Jan. 2014 Murfreesboro Pulse

MURFREESBORO Vol. 9, Issue 1 January 2014

FREE For You!

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

30 TO FIT

Train like a boxer and work that butt off with 30 minutes of movement at 9Round ONLINE AT: BOROPULSE.COM

ART

FOOD

MUSIC

Murfree Gallery; Art for Poor People; Branches of One Tree, Rooted in Love page 30

Comfort Food: A look at local Meat and 3s

Young Africans, The Tillers, Blue Matches, Real Wednesdays

page 16

page 18

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DEAR READERS:

CONTENTS

19

4

COVER STORY

EVENTS

4

14

Community Events Tennessee Motorama, Polar Bear Plunge, Curious George

REVIEWS

6 7 8

Movies Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues; 47 Ronin.

Living Room Cinema Stand-Ins. New Releases I, Frankenstein; The Legend of Hercules.

Italy Documentaries MTSU students produce award-winning short films.

Video Game DMC: Devil May Cry

THEATER

9

Acting Training Sessions with Bowd Beal Playing this month: Shrek the Musical, Dinner with Friends.

LIVING Yo Silver Rides Again 0 Hi Restoring an icon of the American road.

Best Books of 2013 w The The Goldfinch, Life After Life and more.

r

9Round New fitness concept uses anaerobics, punching bags.

FOOD Food y Comfort A look at Murfreesboro’s multitude of meat-and-three restaurants.

SOUNDS Africans i Young Ensemble of performers bringing African culture and

CREW

PULSE

music to audiences all over the Southeast.

Publisher/Editor in Chief: Bracken Mayo

Music Editor: Jessica Pace

Contributing Writers: Art Director: Sarah L. Mayo Gloria Christy, Dale Hamilton and Tom Bianconi, Nader Hobballah, Zach Maxfield, Advertising Rep: Michelle Palmer, Cameron Parrish, Don Clark Jay Spight, Andrea Stockard, Justin Stokes, Copy Editor: Steve Morley Norbert Thiemann, Phil Valentine, Saul Zonana

22

’Boro’s Custom Guitar Shop o The Mario Martin building world-class instruments.

p

a s d

CONCERT LISTINGS Music Notes Wednesday Rap Battles; Boro Fondo.

Album Reviews Blue Matches, The Tillers.

Karaoke, Trivia, DJ & Bingo Nights Where to go for fun with friends.

SPORTS Talk with Z-Train f Sports Playoffs!

Falls to Navy in Armed Forces Bowl g MTSU Plus, Rowe averaging double-double for Lady Raiders.

OPINIONS

h Letters Local views on religion and minimum wage.

Valentine j Phil GLADD intolerant of duck man’s views.

Palabra k La Predictions for 2014.

Rutherford l Recover Sharing our story of “Amazing Grace.”

ART this Month ; Exhibits “Branches of One Tree, Rooted in Love,” Murfree Gallery; “Art for Poor People.”

Sign up to receive our weekly digital newsletter at BoroPulse.com/Newsletter 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 © 2013, 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

WE MADE IT THROUGH ANOTHER YEAR, GANG. I have a feeling 2014 will be another good one.

May it be filled with music and fine coffees, good times with your friends, families and neighbors, opening your mind to new experiences and ideas, helping your community, fairness, peace and love. An “Extreme ’14,” as our friend Andrew over at Smoopy’s says.

Christmas sure makes us stop and think about what a tremendous grip everyone’s addiction to oil has on today’s society.

What?

Think about it. He who controls the oil controls the world.

I’m not just referring to the dinosaur bones burned in the family wagon to get you and yours to your visiting.

I mean the plastic toys, tied up with plastic ties, shrink-wrapped in plastic, bought with a plastic card and taken home in plastic bags.

You know where plastic comes from, right?

The days of the sturdy wooden or metal toys are long gone. This is the 21st century. Progress!

And what do you think all that fuzzy, cozy, fleece is made from? Pajamas, house shoes, Titans hoodies, fleece pullovers, lounge pants and the like all have that cozy Christmas feel to them, but if the tag says “polyester,” understand where that comes from. Look it up. It’s much simpler to walk into the store, swipe your card and walk out with a shirt than to shear a sheep or pick some cotton. Improvement!

After the Christmas dinner, piles of Styrofoam plates and Solo cups spill out of trash cans all over this great land. The china lasts too long; we need something a little more temporary.

The fake plastic trees decorate rooms all over, reminding us of the true meaning of Christmas.

Where does all that plastic come from? Where does it go?

At least we don’t eat oil, right?

Well, I bet a lot of your ingredients were packaged in plastic, and if they originated thousands of miles from your dinner table, they sure required a lot of oil to get there.

Hey, maybe this is the best, most convenient way. I’m not an expert, just an observer. Without making further judgment here or calling for a comprehensive overhaul of the way the entire world works, I’ll simply say this: be aware. The largest transfer of wealth in history is largely about plastic items and gasoline. You vote with your dollars and your consumption affects everyone.

And I bet, Middle Tennessee, that if we try hard, we can produce what we need right here, without any begging and pleading, to keep the oil, plastic, polyester—or anything, really—coming.

Just please, please, keep on importing the coffee, chocolate and cinnamon, and I think I’ll be just fine.

Peace, Bracken Mayo Editor in Chief BOROPULSE.COM

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EVENTS compiled by ANDREA STOCKARD

Send event information to murfreesboropulse@yahoo.com

THROUGH JAN. 20 & JAN. 24 UNITED WAY COMMUNITY BABY SHOWER/SORT-A-THON The United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties will host its first annual community baby shower to benefit atrisk families in Rutherford and Cannon Counties. Items needed include onesies, diapers, bottles, baby wipes, blankets and/or formula. Items can be delivered until Jan. 20 to the United Way Office (615 Memorial Blvd., Suite 200) or City Auto (1023 Bridge Ave.). The Baby Shower Sort-A-Thon will be at Holloway High School Jan. 24, from 9–11 a.m.

Volunteers will assemble care packets to be distributed. To volunteer, visit unitedwayvolunteer.org. For more information, contact Kristen.Swann@yourlocaluw.org or (615) 893-7303.

JAN. 1–3

JAN. 6 AUTHOR BOOK SIGNING AT LINEBAUGH PUBLIC LIBRARY Linebaugh Public Library (105 W. Vine St.) hosts local author Reuben Kyle from 10 a.m.–1 p.m., selling and signing copies of his book, From Nashborough to the Nobel Prize: The Buchanans of Tennessee. This book relates the story of the Buchanan family of Tennessee, following the family as it settles a dangerous and difficult new world in mid-19th century America, survives the brutal Civil War and thrives in the 20th-century years to follow. For more information, call (615) 893-4131 or visit linebaugh.org.

151ST ANNIVERSARY PROGRAMS Join rangers and volunteers for a variety of walks, talks, tours and living history demonstrations at Stones River National Battlefield (1563 N. Thompson Ln.) that tell the story of the Battle of Stones River, one of the most significant battles of the Civil War. For more information, call (615) 893-9501 or visit nps.gov/stri.

JAN. 4–5 3RD ANNUAL TENNESSEE MOTORAMA Come out for a huge swap meet, car/ motorcycle show, memorabilia auction and custom bicycle show at this year’s Tennessee Motorama at Mid-Tn Expo Center & Park Adventure Events (1209 Park Ave.) from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Best of show wins $500! For more information, call (615) 364-1828 or visit bothbarrelspromotions.com.

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12TH ANNUAL POLAR BEAR PLUNGE Ring in the new year in the frigid pool of Sports*Com this year (2310 Memorial Blvd.)! Enjoy swimming and the arctic adventure in the gym, free with a donation of nonperishable foods to benefit Greenhouse Ministries. An Artic Fun Run begins at 9 a.m. with a 2.1 mile run on the outdoor running trail. The plunge follows at 10 a.m. For more information, call (615) 8955040 or e-mail jjoines@murfreesborotv.gov or nhensley@murfreesborotv.gov. will be shown at Oaklands Historic House Museum at Maney Hall (900 N. Maney Ave.), kicking off with an open house Jan. 12 from 1–4 p.m. View gowns from handmade to couture, once worn by ladies from both Murfreesboro and around the country. This is an excellent way to walk through the past and see the changes in fashions from different areas, times and cultures. Extended viewing hours will be available Jan. 17 from 5–8 p.m.; special guided home school tours are also available Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. For more information, contact info@oaklandsmuseum.org or (615) 893-0022, or visit oaklandsmuseum.org.

JAN. 14–15

JAN. 3 COMMUNITY HERITAGE LECTURE Jim Lewis with Stones River National Battlefield will speak on Union occupation during a lecture commemorating the 151st anniversary of the Battle of Stones River at The Heritage Center (225 W. College St.) at 11:30 a.m. For more information, call (615) 217-8013.

JAN. 4

BEGINNING JAN. 12 WEDDING DRESSES THROUGH THE DECADES Wedding dresses from many decades

VOLUNTEER FOR THE UNITED WAY VITA The United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties (615 Memorial Blvd., Suite 200) is seeking volunteers for the 2014 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites. Volunteer hours are flexible. Experience with tax preparation is preferred but not required. Training days are Jan. 14 & 15 at 6 p.m. These trainings are not mandatory but beneficial. For more information, visit unitedwayvolunteer.org or call (615) 893-7303.

JAN. 16 ANDREW JACKSON, SOUTHERNER Mark Cheatham, professor at Cumberland University, will speak about Andrew Jackson and his recent book Andrew Jackson, Southerner at The Heritage Center (225 W. College St.) at 11:30 a.m. For more information, call (615) 217-8013 or visit hcmrc.org.

JAN. 20 SCIENCE AND SPIRITUALITY DISCUSSION GROUP Are you interested in exploring the relationship 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.

JAN. 20 MASTER GARDENER CLASS Regular meeting of the Master Gardener Association is at 6:30 p.m. at UT-TSU Extension (315 John R. Rice Blvd., Suite 101). This is open to anyone with an interest in horticulture or who is planning to complete the Master Gardener Certification Program. For more information, call (615) 898-7710.

JAN. 23–25 BEGINNING JAN. 18 CURIOUS GEORGE: LET’S GET CURIOUS! EXHIBIT Remember how much you loved Curious George? Letting curiosity and inquiry be their guides, visitors can explore familiar buildings and locales from the Curious George book series and television show. This exhibit at the Discovery Center (502 S. E. Broad St.) presents key concepts in science, math and engineering through direct experience and problem solving. For more information, call (615) 890-2300 or visit explorethedc.org.

TSSAA STATE BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIPS Watch State championships in high school bowling at Smyrna Bowling Center (95 Weakley Ln., Smyrna). For more information, call (615) 8896740 or visit tssaa.org.

JAN. 24 PAINT AND SIP PARTY Join Artsy-U in a Paint and Sip Party while you paint your potential first masterpiece at 3 Brothers Craft Brewhouse (114 N. Church St.) from 6-9 p.m. Cost is $45 and includes four flight wine samples, all materials needed to paint and art instruction.

For more, visit facebook.com/ArtsyU. Murfreesboro or call (615) 295-5819.

JAN 25 WINTER WAGON HAYRIDE AND MARSHMALLOW ROAST Enjoy a winter wagon hayride and marshmallow roast at Cannonsburgh Village (312 S. Front St.). Admission is $3.50 per person. For more information, call (615) 890-0355.

JAN. 24 CITY SCHOOLS FOUNDATION TO HONOR McPHEES Friends and colleagues will join together to honor Dr. Sidney and Elizabeth McPhee at The City Schools Foundation 7th Annual Excellence in Education Celebration. The celebration, scheduled for 7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 24, will be held at Stones River Country Club.

Celebration tickets and sponsorships are available and a pre-party for sponsors will be held at the Jeff Hendrix Stadium Club at MTSU.

John Pittard Elementary, home of the Pittard Lions, will be highlighted as the featured school for the celebration. Storyteller Dan Whittle will entertain 2014 Celebration guests as he provides the crowd with a sense of homespun humor towards the spirit of education. The City Schools Foundation is a group of civic and business leaders banding together to benefit Murfreesboro City Schools and has now contributed over $350,000 to benefit Murfreesboro City Schools’ pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade students. For additional information, visit cityschoolsfoundation.com or call Lisa Trail at 893-2313.

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LIVING ROOM CINEMA

REVIEWS MOVIES

column by NORBERT THIEMANN

facebook.com/livingroomcinema

ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES

that worked so well in the first time around have become passé in the past 9-plus years.

Co-writers Ferrell and McKay try to make fleeting commentary on the sad state of infotainment journalism, but stop just short of any meaningful satire that could have elevated this throwaway

sequel by giving it some teeth.

Worse still is the racism and misogyny that would have served as a cathartic laugh; a reprimanding of our collective past faults and a self-congratulatory pat on the back for overcoming them, if they hadn’t forgotten to include the ironic wink.

At two hours, Anchorman 2 could have used either funnier jokes or a more ruthless editor, but one aspect of the film should have been given even more screen time to flesh out. Since the first Anchorman, Steve Carrell’s comedic star has risen to a point on par with Will Ferrell, so seeing him reprise his bit role as quirky weatherman Brick Tamland seems a little out of place considering the Steve Carrell we’ve all become familiar with. That said, his brief, strange flirtations and romance with Kristin Wiig’s equally odd receptionist Chani make for some of the more offbeat and inspired moments of the film. It would have been nice to see more of that than more of the same lesser versions of decade-old jokes.

— JAY SPIGHT

that makes you check the time instead of engaging you doesn’t really seem to be worthwhile.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, this adaptation specifically created a role for Keanu Reeves, an American actor whose inclusion creates racial tension for the story.

This was a risky move for a few reasons, paramount among them

being the creative license taken with a beloved story. Keanu was also a dicey choice, considering that many people are critical of his acting abilities. While I personally have no problem with him, he seems to be absent for much of the first half of the movie. There really seems to be no emotional focus here, leading to a story that hops around different characters that are paper-thin.

The demons and swordplay, two of the film’s most important elements, are rather flat, as is the cinematography and music, which at times give you a cheesy hint to leave. This is really a shame, as the production was presented with a beautiful, ancient tapestry that is ultimately ripped apart to make gaudy window curtains.

My advice? Just go play Onimusha instead.

— JUSTIN STOKES

2.5

Starring Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Meagan Good Directed by Adam McKay

Rated PG-13

Nearly a decade after the original Anchorman (2004), Ron Burgundy and crew return in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. Perhaps a little overdue, the formula that turned the first Anchorman into a college-kid cult hit remains intact, but that college kid has grown up.

The so-called legend continues with Ron and his wife Veronica Corningstone co-anchoring a nightly news program in New York. When she gets a promotion, Ron Burgundy, the narcissistic nincompoop, leaves her and their son Walter to go back to San Diego and try to hit rock bottom only to be scooped up by an upstart 24-hour news program GNN. After a series of getting-the-gang-back-together vignettes, Burgundy and friends

head back to New York, in search of redemption.

Set in the very early ’80s, the combination of absurdist wackiness and look-how-far-we’vecome humor is still this franchise’s bread and butter, but in a post-smart phone, meme-filled, lolcats world, a lot of the things

47 RONIN 1

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Rinko Kikuchi Directed by: Carl Erik Rinsch

Rated PG-13

Based on the fictionalized history of the Ch’shingura, 47 Ronin is an American adaptation of one of Japan’s favorite myths. Set in the 18th century, the film follows the mysterious outsider Kai, who leads a band of master-less samurai who seek to avenge their dead master and reclaim his daughter from the evil ruler who has taken her. Forced to embrace his dark past, Kai must reclaim himself if he is to reclaim the glory of his band of warriors.

I committed to over an hour of this film before finally walking out.

Let me address the “elephant in the room” by dismissing the myth RATINGS:

that you have to finish a film in order to have a valid opinion. Stories are sequential art, with a film consisting of individual units that make up the whole narrative.

It would stand to reason then, that if individual components of the sequence don’t withstand the test of viewing, then the film is flawed. A movie A CLASSIC

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OUTSTANDING

AVERAGE

BELOW AVERAGE

Stand-Ins

T

here has been a long tradition where actors have stood in to portray other people, convey stories and express ideas. That tradition just got intensely magnified within these two unconventional films.

 Holy Motors (2012) is directed by Leos Carax. It’s as if Lon Chaney (The Man of 1,000 Faces) was resurrected by the heavens, and charged with creating a multitude of characters on a daily basis. Viewers get to tag along through the many sequences, in which none is quite like the rest. Holy Motors runs through the gamut of emotions, and stands strong on its originality.

 Alps (2011) is directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. A clandestine group offers its services to those who have just lost a loved one. As an aid to the grieving, an actor “stands in” as the deceased person to help alleviate the sudden void. It is strong, and strangely funny at times. Alps is fashioned of well crafted material that keeps you thinking.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS

DEAD

LESSONS - INSTRUMENTS - BOOKS - RENTALS - BUYSELLTRADE

JANUARY RELEASES

Playing this month:

NEW LOCATION!

215 ROBERT ROSE JAN. 10: The Legend

of Hercules

615.217.6165

JAN. 17: Devil’s Due

JAN. 17: The Nut Job

JAN. 24: I, Frankenstein

JAN. 31: Labor Day BOROPULSE.COM

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MTSU Students Create Prize-Winning Docs from Italy Trip DOCUMENTARY FILMS created by a dozen Il Maestro Aquafresca MTSU students took top prizes at the recent ArtLightenment Festival in Nashville. The films were the products of a summer Documentary Program Abroad trip to Florence, Italy.

Each 10-minute film focuses on a different aspect of art and artists in the city known as the birthplace of the Renaissance, where the students lived during their threeweek adventure, accompanied by professor  Tom Neff. The students and Neff, founder of Sbocciare the Documentary Channel as well as an Academy Award documentary nominee and Emmy winner, then returned to campus for three more weeks of postproduction work.

Sam Willey’s team created Il Maestro Aquafresca, Jaclyn Edmondson’s team created Sbocciare and Phillip Dixon’s team created Streets of Florence.

Sbocciare tells the story of mosaic artist Silvia Logi, who promotes the idea that “art” is ready to Streets of bloom in everyone regardless of age, occupation Florence or excuses. Il Maestro Aquafresca follows chasing and repousse master Aquafresca, whose art is his love, passion and life. Streets of Florence focuses on a number of talented artists, ranging from Claudio Spadi to Clet Abraham, who create their art on the public streets of Florence.

Sbocciare won the Best Film Award at ArtLightenment, while Il Maestro Aquafresca won both Best Documentary and the Audience Award. Streets of Florence won the award for Best Production Design.

To listen to a pre-trip interview with Neff, recorded last spring for MTSU on the Record, and to view trailers for each film visit boropulse.com.

GAME REVIEW

DMC: DEVIL MAY CRY

(Available on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC) 5

DMC: Devil May Cry is one of the most stunning examples of jumping to conclusions. A reboot of the beloved Devil May Cry series, the first trailer released sent the Internet into meltdown with people accusing the developers, Ninja Theory (Enslaved, Heavenly Sword), of butchering the series with an emo-looking Dante and an alternate universe, whereas the desire was for a sequel to the present Devil May Cry series.

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However, having played the game, I can say with absolute confidence that Devil May Cry is one of the best games of the year, hands down.

This alternate telling has our protagonist Dante wandering directionless with hardly a care in a world that is not as it seems. However, he is being hunted by an army of demons and teams up with a resistance group to not only fight the dark spawn, but also to find himself as well.

DMC’s world building must be commended. The strikingly beautiful aesthetic helps to create an environment that is as gorgeous as it is manipulative. Strong parallels are taken from the movie They Live as well as great jabs at the corporate culture that saturates our own real world. The heavy metal/symphonic soundtrack is also top-notch, helping to create just the right mood for every encounter. The writing is incredibly fun and witty, and, along with some of the most stunningly realistic facial animations I have seen in gaming, helps to make these characters—whether good or bad—incredibly believable, and especially likeable.

The meat and potatoes of the game, though, is the excellent combat system. While basically a melee fighter, there is a surprisingly deep structure of ranged CONTINUED ON 9 >>>

THEATER “Up the Stakes” Acting Training Sessions 39 Steps

On Golden Pond

ACTOR BOWD BEAL will host an eight-week actor training session in Murfreesboro on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., beginning Jan. 15 and running through March 5.

During the group class, Bowd will guide participants through the steps it takes to analyze a scene, find its core and “up the stakes” with their character. Working with scene studies, actors will be paired with others in the group. They will learn how to break down those scenes into their more compelling moments; learn how to best represent a character in those scenes; rehearse, perform and respond to suggestions on how to raise the level of quality and focus in that scene; rehearse and perform it again.

Local actors participate in community theater for a variety of reasons: the desire to perform, the thrill of meeting new friends, the joy of expressing innate talents. But for most actors, there comes a time with that desire becomes a need. And that need is not only to perform but to affect an audience; to not only act, but know that you took the audience through an emotional experience.

There’s only one way to make that transiDINNER WITH FRIENDS tion: training. Athletes 7 p.m. Jan. 10, 11, 17 and 18; 2 work out. Musicians p.m. Jan. 12 and 19 Murfreesboro Little Theatre play every day. Singers 702 Ewing Blvd. sing. Dancers dance. mltarts.com It’s time to exercise some acting muscle.

SHREK THE MUSICAL To test your limits. To 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10, 11, 17, 18, 24 and 25; 2 p.m. Jan. 11, 12, 18, up the stakes!

19, 25 and 26 For more informaMurfreesboro Center for the Arts tion on the sessions, 110 W. College St. or to register, visit boroarts.org mltarts.com.

PLAYING THIS MONTH

and close-combat options. While starting off initially with just a sword and dual pistols, as you progress, you gain access to a battle axe, scythe, iron boxing gloves, and quite a few other surprises. You also have access to a number of different abilities that help to strengthen your attacks as well as add variety to the moves you can pull off.

The whole thing is tied together by a combo rating that measures how well you do in combat in between missions. The game encourages you to pull off as many varieties of attacks as possible while avoiding getting hit as much as possible. There are also incentives to complete the missions as quickly as possible as well as using as few items as possible, and of course avoiding death if at all possible. The better your rating, the more points go toward upgrades you can use. In between missions, and at

certain points in the game, you can put those upgrades points to work as well as purchase items to regain health and even extend your health and devil bar (I am not going to spoil that one) with points you gain in-game through exploration and combat.

There is no multiplayer mode with DMC. Rather, you have different difficulty levels as well as several secret areas you gain access to in missions through keys you will find through exploration. The combat system itself encourages you to go back and see if you can do better.

I had a fantastic time with DMC. Fun, witty, and incredibly satisfying, you really cannot go wrong with it. If you have any love for fighting games or crave a slick action adventure title, do yourself a favor and pick up DMC: Devil May Cry. — NADER HOBALLAH BOROPULSE.COM

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LIVING as told by DALE HAMILTON & TOM BIANCONI

Restoring an icon of the American Road DALE: In the course of fitting out my boat building shop in anticipation of retirement, I came to the realization that I needed a big truck. The sensible thing to do would have been to go out and buy a used Freightliner, but that wouldn’t have been the cowboy way.

So, I eventually tracked down and purchased a Mack B-67 live axle tandem tractor with the 673 turbo charged motor. If any antique truck could be regarded as truly an icon of the American highway, this was it. For two years it sat behind the shop intimidating me, as I had never tackled anything on this scale.

Finally increasing pressure from my buddies caused me to roll it into the shop and start on a full-scale restoration/improvement project, which would allow upgrades to modern day technology and creature comforts. This was not to be just another restored dinosaur.

A 673 Mack Thermodyne had replaced the original 711 sometime in its life, and as it had excellent compression. I decided I would not need to open the engine.

The old duplex transmission—truly an ironclad coelacanth—had to go. It was swapped for a 15-speed triplex which gave me an honest 70-mph road speed at 2100 rpm.

The tin work however was another story.

I could handle the front end sheet metal, the fenders and doors, but the cab would have to go to Terry Stegal, the Doctor of Sheet-metal Science, the Wizard of Welding, who eventually would have to fabricate 40 percent of the 10 * JANUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

cab from new steel. The day came when a back hoe showed up at the shop door with some half-dozen usual suspects who would help lift off the cab. Just four bolts plus two more at the radiator hold down this bubble cab to doughnut-sized rubber pads on the frame. We passed a chain through the door openings and around the bucket and started the lift. This process was gut-wrenching to witness, Years of accumulated rust, corruption and various detritus fell from the cab as it pulled away. Among that, a small slip of yellowed paper fluttered to the shop floor. It turned out to be a 1974 registration slip, bearing the name Tom Bianconi, Stateline Transit, Nashville, Tennessee. Hmm . . .

TOM: I received a phone call from a rather articulate sounding fellow who claimed to have just purchased my old B Model. I had called it The Ugly Puppy when I drove it, ugly because it was painted orange and white and puppy because it was a Mack. A good name for an odd truck.

It seemed reasonable to be leery of some stranger who calls out of the blue and tells you that they are happy to have purchased a 40-year-old truck and are going to refurbish it.

Sounded like a guy that needs a job! However, Dale was very polite and again impressed me with his easy style and common sense approach to the task at hand. I was glad that my

old truck was out of the weeds and at least in a dry shop. Ugly was a tried and true friend, a real honest hard-working companion of countless hours in pitch dark night. He was my tether line to the world. He never let me down.

He deserved a better place for his final days.

Months passed and not a word from this guy in Murfreesboro. Then one day the phone rings and it is Dale again. He now tells me that he is near completion and would like for me to see the “new” old truck. I was almost speechless as he tells me of the many things he has changed. I know now that I must go see my old friend, Ugly, and meet his guy, Dale.

DALE: With the engine fully exposed, I undertook the grafting on of modern technology.

The old Luber-finer was scrapped in favor of spin-on filters. The fuel filters were also discarded, replaced by spin-ons mounted outboard of the frame rail just in front of and behind the right side wheel. I fabricated a multi-purpose bracket from 3/8ths steel reaching from the timing case cover to the valve cover in front of the engine. This would hold the AC compressor, the power steering pump, and the alternator replacing the generator. A new starter was also added. The old injectors were literally pried from the head and along with the turbocharger, sent to the diesel shop for rebuild. Eventually I would take the completed truck to this same shop so the fuel pump could be built. Curiously, the diesel guy found his original seals and

cartouche still in place from 25 years ago.

The old Mack’s ride was improved by the addition of air bags from Load Air supporting the front axle springs.

A Garrison power steering system was added at this time. The original square steel fuel tanks were scrapped, replaced with round polished aluminum tanks. All fuel lines were replaced as well. In stripping out the fuel system, I noticed the original steel fuel pedal was worn nearly in half; in fact, someone along the way had riveted a piece of plywood to the pedal to keep this from happening. This had to be a high miles truck.

The chassis was cleaned and painted and all new symtex air lines replaced the original copper. New brake drums, slack adjusters, maxi chambers and all inline valves and connectors were replaced as well. The original split ring wheels were replaced, new rubber and polished stainless Eagle Flight wheel simulators completed the road wheels.

A quantum leap in rideability was achieved by cutting down the rear spring stacks. Mack used 3 full-length leaf springs and 6 steel stiffeners on each rear tandem. I cut the ends of all 6 stiffeners leaving only their middles pinned under the U bolts- so the chassis height would not be altered. This modification—while limiting the absolute tongue weights—allowed the 3 remaining springs to actually work and deliver a very comfortable ride.

TOM: I bought Ugly from West Tennessee Motor Express in the mid ’70s while I was still in school at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. I leased it to an intrastate trucking company, Robertson Motor Line, whose home office was also in Knoxville. My run was to leave Knoxville every evening around 7 p.m. and go to Chattanooga then Nashville before returning to Knoxville. The turn took most of the night and it was not unusual to show up late for my first class arriving in Ugly and smelling of diesel fuel. This run was especially frightening for a young trucker because it meant that I had to cross Monteagle Mountain every night. This mountain had taken many a trucker to their final resting place, and the CB stories made me a believer. But Ugly, my old buddy, taught the kid how to do it right.

B-Models were work horses in every sense of the term.

They could out pull and out last any other truck on the road. “Tough as they come.” But, they were not built for the comfort of the driver. The floor had holes in it where the clutch and throttle linkage went to the engine.

This would let in more cold air than you can imagine. If you stuffed enough rags in the hole to stop the air you couldn’t push in the clutch. Boy, we were cold in the winter. The summer was not any better because part of the engine compartment was in the cab with you. The “dog house” was not insulated and all of the heat was within inches of your right foot and shifting hand.

Ugly and I delivered LTL freight for some time and then after my academic career was over, followed me to my own trucking company. Although I did not regularly drive him, sometimes he and I would sneak off by ourselves and spend some quality time.

DALE: By the time the cab was returned I was ready to paint. Everything was given a good layer of high-build primer and finished with base-coat/clear coat in astral silver pearl. But before reassembly, I insulated the whole truck with marine-grade lead foam from Soundown Inc. The firewall received 1 ½” outboard and 1” inboard. The rest of the cab, floors, doors, roof received 1” material.

This is a layer of 2-lb. lead sheet, surrounded by acoustic foam and topped by silver mylar. The idea is for the lead

to absorb and deaden the sound vibrations and reflect the heat. I gave special attention to the cab floor just over the 6” exhaust, which was bound to get real hot.

Here I bonded ceramic floor tile to the sheet metal; if they use ceramic tile on the space shuttle to shield from heat, why not here too?

The cab was reunited to the frame, new smoked glass was installed all around, and a complete new wiring system added. This last was based on a Painless breaker box with integral firewall interlock and pre-wired with the labeled, correctly sized wires. New SW Wings series gauges were added to an engine-turned dash panel insert. Engine turned stainless also highlighted other parts of the cab. Power windows were installed, and a beautiful rosewood and stainless steering wheel added.

The entire cab was upholstered in gray tweed, as were the GM Astrovan seats mounted on Bostrom seat bases.

Finally, the most fulfilling stage arrived—the shiny stuff. A new chrome Texas-style bumper, a train horn for the roof, chrome Vortox, two 6” monster stacks, light bars for the rear, and some Billit items for the cab.

The mud flap weights proclaimed “HI YO SILVER.” TOM: Dale and I agreed to meet on a Saturday for the “showing” of the new and revitalized Ugly. I was actually a little nervous. After all it had been almost 10 years since I last seen Ugly. Would he remember me?

Would he feel the same? Had all the character been taken from him by this guy named Dale?

I arrived at Dale’s shop fully expecting to find some toothless redneck with grease in places we can’t discuss and a truck with maybe new paint and some rust covered up. Boy, was I ever in for a surprise.

Dale met me in front of the shop clean neat and well groomed. He did not smell of old brake fluid or reek of body odor. A gentleman of knowledge worthy to be with Ugly, I thought. Dale asked me to stand in a very specific place in front of the double doors of his shop while he went inside. What on earth for? I thought, but I complied. I then heard the music: “Dawn” from Thus Spoke Zarathustra. I had goose bumps. The doors slowly opened and before me was my Ugly, smiling and proud as any good friend could ever be. He was not just clean and fresh, he was modern. The latest in electronics, the most up to date brakes, power steering, air conditioning, power windows, and state-of-the-art insulation for the cab, my friend was now young again.

I walked around him with awe and amazement as Dale told me of all the things that had been done. I could not believe my eyes. Then it happened. Dale asked me if I wanted to drive him. What an honor.

We got in and I started the engine. It sounded just as I remembered but not as noisy. Much tighter and quieter; 'that insulation really makes a difference' I thought. I put it in first gear and eased out of the shop.

I could feel Ugly getting excited like a race horse ready for the run. My shifting was rusty but Ugly is forgiving and by fourth gear we were doing fine. What a wonderful truck. Ugly was smooth, quiet, powerful and best of all back in service. Friendships like this never die they just grab another gear and keep going.

As I was getting ready to leave, Dale said he had something for me. I wondered what. He then presented me with Ugly’s old fuel pedal mounted on a plaque inscribed with Unit 40 and my name. I almost cried.

The pedal is now proudly displayed in my office. It's a wonderful conversation piece for those kids who have not yet found their “Ugly.” Thank you, Dale, for making my friend new again. HI YO SILVER – Away . . .

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The Best Books of 2013

by MICHELLE PALMER

Although the New Year is already here, 2013 proved to be a fantastic year for books. From gripping novels to the explosion of young adult literature, the choices were almost endless. Here are a few of the best from 2013.

THE GOLDFINCH

by Donna Tartt Don’t let this hefty size of the newest novel by Donna Tartt put you off. At nearly 800 pages, it is a big commitment, but there is much to love in what reviewers are lauding as one of the best books of the decade. Centered around 13-year-old Theo, an explosion that kills his mother, and a painting that falls into Theo’s hands, The Goldfinch is a beautifully written coming-of-age story that is worth every page.

ALLEGIANT

by Veronica Roth Divergent fans waited with bated breath to finally read the last book in the wildly popular dystopian series by Veronica Roth.

Picking up at the end of Insurgent, this book had a lot of loose ends to tie up, and it does—although perhaps not the way eager fans would have wanted. Roth’s bleak world, where society is divided into factions based on a particular personality trait makes for an exciting series of books, one well worth delving into.

LIFE AFTER LIFE

by Kate Atkinson In Life After Life, Kate Atkinson solidifies her position as one of today’s most interesting and talented writers. Her newest novel is a departure from Atkinson’s well-loved Detective Brodie series, but it may be her best novel to date. Ursula Todd is born into a wealthy banker’s family in 1910, and dies instantly. But that is just the first of Ursula’s lives. She continues to be born again and again, like a twisted kind of Groundhog Day, Day until Ursula finally gets it right and learns her purpose on earth. With Atkinson’s trademark humor and unlikely plot twists, Life After Life will keep you guessing until the highly satisfying ending.

THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE

by Neil Gaiman Author of several young adult novels, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is Gaiman’s first adult novel since 2005. Although technically written for adults, readers of all ages will thrill to this supernatural story about a lonely seven-year-old boy and the secret he discovers about his neighbors, young Lettie and her family. With a child’s sense of wonder and fear, Gaiman perfectly illustrates the life of a lonely child, and how terrifying the grown up world can be. This short novel is the ideal book to curl up with on a cold winter’s afternoon.

Michelle Palmer is Read to Succeed's One Book Committee Co-Chair and author of the book blog, Turn of the Page at michellepalmersbooks.blogspot.com. Read To Succeed is the community collaborative created to promote literacy in Rutherford County. 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.

Downtown in Motion “Downtown in Motion,” a health initiative of Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation aimed to fight Type 2 diabetes, provides measured walking routes/maps of the Downtown Square and Historic District, so area residents may consider walking at lunch, prior to or after work.

Permanent signs (maps with measured routes) have been placed at two locations just off the Courthouse Square on the City Plaza,

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at the corner of West Vine and South Church, and on the Tennessee Department of Health property at the corner of East Burton and North Maple.

Another great, lighted option for running/walking is the Stones River Greenway – Gateway Trail, located just behind Murfreesboro Medical Center at 1272 Garrison Dr.

To view and print maps with measured routes of various distances, or to view the Downtown in Motion video, visit boropulse.com.

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LIVING

KICKIN' IT 9Round ready to beat members into shape this year with up-tempo 30-minute workout routine.

Fitness trainer, businesswoman and former amateur boxer Ashley Gates (pictured right) helps 9Round clients lose fat and tone muscle.

BY BRACKEN MAYO

A

concept gaining traction in various communities across the country has made its way to a New Salem Highway shopping center, and is primed and ready to kick area residents in the butt, so to speak.

9Round offers a fun but demanding approach to fitness, as participants work with a trainer to pack 9 different exercises into a 30-minute flurry of fury and sweat.

9Round Murfreesboro owner and trainer Ashley Gates leads members through these 3-minute-long rounds to achieve a full-body workout in 30 minutes. There are no class times. Rather, a 3-minute clock runs continuously through the day, and members can jump in and begin working their way through the stations when they’re ready.

“You come in whenever fits your schedule; and there’s a trainer out on the floor with you at all times,” Gates said.

“We’re working on those trouble spots for women, the inner thighs,” she continued as her trainee, Mitzi Quiles, shifted from side to side with a kettlebell at station No. 2 during a recent workout.

Although tape and gloves are worn and the center has a boxing theme, there is no contact . . . other than with the bags.

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Quiles has already jumped rope for 3 minutes at station 1. With 7 stations to go, she has only just begun the 30 intense minutes but is already working hard.

“My legs are shaking already,” she said, moving onto round 3, where she’ll get to take out some frustration on a punching bag.

The workout changes daily, so the rounds aren’t always exactly the same, Gates said.

But no matter what, “You never stop moving the whole time you’re here,” she said.

The half hour is jammed-packed with squats, jumping, punching, kicking, running and situps—30 minutes of movement.

“It’s interval training,” Gates said. “Shooting

Mitzi Quiles rings the bell after another successful workout.

that heart rate up, then bringing it down.

“We’re doing aerobic, strength and anaerobic, that’s where it’s at.”

Anaerobic exercises require intense bursts of activity, in short durations.

Another plus to the 9Round circuit method is that the up-tempo workout, hitting lots of muscle groups, can benefit anyone of any fitness level.

“Beginners, intermediates, advanced, anyone can do it,” Gates said.

Everyone can go at their own intensity level, and push themselves a little more each

time, but the main thing is to keep on moving.

Currently, 9Round’s membership is about 70 percent women, Gates said, “but men get a great workout.”

Men, perhaps, tend to gravitate towards mixed martial arts, karate and other contact sports if they are punching and kicking, but Gates emphasizes 9Round is a no-contact activity.

“It’s more about fitness and seeing how your body works here,” Gates said.

“I did some amateur boxing; I didn’t like being hit,” she continued. “It’s a great sport, but not for me,” Gates said, as the ever-ticking 3-minute timer goes off once again to signal a round change for participants.

9Round is a rapidly growing fitness franchise, now with locations in 33 states.

“It’s just 30 minutes; I keep telling myself that,” Quiles said, appearing drained but confident after her workout. “Just 30 minutes of my day. I love it.”

“I’ve never hit a punching bag (prior to joining 9Round), but I’ll be driving down the road now and I’ll think, ‘I just want to hit that bag,’” she said.

Find 9roundmurfreesboro on Facebook and for more information on the network of 9Round fitness centers opening across the country, including the one in Murfreesboro, visit 9round.com. 9Round is located at 2658 New Salem Hwy.; ask about their $20 enrollment discount throughout January.

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FOOD A LOOK AT MURFREESBORO’S MEAT-AND-THREE OPTIONS.

COMFORT FOOD

SOMETIMES YOU WANT A HOME-COOKED DINNER—SOME WARM COMFORT FOOD—and your cook of choice isn’t around or you do not have the hours required to create a true dinner.

There are plenty of spots around Murfreesboro with folks fixin’ up meats and veggies Southern-style, and while they may not be just like Grandma’s, many of the places that consider mac and cheese a vegetable come pretty close and offer delicious, filling meals in a unique setting.

But some of these spots can be a little hard to find, as they are not always well-publicized, national-name-recognition, on-the-beaten-path kind of places.

So, the Pulse offers you a little roundup of some of the best local spots where you can get that traditional Southern food from local businesses with personality.

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The Kleer-Vu Lunchroom (above), and its cafeteria-style trays.

(Below) Fixins from Jeff's Family Restaurant.

by BRACKEN MAYO

THE LEGEND

UPSCALE/DOWN-HOME

Kleer-Vu Lunchroom

B. McNeel’s

226 S. Highland Ave.

215 N. Church St.

HOURS: Mon.–Thurs. 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–8 p.m.

HOURS: Mon.–Fri. 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

COST: Meat & 3: $8.00

This cafeteria-style lunchroom at the corner of Highland and Vine seems to be the community favorite. Lawyers, professors, students and thugs alike line up each morning to get a tray full of delicious roast beef, ham, ribs, meatloaf, apples, green beans, turnip greens and more. Feeling adventurous? They have pigs’ feet. Want dessert?

Large pans of soupy peach cobbler await.

COST: Meat & 3: $8.25

B. McNeel’s, inhabiting a beautifully renovated old home just off the Square, has transitioned from a steakhouse/dinner spot to more of a meat-and-3/lunch-style menu over recent years, but it has retained the elegant atmosphere and cloth napkins for a more refined business/professional crowd. The rotating menu features a variety of veggies, salads and meats each day. Fried cabbage, glazed carrots,

and mac and cheese pair well with meatloaf, pot roast or fried chicken. And the outdoor patio provides a lovely, shaded spot for an outdoor lunch during the sunny season.

THE SPOT ON THE SQUARE City Cafe 113 E. Main St. HOURS: Mon. 11 a.m.–3 p.m.; Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–9 p.m.

COST: Meat & 3: $7.95

A classic fried chicken and green beans plate at B. McNeel’s

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It has the reputation of being the spot where the old-timers kick back, talk politics and have their coffee, but City Cafe attracts a wide range of customers, and the classic diner has some very creative breakfast names. The Preacher’s Breakfast, at $3.09, consists of “one egg, two pieces of bacon or one piece of sausage, biscuits or toast. If Sunday’s offering wasn’t that great, we’ll cut you a break!” The First Responders’ Breakfast, at $5.99, includes “three eggs, bacon or sausage, one hotcake. You’ll be lucky to eat it all, before you get a call!” The Banker’s Breakfast, at $7.29, gives you “three eggs, grilled or fried pork tenderloin, home fries, biscuits or toast. Fill up your tummy before you handle our money!” and more. So stop in the greasy spoon on Main for some giant pancakes or biscuits and gravy, or a meaty Murfreesboro omelet for breakfast. Lots of

burgers, platters, sandwiches and salads are available for lunch as well.

THE NEWCOMER Jeff Sowell’s Family Restaurant 467 S. Hancock St. HOURS: Mon.–Sat. 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

COST: Meat & 3: $7.30

Though it’s not been around as long as some of the other traditional spots in the area, many in Murfreesboro say Jeff Sowell’s Family Restaurant is equal to, if not better than, Kleer-Vu. They got your chicken and waffles, liver and on-

Sample it all at Farmer’s Family Restaurant’s unlimited buffets.

ions and lasagna; excellent ribs, smoked right outside, are available, too. Their assortment of breads—hot water bread, flapjacks, yeast rolls, skillet bread, corn muffins and cracklin bread—is impressive, as are the fried catfish and chicken. Try some black-eyed peas, barbecue and some of the tremendous desserts. The 4-layer cakes are literally a foot tall. Jeff ’s is the real deal, home cooking with love.

variety of dishes, from chicken to spaghetti to ribs and steaks, a salad bar and, of course, a mountain of desserts. Try some sweet potatoes cooked in pancake syrup and jalapeño cornbread to go with your catfish.

THE COUNTRY GROCERY

HOURS: Sun.–Thurs. 6 a.m.–10 p.m.;

Miller’s Grocery 7011 Main St., Christiana HOURS: Tues.–Sun. 11 a.m.–2 p.m.;

Fri.–Sat. 5:30–9 p.m.

COST: Meat & 2: $7.50

This old grocery store in the heart of Christiana, Tenn., cooks up the corn nuggets, okra and broccoli casserole for lunch alongside country BBQ ribs, fried pork chops, chicken and dressing and more. The Miller’s Famous Catfish comes highly recommended, as do the delicious cakes and pies. Offering live entertainment on weekend nights as well as more dishes such as frog legs, Miller’s Grocery is a short drive from the ‘Boro, but far enough to feel like you’re in the country.

They’ve now gone mobile too; look for the Miller’s food truck around these parts.

THE BUFFET Farmer’s Family Restaurant 1958 Old Fort Pkwy.

HOURS: Sun.–Thurs. 7 a.m.–9 p.m.;

Fri.–Sat. 7 a.m.–10 p.m.

COST: Supper Buffet: $8.99–9.99

Buffets in general seem to emphasize quantity over quality, but step into the kitchen at Farmer’s Family Restaurant and you will actually see fresh corn being shucked, beans gleaned from area farms, and hand-breaded chicken and catfish, not the canned and frozen ingredients one may expect. This all-you-can-eat establishment boasts a huge

THE CHAIN Cracker Barrel 138 Chaffin Pl. | 2115 S. Church St. Fri.–Sat. 6 a.m.–11 p.m.

COST: Chicken & dumplings with 3 sides:

$8.69 Though it doesn’t have the personal feel of an independent eatery, plenty of folks from far and wide like to get their vittles at Cracker Barrel. There are hundreds of these dining rooms and general stores scattered about the country, all with a mess of genuine antique items hung at careful diagonals, but the up side to the close corporate control is that the food is generally consistent. Get your pork chops, smoked sausage, hash brown casserole, and chicken and dumplins by the fireplace and hang around after the meal for a game a checkers or a rock on the porch.

CAFE ON THE RIVER Stones River Grill 1443 N.W. Broad St. HOURS: Mon.–Fri. 6 a.m.–3 p.m.;

Sat. 6 a.m.–2 p.m.

COST: Meat & 3: $7.09

The white building on Broad has seen numerous restaurant operators over the years, but Stones River Grill still keeps ’em coming in for hamburger steaks, meatloaf, salmon patties, catfish and other great lunches.

WHAT DID I MISS? Let us know what you like; join the discussion on local dining, music, issues, movies and more at BoroPulse.com or Facebook.com/BoroPulse.

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The Young Africans group is made up of former African Children's Choir participants.

SOUNDS

T Music for Life brings Young Africans . . .

To The ’Boro & Beyond story by JESSICA PACE

After the group's Murfreesboro stop, the Young Africans will perform in Jackson and Memphis Jan. 4–5 and throughout the Southeast over the coming months.

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hrough music and dance, the Young Africans brought their native culture to Murfreesboro’s Journey Pointe Church on Dec. 20.

A group of singers, dancers and musicians, Young Africans are the now twentysomething former performers of the African Children’s Choir of Music for Life. Music For Life is a Christian humanitarian relief organization founded by activist Ray Barnett in the 1980s and dedicated to educating and improving the lives of African youth. The choir recruits children from impoverished African families to get an education, tour the world and return to help their families.

Starting in October, the Young Africans began their second tour of the states and will perform in Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Ohio and Ontario before the tour ends in February.

Their concerts are free and open to the public, though donations are collected, which go toward education, care and relief programs.

“This is our second Young Africans choir,” said tour leader Robbie Luninze. “We did a five-month tour with them last year. So many wondered what happened to the [children’s choir] when they go back home. Where have they been? Do they go home and study?” This tour, explained Luninze, “was to show the world and the supporters who stood by MFL that yes, they go back home, study and we bring them back in their teens and early twenties. It’s living testimony that MFL does what it says. They’re still pursuing their dreams.”

Music for Life has educated more than 52,000 children and improved the lives of more than 100,000 individuals through its programs. MFL works with the African countries of Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa.

“Our goal and mission is to help them, so they can help Africa tomorrow. We provide education in their home countries, so they can become the changemakers,” said Luninze, who has been with the Children’s Choir for just over 18 years. He has spent the past five touring with the Young Africans group of Ugan-

dans and Kenyans now performing in North America. He joined the choir at the age of 8, through which he received an education and graduated in 2010 with a business degree.

“It helped me turn my life around from once being one of the poorest, least advantaged children in Africa to be who I am today,” said Luninze, who comes from a family of seven. “My mother would not have been able to care for all of us. It was hard to find a meal a day before I joined the choir,” he said. “I lived in a hopeless situation. The choir came to my rescue and offered me this opportunity.”

Music For Life affiliates visit African countries to recruit kids who, according to Luninze, “absolutely need help, and otherwise might not be able to make it.” To join Young Africans, former choir members go through a musical audition to get back on the road. Luninze said his own experiences with MFL and the choir changed him. “I saw things differently. I found out there are people in life that care. It really helped me become the man I am today. It’s far bigger than the education; it’s a life-enriching experience spiritually, emotionally, physically.”

Luninze said some former choir members go on to become teachers in schools supported by MFL, lawyers, engineers and doctors in the communities from which they came.

“The only person we haven’t had is a president yet,” Luninze laughed. “After they tour, the parents look at them as hope for their families, as liberators. One day they will help them get out of this poverty.”

On Nelson Mandela:

“The death of Nelson was a big blow to Music For Life, to the choir, to Africa in general. We lost a great leader. We lost a grandfather for Africa. Young Africans strive to have such integrity and honesty as they grow up. Nelson Mandela was a role model to everybody. We want our Young Africans to walk in those footsteps, live a life of integrity, and promise to help others. Sacrifice your personal pleasure for the sake of others. He left a good legacy. We encourage ourselves and our children to look up to him.”

The Day I Changed My Thinking About Electric Guitars

by SAUL ZONANA A FEW YEARS AGO A FRIEND OF MINE needed to meet me in Murfreesboro to deliver a guitar distortion pedal that he had repaired. He said, “Let’s meet out in front of Guitar Mill by the Public Square in the ‘Boro.”

“Guitar Mill?” I asked. “What’s that?” I was still fairly new to town and had no idea what Guitar Mill was. Well, boy, do I know what it is now.

That day, after meeting my friend (who successfully fixed my pedal), I had to peek inside of this Guitar Mill place and see what was going on. I was stunned. You see, at that time, though I was really happy to be here in the ‘Boro, I had been feeling the culture shock of moving from New York to Murfreesboro. I had been truly missing the diversity, the pace and the entrepreneurial spirit of New York. I just didn’t see it enough here in Murfreesboro. Well, not until that day.

What I found inside of Guitar Mill was a full-blown, independently owned custom electric guitar manufacturer. Not just a store, not just a repair shop, but the materials, the machinery and all of the skills needed to build any high-quality, custom electric guitar from scratch. Now this is cool. First I met the owner, Mario Martin, and his wife, Shannon. Mario was happy to give me the tour. He showed me a large room filled with many different types of woods for guitar bodies and necks— wood that Mario himself handpicked and brought back to his shop. I also saw every type of machine you would hope to see in a shop like this: CNC machines that cut out the custom shapes of guitar bodies and necks, spray rooms where they apply custom paint and lacquer to the instruments, heated dry rooms where they place the guitars to dry, buffer rooms where they buff the guitars, work stations where they work on custom pick guards and electronics. You name it, they have it. Heck, they even have a separate “sparkle” room for sparkle paint jobs.

But what came next changed my thinking about electric guitars forever.

I’ve had an electric guitar in my hands since I was about 5 years old—40 years of listening to, playing, recording, reading about and owning electric guitars. When I picked up these Mario Guitars that day and started playing, I soon realized that these were about the best I had ever played.

The combination of the lightweight Paulownia wood he often uses, with the beautiful custom necks, incredible fretwork and the world’s best pickups, these guitars are second to none.

I thought, “What a score finding this place!” I learned that after Mario Martin had a secondstring career as a country artist, he turned to building guitars. He worked at Fender’s custom shop for several years and then worked at Gibson for a few years as well. He took all of that knowledge and with his own experience applies that to making his own guitars today. So of course, I soon took one home. It was a thin-line Telecaster-style guitar, easily the best feeling and sounding guitar in my collection of about 40 guitars. I started using it primarily on my Fix the Broken CD. It played so well I just couldn’t put it down. When it was time to hit the road a bit I knew I had to be playing Mario Guitars. Because it is a complete custom shop, I’m able to order a guitar exactly how I want it down to the last detail. And for me there are a whole bunch of details when ordering a guitar.

Now, the fourth guitar that I’ve ordered is complete! (pictured) It’s a coke-bottle green sparkle Serpentine guitar with 13-pin midi, acoustic piezo, TV Jones pickups and a Wilkinson tremolo system. It’s superlight and plays and sounds like a dream. I now use these guitars everywhere and always. I own two Mario Telecaster-style guitars, a custom Mario purple Jazzmaster style guitar (pictured), a custom Mario blue T-Master (pictured), and now the green Serpentine. I have happily paid for every one of these guitars and Mario Martin does not pay me to say these things.

There are so many guitar players in Middle Tennessee, maybe more here than anywhere else in the world. Most players seem to follow the same old mundane routine of going to one of the big music chains (toy stores, really) to buy the same old cheesy, cookie-cutter guitars, most of the time an inferior instrument with a popular name on the headstock, but nothing much else to offer. But right here in your own back yard is a skilled guitar builder who can deliver a far higher level of quality, handmade in the USA, for less money; there’s really no comparison. And it’s local! How can one not support that? For more information on Guitar Mill, visit guitarmill.com.

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IF YOU GO:

SOUNDS JANUARY CONCERTS

Send your show listings to listings@boropulse.com

PULSE PICK

WHISKEY RIVER KINGS SAT., JAN. 18 @ MAYDAY BREWERY

The Whiskey River Kings are blowing into town from Huntsville, Ala. The six piece band dole out danceable southern rock with a side of blues, folk and funk implemented with well-placed reeds as well as mandolin and banjo.

THURS, 1/2

FRI, 1/10

JOZOARA Rik Gracia

FANATICS Zone Status MAYDAY BREWERY Erisa Rei THE BORO Outlaw Serenade, Guiltless Cult

FRI, 1/3 FANATICS Junkbox MAIN STREET LIVE Chris Fraser, Mike Vulcan, Timothy Prince, Clint Brown, Gina Sutton, Paul Komarov, Patrick Neuro Underground Manning MAYDAY BREWERY Lance Allen THE BORO Jukebox Chemistry

SAT, 1/4 FANATICS LaFever JOZOARA Justin Kaleb Driggers MAYDAY BREWERY Jake Leg Stompers

WED, 1/8 3 BROTHERS Ryan Coleman’s Writers Night

THURS, 1/9 JOZOARA Rik Gracia

SAT, 1/11 FANATICS Top Shelf MAYDAY BREWERY Josh Farrow THE BORO Wheathouse

WED, 1/15 3 BROTHERS Ryan Coleman’s Writers Night

THURS, 1/16 JOZOARA Rik Gracia

FRI, 1/17 BREW U John Salaway FANATICS Greez Monkeez MAYDAY BREWERY Jonny Gowow THE BORO This Modern Station

View Concert Listings Online: 20 * JANUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

3 Brothers 114 N. Church St. 410-3096 Bunganut Pig 1602 W. Northfield Blvd.

893-7860

SAT, 1/18 ARTS CENTER OF CANNON COUNTY Sixty Four (Beatles tribute) FANATICS Markey Blues Band MAYDAY BREWERY The Whiskey River Kings THE BORO PLOWD WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Winter Music Education Conference

Chais Music Hall 101 Spring St., Wartrace (931) 389-7050 Cumberland Caverns 1437 Cumberland Caverns Road, McMinnville (931) 668-4396 Fanatics 1850 Old Fort Pkwy.

494-3995 First United Methodist Church 265 W. Thompson Ln. 898-1862

PULSE PICK

TUES, 1/21 WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Ai Goldsmith, guest flute recital

WED, 1/22 3 BROTHERS Ryan Coleman’s Writers Night

THURS, 1/23

JUSTIN KALEB DRIGGERS SAT. JAN. 14 @ JOZOARA

A storytelling sort of singer/songwriter from the Ozarks, Justin Kaleb Driggers will bring his Springsteen-esque brand of Americana that’s slightly country, slightly rock and roll, to JoZoara.

WED, 1/29

JOZOARA Rik Gracia

3 BROTHERS Ryan Coleman’s Writers Night

FRI, 1/24

THURS, 1/30

FANATICS Johnny Gowwow MAYDAY BREWERY Mayday Malone THE BORO Agents of Athens WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Deanna Little, flute; Windell Little, faculty recital

JOZOARA Rik Gracia

FRI, 1/31 FANATICS Scott Holt Band MAYDAY BREWERY Kathy Von THE BORO Ashes of Folly

WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Rutherford County Choral Festival

SAT, 2/1 FANATICS LaFever WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Opera in Concert

WED, 2/5 3 BROTHERS Writers Night

SAT, 1/25

SUN, 1/26 WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Tanner Antonetti, senior trombone recital

MON, 1/27 WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Todd Waldecker, clarinet; Arunesh Nadgir, piano faculty recital

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

SUN, 2/2

FANATICS John Salaway JOZOARA Brad Ewing MAYDAY BREWERY Rhythm Kitchen THE BORO Crayons and Antidotes, Body of Light, Subnovas, Mantra Mantra Mantra

Hippie Hill 8627 Burks Hollow Rd. (615) 796-3697

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

PULSE PICK

MAIN ST. LIVE FAREWELL FRIDAY, JAN. 3 @ MAIN ST. LIVE

The building at 527 W. Main St. has hosted a lot of live music over the decades, but may close its doors as a venue for good since the building ownership changed hands last month. Friday, Jan. 3, Main St. Live will host one last blowout EDM party. No cover, to say thanks to those in the Middle Tennessee EDM community who have recently supported the business. Look for a big announcement regarding a new venue later this month.

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

MUSIC NOTES

Light, Crayons & Antidotes, Subnovas and Mantra Mantra Mantra will perform at The Boro Bar and Grill (1211 Greenland Dr.) on Saturday, Jan. 25. A $5 donation gets you last year’s T-shirt.

Boro Fondo 2014 will kick off April 25 at Mayday Brewery with music, bike games and a Critical Mass ride (Friday, April 25, just happens to be the same day as Critical Mass, the internationally recognized global city bike ride). The festivities continue April 26, with stops all over town throughout the weekend at 3 Brothers, Smoopy’s, The Boro, Two Tone Art Gallery, Wall Street and many more. The event will also include standup comedy, theater, art and poetry and maybe even a mini-ramp for riders to get their tricks on. For more on Boro Fondo, check out borofondo.com.

Social to Host Real Wednesdays Rap Battles

Boro Fondo Accepting Bands for 2014 Fest THE DATE HAS BEEN SET for this year’s Boro Fondo, and organizers are confirming venues and looking to have the lineup set in the coming weeks.

Bands are still being accepted; bands can apply to perform as part of 2014's bicycling, music and art tour of Murfreesboro by downloading an application at borofondo.com.

Additionally, a group of Fondo-supporting bands will present a Fondo fundraiser as Body of

A NEW FORUM FOR RAP ARTISTS WILL LAUNCH THIS MONTH, and offers contestants competing each week the opportunity to walk away with $100.

Every Wednesday, starting Jan. 22, rappers can grab the mic onstage at Social for a chance to see who’s got the best flow.

“Each performer gets 16 bars per round. The crowd selects the winner at the end of the show,” said Real Wednesdays founder Larry Kennon.

Kennon is eager to get the series underway, and to see who in the hip-hop creative community will step up to be a regular participant.

“I am a DJ, so I can do it if I need to,” Kennon said. “I’d like to snag a DJ, though.”

The $100 prize is awarded weekly, so for anyone who wants an incentive to show off their stuff, this is it.

“This should be a great addition to the community, and I believe it will be enjoyed by folks from all around. It will definitely bring unity for sure!” Kennon said, encouraging all area rappers to come out to Social and join the fun.

The contest will begin at 11 p.m. on Wednesdays, starting Jan. 22. Social is located at 114 N. Church St. For more information on the series, check out facebook.com/realwednesdays.

BOROPULSE.COM

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JANUARY 2014

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ALBUM REVIEWS by JESSICA PACE

THE TILLERS

BLUE MATCHES

Hand on the Plow

Starting Over

4

3.5

The Cincinnati bluegrass/folk trio The Tillers have their connection to the region through the Muddy Roots record label, which released the LP Hand on the Plow back in July. The album could be called neo-oldtime music, antithetical but true in the sense that it’s a mix of love and travel songs from a different era sung for the sake of storytelling and reverence for their influences, along with contemporary tunes personalized with the group’s own trials, tribulations and musings.

The group is Michael Oberst, Sean Geil and more recently, Sean’s brother Aaron Geil replacing Jason Soudrette on upright bass in 2010. Michael plays kazoo and fiddle in addition to trading off on vocals and banjo—which is never harsh and plucky; it’s liquid, loose and understatedly restless—with Sean, who brings a mandolin and a Dobro into the mix. The album is powerfully sad, uncomfortably tender, flawlessly perfunctory in its execution, resolute and sonically uplifting, and vocals can be steady and sustaining, or resonant like they’re ricocheting around inside a tin can, as on the opening romp, “Old West Side”: The factory is spewing by the dirty riverside Where trains belt out a midnight song and coyotes they cry For their own to be returning and it ain’t much to you The wheels they keep on turning Still I’m thinking about you.

The track immediately creates a sense of distance that carries throughout the record; there’s a feeling of unrest, of a season turning, wistful, a little unsettled and a little too far from home, like on “Long Summer Day” or even the over-told and hokey but tragic story of lovers’ separation and loss on “Willy Dear.” The devil comes in to dance on “I Gotta Move,” and banjo sweeps in sync with a fiddle that’s jazzy, swampy, dark and agitated—very much in Legendary Shack Shakers style. “Can’t Be True” is a beautiful gem; the raucous “Treehouse” sounds like it was recorded in someone’s kitchen during an impromptu jam session.

Hand on the Plow wavers between the exquisitely macabre, drawing heavily on the Legendary Shack Shakers, and tenderly downcast.

RATINGS: AVERAGE 22 * JANUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

A CLASSIC BELOW AVERAGE

Nashville band Blue Matches’ first album, Starting Over, is aptly named to reflect an embittered tale of a relationship or probably some amalgam of several.

Guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist Steven Edwards, a former MTSU student, started the band years ago while in school, playing out of Murfreesboro before the group took a year-long hiatus and reformed with a new rhythm section in 2012.

Blue Matches are Michelle Marston on vocals, Edwards, Stephen Smith on bass and vocals, and Katey Perkins on drums and percussion. Edwards produced and recorded Starting Over, which dropped on Dec. 10, and wrote or co-wrote the majority of the album’s 17 tracks. Marston delivers each one with cold, blue vocals and ethereal feedback blustering through the opener, “How It All Began.”

Marston wrote “Tumbling” and “Tumbleweed,” the latter a track that sounds clear, cold and beat up, framed by Laurel Blackman’s violin and Josh Dent’s cello as Marston sings, I wish this was the last time/ But I know myself better than that/I can’t do anything once/I’m always wanting more/Chased by my demons and my apathy/My addictions have made the best part of me/And now there’s not much left of me/I’m feeling so unworthy of the woman I want to be.

The lead vocalist sounds like Exene Cervenka from X, like on “Down and Out,” which has punkish, grizzly guitars blistering underneath a snarly but overtly feminine voice that also brings to mind Pat Benatar on occasion. There have been comparisons to The Distillers, which makes sense; so does a comparison of Courtney Love through Starting Over’s playfully sinister pop style, or even some of the vehemence of Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon.

The album’s lyrics are obsessively, wildly embittered and therefore hopeless and defeated; see “Infatuation,” “I Won’t Surrender” or “Take It All,” where male vocals overlap with Marston’s, evoking the feeling of an argument taking place.

It’s a well-produced, angry and atmospheric pop record rife with vows not to get fooled again.

OUTSTANDING AVOID AT ALL COSTS

DEAD

KARAOKE, TRIVIA, BINGO & DJ NIGHTS IN MURFREESBORO  MONDAYS BREW U Live Trivia @ 7 p.m.

BUNGANUT PIG Live Trivia @ 7 p.m.

THE POUR HOUSE DJ 7–11 p.m.

MELLOW MUSHROOM Trivia @ 8 p.m.

NOBODY’S Live Trivia @ 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

SAM’S Live Trivia @ 8 p.m.

 TUESDAYS

 THURSDAYS

IGNITE Karaoke 8 p.m.–12 a.m.

3 BROTHERS Live Trivia @ 7pm OLD CHICAGO Live Trivia @ 9 p.m.

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

THE POUR HOUSE DJ 7–11 p.m.

NOBODY’S Bingo @ 7 p.m.

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.

WALL STREET Live Trivia @ 8 p.m.

 WEDNESDAYS CAMPUS PUB Karaoke 10 p.m.–2:30 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.

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

MT BOTTLE Karaoke 9 p.m.–3 a.m.

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

BOROPULSE.COM

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JANUARY 2014

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SPORTS

WHO’S GOING TO NEW YORK FOR THE SUPER BOWL?

T

spending $5K a ring. The Lombardi Trophy he Train Daddy is back with the pain is made by Tiffany & Co. and costs $25K. daddy and ready to hit you in the mouth This year Bruno Mars will be the halftime with some sports knowledge and life lesentertainment; I doubt he can outdo the sons in a sexy yet unedited kind of way.

2004 show, where Janet Jackson showed it to The Train’s out the station; let’s roll. We the whole world. Wardrobe malfunction? In have a National Championship, the NFL play1967, a 30-second TV ad cost $40,000; these offs and a Super Bowl coming up, Some Duck days a 30-second commercial Dynasty controversy, a Tenwill cost you $3.8 million. nessee Titans recap and the The most watched event humor of The Train Daddy. ever was the 2012 Super I want to start by telling Bowl, where 111.3 million the story of a Texas middle viewers tuned in. Last year’s school running back named Super Bowl was third on James Fullbright III, a 5' the list and 9 out of 10 of 7", 165-pound stud. This the most viewed events young kid’s future looks ever were Super Bowls. This bright, and here is a recent season’s Super Bowl will be stat line from one of his played in New Jersey, and games: eight Touchdowns is the first Super Bowl to on nine Carries for 391 be played outside in a cold yards, blocked two extra column by Z-TRAIN weather environment. Super points, and had an intertitanman1984@ yahoo.com Bowls have typically taken ception. That’s all I have place in warm environto say about the kid. If this ments or in the shelter of a dome. I hope the story would have come out of anywhere else weather is awful and affects the game, just so I would have ignored it, but they play bigit backfires on the NFL and they learn their boy football down in Texas, even in middle lesson. Keep these games in the sunny states school. Look him up, future star. or inside. The coldest Super Bowl ever was in So onto actual big-boy football. Let’s do a 1973 in New Orleans where the temperature little Super Bowl trivia, always interesting. got down to 39 degrees. That’s all I got for The first Super Bowl ever was played in 1967 you, now maybe you learned something and the Packers vs. Chiefs, where Mr. Lombardi you can impress your friends at your Super and the Pack won 35-10, and attendance was Bowl party.

61,946. The dirty towel swinging Steelers Jan. 6, in Pasadena, Calif., the Auburn Tihold the record for most titles, with six Super gers will meet the No. 1 team in the country, Bowl victories. Eleven million pounds of poFlorida State. Generally in past seasons I tato chips will be eaten, or 27 billion calories, could pick a clear winner without a doubt, also eight million pounds of avocados will always being the team from the SEC taking be devoured. Everyone loves chicken, and the title. I still have Auburn winning this 3.8 million chicken wings will be devoured game, but FSU is the real on Super Sunday, or 100 deal, not comparable to million pounds. Some say some of those awful Ohio it’s a sin to gamble; some NFC State teams that made it say gluttony is a sin; well, to the title game. This one 1/3 of adults will bet on the Saints @ Eagles should be a classic, there game, and Super Sunday 49ers @ Packers still is nothing comparable is the second-highest food Byes: Seahawks, Panthers to the SEC, and Auburn consumption day of the AFC will benefit from their year. Super Sinful Sunday.

Chiefs @ Colts strength of conference and The next day, antacid sales schedule; they’re more increase by 20 percent.

Chargers @ Bengals prepared for a big game.

The NFL pays for up to 150 Byes: Broncos, Patriots You just wait and see! rings for the winning team,

SPORTS TALK

THE PLAYOFF PICTURE

24 * JANUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

The Robertsons, and all Americans, have the right to speak their minds; Peyton Manning and Eric Decker await to see who they will face in the playoffs.

I said we would talk about some Duck Dynasty.

You might say “Train Daddy, this is a sports article.” Well, killing ducks is a sport. I don’t have much to say here, except I love this family. Sometimes we take criticism for things we say, trust me, I know. So Phil Robertson stated a women’s va-j-j sounds more appealing than another man’s anus. I have to agree there. People have their own opinions and lifestyles; whatever you’re into, it’s nobody’s business but yours. The man stated he would never incite hate on any person, but since he has his own personal morals, he gets labeled as a homophobe and racist by some. Not a single word from that GQ interview was racist. Read it, and the haters will twist it, like Rev. Jackson. Jackson is a race hustler and he interjected himself into the controversy.

The man is a left-wing political hack who uses race as a tool to divide and conquer for political gain. Jackson compared Phil to the bus driver who asked Rosa Parks to move to the back of the bus, stating at least he was doing his job. He stated Phil made comments under the umbrella of white privilege. It’s funny how a Christian can make a comment based on their tool of the trade, the Bible, and be labeled as a racist person. America stands for the freedom to express yourself and your views. Whites, blacks, Muslims, Spanish folk, Jews, gay, straight, everyone has their own opinion. You don’t have to agree, but don’t be so shocked when someone expresses it in this free country. God bless America.

Let’s do that quick shakedown on the Tennessee Titans’ season.

The Titans finished their season 7-9, and while the season was a disappointment, they finished in style, defeating the Texans at home 16-10, guaranteeing the Texans that first pick of the draft as the Texans finished their season losing 14 straight. Ouch! The Titans also with that final victory snapped a 5-game losing streak at home, the longest streak since the franchise left Houston for Nashville in 1997. The season was full of ups and downs, with Jake Locker going down, and multiple games the Titans didn’t capitalize on. Mike Munchak stated he believes the Titans aren’t far from becoming a playoff contender, and he believes he is the man for

the job next season. I do honestly believe there is plenty of talent on this team. Young talent is always exciting. The Titans might have their best group of WRs ever, and if they can get a quarterback that stays healthy, the future looks solid. I have never been a fan of Munchak’s defensive mind; the man shows us zero emotion and his 22-26 record over three seasons doesn’t help either. Maybe he is onto something and is close to creating a solid team. He might have saved his job with a couple wins to end the season, but one more crappy season, and I am starting a protest if he isn’t fired.

Let’s do some quick player recognition and start with Chris Johnson. Johnson became the 6th player in NFL history to run for over 1,000 yards in each of his first 6 seasons.

Johnson, who ran for 2,006 yards in ’09, is due $8 million in 2014 with $29 million left on his contract. That’s home run money, and while Johnson is a solid football player, you’re going to take the criticism with that kind of contract, especially if you’re only hitting singles and doubles.

The biggest surprise for me was Kendall Wright, who finished the season with 94 catches, becoming the first Titan to do so since Derrick Mason. The kid is a superstar.

Delanie Walker also finished strong with 60 catches, becoming the only tight end other than Wycheck to reach that mark in franchise history. Hopefully the Titans can produce these young talents and keep them around; the future would be bright then. The big questions remain at the quarterback spot.

Can Jake stay healthy? Do you draft a quarterback? Do you sign a veteran? We desperately need a trusty, healthy signal caller.

So, I hope I didn’t ruffle any feathers, Duck feathers that is. I can’t wait for Super Sunday; I have the Seahawks vs. Patriots, with the Seahawks dominating the playoffs and Super Bowl. The Seahawks can’t be stopped at home and the road to the Super Bowl runs through Seattle, the 12th man is strong. I hope I am wrong and it’s the Broncos representing the AFC, I just never can go with both No. 1 seeds.

Let’s go old man, record breaking Peyton!

Remember the 5 F’s, in order Faith, Family, Football, Food and Friends. Live by that motto, and life will bless you. Train’s out the station, choo, choo!

MTSU SPORTS QUICK-CAP

Ebony Rowe

ON THE COURT IN JANUARY: MTSU MEN

Jan 7 @ Tennessee State 7 p.m.

Jan 11 UAB 5 p.m.

Tavarres Jefferson running after the catch against Navy.

Jan 16 UTEP 7 p.m.

Jan 18 UTSA 5 p.m.

Jan 23 @ Tulsa 8 p.m.

Jan 25 @ North Texas 7 p.m.

Jan 30 East Carolina 7 p.m.

Feb 1 Old Dominion 5 p.m.

NAVY DEFEATS MT IN ARMED FORCES BOWL Basketball Turns to Heart of C-USA Schedule

BY BRACKEN MAYO

THE MTSU BLUE RAIDERS FELL to the Midshipmen of Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl, held Dec. 30 in Ft. Worth, Texas; at the final gun, Navy came out on top 24-6.

Navy quarterback KEENAN REYNOLDS only had to complete three passes in the entire game, a physical, violent contest. Rather Reynolds, who hails from Nashville and played his high school ball at Goodpasture, relied on his legs, and the triple-option offense that had given the Naval Academy so much success this season.

Reynolds set the single-season record for most rushing TDs by an NCAA Kyle Griswould comes down with one for the Blue Radiers.

quarterback this year, and added two more on the ground in the Armed Forces Bowl, to finish the year with 31 rushing touchdowns. He has thrown the ball very little overall, with Navy’s offense averaging 322 yards rushing per game for the season as they kept it on the ground a great deal in their 9-4 season.

With the bowl game loss, MTSU finished the 2013 football season, its first in Conference USA, at 8-5.

meat of Conference USA 2013-14 play.

The Lady Raiders closed 2013 with a 10-3 record, finishing the year with a big victory on the road at Clemson, 76-51.

They take on the Tennessee Tech Golden Eaglettes in the ’Boro on Jan. 2 before their Conference USA schedule cranks up in earnest as well.

EBONY ROWE is leading the MTSU squad in both scoring and rebounds, averaging over 22 points per game, and over 11 rebounds per game. This places her 12th in the nation in both categories at year’s end, coincidentally.

MTSU WOMEN Jan 2 Tennessee Tech 7 p.m.

Jan 8 North Texas 7 p.m.

Jan 11 @ LA Tech 5 p.m.

Jan 15 UTEP 7 p.m.

Jan 18 @ UAB 2 p.m.

Jan 22 UTSA 7 p.m.

Jan 25 Old Dominion 4 p.m.

Jan 29 @ Southern Miss 7 p.m.

Feb 1 @ Tulsa

Neiko Hunter put up 18 points in a loss at Old Miss last month.

BASKETBALL JUST GETTING WARMED UP In basketball news, the MTSU men closed 2013 with the four-team Dr. Pepper Classic in Chattanooga Dec. 29-30. The Blue Raiders took a loss to Maine and won against Grand Canyon University in the event that also included host Chattanooga.

Sitting at 9-5, MTSU heads to Nashville for a Jan. 7 showdown with Tennessee State before cranking up the BOROPULSE.COM

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Modern Religion in This Nut’s Shell Jesus, if he existed, was a man who most definitely embodies what we would call today a progressive hippie. He went against the organized rules of the corrupt church of the time, and he helped to spur a newer (by the standards then), more open-minded field of thought.

He was allegedly killed for it, and now these idiots are spewing hate, ignorance and condemnation in his name. I would be okay with the pastors and priests preaching it if they preached to teach, and not to convert or conform people when it comes to the Christian teachings. The problem today is that many preachers have stopped preaching to teach, and have mostly gone on a crusade to convert all of today’s society into the pseudo-christers we see on Fox News (and in many members of the Republican party). The problem with that way of thinking is that they end up twisting the lessons, the words and the truly informative parts of the Bible (in moral, social, and philosophical standards, that is) to the point where the sermons have become a “convert or die!” mentality.

The unforeseen irony is that this same insane oppression is exactly what Jesus fought against. It gets to the point where not only are these “representatives” of religion trying to incorporate their beliefs into our government, they are also trying to force their specific

beliefs on each other. For instance, mission trips to other countries: We see eager young lads valiantly diving into the African jungles to preach (to convert, and not to teach) their beliefs to other people who do not believe as such. Why try to change their thoughts and beliefs when you could study them, learn from them, and see that the theological perspectives around the world really aren’t all that different. No matter what God or gods or forces of nature people believe in, why fight over which is right? None of them are proven to have existed at all (save for that “special feeling” that people feel when they think that they are contacted by God/Allah/Yahweh/etc.), and they are all practically the same.

You may not think so, but have you really tried looking at the other religions? Have you really tried to view all religions, even your own with an eye of skepticism and intellectual inquiry? A lot of these people haven’t, and so they end up not only fighting against scientific facts, they also end up fighting each other. For me, religion served its purpose to start exercising the grey matter in our brains. It helped to get us thinking, and to get us to organize, congregate, and help get us along the next few stages of the evolutionary pathway. But as the oar and boat help us to get across the river to the other side, it will not serve a purpose on the land on the other side. So we end up burn-

ing the wood of the boat, putting it to better use. Now that we are across the river, per se, we build a fire with the wood we have. In the case of religion, we can still teach and study it, but to take it literally and as a universal truth, that is not progress. That is regress, and regress is only temporary. Progress marches onward, and becomes stronger, like waters trapped behind a dam. Regress, while it may hinder progress, is only temporary, and as the times go on, gets weaker. Eventually, the dam will break, and it will become overwhelmed by the waters that progress throughout time.

So we see a funny little hidden meaning in the words, progress and regress. When it comes to the word egress, however . . . well, death is the only answer to that, and no one has truly come back from complete death yet.

— Jackson Downs, Murfreesboro

Time to Raise Minimum Wage When the first minimum wage law was passed in 1938, President Franklin Roosevelt said, “[N]o business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country. By living wages I mean more than a bare subsistence level—I mean the wages of a decent living.”

Cities that have passed living wage laws require a higher than minimum wage so that workers may contribute to the local com-

munity as consumers. They didn’t wait on Congress, they recognized that $7.25 is too low for an individual, let alone a family, to survive.

It is a poverty wage. The Tennessee legislature, by banning living wage ordinances, has made it impossible for local communities to raise the standard of living for its residents. And our representatives right here in Rutherford County made sure of that—all of them, Ketron, Tracy, Carr, Sparks and White—voting for the bill that bans any local government from requiring private employers to provide wages greater than federal minimum.

In Tennessee we can’t leave it up to local politics, so we must turn to the federal government. The bill pending in the Senate, S.460, will gradually raise the minimum wage to just over $10 per hour and raise the wage for tipped workers to 70 percent of the regular minimum wage.

Now, I know what the arguments against this moral step will be—it will cost jobs, it will raise the cost of products sold (i.e. hamburgers will cost $8) and low-wage workers will always be low-skilled and don’t deserve anything more. Well, they don’t deserve tips on how to reduce their stress or applications for welfare benefits. We need to study this moral issue and voice our concerns with calls to our elected officials. It is time to raise the minimum wage.

— Joan Hill, Murfreesboro

I

GLADD Intolerant of Duck Man’s Views

f you’re a marketing major at any university in America you need to be watching very closely the goings-on in the Duck Dynasty saga. Unless you’ve been in a cave the last couple of weeks you know by now that Duck Dynasty patriarch, Phil Robertson, voiced his religious objections to homosexuality to GQ magazine. Dynasty’s network, A&E, didn’t wait for ratings or sponsor response. They caved immediately to the radical Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). This is the same group that scared comedian Bob Newhart away from a conference for Catholic business leaders a couple of weeks ago.

on it from their shelves, leaving the rest of the Duck Dynasty merchandise, as if no one would notice. One of our listeners noticed and alerted us. We alerted the country. The outcry was swift and severe.

Not all Cracker Barrel patrons watch Duck Dynasty but it’s a good bet that most Duck Dynasty viewers eat at Cracker Barrel. Or, at least, they did. Cracker Barrel withered under the two-day onslaught and, on the third day, relented. They, in essence, admitted they’d made a bonehead mistake.

The question is, is it too late to recover?

The lesson is to know your customers.

Sure, A&E may have started off catering to the wine and cheese crowd with shows like America’s Castles, but take a gander at the programming line-up these days: Storage Wars, Shipping Wars, Rodeo Girls, Duck Dynasty and, coming this January, Crazy Hearts: Nashville. This ain’t exactly highbrow television. Nor is it likely programming aimed at a gay audience.

GLAAD is famous for bullying any A&E knew exactly what it was getting company or any organization they deem with the Robertsons of Duck Dynasty. In tolerant of anyone with fact, Phil Robertson has a views contradictory to book out and, I’m told, VIEWS OF A their own. Make no mislays out his beliefs in his take about it. This Duck book basically just like he column by Dynasty business is not laid them out to GQ. Didn’t PHIL VALENTINE about homosexuality. It’s the folks at A&E read it? Or philvalentine.com about freedom. were they too busy countLet me be clear. Phil Robertson has every ing their money? Then the first time some right to voice his opinion on any subject un- radical, fringe group says ‘boo!’ they fold der the sun. A&E has every right to fire him like a card table. for any reason. Fans of the show have every If this were a star from Downton Abbey, right to be furious and never watch the netmaybe. A star from Glee? Absolutely. But work again. This is capitalism at work. this is Duck Dynasty, for crying out loud.

We broke the story on our radio show There probably aren’t two people in the that Cracker Barrel restaurants had pulled entire audience who disagree with what Phil all merchandise with Phil Robertson’s image Robertson said.

We still have freedom of religion in this country and most mainstream religions consider homosexuality a sin. Why are all these liberal elitists acting so surprised? They’re not, really. They’re just trying to destroy anyone who disagrees with them. What has Uncle Phil told you for years? The left is all about diversity except when it comes to diversity of thought. One biblical reference to homosexuality and the mainstream media come unglued. Meanwhile, Phil Robertson, at the epicenter of the firestorm, remains cool as a cucumber.

Pay attention, you marketing majors. A 67-year-old duck-huntin’ good ole boy from Vivian, Louisiana, has just made two multimillion-dollar corporations look like idiots.

CONSERVATIVE

“This is Duck Dynasty, for crying out loud.

There probably aren’t two people in the entire audience who disagree with what Phil Robertson said.”

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.

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OPINIONS La PALABRA Una columna del idioma español por CAMERON PARRISH

Predictions for 2014 Predicciones para 2014 IN ENGLISH: EVERY JANUARY I MAKE PREDICTIONS for the coming year and publish them alongside others I have gathered from America’s foremost prognosticators, remote viewers and otherwise brilliant minds. Every year, some of these predictions come true and some do not. Hence, what you’re about to read is a partially accurate vision of the future and therefore only somewhat valuable, but still 100 percent fascinating.

“Some members of Congress will respond to evidence presented to them by the UFO disclosure movement and the possibility of congressional hearings on the extraterrestrial presence will be on the table.” – Cameron Parrish “In 2014 the U.S. dollar will lose value, but cybermoney such as Bitcoin will rise.”

– Allan Thompson “Look for a major social media purchase by Google on a Tuesday. – T. Sam Pierce “The popularity and number of people preparing for doomsday scenarios, a.k.a. ‘preppers,’ will rise dramatically.” – Nessa Parrish “I expect a major communications interruption in 2014, likely caused by a terrorist act. It will be a little more than an inconvenience for social media users, but detrimental to public companies like Facebook and Twitter. The goal won’t be to cause death, but to cripple the economy and shake our confidence in security and freedom.” – J. Brooks Christol “Edward Snowden will become more politically relevant in 2014 as his actions gain more mainstream support from both right and left.” – Jim McPeters “Peyton Manning will win another Super Bowl, Rutherford County will get a new sheriff and Led Zeppelin, featuring Jason Bonham on drums, will headline Bonnaroo. Meanwhile, the federal government and federal reserve will continue devaluing our currency and spending future generations into oblivion, while making their financial and defense sector cronies even wealthier.

Most taxpayers will not make much noise about this, due to a combination of the latest reality TV developments, the hottest shiny new tech gadget and the time-consuming and draining nature of survival in today’s America.” – Bracken Mayo “The local police in America will continue to militarize.

Meanwhile, sinister forces will continue to deploy psychotronic mind-control weapons and techniques against Americans in order to cause random acts of violence for political purposes. In the distant future, history will show this was the case with the Boston Marathon bomber, James Holmes and other killers.” – Cameron Parrish “The 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia will be highly controversial with a lot of drama and staged theatrics.” – Angela Ammons “I see tissue and organ printing technologies (3D/4D) to become more efficient and applicable with genetic microsurgery and embryonic human cloning to further expand the applica28 * JANUARY 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

Edward Snowden

tion of nanotechnology treatment options. Great advances in AI and robotics will take the lead in 2014. Computer power grows exponentially and the use of graphite, quasicrystals and nanostructured metamaterials will lead to advances in quantum computing, leading to simulations that will dramatically shorten the need for lengthy clinical trials. Before mid-year great news will come regarding reversing aging and rejuvenating cells. The key is in the mitochondria.

The human genome is like a computer program running on autopilot until we are capable to understand it and hack it for maintenance. It has been running for a long time and accumulated errors causing many of our health conditions. This fulfills my 2014 prediction. Serious steps towards a World government are taken. Yes, there is other intelligent life out there, and we will teleport matter, not just information.” – Yuri Cunza Those are some serious predictions. I want to give a big thanks to all my contributors who took time to go on record and provide us with their knowledge of the future. Wishing everyone an exciting and prosperous new year! iSalud!

IN ESPANOL: CADA ENERO HAGO PREDICCIONES para el próximo año y los publico junto a otros que he juntado de mejores profetas, pronosticadores y genios de America. Cada año algunas predicciones se realizan y otros no. Así que lo que estás a punto de leer es una visión del futuro parcialmente correcto, pero todavía el 100% fascinante.

“Algunos miembros del congreso responderán a las pruebas que se les han presentado personas del movimiento de divulgación de OVNI y la posibilidad de audiencias en el congreso sobre la presencia extraterrestre será en la agenda”.

– Cameron Parrish.

“En 2014 el dólar de EE.UU. perderá valor, pero ciberdinero como bitcoin subirá” . – Allan Thompson “ Busque una compra de medios social principal por Google un martes”. – T. Sam Pierce “ La popularidad y el número de personas preparándose para escenarios apocalípticos (preparadores) aumentará dramáticamente”. – Nessa Parrish

“Veo una interrupción de las comunicaciones importantes en 2014, probablemente causado por un acto terrorista. Será un poco más que una molestia para los usuarios de redes sociales, pero perjudicial para las empresas públicas como Facebook y Twitter. El objetivo no será para causar la muerte, sino paralizar la economía y sacudir nuestra confianza en la seguridad y la libertad”. – J. Brooks Christol “Edward Snowden convertirá a ser más relevante políticamente en el 2014. Sus acciones ganaran más apoyo popular de la derecha e izquierda”. – Jim McPeters “Peyton Manning va a ganar un Super Bowl, Condado de Rutherford obtendrá a un nuevo sheriff y Led Zeppelin, con Jason Bonham en batería, encabezará el Festival de Bonnaroo. Mientras tanto, el gobierno federal y la reserva federal continúan la devaluación de nuestra moneda y echando las generaciones futuras en el olvido, mientras que sus compinches de los sectores de la defensa y financiera se hacen más ricos. La mayoría de ciudadanos no hará mucho caso a esto, debido a una combinación de las últimas novedades de TV realidad, obsesión de tecnología actual y la naturaleza pesada de supervivencia en la América de hoy”. – Bracken Mayo “La policía en América continuará militarizar. Mientras tanto, continuarán las fuerzas siniestras desplegaran armas psicotrónicas y técnicas de control mental contra los estadounidenses con el fin de provocar actos de violencia para fines políticos. En un futuro lejano la historia mostrará que este fue el caso con el bombardero de la maratón de Boston, James Holmes y otros asesinos”. – Cameron Parrish “Las Olimpiadas del Invierno de 2014 en Rusia serán muy polémicas con mucho drama y teatro organizado con una renovación de rivalidad entre Rusia y EEUU”. – Angela Ammons “Veo tecnologías de imprenta del órgano y el tejido (3D/4D) desarrollando más eficiente y aplicable con microcirugía genética y clonación humano embrionario que combinan para ampliar la aplicación de opciones de tratamiento nanotecnología. Grandes avances en IA y robótica tomará la delantera en 2014. El poder del ordenador crece exponencialmente y el uso de grafito, cuasicristales, metamateriales nanoestructurados llevarán a avances en la informática cuántica que permiten simulaciones que acortarán dramáticamente la necesidad de ensayos clínicos larguísimos.

Antes que a mitad de año buenas noticias con respecto a la inversión de envejecimiento y rejuvenecer las células. La clave está en las mitocondrias. El genoma humano es como un programa de computadora funcionando en piloto automático hasta que somos capaces de entenderlo y manejarlo para mantenimiento. Se ha estado funcionando durante mucho tiempo y acumularon errores causantes de muchas de nuestras condiciones de salud. Esto cumplirá mi predicción de 2013. Se toman pasos serios hacia un gobierno mundial. Sí, hay otra vida inteligente ahí fuera, y lo haremos el telepuerto de materia no sólo información”. – Yuri Cunza Verdad que son predicciones graves. ¿No? Quiero dar gracias a todos mis colaboradores que se tomó un tiempo para dejar constancia y compartir con nosotros su saber del futuro. ¡Vos deseo cada uno un feliz y próspero año nuevo. ¡iSalud!

RECOVER RUTHERFORD

column by GLORIA CHRISTY

SHARING OUR STORY OF AMAZING GRACE STEP 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

The wind and rain battered the sides of the grand vessel, tossing it like a small toy as if in a great battle to seize the existence of all life aboard. Over and over again the ship plunged into the raging sea, blackened by a tumultuous shroud of storm-filled clouds. Powerless over nature’s wrath, John Newton, captain of the vessel, had attempted to steer the ship through a violent storm. Now, at the end of himself and all that he could control within his own power and strength, the experienced sea captain hovered helplessly in his cabin and waited for death.

Frightened and alone, a single tear fell from his eye and dropped onto a ragged wooden slat. Silently, as he crouched in terror with the reality of his situation surrounding him, he began to ponder his life. On the surface, he had been in command, a captain of a slave ship whose vicious and cruel exterior once forced his crew to mutiny and toss him into the sea. His denial of the one true God had lengthened his pain, forcing him never to face the ugly truth about himself.

As a youngster, John had been given some early religious instruction by his mother. After her death, the loss was unexplainable and overwhelming for a 7-year-old. Perhaps he blamed God for taking her away. Accordingly, he had long since given up on any religious convictions. Soon after his mother’s death, he left school and joined his father’s ship at sea.

John Newton was born in London on July 24, 1725, the son of a commander of a merchant ship which sailed the Mediterranean. When John was 11, after joining his father at sea, he made six voyages with the elder Newton before his father retired. In 1744, John went into service on a man-of-war, the H. M. S. Harwich. Finding conditions on board intolerable, he deserted but was soon recaptured, publicly flogged and demoted from midshipman to common seaman. The years that followed were filled with continuous rebellion and debauchery.

Finally, at his own request, he was exchanged into service on a slave ship. This adventure took him to the coast of Sierra Leone. Ironically, he then became the servant of a slave trader and experienced brutal abuse.

Early in 1748, he was rescued by a sea captain who had known John’s father. Afterward, John Newton became captain of his own ship, one which plied the slave trade.

On a homeward voyage from Africa to Eng-

John Newton

“Amazing Grace” has inspired social and liberation movements.

The song reverently evokes confession, submission and hope throughout its history. land, he attempted to steer the vessel through a vicious squall. It was a futile maneuver that seemingly would soon end with his demise.

Death—his most feared obsession—was about to claim him. Although he displayed a confident veneer, his troubled soul was vexed with clusters of self-imposed delusions about life.

Now, at what undoubtedly was his finish, he was powerless to save himself or his crew. All along, he had rationalized his role in the slave trade. In his journal, he chronicled the inhumane treatment and intolerable conditions of the slaves. He even questioned the sustainability of the enterprise.

A dim light flickered violently from a lantern on the table exposing a book that he been given to him years before. He had tossed it aside knowing that it was something about a God whom he had been convinced was distant and cruel. Now, when all appeared lost, he grabbed the book and began reading it—Thomas à Kempis’ devotional, Imitation of Christ. As the sea crashed around him, mockChrist ing his inability to change his circumstances,

the message of Christ contained in this book began to sow the seeds which would lead to his eventual conversion to a personal acceptance of Jesus Christ.

As the vessel dove in and out of the deafening waves, John Newton clutched the book and began to pray fervently and desperately, “Lord, have mercy upon us. If you do not deliver us, we will surely sink.” Suddenly, just as quickly as they had begun, the turbulent winds subsided and the violent waves ceased as if they had been ordered by some mysterious higher power. As a soft mist appeared across the still waters, the wavering ship floated atop calmly and peacefully like a lone, gray gull.

When all seemed lost and the ship would succumb to the peril of the sea, he would refer to this in his journal as the day of his “great deliverance.” Later in his cabin, he reflected on what he had said and began to believe that God had addressed him through the storm.

God’s grace, the power to do beyond any human ability, had begun to work for him. For the rest of his life, he observed that stormy day at sea, May 10, 1748, as the anniversary of the day of his conversion, a day of humiliation in which he subjected his will to a higher power.

He continued in the slave trade for a time after his conversion. Nevertheless, he saw to it that the slaves under his care were treated humanely. Later in life, he was known as the, “Old Converted Sea Captain.”

Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ’tis grace has bro’t me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound . . .”

So begins one of the most beloved, recognizable hymns of all times, a staple in the hymnals of many denominations. For over two hundred years, “Amazing Grace” has inspired social and liberation movements. The song reverently evokes confession, submission and hope throughout its history. John Newton’s words told of a self-proclaimed wretch who once was lost, but then was found, saved by God’s amazing grace.

In the early settlement days of our country, the song found its way to America and was published in a shape-note singing book in 1847 by William Walker. It sold 600,000 copies, which meant that nearly every family in America had a copy with this hymn in it.

In 1851, Harriet Beecher Stowe published it in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, giving traction to the anti-slavery movement. Generation after generation has been transformed and inspired by the song. Jerry Bailey, an executive with Broadcast Music, Inc., says that the song may be the most recorded on the planet. More than 3,000 versions of the recorded song are archived in the Library of Congress.

Each one of us has a valuable “Amazing Grace” story to tell. John Newton’s story is redemptive, resonating hope and power; however, no story is too trivial. Within each personal recovery journey, there is a microcosm of such a story from bondage to freedom that will help others. Offering to share

your recovery experiences gives others the opportunity to loosen the chains and begin their own recovery journey. In our community and world, we need more to choose God’s “Amazing Grace” plan of recovery in 2014!

Perhaps, as in the past, all your resolutions become shattered with good intentions. You continue to eat or drink more calories than your body needs. You know that exercise is a good thing, but you don’t do it. And yes, you are trying to get organized, but it’s overwhelming. You tried not to say things that would hurt others; you would be kinder in 2014, but you still lose your temper. In fact, on Dec. 31, you declared once and for all that you knew the right thing to do, nevertheless only a few days into the New Year, you continue to do the wrong thing anyway! In desperation, you acknowledge, “I am powerless to control my life and it’s increasingly unmanageable!”

Don’t be baffled by the futility of trying “to do good to be good.” Like John Newton, we are not God and our lives are defective and unmanageable without Him. The desire to play God in our lives keeps us trapped in a twisted delusion that we can fix ourselves.

Trying to be God and change ourselves is mankind’s oldest problem. Why can’t we realize that we waste precious, exhausting moments trying to do the very thing that God wants to do—that is, to change us? We have no power within ourselves to change or force change through willpower.

Many have a misunderstanding about the definition of self-control. Self-control is often associated with willpower. Self-control is not something that we get by gritting our teeth and forcing ourselves to do the next right thing. Self-control is a fruit that is the result of trusting in God’s amazing grace to guide us.

As we continue to follow God’s guidance, taking one step at a time, one moment at a time, our self-control will gradually grow. As we stay connected to God, our lives will be changed as He produces the fruit of self-control in our lives. We begin to make better choices simply because we have admitted that God is the only One that can make substantive change.

Until we come to the end of ourselves, we will never experience the freedom that is found in trusting God’s amazing grace. Grace simply means that God fills in the gaps. When encountering the storms of life on troubled waters, John Newton, as have many other saints, found that pain is a miracle from God that leads us out of the destructive patterns of denial and into His safety and provision. This is the power of God’s amazing grace.

Just as a skilled sailor can use the head wind to carry him forward, by using the impelling power to follow a zig-zag course, it is possible for us in our spiritual life through the victorious grace of God, to turn completely around the things that seem most unfriendly and unfavorable. – from Streams in the Desert by L. B. Cowman.

May God’s Amazing Grace Fill Your New Year with Peace and Power!

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ART Murfree Art Gallery Opens in Property Assessor’s Office WORKING ALONGSIDE LOCAL BUSINESSES, the MTSU Department of Art through Todd Art Gallery has collaborated with Rutherford County Property Assessor Rob Mitchell to create a new community art gallery named for Murfreesboro’s inaugural family. With plans to feature ongoing exhibits, the recently opened Murfree Gallery is located in the lobby and antechamber of the Property Assessor’s office, on the second floor of the Rutherford County Office Building. “Rutherford County has a rich cultural history,” said Mitchell. “I can think of no better way to celebrate it than through a partnership with Tennessee’s finest university, Middle Tennessee State University. I believe we should strive to make better use of our public buildings for the benefit of our community. Hopefully.” said Mitchell, “this will be just one small step towards that goal.”

The gallery’s first exhibit, scheduled through Jan. 30, includes students from the MTSU Department of Art and several noteworthy community artists, including John Smith, Bobbie Bittner, Jack Freeman, Suzanne LeBeau, Pamela Mack, Carol Moloterno and Mary Watkins. The work being presented by MTSU art students was selected through the efforts of art major Amber Lelli. Those works represent a snapshot in time for the fall 2013 semester. Lelli, chief curator of the Student Gallery Committee, and Eric Snyder, from the Todd Art Gallery, teamed to bring together some of the best work available from the department’s areas of graphic design and studio art. Participating students include Brian Bailey, Davion Baxter, Felicia Cannon, Carissa Gay, Lindsey Isbell, Nick Murphy, Josh Petty, Whitney Proper, Acacia Richey, Morgan Rotenberry and Starling Sensing.

“The benefit that the Murfree Gallery brings to MTSU and the Department of Art,” said Snyder, “is the expressed interconnectedness and benefits that exist between the university and our surrounding municipalities and county. For our students this collaboration offers opportunity for real-world experience, particularly in the area of the growing trend of public facilities functioning as art spaces and limited public forums. For these MTSU students and those to follow,” said Snyder, “this type of opportunity is invaluable.”

With the generous assistance of L&K Trophy House, Lowe’s and Middle Tennessee Reprographics, Mitchell covered all gallery conversion costs out of his own pocket.

The Rutherford County Building is located at 319 N. Maple St. For more information on the gallery, visit rutherfordcountytn.gov.

Works by (clockwise, from above) Davion Baxter, John Smith and Mary Watkins are part of the inagural exhibit at the Murfree Gallery in the Rutherford County Property Assessor's Office.

Rutherford Co. Schools Art Competition in Support of Peace and Justice

Area students collaborated on the "Branches of One Tree, Rooted in Love" exhibit, now at City Hall.

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THE MURFREESBORO CITY HALL ART COMMITTEE (CHAC) is pleased to bring the inaugural Peace and Justice Art Competition to the Rotunda of City Hall, Jan. 7 through Feb. 7. Featuring Rutherford County School students from kindergarten through 12th grade, the competition’s theme, “Branches of One Tree, Rooted in Love,” is an effort to grasp the innocence and creativity of youth as a catalyst for broadening community love, peace, tolerance, diversity and respect.

An awards reception is scheduled for Jan. 9 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. The reception will begin on the civic plaza of City Hall, just outside the Rotunda. A special musical presentation will kick things off, featuring the choreographed artistry of Tirra Hargrow. From there, festivities will proceed back inside to the city council’s chambers, where Pidge Cash, Chair of the Murfreesboro Peace and Justice Art Committee, will speak and introduce Rutherford County Mayor Ernest

Burgess and Murfreesboro Mayor Tommy Bragg, who will make the presentation of awards.

The work will be juried by MTSU Department of Art professors Sisavanh Houghton, Michael Baggarly and CHAC member Lee Anne Carmack. During the presentation, a Best of Show and first, second and third place winners will be announced per grade level, with a few honorable mentions offered to works especially deserving of recognition. Additionally, each school’s art teacher(s) will be acknowledged, with one art teacher and school receiving special recognition for having the greatest number of student award recipients.

Exhibits in the Rotunda are free and open to the public between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for observed holidays. City Hall is located at 111 W. Vine St. For more information on the Peace and Justice Art Competition, contact Pidge Cash at (615) 542-2162.

A sampling of work by local artist Christian Eichelberger, a.k.a.

Sckfck.

“Art for Poor People” at Two-Tone TWO-TONE ART GALLERY WILL SHOW THE WORK of Christian Eichelberger, a.k.a. Sckfck, this month, in an exhibit titled “Art for Poor People.” The artist’s colorful mixed-medias, designs and unsettling glitch work will be available for viewing and purchase all month long at Murfreesboro’s local and independent art space, located at 113 W. Lytle St. For more information, find Two-Tone Art Gallery and Sckfck.+.digital refuse_machine on Facebook.

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