholarships. All Todd Art Gallery exhibits, lectures, and receptions are free and open to the public. For more information, parking and directions contact Eric V. Snyder at eric.snyder@mtsu.edu or (615) 898-5653. 8 * FEBRUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

THE MURFREESBORO CENTER FOR THE ARTS is hosting the Nashville Print Revival visiting artist exhibition Feb. 2–25 in the gallery. The group exhibition will feature work from Blake and Hannah March Sanders of Orange Barrel Industries, plus visiting artists Heather Freeman and Michael Krueger. The reception for the exhibition will be from 6–8 p.m. Feb. 19. Blake and Hannah have been collaborating with one another as well as other individual artists and artist collectives since 2009 to plan exhibitions, mini print conferences, and printmaking performances. Blake is an instructor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Hannah works at Les Cheneaux Design Type, a letterpress and design studio. Heather Freeman is an associate professor of digital media at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. She is a graphic designer, print maker, illustrator, drawer and animator. Her work investigates science, human history and popular culture through the lens of motherhood. Michael Krueger is associate professor of art at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. The exhibition is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 to 5 onSaturday. For more information, contact Kari Owen at keo2k@mtmail.mtsu.edu or (615) 785-7650, or Meagan Hall at meagan.boroarts@gmail.com or (615) 904-2787.

“Tributary Tug-o-War,” full gallery installation by Blake and Hannah Sanders. Repurposed fabrics, plastic grocery bags, sewing, crochet, yarn, screen print, spray paint, charcoal and Gesso on MDF. Left inset: “Footprint No. 16” by Hannah Sanders. Croched prints on fabric and clothing. Approx. 5x7 ft.

Art from Blonde Iguana on Display at JoZoara PAINTINGS FROM BLOND IGUANA ART are for sale at JoZoara Coffee Shop in Murfreesboro this month. Artist Patti Mann said to be on the lookout for a few “tentacle-y things.” Additionally, the artist said she will donate 10 percent of the sale proceeds to benefit Jenna’s Cause for Paws, “a local cat and dog rescue that does great work in rescuing and rehoming abandoned pets.” For more information on Mann’s art, visit blondeiguanaart.com.

Shoebox Sculptures

Art by Bruce Humphries (above), Dana Harper and Christopher Nelson (right).

MTSU’S TODD ART GALLERY (TAG) opened the spring semester Tuesday, Jan. 21st with an Artists Awards Reception for the first Shoebox: An International Sculpture Exhibition. Featuring working artists and academics from across the United States, Australia, and Europe, the exhibit is comprised of sculptural renderings that were required to fit in a shoebox of each artist’s choice. The resulting variety of sizes ranged from smaller size baby shoes to those larger boxes made for athletic shoes and boots. Additionally, the work was not confined to just the box size. Works that could be contained within a shoebox and assembled onsite were also permissible. Michael Aurbach, Professor of Art in Sculpture and Drawing at Vanderbilt University served as juror. With numerous credentials including past president of the College Art Association (CAA) and coordinator of its mentoring program, Career Development Workshop, he holds a Masters of Fine Arts

(MFA) from Southern Methodist University. Aurbach is also a past recipient of the Southeastern College Art Conference Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement and the Award for Outstanding Exhibition and Catalogue of Contemporary Materials. Of the approximate 185 works submitted for consideration, 40 were selected for the onsite exhibit in Todd Art Gallery while another 38 were chosen for exhibit in a slideshow and to accompany the exhibit’s online presentation at MTSU.edu/art. From the onsite selections nine works were chosen for award. Those receiving Honorable Mention include Dana Harper, Columbus, Ohio; Derek Chalfant, Elmira, N.Y.; Bruce Humphries, Menomonee Falls, Wis; Clifford Blanchard, Morristown, N.J.; and Ronald Koehler, Cleveland, Miss. The work of Andrew Smith (Oxford, Miss.) was chosen for the 3rd place Award of Excellence. Stockholm, Sweden’s Traina Frank received the 2nd place Sterling Award, and Hanna Jurban, of Grimesland, N.C. received the 1st place Pearl Award. Best of Show, the Sapphire Award, went to the work entitled “Rural Route 1Ð by Randy Reid of Moroa, Ill. Shoebox will remain on display through Friday, Feb. 14, 2014. All Todd Art Gallery exhibits, receptions and lectures are free and open to the public. For more information, directions or parking contact Eric V. Snyder at (615) 898-5653 or eric.snyder@mtsu.edu. BOROPULSE.COM

FEBRUARY 2014

LIVING

BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING story by BRACKEN MAYO illustration by MAI HARRIS

. . . and Wants a Piece of the Used Merchandise Action

Murfreesboro police chief wants secondhand stores to buy an additional license to collect customer data.

new measure currently before the Murfreesboro City Council aims to fight the buying and selling of stolen merchandise, but many local retailers and consumers are crying foul, saying it not only places an unnecessary financial burden on certain small businesses, but additionally is a serious invasion of privacy and a violation of law-abiding citizens’ personal rights. The item up for debate involves proposed revisions to the existing Murfreesboro City Code with “respect to Pawnbrokers and Secondhand Dealers”; revisions that would, in all actuality, make it more difficult and time consuming to sell a used CD or bag of golf clubs in Murfreesboro than to buy marijuana in Denver. If passed, the new language would require certain shops that buy and sell used merchandise to not only keep far more detailed records of their transactions involving certain items, but to photograph the seller, enter the data into a national database, purchase a license each year, adhere to holding time periods and allow Murfreesboro police officers access at any time to business records. “This is very serious because of the rights involved of ordinary people, not criminals. I

10 * FEBRUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

think that is not a good thing,” said Mike Morrison, owner of Digital Planet on Robert Rose Drive. “I hope the whole idea is struck down. . . . Hopefully they will realize this is wrong.” Many local merchants argue the measure is more about money, surveillance and control than stopping real crime. “This request is far more expansive than a lot of similar police requests,” Morrison said. “If they do this, they would have turned my business over to the police . . . and it will get worse. The police want total control. “This is not the way to go about it.” Across town at Media Rerun, store owner Larry Pinkerton said he and his employees make a special effort as it is to avoid purchasing stolen property and to work with local law enforcement to prevent crime. “We’ve had several store meetings to discuss common-sense ways to avoid stolen property. We’ve alerted police of suspicious activity. We have other methods to discourage those we find suspect from trying to sell to us. We have also asked law enforcement’s advice in dealing with suspicious customers or activity.” Pinkerton said. “As I recall, in our 11 years you can count on one hand the number of times law enforce-

ment has requested any information. There have been very few times law enforcement has questioned us about a purchase we made.” Play It Again Sports owner Oliver Tribble said he respects the work the local police do, and he very much desires for Murfreesboro to be a nice, crime-free community, but that the proposal simply steps over the line and prohibits a retailer’s freedom to do business. “I’m not mad at the police, but there’s a middle point. I realize they are trying to do good. They really are,” Tribble said. “But would we be a little safer if everyone driving a car wore a crash helmet? Why don’t we make everyone do it? It’d save lives! But there has to be a line.” Tribble acknowledged that city officials have done a good job of shaving down the scope of the code over the past months. “The original draft cast a very big net,” City Attorney Adam Tucker said. “The holding period for items not containing precious metals is 7 days; we received some comments on that.” But after a round of revision, the proposed Code now contains numerous exempted items, merchandise that would not need to be tracked. “It exempts a whole host of categories: comic books, magazines, coins,” Tucker listed. “In

addition, we exempted charitable organizations, flea markets, auctioneers, garage sales . . .” Many sporting goods are now exempt from the proposal, focusing on bigger-ticket items. “They’ve done a good job about getting it down. It got down to golf clubs and bikes for me,” Tribble said from his sporting goods store, but still he said he has serious philosophical and financial reservations about it. “I really do appreciate you allowing me to only document golf clubs and bicycles, which would save me a tremendous amount of time and money,” Tribble said in a letter to MPD Det. Kerry Thorpe, but continued that, even with the revisions, “I’ve calculated the additional labor costs and offsite storage costs in this area [which] will run me approximately $1,150 per month, just shy of $14,000 per year.” Digital Planet and Media Rerun both confirmed it would cost their businesses thousands of dollars annually as well, and “would not only be burdensome and awkward to us but also to our overwhelmingly honest customers,” Pinkerton said. “This won’t put me out of business, but it will take a lot from local charities,” Tribble said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

BOROPULSE.COM

FEBRUARY 2014

* 11

LIVING

WORD story by JESSICA PACE

A VISIT WITH POET DAVID S. POINTER

ongtime poet and Murfreesboro resident David S. Pointer recently caught up with the Pulse following the release of his latest book, Sinister Splashplay, a steampunk-inspired collection of abstract but highly visual poems. Here, he talks about his history as a writer, self-publishing, and starting the writing process with a word rather than an idea.

12 * FEBRUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

Where are you from? Where did your interest in poetry originate?

What influenced the style and content of Sinister Splashplay?

I was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and I went into the marines at 18. When I got out, I tested for the San Diego Sheriff ’s Department, and my ex-wife didn’t want me to take joint custody to California, so I enrolled in college at Central Missouri and was a criminal justice major/psychology minor and discovered literature. I liked Russian and French writers, Dostoyevsky, Baudelaire and people like that. I looked into academic poetry, and I thought it was too artificial. I got into sociology with my masters. I wanted to write poems from that perspective. I noticed all these boundaries in the academic world; they were going to write poems on beauty, trivia, mythology. Anything that dealt with politics and economics and uglier truths in the social system—there were certain things that were written about and certain that weren’t written about. I wrote for the underground, but those guys were primarily trying to be the next Bukowski and thought a deal was just down the pike. Poetry as a society is more marginalized that I could ever realize. I might as well tell people I’m an opera singer or ballet dancer; they say, “Oh my God, where’s the exit?” I decided to focus more on political things, and I like Poe and horror and early generation sci-fi writers who like to mix politics in, but I didn’t have time for all of that. I’m just in working-class America like millions of other people, trying to find the energy to crank out a poem.

In 2006 or so, I tried to get into a nursing program to acquire skills to care for my ailing mother. They said, “No, we have a waiting list that’s two to four years. Why don’t you talk to our surgery tech director, he’s looking for male students.” We scheduled an interview, and he said if I was to complete this program, it’d make it easier in the future to get into a nursing program. I signed up to help my mother, but I was in for a week and she passed away. So that was the longest year, probably, of my life. She’d want me to finish this program. It was one of those 16 hour-day programs, but when you’re depressed from losing a loved one . . . That was just the point where the horror and sci-fi started, without ever planning for it—life unfolding and there it came. Somewhere in there, I discovered the steampunk genre with Victorian influence and machines, and a lot of that appealed to me, especially the applications from the modern world where everything is so corporate, creeping ever closer, cameras everywhere, no privacy, on the computer watching everybody. That was just the thing I started to write about. I want to work on a dieselpunk-type art project. Sinister Splashplay was primarily steampunk, but I think there was a dieselpunk poem in there. I cranked up the abstraction a little bit. As Jim Morrison said, poetry just ticks off the possibilities. A reader could return to it and say, “Last

Sinister Splashplay By David S. Pointer

The autopsy sink sex, the dissection table dip tank the mortuary rack romancethe carcass saw aroma had the captain ordering estrogensecreting tumors for every morgue workstation tech heating up on air overload during the body tray x-ray expected of organ pirates on prisoner exchange programs

time, I thought it meant this. Now I think it means this.” It doesn’t mean anything per se; it’s something to ponder, meditation, something that would spark a writer’s creativity.

read it and realize writing is always changing to me over the years. There aren’t any rules, so to speak, and so I’m open to anything.

How has your style and process of writing evolved?

I published my first poem in the Pleiades Journal in 1990 at Central Missouri, and that’s sort of a nationally recognized academic journal now. At the time, they were just resurrecting from a period of inactivity; you didn’t have the national and international competition. Some college students got lucky and got published.

Clarity is something. I had a 96-year-old pen pal, he had one semester of college, and for him, clarity was no problem. Clarity is much harder for me, whereas his first draft maybe makes sense from A to Z. Maybe I have 13 drafts before it makes sense. I do write a lot of different things. I used to try to control the poetry, but I have a different process, and it changed over the years. I sit down with plans of what I’m going to write, and I’ll try to gather a word that motivates me or excites me or I haven’t seen in 20 years. I write it down and get a couple new words to go with it, then I try to think toward the direction of the word, rather than just sit down with the blank page and try to come up with something from nothing. If I take a word rather than an idea, it’s a much easier time. I had these ideas, but what words do you put with them? Some people pop open a dictionary or whatever book’s handy. I keep a notebook, too. I like new words, because it’s interesting to a reader to not just encounter the same words they always see, but not too complex like an obscure medical term.

At what age did you start writing, and who did you like to read? I started with songs before I knew how to write and had my mother write them down for me. Edgar Allan Poe was who I really identified with in the poetry. Too bad we lost him so early. I liked Mark Twain as a child, didn’t like Walt Whitman. That was just too advanced, I guess, for a kid. As an adult, that’s wonderful stuff. I guess at age 28, when I was getting my master’s and I took to creative writing for publication, I can look for good in any genre, and maybe when I was in my twenties, I might have dismissed it. I wouldn’t do that today. At almost 52, I would

Where did you first get published?

Do you like the poem now? It just shows me where I was at then. It was fine. I always have some I like better, but I was just happy to be published. At that time, the Internet didn’t exist. I would buy the Poet’s Market each year, and that would have listings for other underground things, and that’s how I’d find “the littles,” as Charles Bukowski would call them.

What are your thoughts on self-publishing vs. an imprint? You don’t have to wait if you’ve got the computer skills. For most people, self-publishing is a fine option. A publisher will sometimes give you marketing help and things like that, but if you’re young and you want to do your book, get some publishing credits and one other reader to go over your stuff, and decide what style you want, and self-publishing is fine. They still do that at all levels. Let’s say you’re in Nashville doing readings; if you do sell some copies, you recoup your cost and keep the money, whereas books done for example through Amazon will keep two-thirds of that, and the other third goes to the publisher. He doesn’t want to get into accounting to pay writers, so writers get zilch. And you could be waiting years for some tiny publisher to put your stuff out there. You can do your own in weeks rather than years. Look for Pointer’s new horror poetry book with Spanish translations, Beyond Shark Tag Bay, in spring 2014. BOROPULSE.COM

FEBRUARY 2014

* 13

LIVING ROOM CINEMA

REVIEWS MOVIES

column by NORBERT THIEMANN

facebook.com/livingroomcinema

HER

what Theo needs. It names itself Samantha. Theo likes Samantha. The film itself seems to intuit and address the “creepiness curve” through both its stunning pastel and rose petal production design that eschews flashy futurism for an intelligent and organic depiction of technology-integrated life, and its anchored-by-

humanity storytelling. Theodore walks to work talking to apparently no one, as does every one he passes. But like noses deep in smartphones at restaurants, in checkout lines, on the couch, the weird factor quickly gives way to normalcy. As Samantha and Theo’s relationship grows and changes, so to does the audience’s relationship with the movie, and eventually Samantha feels no less real than Theo, no less real than his neighbor Amy (Amy Adams, playing the mousy opposite of her role in American Hustle, is equally good here), and no less real than the slightly puton (or is it naive) optimism of his boss, Paul (another successful turn for Chris Pratt). With deft sleight-of-hand and without passing judgement, Spike Jonze’s Her reveals itself to be more than just a weird tale of a man falling in love with an OS, but a prescient, unsettling, and funny vision of our human relationship with technology, and perhaps more important (and surprising), a poignant storyabout human relationships. — JAY SPIGHT

(and the acquisition of a new camera), three high-school friends discover that the neighbor below their apartment was practicing brujeria on young women. After a few deaths and an unfortunate exploration, the teens realize that one of their

own become possessed by more than just the spirit of curiosity, and they get caught up in a web of witchcraft. Can he be saved in time, or is it too late for the group of friends? Looking at the overall narrative of the Paranormal Activity franchise is a big mistake here, and the alarm of that information is loudest with The Marked Ones. And since it is only toward the end of the film that numero cinco ties into the rest, treat this movie for what it is: a completely disposable piece of fun. It’s a quick jaunt through a haunted house that will more than likely fall apart if you stick around for too long. Otherwise, there are too many missed opportunities (yet again) to justify seeing the film. — JUSTIN STOKES

Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson Directed by Spike Jonze

Rated R

Written and directed by Spike Jonze, Her combines the eccentricity of his previous works Being John Malkovich and Adaptation—along with the unbridled sincerity and emotional heft of his Where the Wild Things Are—into a transcendent story set in the familiar near future in which a man falls in love with his computer. That high-concept plot alone threatens to undermine itself as laughable, unrelatable and discomforting, but is handled with such careful consideration that Her is anything but. Joaquin Phoenix is Theodore Twombley, a writer of sorts—he sits in a cubicle and writes hiredout letters to other peoples’ loved ones—who fills his lonely existence with video games, latenight chat rooms and putting off signing his divorce papers. Then

he half-heartedly purchases the latest operating system, the first true Artificial Intelligence, called OS1. Effortlessly voiced by Scarlett Johansson, the new OS impresses Theo with its natural, conversational speech (most computer interfacing is handled through a small, single, wireless earbud) and its ability to intuit

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE MARKED ONES 3

Starring: Andrew Jacobs, Jorge Diaz, Gabrielle Walsh

Directed by: Christopher B. Landon

Rated R

I walked into this movie, locked and loaded to ridicule. This is the fifth installment in a franchise that I despise, and a cash cow that keeps feeding itself into the grinder and sieve, all the while lacking the sense of preservation and decency that make us want to see another day. I like to imagine an old abattoir converted into a bordello, so willing to whore itself morally that all the Dateline specials and UV lights in the world could never RATINGS:

expose the whole truth. Floors covered in dirty money and the stickiness of shame that . . . Oh, sorry. I was getting off track. I don’t really like this franchise. But I actually liked this one. Following their graduation A CLASSIC

14 * FEBRUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

OUTSTANDING

AVERAGE

BELOW AVERAGE

Lives of Couples

tarting off simply, these three films are ordered by their argued scale of complexity. Even the most mundane life can be spiced up dramatically with the inclusion of a partner. Without any prejudice, spikes of elated bliss and torturous turmoil all culminate through the veins of a couple’s loving relationship. With true sentiments of love and happiness, I wish you a very Happy Valentine’s Day!

 The Loneliest Planet (2011) is eloquently directed by Julia Loktev. A couple in love trek through the Georgian countryside of Eastern Europe. It’s a paced journey that feels very much like a prelude to their future. The Loneliest Planet is playful, sensual and devastatingly true. Sometimes wisdom and awareness are best learned while young. Hats off to Julia Loktev.

 Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) is directed by F.W. Murnau. Some claim it as the best silent film ever, while others have simply claimed it to be the best film of all time. Sunrise is an allegorical poem of love and betrayal. Among other things, it draws contrasts between the simplicity and purity of country life against the temptations and complexities of city life. It is Murnau’s first American film, but all of his German Expressionist sensibilities remain intact. Please include Sunrise on your bucket list with the prepared knowledge that life is fleeting. What’s the third movie recommendation? Find out at boropulse.com. Just click “Living Room Cinema” under the movies tab.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS

DEAD

Look for a One Book Crossing Location Near You YOU DON’T HAVE TO LOOK TOO FAR TO FIND A COPY of this year’s Rutherford County One Book, The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters. Just keep an eye out for a Book Crossing. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see one of the Read To Succeed red boxes in local businesses and libraries. Then just help yourself to one of the books inside. It’s free. You’ll find a sticker on the inside cover with information about how to log on to the One Book page and share your comments about the book after you’ve read it. You can pass it along to a friend to read after that, bring it back to the location where you found it or drop it by any of the other locations listed on the sticker. Ingram Content Group donated the books for the Crossing. One Book is an initiative to promote reading and unity from Read To Succeed, a local nonprofit designed to encourage literacy. Each year the organization’s One Book Committee reads dozens of books and selects one choice to recommend to the community. Events are planned around the book’s themes, and a partnership is formed with another local nonprofit to participate in cross-promotions. The premise behind this year’s One Book is that a giant asteroid is hurtling toward Earth, destined to strike and sure to eliminate most life on the planet. The book’s characters react in various ways to the impending catastrophe, some going off to complete their bucket lists, others spending the time in prayer, while many succumb to depression and take their own life. But Detective Hank Palace, the hero of The Last Policeman just keeps on doing his everyday job. And when a case of apparent suicide occurs, he doesn’t just ignore the small things that don’t add up and instead investigates the incident, determined to do his job as the rest of the world falls apart around him. Partnering with the One Book Committee this year is the Heart of Tennessee Chapter of the American Red Cross, whose volunteers handle a variety of disasters in the same calm, professional and selfless manner as the hero of The Last Policeman, Detective Hank Palace. Also partnering with One Book this year is Middle Tennessee State University’s Physics Department. MTSU professor John Wallin will host a special Star Party at 6:30 the evening of Feb. 7 to discuss “Killer Asteroids” and to allow attendees a chance to take a guided look at the stars, weather permitting. The Star Party is free and open to the public, whether you’ve read The Last Policeman or not, and the event is for all ages. The lecture and star party will be in MTSU’s Wiser-Patten Science Hall, room 102. The Science Hall is also a location for the Book Crossing. Other Book Crossings include: • JoZoara Coffee Shop, 536 N. Thompson Lane, Murfreesboro • Wiser-Patten Science Hall, MTSU • Linebaugh Library, 111 W. Vine St., Murfreesboro • Smyrna Public Library, 400 Enon Springs Road W., Smyrna • La Vergne Library, 5063 Murfreesboro Road, La Vergne • Donut Palace, 17 S. Lowry St., Smyrna • Bud’s Tire, 3600 Woodbury Pike, Suite B, Murfreesboro • Starbucks, 2904 S. Church St., Murfreesboro • Reveille Joe, 113 N. Maple St., Public Square, Murfreesboro • Heart of Tennessee American Red Cross, 501 Memorial Blvd., Murfreesboro Read To Succeed is the community collaborative created to promote literacy in Rutherford County. The objective of this partnership between schools, area agencies and businesses is to support local programming and raise awareness about the importance of literacy. For more information and to ﬁnd out how you can make a difference in Rutherford County’s literacy rates, visit readtosucceed.org. The opinions expressed in this book review are not necessarily representative of Read To Succeed, but simply intended to promote the joy of reading. BOROPULSE.COM

FEBRUARY 2014

* 15

GAME REVIEW

SLEEPING DOGS 4.5

Available on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 Some games just fly under your radar. Maybe the advertising did not reach you. Maybe the word of mouth was not there. Maybe, at first glance, it just did not seem like a game you would want to play. Maybe the publisher itself failed in its marketing campaign. Regardless of the reason, Sleeping Dogs should be on your radar, if not already in your stock. The best way to describe Sleeping Dogs is Grand Theft Auto/Saints Row meets Batman Arkham City meets Infernal Affairs (A Hong Kong investigative thriller movie and the basis for The Departed). The story goes that a man named Wei Shen has arrived in Hong Kong to take care of some very personal business. Thrills, twists, and turns are rampant in a com-

16 * FEBRUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

plex plot that has Wei battling between justice and revenge. What is remarkable about Sleeping Dogs is just how immersive it is. It does feel like you are in Hong Kong. The atmosphere oozes with authenticity, as the city feels alive with the banter of people talking about their lives, with traffic jams, and even the occasional running over of pedestrians followed by a medic arriving on the scene. This authenticity is backed up by an excellent voice cast that really brings these characters to life. Actors such as James Hong (Big Trouble in Little China), Will Yun Lee (The Wolverine), Tom Wilkerson (The Patriot), Kelly Hu (X2), Emma Stone (The Amazing Spider-Man) and Lucy Lui (Kill Bill) bring their A-game with some of the best voice work heard in games today. The only downside to the otherwise excellent writing is that it does weaken in the second half, and the ending wraps up

too quickly. Many of the subplots and even characters we are introduced to (as well as in the first half) do not affect the main plot in a meaningful way. The ending itself feels like the makers were unsure about a sequel so they decided to tie up everything, which left at least one noticeable plot hole. On the gameplay side of things, the open world of Hong Kong is a smorgasbord of opportunity. Wei can do pretty much anything from hijacking cars to stopping crime, to beating up thugs and, of course, street racing. Even just driving along the highway listening to the radio feels fun. The different tasks you accomplish aid you in building up your experience bars. Doing justice-like tasks builds your police bar, which unlocks certain abilities, while doing crime-like tasks builds up your triad bar which unlocks certain other abilities. While some of the tasks can get repetitive, and could have used some variations, the sheer breadth of variety keeps the gameplay engaging. What truly distinguishes Sleeping Dogs from being just a GTA clone, though, is the combat system. Ripping a page straight out of Arkham City, but mixing it with a Kung Fu style and environmental brutality, the combat is where Sleeping Dogs shines brightest. The better you fight, the more experience you get. There is even a subplot that unlocks new fighting techniques. The fighting is stylish and brutal. Seriously, not only are some of the brawls bloody, especially when you use weapons like knives or tire irons, but there are environmental points for killing off your opponents such as hooks, phone booths, and even buzzsawsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;features that will make even the most desensitized among us cringe. For whatever flaws Sleeping Dogs has, be it a weaker second half or some repetitive gameplay mechanics, all in all it is a phenomenally fun and engaging game in its own right. If you love open world games like GTA, Saints Row or Arkham City, or are just looking for a solid good time, you will be doing yourself a huge disservice by letting Sleeping Dogs lie. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; NADER HOBALLAH

BOROPULSE.COM

FEBRUARY 2014

* 17

SOUNDS Guitar connoisseurs can now experience music world’s high-end guitar room.

GUITAR HAVEN

usic World and Drummer’s Den, located just across from Indian Hills Golf Course, has expanded over the years; when the shop first opened its doors in the building on Church Street in 2004, it occupied only half of the building. But since then Music World owner Dave Kiviniemi decided to take over the entire building, increasing his floor space to 5,000 square feet. The latest development for the business is a guitar room built specifically for higher-end instruments. Here, particular care is paid to humidity, temperature and, of course, to the fine instruments themselves, while wallwidth waterfall art provides atmosphere, as do spotlights that cascade down on a few of the select instruments. The primary residents of this guitar room are acoustic Taylors and electric Paul Reed Smiths (in the $2,000–5,000 sticker range). These are not beginner guitars; it’s the store’s best of the best, suitable for the touring professional virtuoso. However, Music World customers will soon have a more affordable model available from Paul Reed Smith, Kiviniemi said, having just returned from last month’s National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show in Anaheim, Calif. “PRS has a new line coming out, still very slick, but it’s a very nice, American made guitar for under $1,500, for about half the price of the real high-end stuff,” he said. For more on Music World and the guitars, drums, keyboards, accessories and equipment they offer, stop by the store at 2762 S. Church St., Murfreesboro, or call (615) 893-4242.

A variety of fine acoustics and electrics adorns the guitar room of Music World. The shop, located at 2762 S. Church St., also offers a great selection of guitars in all price ranges, dums and drumsticks, keyboards, PA, mixing and recording equipment, lessons and more.

18 * FEBRUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

 LEBANON’S MUSIC AT THE MILL SET FOR FEB. 15

MUSIC NOTES

 MTSU JAZZ ARTIST SERIES FEATURES WORLD-CLASS ALUMNI DUO, FEB 13 “WORLD-CLASS MUSICIANS” SHAWN PURCELL AND JIM WHITE will showcase their work Thursday, Feb. 13, in the second concert of MTSU’s popular Jazz Artist Series for 2013–14. Guitarist Purcell and drummer White are alumni of MTSU’s Masters of Arts program in jazz and will perform with the MTSU Jazz Ensemble I and MTSU Jazz Faculty at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13 in Hinton Music Hall inside the university’s Wright Music Building. “Both artists are well known in the jazz community and are world-class musicians and composers,” said Don Aliquo, professor of saxophone and jazz at MTSU. “We are thrilled to have them back on our campus.” In conjunction with their visit, White and Purcell will each present public master classes at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 13 in MTSU’s Saunders Fine Arts Building. White’s class will be held in room 303 and Purcell’s in room 205. General admission tickets to this Jazz Artist Series concert are $10 each at the door. MTSU students, faculty and staff will be admitted free. White performed with the renowned “One O’Clock Lab Band” while in

 WMOT TO REBROADCAST BEEGIE ADAIR RADIO SERIES WMOT 89.5 FM RECENTLY ANNOUNCED that rebroadcasts of the radio show “Improvised Thoughts” will replace “Music City Roots” in the show’s original Sunday 7 p.m. weekly time slot, beginning Sunday, Feb. 9. “Improvised Thoughts” is hosted and co-produced by jazz piano legend Beegie Adair and jazz radio veteran Greg Lee. Recorded at WMOT from 1991 to 1997, the popular radio talk/music show featured local and international jazz artists including such greats as Tony Bennett, Joe Williams, Marian McPartland, Benny Golson and Helen Merrill, to name a few. Most shows will air as they were originally heard in the 1990s, with updated information available on the station’s website. “The WMOT audience and fans of Beegie Adair will enjoy ‘Improvised Thoughts.’ Ms. Adair is an accomplished musician, loved by fans worldwide, and is a terrific interviewer,” said Greg Lee, program director for WMOT. “Good music and conversation about good music by the people who make it is a delight to hear. To have such an influential musical figure at the helm, interviewing some of jazz’s most iconic players, along with those who were then rising-stars, is well worth a visit to WMOT on Sunday nights at 7. Many will remember the series when it was in production

college and was recruited by Maynard Ferguson in 1992 for Ferguson’s “Big Bop Nouveau” band’s international tour. White's versatility and unique sound have been featured on recordings by and performances with artists including J.D. Souther, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Crystal Gayle, Willie Nelson, Dick Oatts and Terell Stafford. In 2005, White joined the faculty at the University of Northern Colorado. He directs UNC’s Lab II Big Band, supervises the jazz combo program and teaches jazz history as well as drum students. He also currently co-leads the Colorado Jazz Orchestra. Jazz guitarist, bandleader, composer and educator Purcell is active as a featured soloist with small ensembles and jazz big bands. He spent two years touring as the staff guitarist for Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus after receiving his undergrad degree. He then was chosen as the guitarist in the U.S. Air Force’s premiere jazz band, The Airmen of Note, with whom he performed at countless national and international venues. Purcell has shared the stage with many of the world’s top jazz artists, including The Chicago Jazz Ensemble, The Alan Baylock Jazz Orchestra, Afro-Bop Alliance, Eddie Daniels and Pat Coil. Currently in its 15th season, the MTSU Jazz Artist Series brings artists to campus for performances and workshops. The 2013-14 series concludes Saturday, April 5, with jazz saxophonist John Ellis. For more information, visit mtsu.edu/music/jazzpage.php or call (615) 898-2493. in the ‘90s, but an entirely new listenership should have the opportunity to hear it, too.” Adair adds “I’m incredibly pleased that ‘Improvised Thoughts’ is about to be rebroadcast, with all the wonderful musicians and singers I was privileged to interview back then. I’m very proud of this project.” Ms. Adair, a Steinway Artist, cites George Shearing, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson and Erroll Garner among her influences. She has recorded and/or appeared on over 100 CDs (35 of which are recorded with her trio), ranging from Cole Porter standards to Frank Sinatra classics to romantic World War II ballads. Her 6-CD Centennial Composers Collection of tunes by Rodgers, Gershwin, Kern, Ellington, Carmichael and Berlin became an instant collectible classic upon its release. Having sold more than a million records, the Beegie Adair Trio is one of the most respected and successful jazz trios in the world. WMOT is a radio station featuring classical music, jazz music, and news and talk programming, serving the metropolitan Nashville market. It is licensed to Middle Tennessee State University, located in nearby Murfreesboro. Due to its location, WMOT’s signal is strongest and most clear in Nashville and surrounding counties. It is branded as Middle Tennessee Public Radio. “Improvised Thoughts” will be formatted for radio, live streaming and on-demand for fans worldwide at wmot.org, where a complete list of programs and more details can be found. More information on Beegie Adair can be found at beegieadair.com.

ON FEB. 15, McCLAIN CHRISTIAN Academy (MCA) will welcome a handful of Nashville artists and songwriters to present the 5th annual “Music at the Mill.” The event will be held at 7 p.m. at The Mill (300 N. Maple St.) in Lebanon, Tenn. Proceeds go to McClain Christian Academy. This year’s lineup includes: Collin Raye, Bryan White, former Shenandoah lead vocalist Marty Raybon, Meghan Linsey, Sal Gonzalez, Phil Keaggy and The Willis Clan. The venue offers various seating options and dinner packages; for ticket availability call (615) 486-1058. McClain Christian Academy is a small, nonprofit school that provides many of the opportunities available at much larger schools. With small class sizes, McClain builds a strong educational foundation that puts Christ and family at the forefront. McClain offers athletics such as basketball, volleyball, cheer leading, tennis and bowling as well as drama, music, and art complete the school experience. For more information on McClain Christian Academy, visit mcclainchristian.org.

 BIG GERM TAKES FIRST RAP BATTLE PRIZE THE FIRST INSTALLMENT OF THE REAL WEDNESDAY rap battle series at Social is in the books. The series’ first winner at its launch on Jan. 22 was Jeremy “Big Germ” Cox. The weekly series, held each Wednesday night at the nightclub on the Murfreesboro square, allows rap artists the opportunity to showcase their skills, and to come away with $100.

“Real Wednesdays was a smash!” said organizer Larry Kennon after the first night, also praising runner up Logan ‘LP.’ “Big Germ brought killer bars for the open verse cypher round and LP had a monster verse when given the topic word ‘Pixy Stix.’” Stop by Social, 114 N. Church St., one Wednesday night to participate or observe. BOROPULSE.COM

FEBRUARY 2014

* 19

SOUNDS As settlers came to the Middle Tennessee area, so did the camp meeting, shape note singing style.

The Hills Are Alive!

Music through the Decades presents “Songs of the Over the Mountain Men.”

20 * FEBRUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

the Battle of Kings Mountain, Oct. 7, 1780. In one hour and five minutes, the British proved to be no match to the marksmanship and guerilla-like warfare of those men. They had vowed to avenge those whose houses had been torched and loved ones slaughtered. The valor of these revolutionaries was unquestionable, turning the tide of the Revolution which had sealed America’s independence from England. Nevertheless, intermingled in thoughts of resounding victory, unresolved resentment and anger were being harbored. Victory transpired on the battlefield, but the war for the mind and spirit was still being waged in the hearts Local schoolchildren have the opportunity to explore music through the decades as part of the Macon Music series.

PHOTO BY SHACKLETT'S PHOTOGRAPHY

ttempts to settle Rutherford County prior to 1790 were difficult due to Indian hostility, so settlement was sparse and scattered. However, after the Revolutionary War, many land grants were given to soldiers for their services in lieu of economic remuneration, which expanded settlements in Middle Tennessee. In 1786, grants were given in southern Davidson County on the Stones River at the mouth of the Cumberland River at Jefferson, near present-day Smyrna, Tenn. When Tennessee became a state in 1796, many of those war-weary soldiers, “Over the Mountain Men” as they were called, settled in Middle Tennessee. They were not only scarred physically from the battle, but continued waging a war in their minds and spirits. Here’s a story compiled from readings in the Annals of Rutherford County by John C. Spence, Volume I 1799–1828. Settler is a fictitious, composite character based upon the research. Before the Revolutionary War, Settler had been a poor man living in the Tar River settlement of North Carolina. Carving out a living in the thin, clay-gravelly soil near the river scarcely supported the family’s growing needs. Up until the murder of his mother, father and brother at the hands of the British, the Revolution in America was a fight far removed from Settler’s simple life of subsistence. Although they were unorganized and untrained, Settler, along with other vigilant, determined patriots, defeated the British at

story by GLORIA CHRISTY of those men. Although Settler had cleared the land, carved the soil, built his cabin and conquered the wilderness, there was still an overpowering, intangible wilderness to be overcome within. These destructive emotions created an unseen battle that he could not win. How could he ease his mind, find contentment and live the rest of his life successfully? It was 1803 and several years after the Great War for Independence. In Tennessee, with a county seat at Jefferson—a new county—Rutherford had been formed. Indeed, adjusting after the war had been difficult for Settler. There were endless days when the memory of the horrors of

war continued to consume him. Although an injury from the Battle at Kings Mountain had left him with one hand, it had hardly left him handicapped and limited from the rigors of pioneer life. He began to contemplate that a move across the mountain, a geographic cure of sorts, would end the internal struggle. News of the lovely meadows with tall grass of every shade of green and a myriad of animal life—deer, panther, elk and cougar—stirred him. Without hesitation, he decided to move his wife and small family to the new community in Middle Tennessee, this place called Jefferson, where it had been rumored that corn grew 10 feet high. Indeed, seeking the land of prosperity across the mountains was the way out. So he packed his family in a wooden cart and traversed across the mountain through the wilderness with bright anticipation. He was confident that a change of environment would better his family and be the cure for the emptiness that filled his suspicious heart. With great accomplishment, Settler staked his claim, swung his ax all with his good arm, and built his homestead on the immense, undeveloped land near the Stones River. As the years passed, hard work along with Settler’s resourceful ingenuity brought him prosperity. Now, years after the Revolution as settlement became a reality and prospered, like Settler, it was the winter of life for those aging warriors. At a tavern in Jefferson (near present-day Smyrna), along with many other valiant soldiers, Settler would stay for hours by a wild raging fire drinking and telling tales. The tavern had become a gathering place where neighborhood news was exchanged and stories of battle valor were told. As the whiskey tinged the palate on the way to the stomach, their escapades were enhanced with the aid of the “half-pints.” The soldiers, lost in vengeance and disdain, would call for more drink, fighting the battles all over again and demonstrating their great hate for the “Red Coats,” their former enemy. Slinging their drinks into the air, Settler and his companions would often gulp the whiskey one after another. Some would sing lively tunes brought across the mountains. As they drank, only for a moment, the numbing effect bolstered their self-esteem, yet under the veneer continued the rage and contempt. After pinching a twist of tobacco, Settler

began to rub his hand anxiously over his contorted arm, a daily reminder of the physical wounds from the War. Now, in the light of a roaring fire, he was meditating and contemplating his transforming experience at the camp meeting. So at the moment, he certainly was not interested in joining his boisterous friends in the tavern. At that camp meeting, he knew he had been changed. Only days before, while walking home, he found himself being drawn to the voice—a dynamic, energetic voice. In the open brush arbor, a tall towering figure wearing a black double-breasted coat, short breeches and long stockings with his hair parted in the middle, hanging to shoulder length, began to speak. Like many frontier preachers energized by boundless zeal and passion, this man, “a circuit rider,” had traveled for miles, surviving insurmountable situations in pursuit of the lost souls. There in the clearing was this confident, austere individual swinging his arms into the air, declaring loudly, “Behold, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.” Although a large, limestone slab was his sanctuary, outcroppings were the benches for his congregation, and piles of protruding rocks formed his pulpit, it seemed as if some divine light flashed all around him. In a clearing, a large crowd was gathered—some on stumps, some in wagons, some standing on fallen trees. Vivid harmonies, throngs of a cappella voices emanated through the backwoods with such single-minded clarity that it seemed as if it came from one voice. He was familiar with the song they were singing, “Amazing Grace.” “Amazing Grace” was well-known across early America in the form of Sacred Harp. Sacred Harp singing was a style of music that flourished and spread across the frontier, particularly in the South. Sacred Harp singers viewed their tradition as a participatory one, not a passive one. Those who gathered for a singing sang for themselves and for each other, and not for an audience. Sacred Harp singing schools developed as a part of the religious experience locally. By the 1950s, Murfreesboro had become one of the most prestigious places for singing schools that perpetuated the sacred harp, “shape-note” style. Building his homestead, Settler had conquered the wilderness throughout the wind, hail, snow, and rain. Suddenly, as the high-pitched preacher’s words sliced through the hum and harmony, something clicked within. He had come to the end of himself, that place where his self-determined ways were not effective in ending the storms of life, the guilt, the shame and the pain of the past. As the determined voice continued, the concept of being lost became a reality to Settler. With the Bible in one hand and the hymnbook in the other, the preacher urged the congregation with a melting, tearful voice, “Take the cross, no matter what has happened to you. Thy sins are forgiven!” For Settler, all of a sudden his blood rushed to his head, his heart palpitated. So, unprepared and overcome with emotion, Settler fell to his knees and began to sob. There in the misty solitude near a stream cooled by the morning air, conversion occurred. As Settler wept and prayed in agony he said, “Now, Lord, if there is mercy for me, let me find it.” Now, just a few days later in the tavern, he was back in the same routine, repeating the insanity cycle and about to engage in his former ways. Yet there by the warmth of the fire as his rowdy friends got louder and more out of control, Settler pulled out a worn, leather-bound Testament, a gift from his mother years before. His mind had convinced him the devil himself

was singing and mocking him for his decision, yet there was no doubt that an unexplainable change had occurred: the fearful, destructive thoughts that had poisoned and tormented him for years were indeed leaving. In one breath at that camp meeting, he knew that he had been changed. No longer was he controlled by the angry emotions and the memory of how his closest family members had been slaughtered by the hand of the British. He could forgive! Apparently, as he was reaching in faith to find this God that the preacher had spoken about, gradually and simultaneously, he understood, and his doubt was being replaced by hope. As Settler walked outside, trying to escape the confusion inside the tavern, he left his former friends and lifestyle behind. The trees, the leaves, everything seemed more alive and vivid. The preacher’s enthusiasm was contagious, and he was determined to find that in his own life. At last, he was experiencing new life, what it means to be alive! What links one generation to another? Is it all of mankind’s senseless acts of rebellion and destruction, the sharp line between believing and unbelieving? Could it be that all along, God had a plan to redeem the cruel edges of life that dash away all our hope? Perhaps it is the legacy of faith that links one generation to another. Conceivably, God has a plan to redeem the present through the faith of our ancestors. Just like Settler, only when we are at the end of our self-sufficient, self-determined ways, will we receive by faith the promise, grace, mercy and forgiveness. The song, “Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier” is an Irish lament sung in early American times and was brought across the mountains of Western North Carolina through the Cumberland Mountains and into Middle Tennessee. This song expressed the feelings shared by countless young women across the generations in every war throughout history. As with any and all wars, the song’s themes of the separation from loved ones, sense of duty for one’s country and sentiments of the resulting uncertainty, disruption and destitution are all too familiar. Like many tunes in those days, it was sung in taverns and bars. The tune we now know as “America” (My Country ‘Tis of Thee) was also one of these songs. Following the migration of Sacred Harp and shape-note singing into the rural South, many of these secular folk tunes were harmonized and given religious lyrics. Undeniably, history is a record of change. War involves personal trauma and changes in the lives of the participants across the decades. Only when we study the history of the rich commentary in song do we appreciate the complexity of those turbulent times. As American society moved from its earliest colonial beginnings to the 21st century, the private thoughts of men and women are documented in its music. No less through the generations, the private side of our community, Murfreesboro, was changed by larger events and political movements as well. Music is rightly called the universal language because it is successful in communicating ideas. The power of music lies in its ability to influence the hearer. Throughout the ages, music has been embedded in our daily lives here in Murfreesboro. Music wove its images and emotions through our thoughts and actions, often birthing the very images and ideas suggested in the lyrics of the song. In the months ahead, “Murfreesboro’s Music through the Decades” will present the aspects of everyday life, and how the music in our community evolved from early settlement times to the 21st century. BOROPULSE.COM

FEBRUARY 2014

* 21

ALBUM REVIEWS by JESSICA PACE

RINTRAH

TRAVELING, BROKE AND OUT OF GAS

Salt of the Earth

Till the Days Return

Five-year-old band Rintrah’s debut LP, Salt of the Earth, is a success as a soft metal/psych-rock hybrid rife with spiraling, lengthy but not directionless jams. In 2010, Rintrah debuted their first EP, Hold Dear the Ember, and in the wake of the release, played with bands like Royal Thunder, RWAKE and Skeletonwitch before starting their first full-length, recorded by Mikey Allred (Inter Arma, Across Tundras) and mastered by Alan Douches (High on Fire, Baroness, Converge). Salt of the Earth is ambient, hard but not abrasive, transient, pretty and sometimes flowery, and fluid in transitioning from metal segments into spatial jams through which Jeremy Fleming drives deep trenches with the bass, like on “Dead Black Hearts.” The record is slow to reveal its metal self, beginning with a cerebral instrumental effect on the opener, “World and Man”—kicked off by a blast of guitar, courtesy of Jason Wright and Brett McKee—and bass that sounds less fitting for a particular genre label and more just instrumentation that sounds like some sort of Second Coming. I like the album name. It’s befitting; while veering on the side of astral in its style, the record is heavy but the pace is very slow. The term “stoner metal” has been used, although I think the nine tracks—which total 54 minutes—are too structured (however perpetually shape-shifting they may be) for that label. Tracks often open with loose melodies riding waves of distortion before going darkside at the song’s peak, and then leveling out at the end, as on “Masters of Fate.” McKee’s vocal style moves in tandem with the instrumental transitions as well, as he alternates singing and screaming. The songs aren’t quick shots; some clock in around six to eight minutes, and they’re layered, ponderous and together almost have a theatric linear effect as if they mark the acts of a semitrippy doom metal play. There’s influence from Black Sabbath here, Tool at the record’s best, and Mastodon for sure.

RATINGS: AVERAGE 22 * FEBRUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

A CLASSIC BELOW AVERAGE

3.5

Though they come from Indiana, Traveling, Broke and Out of Gas (which I think resonates more as a song title or an album title than a band name, but okay) will likely please the Tennessee musical palette. The quartet’s most recent of three full-length releases, last summer’s Till the Days Return, is 14 tracks of innovative indie folk and bluegrass with a heavy Appalachian influence. Rachael Yanni’s sterling vocals are unpretentious, sweet but not overly feminine, and pair nicely with her washboard and ukulele, along with husband/musical partner Cody Hall’s detailed lyrics, vocals, percussion and guitar, Davide Martzoli’s bass and vocal contributions, and Maxx Heathcote on lead guitar—though all band members frequently trade off instruments. Traveling, Broke and Out of Gas began as a duo between Yanni and Hall, eventually expanding to a foursome and graduating from street corners and living rooms to venues, playing a folk/indie rock/country/bluegrass hybrid dubbed “bastard Americana.” “Fireside Wine” has the beautiful hum of an upright bass, a violin that carries the tune, and Yanni’s vocals, which evoke and punctuate the image in the title. Background vocals come in during the last minute to pair with Yanni’s, as she sings Open up another jug of wine The last one that we had has run dry The night is young And the ﬁre is still warm The songs are involving, evocative, beautiful and textured. “Run for Your Lives” is driven by a distinct bass line that sets a tone both playful and intense, while “Cactus Smoke” is folky and tribal, a gypsy dance with a quivering guitar part and a deep rhythmic pulse that flares up and falls like fanning a flame, rushing like a river through a valley of instrumentation. Traveling Broke and Out of Gas kicks off a tour of the South and West in February. They will stop in Murfreesboro on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 3 Brothers Deli.

OUTSTANDING AVOID AT ALL COSTS

DEAD

ANTHONY ORIO

Between Home & the Bright Lights 3.5

I can’t pretend I’m into this, or that contemporary country doesn’t aggravate the shit out of me in an all-encompassing sense, from its aesthetics to its subject matter. I also can’t pretend that this doesn’t fit perfectly within its designated niche and won’t please the demographic of said niche. Anthony Orio has thus far earned himself several keynote Nashville accolades, featured on ASCAP’s Hot on the Row series (with gigs at legendary venues Grand Ole Opry House and the Ryman as well as the legendary dive Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge) and shared stages with Kris Kristofferson, Toby Keith and Jamey Johnson. He’s the quintessential country success story who chased the Nashville-specific dream, moving from Philadelphia to Music City at age 18 to put himself through the open-mic wringer, 90 percent of which is white noise (not because its performers aren’t talented but, in fact, because they are), and eventually starting his own writers rounds. What’s commendable is that he did, in fact, take the much more arduous, much-less-often credited path of a professional songwriter, and emerged as such with an irrefutably accessible and radio-ready pop writing style, published by Sony, Universal, RPM and Major Bob. Heavy shit. I can’t speak to Orio’s live show, of which he does an average 200 a year, but I can imagine how they translate based on Between Home & the Bright Lights, a 2012 release that drifted into the Pulse office recently. The songs are personal, sometimes serious but not heavy, usually set in the bar or the bedroom; sex is everywhere, the songs are forceful, sometimes vindictive, and Orio’s voice spits them out in a developed, strong and effortless twang. Recorded at The Tracking Room in Nashville, the album is largely guitar-driven and features a range of guitarists standing in for the record, which Orio helped produce. The 13 tracks are a mix of torch songs and fist-pumpers—there’s the sensory profession of lust, “Everything That Touches You,” the euphoria-of-drinking song, “Walkin’ on Whiskey” and the singalong “Good Problems” to name a few. Et cetera. The shoe fits. For concert dates and more on Anthony Orio, visit anthonyorio.com.

D.O.U.G.H.

D.O.U.G.H. or Die 3.5

D.O.U.G.H. or Die is a bass-heavy, seven-track EP on faith, temptation, giving into the latter and keeping the former, created by Nashville emcee D.O.U.G.H. The acronym stands for Driven Only Under God’s Hands, which is befitting for the prevailing themes of the record, as it makes known his own beliefs on relationships, the predicament of revenge versus forgiveness, and racial plights. A slew of Nashville producers had their hands in the project, including Ducko McFli (Trinidad James, Mach Five, Sean Faylon) and KG #Bandplay (French Montana, Chinx Drugs, Rich Boy). The “D.O.D. Intro” opens with a vocation, asking for forgiveness and guidance before working the EP’s title in among lyrics questioning his pathway: If you want that crown then earn it But the castles don’t come furnished Most kings get dethroned I pray my fate hasn’t been determined He also weighs in with some thoughts on women (Queens don’t give it up on the ﬁrst night). Consumerism’s the new religion, he raps on “Outchea,” which draws out feelings of invisibility and predetermined failure: Teachers couldn’t teach us The preachers couldn’t reach us If life’s a game, the devil’s cheering from the bleachers They say you need Jesus I’m praying that he sees us . . . Meanwhile, he admonishes, D.O.U.G.H. or die as a warning—a slogan, almost—and a high truth. Both victim and shooter are depicted in “Live by the Gun,” a story of vengeance over cheek-turning with: Lord please forgive me It’s an eye for an eye A tooth for a tooth If you live by the gun You can die by it, too D.O.U.G.H. or Die is easily more lyrically thematic than arresting sonically, but the bass and sound effects of “Right Back” are really good and probably the most memorable. Also, the velveteen voice of Anais Briggs of Jose & Mary on “Love on the Radio” is particularly good paired with piano keys and a heavy beat. Check out D.O.U.G.H. or Die on hulkshare.com. BOROPULSE.COM

FEBRUARY 2014

* 23

SOUNDS THURS, 2/6

TUES, 2/11

BUNGANUT PIG Alicia Smith Band JOZOARA Rik Gracia SOCIAL Skinny B WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. Tennessee Valley Winds

BUNGANUT PIG John Cochran Quartet

FRI, 2/7 3 BROTHERS Humps and the Black Outs BUNGANUT PIG Junkbox COCONUT BAY CAFÉ Zone Status FANATICS Miranda Louise MAYDAY BREWERY Lost Dog Street Band MILLER’S GROCERY Glade City Rounders REVEILLE JOE Levi Massie WILLIE’S WET SPOT KGB WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. MTSU Wind Ensemble

SAT, 2/8 3 BROTHERS Stephen Simmons BUNGANUT PIG Zone Status COCONUT BAY CAFÉ Lost Dawg FANATICS 3 Simple Rules MAYDAY BREWERY Don Coyote THE BORO TronAteMyBaby, Frojan Horse, Tomato Face, The New Industry Standard WILLIE’S WET SPOT Backlit WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. Honor Bands Concert

SUN, 2/9 3 BROTHERS Johnny’s Kids WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. Andrea Dawson, violin; Lillian Buss Pearson

MON, 2/10 WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. William Yelverton

WED, 2/12 3 BROTHERS Ryan Coleman’s Writers Night BUNGANUT PIG Franklin & Ferris SOCIAL Real Wednesday Rap Battle THE BORO Sammy’s Blues Nite feat. The Electrics WILLIE’S WET SPOT Shane & Lenny WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. Tong Keat

SUN, 2/16 WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. Tisha Simeral

MON, 2/17 WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. Jane Berkner & Steve Aron, Flute/Guitar Duo

TUES, 2/18 BUNGANUT PIG CJ Vaughn Trio WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. Ben Miles, Sarah Miles faculty tuba/flute recital

WED, 2/19

BUNGANUT PIG Scattered Pieces JOZOARA Rik Gracia SOCIAL Skinny B WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. Jazz Alumni Concert: Shaun Purcell, Jim White

FRI, 2/14

THURS, 2/20

3 BROTHERS Johnny’s Kids BUNGANUT PIG Atomic Trunk Monkeys COCONUT BAY CAFÉ DJ Ms. Gina FANATICS Scott Holt Band MAYDAY BREWERY Eight O’ Five Jive THE BORO Annual AntiValentines Bash WILDERNESS STATION Rik Gracia WILLIE’S WET SPOT Zach Robbins & Rolling Thunder

SAT, 2/15 3 BROTHERS First Flight BUNGANUT PIG Rockafeller COCONUT BAY CAFÉ DJ Trufix FANATICS Jonny Gowwow MAYDAY BREWERY Gnarly Charlies, Light Beam Rider

View Concert Listings Online: 24 * FEBRUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

Bunganut Pig 1602 W. Northfield Blvd. 893-7860

THE BORO Iraconji WILLIE’S WET SPOT Evil Twin

3 BROTHERS Ryan Coleman’s Writers Night BUNGANUT PIG Martin Rodriguez Trio SOCIAL Real Wednesday Rap Battle THE BORO Sammy’s Blues Nite feat. Worried Minds WILLIE’S WET SPOT Shane & Lenny WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. Kevin Chance

THURS, 2/13

3 Brothers 114 N. Church St. 410-3096

BUNGANUT PIG 11th Hour JOZOARA Rik Gracia SOCIAL Skinny B WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. MTSU Jazz Ensemble 1

Chais Music Hall 101 Spring St., Wartrace (931) 389-7050

TRAVELING, BROKE & OUT OF GAS Props to Indiana band Traveling, Broke and Out of Gas for its aptly named brand of “bastard Americana,” which just means they play a motley, textured mixture of bluegrass, country, indie rock and folk with a collection of acoustic instruments and strings. There’s bound to be something in there to like, so go to 3 Brothers on Thursday, Feb. 27, to support the traveling band.

MAYDAY BREWERY Crazy Aces Music THE BORO Static Revival, Alex Vucelich & The Sweet Medicine Band WALKING HORSE HOTEL The Midnight Special Band Dance WILDERNESS STATION Southern Proof WILLIE’S WET SPOT Who Shot JR??? WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. MTSU Flute Festival

SUN, 2/23 WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. MTSU Chorale Concert

MON, 2/24 WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. Stones River Chamber Players

TUES, 2/25 BUNGANUT PIG John Cochran Quartet

FRI, 2/21

WED, 2/26

3 BROTHERS Burning Years, Agents of Athens BUNGANUT PIG Casual Exchange COCONUT BAY CAFÉ DJ Prez FANATICS John Salaway MAYDAY BREWERY Hoodoo Men WILLIE’S WET SPOT DeJa VooDoo WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. Elizabeth Chua

3 BROTHERS Ryan Coleman’s Writers Night BUNGANUT PIG Sabrina & Tony SOCIAL Real Wednesday Rap Battle THE BORO Sammy’s Blues Nite feat. The Electrics WILLIE’S WET SPOT Shane & Lenny WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. Paul Osterfield

SAT, 2/22 3 BROTHERS Hobo Hippie BUNGANUT PIG Reckless FANATICS Top Shelf JOZOARA MTSU Jazz Vocal Dept.

Cumberland Caverns 1437 Cumberland Caverns Road, McMinnville (931) 668-4396

SAT. FEB. 27 @ 3 BROTHERS

THURS, 2/27 3 BROTHERS Traveling, Broke and Out of Gas BUNGANUT PIG The Time Raiders JOZOARA Rik Gracia SOCIAL Skinny B

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. MTSU Women's Chorale

FRI, 2/28 BUNGANUT PIG Marshall Creek COCONUT BAY CAFÉ Crossroads FANATICS Zone Status MAYDAY BREWERY The Glade City Rounders SOCIAL Burning Las Vegas WILLIE’S WET SPOT Gypsy Rose WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. Chancellor Dickens, Jr. Brandon Robinson

SAT, 3/1 3 BROTHERS Mojo Rose FANATICS La Fever THE BORO Year of October WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. Morgan Myers

SUN, 3/2 WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. MTSU Symphony Orchestra, MTSU Brass Chamber Ensembles

MON, 3/3 WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. MTSU Jazz Ensemble 2

TUES, 3/4 BUNGANUT PIG CJ Vaughn Trio WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. Jared Staples, Christine Kim, Arunesh Nadgir, Karen Kim,

WED, 3/5 3 BROTHERS Ryan Coleman’s Writers Night SOCIAL Real Wednesday Rap Battle WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG. MTSU Steel Drum Band

PHOTO BY DAVE MASON

FEBRUARY CONCERTS

Send your show listings to listings@boropulse.com

IF YOU GO:

PULSE PICK

Fanatics 1850 Old Fort Pkwy. 494-3995 First United Methodist Church 265 W. Thompson Ln. 898-1862 Hippie Hill 8627 Burks Hollow Rd. (615) 796-3697 Ignite 810 NW Broad St. 962-8352 JoZoara 536 N. Thompson Ln. 962-7175 Liquid Smoke #2 Public Square 217-7822 Main St. Live 527 W. Main St. 439-6135 Mayday Brewery 521 Old Salem Hwy. 479-9722 MTSU Wright Music Building 1439 Faulkinberry Dr. 898-2469 Nacho's 2962 S. Rutherford Blvd. 907-2700

Readyville Mill 5418 Murfreesboro Rd. Readyville 563-MILL Rooster's Lonestar BBQ 223 W. Main St. 867-1836 St. Mark's United Methodist Church 1267 N Rutherford Blvd. 893-3455 The Boro Bar & Grill 1211 Greenland Dr. 895-4800 The Pour House 2404 Halls Hill Pike 603-7978 Wall Street 121 N. Maple St. 867-9090 Willie’s Wet Spot 1208 S. Lowry St., Smyrna 355-0010

KARAOKE, TRIVIA, BINGO & DJ NIGHTS IN MURFREESBORO  MONDAYS

 WEDNESDAYS

BREW U Live Trivia, 7 p.m.

CAMPUS PUB Karaoke, 10 p.m.–2:30 a.m.

BUNGANUT PIG Live Trivia, 7 p.m.

MELLOW MUSHROOM Live Trivia, 8 p.m.

THE POUR HOUSE DJ, 7–11 p.m.

NOBODY’S Live Trivia, 7 and 9:30 p.m.

ROOSTER’S LONE STAR BBQ AND STEAK HOUSE Live Trivia, 7 and 8 p.m.

SAM’S Live Trivia, 8 p.m.

 TUESDAYS IGNITE Karaoke, 8 p.m.–12 a.m. 3 BROTHERS Live Trivia, 7 p.m. OLD CHICAGO Live Trivia, 9 p.m.

 THURSDAYS NOBODY’S Karaoke, 9:15 p.m.–12:30 a.m. THE POUR HOUSE Karaoke, 9 p.m.–1 a.m. CAMPUS PUB Live Trivia, 8:15 p.m.

COCONUT BAY CAFÉ Live Trivia, 7:30 p.m.

WALL STREET Live Trivia, 8 p.m.

THE POUR HOUSE DJ, 7–11 p.m.

 FRIDAYS

NOBODY’S Bingo, 7 p.m.

NOBODY’S Karaoke, 9:15 p.m.–12:30 a.m.

MT BOTTLE Karaoke, 9 p.m.–3 a.m. BREW U Karaoke, 7 p.m.-10 p.m.

 SATURDAYS NOBODY’S Karaoke, 9:15 p.m.–12:30 a.m. CAMPUS PUB Karaoke, 10 p.m.–2:30 a.m.

 SUNDAYS O’POSSUMS Live Trivia, 8 p.m. WALL STREET Team Bingo, 5–7 p.m. THE POUR HOUSE DJ, 7–11 p.m.

To be included in the listings, or for information on setting up your own Karaoke night, contact zek@tnkaraoke.com

BOROPULSE.COM

FEBRUARY 2014

* 25

SPORTS

Super Bowl champ Russell Wilson. (Right) The Broncos were doomed from Broadway Joe's flubbed coin toss.

SEAHAWKS AND SEMINOLES

he Train Daddy is back with the use when evaluating defenses, because they Pain Daddy and we have a lot to measure efficiency. I’m not going to break all those numbers down, but go talk about—sports knowledge and compare those defenses, and and life lessons in a sexy yet there is little difference between unedited kind of way. the two, except that offense is So, this is my quick wrap-up even more prevalent today than on the Super Bowl: in terms of in the ’80s. That is where I competition, it was all onewould give the edge to the sided, and the commercials Seahawks’ defense as the even sucked. This is the best ever; it’s an easy arguBroncos’ fifth Super Bowl ment for me. loss, the most losses for a Does this game affect team in NFL history. I have column by Z-TRAIN Peyton’s legacy, or does it just never seen such a defensive titanman1984@ yahoo.com cement the greatness of the shutout; Peyton looked sad, Seahawks defense? and that made me sad. At OK, I am going to bring up some claims I least I was partially correct on my pick prior to made in the last issue. I was wrong about the the post-season. I had the Seahawks vs. Patriots NCAA National Championship game; it was a with the Seahawks winning, and I would have great game, though! I stated that Auburn had taken some cash money in Vegas for that pick. it, without a doubt. But I never downplayed the This boring Super Bowl will go down as talent on FSU, and Jameis Winston impressed the single most dominant performance by a me on and off the field that day. Winston defense, ever! I keep calling this game borbrought his team back from certain defeat, and ing; granted, I saw some old-school hits from post-game he emotionally poured his heart the Hawks that I haven’t seen since the young out to his team and fans, but most importantly Ray Lewis days, when he was in his prime, to the Father above. I guess you can just tell and face-smashing hits pump fans up. But in when people really have it, and the kid is a general, fans of the game always want some level-headed superstar. So maybe the SEC isn’t sort of even competition, and many fans turned as untouchable as I thought, but it is still the their televisions off early that Sunday, since the best conference hands down in college football. game was a wrap before halftime. From the With the new playoff system coming into effect start of the game the Broncos could do no right and the Hawks no wrong. The Seahawks scored next season, I am more than excited for some good old college football. the quickest points in Super Bowl history as The Titans have a new coach; bye-bye, the first play of the game was snapped 110 feet Coach Munchak, and hello, Coach Wisenhunt. over Peyton’s head, resulting in a safety. We can Out with the trash and in with the new—hopehonestly compare this Seahawks defense to the fully the new coach can turn this young team ’85 Bears defense. Yards per pass attempt and into a bunch of hard-hitting, sack-smacking, yards per carry allowed are the best stats to

SPORTS TALK

26 * FEBRUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

touchdown-grabbing, game-winning monsters. I look at a young team like the Seahawks, and I get jealous. In Pete Carroll I see a coach that is fiery, a cluster of young players and a fan base that is full of excitement. And that excitement blindsided the city. Yeah, they loved football in the past and had a losing Super Bowl team in 2005, but this is a different feel from the Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander days. A new coach comes in, and some new players, and look at the energy it generated in Seattle. I guess I should get back to the point. I don’t care that Coach Munchak is gone. I am sad it didn’t work out, but as I said before, his lack of energy didn’t help win the fans over, and a lack of success on the field made his firing easy. Out with the trash and in with the new. All I know is that new is exciting, new is fresh, and new is full of new ideas, and it’s a fresh slate for the Titans. I want to forget the days of Coach Munchak and a young team that had potential, potential we rarely saw. I believe the Titans got the best man available, especially being one of the last teams to fire their head coach, and being late to the search party. Wisenhunt was at the top of many teams’ lists, and he chooses Tennessee. Hopefully the fans learn to love him like they did the old ball coach Fisher. I wonder what the outcome would have been if the Tennessee kid Peyton would have chosen the Titans? It came down to Denver and Tennessee, and the late Bud Adams stated he would have paid Peyton anything to come to Nashville. It’s not like it matters now, just a question I ponder at times. I asked earlier whether this Super Bowl loss will affect Peyton’s legacy; I doubt it, it is a black mark, though, and will be marked in the history books as one of the biggest beat-downs in Super Bowl history. But affect his legacy, NO! Peyton will be known as one of the smartest signal callers to have ever played the game. He has one ring already, and I doubt he is thinking of hanging up his cleats just yet. He has stated many times he will retire when his body tells him to or when preparation for a season just isn’t fun for him anymore. So the book on Pey-

ton’s career is yet to be finished. I mean, let’s be real, he just came off a possible career-ending injury and takes his new team all the way to the Super Bowl, breaks all the records, and does it in his first season as a Bronco, approaching the age of 40; that should add to the legacy. The 2013 season is over, and it is a new year, and the very beginning of a long and anticipated wait for the 2014 season, a wait that will drive football lovers crazy. I love this game, and over the many years of doing this sports column, I will always talk about the football fans close to me when explaining the passion behind the love of the game. People like the Me-Ma, Robert De Niro, The Train Daddy Mafia and the entire Titans Fan Base, only the ones that bleed Code Blue. Take the Me-Ma, for example, about whom my readers have heard much. This little lady invented the Titans Two-Step, and with her oxygen tube helping her breathe, she dances and puts out some serious juju for the Titans; she breathes Titans football, with the help of oxygen tubes. She is a true fan, just like Robert De Niro in Silver Linings Playbook. Passion can be crazy, but passion is passion, baby! The Train Daddy Mafia is a group of my friends, and when it comes to fantasy football and real football, it’s all passion. All I am saying here is it’s amazing what a game can do to a country. I remember years ago when I used to sit in the same section at all the Titans home games, and there was a man who used to always scream at the running backs; he would scream, “Stick that beef in the taco.” I have no clue what he actually meant, but his tactic worked, and the running game was off and running that season. I embraced that saying, and as a gift to you I share this info: Next season, the Titans will stick that beef in the taco. It’s a new season, and there is some special juju this saying brings. I want to send a shout-out to one of my biggest fans, my grandfather, Mr. Fail. There is one truth over the years; my grandfather always has read my articles and commented on them. I love my grandfather and grandmother, but my grandfather has been a little sick as of late, so do me a favor and say a prayer for my grandparents, two of America’s finest. They are from a generation that knows how important family is, and I thank them for passing that sense of family onto me. Like I always say, the more important things in life matter: the five F’s. Live your life by the five F’s and you will always be at peace: Faith, Family, Football, Food and Friends. The Train Daddy is out of the station, my loyal readers . . . choo-choo!

MTSU SPORTS QUICK-CAP The free throw that gave Ebony Rowe the school points record

The Blue Raiders will be back in action Thursday, Feb. 6, traveling to Florida Atlantic for a 6 p.m. tip-off in Conference USA action. After a two-game swing through South Florida, the Blue Raiders will host Tulane, Southern Miss and Rice later this month in Murfreesboro. IN TENNIS ACTION Both the men and women’s teams are in full swing as well, as the men have posted a 1-3 record in dual match play thus far this year, with the women at 2-1. Ground has recently been broken at Murfreesboro’s Old Fort Park for a new indoor tennis facility, soon to be available for use by both the Blue Raiders and the general public.

MTSU WOMEN TAKE WIN STREAK TO 17 Rowe becomes women’s all-time leading scorer. BY BRACKEN MAYO THE MTSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL team rides a 17-game win streak into the month of February, which will include a hefty dose of Conference USA play on the tail end of their season. The Lady Raiders have an 18-3 record in early February, after beginning the season with a 1-3 start, including losses to SEC powerhouses Tennessee, Arkansas and Kentucky. Senior Ebony Rowe recently became Middle Tennessee’s all-time leading scorer during a victory against Old Dominion on Jan. 25 at the Murphy Center. Rowe entered the game just seven points shy of Kim Webb’s program record of 2,148

MTSU BASKETBALL THIS MONTH WOMEN Feb. 5 @ Southern Miss 7 p.m. Feb. 8 @ Rice 2 p.m. Feb. 12 @ FIU 5 p.m. Feb. 15 @ Florida Atlantic 11 a.m. Feb. 19 @ Marshall 7 p.m. Feb. 22 @ Charlotte 3 p.m. Feb. 26 @ East Carolina 6 p.m. March 1 @ UAB 3 p.m. MEN Feb. 6 @ Florida Atlantic 6 p.m. Feb. 8 @ FIU 1 p.m. Feb. 13 @ Tulane 7 p.m. Feb. 15 @ Southern Miss 1 p.m. Feb. 20 @ Charlotte 6 p.m. Feb. 22 @ Marshall 1 p.m. Feb. 27 @ LA Tech 6:30 p.m. March 1 @ Rice 5:30 p.m.

points. Rowe made her first six points from the floor, and went for a layup from the left side of the basket in the first half, aiming for Blue Raider history. Rowe was fouled from behind during the shot attempt, making the first free throw to tie Webb’s record, and breaking it with her second shot. “The crowd was so amazing and they wanted it so bad for me,” noted Rowe. “I really almost cried, I know it sounds so corny but it was just a great atmosphere and I wouldn’t want to do this anywhere else but here.” Webb, the former record holder, congratulated Rowe after the game. “Records are meant to be broken,” Webb said via Twitter. “Congratulations Ebony! Great Job! . . . I didn’t realize I would hold the record for so long.” Rowe, who is averaging 22 points per game for the season, was also named to the Academic All-District team, meaning she will then advance to the ballot for the Academic All-America team. “She’s just been a great young lady, a great leader, and a great student-athlete,” said head coach Rick Insell after the victory against Old Dominion. “She’s probably the happiest young lady that’s in the dressing room just because we won the ball game, not because she’s the all-time leading scorer.” MTSU occupied the No. 21 spot in the national rankings as of Feb. 2. Meanwhile, the men’s squad has seen some success on the hardcourt this season as well. They sit at 15-7 in early February, with 6’ 8” forward Shawn Jones leading the team in scoring, rebounds and blocked shots. “We’re playing a lot better team defense,” Head Coach Kermit Davis said. “Jones is helping us a bunch in the back. He’s just a force. When he’s not blocking shots, he’s around and everybody knows he’s around.”

TRACK AND FIELD MTSU men’s and women’s track & field teams produced six first-place finishes at the recent TSU Invite in Nashville. In the 200-meters, MTSU teammates Andre Hamilton (22.04) and Demitrius Shelton (22.09) battled it out and finished first and second. The Blue Raiders swept the triple jump with Cordario Golden winning the men’s competition (15.08m), and India Hammond leading the ladies (12.73m). Hammond also set a new personal-best time in the 55-meter hurdles (8.01), but placed second behind teammate Christal Wilson (7.97). Shaina Johnson took home her second first

MTSU track athlete Eliud Rutto.

place in the 400-meters this season and set a new best time of 55.64. Freshman Jackline Kiprono competing in the 5,000-meters for the first time indoors, placed first with a time of 17:45.26. The women’s team took the top team score at the TSU invite as well. That same weekend, MTSU sophomore Eliud Rutto competed against other collegiate athletes as well as professionals and Olympians at the Hilton Garden Invitational in WinstonSalem, N.C. There, Rutto posted a 800-meter time of 1:48.98 and a second place finish. (The finishing time converted to an official 1:47.45, due to the indoor track being 200 meters.) For more information on Blue Raider athletics, visit goblueraiders.com.

BOROPULSE.COM

FEBRUARY 2014

* 27

FOOD Your Pie pizza professional Ryan slings some dough at the restaurant's Medical Center Parkway location.

THE DISH NAME: Your Pie

What’s Your Pie?

LOCATION: 1970 Medical Center Pkwy. PHONE: (615) 396-8925 HOURS: Mon.–Thurs. 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.–7 p.m.. PRICES: 10-inch pies and paninis starting at $6.49; calzones starting at $7.49 ONLINE: YourPie.com

PIZZERIA ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TO PERSONALIZE PIE BEFORE FIRING. story by BRACKEN MAYO • photos by SARAH MAYO

brick oven cooks an assortment of personal pizzas at a restaurant on Medical Center Parkway known as Your Pie, a place where guests can custom-build an individualsized pizza pie to their precise liking. OK, envision a Mellow Mushroom colliding with a Subway. Your Pie is a place where delicious pizzas with lots of topping options meet the the custom ordering style and quick preparation of a sandwich shop. Only here, after customers direct the Your Pie pizzamakers which toppings to place on their pie, the hot brick oven bakes the creation to perfection. It doesn’t take long; your pie, or sandwich or calzone will be hot with melted cheese and on your table within five minutes. It may take longer than that to decide which of the offerings at the Coca-Cola Freestyle touchscreen soda fountain will fill your cup. The machine allows for mixing various syrups into traditional soda drinks (try some Fanta Peach or Raspberry Sprite; Minute Maid Cherry Lemonade, Coke Zero with Lemon or lots of others) furthering the restaurant’s customization theme. As far as the pizzas go, only one size is offered, a personal 10-inch, but pizza lovers can create thousands of topping combinations with all of the old favorites, plus some

28 * FEBRUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

non-traditional ingredients like cranberries, corn, roasted red peppers, artichokes, cilantro and more. “The main attraction for most people has to be the wide variety of ingredients and how easy it is to try something new,” said the Murfreesboro location’s General Manager, Phil Bruley. “Many would not have even considered putting dried cranberries on a pizza until they see it as an option, and before you know it a completely unique pizza has been built right in front of you.” If you have trouble selecting your custom toppings, choose one of the recommended combinations, such as The Southern Heat, with grilled chicken, hot sauce, jalapeños, red onions, mozzarella and ranch or bleu cheese; the Thai Pie, with spicy Thai sauce, cheddar cheese, grilled chicken, carrots, corn, red onions and cilantro; or The Hippie, with sun-dried tomato pesto, low-fat mozzarella, tofu, spinach, artichokes, baby bellas, banana peppers and garlic. So what are Bruley’s toppings of choice? “My personal favorite has to be a hot sauce base, then I add spinach, dried cranberries, mushrooms, green peppers, banana peppers, chicken, garlic and a dusting of feta on top,” he said. “One of the more creative pizzas I have seen begins with a ranch, hot sauce, spicy Thai sauce mixture, cheddar cheese, Italian sausage,

jalapeños, red onions and a layer of crushed jalapeño chips covered then with Parmesan cheese. These are just two examples of the endless combinations possible, and they are both so delicious fresh out of the stone oven.” It’s not an incredibly complex kitchen at Your Pie; what you see is what you get. There’s the choice between white and wheat crusts for your pizzas, sandwiches and bread bowls, along with the fresh ingredient bar behind the glass. A gluten-free crust is also offered, for those with that dietary requirement.

Your Pie is very kid- and family-friendly; the staff has discovered that a small amount of pizza dough can be used to occupy toddlers while pizzas are being cooked, Play-Doh style. The fire in the brick oven is mesmerizing for many children (and adults too). The computerized Coke machine is a fun way to blend and play with flavors, and all kids’ meals come with a small gelato. After a delicious pie, youngsters press their noses up to the glass to select from the many colors and flavors of this frozen dessert concoction. A pie containing pepperoni, Italian sausage, green peppers, onions, corn, mushrooms and feta cheese.

RECIPE CORNER recipe and photo by

It only takes a few minutes for pizzas to cook in the hot oven.

CHRISTY SIMMONS

Italian Sausage, Kale and Potato Soup I AM NOT A HUGE FAN OF THE OLIVE GARDEN. THERE, I SAID IT. I think there is much better Italian food to be had, even in Murfreesboro. But one thing they have there that I do happen to like is their Zuppa de Toscana, a soup with Italian sausage, kale and potatoes in a slightly creamy broth. Since I don’t want to go to the restaurant for just soup, I figured it would be easy to recreate at home. Here is the recipe I came up with. It’s very easy and makes a ton of soup. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS: One medium onion, diced One pound mild or spicy Italian sausage, bulk, not links Just tell ’em what you want.

16 cups of chopped fresh kale, stems removed (seems like a lot, but it will cook way down) Three medium potatoes, skins on, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced into thin half-moon slices 2 TBS olive oil 12 cups of good chicken stock (not broth) 8 cups of water 1½ TBS kosher salt 1 TBS fresh ground pepper 1 tsp dried thyme leaves 1 tsp Cajun seasoning (I use Tony Chachere’s) ½ cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS: Your Pie is adult-friendly as well. There are plenty of veggie options for the pizzas, ESPN generally playing on the TV and a selection of craft beers from area breweries like Jackalope and Blackstone are also available. Bruley wants to invite those interested to try a few as part of Your Pie’s craft beer sampler available anytime, or at Pint and Pie Thursdays, when pints are on special for $2.50. Also, an early heads-up: be on the lookout for Pie Day on March 14 (Pi Day, 3.14), as

Your Pie celebrates the pi by offering pizzas for only $3.14 all day from open to close. “Last year it was quite a day,” Bruley said. “Almost every other person that I speak to as they come through the line to make their pizza has said something to the effect of, ‘We tell everyone about you guys, we love this place.’ And every time I hear it I think we must be doing something right,” he continues. So the next time you have that pizza craving, stop in and create Your Pie.

In large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and stir till slightly translucent. Add sausage and break apart with spoon while cooking, stirring till sausage is browned. Add kale in batches, stirring till wilted, until all is added. Add potatoes, stock, water, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about an hour and a half, till kale is completely soft and potatoes are falling apart. Add cream, stir and let simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with a crusty bread.

Your Pie’s colorful selection of gelato, for something sweet.

BOROPULSE.COM

FEBRUARY 2014

* 29

Tame Your Office Workflow Expenses With Managed Printer Services From NovaCopy FREE Toner & Parts • FREE On-Site Repair • FREE Printer Hardware FREE Help Desk Support • FREE Reporting & Tracking Tools

Pay by the Page & Save up to 30% On Printing Costs! 615.577.7677 www.NovaCopy.com THE DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS SPECIALISTS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 Tribble has donated thousands to charities and youth sports organizations over the years; the funds required to be in compliance with new regulations would have nowhere else to come than from the portion of his proceeds he sets aside to donate, he said. “If the town is going to take this money from me . . . I’ve given all I can,” he said. Taking money from charities: one of the unintended consequences of over-legislation. In addition to the added costs of the license, the extra hired help and the additional storage space required to be in compliance with the rewording, Tribble cites “the fact that my customers would feel as if they are being treated as suspected criminals while attempting to obtain value for the good [merchandise] their families no longer use. The customer service nightmare alone will be enough to keep customers from shopping in my store. “They want us to ask weight. I don’t want to

according to leadsonline.com. Murfreesboro Chief of Police Glenn Chrisman says merchants feeding data from every purchase they make into the system will help return stolen property to theft victims and to prosecute criminals of larceny and burglary charges. “Hastings is already doing this; not only in Murfreesboro, but all over the nation,” Chrisman said before introducing a sales video for the LeadsOnline program at the Dec. 5 Murfreesboro City Council meeting. “We support our small businesses, but we need their help.” He said since secondhand shops are profiting from the sale of used merchandise, they should share some of the administrative work of entering information from each transaction into a large national database as part of their effort to help fight crime. “Larceny and burglary are the most frequent crimes committed in Murfreesboro,” Chrisman said.

Oliver Tribble resists the idea that he should catalogue data from every single golf club coming through his is Play It Again Sports store.

TN Professional Training Institute START YOUR DENTAL ASSISTING CAREER TODAY! 2 Choices | Quick Classes | Simple Success

Week Course

Monday-Friday

Saturdays Only

NEXT 3 WEEK COURSE BEGINS FEB. 10th NEXT 10 WEEK COURSE BEGINS APRIL 12th

Enroll @ TNPTI.com or Call 615.631.8440 Program includes registration in Dental Radiology

TN Professional Training Institute 1800 S. Rutherford Blvd. | Suite 101 Murfreesboro, TN. 37130 615-631-8440 | www.tnpti.com

30 * FEBRUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

ask my customers their weight. I don’t want to [write] down someone’s race,” Tribble said. “It looks like a 1980s program, with the black and green screen,” he continued. Plus, with so many exemptions in the law’s wording, “Now, they’re picking and choosing winners,” Digital Planet’s Morrison said. Why should his business be targeted, while, for example, a clothing or antique dealer is not? “So the police can have their new toy,” he said. The new toy he is referring to is access to an online database calls LeadsOnline, a thirdparty, for-profit system that tracks secondhand purchases across the country, and encourages detectives to not “give up on getting home in time for dinner,” by assisting them in their theft investigations by granting them access to data on used merchandise transactions across the country, in exchange for a fee from their (taxpayer-funded) law enforcement agency. “LeadsOnline is the nation’s largest online investigation system for law enforcement, providing rapid electronic access to transactions from thousands of reporting businesses,”

It is not his intention to pick on the small business people, but rather to “level that playing field” between them and pawnbrokers,” and “bring the language current with the state’s regulation of pawnbrokers.” “Pawnshops are already heavily regulated by state statute,” Chrisman said. “But we began to see some problems with the secondhand businesses.” Despite a vague assumed correlation between used CDs and gang violence and a LeadsOnline infomercial making its way into the Council Chambers, the City Council was having none of it at the code’s first reading. Council member Doug Young, who owns City Tile, seems to understand the hectic nature of being on the sales floor. “If I’m a small business owner, at my sales counter, and I have to take 5 to 10 minutes . . . is there some way we can improve that?” Young asked Chief Chrisman. Young called himself a “terrible typist,” stating the time it would take to enter the sale information into a computer database is “a big deal to the small businessman.”

Chief of Police Glenn Chrisman

“I respectfully ask we defer this,” Young said immediately upon hearing Chrisman’s presentation. Though other council members had more questions and comments on the measure; Shane McFarland inquired about whether the revisions would include CDs and video games. Would data collection be required from “9- or 10-year-old kids with their video games,” McFarland asked. “. . . they don’t have IDs.” He also pointed out some local dealers do not have computers. Mayor Tommy Bragg raised the point that the measure would require many businesses to get an additional permit, in addition to the business license are already required to obtain. If a criminal has a stolen item, and can’t sell it at a local retailer, “What’s to stop them from them selling that on eBay?” Eddie Smotherman asked. Nothing, Tribble deferred. “It is against small business,” Tribble continued about the measure and said the over-regulation would place Murfreesboro brick-and-mortar businesses at a competitive disadvantage to listings items on websites like Amazon, eBay and Craigslist, which would not have to collect the data or adhere to holding periods. As an alternative to overhauling the secondhand dealer code, Tribble proposes a local “Merchants Watch” program. Under this program, the Murfreesboro Police would provide secondhand dealers with a list of stolen property each morning, rather than have shopkeepers compile date from every transaction they make. Business owners could quickly peruse that list each day for items that may come in their shop, and alert their sales clerks to be on the lookout for recently stolen items. Tribble said seeing a digital camera on the list would not affect Play It Again sports, but if an individual reported a stolen bicycle to the Murfreesboro Police, and that made its way on a daily stolen property list e-mailed to all secondhand dealers, Tribble said he could let his employees know of that theft the morning after it occurred, and potentially intercept the bicycle. Supporters of this idea say the administrative work to make this procedure happen could easily be done, compared to the huge change and data collection the chief of police proposes. “As a routine part of our day we begin our business every morning with a review of (the previous day’s) property crimes, particularly burglaries,” Chrisman said. Media Rerun operators said they would like to see the Merchants Watch concept be given a shot.

“There is no guarantee that the added cost and burden of implementing LeadsOnline, that is, shifting the police work and cost to retailers, will justify the ordinance,” Pinkerton said. “We do support the Merchants Watch. It proposes that retailers and law enforcement partner, via a list of stolen property provided to retailers by law enforcement. This could help in intercepting items before being purchased by a retailer. Recent crime statistics show that Murfreesboro averages only 4 burglaries per day. Sending bulk e-mails with a list of reported stolen items should not be a hardship for law enforcement and not add cost to dealers.” After all, the police department is the big operation, with the $25 million budget and lots of staff. “There seems to be this misperception that we (independent retailers) are all millionaires,” Tribble said. “We don’t have a bunch of secretaries.” Another potential unintended consequence of the code revision: “As with most legislation, it targets the poor,” Morrison said. How? If a middle-class individual wants to sell something, and finds out they have to be ID’d, photographed and possibly questioned about their weight and race, “They can walk out; they can give the item to a neighbor or sell it in a yard sale,” Morrison said. “I’ve bought CDs and movies from young mothers so they could have money for diapers and milk. If someone like that has to have money immediately, and can sell some items to get it, why subject them to the humility of being photographed? Where is the dignity?” He says, regardless if the new language is approved, he is done dealing in the secondhand market. “I am out,” he said, “no matter what,” referring to the used element of Digital Planet’s business (but confirming the store will continue to sell new merchandise). “Most of the customers are angry. They feel like their personal rights (would be) violated.” Antiques dealer Randy Smotherman also said he would choose to cease buying used merchandise affected by the measure from the public if it passes the City Council’s vote and becomes the law of the land. So, as it stands, the legislation was deferred upon on its first reading at that Dec. 5 meeting, and its future is uncertain pending more investigative review and input from the people of Murfreesboro. Visit murfreesborotn. gov for contact information for the mayor and City Council people, and let your elected officials know what you feel about the business before your city. View the full text of the proposed ordinance at BoroPulse.com.

“I’ve bought CDs and movies from young mothers so they could have money for diapers and milk . . . why subject them to the humility of being photographed? Where is the dignity?”

BOROPULSE.COM

FEBRUARY 2014

* 31

La PALABRA

OPINIONS

Una columna del idioma español por CAMERON PARRISH

Mountains of Madness: Montañas de la Locura: Nazis, UFOs and Lost Nazis, Ovnis y Civilizaciones Civilizations in Antarctica Perdidas en la Antártida IN ENGLISH: IT’S THE COLDEST AND MOST DESOLATE location on the planet, with recorded temperatures reaching 80 degrees below zero. Eternally frozen and shrouded in ice, Antarctica contains enormous mountain ranges that separate vast tracts of blinding white landscape that routinely experience blizzards of hurricane force. Nearly twice the size of Australia, the white continent still holds countless mysteries waiting to be explored. As a young man I was first inspired by the beauty of the landscape and the immortal accounts of men like Ernest Shackelton, who led the famous Endurance expedition during the heroic age of Antarctic exploration. Later I began to read about numerous UFO sightings and of theories surrounding possible ancient civilizations whose ruins might lie deep beneath the ice or within one of the massive cave systems. Some theorists even believe that one of these openings may lead to another world inside our own planet. I recently stumbled upon one of these openings while looking at satellite imagery available on Google Earth. The opening is triangular and measures roughly 280 feet in width and 130 vertically. The cavern is located at exactly 66°33’11.88"S latitude and 99°50’19.53"E longitude, near the northern coast of the continent between the Queen Mary and Knox Coast. As I search for further details on this particular cave, my imagination runs wild. After all, rumors of secret Nazi installations in the Antarctic have been around since the end of World War II. And just what was Admiral Karl Dontiz referring to in 1943 when he told Adolph Hitler that he had created “an unassailable fortress for the Führer on the other end of the world”? Is this where the scores of missing German submarines and other technology were hidden after the war? As if Nazis, UFOs and giant caves were not enough to drive my obsession to visit this frozen realm, author H.P. Lovecraft invokes the white continent as the location for his 1931 horror novella, At the Mountains of Madness. In the story, a research team encounters an ancient colony of monstrously exotic extraterrestrials that killed most of the expedition party, including a dog. Evidence suggests that Antarctica wasn’t always covered in ice and could have contained civilization. Core samples extracted in 2012 indicate the existence of tropical flora on the continent. Furthermore, one of the earliest maps depicting Antarctica is known as the Piri Reis map. It was drawn using maps from deeper antiquity and accurately depicts the northern coastline of Antarctica with no ice! While it’s believed that the last time Antarctica was unfrozen was during a time that predated the oldest civilizations, we should question the accepted rate at which Antarctica was frozen in ice. In 1990 the recovery of several World War II aircraft that remained undisturbed in 32 * FEBRUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

What in the world could be in this Antarctic cavern? Rumors of aliens and Nazis swirl around the continent.

Greenland demonstrated that it’s possible for 263 feet of ice to form within only half a century. My curiosity is fueled by so many aspects of this region. Rumors abound on the Internet of secret alien bases located beneath the ice. I’m not saying it’s all true. But a significant number of UFO cases have taken place in Antarctica and documented by the Argentine military. Do I have designs underway for an expedition to Antarctica in the near future? I’d like nothing more than to announce this very thing. However, Antarctica must for now take a back seat to other priorities, like taking my family to Disney World. Antarctica requires a much larger budget, the right team and a great deal more preparation. The Siberian Taiga is a more likely destination for the next big expedition but that shall be a topic for future editions. Until then . . . Semper explorandum!

IN ESPANOL: ES EL LUGAR MÁS FRÍO Y DESOLADO DEL PLANETA, con temperaturas registradas que alcanzan 80 grados bajo cero. Eternamente congelado y envuelto en hielo, la Antártida contiene enormes cordilleras que separan grandes extensiones de paisaje blanco cegador que experimentan habitualmente las ventiscas de fuerza de un huracán. Casi el doble del tamaño de Australia, el continente blanco todavía tiene innumerables misterios que esperan ser explorados. Cuando era joven me inspiré por primera vez por la belleza del paisaje y de las cuentas inmortales de los hombres como Ernest Shackelton, que encabezaron la famosa expedición Endurance durante la edad heroica de la exploración antártica. Más tarde comencé a leer acerca de numerosos avistamientos de ovnis y de las teorías que rodean posibles civilizaciones antiguas cuyas ruinas pueden encontrarse en las profundidades del hielo o dentro de un sistema de cuevas enormes. Algunos teóricos creen incluso que una de estas aberturas puede llevar a otro

mundo dentro de nuestro propio planeta. Hace poco me encontré con una de estas aberturas mientras observaba las imágenes de satélite disponibles en Google Earth. La apertura es triangular y mide aproximadamente 280 pies de ancho y 130 verticalmente. La caverna se encuentra exactamente a 66 ° 33’11 .88" S de latitud y 99 ° 50’19 .53" E longitud, cerca de la costa norte del continente entre el Queen Mary y Costa Knox. Como busco más información sobre esta cueva en particular, mi imaginación se vuelve loca. Después de todo, los rumores de instalaciones secretas nazis en la Antártida han estado presentes desde el final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. ¿Y qué fue el almirante Karl Dontiz refería en 1943 cuando le dijo a Adolfo Hitler que había creado “una fortaleza inexpugnable para el Führer en el otro extremo del mundo”.? ¿Es aquí donde los submarinos alemanes que desaparecieron y otras tecnologías fueron escondidos después de la guerra? Como si los nazis, los ovnis y cuevas gigantes no fueron suficientes para conducir mi obsesión por visitar este reino congelado, el autor H.P. Lovecraft invoca el continente blanco como la ubicación para su 1931 novela de terror, En Las Montañas de la Locura. Es la historia de un equipo de investigación que se encuentra con una antigua colonia de extraterrestres monstruosamente exóticas que mataron a la mayor parte de la partida de expedición incluyendo un perro. La evidencia sugiere que la Antártida no siempre ha estado cubierta de hielo y podría haber contenido civilización. Las muestras de núcleos extraídos en 2012 indican la existencia de flora tropical en el continente. Además, uno de los primeros mapas que representan la Antártida se conoce como el mapa de Piri Reis. Fue dibujado usando mapas de la antigüedad más profunda y representa precisamente la costa norte de la Antártida sin hielo. Mientras que se cree que la última vez que la Antártida estaba descongelada fue durante una época que precedió a las civilizaciones más antiguas, debemos cuestionar la tasa aceptada en el que la Antártida se helo. En 1990 la recuperación de varios aviones del II ª Guerra Mundial que se mantuvo inalterado en Groenlandia demostró que es posible que hasta los 263 pies de hielo pudo ser formada de hace sólo medio siglo. Mi curiosidad es alimentada por tantos aspectos de esta región. Abundan los rumores en Internet de bases alienígenas secretas ubicadas bajo el hielo. No estoy diciendo que todo es verdad. Sin embargo, un número significativo de casos de ovnis han tenido lugar en la Antártida y documentado por los militares argentinos. ¿Tengo diseños en marcha para una expedición a la Antártida en un futuro próximo? Nada me gustaría más que anunciar. Sin embargo, la Antártida quedara por ahora en un segundo plano frente a otras prioridades como llevar a mi familia a Disney World. Este esfuerzo requiere un presupuesto mucho mayor, el equipo adecuado y mucho más preparación. La Taiga Siberiano es un destino más probable para mi siguiente gran expedición, será un tema para futuras ediciones. Hasta entonces . . . Semper explorandum!

Temperature Extremes, Raining Bats and Practical Solution

is strange that China and India are so often cited, while climate change leaders such as Germany rarely get the spotlight. It is even stranger that a suggested response to their inaction, as if we weren’t all on the same sinking ship, is to beat them in the race to the bottom. U.S. policy seems to largely stem from the political football that we have allowed the issue to become, where a vocal minority contradicts global scientific and political consensus, and flat-out ignores the increasing frequency and intent is not only during extreme heat that sity of extreme weather events. Rather than we should be reminded of what is allowing misinformation to thwart efforts in store as the climate continues to change. As Australia saw temperatures on one of the most critical issues of our day, I propose that we encourage senators in excess of 120 degrees Fahrenheit, as Alexander and Corker to look to bipartisan kangaroos collapsed and 100,000 bats fell solutions that place Tennessee and the U.S. from the sky due to extreme heat—many squarely in a position of leadership. dying on impact and the rest perishing One solution that would do just that, slowly—we in Tennessee rushed to insulate as well as create millions of jobs over the pipes and set up emergency shelters. As our next decade in a wide variety of fields, is a heating systems worked overtime, we came carbon tax in the form of Fee and Dividend. dangerously close to a TVA blackout. As proposed by Citizens Climate Lobby, the Using a single event as a catalyst is forward-looking bipartirisky; we are talking about san solution would start long-term trends, not next at $15 per ton of CO2, and Saturday’s game-day foreincrease gradually each cast. That doesn’t change year in an amount deterthe fact that whatever mined by Congress. To get weather events we expericolumn by RYAN EGLY an idea of the end effect, a ence are occurring in the egly@boropulse.com cost of $15 per ton of CO2 context of a climate that would raise gas prices is changing as a result by 10-15 cents per gallon. The dividend is of man’s activities. The global scientific returned through the IRS to the people, and community, in an overwhelming majority, partially compensates for the increased cost has given its verdict. The time to discuss of energy. It is a win-win-win-win proposal. climate solutions in Tennessee is now. The externalized costs of polluting energy The scope of the problem, which can seem are accounted for, which promotes clean overwhelming, has nevertheless been met energy and the smart grid. The dominance with a great variety of proposed political of the personal automobile would be chalsolutions. The Kyoto Protocol, in recognilenged by the practicality of mass transit. tion of the disproportionate greenhouse gas Bicycles become an attractive mode of contribution of developed countries, set legal transportation, which would promote city reduction requirements for multiple target development that focuses on human power dates and has been signed by 191 states. As instead of decayed dinosaurs. This would in we continue to blow past records for atmoturn accomplish more than any insurance spheric carbon concentrations, ocean acidiplan to improve quality of life and curb the fication, species extinction and temperature exploding cost of health care. extremes, it is hard to see the attempt as anyAnd lastly, the U.S. gets to join the global thing but a failure. The 400 parts per million climate conversation. mark (of CO2), a level not seen in millions of years, was recorded in May of 2013. There have been numerous climate summits, the results of which invariably produce a copious supply of political standstill. There are many reasons that these efforts fail, but I would like to focus on one. The U.S. refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and can be relied upon to perform with equal vigor at climate summits. It is difficult to imagine a surge in global commitment when a country that represents just 4.5 percent of the world’s population and around 19 percent of worldwide carbon emissions votes to use the atmosphere as a garbage can. A common Tennessee response to U.S. inaction might sound like “India and China aren’t acting” or “Al Gore made a movie.” It

LIVING GREEN

Raising the Minimum Wage is a Job Killer

resident Obama and the Democrats in Congress want to raise the minimum wage by 40 percent. However, 96 percent of House and Senate sponsors of a bill to do just that do not pay their interns, according to a new analysis by the Employment Policies Institute. It’s an incredible display of hypocrisy.

go buy machines and automate things or cause jobs to appear outside of that jurisdiction.” He added that “it does cause job destruction.” Gates may be a big lib but he knows a thing or two about business. Let’s take the fast food industry, for example. You’ve no doubt heard about the protests around the country—organized by the unions—to raise the minimum wage of fast food workers to $15 an hour. Experts say the typical restaurant labor force accounts for a third or more of a restaurant’s operating expenses. The New York Times quoted Stephen Caldeira, president Aside from the hypocrisy of using free of the International Franchise Association, labor while simultaneously crying for a as saying that such a drastic increase in minimum-wage hike, raising the minimum wages would lead to a 25 to 50 percent hike wage is a job killer. Obama and the libs in in prices. That $3 burger could essentially Congress will tell you it’s not and they’ll become that $4.50 burger overnight. point to “studies” that back their argument, We, as consumers, have but that’s a case of cherryoptions. We don’t have to picking your study. VIEWS OF A stop by the fast food joint. According to Forbes We do because it’s fast magazine, there was a column by (supposedly) and affordcomprehensive study that PHIL VALENTINE able. Once it’s no longer philvalentine.com looked at the last two affordable, we stop going. If decades of data. It was that happens, not only do the employees not conducted by David Neumark of UC-Irvine make $15 an hour, they don’t make squat. and William Wascher of the Federal Reserve They’re out on the street. Board. They determined that 85 percent of Shy of going out of business, the fast the research demonstrates raising the minifood restaurant will start devising ways to mum wage kills jobs. Of course, it’s just common sense. Payroll save money. I foresee a day when you drive up to a drive-thru window and some guy in is the single biggest expense for many India takes your order. Or, maybe you just businesses. Unless you can raise the price use voice commands to place your order, of your product to cover the added expense, swipe your credit card and drive to the next something has to give. Even Bill Gates said window where your order is waiting. The as much on MSNBC when he said, “If you same could be done inside the store. You raise the minimum wage, you’re encouragjust place your order at the automated tering labor substitution, and you’re going to minal and wait for your food to appear. As you might imagine, there’s already such a thing as a burger-making machine. This babycake is self-contained, automated and can churn out 400 burgers per hour. You think your local Mickey D’s isn’t already eyeballing that bad boy? According to the maker, Momentum Machines, making burgers costs restaurants $9 billion a year. Not only does this automatic burgerflipper make faster burgers for a fraction of the cost, it takes up far less space than the conventional way. So, keep pushing this minimum wage hike. And be prepared to hand out automated burgers to those newly unemployed workers standing in the unemployment line.

CONSERVATIVE

“The fast food restaurant will start devising ways to save money . . . You just place your order at the automated terminal and wait for your food to appear.”

Phil Valentine is an author and nationally syndicated radio talk show host with Westwood One. For more of his commentary and articles, visit philvalentine.com. BOROPULSE.COM

FEB. 2014

* 33

Walk the Line

Rutherford Co. Sheriff’s Deputy AJ Ross gives a lengthy field sobriety test during a traffic stop.

Does new DUI-stop video show an impaired driver or another example of police bullying?

column by JUSTIN STOKES

erhaps the most frustrating thing about the legal system is how susceptible it can be to interpretation. Despite being constructed of strict language many would find intimidating and at times inaccessible, the law must also be left open so that certain personnel within the legal system can determine whether situations in question are within the acceptable confines of society. Life, to many, is a gray-shaded phenomenon that many people try to shove into black-andwhite judgments. And when social critics allow for the fallibility of those in authority, sometimes what we’re told to be the truth is really nothing more than opinion at best. Facing several past allegations of corruption, including a viral video that put Rutherford County on the map for less-than-favorable reasons, the Rutherford County Sheriff ’s Office has had yet another video surface that calls into question its practices. Below is the feed from the dashboard camera of an officer who appears to be Rutherford County Sheriff ’s Officer A.J. Ross, whom many remember from the 4th of July DUI checkpoint video. The description of the video reads as follows: “In this video obtained exclusively by Rutherford Beacon on 1/22/14, Rutherford

County (TN) Sheriff ’s Deputy A.J. Ross initiates a traffic stop on 3/17/13 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Ross is well known for his combative behavior when interacting with the public; a video recorded on July 4, 2013 shows him yelling and screaming at an innocent motorist at a checkpoint. Ross was previously fired from RCSO after getting into a crash off-duty, and lying to responding officers about having insurance. Ross was rehired under current Sheriff Robert Arnold. In the video, Ross’ tone of voice is aggressive with the driver, who appears to be of college age. Ross talks over the driver and accuses him of being intoxicated, which he disputes. Ross performs a lengthy horizontal gaze nystagmus test on the driver, which suggests he was struggling to find signs of impairment. The driver spoke clearly and was not slurring his words. While Ross continues to talk down to and berate the driver, he orders the driver to perform a field sobriety test. During all portions of the test, the driver is steady on his feet and appears to easily pass all tests. Nonetheless, Ross places the driver under arrest for Driving Under the Influence. It is worth acknowledging that the driver did not immediately come to a stop because he wanted to be within view of his house,

The Death of the Manager (The Coming Extinction)

column by DR. PHILIP A. FOSTER

am not ready to send you to a museum to study the habits and hang-ups of the 20thcentury manager just yet. But I do see an opportunity to create dialogue related to the death of management as we know it. I am in no way abdicating that organizations of the future will be leaderless. I am, however, sounding the alarm that leaders must find a way to redefine themselves before it is too late. The trends are already proving that organizations are flattening their hierarchies and are doing more with less human capital. The greatest threat to the manager today is denial that things will change whether they are ready or not. The problem, as I see it, is that most all managers are classically trained in business schools to run an organization via the classic command-andcontrol hierarchy. Many business schools are failing us in that they teach leaders a 19thcentury approach to leadership. Add to this confusion a 20th-century approach to human

34 * FEBRUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

relations and you have a pending ice age of epic proportions over the field of management. Management is evolving into something greater than a single position of status. Organizations are not moving to a leaderless model insomuch as they are trending toward selfleadership models. Self-leadership is where everyone contributes from their own strength and skill set. Everyone has a say in the strategy and direction of the organization as a whole. I was recently involved in a dialogue with some business colleagues on the matter of who is responsible for the strategy and its achievement in an organization. The crux of the conversation was around the reasons why strategies fail. I argued strongly for the coming of the flatter, more agile organization— one that moves away from the idea of a leader dictating vision, goals and process. As you can imagine, some of us old-school, classically trained leaders pushed back against this

presumably so that he would have witnesses. This is a common tactic of those concerned about widespread police abuse; it was clear the driver had no intent to flee. Rutherford Beacon is working to verify if the driver was convicted of DUI. (Rutherford Beacon is a coalition of citizens working to expose abusive law enforcement tactics and government corruption in Rutherford County, Tennessee.) ” Upon watching the video, it is clear that there are details that aren’t answered. Aside from the removed identity of the stopped driver, it’s tough to truly judge whether or not the driver was in fact driving under the influence. What is clear, however, is that the officer seems to be rude on a level that is not only needless, but potentially intimidating. Being

pulled over by an officer of the law is stressful enough, so what happens when an officer’s attitude goes from firm and professional to unnecessarily confrontational, hinging on bullying? This kind of activity can not only appear as a blemish on the whole department and lower the overall trust of the community, but creates a “level of question” about the specific case or cases in which the officer, and his aggressive behavior, are involved. What’s more important, if the driver in the video is was in fact too scared to perform the field sobriety to the best of his ability, a potentially innocent driver has failed the test because of circumstances beyond his control, which could cause irreparable damage. View the video and join the discussion at BoroPulse.com

notion. There is no question in my mind that the state of leadership is in transition. We are about to see the greatest shift in organizational leadership since Fredrick Taylor adopted the Scientific Management approach to production in the 1890s. In an effort to give structure to this idea of self-led organizations, I have adopted the idea of the Open Organization. An Open Organization is simply a method of self-leadership in which individuals participate in the movement of an organization from their strengths. The Open Organization is a decentralized structure which trends away from authoritarian management styles, separatist titles and privileges of multilevel hierarchies found mostly in the 19th and 20th century. So, what are we to do to save our managers? First, we should acknowledge the correlation between effective leadership and how much autonomy is given to the followers. Leaders who do not trust their followers appear to have the most trouble with change. Leaders who do not trust are most likely to be the ones who become extinct first. Leaders must learn the art of empowerment of their followers. The power behind the Open Organization is that people already tend to self-manage when everyone

else can see what they’re doing. Open allows other people to jump in when they notice something amiss; of course, everyone learns when anyone makes a mistake or does something brilliant. Managers and hierarchies tend to strangle agility, bogging the organization down in the process of decision making. The organization of the future must be unfettered to make decisions, else it too will die. Now is the time for managers to adapt or expire. We leaders must redefine our roles in relation to our organizations effectiveness. The world is pressed on all sides by a diminishing fulltime workforce as well as differing cultural, generational, political and religious views. The organization of the 21st century must be more agile than ever before. Organizational design is essential to how the organization deals with the challenges it now faces. We no longer can afford to lead a 21st-century organization with 19th- and 20th-century models and processes. Dr. Philip A. Foster is the Founder and CEO of Maximum Change Leadership and Business Consulting, serving clients from around the world. For more information, visit maximumchange.com.

BOROPULSE.COM

FEB. 2014

* 35