September 2018 Murfreesboro Pulse by The Murfreesboro Pulse

SEPTEMBER 2018 / VOL. 13, ISSUE 9 / FREE

Middle Tennesseeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Source for Art, Entertainment and Culture News

Greenway Art Fest

Wild-eyed cats, ceramics, arts, crafts and more return to Old Fort Park on Sept. 15

IN MUSIC

PILGRIMAGE FEST / EVERYDAY PEOPLE / EVERYBODY DRUM SOME / JOHNNAROO & MORE!

Delicious Desserts, Steaks, Seafood and Lamb at Parthenon Grille

Instructor Jenna Davis Earns Taekwondo World Championship

Photo Connect Murfreesboro Issues Freezing Motion Challenge

Contents

THE PULSE TEAM PUT SOME REAL TIME

ON THE COVER: Cat painting by Katie Struk courtesy of Greenway Art Fest Freeze Motion photo by Jessie Clark

 Photo by Craig Newman

FEATURES

Kids rock at Johnnaroo concert, held Sept. 23 at Puckett’s Grocery.

14 COMMUNITY RHYTHM

Everybody Drum Some to host morning drumming event, Sept. 22.

17 CHARITY CHOPPED

CJ’s hosts cooking competition to benefit area nonprofits.

22 GREENWAY ART FEST

Artists and crafters gather at Old Fort Park for annual showing.

36 TRANSPARENT HEART

Connect and discover different yoga styles at downtown studio.

38 TAEKWONDO CHAMP

 Ceramics by Kaitlin Savage

5 Events

22 Art

37 Sports

THIS MONTH

PHOTOGRAPHY

MTSU SPORTS

THEATER

SPORTS TALK

Light up the Night, Wings of Freedom, Wine Around the Square and more!

8 Sounds CONCERTS

Burning Las Vegas, Antler Hopkins, Radio Farm and more! MUSIC NOTES

Pilgrimage Festival, Moon River Festival, Uptown Live & more!

POETRY IN THE BORO

Run Amok Americana Reading Tour

30 Movies REVIEWS

Mission: Impossible— Fallout; The Meg

How will Vrabel do in first season with Titans?

40 Opinion SPIRITUAL MATTERS

The Sign in the Miracle READING

Ecce Deus: Essays on the Life and Doctrine of Jesus Christ

16 Food

NEW RELEASES

HIGHER THOUGHTS

REVIEW

Parthenon Grille

18 Living LIVE . . . WELL!

Reading selections

Advertising: Don Clark Leslie Russell-Yost

Copy Editor: Steve Morley

Heathers; In the Next Room

Blue Raiders lose opener to Vandy in season opener.

LIVING ROOM CINEMA

Tree-planting time

Art Director: Sarah Mayo

Photo Connect group issues freeze-motion photo challenge.

Piri Nico featuring Kenny Mc; Mark Henes

ALBUM REVIEWS

GARDENING

Murfreesboro’s Jenna Davis wins at World Championships.

Publisher/Editor in Chief: Bracken Mayo

IN EVERY ISSUE

8 JOHNNAROO 2018

BOROPULSE . COM

The Occult

The Nun; Lizzie; The Predator, Smallfoot and more!

34 News BUSINESS BUZZ

Spinelli’s; Nobody’s; Gentle Barn; Miller’s Ale House; 219

Contributors: Sam Clemens, Jennifer Durand, Joseph Kathmann, Jordan Hall, Rick Malone, Zach Maxfield, M.C. Radford, Justin Reed, Edwina Shannon, Jay Spight, Andrea Stockard, Norbert Thiemann, Semaj Thomas, Phil Valentine, Kory Wells, Andrew Wigdor, Michelle Willard

For everyday living PHIL VALENTINE

Marxism attracts misfits of society.

THE TRIBUNE

Taxpayers excited about paying for lip sync battle

Copyright © 2018, The Murfreesboro Pulse, 10 N. Public Square, 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 advertisers. Views expressed in the Pulse do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. ISSN: 1940-378X

SIGN UP to receive our weekly digital newsletter at BoroPulse.com/Newsletter 10 N. Public Square, Murfreesboro, TN 37130 • 615-796-6248 To carry the PULSE at your business, or to submit letters, stories and photography: bracken@boropulse.com

and effort into this collection of local concerts, events, business news, gardening info, articles and information that you currently hold in your hands, and into each edition of the Pulse. Though every time a reader mentions that they learned about their new favorite restaurant from the Pulse, they discovered a fun event or fundraiser to attend, they saw their friend’s art, band or business in the Pulse, that the inspirational columns and tips have really helped them out, or otherwise got some meaning and enjoyment out of the topics covered, it reminds me why we do this thing. The Pulse has built a loyal and wonderful group of advertisers who fund the paper and website through their advertising dollars; built a large audience of readers who grab each month’s edition to see what’s going on in town; and built a solid network of distribution points scattered throughout Rutherford and Cannon counties—find the paper in Carmen’s Taqueria, in Juice Bar, in Linebaugh Public Library, Champy’s Chicken, Murfreesboro Athletic Club, Puckett’s, Marco’s Pizza, Patterson Park, Camino Real, Kleer-Vu and many other popular area locations. If you ever cannot locate a copy, or know anybody or anywhere who needs one, let me know: bracken@boropulse.com. We’ll make sure they get one! Plus, you can always read online, follow up on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the Pulse’s email newsletter at boropulse.com/newsletter to keep up with community entertainment and art news. September brings the annual Greenway Art Festival to Old Fort Park, an outdoor art display along the Greenway; Wine Around the Square wine tasting and dinner event (that same evening), benefiting Power of Pink breast cancer support mission; the beginning of college football (and NFL) season, and the Blue Raiders’ quest for another bowl win. Other September activities include the Downtown on the Farm dinner, another Everybody Drum Some Community Rhythm Event, Wings of Freedom Fish Fry, a Cyber Summit at Fountains at Gateway, Autumn with the Alley, Murfreesboro Chess Tournament and more. Around town, check out music this month from Cosmic Collective, Burning Las Vegas, Uncle Don Clark, Iraconji, Ivan Fleming, Wooly Mamas, Antler Hopkins, Don Aliquo and so many others, each working on their own personal style of musical expression and doing their thing. Isn’t it strange how timing works out sometimes? Last month’s edition of the Pulse included a feature on Nobody’s and got everyone wanting to eat brisket and cheesesticks, sing karaoke, play trivia and watch sports, and later in August the Nobody’s owners decided to suddenly close shop, after establishing the spot as a real part of Murfreesboro culture. Life will go on, though, for a brief while; spend time with your family and friends while you are able, for life in this world will not last forever. Take some time to stretch, breathe, balance, run, jump, swim and climb. Your body and mind will thank you. Release any shame and pain from the past and accept God’s grace and forgiveness. Today is a new day! Make the most of it. Do what is most important, benefit someone, experience joy. Be smart with your money and even smarter with your time. Peace, BRACKEN MAYO Publisher/Editor in Chief

Events BY ANDREA STOCKARD

Saturday, Sept. 8, from 5–10 p.m. for the annual Boro Pride festival in downtown Murfreesboro to celebrate the LGBTQ community. Admission is free. Enjoy musical acts, community information tables and food vendors. For more information, find Boro Pride 2018 on Facebook.

SEPT. 10 GREENHOUSE GAME DAY Join Greenhouse Ministries on Monday, Sept. 10, for Game Day celebrating their work in Murfreesboro. Greenhouse ministers to thousands of people in the area each year through volunteers and donations of food and goods. NFL Hall of Fame player Raymond Berry will serve as guest speaker at the Sept. 10 event, held from 6–8 p.m. at the Middle TN Expo Center (1660 Middle TN Blvd.). Please RSVP at reservations@greenhousemin. org. Admission is free.

SEPT. 9 DOG SCIENCE UNLEASHED Author Jodi Wheeler-Toppen, Barnes & Noble and The Avenue Murfreesboro present a Dog Science Unleashed event on Sunday, Sept. 9, at Barnes & Noble (2615 Medical Center Pkwy.) from 3–5 p.m. WheelerToppen leads an exploration of her new book, Dog Science Unleashed, along with a fun match game, dog whistle craft and a “see like a dog” View-Master. For more information, find a Dog Science Unleashed Fun & Games page on Facebook.

SEPT. 9 SEPT. 7 LIGHT UP THE NIGHT The Child Advocacy Center hosts the second Annual “Light Up the Night” party at Oaklands Mansion (900 N. Maney Ave.) Friday, Sept. 7, from 6:30–9:30 p.m. Dance under the stars, mix and mingle, and enjoy an evening to benefit the Child Advocacy Center of Rutherford and Cannon Counties and its mission to provide services for child abuse victims. Please wear white to “light up the night.” Appetizers from Puckett’s and two complimentary drinks are included with each ticket. Zone Status will provide the music. For more information, contact ktroglen@cacrutherford.org, or purchase tickets at cacrutherford.org.

SE-YA 2019 AUTHOR REVEAL at CoreLife Eatery for 50 percent off. For more information, call 615-956-0150 or or find CoreLife Eatery on Eventbrite.

Rotary Club of Smyrna will host its annual Wings of Freedom Fish Fry on Saturday evening, Sept. 8, at the Smyrna-Rutherford County Airport Authority. This year’s event honors Purple Heart recipients. For more information, call 615-459-2651.

Barnes & Noble, SE-YA Book Festival and The Avenue Murfreesboro invite everyone to hang out with book lovers and your favorite booksellers to find out who is coming to the Southeastern Young Adult book event in the spring at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9, at Barnes & Noble (2615 Medical Center Pkwy.). Tell your bookseller at checkout that you want your purchase to benefit the upcoming SE-YA festival. For more information, find a SE-YA 2019 Author Reveal event page on Facebook.

SEPT. 8

SEPT. 11

BORO PRIDE 2018

RUTHERFORD CABLE

Join Tennessee Equality Project on

Join Rutherford Cable’s September

SEPT. 8 WINGS OF FREEDOM

SEPT. 8

SEPT. 11

MOVEFIT WITH THE FAMILY

MAI HAMRIC BOOK SIGNING

CoreLife Eatery (2330 Medical Center Pkwy.) hosts trainer Dani D. at the eatery from 9:30–10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 8. Grab the whole family and come dance. September is National Childhood Obesity month, and this event encourages families to get out and move together. Following the workout, CoreLife hosts an interactive essential oils workshop, which includes making a free rollerbottle with essential oils to take home. This workshop will focus on managing mood and emotions with essential oils. Afterwards, stay and enjoy a healthy meal

Linebaugh Public Library (105 W. Vine St.) welcomes local children’s author Mai Hamric for a book signing Tuesday, Sept. 11, from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Hamric will sign and sell copies of her self-published book, Maeby the Cat. Maeby is a one-eyed feral cat who stumbles upon a human, and soon both of their lives change in ways they never expected. Hamric will donate 15 percent of the sales from Maeby the Catto the Rutherford County Cat Rescue. For more information, call 615-893-4131 or visit rclstn.org.

Visit BOROPULSE.COM/EVENTS for more community events

breakfast meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 11, from 7:30–9 a.m. at Stones River Country Club (1830 NW Broad St.). Bring plenty of business cards. For more information, contact yourrutherfordcable@gmail.com or visit rutherfordcable.org.

SEPT. 11 BUSINESS AFTER HOURS The Rutherford Chamber of Commerce presents Business After Hours, an informal business networking event, on Tuesday, Sept. 11, from 5–7 p.m. at Annalee Acres, 11000 Highway 99, Rockvale. Bring plenty of business cards. Admission is $10 for Chamber members and $20 for future members. No registration is required. For more information, visit rutherfordchamber.org.

SEPT. 12 LIVING SENT MINISTRIES The next meeting for Living Sent Ministries Murfreesboro is Wednesday, Sept. 12, at The Experience (521 Old Salem Rd..) from 11:45 a.m.–1 p.m. Regina Harvey, financial coach at Dominion Financial Management, is the guest speaker, and Eddie Poole, realtor at Keller Williams, shares his God story. A free lunch is provided by Puckett’s Grocery. Please RSVP by emailing bob.williams@alhambrapartners.com.

SEPT. 14–15 COLLECTORS CONVENTION Engage with hundreds of vintage and modern toy vendors and collectors at Imperial Commissary Collectors Convention 2018, “Nashville’s Juggernaut Collecting and Toy Show,” at 4215 Long Ln., Franklin, Sept. 14 and 15. Get action figures including Avengers, Star Wars, G.I. Joe and DC Comics Super Power. Get photos and autographs from your favorite sci-fi stars with more than 20 celebrities from sci-fi franchises like Star Wars, Star Trek, The Expanse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Flash Gordon and The Walking Dead. ICCC 2018 includes a full day of events and panels, headlined by William Shatner and featuring celebrated vintage toy makers Kenner and Hasbro and a presentation featuring Rancho Obi Wan, the largest collection of Star Wars memorabilia on the planet. For more information, contact 615-994-0099 or iccc@iccollectorsconvention.com or visit iccollectorsconvention.com. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 BOROPULSE.COM

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energy. An open roundtable discussion will encourage participation from those in attendance, asking them to articulate their vision for their business and calling for examples of some of the business challenges and solutions they are experiencing. The series will continue the third Thursday of each month.

SEPT. 14–15 TRUTH FOR A NEW GENERATION Author and radio host Dr. Michael Brown specialized in faith-centered cultural topics and is a frequent columnist for The Christian Post who also addresses societal issues on his daily radio program, The Line of Fire. Alex McFarland has been gathering influential speakers for his national Truth for a New Generation events, and he is taking his apologetics conference on the road with the first regional stop in Murfreesboro Sept. 14–15, hosted by New Vision Baptist Church, with Brown being the guest speaker. Christian hip-hop artist Tedashii will perform a Friday night concert. A lunch option on Saturday is also available, which includes a private luncheon with key speakers and a complimentary book. For more information, visit truthforanewgeneration.com

SEPT. 15 HAMMER DOWN FOR HABITAT Rutherford County Area Habitat for Humanity presents the 10th Annual Hammer Down for Habitat Motorcycle Poker Run to raise funds for building a Habitat house for a low-income family in need. Come out for the exciting 96-mile Motorcycle “Poker Run” starting at Lowes (1825 Old Fort Pkwy.), to Center Hill Lake and ending at Short Mountain Distillery for a gourmet lunch. Riders receive a poker hand along the way for possible prizes. Registration starts at 8 a.m. with riders out at 8:30 a.m. and returning at 2:30 p.m. This year’s run is guided by members of the U.S. Military Vets Motorcycle Club TN Chapter 7. Tickets are $25 per rider and $15 per passenger. For more information, find Hammer Down for Habitat on Eventbrite.

SEPT. 15 WINE AROUND THE SQUARE Join Wine Around the Square on the historic downtown Murfreesboro square Saturday, Sept. 15, from 6–9 p.m. Enjoy a casual, fun outdoor evening featuring progressive wine tasting, great local food by Five Senses and live music by Steve Long and The Rhythm. Proceeds benefit the STRH Foundation’s Power of Pink. Tickets are $65 and include dinner, tastings, and after-party at the Alley on Main. For more information, visit winearoundthesquare.squarespace.com.

SEPT. 15 SHAKESPEARE ALLOWED Read Henry V at the next Shakespeare Allowed, hosted by Rutherford County Shakespeare Society, Saturday, Sept. 15, from 12–3 p.m. at Linebaugh Public 6 * SEPTEMBER 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

SEPT. 20 SPREAD THE POSITIVE KICK-OFF

SEPT. 15 CITY SCHOOL 5K/10K The Murfreesboro City Schools Foundation hosts the annual Back to School 5k/10k run/walk Saturday, Sept. 15, beginning at Overall Creek Elementary (429 Otter Trail) at 7 a.m. The 5k and 10k courses are USATF certified and timed. Participants run from Overall Creek to Veterans Parkway and return via Mooreland Dr. Pre-registration includes a timing chip, race bib and T-shirt. No wheeled devices or pets. For more information or to register, visit cityschools.net or contact tori.carr@cityschools.net. The City Schools Foundation raises funds that enhance science, math, technology and art programs. Library (105 W. Vine St.). All are welcome. Continue the journey through Shakespeare’s canon as each participant reads the next character’s speech, or simply join to listen. Please bring a copy of the play as limited copies are available. One Shakespeare play is read the third Saturday of each month with the goal of completing the canon. For more information, visit rucoshakes.org.

SEPT. 15 KITTRELL SCHOOL REUNION The annual Kittrell School Reunion is Saturday, Sept. 15, at Kittrell Elementary School (7801 Old Woodbury Pk., Readyville) from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Anyone who has graduated, attended or has an interest in Kittrell School is invited. Jerry Robinson, Class of 1960, serves a lunch from Slick Pig at noon for $5. After lunch, the various classes are recognized, starting with the class with the oldest graduate present. For more information, contact 615-896-3559 or appdancer@aol.com.

SEPT. 15–18 CITY TENNIS TOURNAMENT The Murfreesboro City Closed Tennis Championship, one of the longest-running events in Murfreesboro, is accepting entries for its annual tournament Sept. 15–18 at the Adams Tennis Complex in Old Fort Park. Participants must be current or former residents of Rutherford County, current members of the Adams Tennis Complex or involved in Murfreesboro tennis leagues. Entries must be received at the Adams Tennis Complex (925 Golf Ln.) no later than

Sept. 10 at 9 p.m. For more information and a complete list of rules and the entry form, visit murfreesborotn.gov/tennis.

SEPT. 20 THE CONNECTION Local small business owners will gather for The Connection: An Evening of Professional Networking and Business Brainstorming from 5–7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 20, at Data Suites Murfreesboro, 1020 W. College St. All Middle Tennessee entrepreneurs and professionals are welcome to attend this casual, free, no-obligation event, where they can meet other small business owners and tap into one another’s experience and

Spread the Positive will host a kick-off event on Thursday, Sept. 20, at The Warehouse (730 Middle Tennessee Blvd.) from 5:30– 7:30 p.m. Spread the Positive partners with Second Harvest Food Bank to raise money to provide meals for people in need in the area. Enjoy music, food and drinks, networking, dancing and fun, and spread some positivity. Spread the Positive will give a brief presentation on is mission and future plans for its RAK ’Em Up Challenge, promoting random acts of kindness. For more information, visit spreadthepositive.net.

SEPT. 22 MIDDLE TENNESSEE SMALL BUSINESS CYBER SUMMIT The National Cyber Security Alliance kicks off National Cyber Security Awareness Month with the Middle Tennessee Small Business Cyber Summit at the Fountains at Gateway (1500 Medical Center Pkwy.) Saturday, Sept. 22, from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. This family-friendly event is the first Tech Fest in Murfreesboro and will include technology training sessions for small business owners and IT professionals and ways to implement technology in your business to ensure efficiency and data security. Technology vendors share their newest-trending products and services in technology. Discovery Center Murfreesboro brings its Discovery Bus. The

SEPT. 27 SPECIAL KIDS BANQUET Join Special Kids Therapy & Nursing Center Thursday, Sept. 27, at Middle Tennessee Christian School for the organization’s banquet. Enjoy entertainment by Logan Blade, a 26-year-old non-verbal autistic young man who plays, sings and lives for his music. The theme for the banquet is “An evening sharing and shining His light” based on John 8:12. The evening commences with a silent auction at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner from Demos’ Restaurant and Peter D’s. For tickets or more information, visit specialkidstn.com/banquet or call 615893-4892. Proceeds benefit children with special needs that are served at Special Kids Therapy & Nursing Center.

day will also include food trucks, guest speakers and training sessions. To register or for more information, visit cybersecuremybizmurfreesboro.eventbrite.com.

SEPT. 22 FIRST CUMBERLAND GOLF TOURNAMENT The First Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Murfreesboro presents its third annual golf tournament to benefit the church’s Outreach Ministries Program on Saturday, Sept. 22, at Champion’s Run Golf Course (14262 Mt. Pleasant Rd., Rockvale) with registration at 11:30 a.m. and a shotgun start at 1 p.m. The program assists the Rutherford County Food Bank, Greenhouse Ministries, Presbyterian Student Fellowship at MTSU and others. For more information, call 615-893-6755.

SEPT. 22 MURFREESBORO CHESS TOURNAMENT The Murfreesboro Chess Club holds a chess tournament Saturday, Sept. 22, at the library’s new Technology Engagement Center (306 Minerva Dr.) Non-USCF/ unrated players are allowed to participate in their own section. The first round begins at 10:30 a.m. A digital chess clock capable of adding increments, a roll-up tournament board with Staunton-style pieces and a scorepad to write down your moves is required. Please RSVP at murfreesborochess@gmail.com.

SEPT. 24 SOLUTIONS TO CHRONIC PAIN Magnolia Medical Center, Tennessee’s largest and most comprehensive non-surgical, non-pharmaceutical medical center, presents a workshop on how to resolve chronic pain without drugs or surgery on Monday, Sept. 24, from 1–4 p.m. at CoreLife Eatery (2330 Medical Center Pkwy.). Have you been told you just have to live with it, and medication or surgery is the only way? Magnolia Medical Center presents other options to a pain-free life. For more information, call 615-956-0150 or find CoreLife Eatery on Eventbrite.

SEPT. 29 OKTOBERFEST AT OAKLANDS Oaklands presents its fourth annual Oktoberfest on Saturday, Sept. 29, from 5–9 p.m. This unique “fun-raiser” supports Oaklands Mansion and features many local craft brewers such as Blackstone Brewing, Cedar Glade Brews, Cheap Ass Bastard Brewing, Harry’s Brewhouse, The Green Dragon Pub and Brewery and Bold Rock. Murfreesboro’s own The O’Donnells take the stage on the front porch at 6 p.m. Watch college football games at the AT&T Fiber TV truck. For more information, visit oaklandsmansion.org.

SEPT. 30 DOWNTOWN ON THE FARM Locally Owned Murfreesboro presents Downtown on the Farm, a farm-to-table dinner featuring items sourced from local farms and transformed into a culinary adventure by five local chefs, on Sunday, Sept. 30 on the east side of the Rutherford County Historic Courthouse beginning at 4:30 p.m. Funds benefit scholarships for students from Rutherford County in the Entrepreneurship Program or School of Agriculture at MTSU. The meal is prepared by some of Murfreesboro’s finest culinary minds: Mitchell Murphree from Five Senses, Samantha Blake from Entre-Nous Meal Preparation Services, Shawn and Christy Hackinson from The Alley on Main, Hamad Abdelrahman from Al Rayan Restaurant & Market, and Chantell Kennedy-Shehan from Simply Pure Sweets. Tickets are $75 per individual. Purchase tickets on Eventbrite or for more information, contact 615-624-2520 or tmatthewchase@gmail.com.

SATURDAYS AND MONDAYS CHILDREN’S STORYTIME AT BARNES & NOBLE Join Barnes & Noble (2615 Medical Center Pkwy.) Saturdays and Mondays at 11 a.m. for children’s storytime and coloring. For more information, call 615895-8580

SEPT. 25

FRIDAYS

AUTUMN WITH THE ALLEY AT THE GROVE

GAME NIGHT AND CHESS AT BARNES & NOBLE

Enjoy food from the Alley on Main in support of First Shot at Autumn with the Alley at the Grove at Williamson Place (3250 Wilkinson Pk.) Tuesday, Sept. 25, from 6–9 p.m. hosted by The Alley on Main and First Shot Basketball Foundation. Admission is $60 per person. For more information, call 615-631-5312.

Come hang out in and around the cafe at Barnes & Noble (2615 Medical Center Pkwy.) to enjoy any available demo games or play with the local Chess Club on Fridays. Anyone is welcome to participate. For more information, call 615895-8580 or visit the Barnes & Noble Facebook event page. BOROPULSE.COM

* SEPTEMBER 2018 * 7

Sounds

Read more about local music at

BoroPulse.com/Category/Music The committed group of organizers and affiliates have worked hard to ensure a unique event for people of all ages. Pilgrimage has recently expanded on its kidfriendly area known as the Lil’ Pilgrims stage. Kids can spend time exploring arts and crafts or enjoying small shows at the Mare Barn Theater. Artisans, craftsmen, shops, fresh food and plenty of things to do between sets at the wealth of sites set up across the festival grounds all add to the Pilgrimage vibe. Additionally, the Americana Music Triangle Experience returns for 2018. Through this eye-opening experience, Pilgrimage fosters an awareness and admiration for major music landmarks from partnering cities across the Southeast. This aspect of the festival captures and illustrates the pursuit of American musical authenticity. The festival organizers take pride in the festival’s musical diversity. Take this opportunity to discover and experience a variety of new music with friends and family. There’s no better way to experience Pilgrimage. — JORDAN HALL For the full lineup, tickets, FAQs and more information, visit pilgrimagefestival.com.

CHRIS STAPLETON

COUNTING CROWS BY DANNY CLINCH; HOZIER BY ALEX LAKE

Sounds

COUNTING CROWS

HOZIER

ALBUMS BY JORDAN HALL

PIRI NICO FEATURING KENNY MC Twelve Twenty Two

Murfreesboro musician Kenny Mc and Puerto Rican artist Piri Nico recently released the collaborative album Twelve Twenty Two, an urban Latino affair containing 16 tracks full of reggaeton, pop, trap, rap and club music. The collaborators produced the album by communicating via the internet, with neither artist speaking the other’s language. Twelve Twenty Two is recorded primarily in Spanish; however, the energy of the music is so transparent that a translation isn’t needed. The work is quite a feat. With a wide range of styles and flavors, the album, and its dose of Latin flair, is likely to find appreciation among rap and hip-hop fans. Urban Latino music is becoming popular in the US. It’s exciting to hear a great example sprout from Middle Tennessee. The duo connected through a social music platform known as Allihoopa, which allows music creators to participate in an exchange of ideas. This, along with Google Translate, allowed Kenny and Piri to communicate and create. Kenny Mc has a great ear as a producer and a keen sense of rhythm. Each track shines with its own flavor, delivering polished beat production and vocal hooks. In general, the album is on par with modern rap/R&B standards. Stylistically, it strays close to Drake, The Weeknd and other radio kingpins. All but one of the 16 songs opens with a reverberated vocal sample that says, “Kenny Mc,” a common device that makes listeners aware of who produced the song. Considering Kenny Mc produced the entire album, the reminder becomes redundant and tedious after a few tracks, threatening to hinder the varied song and style selection. Piri Nico does a superb job of juggling multiple subgenres of Latin-influenced club mixes under the roof of one album. Listening to Twelve Twenty Two is a fun ride that runs smoothly from track to track, several of which will mix well in most DJ setlists.

A CLASSIC OUTSTANDING

MARK HENES Transitions

Guitar slinger Mark Henes released a summer EP comprised of what he calls, “the sounds most missed in the Nashville culture.” Transitions samples bits and pieces of Henes’ musical inspirations while offering a nod to the traditional pillars of Nashville music. The EP is a confident march away from current trends in music. Garage-rock collides with traditional blues riffs. Gritty guitar tones line the edges of vintage pop tunes. Echoes of classic jams blend with Henes’ own creative personality. Listeners get a hefty funk riff in “Lift Your Cup,” which falls into luscious California harmonies at the chorus. Tilford Smith’s bass lines creep along, holding the band together tightly. Carlos Guevera’s articulate drum fills lock in while Henes buries raw vocals next to his ’60s-era guitar tone. More bluesy rock songs follow that replicate rock ’n’ roll forerunners. “Blues” and “Blues II” have an air of nostalgia about them. While the blues slowly evaporates from much mainstream music, Henes strives to keep the torch lit. Both tracks offer glimpses of the seeds from whence sprung rock, peppered with the slightest bit of country; unfortunately, neither song really stands out. A steady instrumental called “Traveling” might catch some listeners off-guard, being starkly different from the preceding tracks. The instrumental has an upbeat indie/alternative vibe that rubs against the grain of the other songs. With no trace of the blues to be found, the oddball instrumental track is enjoyable, but it doesn’t mesh with the traditional blues persona established earlier in the EP. Mark Henes’ voice has heart, and his take on traditional blues-rock is mildly satisfying. Though, Transitions tends to wander without a particular destination and its execution and production make it hard to clearly categorize or confidently recommend. Hopefully, Henes will continue to explore his affinity for the blues with more shows and releases to come.

AVERAGE BELOW AVERAGE

AVOID AT ALL COSTS DEAD

Sounds BECKY BULLER, THE GOOD DOGS VISIT UPTOWN LIVE ON THE SQUARE

DRUM IN FALL

Community Rhythm Event with Everybody Drum Some at Saturday Market on the Square, Sept. 22

MUSIC NOTES

BY BRACKEN MAYO PHOTOS BY WILL BRIDGES MURFREESBORO AREA RHYTHM enthusiasts will gather on the Murfreesboro Public Square the morning of Saturday, Sept. 22, for another one of the seasonal community rhythm events presented by Everybody Drum Some. This drum session will mark Everybody Drum Some’s celebration of the arrival of fall 2018 on the first day of fall. Anyone and everyone may come to the east side of Rutherford County Courthouse on the Square, beginning at 10 a.m., and join together with their friends and neighbors in making a joyful noise with all manner of percussion instruments. Ross Lester and his drum disciples will feature a new twist on their event with the morning drumming session on the Square. Lester does hold some Saturday morning group percussion sessions just down Main Street in front of Concert Musical Supply, where he also regularly teaches drum lessons. For the past three years now, once a season, generally on the first day of the season, Everybody Drum Some has presented a special community rhythm event. At each installment, Lester brings out his extensive collection of hand drums, tambourines, shakers, wood blocks, cowbells and the like, and invites drummers, families, students, passersby and anyone who may just be curious about 14 * SEPTEMBER 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

how such a drum session works and feels. Over time, these events have attracted some regular attendees, who look forward to each session and loyally join the ensemble, contributing their own flavor of how the music should flow. Each event also attracts some newcomers, some perhaps who have never performed music before and a bit hesitant to jump in the group. But often a participant will hand these individuals an instrument, and within a few minutes they will be comfortably tapping along to the beat and allowing the music to move them with smiles on their faces, experiencing a whole new vibe and experience while, sometimes unknowingly, contributing an important part in creating a whole new piece of music that has never been performed in precisely that way before. Lester and his drum disciples will have the rhythmists calling and responding, crescendoing and decrescendoing, accenting in unison and free-styling. “This group of people who get together every few months is a very diverse group, who all enjoy playing drums together,” Lester sums up the Community Rhythm Event experience. Each occurrence takes on a unique life and character of its own. The drummer wanted to contribute something new to the Saturday Market attendees,

so, although the jams held at the beginning of the season typically launch in the evening, the Sept. 22. playing to celebrate the arrival of fall will be in conjunction with the morning farmers’ market. Again, Lester welcomes anyone with the desire to give it a try to join the group—no experience needed, regulars and newcomers, family-friendly, all ages. He truly wants to see “everybody drum some,” and said he really enjoys “introducing people to this wonderful vehicle of recreational music-making.” There is no cost to participate; if you have a drum, bring it! If you do not, come on out and slap one from the extensive Everybody Drum Some collection. The community rhythm event will be held Saturday, Sept. 22, from 10–11:30 a.m. on the Murfreesboro Public Square. Additionally, Everybody Drum Some can come to your church, school, business, or organization and create an unforgettable music-making experience. Playing the drums is an easy but powerful way to get energized, release stress, connect and communicate with others, and have a lot of fun! Find more on Everybody Drum Some at everybodydrumsome.com.

UPTOWN LIVE, the concert series from the balcony of Shacklett’s Photography on the Murfreesboro Public Square featuring independent area artists, continues each week in September. Becky Buller Trio Saturday, Sept. 8, 9–11 a.m. Fiddler, songwriter and recording artist Becky Buller brings her bluegrass trio. The Brenda Lynn Allen Band Friday, Sept. 14, 7–9 p.m. The band will perform some jazz along with pop and country classics. Jon Wolfe and Friends Friday, Sept. 21, 7–9 p.m. Wolfe, an eclectic songwriter and guitarist, will offer some of his intriguingly quirky original music along with some great jazz favorites. The Good Dogs Friday, Sept. 28, 7–9 p.m. The local all-star cast of roots musicians formerly known as the Accidental Trio returns to play the balcony. Recovery Festival Saturday, Sept. 15 Uptown Live continues its mission of community service outreach at the second annual Recovery Festival at Patterson Park Community Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This event features many of the Middle Tennessee treatment and recovery organizations who offer support services to persons seeking to restore their life after struggle with an addiction. The festival feature live musicians. For more info, visit facebook.com /uptownlivemurfreesboro; Shacklett’s is located at 105 S. Church St.

Food

Bacon-wrapped scallops

See more photos from this month's restaurant feature at BoroPulse.com/Category/Food

The Dish RESTAURANT

Parthenon Grille LOCATION

1962 S. Church St.

Great Greek!

PHONE

615-895-2665 HOURS

11 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon.– Sat.; 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Sun. PRICES Chicken Apollo: $18.90; Greek Gyro pita: $9.90; 22-oz. Delmonico ribeye: $36.90; 8-oz. sirloin: $16.90; Baconwrapped scallops: $13; Stuffed red snapper: $23.90; 22-oz. Bone-in Porterhouse: $42.90 ONLINE

Murfreesboro’s Parthenon Grille offers steaks, oysters, lamb, scallops and more fine food

parthenongrille.com

BY BRACKEN MAYO

PARTHENON GRILLE, A VETERAN local and independent Murfreesboro steakhouse with a Greek flavor, continues to rank near the top of the list for steak, seafood, lamb, special occasions, business lunches and brunch for many area diners. Fine seafood offerings include breaded red snapper stuffed with parmesan and spinach and finished in a Grey Goose cream sauce, mango mahi-mahi, oysters rockefeller, bacon-wrapped scallops and sea bass baked with Greek spices. The restaurant offers a variety of pasta dishes, including a popular shrimp and scallop pasta—linguine served with parmesan-encrusted shrimp and scallops, basil and mushrooms. For those who enjoy lamb, Parthenon not only serves marinated and grilled lamb chops with mint jelly for $29 (with a side), but also offers a more modestly priced lamb chopped steak, topped with sauteed spinach, garlic, feta and mushrooms, along with tzatziki for $13, still incredibly rich and bursting with flavor. “Love the lamb, and all the mixed drinks! Love it all,” Donny Garrett said after a recent Parthenon meal. Many others in the area recommend the lamb dishes. “Our lamb chops are marinated for 48 hours,” said Kathy Laris, owner/operator of Parthenon along with her husband, Angelo. 16 * SEPTEMBER 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

Lamb chopped steak

“We’re known for our lamb chops and bone-in steaks,” she said. Laris said her aunt and uncle opened Parthenon in the 1970s in its original location. After her parents took it over, Kathy and Angelo moved from Greece to purchase the restaurant in 1994. Prior to that, Angelo studied the culinary arts in Greece, Germany and France, and also owned and operated two highly accredited restaurants in Athens, Greece, for 15 years, according to the Parthenon owners. After a stint in the building just across the street (in the current Carmen’s Taqueria location), Angelo has a much larger kitchen in the current Parthenon location. Back to the steaks: “He orders half a cow and butchers everything here,” Kathy says. The Parthenon staff even grinds hamburger meat for the very tasty burgers on the menu. Laura Mazur called Parthenon Grille “a true gem,” after enjoying a “fantastic filet mignon . . . perfect medium rare.” While filet and lobster push the price limit for cost-conscious Murfreesboro consumers, Parthenon keeps the average hometown diner in mind, and balances its bone-in steaks and surf & turf menu section with more affordable burgers, grilled chicken and beef stroganoff. The large restaurant, and its various indoor and outdoor seating areas, makes a good

Greek gyro with side of broccoli

spot for a business or social lunch, with many lunch plates in the $10–$12 neighborhood. Parthenon Grille even offers a Wednesday special on its famed appetizers. On Wednesdays, diners can order any appetizer for $6 (excluding the octopus and shrimp cocktail). Selections include bacon-wrapped scallops (typically $13), salmon mascarpone (typically $12), pan fried mozzarella, paidika (marinated Greek ribs with balsamic), tuna tartar, fried mushrooms, Parthenon dip (a popular veggie cream dip served with pita) and other choices. On Mondays, all wines are half-price, and on Sundays, after 3 p.m., the restaurant runs

Triple-chocolate mousse cake

the appetizer and wine specials. One local Yelper pointed out that he would hesitate to pay for a $40-plus plate at Parthenon, but is quite happy dropping $20 on prime rib and crab bisque on a regular basis. “The crab bisque was absolutely amazing. There were solid pieces of real crab that brought out the flavor of the soup,” he said. “The prime rib was not overly fatty and tasted very good.” Be sure to try the baklava, flaky, nutty goodness served warm (or room temperature) in a honey orange pool of delight. “I had the crab cake sandwich and I couldn’t believe the amazing flavors all at work in it!,” Kristin Browning said after a visit. Among the few complaints, some who are particular about the degree of done-ness of their steaks raise concerns about incorrect or inconsistent steak temperature level, saying, probably justifiably, that if they are going to pay $40 for a premium bone-in steak, they want it cooked to their precise taste, not what they feel is overcooked, or undercooked, in the slightest. But, considering the variety of items on the Parthenon menu, its brunch popularity, its special wine and app offers, and its reputation as one of the premiere spots for a celebration or romantic night out, it should last many more years in its custom-built Church Street home.

Murphree

Spensatelli

Belew

Trimble

Martin

Reed

Benefit for Second Harvest, Amelia’s Closet, Murfreesboro Rescue Mission returns to CJ’s Restaurant for second year CJ’S RESTAURANT AND CATERING will once again host Charity Chopped to raise funds and awareness for area nonprofit organizations with a fun cooking competition format that involves many different notable Murfreesboro personalities and businesses. At the Sept. 13 dinner event, three local celebrity chefs will prepare three courses from mystery ingredients with the help of their own sous chef (offering limited assistance) as they quickly plate entries for the judges to score and crown the champion chef and winning charity. The three charities represent the effort to provide food (Second Harvest Food Bank), clothing (Amelia’s Closet) and shelter (Murfreesboro Rescue Mission) for those in need. Second Harvest collects, sorts and distributes food and personal care products to partner agencies throughout Middle and West Tennessee. Amelia’s Closet provides dignity and hope for women in their recovery journey, giving them a second chance at making a great first impression by offering professional clothing. Murfreesboro Rescue Mission plans to assist the homeless in Murfreesboro, offering emergency shelter, a life recovery program and halfway housing. Celebrity chefs for the 2018 installment of Charity Chopped are Corey Trimble, pastor

of The Experience Community Church competing for Amelia’s Closet; Ronnie Martin, new Murfreesboro City Council member and Senior Vice President of Firstbank competing for Murfreesboro Rescue Mission; and Mary Esther Reed, Smyrna mayor competing for Second Harvest Food Bank. Their sous chefs are Mitchell Murphree of Five Senses, Rachel Spensatelli of The Curious Kitchen and Alex Belew of Dallas and Jane. Larry Pinkerton, Robyn Taylor and Drew will perform music at the event, and Kelli Beam of the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce will serve as MC. Judges include WSMV’s Lisa Spencer, Ole South Properties founder John Floyd, essential-oil educator and TV segment host Rachel Holder, TwelveStone Health Partners CEO and State Sen. Shane Reeves and Alley on Main co-owner Christy Hackinson. Charity Chopped will begin at 6 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 13 at CJ’s, 352 W. Northfield Blvd., Murfreesboro. For more information on the event, visit charitychopped.com. For more information on the participating charities, visit secondharvestmidtn.org, ameliascloset. org and murfresbororescuemission.org. Call 615-417-6640 to order tickets. BOROPULSE.COM

* SEPTEMBER 2018 * 17

Living

Farmers Market Education Series BY EDWINA SHANNON

Carolina Silverbell blossom

Fall Is the Best Tree Planting Time THE EARLY FALL IS THE BEST TIME to get woody perennials into the ground, as the timing will allow the roots to grab the soil and establish themselves before the ground freezes. The first expected frost date in the Middle Tennessee area is Oct. 15. Roots continue to grow until the soil temperature drops below 45–50 degrees Fahrenheit. In evaluating trees for your landscape, recognize that trees are not equal. The size of the tree and the choice of deciduous vs. coniferous are the most obvious differences. Recognizing these differences will initially narrow your selection. In selecting a tree, know the full height potential of the mature tree. How big is the area that you have available for a tree? Can it sustain a 15-foot tree or a 150-foot tree, or something in between? Remember: as above, so below. What type of soil are you planting it in, and how deep is it? Is there a ledge that will definitely affect the root system? How alkaline or acidic is the soil? Coniferous trees do prefer a more acid soil. In selecting a tree, you can select the tree and find a spot that provides the optimal environment for its growth, or assess the area for the tree and select a tree that will thrive in that area. Look up, and avoid, wires. Call the Tennessee One-Call at 1-800-351-1111 to locate and mark any underground pipes or cables. When choosing a tree, the type of tree should be based on several factors. Tennessee is primarily located in planting Zone 7. This is important info when ordering online. A local nursery would carry zone-ready plants. Will the tree thrive in the site’s soil and drainage capabilities? Does it receive the right amount of moisture and light to thrive? When the right area has the right plant, the landscaping enhances a home’s value. In purchasing a tree, be familiar with its growth potential as well as any unique features which might include fruit, flowers, falling leaves, etc. It is a package deal. Trees flower, providing nectar. Trees provide shelter and food. They are an integral part of the ecosystem and the need for native tree cultivation is greater than ever. Native 18 * SEPTEMBER 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

The Rutherford County Farmers’ Market, located at the Lane Agri-Park Community Center, 315 John R Rice Blvd., Murfreesboro is held indoors from 7 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays and Fridays. It is a producer-only market. UT Extension offers free classes on both days. Classes start at 9 a.m. and last about one hour. Some have been recorded and are uploaded to the RC Farmers Market YouTube channel.

trees would not be an invader to the region with potential for takeover. Native plants support and are an element in the ecosystem. Have you considered trees that flower at a time different than your vegetables, which would help your local pollinators? Some of the local trees to consider when adding one to your landscape include: Pawpaw – flowers in the spring and produces edible fruits in the summer, plus it is an eye catcher Serviceberry (a.k.a. Juneberry) – a four-season looker: flowers, edible fruit, vibrant foliage, grey bark Redbud – Pink, purplish flowers in spring, unusual leaves, interesting bark Native Fringe – White, lacy, hanging flower clusters followed by long, dark leaves American Dogwood – Showy white or pink flowers in the spring Yellowwood – hanging clusters of creamy white flowers in early summer, variety of pink flowers Cornelian Cherry – Bright yellow flowers in late winter; its fruit is good for wildlife Hawthorn – Can tolerate hot, dry exposed locations, thorny Franklinia – Another four-season looker, no longer found in the wild; white flowers in early fall, brilliant fall foliage; site sensitive Carolina Silverbell – Dangling, white bell-shaped flowers in the spring, dark green leaves, interesting bark Confer with a reputable nursery or landscape designer for additional specifics on each. Large transplants need more time to adapt to the new spot than younger, smaller specimens. A general rule of thumb: if the transplant has a trunk diameter of an average person’s thumb, the transplant should adapt well. Be cognizant of soil compaction and soils that are too wet or too dry.

HOW TO PLANT A TREE When planting, dig the hole two to three times wider than the root ball. The width allows roots to grow away from the plant. The root ball should set on the ground and not on disturbed soil. In poorly drained soil, the root should be one to two inches shallower than the root ball. In well-drained soil, the hole should be as deep as the root ball. When you get a ball and burlap bag, wiggle the plant to assure that it is attached to the root ball. They should move together. If the bag is broken, the roots may have been damaged. Ones with weeds were bagged a while ago and may be in distress from the extended time removed from the soil. Always water regularly when planting in the fall, as the fall is historically a dry time.

TREE TOPPING Tree topping is not tree care but is a severe threat to tree health. Topping removes the tree’s main leader. The finished result is collection of stubs with wounds that never heal properly. Growth produces a dense grouping of leaves which minimizes air flow while encouraging insect activity. Tree topping is not done by certified arborists, as the blunt cut weakens the tree. It would be more merciful to just cut it down and get its death over with.

SEPT. 4 A Living Landscape Certified Master Gardener Larry Rogers discusses how a home landscape can coexist with wildlife and promote pollinators.

SEPT. 7 Top-Ten Vegetable Tips Certified Master Gardeners Mark Murphy and Charlotte Lampley offer tips and new ideas to help you succeed in growing the ten most popular vegetables for the home garden.

SEPT. 11 Tennessee Lawns Learn tips and tasks for a healthy lawn from Certified Master Gardener Rocky Barnard.

SEPT. 14 Shade Gardens Learn how to create a shade garden from Certified Master Gardener Jack Smith, who also will teach about plants that thrive in shady spaces.

SEPT. 18 Bulbs and Perennials Extension Agent Rachel Painter discusses different types of bulbs and perennials just in time for planting.

SEPT. 21 Garden Tool Maintenance Learn how to perform regular end-of-season maintenance on your gardening and lawn tools from certified Master Gardener Ken Roberge.

SEPT. 25 Seasonal Eating Extension Agent Carla Bush leads a food demonstration to offer recipes and tips for selection and preparing our local, fresh foods.

SEPT. 28 Beekeeping 101 Come learn the basics of beekeeping with certified Master Gardener Carol Reese.

OCT. 2 Mushrooms in the Home Garden Learn about growing your own mushrooms with certified Master Gardener Floyd Adams.

OCT. 5 Planting Garlic & Spinach Certified Master Gardener Anna Paddon discusses planting, what to expect during the winter, care and harvesting garlic and spinach.

Live Exceptionally...Well! BY JENNIFER DURAND

Stimulate Your Mind—Read More I BELIEVE IN THE POWER of mental stimulation, the art of increasing our intelligence, the need for heightened awareness and overall ecumenical education. Reading is one of the best forms of enabling all of those. Next comes putting into practice what you read. I have enjoyed reading from a very young age. Many don’t like reading; it is difficult for some, and others are insecure because they can’t read. There are many resources available to remedy this, thankfully! Reading opens the door to discovery, adventure, intrigue, growth and knowledge. The more knowledgeable you are, the more interesting you become and you can be part of more conversations that lead to friendships and life experiences. One of my favorite quotes, which I have shared before, is “I am a part of all whom I’ve met” by Alfred Lord Tennyson. I think it applies to the books we read, too. Everything I have ever read has contributed to my development, has shaped my beliefs and values and enlarged my capacity to understand more. I’d like to share several books, that I still refer to regularly. In no particular order they are:  The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss Is any explanation really necessary? This book includes tips, templates, tricks and tools on living like a diplomat or millionaire—without being either. The author shares so much information on where and how to find things of value, saving you lots of research time; it’s full of ideas. “The simple willingness to improvise is more vital, in the long run, than research.” — Rolf Potts  Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss Fabulous simplicity that describes life to a T. “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”  Illusions — The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach “Each creature in its own manner clung tightly to the twigs and rocks of the river bottom, for clinging was their way of life, and resisting the current what each had learned from birth. But one creature said at last, ‘I am tired of clinging. Though I cannot see it with my eyes, I trust that the current knows where it is going. I shall let go, and let it take me where it will. Clinging, I shall die of boredom.’” 20 * SEPTEMBER 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

 Holy Bible (King James Version) So many stories and examples of life, choices, actions and consequence. Even if you don’t believe some of what you read is true, there is great inspiration to be gained. One of my personal favorites comes from Romans 12:2: “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy This book is filled with an unprecedented spiritual interpretation of the Bible and the National Women’s Book Association has designated it “one of 75 books written by American women whose words have changed the world.” Just a couple of my favorite quotes from the book: “to those leaning on the sustaining infinite, today is big with blessings;” “the time for thinkers has come;” “contentment with the past and the cold conventionality of materialism are crumbling away.” “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” — Shakespeare  Monster Producer by Michael J. Burt This author is a Leadership Coach. He believes everyone in life should have a coach. We all have mentors, guides and people we look up to. I found the value in adding a coach to my life and chose Coach Burt for his creativity, drive, principles, values and how he truly aspires to build up the best in individuals for the greater good! “Think of a monster as a ‘legendary creature who combines multiple skill sets and talents to win in any situation.’”  Succulent Wild Woman by SARK What a wonderful ride this writer provides. It’s an invitation to be authentic, real and juicy! The book is her glowing invitation to live a rich, succulent life! She explores love, sexuality, romance, money, fat, fear and creativity. It’s a little bit like reading her diary—with permission. Succulence is power-full! and so are we as women! On journaling . . . it doesn’t matter what you write in a journal. It matters that it is yours. Read, explore and live! I’d love to know what books have had a part in shaping you! Jennifer Durand is the owner and operator of The Nurture Nook Day Spa & Gift Shoppe. Learn more by calling (615) 896-7110 or visiting nurturenook.com.

Art

 FESTIVAL  Clockwise from top left: 816 Glassworks by Brittany Goode Painting by Justyna Kostkowska Clock by Crystal Duncan 1220 Bloom Street (headbands) by Julie Brown Crooked Willow Forge (bookends) by Mark McMeen

Greenway Art Fest Returns Gathering allows community to share in creativity, artists to share their work BY ANDREW WIGDOR LOCAL ARTISTS WILL GATHER along the Greenway trail of Old Fort Park on Saturday, Sept. 15, to display, sell and celebrate their best and most unique art pieces during this year’s Greenway Art Festival. With original artwork including oils, acrylics, watercolors, pottery and more, the free, juried event will provide ample opportunity for residents to browse the work of artists and have fun in a family-friendly setting. The event, sponsored by the Friends of the Greenway organization and Cultural Arts Murfreesboro, will run from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The festival will also include music, food vendors and kids’ art activities. Artist Mark McMeen has been participating in the event for the last three years and will be back again this year. “Before we [apply] to be a vendor at a show or festival, we attend the show just to see what we think,” McMeen said about Murfreesboro’s Greenway Art Festival. “We were impressed and wanted to be a part of this one.” McMeen’s “Crooked Willow Forge” items are all created from repurposed metal. “Some items are whimsical representations of animals,” McMeen said. “Some are useful items like jewelry holders and bookends . . . 22 * SEPTEMBER 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

People enjoy being able to recognize the various components of a piece and appreciate that they have been repurposed.” McMeen said that the Greenway Art Festival is special because it allows the Murfreesboro community to come together and share a common appreciation for creativity. “We have reduced the number of shows in which we participate in recent years,” McMeen said “We have continued to apply for this one and appreciate being invited to be a part of the Greenway Festival.” Kaitlin Savage, a Murfreesboro pottery artist, has been working a booth at the festival since 2015. At that time, she was still a student

in the ceramics program at MTSU. “I wanted to see what it was like to sell my work in my community because I knew I would be doing that in the future,” Savage said. Savage, who graduated from MTSU in 2016 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics and has been working to grow her business over the last couple of years, said that the festival helps to establish her art in the community. “I enjoy participating in the festival because it is well-established with a fun environment,” Savage said. “I like connecting with the community through my work and seeing all the other artists that live in our area.”

Another participant in this year’s festival is Nashville artist Julie Brown, who creates “bloom-inspired” accessories from fabric. “As a seamstress I have been doing all kinds of projects and commissions over the last 20 years, but the fabric flowers were born from my imagination and love for design a couple of years ago,” Brown said. Brown said that the festival is critical for local artists who are still working on building a brand. “Doing shows like The Greenway Art Festival is what I enjoy the most about being a craft artist,” Brown said. “Having a brickand-mortar establishment is expensive, especially when you are still in the process of establishing your brand. So events like these allow you to set up a temporary ‘store’ for the day. You get to welcome people into your world and share more than just product.” To see the creations from these artists and many more, stop by the Greenway Art Festival at Old Fort Park on Saturday, Sept. 15.

 PHOTOGRAPHY

Photo by Kevin Smith

MURFREESBORO PHOTOGRAPHERS CAPTURE FROZEN MOTION PHOTO CONNECT MURFREESBORO, a group that aims to bring together and inspire Murfreesboro-area photography enthusiasts, has begun issuing a monthly photo challenge to all who would like to participate. Recently, the group announced a challenge of “freezing motion.” Photographers captured a variety of action, impressively “pausing” dancing, animals, different athletic and racing events, lots of water action, and other activities and topics. Previous challenges have included macro photography, self portraits, wildlife, street photography, leading lines, tight crop and marketing and product shots. Photo Connect Murfreesboro also holds meetings the second Thursday of each month in the Linebaugh Library board room on the second floor. All photographers and photo enthusiasts are welcome to participate in Photo Connect Murfreesboro challenges and meetings, professionals and hobbyists. This group is a tool to connect, teach, learn, exchange resources, and most importantly, promote photography in Murfreesboro, according to organizers. For more information, visit facebook.com/groups/photographyconnectmboro or email photographyconnectmboro@gmail.com.

Photo by Jeff Priest

24 * SEPTEMBER 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

PHOTO BY ASHLEIGH NEWNES

 THEATER

CENTER FOR THE ARTS PRESENTS HEATHERS IN SEPTEMBER The Center for the Arts will present Heathers through Sept. 16. The musical, based on a 1988 film, features Heather, Heather and Heather, the hottest and cruelest girls in all of Ohio. Misfit Veronica Sawyer rejects their evil regime for a new boyfriend, the dark and sexy stranger J.D., who plans to put the Heathers in their place—six feet under. Heathers, set in Westerberg High School, features the song “Teenage Suicide (Don’t Do It),” and the September run in Murfreesboro coincides with suicide prevention month. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 16; the show is rated R. The Center for the Arts is located at 110 W. College St. For tickets or more information, visit boroarts.org or call 615-904-ARTS.

MLT OPENS ITS 57TH SEASON WITH IN THE NEXT ROOM Murfreesboro Little Theatre proudly presents Sarah Ruhl’s In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) opening Sept. 14 for two weekends. Set in the Victorian era of female repression, In the Next Room centers on Dr. Givings, an innovator who has created a new electrical device to treat “hysteria” in women (and men, too), and his wife, Catherine, who is tending to their newborn child. When a new patient and her husband enter their home, one of already established emotional distance, their own marital issues become intermingled—add in their wet nurse, the doctor’s assistant and a charming artist to make matters more complicated. Charming, sensitive and rightfully honest, In the Next Room brings emotional, and often funny, attention to sensuality and self-discovery. Directed by Dalton Reeves, whose past shows include Bent, King Lear and last season’s best production winner, Race, the cast features Jamie Leigh Stevens, Joseph Stanley, Ciara Richards, Lee Heaston, Tyler Tsoumbos, Shawna Rayford and Alex Varboncoeur. The show is intended for mature audiences due to adult subject matter. Performances run Sept. 14, 15, 21 and 22 at 7 p.m., and Sept. 16 and 23 at 2 p.m. This production marks the first production in MLT’s 57th season of continuous community theatre. Founded in 1962, MLT is an all-volunteer organization and Rutherford County’s oldest theatrical arts organization. MLT is located at 702 Ewing Blvd. To make reservations, visit mltarts.com or call 615-893-9825. 26 * SEPTEMBER 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

Art

 POETRY IN THE BORO BY KORY WELLS

‘Run Amok Americana Reading Tour’ Comes to Murfreesboro Little Theater on Sept. 23 LAST MONTH I wrote about local poets who are extending their reach across our state and beyond; this month the big news is that two award-winning poets from out of state are coming here on a tour promoting their new books. Adrian Blevins of Maine, recent winner of the Wilder Prize, and Travis Mossotti of Missouri, winner of the 2018 Miller Williams Prize, are kicking off a four-state, five-stop tour at Poetry in the Boro at Murfreesboro Little Theatre on Sunday, Sept. 23. The tour, dubbed “Run Amok Americana,” blends the poets’ latest book titles: Blevins’ Appalachians Run Amok and Mossotti’s Narcissus Americana. Adrian Blevins’ additional poetry publications include Live From the Homesick

Blevins

Jamboree, The Brass Girl Brouhaha and two chapbooks. She is also the co-editor of Walk Till the Dogs Get Mean: Meditations on the Forbidden from Contemporary Appalachia. She is the recipient of many awards, includ-

Mossotti

ing the Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Award. Travis Mossotti’s third book of poetry, Narcissus Americana, was selected by former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins for the Miller Williams Prize. Mossotti is also author of two chapbooks and two other full-length collections, About the Dead and Field Study. He serves as Poet-in-Residence at the Endangered Wolf Center in St. Louis and teaches at Webster University. The featured poets go on at 7 p.m., with an hour of open mic to follow. Doors open and open mic sign ups begin at 6:30 p.m. Find full details about this free event, including this month’s writing challenge, on the Poetry in the Boro Facebook page.

ALSO IN SEPTEMBER WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 5, the Barnes &

Noble book club will meet at 6 p.m. to discuss The Darkest Time of Night, a suspense novel that’s receiving praise from NPR, People Magazine and others. Author Jeremy Finley, known to many in the region for his investigative journalism, plans to be in attendance. FRIDAY, SEPT. 7, Christopher Williams’ entertainment event “Under 1 Roof ” will be held at The Warehouse in Murfreesboro. Combining poetry, music, and comedy, tickets are on sale for $10 online or $15 at the door. A cash bar will be available. Find more details on Facebook. SATURDAY, SEPT. 15, MTSU Write hosts its annual day-long conference for writers of all genres. Internationally acclaimed author Ruta Sepetys will be the keynote speaker. Read by students and adults worldwide, Sepetys’ novels Between Shades of Gray and 28 * SEPTEMBER 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

Out of the Easy are New York Times bestsellers. Her latest novel, Salt to the Sea, is a #1 New York Times bestseller and winner of the Carnegie Medal. Other presenters will include Sybil Baker, Sandy Coomer, John Goslee, Marcus Jackson, Corabel Shofner, Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder and more, offering sessions on a wide variety of topics and genres. Registration for the day is $60, with discounts available to MTSU faculty, students, and former affiliates of MTSU Write. For more information, visit mtsu.edu/write.

“Foreclosure” by Travis Mossotti, from his book Narcissus Americana (Reprinted with permission from University of Arkansas Press) When the bank reclaimed the house in which I grew up, my parents weren’t ashamed, didn’t board themselves up inside and wait for the cops. They were docile as mops loaded last onto the truck, their acumen won from a string of luck—they called it downsizing, used an inheritance to purchase another family’s foreclosed home. My father dug bulbs from loam to replant the new place, and they bloomed in the spring with beautiful indifference. Kory Wells is principal founder of Poetry in the Boro and the inaugural Poet Laureate of Murfreesboro. Contact her at korywells@gmail.com.

Movies

REVIEWS

greatest I have ever seen. Tom Cruise shows that he can still bring it at age 56 with ease, and watching him hang from the side of a helicopter or run through the rooftoops of London is still nothing short of exhilarating. Mission: Impossible’s insistence on filming as many of the stunts with practical effects, combined with Cruise actually doing most of the incredible stunts throughout are what make Fallout as good as it is. Cruise actually spent three months learning to fly a helicopter for the film’s breathtaking conclusion, and the cinematography really brings it home. This helicopter chase is one of the most

incredible sequences I have ever seen, and there are plenty of other scenes to get your adrenaline pumping. Another spectacular scene includes a cameraman doing a HALO jump with Tom Cruise, (which I still can’t believe they did) likely to go down as one of my favorite movie moments of 2018. On top of the incredible action, the film has a marvelous, diverse cast of core characters. It’s taken six films, but this franchise finally has a strong group of supporting women, led by the return of Ilsa Faust (the role that put Rebecca Ferguson on the map). We also get two great newcomers in White Widow (Vanessa Kirby) and the stern, coldblooded Erica Sloan (Angela Bassett). Also, August Walker (Henry Cavill) is pretty darn good alongside Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and he looks pretty sleek with his mustache too. Cruise is worth the price of admission alone. (Yes, he’s not asked to do much in terms of acting here, but he doesn’t need to when he’s riding through Paris on a motorcycle without a helmet, right?) It doesn’t really matter that the story is over-serious and confusing. There’s plenty of good ol’-fashioned fun to be found in Fallout, a masterfully executed action film, which stands as Exhibit A for why you go to the movies. Don’t miss it! — JOSEPH KATHMANN

replaces one Kevin McAllister with 3 Ninjas. That The Meg itself is adapted from a 1997 novel that has clearly, after all these years, coasted on the waves of Jaws makes it the perfect project for this director. Turteltaub’s experience only excels at creating a competently boring tale that follows all the beats of a Jaws sequel without changing much beyond the shark’s

size. If you go in the water, and the shark’s in the water, it’s not going to make much of a difference whether the shark is 20 feet or 70. The filmmakers seem to realize as much and are either unwilling or unable to subvert expectations, instead resorting to and relying on jump scares like they’re going out of style. Man, that giant shark sure is sneaky. But the underlying reason for The Meg’s mediocrity lies in the strategy behind its intended audience. The Meg is part of a new trend of international movies, made as not much for the American market as for the Chinese. As of this writing, it has made more money overseas than in the US. Nothing is inherently wrong with this trend, but until studios realize that the common ground between cultures of “big shark, blow sh*t up” actually needs to be fun and entertaining for both cultures, then everyone will continue to get this watered-down chum. But who needs fun when they already know we’re all suckers for shark movies? — JAY SPIGHT

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE— FALLOUT DIRECTOR Christopher McQuarrie STARRING Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby RATED R

After months of anticipation, the latest installment in arguably the best franchise in Hollywood right now is here. Mission: Impossible — Fallout further cements the franchise’s place as the king of the action genre. Seriously, if you have even a passing interest in action movies, put aside any predispositions you may have towards Tom Cruise the man, or the thought that this is “yet another franchise,” and see this movie. It truly is one of the best action movies ever made. I had unrealistically high expectations for this film, and director Christopher McQuarrie, Tom Cruise and the rest of the crew for Fallout somehow met them. However, the film’s story is a little messy and hard to follow. Unlike previous install-

ments, including Rogue Nation, this one did take itself a tad too seriously. That’s not to say there isn’t a significant amount of humor and lighthearted dialogue scattered throughout its lengthy 147-minute runtime, but the tone did seem to be a bit more serious than previous films in the franchise. That said, I found myself getting a little emotional at points, but I will admit I admire this franchise more than most. Most viewers will be bored during these touching moments, really not much more than placeholders to let the audience take a breath in between the jaw-dropping set pieces. The action set pieces here are some of the

THE MEG DIRECTOR Jon Turteltaub STARRING Jason Statham, Bingbing Li, Rainn Wilson RATED PG-13

Who isn’t a sucker for shark movies? Ever since a young director named Steven Spielberg adapted Peter Benchley’s novel Jaws in 1975—practically inventing the “summer blockbuster”—the collective American conscious has been chasing that deep-sea dragon for more than 40 years, from the campy shark fetishism of Deep Blue Sea and Discovery’s Shark Week, to the terror-fromthe-deep copycats of Piranha and Lake Placid, and lastly, to the low-budget absurdity of the Sharknado series and myriad other made-for-TV throwaways. Like Ghost Shark. Though not as dumb as the last examples,

The Meg isn’t as fun as the first two, either. This might be because director Jon Turteltaub has a fondness for directing discount versions of better films. Perhaps best known for National Treasure, a blatant cross-pollination of the mega-hit novel The Da Vinci Code and Indiana Jones (Spielberg, again), this reviewer will always have a soft spot for his version of Home Alone, in which he

A CLASSIC

30 * SEPTEMBER 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

OUTSTANDING

AVERAGE

BELOW AVERAGE

AVOID AT ALL COSTS

DEAD

OPENING IN JULY

PLAYING THIS MONTH

SEPT. 7 The Nun Peppermint

SEPT. 14 The Predator White Boy Rick Lizzie Bel Canto A Simple Favor

SEPT. 21 The House With a Clock in Its Walls Fahrenheit 11/9 Life Itself

SEPT. 28 The Old Man & the Gun Smallfoot

LIVING ROOM CINEMA column by NORBERT THIEMANN

facebook.com/livingroomcinema

The Occult: Part 1 AS SUMMER SUCCUMBS TO AUTUMN, stay alert for operations performed by devils, witches and the occult! The Exorcist (1973) is directed by William Friedkin. The Exorcist is a movie unlike any other, and whose importance in cinema history cannot be overstated. Based on accounts from William Blatty’s book of the same title, a child becomes possessed, and priests are summoned to expel the demons. It’s a gripping tale, to say the least. Häxan (1922) is directed by Benjamin Christensen. This fictionalized documentary about witchcraft through the ages was preserved and re-released by the Criterion Collection. It also includes a shortened version from 1968, which features a jazz soundtrack, along with narration from the great William S. Burroughs. The abbreviated version is appropriately titled Witchcraft Through the Ages. Viy (1967) is directed by Konstantin Ershov and Georgiy Kropachyov. This unlikely Soviet-era gem is about a young priest who must keep vigil over the corpse of a witch for three days. It is fantastical on a small/quaint scale, and seems to foreshadow the wonderful early works of Sam Raimi. The Wicker Man (1973) is directed by Robin Hardy. In search of a missing girl, a policeman travels to a remote part of Scotland. The community is of little help, but their pagan beliefs become eerily revealed. 32 * SEPTEMBER 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

AROUND TOWN ’BORO BUSINESS BUZZ

Checkers, Taco John’s and Dog Haus in the dog house; Spinelli’s; Nobody’s; Gentle Barn; Miller’s Ale House; 219

THE GENTLE BARN has relocated to Rutherford County from the Knoxville area, recently hosting a launch celebration at its farm on Christiana Fosterville Road in Christiana. Founded in 1999 as a sanctuary and place of recovery for severely abused animals and children, The Gentle Barn offers a unique philosophy of rehabilitating animals and connecting their stories of survival and healing to the personal experiences of inner city, at-risk and special needs children who have suffered physical, mental or emotional trauma. By interacting with The Gentle Barn’s animals and taking a hands-on role in their welfare, those who participate in the programs at The Gentle Barn learn empathy, trust and forgiveness. The Gentle Barn will offer public tours on Sundays. For more information, visit gentlebarn.org.

BY MICHELLE WILLARD This month we are going to start with Closings Corner because, boy howdy, has there ever been some good gossip involving a few local restaurants that were owned by the same company. According to WSMV, the financiers of several franchises in Rutherford, Maury and Davidson counties have closed six restaurants in recent weeks. Larry Lavine and Richard Reeves have closed DOG HAUS BIERGARTEN in Murfreesboro, CHECKERS in Nashville, La Vergne and Smyrna, and a TACO JOHN’S and CHURCH’S CHICKEN in Columbia, leaving customers confused and employees unpaid. Lavine declined to comment to WSMV under advisement from his lawyer. The WSMV report said Lavine and Reeves owe more than $10,000 in delinquent property taxes on the Checkers location in Smyrna alone. The same report said a representative of Dog Haus in Murfreesboro told a reporter “a dispute between the franchise partners resulted in the closure of the Murfreesboro location.” A Facebook post claimed Dog Haus was closed because of “maintenance issues.” But the restaurant’s corporate office confirmed that employees hadn’t been paid since July 24. No reopening date has been announced. In other closings news, NOBODY’S GRILLE announced it will not be renewing its lease. The barbecue joint and bar has been serving good food and good times for nine years, starting in the old Corky’s (where Texas Roadhouse is now) and then in Clarion Inn. “One reason is that we cannot afford a new lease with our landlord, which is beyond our budget. Another reason is that we are officially moving to Florida for family reasons. We’ll be starting a new life and finding new opportunities,” Katherine and David McCauley said in a post on Nobody’s Facebook page. 34 * SEPTEMBER 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

McGREGOR’S LIQUORS will close after more than 30 years of serving Murfreesboro. Owner Steve Tambornini sold the business located on the corner of Lokey Street and Memorial Boulevard. The new owners will relocate the store to the corner of Old Lascassas and Greenland Drive, where a Kwik Sak was located until recently. MORE FOOD NEWS BLAZE PIZZA opened its location at 2314 Medical Center Pkwy. on Aug. 27 with a ribbon cutting. A California-based chain, Blaze features freaky-fast, fast-fired, artisanal pizza. This is the fourth Blaze store in Tennessee.

Speaking of pizza, SPINELLI’S PIZZERIA AND NICK NEWTON’S are set to open in October on West Main Street (in the space formerly known as Tempt). The dual concept will serve menus from both restaurants in the same space. The sign at PANERA BREAD has changed, and so will the rest of the restaurant, which is going through an extensive remodel. The TGIF near Stones River Mall won’t stay empty very long, as MILLER’S ALE HOUSE has announced it will take over the building at 1714 Old Fort Pkwy.

The Florida-born chain is a casual sports restaurant with freshly made food that has locations in Franklin and Chattanooga. Just down OFP on Cason Lane, a Japanese restaurant has taken over the space formerly known as Bob’s BBQ and Kirkenburt’s before that. Not much more is known, but I’ll keep a close eye on it. As I’ve reported before, UNCLE BUD’S is preparing to open again in the ’Boro. It’s been a few years since they’ve served up their signature catfish here but it seems the time is approaching, because the renovations are nearly finished at 1824 Old Fort Pkwy. Gondolier is changing its concept and name. The Italian and Greek spot at 219 NW Broad St. will become 219 MIXED CUISINE (see what they did?). The menu will now focus on Thai, Italian and American with a sushi bar. Sadly, the dessert case is gone.

Murfreesboro’s newest pie shop will celebrate its grand opening Sept. 8 at 2314 Medical Center Pkwy. BUTTERMILK SKY PIE Shop opened a few weeks ago but will offer its fabulous pies, hot coffee, giveaways and door prizes in an official opening celebration starting at 10 a.m. BSPS offers delicious scratch-made pies in 4- and 9-inch sizes. Traditional pies like Southern Buttermilk, Chocolate Chess, Coconut Cream, Key lime, Granny’s Apple, and I-40 Pecan are served year-round.

FITNESS / WELLNESS CLIMB MURFREESBORO has opened its doors at 1660 Memorial Blvd. A full year after it announced its intentions, Climb Murfreesboro is ready with its 45-foot climbing walls, bouldering areas for free climbing, workout and cardio equipment, and yoga. Tom Frye with Baker Story McDonald Properties previously said he wants the gym to be the centerpiece to revitalize the multi-tenant shopping center that once housed Hastings.

Another Nashville-based attraction, FLOAT ALCHEMY has finally opened its full complement of services. Along with four float tanks, it offers saunas, cryotherapy, massage therapy and a kombucha bar. The facility will be at 131 Cason Ln. in the former location of Gish’s Amish Furniture. FORTIFIED FITNESS and FORTIFIED WARRIOR NINJA OBSTACLE TRAINING are moving into a new location. The new lease on a 6,000-square-foot building will bring both businesses under one roof on West Rutherford Boulevard (down from Crossfit Rutherford and Bill Taylor’s Bushido School of Karate). HOTWORX is opening a second location on Rutherford Boulevard. The fitness chain recently opened its first location on Medical Center Parkway. HOTWORX offers its members unlimited, 24-hour access to a variety of virtually instructed, infrared sauna workouts. Another nationwide fitness franchise, CYCLEBAR this time, plans to open its brand of “premium indoor cycling” on the corner of Medical Center Parkway and Robert Rose Drive. By the looks of it, it’s a giant spin class. I could support that. If you’re looking for single-sex workouts, BURN BOOT CAMP might be right for you. It is a boutique fitness concept where women work out together. Camps are 45 minutes in length, are offered multiple times throughout the day, and comprise 72 different styles and 15 different formats. Clients learn more than just healthy eating and exercise tips at Burn Boot Camp, as the concept strays from the competition by operating on a five-pillar philosophy to help clients achieve success: mindset, whole food nutrition, burst training, strength training and positive environment. MILTON NEWS Work continues on the historic Milton venue to be known as THE GATHERING AT MILTON. Months of extensive restoration on the building that formerly housed Manuel’s Cajun Country Store and earlier Cherry’s Store is nearing an end. Owners Alanna and Phillip Vaught plan to celebrate their event venue’s completion with an Oct. 13 community Fall Market and Craft Fair. The 100-year-old building sits across from the Milton Post Office northeast of Murfreesboro. For more information, visit facebook.com/thegatheringatmilton. NEW BUSINESSES Judy Goldie and Melanie Davenport are opening a new home decor shop on the

Square, THE MARKETPLACE HOME & GIFT. It will be next door to Goldie’s other businesses, Bella’s Boutique and Trendy Pieces. WINDSONG STUDIO OF JEWELRY ARTS is a new addition to the Barfield area that will open in September. It’s not your normal jewelry shop. The owner will conduct classes on making your own. For more, visit windsongstudiotn.com. STARS AND STRIKES, a family fun center, has plans to open in September at 333 N. Lowry St. in Smyrna. Find more at starsandstrikes.com. The German grocery store ALDI opened its newest shop Aug. 30 at 3267 Memorial Blvd. Don’t forget to bring your own bags. THE GAMING PROFESSOR brings a unique tabletop gaming experience to you for a work social, a night out at a local restaurant, a team building experience, or a party with friends. Find more information at facebook.com/thegamingprof.

The Pulse crew handed out lots of copies of the publication and other info from our sponsors, signed up attendees for our email newsletter and reminded new and returning MTSU students to regularly look to the Pulse for information on great local restaurants, concerts, community events, area businesses, art exhibits, theatrical productions and more at last month’s MEET MURFREESBORO event on the MTSU campus. This was alongside many other fine area businesses and Pulse supporters, including Century 21, Redstone Federal Credit Union, Waffle House and many others.

ONYX SHEAR HAIR ART The downtown Murfreesboro home of Steven Handyside, an internationally trained Australian stylist and master colorist with 17 years of experience, specializes in women’s precision cuts and men’s barber cuts. Veteran-owned and operated BLACK RIFLE COFFEE COMPANY is proud to announce the opening of its Manchester, Tenn., roasting facility as part of the company’s $6 million investment in that state. Black Rifle Coffee Company was built on the foundation of providing coffee and culture to the people who love America. Heath Frazier, one of the founders of JUG CREEK DISTILLERY in Lascassas, was severely injured in a recent car accident, leaving him unconscious and on a ventilator. His injuries will require costly rehabilitation. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help his family cover the medical costs. The Outpost Armory has submitted plans for a gun shop and shooting range near Warrior Drive and New Salem Highway called MURFREESBORO INDOOR RANGE. No word on previous plans the Christianabased gun purveyor had for a range near downtown Murfreesboro. Got a tip about a new business, an old one closing, complaints, comments or corrections? Contact Michelle @michwillard on Twitter or at michelle.willard@gmail.com. BOROPULSE.COM

* SEPTEMBER 2018 * 35

Fitness

Learn more about staying fit at

BoroPulse.com/Author/Semaj

Discover Yoga Find the yoga style that ﬁts you and connect with the community at Transparent Heart STORY BY SEMAJ THOMAS • PHOTOS BY BRACKEN MAYO EXPERIENCING YOGA for the first time in an actual studio dedicated to the practice, to me was “everything and a bag of chips,” in other words, it was all that I expected, and more. At Transparent Heart Yoga, Courtney Sabbagh, the business owner, beautifully expressed her favorite thing about yoga after a nice session of stretching and breathing. “It is something we can do for the rest of our lives,” she says. Sabbagh says she wants people to “spend the time we have here feeling good.” Feeling good daily is important to our health, mentally and physically, so finding empowering things to bridge it all together helps with the everyday hustle and bustle of life. With 10 years of experience in teaching yoga, Sabbagh decided and felt impelled through meditation to open a facility where individuals would “open up their hearts and be transparent, which in turn allows everyone to feel stronger and more connected to each other and the universe.” So, exactly a year ago on Sept. 2, the opportunity presented itself and with just a little hesitation, Sabbagh took over the lease from the previous business owner at the yoga studio at the corner of Lytle and Barker (Yoga on the Square) and opened up Transparent 36 * SEPTEMBER 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

Heart Yoga. Her refreshed energy and ambition was to keep serving the community and she further expanded her clientele. Now, Courtney started in Hatha yoga, which can be defined as “a yoga system of physical exercises and breathing control,” and generally requires poses to be held for several breaths. Because yoga can be practiced sitting, breathing, standing or moving in different positions, Sabbagh truly feels and believes “it is a healing practice.” And

that’s important to many. So many sports and exercises are tailored for a certain age or gender and overexertion can often cause complications in your back, shoulders, hips or knees without following a qualified fitness trainer, proper nutrition, and having a general knowledge of the body structure. Those who are serious about staying healthy continually stay up to date with relevant information and that’s exactly what Courtney accomplished when she explored and embraced Ayurveda, which is the sister science of yoga. Its concentration is geared toward making healthy food and life choices that fuel and balance the body, mind and spirit and incorporate the vibe of yoga into everyday living. Currently, she has been studying almost four years with Ayurveda practitioner Katie Silcox, author of Happy Healthy Sexy. Primarily now she enjoys teaching Tantric Hatha yoga which “is about how you feel with your body and breath, along with living in this world,” so it more about the energetics and of course using the practice to connect to the world, and to other people. Sabbagh says she believes in continually expanding her knowledge and wants to cultivate “a community of like-minded individuals who lift one another up.”

Currently, Transparent Heart hosts a variety of local yoga instructors, and classes from beginner to advanced, including deep stretch, strength and stability, meditative yoga, feel-good yoga and Pilates—even private classes, lifestyle coaching and bachelorette parties and much more are offered at the only designated yoga studio in the Murfreesboro area. The studio has plenty of mats, yoga blocks, sandbags and all of the props, and its ambiance really sets it apart. Yoga is huge and is still growing in the Murfreesboro area and all around the world. If you haven’t tried a yoga class, or haven’t yet found a style that fits you, please look up Courtney at transparentheartyoga.com and choose from the extensive list of classes. You may be surprised and appreciative! Courtney says “come with an open mind, and if you don’t like it try another class!” Going in, I initially thought I liked power yoga because I am working on my flexibility and strength, until I went to her class and did Feel-Good Yoga where at one point I could barely feel my heart beating I had become so relaxed. Transparent Heart is located is 423B W Lytle St., Murfreesboro. Follow Semaj on Instagram @BodyByShauty

Sports

BLUE RAIDER UPDATE Story and photos courtesy of GoBlueRaiders.com

Blue Raiders Fall in 2018 Season Opener Against Vanderbilt TROUBLES OFFENSIVELY COST Middle Tennessee in its 2018 football season opener on Sept. 1, as the Blue Raiders fell 35–7 to Vanderbilt in Nashville. It was the fourth loss in a row for the Blue Raiders in its series against Vandy, which is in its final year in the current contract. MTSU Head Coach Rick Stockstill said “I’m sick to my stomach that we lost” following the game, but said he still has great confidence in his team this year. “I’m not down on this team one bit,” he said. “We’re still going to be a dang good football team . . . I feel a lot better about this team than I did at this point last year.” MTSU put together a nice 93-yard drive, capped by a touchdown pass from Brent

Stockstill looks to throw to Brad Anderson MTSU Vandy game 2018

Stockstill to C.J. Windham near the end of the first quarter, and entered the second quarter tied 7–7. From there, though, the Blue Raider attack turned inconsistent. It started with a bad lateral pass from Brent Stockstill to sophomore Brad Anderson that was dropped and returned 3 yards by Vanderbilt’s Dayo Odeyingbo for what proved to be the game-winning score. “We just didn’t make enough plays,” Rick Stockstill said. “We moved it pretty good at times, we just weren’t consistent enough.”

Middle Tennessee’s defense did all it could to keep things close, holding Vanderbilt to just 89 total yards in the first half. But, costly mistakes and inconsistencies on offense voided the good effort. The Blue Raiders moved the ball effectively, getting to the Vanderbilt side of the field five times after their scoring drive in the first quarter. However, all five drives ended without points (three punts, an interception and a missed field goal). Stockstill finished the game 24 of 36 for 178 yards, one touchdown and an intercep-

tion, and he added 10 yards rushing. He was sacked six times. Ten different Blue Raiders caught at least one pass, led by Anderson and junior Ty Lee with five catches apiece. Looking ahead, MTSU will open its home schedule at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8, against UT-Martin. The following week they have a trip scheduled to the University of Georgia, the second of three SEC games for MTSU in 2018. After an early week off, The Blue Raiders close out September with a Sept. 29 game at home against Florida Atlantic. For tickets and more info on MTSU athletics, visit goblueraiders.com.

Sports LOCAL TAEKWONDO INSTRUCTOR and recent Taekwondo world champion Jenna Davis has come a long way from a career-ending injury, and it was no easy task. In July, the Murfreesboro resident won a gold medal for middleweight continuous fighting at the 2018 Taekwondo International World Championships in Birmingham, England, but Davis began her sports career playing soccer. “My original goal was to hopefully one day play for the women’s national team in soccer,” Davis said. Davis said that she would often play on men’s soccer teams in her off-season in high school. During her senior year at Jamaica High School in Sidell, Illinois, she played on one of these teams and was purposely injured. “One of the guys on that team was getting more and more frustrated with me and ended up slide-tackling me from behind into a goal post, which was an illegal move,” Davis said. Davis chipped off a piece of bone in her knee, tore three ligaments and lost the soccer scholarship she had with Northern Illinois University. “That ended up completely changing even where I went to school,” Davis said. “So I went to a different college where I got an academic scholarship instead.” Davis said that she faced a deep feeling of hopelessness after the injury. “For me, that was a life-changer,” Davis said. “It was the first time I had ever had that kind of significant injury. My immediate thought was, ‘What am I gonna do, just sit around?’ It feels like the rug was pulled out from under you.” Davis, who ended up earning her degree at Millican University in Illinois, said that she got past the physical and emotional damage of the injury by focusing in on her physical therapy. “They had me in this little machine, and

World Champion Murfreesboro Taekwondo instructor Jenna Davis journeys from soccer injury to Taekwondo World Championship. STORY BY ANDREW WIGDOR they said, ‘You can use this machine for up to eight hours a day,’” Davis said. “And I was like, ‘Eight hours, you say? Here I go.’ I delved into physical therapy the way that I delved into soccer itself.” Davis said that she was drawn to Taekwondo when she and her husband moved to Tennessee. “I knew I wanted to do some kind of martial arts,” Davis said. “So I visited a few martial arts studios around town . . . When I walked in to Stevens Family Taekwondo, I saw something different than what I saw at other studios. The instructors were very precise. I thought, ‘I don’t know much about Taekwon-

Davis delivers a body kick to a ﬁghter from Argentina.

38 * SEPTEMBER 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

PHOTOS BY DANIEL DAVIS

do, but I know what a good coach does.’” Davis began taking classes at Stevens Family Taekwondo and was hooked from the start. During that time, Davis had also been studying to receive her personal trainer certification. “Teaching was a natural progression for me,” Davis said. After training at the martial arts studio, Davis decided to work as an instructor at Stevens Family Taekwondo and has now been a full-time instructor for four years. Davis said that her involvement in Taekwondo competitions stems from her experience in soccer. “Competition of any kind is something

Davis kicks an English ﬁghter.

Davis with Team Coach Master Jack Stevens

I’ve always enjoyed,” Davis said. Davis said that her first few competitions in Taekwondo were “a little rough,” but she quickly found her footing. She explained that the martial arts community feels like “a huge family” when in competition. “They really encouraged me along and said, ‘Hey, you’ve got some potential here,’” Davis said. “Just having that big, encouraging family was kind of cool, and I hadn’t seen that in other sports I had played.” Davis explained that the experience of finally winning a first-place title was surreal. “It doesn’t quite feel real,” Davis said. “It’s years of work . . . your whole life revolves around this whole thing for months and months. It was just like, ‘This is what it was all for!’”

Davis counters with a face punch vs. Polish ﬁghter.

SPORTS

TALK

COLUMN BY “Z-TRAIN”

titanman1984@gmail.com

HOT DAMN, UNCLE SAM, FOOTBALL is back and The Train Daddy is rolling! FootDelanie Walker ball time in Tennessee: “Hip-hip, HOORAY!” Is there a better time of year than now? Summer is coming to an end, football is just beginning and the fall season is beautiful. Call me a romantic, but my mind is filled with visions of pots of chili, smoked sausages, the famous MeMa’s spaghetti, pulled pork, smoked chickens, cold beer and sweet tea, all while friends and family celebrate Tennessee football! As the Tennessee Titans look to build upon last year’s playoff victory, they need to focus on Marcus Mariota. The Hawaiian may be the silent leader of this team, but his play is trending down. It’s simple—his play needs to trend up for this team to be successful. The Volunteers look to forget two decades worth of football. New head coach Jeremy Pruitt has a simple-man attitude and doesn’t deal with nonsense. That was lacking in the bumbling idiot we called Butch Jones. The 2018 season started off with a bad loss to West Virginia. Can they salvage with young quarterbacks; he has worked it? The MTSU Blue Raiders look to improve after winning the Camellia Bowl last season. with RG3, Matt Ryan and Jared Goff. Marcus It’s the last chance for the daddy/son, coach/ is a timing passer whose best chance comes from the pocket. That’s why his passer rating QB Stockstill duo. So let’s get into the heart was a league-high 122.8 last season on playof this article as we talk Titans football and, action passes. A comfortable Marcus can be a as always, throw in some random crazy. All dangerous Marcus. Those legs need only be aboard! The Train’s rolling out the station! used when the pocket collapses. The Tennessee Titans! I truly believe this In order for Marcus to be successful in year will either justify the firing of Coach the pocket he needs his receivers to step up. Mularkey or put major doubts in the hiring Possibly the most important offensive player of a rookie in new Coach Vrabel. Let’s be on the field this season will be receiver Coreal, owner Amy Strunk botched this situarey Davis. He has to become great, or Martion. I don’t normally condemn my Titans, I cus will have little to build upon with his always shout praise even when it’s hard, but receivers. Tight end Delanie this firing left a bitter taste Walker is a monster, and I in my mouth. Coach Mular2018 TITANS say the third best tight-end key was praised, belittled, PREDICTIONS in the league. That said, he praised again after beating Miami – WIN shouldn’t be the only option the Chiefs in the playoffs, and Houston – WIN every passing down. The rethen fired. To put it simply: Jacksonville – LOSS ceivers need to step up this he deserved better. The Titans Philly – LOSS season. Big-time running decided to skip out on hiring Buffalo – WIN backs Derrick Henry and an offensive-minded guru and Ravens – WIN Dion Lewis will be exciting instead, in Mike Vrabel, hired LA Rams – LOSS to watch. Henry is strong a rookie defensive-minded Dallas – LOSS yet graceful while Lewis coach with little experience. New England – LOSS is a sneaky little bastard! Maybe Coach Vrabel is a gift Indy – WIN Both players can hurt you from the football gods; I hope Houston – WIN with their carries and Lewis’ so. But with such a small body Jets – WIN ability to split out like he did of work for us to critique, I Jags – WIN in New England can create fear this may be a big misGiants – LOSS mismatches and big plays take! I hope I am wrong, I Redskins – WIN for the Titans. hope new offensive coordinaIndy – WIN To the defense! Kevin tor Matt LaFleur is the man Byard is that dude making to help Marcus reach his full SEASON RECORD interceptions! Malcolm Butpotential. Matt has experience 10-6

Coach Mike Vrabel

Football Time in Tennessee! How Will Defensive-Minded Vrabel Do in First Season Leading My Titans? ler joining Logan Ryan and Adoree Jackson is a recipe for one amazing cornerback trio. All three can play solo coverage, and that will open up the blitz! That works great for first-round pick Rashaan Evans and my man Wesley Woodyard at the linebacker position. I believe these two men could become the league’s most dominant blitzing linebackers. There is a significant lack of talent at the edge; the Titans have to find a way to get to the quarterback. Brian Orkapo and Derrick Morgan show talent sometimes, yet both struggle way too often. That explains the Harold Landry pick. Get healthy, bro! I fear injury may be Harold’s bugaboo. Get him on the field, and Mike Keith will be screaming “SAAAAACK” many times! This all sounds so exciting! I can’t wait for football to start; I can’t wait to see the dynamics between the cornerbacks and linebackers. That’s my Titans wrap up! Their season starts Sept. 9. Last year I predicted 9–7 and I was correct. This season I am going to say 10–6. There is a list of games and my picks posted here. If I had more space here I would explain the picks, but for now just trust me: 10–6, AFC South champs, possibly a wild card. Jacksonville is hardcore, and the Texans have Watson (if he can stay healthy). The Colts have bad Luck, but I won’t read into that until I see him play. It should be an exciting division to watch. Random news: CrossFit recently announced that transgender athletes will be allowed to compete in next year’s games. Prior to this ruling an athlete was required

to compete according to gender at birth. If it quacks like a duck it doesn’t have to stay a duck, it can become a dolphin or a horse, anything, as long as it’s happy. “This is the right thing to do,” CrossFit founder Greg Glassman stated at “The Big Gay Happy Hour,” an LGBTQ-sponsored event. Right or wrong thing to do, I don’t know. I do know it’s not the fair thing to do. Feelings matter more than fairness in today’s world, I guess? More random news: this one truly is upsetting, sad even. Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman, two well-known ESPN personalities, decided to label Tiger as stupid and not black enough. Why? An entire segment was dedicated to bashing Tiger Woods for recently saying “we need to respect the presidency when it comes to Donald Trump.” Oh my God, That’s blasphemy! Woods refused to be baited by the media, even though they so desperately wanted a black man to say disparaging things about the president. If I were Tiger I would be furious with these crazed liberals for thinking they have the right to tell me how to think. If Donald Trump, a white man, was racist for saying LeBron James and his politics aren’t smart; isn’t Max Kellerman, a white man, racist for saying Tiger Woods, a black man, is stupid for his opinions? Exact same logic, right? Stupidity! Thank God for double standards because without them ESPN would have no standards. My man Jack Nicklaus, 18-time Masters champion, stated he agreed with Tiger’s sentiment, saying, “Obama or Trump, you respect the office.” Maybe Stephen and Max should blast the 78-year-old legend also. We can’t have Trump supporters speaking their mind, right? A man protesting Chief Wahoo, the Cleveland Indians mascot, has been sentenced for stealing from actual Native Americans. Ha! That’s almost as bad as #METOO activist and actress Asia Argento seducing a 17-yearold boy. Ironic, right? The man claimed the mascot was racist and was then caught stealing federal grants aimed at helping Native Americans. He has been charged and will face jail time and probation, and has to pay back the $77,000 he stole. Recently I have been watching King of the Hill reruns. I love old Hank Hill, a hardworking man who enjoys the simple things in life. He lives by a code of honesty and respect. Hank loves America, football, cold beer, propane and propane accessories, and above all else he loves family. Hank lives his life following my motto, the 5 F’s: Faith, Family, Football, Food and Friends. Always stay honest to those you love, and speak your mind like Hank Hill! Choo-choo! BOROPULSE.COM

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Opinion The Sign in the Miracle Spiritual Matters BY RICK MALONE

JESUS ANSWERED THEM, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves” (John 6:26). “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). Have you ever noticed how easy it is for people to get caught up in new crazes? We become enthralled with the latest dietary trends. We get obsessed with toys like fidget spinners. And we become starstruck with pop artists because of some catchy new tune. Things like these dominate our attention for a while, until the newness wears off. Then we simply drop those things and move on to something else. This type of a superficial interest isn’t just a problem that belongs to our day. People have always been on the lookout for the next new thing that comes along. And during the first century, a lot of people treated Jesus just this way. Jesus performed countless miracles and healings during His ministry here on Earth. As a result, many people began to follow Him as they witnessed His extraordinary abilities. Some continued with Him to listen to His teaching and devote their lives to His coming kingdom. But the majority followed for a while until they either tired of the phenomenon or lost interest in the message. In the sixth chapter of his gospel, the Apostle John gives us an account of Jesus’ interaction with such people. The first 15 verses recount the great miracle of Jesus feeding a crowd of 5,000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fish. John tells us this group began following Jesus because they “saw signs He was doing on the sick” (John 6:2). He was healing diseases and infirmities as He was spreading the good news of His kingdom, and this was creating a buzz among the people. They wanted to see what else this 40 * SEPTEMBER 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

man would do. As Jesus ascends a hill along the Sea of Galilee, He sees this large crowd following Him. He has compassion toward the multitude of people and desires to feed them. But there is no food and there is no money to purchase the quantity of food needed. A young boy is there who has a little bread and fish, and through a miracle, Jesus multiplies the tiny amount of food so that it is sufficient to feed the vast number of people with leftovers greater than what the boy started with. The value of this miracle does not escape the crowd. They were hungry, and Jesus satisfied that hunger. Providing food for the hungry is a miracle that appeals to our most basic needs. Food is essential to sustain life, so it is of infinitely higher value than other things we may want or desire. But in satisfying their hunger, Jesus created another hunger within the crowd, the hunger to exalt Him to be their ruler. A frenzy of excitement rose up in the crowd and they became set on making Jesus their king who would protect them and provide for them. But the crowd’s intentions for Jesus did not align with His purpose. His kingdom is not of this world. So, Jesus manages to slip away and go up into the mountain. Later that night He crosses the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum. The next day the people see He is gone, so they get in their boats and hurry after Him with the intention of resuming their goal of enthroning Him. But something was wrong with the crowd’s perception of the miracle they expe-

rienced. They failed to see the real purpose of that miracle as an earthly sign of a greater spiritual truth. According to John, all the miracles throughout his gospel are given as signs, from the first miracle in chapter two of Jesus changing water into wine to the climactic miracle in chapter 11 when He raises Lazarus from the dead. They are each a sign meant to convey a heavenly reality about Jesus and what His mission here on earth is. The first miracle was small, and as John’s gospel progresses, the miracles become more significant, each teaching a greater spiritual truth. This miracle of feeding the 5,000 is couched in this progression. But instead of seeing the sign this miracle was intended to communicate, all the crowd saw was the miraculous benefit to them. All they saw was what they could “get out of Jesus.” So, Jesus tells them, “you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves” (John 6:26). It is so easy to witness a miracle and miss the sign. Having the compassion to feed 5,000 hungry people with physical bread is a very noble gesture. But this event was meant to teach us far more than compassion to the hungry. The world has a spiritual hunger, and although that hunger is not felt with any of our outward senses, it is a more significant hunger than our physical need. And the feeding of that hunger is more critical, for it is the nourishment and sustenance of an eternal life instead of a temporal life. Jesus tells the crowd, He is the bread of that eternal life: the true bread which came down from heaven to give His life for the world: John 6:48-51 – 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh. The crowd had been interested in the immediate benefits Jesus could provide them. But Jesus was more concerned about the sign than the miracle. He wanted the crowd to understand that spiritual life comes only through Him. Just as we must partake of the essence of bread for physical life, we must

“The world has a spiritual hunger, and although that hunger is not felt with any of our outward senses, it is a more significant hunger than our physical need.”

partake of the essence of Jesus to gain and sustain spiritual life. We must feed upon Him. We must appropriate the spiritual meal His death and resurrection provides. John 6:53–54 – 53 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. At this point the crowd becomes disenchanted with Jesus. He is not meeting their expectations. As a matter of fact, He is saying hard things to them about eating His flesh and drinking His blood. And this isn’t what they expected to hear from someone they were intending to make their king. So, many of them begin departing. (John 6:66) As a whole, the crowd could not comprehend the spiritual truth Jesus was communicating through the miracle. They were in a spiritual sleep which masked their true hunger. Something needed to wake them up so they might see the infinitely higher value of their spiritual need over their physical needs. But we cannot be too quick to point the finger at these people. We are inclined to have our eyes set only on our physical needs as well. Our day-to-day lives are filled with the preoccupations of this world instead of eternity. Our prayers are filled with supplications for our physical benefit instead of our spiritual. And if it wasn’t for God waking us up to our spiritual poverty, we would be like this crowd. They saw the miracles. They heard His words. But they were unable to have faith in Him. Jesus says: But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out . . . No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, “And they will all be taught by God.” Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me (John 6:36-45). Jesus knows we are in a sleep we cannot wake ourselves from. He trusts the Father to bring us out of that slumber. Our heavenly Father awakens us into a new life in Jesus. Only when we are drawn and taught by Him do we see the sign in the miracle, and the infinitely high value of Jesus. Has the Father spoken to your heart? Is He teaching you of Christ? Jesus is not just a miracle worker who can give bread, He is the bread of eternal life. Come to Him and be fed. Reach Rick Malone at myspiritualmatters@gmail.com

 RECOMMENDED READING “This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America. Within the U.S., you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.” — books.google.com

Ecce Deus

Essays on the Life and Doctrine of Jesus Christ BY JOSEPH PARKER (1867)

Ch. VIII

Christ Rejects Men When Christ said he came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance, there must have been a strong ironical tone in his pronunciation of the word “righteous.” Most truly we cannot infer from his reported words who the righteous were, if there were such. Not the Pharisees certainly, as was most impressively shown upon one memorable occasion. A Pharisee had invited Christ to dinner, and Christ openly said, “Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter, but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness; ye fools, did not he that made that which is without, make that which is within also?” This sentence excludes the Pharisees from the category of “the righteous.” And the Scribes were associated with them; for on the same occasion, addressing them jointly, he said, “Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.” This denunciation, which in modern days and Western lands, would be deemed an unpardonable abuse of hospitality, could not fail to make a deep impression upon the minds of the guests; this was clear from a singular incident. One of the lawyers brought the matter to an issue: “Master," said he, “thus speaking thou reproaches us also.” The answer was probably much clearer and fuller than the lawyer expected; the spirit of judgement asserted itself in the boldest manner in Jesus Christ: “Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchers of the prophets, and your fathers killed them . . . Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.” This produced a most singular effect upon the guests. Being stung by the rebukes of an uncourteous stranger, “they began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things: laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his

mouth, that they might accuse him.” There is a good deal underlying all this. They might think that they had caught Christ at a disadvantage. Was he inflamed with wine? How could he who came to call men to himself encounter some of the leading classes of society with language so repulsive? They could not comprehend this new spirit of judgment. Where, then, were “the righteous”? The fact is, that a man was truly, not notionally or repeatedly, righteous, just in proportion as he felt himself to be a sinner. There is many a paradox in Christ’s teaching, and this is one of the number. He set forth this doctrine most graphically by telling of two men who went up to the same temple, at the same hour, for the same purpose. One was a conceited self-idolater, appraising himself very highly, the other was a self-abased and earnest suppliant, who could find no better term for himself than “sinner”— no other term so deeply probed his consciousness or expressed the tone and spirit of his life. The sequel showed that in God’s view the “righteous” man was the “sinner” and the “sinner” the “righteous” man. Such sinners were the only men who could really hear Christ; the others were so impenetrably fortressed in their own conceit that no call could be loud enough to be audible above the thunder of their self-applause. They were their own Alpha and Omega. There was no way of moving them but by calling other men away from them. They must be isolated, until they felt their position and raised the signal of distress. Christianity thus became indirectly a most powerful appeal to the very men whom it had apparently left in all the paltry splendor of an artificial righteousness. By leaving them utterly alone, their very selfishness became intolerable. On another occasion Christ took an effectual method of showing who the righteous were. A number of hollow-hearted men, who mistook an interest in criminal statistics for philanthropy, as all hollow-hearted men are prone to do, brought an unhappy woman before him to be judged. They had witnessed many displays of the new spirit of judgment, but here was a case which would test the moral quality of that spirit. With infinite delicacy he said, “Let him that is without sin cast the first stone.” This was a new spirit of administration. The guardians of virtue were henceforth to be virtuous. Judgment was henceforth not to be learned from a statute-book, but from the inspired heart. Penalty was to be an outburst of moral indignation. Without repealing the Mosaic law,

or interfering with criminal prosecutions, he threw the inquirers upon a principle which carried its own justification. The answer fell upon them like the fires of judgment, and man by man they slunk from the place, until the sinner and the Savior were left alone. The difference between the woman and the prosecutors was that her sin was known and theirs was hidden, but the new spirit of judgment showed that concealment was henceforth an impossibility. The Savior gave the “sinner” another chance of life; he called her to himself by kindling a new hope in her despairing heart. A new hope is equivalent to a new birth. The “sinners” alone, we have said, could hear the call of Christ. This is true in civilization as well as in religion. Whoever has a new idea to propose will find no disposition to listen to it on the part of those who are satisfied with the old ideas or taken up with their own notions. He must seek prepared man, and deliver his call to them. They are conscious of a want; they are dissatisfied with the past; they look yearningly and wonderingly towards the future. Christ came with the cry of repentance; a cry which by its very nature divided society. The cry “Repent” was a call to change the very springs of life. It implied—indeed it expressed—a heavy charge against society. It simply meant—You are wrong, wrong in heart, wrong in life, and you must change if you would enter the kingdom which is at hand. Such a call of necessity set men thinking as they had never thought before. It put men on the defensive. It did not give them an opportunity of saying guilty or not guilty, but assumed the guilt, and demanded penitence. Instantly the “righteous” set themselves against it. They massed themselves as an army, and obstinately contested the revolutionary idea. Hardly any other cry could have produced such an effect upon them; it was intended to work self-conviction, but failing in this, it necessarily consolidated the moral conservatism of the unbelievers. It was to be expected that a great division would follow the cry, and that henceforth a marked line would show the space occupied by those “which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.” The call of Christ was the instrument of election, pointing out those upon whom it could produce the intended effect. All calls to other life, good or bad, have in them of necessity an effective principle, simply because they separate and classify men. Christ acted precisely as sensible men act under similar conditions; they turn from those who do not want them and work with those who appreciate their purposes. Christ uttered a call which plainly said that men needed to change their course, and it was natural that such men alone should draw around him; that they might learn all that he meant. To any man conscious of want, or sin, or ignorance, the call to repentance is the very call most suited to

him. Instead of throwing him into despair, it gives him hope; it shows that an opportunity is still left, and that one man at least is willing to point out how that opportunity may be turned to advantage. The call of Jesus Christ means that no man need sit shivering upon the ruin he was wrought, but that he may arise and rebuild and enter into rest. Imagine the effect of a contrary cry. Instead of “Repent,” say “Be satisfied.” Sides would have changed. The men who were consciously wrong, or who had dreamed of a brighter day, could not have accepted the words as expressing a right direction, but the righteous would have announced the speaker an “excellent Daniel.” The call to repent brought to the speaker exactly what he wanted—the most susceptible, self-distrustful, and unsophisticated men of the time. When any of the so-called “righteous” did hear his words, and were disposed to inquire the terms of fellowship with him, Christ did not by any means give them a cordial welcome. By any ordinary reformer they would have been considered invaluable acquisitions; having education, money, influence and all those advantages which usually give a new idea a bold and commanding aspect. By Jesus Christ they were regarded in no such light. Consequently he was so cautious as to be almost stern, so exacting as to be almost oppressive. So, at least, it must have appeared to the righteous, as they saw the “gate” narrowing as they approached it, and heard his voice in its most incisive tone saying, “Strait is the gate and narrow is the way.” So strait was the gate that no man could take any appendices with him; all decorative matter was to be left; only the man, without background or surrounding, could be admitted. One conspicuous example will occur to all who have read the life. A very “righteous” young man came to him with an eager inquiry: the young man made out that he was nothing less than an embodiment of the Decalogue—he had gathered the very elements of his life at Sinai. Surely Christ could not resist this impersonation of the Ten Commandments. They were written on tables of stone, but here was a table of flesh. Christ was actually more exacting with this young man—required more of him than he required of the publican, the adulteress, and the thief. What a wonder, then, seeing that strait is the gate and narrow is the way, that Christ should answer, “Go and sell all that thou has, and give it unto the poor, and follow me”? The man had grown prosperous, with all his commandment-keeping, and now he required to be pulled sharply up on the side of his wealth, to see whether the commandments or the money had a greater hold upon him. The fortress of self must be stormed. Every prop must be struck down, every link broken, or he must remain outside the strait gate. The young man had thought much of the kingdom, CONTINUED ON PAGE 43 BOROPULSE.COM

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Opinion Higher Thoughts for Everyday Living Vol. IX MIDDLE TENNESSEE HYPNOTIST, philosopher and motivator M.C. RADFORD encourages everyone to think positively and live life with a healthy, optimistic attitude. Here, he shares more points from his book Higher Thoughts for Everyday Living, suggesting that readers meditate on one each day—and be amazed at the positive changes that transpire in their lives.

1 2 3

A jury consists of 12 people who decide who has the best lawyer. Charlie had such bad insomnia he couldn’t even sleep on the job.

Bride: The two best things I cook are meat loaf and apple dumplings. Groom: Which one is this?

First wife: Is your husband hard to please? Second wife: I don’t know; I never tried.

Husband to wife: How do you expect me to remember your birthday when you never look any older?

I was walking down the street and a man asked me if I was from Texas. I said, “No, I have been sick for a couple of months; that is the reason I look this way.”

Two guys beat up a 90-year-old man. They said they believed they could have really whipped him if he had been a hundred.

He gets enough exercise pushing his luck, jumping to conclusions and dodging responsibility.

Mark: Did you see the announcement of my death in the morning paper? John: Yes I did. Where are you calling from?

A man told his rabbi, “My wife is trying to poison me.” The rabbi said, “Let me talk to her.” The rabbi came back and said, “I talked to your wife for three hours and my advice is, ‘Take the poison.’”

I am a teacher. I can teach people how to dance around a campfire without bringing rain, how to roll a rock up a hill or how to think of an idea while they are drowning.

I knew a man who invented a liquid that would dissolve anything, but he went crazy trying to find something to put it in.

Friend: Hey, Joe, when did you start working for that company? Joe: When they threatened to fire me. A person who lies flat on a floor will never fall; he will also never move forward in life.

Wife: I want a divorce for my birthday. Husband: I was not planning on spending that much money.

When you poke a rattlesnake, you’d best use a long stick.

y u i

Never start an argument with a man holding a chainsaw.

Anyone can look up and down the street, but can you see around the corner? I never considered myself a slow learner. I always felt that teaching just came harder to most of my instructors.

Dad: Son, when I was your age I worked all night long in a brickyard to pay my way through school. Son: I certainly am proud and grateful, Dad. If it hadn’t been for your determination and hard work, I might have had to do something like that myself.

June: I heard you are marrying Bob. Did he mention that he proposed to me first? Mary: No, but he did say that he had done a lot of stupid things before he met me.

Pastor: Don’t drink that whiskey. It’s the worst enemy you have. Drunk: I know, but the Bible says to love your enemy.

I went to a nightclub and the band was so bad, a waiter dropped a tray of dishes and seven couples got up to dance.

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The difference between a college and a mental institution is that a person has to show some improvement to graduate from a mental institution. There was a flood and a man was sitting on his front porch. A guy came by in a boat and said “I had better take you to safety.” The man said, “The Lord is going to take care of me.” Later on another boat came by and the man was on a step ladder. The man in the boat said “I had better take you to safety.” He said “No, the Lord will take care of me.” Next he was on his roof and a helicopter came by and said “I had better take you to safety.” “No,” replied the man atop his house, “the Lord will take care of me.” Then he drowned went to heaven. When he met his Lord, he said “I thought you were going to take care of me.” The Lord said “I sent you two boats and a helicopter!” A judge hit two guys on a bicycle with his car. One went through his windshield and the other one was knocked out into the middle of a field. He charged one with breaking and entering and the other with leaving the scene of a crime.

All men should get married. You need someone around to point out your mistakes.

One day I went bear hunting, but I was lucky: I didn’t see any.

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A guy was driving down the road with 10 penguins in his pickup truck. The police pulled him over and said “You ought to take these penguins to the zoo.” The driver agreed. Two days later the policeman stopped him again and said “I thought I told you to take those penguins to the zoo.” The man replied “Yes, I did, but today I am taking them to the beach.” Wife: I want to be cremated. Husband: How about this afternoon?

;

M.C. Radford will answer any questions on the mind, brain, body, spirit, hypnosis, cybernetics, parapsychology or metaphysics. He can help eliminate smoking, excess weight, fears, phobias, sexual problems, insomnia, anxiety, stage fright and other issues. For improved confidence, motivation and concentration, and to take control over your life, body and mind, call M.C. today at 615-351-2939.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41 but nothing of the way. This instance certainly shows that Christ did not care to give merely numerical strength to his cause. With him, as with all true calculators, the question was not one of numbers, but of hearts. One heart under the inspiration of love was of immeasurably greater value than any number governed by the shifting policy of the hour. The I am, not the I have, was Christ’s standard of valuation. How then, could any man who had “great possessions” reconcile himself to settlement in Christ’s society? There is nothing in Christ to prevent a man having “a hundredfold more in the present life,” but much in the present life to hinder a man from having Christ. Today this fact is illustrated on an extended scale; most of the rich who are now in Christ’s society came to him when they were poor. It is difficult, from so narrow an observation as one individual is able to make, to pronounce definitely upon the subject; but the peril of censoriousness [the tendency to severely criticize someone or something] may be escaped by merely putting a question—How many men having great possessions pass the strait gate set before the kingdom of heaven? Does the spiritual or the material exercise the keener influence upon such men? There is nothing in the constitution of of the Christian kingdom to prevent a man becoming rich, but there is much in wealth to prevent a man from thinking seriously about the Christian kingdom. It alters a man’s whole relation to wealth, taking away the idea of mastery, and substituting the idea of stewardship, displacing the notion of carnal security by the spirit of Christ-like bounty. This kingdom necessarily casts out all other masteries, declaring to all, “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” In Christ’s day, too, expensive organizations within the church were unknown. Christ viewed all human necessity in the light of God’s immediate fatherly goodness, so that every want became as a holy place where the Father met the dependent child. Money as a regulative power in Christ’s society was not known. Christ had no institution to support. In his day men gave themselves, not a guinea, when an appeal was made. Love had not then found out that it could buy itself off for an annual subscription; it was mad enough to toil and suffer in the very heat of the day. When Echepolus bought himself off from the war by giving Agamemnon a mare, probably Agamemnon made a good bargain, for a mare might be more useful at Troy than a rich and heartless coward; but proxies should not be allowed in the spiritual war. In the “brave days” of the first disciples, things did not shape themselves as they do now. “Then none was for a party, Then all were for the state, Then the great man helped the poor, And the poor man loved the great. Then lands were fairly portioned, Then spoils were fairly sold:

The Christians were like brothers, In the brave days of old.” In giving the young man this view of money, Christ sent him away “very sorrowful.” This was not without peril to the new government. The young man, in trying to reconcile himself to himself, would have a narrow escape from underrating the zeal of those who had fallen in with such apparently extravagant notions; and as no man in a low moral condition finds it easy to forgive one who has shown him that he is not so good as he supposed himself to be, the young man might seek to exalt Moses at the expense of Christ. It is necessary that Christ should accept all such risks. He could not build with wood, hay, and stubble, as he was erecting a kingdom which was to be tried with fire. Rejected men felt called upon to set up a theory of rejection, and the last thing which that theory would admit would be error on the part of the individual himself. Take the case of the young rich man: as he retired from Christ he could hardly escape the tortures of the most penetrating and solemn reflection. “I have been partially rejected,” he might say; “what can be the reason? From my youth my conduct has been irreproachable; I have kept the law, and today I can defy public criticism; yet this man refuses me admission into his society, except upon extreme and impractical conditions: he must be mad or insincere; the fault is with him, not with me.” All the probabilities are that his speculation could take no very favorable turn in regard to Christ. He would have his own way of representing the case to his friends and companions, so that, while Christ was calling men to himself in one direction, the young man would be at the head of a counter-movement in another. His representations would acquire strength from his well-known morality, and from the fact that he had personally sought admission into Christ’s kingdom. In this way, the Christian idea has been impeded by misunderstanding and unworthy men. Christ had different methods of calling men—always, however, making the gate straiter and straiter as he was approached by the “righteous.” To the young man just spoken of he made the gate very strait on the side of property; to a certain lawyer he made it strait on the side of the two great commandments; and when Nicodemus came to him, he made it almost impassably strait by saying, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” He seems to have given three different answers to the same question, when in reality he was but varying the answer according to the circumstances of the inquirer. Take the case of Nicodemus: to have said to him, “Go, sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor,” would not have met the mood of the Rabbi’s soul. Probably he could have accepted this condition of entrance without reducing the amount of self which was in him; his property might be small, or he might hold it with a careless

hand, so that its surrender would not have made any drain upon his self-importance. So also to have said to the rich young man, “Ye must be born again,” would have bewildered a youth who knew so little or nothing of such deep expressions; he must be moved from the side of his property. The master in Israel must be met in his own sphere, and talked to in his own language; the worldling must be met in the midst of his estates, and talked to in the language of the marketplace. The conclusion will be the same in both cases. Nicodemus, when born again, will be willing to sell all that he has; and the young man when he has sold all his property; will be born again. This circumstance shows the necessity of discrimination in preaching the Gospel. Christ addressed men in different ways; the Church has a few stereotyped directions for all. How many of the evangelical preachers in England dare tell a rich young man that he must sell and distribute all his property as the condition of his entrance into eternal life? The man who did so would be marked as a legalist, though he would be a most Christ-like preacher. There are some who aspire to be more orthodox than Christ himself; who, by insisting upon one set of technicalities, throw many inquirers into despair, and clothe many a plain truth with mystery. Take the doctrine of being "born again”: Christ did not use such words to the common multitude, but specially to “a master in Israel.” Nicodemus was accustomed to metaphysical inquiry; his faculties were trained to analysis; and though he might start at this profoundly spiritual answer given by a man whom he had known as a mighty worker, yet he could meditate upon it as in harmony with the genius and bent of his whole intellectual life. That life it immediately assailed—not the man’s character, but the man’s mental habits and moral purposes. His inner life must start from a new point; so radical a change must he undergo. This reference of regeneration opens the question of original sin. Many inquirers find it difficult to believe themselves innately bad, simply because they have been told that such a belief is required of them. No man taught the doctrine of original sin, commonly so-called, so impressively as Jesus Christ, and yet he never mentioned it! His whole scheme was founded upon the assumption that men were wrong. Every call to a new point, every frown upon sin, every encouragement of well-doing, meant that society needed regeneration. Men may come upon the doctrine of original depravity in one of two different ways; for example, they may come upon it as a dogma in theology. The first thing that some theologians do is to assail human nature, to describe it as being covered with wounds and bruises and putrefying sores, and as deserving nothing but eternal burning. Human nature resists this as a slander: it says, “No, I have good impulses, upward desires, generous emotions; I resent your theological

calumnies [false and defamatory statements].” So much for the first method of approaching the doctrine. The second is totally unlike it. A man, for example, heartily accepts Jesus Christ, studies him with devotion, and grows daily more like him, in all purity, gentleness and selfoblivion. From this altitude he looks back upon his former self; he compares the human nature with which he started with the human nature he has attained, and involuntarily, by the sheer necessity of the contrast, he says, “I was born in sin, and shaped in iniquity.” This conclusion he comes to, not by teaching, but by experience; what he never could have understood as an opinion he realizes as a fact. Suppose a tree to be conscious, and let it illustrate what is meant by growing into a right understanding of this hard doctrine. Tell the tree in April that it is bare and ungainly in appearance; very barren and naked altogether. The tree says, “Nay; I am rooted in the earth; my branches are strong; I live in the light; I drink the dew; and I am beautiful; the winds rock me, and many a bird twitters on my boughs.” This is its April creed. Go to the same tree after it has had a summer’s experience; it has felt the quickening penetration of the solar fire, quenched its thirst in the summer showers, felt the sap circulating through its veins; the leaves have come out, the blossoms have blushed and bloomed through long days of light; fruit has been formed and mellowed into maturity. Now hear the tree: “I am not what I was in April; my very identity seems to have changed; when men called me bare and ragged, I did not believe them a few months ago; now I see what they meant—their verdict was sound; I thought the April light very beautiful, but it is nothing to the blazing splendor of of the later months: I feel as if I had been born again.” Men cannot be in April what they will be in September. Each year says to growing hearts, “I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.” In old age men may accept the rejected doctrines of their youth. Experience brings us round many a rugged hill, and gives us better views of condemned, because misunderstood, opinions. The point to be observed by all teachers of Jesus Christ’s doctrine is, that it is unnecessary to force recondite theological dogmas upon those who approach the kingdom of heaven. Let them enter the kingdom on the sole ground of their love to the King, and their subsequent life may be devoted to doctrinal study. Jesus Christ was constantly correcting the errors of his immediate followers, yet they were his followers notwithstanding their errors. Where love is ardent, knowledge will be attained by experience. We have seen Christ calling men and Christ rejecting men. This discrimination gives a hint of the quality of the society which he aims to establish. Can he keep those whom he has called? BOROPULSE.COM

* SEPTEMBER 2018 * 43

Opinion Marxism Has Long Attracted the Misfits of Society

have long been warning you that Antifa is Marxist. For the longest time they denied this. They claimed to be just like the boys who stormed the beaches at Normandy to fight the Nazis. They are not. They’re more like the thugs who stormed the streets of Petrograd in 1917 and went on a nearly 110 million-person killing spree until the Soviet Union was finally put to sleep some 70 years later. Now they finally admit to who they are. A “menacing” group of Antifas recently pulled down their cowardly black bandannas from their faces and showed themselves to the world on Twitter. Their now-familiar logo of the two waving flags, one red and one black, is the exact same logo as the Communist Party of 1930s Germany. This particular chapter in Denver has now dropped any pretense that it’s not Marxist. Their logo uses the 1930s nomenclature, “Antifaschistische Aktion,” which means “Antifascist Action.” Only this chapter has added a nice little logo to their flag: The hammer and sickle of the former Soviet Union. I’ve done a lot of studying on these modern Antifa types. Basically they hate capitalism because they think the capitalist system is broken. The truth is it’s not capitalism that’s broken, it’s them. And I mean this in all sincerity. They believe capitalism is a failure, but they are the failures. That’s why socialism and communism have, for so long, attracted the misfits of society. It’s easy for us to ridicule them. I’ve certainly done my share of that. For this moment I would like to try a different approach. To fully understand disgruntlement one must first understand the disgruntled. These people aren’t losers in the conventional sense. Many a communist has come out of esteemed institutions like Columbia University, which was a hotbed of

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CONSERVATIVE

PHIL VALENTINE

philvalentine.com

communists during the Cold War. What attracts these people to Marxism? To be blunt, many just don’t fit in. Many are socially awkward. They lash out at society in general for their inability to function normally within it. Marxism or Antifa give them a sense of purpose, like they’re changing the world. I don’t want to sound patronizing, nor do I want to excuse their conduct, but many of these Antifa types are very smart. They’re that nerdy kind of smart we all remember from high school. I’m sure many of these people were made fun of, or at least thought everyone was making fun of them. They also obsess over things including the state of society. It’s easy to look around at the have-nots and assume it’s not their fault. It’s even easier to look at the haves and hate them for what they have. That’s how Marxism is bred and spread. It is quintessential class warfare. Notice you don’t see many Antifas outside of their twenties. Once people grow up and take on some responsibility, perspective starts to change. At 25, my emphasis was solely on me. By 45 my emphasis was primarily on my family and their well-being and their future. Growing up necessarily changes your perspective. Capitalism provides a competitive atmosphere that continually makes us all better. Is it fair? Not always, but I can’t think of anything more unfair than taking from those who produce and giving it to those who don’t. Capitalism and the United States are inseparable. Capitalism is what made America great, despite what New York Governor Cuomo may tell you. If you are anti-capitalist you are, by definition, anti-American. The nanny state is for those who need a nanny. For the rest of us, capitalism equals prosperity.

“Notice you don’t see many Antifas outside of their twenties. Once people grow up and take on some responsibility, perspective starts to change. At 25, my emphasis was solely on me.”

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.

COURTESY OF

The Murfreesboro Tribune The Paper That Prints (Some) Facts

Taxpayers Pretty Excited About Paying for Lip Sync Battle IN AUGUST, THE MURFREESBORO POLICE Department and Murfreesboro Fire Department released a Lip Sync Challenge Video, a riveting addition to the peaked-weeks-ago law enforcement viral challenge performed entirely by city employees who are paid through your generous, even if forced, tax contributions. Citing “numerous requests on social media,” including requests from the Captain, the Sergeant and McGruff the Crime Dog, the fully-publicly-funded departments hastily launched an ill-advised voyage into low-budget cinematography. “We might have been a little late to the game,” said Police Department Spokeswoman Melinda Knight Shyamalan, “but I think the public will see that it was well worth the wait.” “We all agreed that this video production was much more important than fighting crime or serving the public good,” Shyamalan added, echoing taxpayer praise for the practical equivalent of a summer camp skit being performed with public resources. City employees, whose wages are paid entirely through mandatory citizen taxes and the sweet mercy of the Lord, collaborated with country rapper Big Smo “to add a wow factor,” according to Shyamalan. “We wanted a celebrity,” said Fire Department

Media Strategist Martina Scorsese. “But not just any celebrity. We wanted someone that 96 percent of the country would have to google to figure out who the hell he even is.” The finished product, hailed as “the whitest thing since Prairie Home Companion,” features enough head nodding and awkward thrusting to sufficiently piss off the preacher from Footloose. The Murfreesboro Tribune obtained a leaked copy of the directorial notes, which instructed city employees to “nod along like you’re at a middle school dance” and “try and act like your one black friend.” “I think it’s hilarious,” said Nora Jennings, whose trailer on Tennessee Boulevard burned to the ground while fire trucks were being used across town to lift an obscure country rapper and his matching flag off the ground. “Definitely worth it,” Jennings wheezed between smoke-filled coughs. At the time this article was being written, Shyamalan and Scorsese hinted that the departments may collaborate on a Harlem Shake video next to show how cool and topical and hip they are. “But only if we can do it on the clock,” Scorsese added with a wink. — SAM CLEMENS

46 * SEPTEMBER 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM