JANUARY 5, 2017
CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE
COVER STORY
save the red wolf
CHATTANOOGA'S NATURE CENTER AND ARBORETUM ARE KEY TO RED WOLF SURVIVAL By Adam Beckett
WORKSPACE ARTS • JACK ENDELOUZ • MEDIA BRAINWASHING
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VOLUME 14, ISSUE 1 JANUARY 5, 2017
CONTENTS 4
PREDICTING THE TOP NEWS STORIES OF 2017
With a new year comes a new political world for the United States and the world. Let’s fire up the political time machine and see what the future holds in store.
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CHATTANOOGA WORKSPACE BRINGS ARTISTS TOGETHER
Going into its fifth year, the Chattanooga WorkSpace continues to be a hub for the arts. In the small, unassuming building across from the YMCA downtown, over 50 artists, craftsmen, and musicians are working.
JACK ENDELOUZ SET TO MAKE A VERY BIG SPLASH
Local good guy Jack K. of Endelouz is well respected for his solid musicianship, songwriting ability and skill as a sound man and producer.
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THE POWER OF THE MEDIA OVER THE MIND
Everyone takes stock at the beginning of a new year. Successes and failures become focused, memories begin to fade into the collective of the past, and lessons learned begin to be applied towards the future.
ALSO INSIDE
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Saving The Endangered Red Wolf The beautiful and cunning red wolves are animals that are native to North America, and are in the biological family of canids, which are meat-eating animals that include wolves, jackals, foxes, coyotes, and the domestic dog.
FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS
5
CONSIDER THIS
19
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
7
SHRINK RAP
19
THE LIST
12
ARTS CALENDAR
21
NEW IN THEATERS
16
MUSIC CALENDAR
22
ON THE BEAT
18
RECORD REVIEWS
23
JONESIN’ CROSSWORD
Adam Beckett is a professional writer from the Metro-Atlanta area. He has been writing professionally for over a decade, and has produced many articles that have been featured on major news networks, online sites, magazines and newspapers.
Alex Teach is a California native and a 20+ year veteran police officer. He’s a street cop who found a cathartic outlet for rampant cynicism in the form of writing. “I have a front-row seat to the most disturbing show on earth.”
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BEGINNINGS ∙ POLITICS
Top News Stories Of 2017 Terry Stulce gazes into his magic political crystal ball By Terry Stulce
Pulse contributor
W BREWER MEDIA GROUP Publisher & President Jim Brewer II FOUNDED 2003 BY ZACHARY COOPER & MICHAEL KULL
EDITORIAL
Managing Editor Gary Poole gary@chattanoogapulse.com Assistant Editor Brooke Brown Music Editor Marc T. Michael Film Editor John DeVore Contributors Adam Beckett • Thom Benson Rob Brezsny • Matt Jones • Tony Mraz Ernie Paik • Rick Pimental-Habib Terry Stulce • Alex Teach Editorial Intern Brandon Watson Cartoonists Max Cannon • Rob Rogers Jen Sorenson • Tom Tomorrow
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Offices 1305 Carter St.Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone 423.265.9494 Fax 423.266.2335 Website chattanoogapulse.com Email info@chattanoogapulse.com THE FINE PRINT: The Pulse is published weekly by Brewer Media and is distributed throughout the city of Chattanooga and surrounding communities. The Pulse covers a broad range of topics concentrating on music, the arts, entertainment, culture and local news. The Pulse is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. No person without written permission from the publisher may take more than one copy per weekly issue. The Pulse may be distributed only by authorized distributors. Contents Copyright © 2017 by Brewer Media. All rights reserved.
ITH A NEW YEAR COMES A new political era for the United States and the world. Let’s fire up the political time machine and see what the future holds in store. January 21 – Russia invades and occupies Alaska while Sarah Palin watches from her front porch. President Trump doubts the reports of the Intelligence community and suggests it is the work of 400 pound men from New Jersey. February 1 – Secretary of HHS, Tom Price and Speaker Paul Ryan release a joint statement that they intend to repeal not only Obama Care but also Medicare. Both programs will be replaced by $50 vouchers at Walgreens. February 14 – Attorney General Jeff Sessions announces he will no longer enforce the Voting Rights Act. Southern states consider returning to the poll tax and literacy tests until they realize that would eliminate most of the Republican base. March 4 – Secretary of Defense Mad Dog Mattis announces that the Draft will be reinstated immediately to reinforce our southern border against the starving families and children fleeing from the violence and chaos of Central America. April 1 – Secretary of Education Betsy Devos announces that all public schools will be closed at the end of this school year. Public school will be replaced by coupons for 20 percent off tuition at Trump University. April 15 – While on a tour of H.U.D. high rises in Brooklyn, Secretary Ben Carson misidentifies them as granaries built by Joseph and the residents as Egyptians. May 1 – Secretary of Labor, Andrew Pazder, announces that child labor laws and minimum wage laws will be repealed. In an accompanying statement, he said,”
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Using our Burger King model of free enterprise, our 21st Century workforce will be free to work for any wage for their whole life cycle from cradle to grave. Since children won’t be in Kindergarten, they could start work before age 5. We can finally compete with slave labor in Bangladesh” June 21 – During a cabinet meeting, Ben Carson has an epiphany that he is Black. July 4 – EPA director, Scott Pruitt, claims that the deadly fog that has hung over the entire USA for the last two months is not the result of deregulating of airborne toxins. He said, “High levels of lead, arsenic, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide occur naturally in nature. The link between air pollution and cancer, lung disease, and premature death is not documented except for thousands of clinical studies.” August 4 – Trump announces that the State Department and Energy department will be con-
solidated into the State Energy department under Rex Tillerson signaling that our foreign policy will be totally dominated by our fossil fuel interests. September 11 – The PutinTrump “bromance” comes to fruition when they merge Russia and the USA into a single nation, the USAR. (United States of Russia-America) The world’s first Oligarchy will be ruled by a board of billionaires with Putin as the Chairman of the Board and Trump as CEO. December 25 – They lived “happily ever after” until Trump and Putin, overcome by their own greed, argued over the distribution of profits. Blinded by their shared narcissism and arrogance, they struggle over the nuclear codes and… Terry Stulce served two combat tours in Vietnam, one with the 101st Airborne and one with the 69th Border Rangers. He was an LCSW and owner of Cleveland Family Counseling before retirement in 2009.
Consider This with Dr. Rick
EdiToon by Rob Rogers
“I saw a guy at Starbucks today. No iPhone, no tablet, no laptop. He just sat there. Drinking coffee. Like a psychopath.”
Celebrating Our Japanese Sister City Tono Chattanooga has been friends with Japan for over 26 years. More specifically friends with a Japanese town known for its historical and cultural significance as well as home to a race mischievous water creatures. Chattanooga Sister Cities is hosting the Japan Friendship Citizen Mixer at the Edney Innovation Center this Monday night. Folks from our sister city of Tono will visit alongside their Deputy Mayor Mr. Masayuki Tobinai. Tono boasts a population of approximately 27,000 and is endearingly nicknamed by the Japanese as “The City of Folklore”.
What makes Tono special is that it has preserved much of the traditional Japanese culture and storytelling traditions making it a repository for Japan’s folklore and legends. Legends like the mythological turtle imps called Kappa.
The Kappa are trickster water sprites that love cucumbers and are OCD about manners. Strat Parrot, Vice President of the Chatono Friendship Committee, serves as key organizer for the event. “Our goal is to facilitate the exchange of interests ranging from sports like marathon running to private business endeavors and start-up projects.” Strat said. The mixer is open to Chattanooga citizens and will have a cash bar with heavy hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are $25, purchase them at Eventbrite.com. — Brandon Watson
Hmm, imagine that. Doing just one thing at a time, and enjoying the heck out of it. In this world of multi-tasking and giving everything about 50 percent of your attention—if that—there is a meditative and focused peace of mind that comes from immersing yourself in just one thing at a time. Consider this: When you drink your coffee, drink your coffee. Don’t worry about that overdue work project, don’t make out the grocery list. When you talk with your child/spouse/friend/ parent, talk with them. Put down the cell phone, and give them your full attention. When you walk the dog, walk the dog. S/he will feel the difference, and more importantly, so will you. This makes for a great New Year’s intention. Start by spending one day, just one day, in single-task mode. And watch what happens. — Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D.
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COLUMN ∙ SHRINK RAP
The Power Of Gratitude Cultivating gratitude in the New Year, one day at a time
Dr. Rick
Pulse columnist
U
SUALLY AT THIS TIME, THE stepping off point of a new year, I write about setting intentions and the unlimited satisfaction that comes from new beginnings, positive adventures and healthy goals. But this year, I want to share with you the power of gratitude, as I believe it to be a life-changing force that is within everyone’s ability to cultivate. It can make a huge difference in how you view your life, how you navigate your intentions, and the quality of your relationships. I know this may sound too good to be true, but stick with me here, and let’s look more closely at this. Gratitude is perhaps the most powerful emotion for developing peace of mind, centeredness, and the re-wiring of our brain to allow for more and more feelings of gratitude to come naturally the more we practice. All this and no pills, no shots. Just an empowered state of mind that boosts optimism, generosity, happiness and possibly a longer, healthier life. What is gratitude? It is an expression of appreciation and the quality of being thankful. When practicing gratitude, we are training ourselves—literally re-wiring our brain—to easily feel the emotion of gratitude so we can see the good in life, rather than focusing on the negative. What are the benefits to practicing gratitude? They are many! Here are some pos-
sibilities: • You will feel happier, friendly and have a tendency to attract like-minded, optimistic others. • You will be less self-absorbed and have increased self-esteem as you experience the good feelings that come back to you as you walk through life appreciating others. • Your energy and outlook on the world will improve, as you see more of the positive around rather than the negative. • You will feel more relaxed and centered. • You will be more emotionally available in your relationships. Where do I begin? If you are thinking, “What do I have to be grateful for?” well, that’s a good starting point. You woke up this morning. Someone loves you and you love them. You have a roof over your head. You have food and clothing. These are fundamentals … think about what else you have to be grateful for, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. Did you eat today? There are thousands of children who didn’t. Did you get up and walk? There are many veterans who cannot. Did you contribute to society today? Many people are desperately seeking a sense of purpose. Regular Shrink Rappers will recall that I often suggest you “bookend” your day. In the morning, when you awaken and your feet touch the floor, think about what your intentions are for the day. To
be kinder to co-workers perhaps. To be more attentive to your kids. To call your parents. To be more present with your feelings and honor your needs. To be sober. To have a sense of humor about yourself and life. You get the idea. At night, as your head hits the pillow, I suggest you review your day and find five things you are thankful for. People were kind to you. You made money at work. You received a good grade on an exam. Your dog thinks you’re the best human ever, and offers you unconditional love. Here’s the big secret: What you feel grateful for, you get more of. This is a basic “Law of Attraction” tenet. You’ve only got five dollars in your wallet? Pause for a second, and be grateful for that five dollars and know that you are attracting more prosperity with your “attitude of gratitude.” How do we cultivate gratefulness?
1. Consider keeping a gratefulness journal where you log all the things that happened that day for which you are thankful. 2. Learn to be aware of the thoughts you think and the words you speak. Catch any negativity and nip it in the bud! 3. Perform one random act of kindness each day. Thereby giving someone else something to be grateful for…planting the seed for a positive cycle that will come back to you. So really, it’s pretty simple. It’s starting a new habit for the New Year. Practice gratitude, one day at a time, and see what happens. I promise you that only good can come of it. Until next time: “I believe in the good things coming.” — Mad Kitty Dr. Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist, author, minister, and educator in private practice in Chattanooga. Contact him at DrRPH.com, visit his wellness center at WellNestChattanooga.com
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COVER STORY
Working To Save The Endangered Red Wolf Chattanooga's Nature Center and Arboretum are key to red wolf survival By Adam Beckett
T
Pulse contributor
HE BEAUTIFUL AND CUNNING RED wolves are animals that are native to North America, and are in the biological family of canids, which are meat-eating animals that include wolves, jackals, foxes, coyotes, and the domestic dog. Red wolves are far more than just aesthetic creatures that are pretty to look at, they are also Apex predators, which means that they keep and restore natural order to the ecosystems that surround their natural habitats. By preying on the nuisance rodents and white tail deer, the natural order of the land is maintained by these stunning creatures. Red wolves are rather shy when it comes to human encounters, and they are no threat to mankind. This particular species of wolf has historically been known to have inhabited the United States mostly in the Southeastern Region of the country, but it is believed that their habitats once stretched as far as Pennsylvania, and as wide as Texas. Over the years the population has severely dwindled. Due to predator control programs, poachers, hybrid contamination, misidentification by hunters that think that they are coyotes, and habitat alteration, red wolves have been pushed toward extinction as a species as a whole. According to the National Wildlife Federation, red wolves were placed on the endangered species list in 1967, and an effort to restore the species of genetically pure red wolves was initialized by the US Fish and Wildlife Service a few years later. In 1980 the US Fish and Wildlife Service declared red wolves extinct in the wild, and they would become a part of the Federal
Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Species Survival Plan, which is considered a captive breeding program, and is still intact today. The efforts of the plan would consist of skilled biologists rounding up as many of the red wolves that they could find, and keeping only the purebred wolves. Out of roughly four hundred animals that were gathered, only fourteen were found to be pure, the rest were coyotes or hybrid species. Nearly all of the red wolves in existence derive from the fourteen that were initially captured. Over time, the fourteen red wolves bred enough offspring in captivity for a restoration program to be initiated. In 1987 the red wolves were released and reintroduced into an experimental and controlled area
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at Eastern North Carolina’s Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, which is a 152,000-acre area that consists of a mix of agricultural land, marshland, and mixed forest. The process was a success and since, the red wolves have been released back into their natural habitat with their population increasing exponentially. Since the Federal Species Survival Plan started to save the red wolf species roughly fifty years ago, leaps and bounds have been made in terms of restoring the species, but they still fall in at eighth place on the endangered species list. Nearly all red wolves in existence are being raised in controlled situations, the only state believed to have any wild red wolves is North Caro-
COVER STORY lina, and the number of them is roughly only fifty. The organizations provide a safe atmosphere for the red wolves to live and reproduce, before hopefully being reinstated back into the wild to restore the natural order of the species, as well as the ecosystem. Doing their part locally to restore the red wolf population is the Nature Center and Arboretum at Reflection Riding. The nature center is host to red wolves that are on loan from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, as part of the survival plan. Within the last nine months, one of the mating pairs produced three wolf puppies, which brought the nature center’s red wolf count up to nine. The new additions to the pack are two girls and a boy, a good sign that there will potentially be more to come in the near future. Spread across the country, there are forty-three red wolf species survival plan program participants that host a steady population of about two hundred red wolves. Breeding in captivity has been challenging for the program participants, so the success achieved by the Nature Center and Arboretum at Reflection Riding is a phenomenal accomplishment. With the facility being a leading member of the program with their nine red wolves, hopes are high for continued reproduction at their facility. The Director of Wildlife at Reflection Riding, Tish Gailmard, is an advocate for the survival of the red wolf species, as well as a key ingredient to the success of the program at their facility. Her understanding of the animal’s behavior is something that can’t be taught. She has a natural ability to connect with all of the animals at the nature center, but she has an extra special ability to connect with the wolves. While it is hard to prove that she is the reason that red wolf puppies are being born at their specific location as opposed to many of the other participating programs, the fact of the matter remains. With the captive breeding participants doing all that they can do to continue reproduction of the red wolf species, they are still fighting an uphill battle. Unfortunately for the red wolves, their life span is roughly
Photo courtesy Red Wolf Recovery Program
“Being an umbrella species, the Southeastern ecosystem relies on the red wolves predator-related roles to enhance diversity, balance, and stability that maintain other wildlife, plants, landscaping and habitat features. ” eight years. In order to combat their rather rapid cycle of life, reproduction from the remaining animals is absolutely essential for the survival of the species. Another devastating factor that has been keeping the red wolf population from increasing are poachers and hunters. Recent news stories have regularly revealed the shooting deaths of the
endangered red wolves. It is pretty common knowledge that the red wolves are on the endangered species list, and that killing them is a federal crime, but people keep shooting them anyways, making the species numbers difficult to increase. While increasing the population isn’t easy, the benefits of saving red wolves are endless. Being an
umbrella species, the Southeastern ecosystem relies on the red wolves predator-related roles to enhance diversity, balance, and stability that maintain other wildlife, plants, landscaping and habitat features. Another major reason to fight to keep the red wolf species alive is to provide the world with a service of saving an entire species. Extinction is a really big deal, and the importance of placing an extreme emphasis on restoring a species cannot be expressed enough. The educational angle provided by the red wolves is extraordinary. This is one of the few species that nearly faced full on extinction, and was revived. With red wolf survival plan participants only sporadically located across the country, having a facility right here in Chattanooga, just minutes away from downtown is a fascinating feature of this glorious city. For people to be able to firsthand witness creatures that merely equal roughly three hundred as a species is simply marvelous. Reflection Riding is a nonprofit organization that relies on support from the community to provide all of the wonderful services that they provide for humans, and animals alike. Membership to the facility has some tremendous benefits, and the money associated with the fees goes to a remarkable cause. There are many ways to help, volunteers are greatly appreciated and frequently utilized by the facility, the critical annual fund makes it possible for the different departments to have proper funding and supplies. The Red Wolf Club provides purchasers different package options with various incentives. Other means come from tribute gifts, gift planning, natural weddings, corporate sponsorship, in kind donations, and designed donations. As a community it is important that we bind together for the things that really matter. We all need to join hands to unite to do all that we can do to ensure that the nature center, and places like it, are provided with all that they need to succeed on their mission to save these resilient, and elegant creatures. We have the power to make a difference, so let’s rise together and help this species get back to full strength.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Chattanooga WorkSpace Brings Artists Together Arts space celebrates five years of synergistic artistry
Art + Issues With Erika Roberts-Blackman Building connections of the visual or sensual to the human experience is what defines the importance of art regardless of form. But can these connections also be art within us that desire to be let out and shared with the world? This Thursday the Hunter Museum of American Art continues its Art + Issues Series with a spoken-word performance by local poet Erika Roberts-Blackmon. Erika is the creator of Velvet Poetry, performing and hosting in venues such as Barking Legs Theater and The Camp House. Erika is a passionate cultivator of creative storytelling through both spoken and written word. The subject of Erika’s performance will be a sculpture by the late Verina Baxter. Verina Baxter was a local artist and supporter of local arts in Chattanooga serving on the Boards of Directors for Arts Build. The exhibit features 20 years of her art from her early works to her abstract pieces. The performance is called Vision and Verse: Strength and Beauty, and is free to the public. If you are interested in understanding how a sculpture can inspire captivating poetry, then stop by the Hunter Museum this Thursday evening and enjoy an hour of spoken-word by Chattanooga’s own Erika Roberts-Blackmon. — Brandon Watson Vision and Verse: Strength and Beauty Thursday, 6 p.m. Hunter Museum of American Art 10 Bluff View (423) 267-0968 www.huntermuseum.org 10 • THE PULSE • JANUARY 5, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM
Artwork by Jenny Shugart
By Tony Mraz
Pulse contributor
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OING INTO ITS FIFTH YEAR, THE Chattanooga WorkSpace continues to be a hub for the arts. In the small, unassuming building across from the YMCA downtown, over 50 artists, craftsmen, and musicians are working. In addition to studios, the WorkSpace provides artists with opportunities to sell their work and access to a creative community. Painter Claudia Moore relates that, “As an artist you spend a lot of time alone with your canvas and paints. Having a community of creative people to connect with is energizing. Everyone here is generous with their insight, advice and support.” Her colleague Ali Kay agrees with her, saying, “I had a home studio before moving into this space and these are things I just didn’t get on my own.” For many, the WorkSpace is a source of inspiration, as Lisa Denney describes, “Since be-
ing there, I have gotten back into making art. It’s inspiring to be around other artists. You have that when in school, but once you’ve graduated it’s easy to become isolated. I’ve done more art this past year than in all the years since college.” A major reason for the space’s success is strong support from WorkSpace’s director, Kathy Lennon. Perhaps the best thing she does is setting up monthly meetings for the artists to get together and discuss the things that they want to see happening in their community. These meetings are the birthplace of projects like Open Studio Night, The WorkSpace Gallery, and the new Under 100 Retail Shop. This year, the artists will have the opportunity to collaborate with the Hunter Museum and the Chattanooga Zoo. Kathy gives the artists free reign in their studio space to make it work for them. They can paint, build walls, hang lights, and customize their studio spaces. In the collaborative spaces, artists are encouraged to work together to determine the best uses for the space.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
“There are frequent discussions regarding the business side of art, opportunities within the region and smiling faces to ask an opinion about a current project on any given floor.” “Workspace is a great place to call my second home,” Kenneth Kudulis tells us. “When Jen and I are in town and working, we are at the studio more than our house.” Equestrian painter Hollie Berry explains why she chose the Workspace: “Having a dedicated studio at Chattanooga WorkSpace began as something I had to do when I began work on my first mural, simply because all my gallons of paint, supplies, and large practice panels would not fit in the 800 sq. ft. one room studio apartment I was living in at the time. In addition to the added breathing room, having a studio outside my home has worked well for me since then. I truly appreciate having a distraction free space where I can focus solely on creating and running my small business.” Artists benefit from the location, as Colleen Williams tells
us “WorkSpace has been a joy to work in. I chose to have my studio there because I have nearly always leased a studio space in commercial art-making buildings due to being able to be near to fellow artists, and its downtown location was ideal. Because of its small size, WorkSpace operates more like a family. There are frequent discussions regarding the business side of art, opportunities within the region and smiling faces to ask an opinion about a current project on any given floor. Throughout the year that I have been there, many programs and opportunities have been offered as a way to gain exposure and clientele.” Natasha Koetsch also appreciates the WorkSpace’s location. “Having a studio downtown goes leaps and bounds towards an artist’s credibility in the professional industry,” she explains. “And the Workspace is perfect for that, being so centrally located. Probably the best thing it has done for me is to give me a community, and with community you get more connections, more and varied opportunities, not to mention
unlimited entertainment (especially with Rick Rushing downstairs). Chattanooga WorkSpace is just one more way to connect the city with more artists, and I for one love living in a city known for its art and creativity.” Roses Taylor, who also uses her studio for youth counseling, says that “WorkSpace is a community that supports every member. The members may be as active as they wish in the activities there. I do the bannerpainting at on Open Studio Night, which is lots of fun. Anyone—guest or artist— makes his/her ‘mark’ on a canvas that, when all are done, makes an interesting and exciting collaborative painting.” The benefits of being part of a creative community in a professional space are selfevident, as muralist Kevin Bate sums it up, “I can’t say enough good things about it.” The year’s first Open Studio Night at Workspace will be on Friday, February 3rd. This event will double as the opening for Workspace Gallery’s “Red” show.
THU1.5 In Search of the Last River Giants
If you haven't been to the Aquarium in a while, here's a good reason to visit. 10 a.m. Tennessee Aquarium 1 Broad St. (800) 262-0695 tnaqua.org
FRI1.6 Wide Open Floor
Anything goes in this monthly gathering of some of the most talented folks in the city (and beyond). 7:30 p.m. Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org
SAT1.7 Artful Yoga: A Holistic Shine in the New Year
Resolved to get in shape this year? Here's a good way to start. 1:30 p.m. Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org
NEW.Year ALLwith FOR YOU. StartALL the New New Wheels
ALL NEW. ALL FOR YOU. ChattanoogaHasCars.com
ChattanoogaHasCars.com
THE TENNESSEE VALLEY’S MOST POWERFUL AUTOMOTIVE SHOPPING TOOL CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 5, 2017 • THE PULSE • 11
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR
World of Wheels
THURSDAY1.5 In Search of the Last River Giants 10 a.m. Tennessee Aquarium 1 Broad St. (800) 262-0695 tnaqua.org Ooltewah Farmers Market 3 p.m. Ooltewah Nursery 5829 Main St. (423) 238-9775 ooltewahnursery.com Signal Mountain Farmers Market 4 p.m. Pruett’s Market 1210 Taft Hwy. (423) 902-8023 signalmountainfarmersmarket.com St. Elmo Farmers Market 4 p.m. Incline Railway 3917 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 838-9804 lookoutfarmersmarket.com Homebuyer Orientation 5:30 p.m. Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise 1500 Chestnut St. #102 (423) 756-6201 cneinc.org Vision and Verse: Strength and Beauty 6 p.m. Hunter Museum of American Art 10 Bluff View (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org David C. Wingfield 7:30 p.m. The Comedy Catch
1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com
FRIDAY1.6 In Search of the Last River Giants 10 a.m. Tennessee Aquarium 1 Broad St. (800) 262-0695 tnaqua.org River Gorge Explorer Sandhill Crane Cruises 10 a.m., 2 p.m. Sale Creek Marina 3900 Lee Pike (800) 262-0695 tnaqua.org 3rd Street Farmers Market 10:30 a.m. Erlanger Hospital Medical Mall 975 E. 3rd St.
lookoutfarmersmarket.com Chattanooga Scale Modelers: ModelCon 2 p.m. Chattanooga Convention Center 1150 Carter St. (423) 756-0001 chattanoogascalemodelers.com World of Wheels 3 p.m. Chattanooga Convention Center 1150 Carter St. (423) 756-0001 worldofwheels.net/chattanooga-tn “Terra” Artists Reception 5 p.m. In-Town Gallery 26 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9214 intowngallery.com First Friday "Focus Four" 5:30 p.m. Area 61 Gallery 61 E. Main St.
SPOTLIGHT: DAVID C. WINGFIELD He has performed with some of the most recognizable names in comedy, such as Charlie Murphy, Dave Attell, and John Witherspoon, and he has written jokes for other comedians, including Victoria Jackson. David C. Wingfield The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. thecomedycatch.com
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(423) 648-9367 Opening Reception for Kimmy Cantrell 6:30 p.m. River Gallery 400 E. 2nd St. (423) 265-5033 river-gallery.com Wide Open Floor 7:30 p.m. Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org David C. Wingfield 7:30, 9:45 p.m. The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com
SATURDAY1.7 Chattanooga Scale Modelers: ModelCon 8 a.m. Chattanooga Convention Center 1150 Carter St. (423) 756-0001 chattanoogascalemodelers.com World of Wheels 10 a.m. Chattanooga Convention Center 1150 Carter St. (423) 756-0001 worldofwheels.net/chattanooga-tn In Search of the Last River Giants 10 a.m. Tennessee Aquarium 1 Broad St. (800) 262-0695 tnaqua.org River Gorge Explorer
Sandhill Crane Cruises 10 a.m., 2 p.m. Sale Creek Marina 3900 Lee Pike (800) 262-0695 tnaqua.org Brainerd Farmers Market 10 a.m. Grace Episcopal Church 20 Belvoir Ave. (404) 245-3682 Northside Farmers Market 10 am. Northside Presbyterian Church 923 Mississippi Ave. (423) 266-7497 St. Alban’s Hixson Market 10 a.m. St. Alban’s Episcopal Church 7514 Hixson Pike (423) 842-6303 Artful Yoga: A Holistic Shine in the New Year 1:30 p.m. Hunter Museum of American Art 10 Bluff View (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org David C. Wingfield 7:30, 9:45 p.m. The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com
SUNDAY1.8 Chattanooga Scale Modelers: ModelCon 8 a.m. Chattanooga Convention Center 1150 Carter St. (423) 756-0001
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR
ModelCon chattanoogascalemodelers.com World of Wheels 10 a.m. Chattanooga Convention Center 1150 Carter St. (423) 756-0001 worldofwheels.net/chattanooga-tn In Search of the Last River Giants 10 a.m. Tennessee Aquarium 1 Broad St. (800) 262-0695 tnaqua.org River Gorge Explorer Sandhill Crane Cruises 10 a.m., 2 p.m. Sale Creek Marina 3900 Lee Pike (800) 262-0695 tnaqua.org David C. Wingfield 7:30 p.m. The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com
MONDAY1.9 Red Bank Farmers Market 4 p.m. Red Bank United Methodist 3800 Dayton Blvd. (423) 838-9804 lookoutfarmersmarket.com
TUESDAY1.10 In Search of the Last River Giants 10 a.m. Tennessee Aquarium 1 Broad St.
(800) 262-0695 tnaqua.org East Brainerd Farmers Market 4 p.m. Audubon Acres 900 N. Sanctuary Rd. (423) 838-9804 lookoutfarmersmarket.com Rapid Learning Intro to Kayaking Pool 7 p.m. Hulsey Wellness Center 4870 University Dr. (423) 643-6888 outdoorchattanooga.com Theology on Tap 7 p.m. The Camp House 149 E. MLK Blvd. thecamphouse.com
WEDNESDAY1.11 In Search of the Last River Giants 10 a.m. Tennessee Aquarium 1 Broad St. (800) 262-0695 tnaqua.org Main Street Market 4 p.m. 325 E. Main St. mainstfarmersmarket.com Wednesday Night Chess Club 6 p.m. Downtown Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattilibrary.com
Map these locations on chattanoogapulse. com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 5, 2017 • THE PULSE • 13
MUSIC
Jack Endelouz Set To Make A Very Big Splash Local music impresario signs to Brooklyn-based label
The Birth Of A New Blues Legend Chattanooga is no stranger to hosting musical royalty and this time around a new king will grace our hallowed realm. The Marcus King Band will be live this Friday to pull at your steel heart strings and give you a sweet taste of that Southern Bluesy Soul. 20-year-old Marcus King leads his blues band with all the fire and heart of a late, great Blues legend. Hailing from Greenville, NC, Marcus’ teen years were spent playing blues shows with his father, Blues musician Marvin King, until venturing forth with his own group of amazing performers. The Marcus King Band’s debut album Soul Insight released in 2015 to critical success, putting the group in high demand for live shows worldwide. Marcus King’s music carries an intensity that can put an icy chill down the spine and bring a subtle tear to the eye. Being supported by a group of super talented musicians will cultivate a new love for Southern Blues and Rock for every generation both young and old. Come on out and get the Blues with a new Blues king this Friday night at the Revelry Room. Tickets are $10, 18 and over show. — Brandon Watson The Marcus King Band Friday, 8 p.m. The Revelry Room 41 Station Street (423) 521-2929 revelryroom.co 14 • THE PULSE • JANUARY 5, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM
By Marc T. Michael Pulse Music Editor
L
OCAL GOOD GUY JACK K. OF ENDElouz is well respected for his solid musicianship, songwriting ability and skill as a sound man and producer. One could not easily list all the songs and albums of other local artists Jack has lent his considerable talent to, on either side of the mixing board. At least one of those artists (and as far as I know, there has only been one) not only used Jack on his album, he made use of a host of other great local talent and somehow forgot to mention any of them on the album notes or in interviews, but that’s a story for another time when I’m feeling especially cranky. Whether everyone gives the man his due or
not, his contributions to the scene are wellknown and appreciated within most circles and you have to wonder, when does a guy like that get finally get his break? Well, as it happens, the time may be right now. See, I started out reviewing a couple of new tracks of his a week or so ago and due to technical difficulties that piece didn’t make it to the editor in time to go to print. As it happens, this may have been a stunning display of kismet since between then and now those very songs have been picked up by a label and Jack Endelouz, who has done so much for so many, may finally be getting his turn at bat. Leesta Vall is the Brooklyn based label, known for releasing seven inch singles, that has picked up Jack’s latest tracks. The speculative release date is mid-February on leestavall.com with a
MUSIC
“His contributions to the scene are well-known and appreciated within most circles and you have to wonder, when does a guy like that get finally get his break?” local release party slated for March. So what about these tunes? “Ain’t Gonna Change My Mind” has the feel of early to mid-nineties alt-rock, taking me back to that era when WAWL was the default setting on the radio, the go-to for all the best new music you couldn’t hear anywhere else in town. You’ll have to listen closely to appreciate the complexity of the tune as what initially seems like a pretty straightforward drums/bass/guitar song is actually replete with odd little bits of electronica that complement the more traditional instruments masterfully. The chorus is positively Bowie-esque. Besides Jack, the song features the talents of B.Spaz, Ryan Long, Mike Macisco and Hayley Graham. “I Remember Our Home” is
the other single in the mix, a very Elvis Costello kind of tune that delves into bluesy sentimentality without resorting to trite, cry-in-your-beer pathos. The song features the regular Endelouz lineup (Kirton, Dennis Hubbard and Joey Berkely) with additional vocals and instrumentation provided by Hayley Graham and the always vivacious Brent Nolan. When I wrote about these songs last week I ended with a line I probably use too often, but never without justification, that “here’s the music that might finally put these cats on the map outside of our hometown.” Lo and behold, mere days after writing those unpublished words it appears that Endelouz has piqued the interest of a bona-fide label who wants to take their music to places it hasn’t been before. It’s too early to say how far this could go, but absolutely on point to say that an exceptionally talented man and his likewise talented cohorts are on their way.
Where To Go, Who To See There’s always something interesting to do in Chatt-town
“There’s nothing to do!” The next time one of your friends pulls that line on you, give them a big ol’ Batman slap and tell them to pay attention. There’s always something to do, and here are three of the top picks for this weekend. Friday night see the triumphant return of Ashley and the X’s to JJ’s Bohemia. After a three-year hiatus one of the area’s favorite acts has finally decided the world is better off with them in it (it really is) and are taking the stage with SunSap and Josh Driver. That same evening the Revelry Room plays host to the Marcus King Band out of South Carolina. Promoting their second release, a self-titled LP, the band
features 20-year-old wunderkind Marcus King, a third generation musician who has been making waves more or less his whole life. Self-described as “soul-influenced psychedelic southern rock,” King and Co. have swiftly become an in-demand act. Finally, straight from the mouth of promoter Mickey Real comes the announcement that local rising hip-hop star Kay B Brown will be performing Saturday, Jan. 7 at Hip-Hop CHA’s “Hip-Hop Lounge After-Holiday Party” the Revelry Room. The genius behind “Story 2 Tell” resonates with fans across all genres with a rare authenticity regarding life here in the Scenic City. — Marc T. Michael
THU1.5
FRI1.6
SAT1.7
Bluegrass Thursday
John Lathim and Michelle Young
Jocelyn & Chris Arndt
Get your twang going and your feet tappin' every Thursday on the Southside with some of the best local pickers. 7:30 p.m. Feed Co. Table & Tavern 201 W. Main St. feedtableandtavern.com
This talented due have combined folk and rock into a unique sound. 8 p.m. Charles and Myrtle's Coffeehouse 105 McBrien Rd. christunity.org
Combining devastatingly powerful vocals, retrorock guitar, and stellar lyrical ability in one amazing sibling duo. 10 p.m. Clyde’s On Main 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com
CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 5, 2017 • THE PULSE • 15
LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR
Allen Thomposn Band
THURSDAY1.5 James Crumble Trio 6 p.m. St. John’s Meeting Place 1278 Market St. stjohnsrestaurant.com Blues Jazz N’ Friends 6 p.m. Bluewater Grille 224 Broad St. bluewaterchattanooga.com Live Bluegrass 6:30 p.m. Whole Foods Market 301 Manufacturers Rd. wholefoodsmarket.com Prime Country Band 6:30 p.m. Motley’s 320 Emberson Dr. Ringgold, GA (706) 260-8404 Bluegrass Thursdays 7:30 p.m. Feed Co. Table & Tavern 201 W. Main St. feedtableandtavern.com Jesse James & Tim Neal 7:30 p.m. Mexi-Wing VII 5773 Brainerd Rd. mexi-wingchattanooga.com Keepin’ It Local 8 p.m. The Social 1110 Market St. publichousechattanooga.com Open Mic with Hap Henninger 9 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com
16 • THE PULSE • JANUARY 5, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM
FRIDAY1.6 Eddie Pontiac 6 p.m. El Meson 2204 Hamilton Place Blvd. elmesonrestaurant.com Binji Varsossa 6 p.m. Cancun Mexican Restaurant & Lounge 1809 Broad St. (423) 266-1461 Wide Open Floor 7:30 p.m. Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org John Lathim and Michelle Young 8 p.m. Charles and Myrtle's Coffeehouse
105 McBrien Rd. christunity.org Roughwork 8:30 p.m. The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com Marcus King Band 9 p.m. Revelry Room 41 Station St. revelryroom.co Ashley and the X’s 9 p.m. JJ's Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Kara-Ory-Oke! 9 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Allen Thompson Band 10 p.m.
SPOTLIGHT: HIP HOP LOUNGE Come enjoy the "After Holiday Party" at the Revelry Room with Chattanooga's own Kay B Brown and a trio of talented DJ's. Kay B Brown with DJ Ayomi, DJ MCPRO, DJ D-Whit Saturday, 9 p.m. Revelry Room 41 Station St. revelryroom.co
Clyde’s On Main 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com
SATURDAY1.7 Eddie Pontiac 6 p.m. El Meson 2204 Hamilton Place Blvd. elmesonrestaurant.com Roughwork 8:30 p.m. The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com Jamey Johnson 9 p.m. Track 29 1400 Market St. track29.co Kay B Brown with DJ Ayomi, DJ MCPRO, DJ D-Whit 9 p.m. Revelry Room 41 Station St. revelryroom.co Jon Scott 9 p.m. Puckett’s Grocery and Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com/chattanooga Jocelyn & Chris Arndt 10 p.m. Clyde’s On Main 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com Mark “Porkchop” Holder 10 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com
LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR
Jon Scott
SUNDAY1.8 Jim Pankey & Roy Curry 11 a.m. Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Hannah Thomas 1:30 p.m. Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Open Mic with Jeff Daniels 6 p.m. Long Haul Saloon 2536 Cummings Hwy. (423) 822-9775
MONDAY1.9 Monday Nite Big Band 7 p.m. The Coconut Room at The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Very Open Mic with Shawnessey Cargile 8 p.m. The Well 1800 Rossville Blvd. #8 wellonthesouthside.com Open Mic Night 6 p.m. Puckett’s Grocery 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Open Air with Jessica Nunn 7:30 p.m. The Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. granfalloonchattanooga.com
TUESDAY1.10 Tom Cordell Trumpet Improv Ensemble 6 p.m. Spring Hill Suites 495 Riverfront Pkwy. springhillsuites.com Bill McCallie and In Cahoots 6:30 p.m. Southern Belle 201 Riverfront Pkwy. chattanoogariverboat.com Open Mic with Mike McDade 8 p.m. Tremont Tavern 1203 Hixson Pike tremonttavern.com
WEDNESDAY1.11 Joel Clyde 8 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. Priscilla & Little Rickee 8 p.m. Las Margaritas 1101 Hixson Pike (423) 756-3332 Open Jam 8 p.m. Raw Dance Club 409 Market St. rawbarandgrillchatt.com Prime Cut Trio 9 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd. Map these locations on chattanoogapulse. com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 5, 2017 • THE PULSE • 17
RECORD REVIEWS ∙ ERNIE PAIK
Liederkreis Liederkreis, The Clean Getaway
Liederkreis Liederkreis (B. Walter Recordings)
The Clean Getaway (Merge)
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tronic music. The only real constant across these three albums is that each includes a classic Lied—a German song poem— demonstrating Berkson’s love for the centuries-old genre. The album begins with puzzling clip-clop sounds before piercing feedback and severely distorted chords enter the picture, creating an unyieldingly harsh yet compelling piece. “June” pairs vocal outbursts with keyboard zaps, with irregular lengths of silence to create an unusual tension, perhaps evoking some kind of shock-based torture method applied to a small choir. The slightly sinister “Bela” offers an electric piano riff played
YC keyboardist, singer and composer Judith Berkson has made a bold musical move with her one-woman-band Liederkreis, which is radically different than her two solo albums, Lu-Lu and Oylam, released under her own name. While Lu-Lu had a relatively conventional voice/keyboard approach in showtune/jazzstandard territory, Oylam (on the noted ECM label) pushed further to include Jewish choral and Yiddish folk music. Now, with the self-titled debut from Liederkreis, Berkson combines keyboard experimentation, noise, and feedback, and takes inspiration from composer Robert Schumann and German elec-
over a looped synth abstraction, while the pummeling bizarrofunk of “ISI” uses a stuttering drum kit sample and a single keyboard chord mostly played in unison with the bass drum to give it an extra punch. Liederkreis translated means “song cycle,” and in this case, it refers to Robert Schumann’s “Liederkreis, Op. 39” from which the song “Auf einer Burg” (“In a Castle”) is taken. The album’s most conventional track, it features Berkson singing in German with a solemn beauty accompanied by electric piano, describing an aging knight sitting in solitude, separated from nature and human celebrations. Liederkreis is a curveball for those who know Berkson’s cantorial work or her takes on well-known standards, but for this writer, it’s her most intriguing and stimulating album so far with an uncompromising vision.
T
he New Zealand trio The Clean is one of those “in the know” indie-rock bands that seems to be absolutely loved by everyone who has heard them. Anecdotally, while this writer has encountered people who improbably dislike the Beatles, he has never encountered any-
one who has not had a positive, even rapturous response when The Clean is brought up. The group, featuring brothers David and Hamish Kilgour with Robert Scott (also of The Bats), had a remarkable run in the early ‘80s on Flying Nun Records, with songs like “Tally Ho!” and “Odditty” that are propulsive blasts of pure lowfidelity joy. After disbanding then reuniting in 1989, the sound quality of the band’s recordings improved (starting with the album Vehicle) without sacrificing its spirit, and the generous 2-CD compilation Anthology is a perfect entry point for newcomers. However, Anthology only covers the band’s material up to 1996’s Unknown Country, and as the new deluxe edition of 2001’s Getaway demonstrates, The Clean never stopped making great albums. From the ambling, lightlydistorted electric guitar chugs of the opening “Stars,” indierock brethren such as Pavement might come to mind, but realize that The Clean influenced Pavement, rather than the other way around. Continuing this gentle sauntering is “Crazy,” which evokes
a sort of Velvet Underground/ Yo La Tengo vibe, and speaking of Yo La Tengo, Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley of that group make guest appearances on two tracks. The closing two-minute burst of “Complications” echoes the catchy momentum of the group’s earlier material, driven by Hamish Kilgour’s juggernautlike drumming. This 15th anniversary edition is remastered and includes a bonus CD (included with both the vinyl and CD versions) featuring two rare live albums, Slush Fund (sometimes prominently featuring piano parts) and Syd’s Pink Wiring System. The bonus material is appreciated but not revelatory, being a little rougher and looser than the studio material, and unfortunately, a great, fully-charged 9-minute version of “Point That Thing Somewhere Else” had to be omitted from the CD for space reasons (it’s available only on the digital download/ streaming version). Still, this new edition of Getaway is welcome, demonstrating that continued digging beyond the “best of” compilations reaps benefits, when it comes to The Clean.
You complete us. Now recruiting Media Sales Professionals to represent Chattanooga’s Alternative Newsweekly
Send your resume and cover letter to: Mike Baskin, Director of Sales mikebaskin@brewermediagroup.com In the subject line, please include: Brewer Sales Position Learn more about us at BrewerMediaGroup.com. Brewer Media is an equal opportunity employer. 18 • THE PULSE • JANUARY 5, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM
brewer media everywhere. every day.
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY new evidence when it comes in. Are there comparable enigmas in your own life, Pisces? Events in your past that raised questions you’ve never been able to solve? In 2017, I bet you will finally get to the bottom of them.
ROB BREZSNY CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I thought of you when I read a tweet by a person who calls himself Vexing Voidsquid. “I feel imbued with a mysterious positive energy,” he wrote, “as if thousands of supplicants are worshipping golden statues of me somewhere.” Given the astrological omens, I think it’s quite possible you will have similar feelings on regular occasions in 2017. I’m not necessarily saying there will literally be golden statues of you in town squares and religious shrines, nor am I guaranteeing that thousands of supplicants will telepathically bathe you in adoration. But who cares how you’re imbued with mysterious positive energy as long as you are? AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): When it’s summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the birds known as arctic terns hang out in Greenland and Iceland. Before the chill sets in, they embark on an epic migration to Antarctica, arriving in time for another summer. But when the weather begins to turn too cold there, they head to the far north again. This is their yearly routine. In the course of a lifetime, a single bird may travel as far as 1.25 million miles—the equivalent of three roundtrips to the moon. I propose that you make this creature your spirit animal in 2017, Aquarius. May the arctic tern inspire you to journey as far as necessary to fulfill your personal equivalent of a quest for endless summer. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In June 1962, three prisoners sneaked out of the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, located on an island in San Francisco Bay. Did they succeed in escaping? Did they swim to safety through the frigid water and start new lives abroad? No one knows. Law enforcement officials never found them. Even today, though, the U.S. Marshals Service keeps the case open, and still investigates
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Light, electricity, and magnetism are different expressions of a single phenomenon. Scottish scientist and mathematician James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) was the first to formulate a theory to explain that startling fact. One of the cornerstones of his work was a set of 20 equations with 20 unknowns. But a younger scientist named Oliver Heaviside decided this was much too complicated. He recast Maxwell’s cumbersome theory in the form of four equations with four unknowns. That became the new standard. In 2017, I believe you Aries will have a knack akin to Heaviside’s. You’ll see the concise essentials obscured by needless complexity. You’ll extract the shining truths trapped inside messy confusions. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “The thornbush is the old obstacle in the road,” wrote Franz Kafka. “It must catch fire if you want to go further.” Let’s analyze this thought, Taurus. If it’s to be of maximum use for you in 2017, we will have to develop it further. So here are my questions. Did Kafka mean that you’re supposed to wait around passively, hoping the thornbush will somehow catch fire, either through a lucky lightning strike or an act of random vandalism? Or should you, instead, take matters into your own hands -douse the thornbush with gasoline and throw a match into it? Here’s another pertinent query: Is the thornbush really so broad and hardy that it blocks the whole road? If not, maybe you could just go around it. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The fictional character Scott Pilgrim is the hero of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s series of graphic novels. He becomes infatuated with a “ninja delivery girl” named Ramona Flowers, but there’s a complication. Before he can win her heart, he must defeat all seven of her evil ex-lovers. I’m sure your romantic history has compelled you to deal with equally challenging dilemmas, Gemini. But I suspect you’ll get a reprieve from that kind of dark melodrama in 2017. The coming months should be a bright and expansive chapter in your Book of Love.
Homework: Send me a list of your top five New Year’s resolutions. Go to RealAstrology. com and click on “Email Rob.” CANCER (June 21-July 22): The creature known as the short-eared elephant shrew is typically four inches long and weighs a little more than one ounce. And yet it’s more genetically similar to elephants than to true shrews. In its home habitat of southern Africa, it’s known as the sengi. I propose we regard it as one of your spirit animals in 2017. Its playful place in your life will symbolize the fact that you, too, will have secret connections to big, strong influences; you, too, will have natural links with powerhouses that outwardly don’t resemble you. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “When I look back, I see my former selves, numerous as the trees,” writes Leo poet Chase Twichell. I’m sure that’s an experience you’ve had yourself. Do you find it comforting? Does it feel like being surrounded by old friends who cushion you with nurturing familiarity? Or is it oppressive and claustrophobic? Does it muffle your spontaneity and keep you tethered to the past? I think these are important questions for you to meditate on in 2017. It’s time to be very conscious and creative about shaping your relationships with all the people you used to be. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “’Life experience’ does not amount to very much and could be learned from novels alone…without any help from life.” So said Nobel Prizewinning author Elias Canetti, who was born in Bulgaria, had British citizenship, and wrote in German. Although his idea contradicts conventional wisdom, I am presenting it for your consideration in 2017. You’re ready for a massive upgrade in your understanding about the nature of reality—and firsthand “life experience” alone won’t be enough to ensure that. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I am rooting for you to be flagrantly unique in 2017. I vehemently want you to be uninhibited about expressing your deepest, rawest, hottest inclinations. In this spirit, I offer the following four rallying cries: 1. “Don’t be addicted to looking cool,
The List Most Commonly Misspelled Words
baby,” my friend Luther. 2. “Creative power arises when you conquer your tendency to stay detached,” paraphrased from poet Marianne Moore. 3. “If you want to be original, have the courage to be an amateur,” paraphrased from poet Wallace Stevens. 4. “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few,” Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “There is a desperation for unknown things,” wrote poet Charles Wright, “a thirst for endlessness that snakes through our bones.” Every one of us has that desperation and thirst from time to time, but no one feels the pull toward perplexing enchantments and eternal riddles more often and more intensely than you Scorpios. And according to my astrological meditations on your life in 2017, you will experience this pull even more often and with greater intensity than ever before. Is that a problem? I don’t see why it should be. In fact, it could make you sexier and smarter than ever—especially if you regard it as a golden opportunity to become sexier and smarter than ever. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I hope you will seek out a wide range of intoxicating experiences in 2017. The omens predict it. Fate sanctifies it. I hope you will gracefully barrel your way through the daily whirl with a constant expectation of sly epiphanies, amusing ecstasies, and practical miracles. There has rarely been a time in your life when you’ve had so much potential to heal old wounds through immersions in uncanny bliss. But please note: The best of these highs will NOT be induced by drugs or alcohol, but rather by natural means like sex, art, dancing, meditation, dreamwork, singing, yoga, lucid perceptions, and vivid conversations. Rob Brezsny is an aspiring master of curiosity, perpetrator of sacred uproar, and founder of the Beauty and Truth Lab. He brings a literate, myth-savvy perspective to his work. It’s all in the stars.
In our modern world, we've all become far too reliant on spellcheck. To the point where, sans smartphones and computers, we are a bit hard-pressed to spell certain words based on our own memories of spelling bees. Our friends at the Statistic Brain Institute asked a group of 246 people to spell a list of common words in 30 seconds or less. The results were...enlightening. Here are the ten most misspelled words, and the percent who spelled them incorrectly. 1. embarrass — 52% 2. existence — 49% 3. liaison — 43% 4. perseverance — 43% 5. privilege — 42% 6. harass — 41% 7. supersede — 39% 8. occurrence — 38% 9. acknowledgment — 36% 10. forward — 35% But don't despair. One thing the English language has going for it is we often change spelling to suit common usage. So what's wrong today may end up being correct in the near future Source: www.statisticbrain.com/top-10most-commonly-misspelled-words
CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 5, 2017 • THE PULSE • 19
FILM & TELEVISION
The Power Of The Media Over The Mind Documentary looks at how media changed America
Rocket To The Stars, Travel Back In Time Almost one year after installation of the new IMAX with Laser projection system, movie fans have been raving about the enhanced experience at the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater. “Sound was incredible. Picture was beyond regular digital HD,” posted one guest on the Aquarium’s IMAX Facebook page. Another guest commented, “The 3D visuals were incredible. The images of space, breath-taking.” Chattanooga remains one of only a “baker’s dozen” of theaters nationwide to show movies using this technology. In celebration, the second IMAX with Laser Film Festival will be coming to Chattanooga’s largest screen January 6–12. Audiences will have the opportunity to embark upon cinematic journeys to the wildest places on earth, the farthest reaches of space and into the distant past during daily screenings of these exhilarating and award-winning films: Walking with Dinosaurs 3D, Tiny Giants 3D, The Last Reef 3D: Cities Beneath the Sea, Journey to Space 3D, JeanMichel Cousteau’s Secret Ocean 3D, and Wild Africa 3D. The IMAX Club pass allows the holder to see all of these films, and an unlimited number of 45-minute films for an entire year, for just $40. Admission to individual films during the IMAX with Laser Film Festival is $11.95 for adults, $9.95 for children ages 3 and up. — Thom Benson IMAX with Laser Film Festival II Friday January 9—Thursday, January 12 IMAX 3D Theatre 201 Chestnut St, (423) 266-4629 www.tnaqua.org/imax 20 • THE PULSE • JANUARY 5, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM
By John DeVore Pulse Film Editor
E
VERYONE TAKES STOCK AT THE BEginning of a new year. Successes and failures become focused, memories begin to fade into the collective of the past, and lessons learned begin to be applied towards the future. And this year, Donald Trump becomes President. How did we get here? It’s a common question, one that has been debated and investigated since the beginning of November. Frequently accompanied by hand wringing, folks on the left have done everything they can to explain away the result, challenge reality, and argue against the inevitable. A Trump Presidency seems like an impossibility, like dividing by zero or teaching a cat to speak French.
All the questioning and disbelief is too little, too late, however. The chess pieces for a Trump checkmate were placed decades ago. The Brainwashing of My Dad, a documentary from earlier this year, outlines these steps through the lens of what the filmmaker sees as a fundamental change in her father. It misses the seriousness of the topic, in certain respects, but provides an authentic accounting of how conservative media played a role in the arrival of Trumpism in American politics. Filmmaker Jen Senko noticed a difference in her WWII vet father that started during her adulthood. As a child, she recalled her father as a fun, goofy man that was well liked by neighborhood children. He was kind, well meaning, and like many of his peers, a non-political Democrat interested mainly in raising his family and living his life.
FILM & TELEVISION “Family members suddenly finding their kin impossible to talk to, fathers and sisters and brothers angry at the world and lashing out at their friends, their neighbors, their mothers and daughters and sons.” But something happened after she left the house. Her father got a different job, one that required a longer commute. While driving to work, he discovered Rush Limbaugh. Over a period of years, his personality changed. He became angrier. He suddenly had a variety of conservative opinions never before expressed. Every conversation became political. He once threatened to leave her on the side of the highway over a slight disagreement. Soon enough, all the media her father consumed was conservative, with his hero Rush leading the way. As Senko began researching the foundations of this movement, she heard similar stories from all over the country. Family members suddenly finding their kin impossible to talk to, fathers and sisters and brothers angry at the world and lashing out at their friends,
their neighbors, their mothers and daughters and sons. Senko looks at the roots of conservative media linking folks like Limbaugh and Michael Savage to the more mainstream arm of conservatism, Fox News. She draws direct lines from the John Birch Society to Roger Ailes, outlining how Ailes put the Republican Party in the news and controlled the message to inflame a conservative base and draw in new members through emotional appeals rather than factual reporting. She talks to former conservative operatives about how they framed issues. She discusses with Noam Chomsky the takeover of the media by the extreme right. She accompanies much of her discoveries with funny cartoons, in what appears to be a misguided attempt at lightening the mood. But when she discusses the repeal of the FAIR Act during the Reagan administration, a law requiring news organizations to give time to opposing viewpoints, when she discusses the lengths conservative media personali-
ties go to in order to anger their viewers by distorting the truth, and how alarm can become addictive, it’s hard to understand why she would include any tone in her film but grim reporting. When we see the fruits that have been borne by this approach to media, a divided country with a buffoon President-Elect, it’s hard to see any humor at all. For Jen Senko’s dad, the solution turned out to be a simple one. One day his kitchen radio broke and he wasn’t able to hear anymore Rush. His wife unsubscribed him from all his conservative mailing lists and subscribed him to a few progressive ones. He stopped being angry and went back to being himself. But Senko’s father might not be the best test subject. His age and frailty are more than evident in the film. The larger issue rests with a society that is free to choose its own facts. A society where objective truth no longer exists. A solution is desperately needed. It appears there is no easy one to be found.
✴ ✴ NEW IN THEATERS ✴ ✴
Underworld: Blood Wars Vampire death dealer, Selene (Kate Beckinsale) fights to end the eternal war between the Lycan clan and the Vampire faction that betrayed her. Director: Anna Foerster Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Theo James, Tobias Menzies, Lara Pulver
A Monster Calls A boy seeks the help of a tree monster to cope with his single mom's terminal illness in this odd but often compelling look at childhood fears and resilience. Director: J.A. Bayona Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Lewis MacDougall, Liam Neeson
CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 5, 2017 • THE PULSE • 21
COLUMN ∙ ON THE BEAT
A Decriminalization Success Story Looking to the Windy City for a glimpse of an enlightened future
Alex Teach
Pulse columnist
D
ESPITE THE DESPERATE NEED to create an adversarial relationship with police officers in the local tristate area to justify pretty much anything local activists can think of, there simply hasn’t been anything to work with regarding this topic. Thusly, I have no Christmas present for them, and this makes me sad. I can, however, direct our combined attentions to a neighbor to our northwest for a variety of related reasons, and this makes me happy. And I want to be happy despite our local deficit of a manufactured “police state agenda.” So…I bring you the Progressive Nirvana where Stupid Theories are empowered and fed, and the results don’t even have to be acknowledged (except by mathematicians and local residents and business owners). I speak of Chicago, of course. As a designated Sanctuary City and a Gun Free Zone entering its 86th year of Democrat governance, we can be happy to not admit that this last Christmas weekend 61 people were shot in the Windy City, 11 fatally (and seven of those on Christmas Day alone, more than on the three previous Christmases combined). That weekend brought their annual total to an impressive 4,334 people shot in Chicago this year. Think about it: That’s one person every two hours, and police officers were embarrassingly only responsible for 25 of those. And with these numbers we finally
arrive at my (often beleaguered) point: .6 percent (point-six, as in slightly over one-half of one percent) of Chicago’s shootings were by police. So guess where the focus is? Almost all the victims have been black. Almost all the suspects have been black. Yet that disparity between civilian and police shootings hasn’t stopped local activists from continuing to claim that it’s the cops who are the biggest threat facing Chicago’s young black men today. And Chicago being Chicago, officials have complied rather risk offending anyone. To focus on these 25 shootings (and not the 4,309 others), elected Chicago officials had officially embraced the de-policing and decriminalization movements sweeping the country and their coppers have indeed done as requested and stopped harassing (aka “questioning”) someone hanging out on a known drug corner at 1 a.m., for example, and now walk past lowlevel forms of disorder to avoid the appearance of such harassment for another. Ceding control of the streets to criminals has been a bold move, but the numbers have truly paid off: arrests are down 28 percent this year in the Windy City, the lowest since at least 2001 according to the Chicago Sun-Times, and less than half what they were in 2010. Drug arrests are down by half as well, and pedestrian stops were down 82 percent by early fall
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2016. A resounding decriminalization success story. If the anti-cop activists and academics were correct, this drop in enforcement should have been a boon for minority areas. Those activists maintain, after all, that cops gratuitously harass residents there for insignificant behavior and throw harmless sad sacks in prison for possessing a joint’s worth of weed. The anti-cop forces particularly vilify Broken Windows policing— aimed at quality-of-life offenses like disorderly conduct, street drug trafficking and loitering. The inconvenient actual result? Chicago is also now enjoying the highest levels of violent crime in years, but at least criminals are now no longer being “harassed.” And the beauty of it? That point-six percent of the shootings that has resulted from de-policing can now be blamed for the eruption of violence. For someone not wanting to be murdered in the South and West sides of Chicago this is horrible
news, but as an activist or a “progressive” politician? PURE Gold! Cops still need to be “policed.” But criminals do, too, not the opposite; it’s been keeping people conveniently alive for years and now the numbers bear this out in case the less-scientific pleas of business owners and citizens for a return of “policing” is no longer good enough (or dismissed as “racist”). Will these results change minds? Judging by the political shift of roughly 1,000 fewer elected Democrat seats in this country over the last year, I think so…but until then, take a look at the results. Not the theories, not the well-intended ideology, but the numbers. And if that fails, there are always the cries for help to listen to. You can still have your participation trophy for trying, but at least take a look. (Hugs.) When officer Alexander D. Teach is not patrolling our fair city on the heels of the criminal element, he spends his spare time volunteering for the Boehm Birth Defects Center.
JONESIN' CROSSWORD ∙ MATT JONES
COMIX
“The Best of 2016”—yes, there were some things. ACROSS 1 Hairless on top 5 Had in mind 10 Backstage access 14 Lyft competitor 15 Tree with chocolateyielding seeds 16 “At Last” singer ___ James 17 Red gemstone 18 Singer whose “Blonde” was Esquire’s #1 album of 2016 20 Late Jeopardy! contestant Cindy with an inspiring sixday streak (despite treatment for Stage 4 cancer and running a fever during taping) 22 Cries of exasperation 23 Clubber Lang portrayer in “Rocky III” 24 Shrewd 25 2016 animated movie with a 98% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes 27 El ___ (Peruvian volcano) 29 Furniture wood 30 Puts on, as clothes 31 One way to find out 32 Founder of analytical psychology 34 “Spy vs. Spy”
magazine 36 With 38-Across, 2016 headline that ended a 108-year streak 38 See 36-Across 42 LBJ’s VP 43 Self-defense system with throws 44 “Westworld” airer 45 Beverage brand whose logo is two lizards 48 Dandified dude 49 Copier paper orders 51 Newfound planet similar in mass to Earth (from National Geographic’s “6 Science Discoveries Worth Celebrating in 2016”) 54 “S” on the dinner table 55 “Inside ___ Schumer” 56 “Blueberries for ___” (Robert McCloskey kids’ book) 57 Donald Glover dramedy called “the best show of the year” by the New York Times 60 What Bertrand Piccard flew around the world using clean technology (one of BBC’s “Four good things that happened in 2016”) 63 Mascara
ruiner, maybe 64 “A horse is a horse” horse 65 “SNL” producer Michaels 66 Former Montreal ballplayer 67 Cong. gathering 68 Key near the quote marks 69 Goulash, e.g. DOWN 1 They may get stuck to hikers’ socks 2 Lie adjacent to 3 Movie millionaire sought by a samelast-named “Dude” 4 Deadpan style of humor 5 “Back to the Future” hero Marty 6 “My Name Is ___” (Jason Lee sitcom) 7 Obamacare acronym 8 “___ of the North” (1922 silent documentary) 9 2020 Summer Olympics city 10 Chest muscle, slangily 11 “Resume speed,” to a musician 12 Be the headliner of 13 Seasonal mall figures 19 East, to Ernst
21 Actor Wood of “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency” 25 Follow a jagged path 26 Bookie’s calculations 27 Cheese’s partner 28 “Kinda” suffix 29 Yoko who loved John Lennon 33 “I’m not touching that!” 34 Pretend pie ingredient 35 Opposite the mouth, in biology 37 Party mix cereal 38 Coffee holder 39 “And then ...?” 40 Watson’s creator 41 Head-shaking replies 43 “You had one ___ ...” 45 Hiccups, e.g. 46 At least 47 Actor Peter and singer Susan, for two 48 Jokey Jimmy 50 Cheers up 52 Jerusalem’s home: abbr. 53 Syrup flavor 54 Take the wheel 57 A Brontë sister 58 Record, in a way 59 Get your ducks in ___ 61 Freemium game interrupters, perhaps 62 Curator’s canvases
Copyright © 2017 Jonesin’ Crosswords. For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per3minute. Must be 18+ to call. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle No. 813 CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 5, 2017 • THE PULSE • 23