The Pulse, Vol. 6, Issue 20

BUDGET QUESTIONS • WHO WILL REPLACE ZACH WAMP?

When Art Meets Nature Glass artists bring the living world of jellyfish out of the Aquarium into the Hunter

by Rachael Kraemer

FREE

May 14-20, 2009 Volume 6 • Issue20

CONTENTS T H E P U L S E • C H A T T A N O O G A , T E N N E S S E E • M AY 1 4 - 2 0 , 2 0 0 9 • V O L U M E 6 , I S S U E 2 0

COVER STORY

page 10

NEWS & VIEWS 5 PULSE BEATS

21 LIFE IN THE ‘NOOG

The newsy, notable and notorious.

Old backroads and once-familiar places.

14 SHRINK RAP

22 SHADES OF GREEN

Don’t should on yourself.

Greening urban shopping.

19 ON THE BEAT

29 ASK A MEXICAN

A different kind of crying game.

The good life south of the border?

ARTS & CULTURE 16 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT By Helene Houses In the pantheon of great Tennessee Williams plays, A Streetcar Named Desire is right up there with A Glass Menagerie and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Written in 1947, “Streetcar”, like the other two plays, continues to mesmerize on stage. The lines are familiar—even over-familiar at times.

20 FILM FEATURE

By Stephanie Smith “The Back Row Film Series was really started as a fill-in-the-gap for summer,” says series co-chair Andy Montgomery. “It’s typically four-to-five single-showing events from May through September. [Usually] there’s a film screening with some kind of interactive event—it might be a panel discussion, music, or food—something that is somehow connected to the film.”

24 MUSIC FEATURE

By Hellcat As most of you who read my articles know, I am not the type of person who listens to much current “active rock”. For instance, you will not see me at the Shinedown show coming up, and I will not wonder if I missed out on something. I will sporadically get into the occasional hard-rock song, swept away by the anger in it, but these moments are few and far between.

Cover: “Laguna Marano” glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly

SEEING THROUGH BEAUTY IN “JELLIES: LIVING ART”

By Rachael Kraemer Upon exiting the shallows of the Secret Reef, visitors to the Tennessee Aquarium will find themselves entering an exhibit with silver-lined walls, ceilings rimmed with elegant moldings, and displays framed in a way that resembles a work of art rather than a live exhibit.

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EDITOON LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CITY COUNCILSCOPE THE LIST POLICE BLOTTER CHATTANOOGA STREET SCENES

8 17 25 26 28 28

NEWS FEATURE A&E CALENDAR MUSIC CALENDAR NEW MUSIC REVIEWS FREE WILL ASTROLOGY JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

The entire contents of this publication are copyrighted and property of Brewer Media Group.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publishers. The Pulse utilizes freelance writers and the views expressed within this publication are not necessarily the views of the publishers or editors. The Pulse takes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork or other materials.

The

Editoon

by Rick Baldwin

Publisher Zachary Cooper zcooper@chattanoogapulse.com Contributing Editor Janis Hashe jhashe@chattanoogapulse.com News Editor/Art Director Gary Poole gpoole@chattanoogapulse.com Calendar Editor Stephanie Smith ssmith@chattanoogapulse.com Advertising Sales Rick Leavell rleavell@chattanoogapulse.com Editorial Intern Erica Tuggle etuggle@chattanoogapulse.com Contributing Writers Gustavo Arellano, Blythe Bailey Misty Brandon, Rob Brezsny Aaron Collier, Elizabeth Crenshaw Chuck Crowder, Michael Crumb Rebecca Cruz, Hellcat Phillip Johnston, Matt Jones Rachael Kraemer, Jeremy Lawrence Louis Lee, Ernie Paik Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D. Damien Power, Stephanie Smith Alex Teach, Robert Yates Art Department Sharon Chambers Kelly Lockhart Damien Power Alisha Whalen

Letters to the Editor it all night. Aside from the music noise levels, there is also the concern for the 24-hr daycare business that shares the same parking lot! I was stunned to learn the city would allow a club to open up that close to a child learning center...

Lauren Passwater Chattanooga

Editorial Cartoonist Rick Baldwin Staff Photographer Damien Power Contributing Photographers Bob Edens Ray Soldano Todd Staley Contact Info: Phone (423) 648-7857 Fax (423) 648-7860 E-mail info@chattanoogapulse.com Advertising advertising@chattanoogapulse.com Calendar Listings calendar@chattanoogapulse.com The Pulse is published weekly and is distributed throughout the city of Chattanooga and surrounding communities. The Pulse is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. No person without written permission from the publishers may take more than one copy per weekly issue. The Pulse may be distributed only by authorized distributors.

The Pulse is published by

1305 Carter Street Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402 phone (423) 648-7857 fax (423) 648-7860 Letters to the editor must include name, address and daytime phone number for verification. The Pulse reserves the right to edit letters for space and clarity. Please keep letters within 500 words in length.

The Pulse covers a broad range of topics concentrating on culture, the arts, entertainment and local news.

Member

Nightclub Noise Right now, I am sitting at my dining room table, minding my own business, while one of those clubs you mentioned [“Pump Down the Volume”, Life In The Noog] pumps bass into my home without any regard to my rights as a homeowner and private citizen. We are 5 or 6 blocks away from said business, and yet I can plainly hear the beat to every single song, which by the way doesn’t seem to differ! It’s bad enough we have to listen to booming and thumping music at window-vibrating levels all day, now we have to listen to

More Reader Questions Those aren’t questions I would have asked you [“The Reader Questions Column, Volume One”, On The Beat] but I enjoyed the answers. Another question that I wouldn’t ask you but am curious as to your answer is, “Do you really care if I knew how fast I was going?”

Larry Burton Lawrenceville, Georgia Pothole Repair Costs If it only costs $6 to fix a pothole ($3,000 will fix 500 holes), how come there are any unfixed potholes in town [“No Pothole Repairs For PETA”, PulseBeats]. And if PETA would settle for something like “petted by PETA,” not too controversial or distracting, go ahead and take their money too; likewise for others—”Healed by XYZ Church”? “Pushed along by Pulse”?

Andrew Lohr Chattanooga

(Im)Proper Advertising The whole point isn’t [that] they’re against PETA advertising in a public place [“No Pothole Repairs For PETA”, PulseBeats]. If PETA had offered to put their logo, or even a slogan about saving animals, that probably would have been fine. There’s a huge difference between promoting your product or belief system and simply slandering another company.

PETA wanting to put on their negative comments is not advertising, it’s slander and was rightly turned down.

Jeff Pariah Chattanooga DePinto On a Vendetta Mr. DePinto wants to recall a mayor that was reelected by the people not 90 days ago [“Can You Recycle A Mayor?”]. I see a man who has no respect for the voters or the democratic process. I regard this as the larger issue. His hubris and his vendetta mean nothing to me in the light of his anti-democratic posturing. If I have any sympathy for his issue at all, I still disdain this petty dictator wannabe. This stereotypical bleeding heart is a fool and is the very sort that embarrasses the rest of us progressives in front of the conservatives.

Jim Elkins Chattanooga

Send all letters to the editor and questions to info@chattanoogapulse.com We reserve the right to edit letters for content and space. Please include your full name, city and contact information.

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Pulse Beats

Quote Of The Week: “These are events we have not faced for about three years, because the Valley has been under extreme drought conditions.”

A rundown of the newsy, the notable, and the notorious...

— TVA River Scheduling General Manager Chuck Bach on why the agency has implemented its flood-risk reduction plan and is filling up the reservoirs.

Race For The Third District Congressional Seat Heats Up With current Tennessee Third District U.S. Representative Zach Wamp running for governor, the race to fill his seat in the 2010 elections has drawn two new contenders.

Paula Flowers, Tennessee’s former Commissioner of Commerce and Insurance, announced her candidacy this past Thursday, followed on Friday by Republican attorney Chuck Fleischmann.

Flowers, who lives in Oak Ridge, served as commissioner of commerce and insurance for Gov. Phil Bredesen from 2003 to 2007, where she supervised more than 800 employees and administered an operating budget of $90 million.

“Throughout my career. I’ve had experience protecting Tennessee families, working with businesses, supporting job creation, and growing the energy industry in Tennessee. As a lifelong Tennessean and parent, I will respond to the real concerns of Tennessee families so we can build a solid future for our communities,” she said. “My experience and commitment to public service make me a strong advocate for Tennessee’s 3rd Congressional District.”

“My candidacy is going to be focused on promoting civic and political involvement and, most importantly, a keen desire to change the direction of this nation through conservative fiscal and social teamwork,” Chattanooga resident Fleischmann stated in his campaign announcement. “The tremendous outpouring of moral support as well as the promised overwhelming financial commitment to the campaign has been most appreciated and now we have the proper vehicle in place to make the candidacy a reality.”

Bradley County Sheriff Tim Gobble had announced last month his intention to run for the seat as well. He said when he announced his candidacy that he has had an interest in serving in a congressional capacity

Here is one of the more interesting agenda items set to be discussed at the May 19 meeting of the Chattanooga City Council.

9. Departmental Reports:

for a while. “Those opportunities and doors don’t always open. I felt like this was an open door and that I needed to walk through it. I don’t know if I’ll win or won’t win. I feel like I can, and we’re going to do our

a) Department of Human Services. b) Department of Parks and Recreation. c) Department of Public Works. d) Department of Neighborhood Services. e) Department of Education, Arts & Culture. f) Fire Department. g) Police Department. h) Department of Personnel. i) Department of Finance and Administration j) City Attorney

best to mount a good campaign.”

More potential candidates are considering their chances in the Third Congressional Disctrict as well, in what is seen to be a wide-open race to replace the long-serving Wamp.

East Ridge Cutting City Jobs, Changing Garbage Service During a special meeting last Thursday, the East Ridge City Council tackled budgetary and staffing issues that resulted in 13 layoffs, seven new hires and a complete change to garbage collection for the city.

A new automated garbage system, similar to the one used by Chattanooga, will be put into place. The change will not only eliminate eight full-time and four part-time sanitation positions, but will reduce garbage collection to once a week. The city will be providing residents with larger cans to handle the decrease in collection service.

Other reductions include shutting down the city garage and the four mechanic jobs that go with it, plus replacing the front-desk receptionist with an an automated phone system.

At the same time, seven new jobs have been created, including a bio-diesel director for the new fleet, an economic development director, and an executive assistant to City Manager William Whitson.

Addressing nearly $170,000 in legal expenses in the past budget year, the council has gone ahead with a plan to pay City Attorney John Anderson less than his previous $250 hourly rate, and looks to cut nearly $60,000 from the legal budget.

Overall, the initial budget of $9,886,779 is $138,454 lower than the previous budget, though council members noted that some of the expenses are not yet final and the final amount will likely change upwards.

A recent edition of City Councilscope explained a bit how the committee system works and how any citizen of Chattanooga can address the council on any matter. Several members of the council expressed appreciation over the column and encouraged The Pulse to continue to explain just how the City Council operates and how much information is available to the citizenry.

The above portion of the weekly agenda is where each department within city government reports directly to the council. It not only gives the department heads the opportunity to get approval for various projects and procedures, but is also a forum for council members to ask questions and make requests (both formal and informal) of the departments.

In addition, the heads of each department—or a senior representative of the department—are present every week and all are readily available to answer any questions either during the portion of the meeting open to citizens or more informally after the meeting. If you ever have a question about any aspect of city government, here is your open forum to get the answer.

The Chattanooga City Council meets each Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the City Council Building at 1000 Lindsay St. For more information on the agendas, visit www.Chattanooga.gov/City_ Council/110_Agenda.asp

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A weekly roundup of the newsworthy, notable and often head-scratching stories gleaned from police reports from the Chattanooga Police Department, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, the Bradley County Sheriff’s Department and the Dalton Police Department.

Top 10 Best Selling Jelly Belly Flavors 1. Toasted Marshmallow 2. Red Apple 3. Caramel Corn 4. Sizzling Cinnamon 5. Chocolate Pudding 6. Plum 7. Top Banana 8. French Vanilla 9. Jalapeno 10. Tutti-Frutti

• Ask any loss-prevention employee at a retail store about shoplifters, and he’ll be quick to tell you they aren’t always the brightest bulbs in the box. A recent case at a Signal Mountain Road store proves the point, as a woman thought stuffing a lot of merchandise in a bright pink striped purse would escape notice. Employees followed her, and when they stopped her outside the store they were able to recover nearly $750 worth of unpaid items in the flashy handbag. She was taken directly to jail and charged with theft over $500.

• For years, most parking lots have had signs warning people not to leave valuables in their vehicles, which is really just common sense. And yet, nearly every week there is a report of a vehicle break-in where expensive items are taken. Such was the case last

In honor of our cover story this week about jellies, we wanted to find out what the favorite flavors of jellies were…well, jelly bellies anyway.

OK, so they’re not the same thing, but we are fairly certain that the folks at the Aquarium would frown on you trying to eat one of the jellyfish.

Also, some of the favorite combinations include blueberry + buttered popcorn = blueberry muffin and green apple + cinnamon + caramel + buttered popcorn= apple pie.

In a bit of history, the jelly beans were most famously endorsed by President Ronald Reagan, who kept a jar of them on his desk in the White House and on Air Force One, and who also made them the first jelly beans in outer space, sending them on the 1983 Challenger shuttle as a surprise for the astronauts.

Source: The Jelly Belly Candy Company

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week at a popular Gunbarrel Road restaurant, where a city employee came out after lunch and discovered their vehicle had been forcibly entered.

Among the items stolen were a cityowned computer, another laptop, and a backpack containing a camera and a checkbook. The next time you park somewhere, it may be inconvenient to haul everything inside with you, but the nuisance is far less than having everything stolen.

• It is always a good idea to not pay for work around the house until the work is actually done. A man who holds the power of attorney for a woman on Van Buren Street called police after she discovered she had paid a man $3,200 for gutter cleaning and tree-trimming work that had not been done. When police questioned the worker, he claimed he hadn’t done the work because of recent heavy rains.

While that appears to be a legitimate excuse, it’s still advisable to pay after the work is completed.

Chattanooga Street Scenes

• Police officers have long known that the various parks around town are favorite places for a romantic tryst. So it was no surprise when an anonymous caller informed officers that a man and a woman were in a car at East Lake Park—unclothed.

When police responded to the tip, they indeed found a man and a woman in a parked car, but both were fully dressed. They advised the two that the park was closed and asked them to move on. Hopefully they found a more appropriate place to continue their late night assignation.

Photo by staff photographer Damien Power

A true Chattanooga Street Scene.

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NewsFeature

by Gary Poole

Rhonda Thurman Questions The New County School Budget H

amilton County School Board member Rhonda Thurman, who has been on the losing side of many an 8-1 board vote, has no regrets about her maverick reputation.

She has long fought against what she considers wasteful spending and a lack of proper information being passed along to board members.

With a new $302 million school budget having been passed by the board and then presented to the County Commission for approval, Thurman still has many questions she feels have not been adequately answered. The Pulse was sent a copy of a letter she wrote to Superintendent Dr. Jim Scales expressing her concerns and asking some pointed questions.

1) There is a $600,000 increase in transportation. Does that increase include continued transportation to Sequoyah High School for students outside the Soddy-Daisy School zone?

Does it include the buses needed to change the Sequoyah starting time to the same as Soddy-Daisy High School so the students at Sequoyah can participate in sports, band and clubs at Soddy-Daisy?

2) I would like a list of the 36 positions (along with names) that

“I still don’t know a lot of what’s in there, and I guarantee you if you call around to the other board members, they won’t know either. I just don’t understand what the rush was.”

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have been eliminated from the Central Office. I would like to know how many of these eliminated positions are vacant and how long they have been vacant? I would also like to know when the number of reductions in the Central Office was cut from 38 to 36 and what two positions were taken off the reduction list?

3) Why was the principal at Sequoyah removed from his position if that position is still there and vacant?

4) Why do we have an Executive Principal position? What is the pay scale and qualifications for this position? (I know I have already asked this question, but I did not get a clear answer.)

5) When the Board discussed early retirement incentives, we said we would not allow those who took the incentive to come back and work. Are we not doing this by allowing some who took the incentive to return on a part-time basis? The first time I was aware this arrangement may be allowed was in the document that was at each board member’s seat on April 29th when we voted on the budget.

6) I would like to know who in the school system still has an HCDE credit card? I would like to know who monitors those accounts and the limits placed on purchases? I would also like to see the amounts charged and the employees responsible for those charges.

7) I have also not received clarification about the positions that

were given between $10,000- $20,000 raise. If the board approved the salary increase, I would like to know when it was and were it was located on the Board Agenda? I would also like the same information about a recent automobile purchase.

Thurman contends that she has been asking many of these questions for months, and that a lot of the information presented to the board came only minutes before they were supposed to vote on the new budget.

She also feels that she has been stonewalled in getting answers, and said she felt the only way to reach Dr. Scales was by sending a copy of her letter and her questions out to the various media outlets in hopes of finally getting some direct answers.

“I felt sure that last week we [the board of education] would have found five votes to postpone approving the budget for two weeks,” Thurman said. “We hadn’t had a budget meeeting with the finance committee, and there wasn’t a real rush considering the county commission doesn’t even vote to approve the entire budget until August.”

“Instead they [the board] voted to go ahead and approve the budget without anyone really knowing what’s in it,” she continued. “I still don’t know a lot of what’s in there, and I guarantee you if you call around to the other board members, they won’t know either. I just don’t understand what the rush was.”

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Cover Story

Seeing Through Beauty in “Jellies: Living Art�

Story by Rachael Kraemer Photography by Todd Staley Glasswork by Dale Chihuly, Stephen Rolfe Powell and Jim Nowak 10

Upon exiting the shallows of the Secret Reef,

visitors to the Tennessee Aquarium will find themselves entering an exhibit with silver-lined walls, ceilings rimmed with elegant moldings, and displays framed in a way that resembles a work of art rather than a live exhibit.

The Pulse 5.14.09 www.chattanoogapulse.com

Cover Story

The environmental aesthetics are so vivid; visitors may confuse their aquarium experience, and instead believe they are at Chattanooga’s own Hunter Museum, located just a few blocks up the street.

That’s exactly the point.

On Friday, May 15, an exhibit four years in the making will open at the Tennessee Aquarium called “Jellies: Living Art,” which is a collaborative effort by the Hunter Museum and the Aquarium. The display includes views of six fascinating species of jellyfish paired with works of glass art inspired by nature.

The idea for the exhibit originated about half a decade ago when two board of director members for both the Tennessee Aquarium and The Hunter Museum visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium south of San Francisco. This exhibit ranked as the most popular temporary aquarium exhibit in the country. The two visitors from Tennessee were equally as impressed and brought their vision back to Chattanooga.

The Tennessee Aquarium had been looking for a way to fill the last 2,500 square feet of their newer Ocean Journey building and jumped at the opportunity to expand their already popular jellyfish collection into the space. They decided to narrow the art selection from paintings and sculptures to just works of glass, as these pieces were the most popular at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and are impervious to the thousands of gallons of water encased around them and running through pipes above them.

In January of 2008, Charlie Arant, President

of the Tennessee Aquarium, was invited to Monterey to view the popular exhibit and the idea transformed from thought in to action upon his return to Chattanooga. Drawing from an already successful collaboration, it only seemed appropriate to have the Hunter Museum involved.

“We were intrigued by the opportunity to take the Hunter off the hill and set it in the heart of downtown,” said Rob Kret, the Hunter’s director.

“It is exciting to move from sharing office space and behind-the-scenes staff with the Aquarium to collaborating on a front-of-house exhibit.

Relationships like this help to build better organizations.”

And this is one successful relationship. The collaboration between three of downtown’s most popular hotspots: the Aquarium, the Hunter and the Creative Discovery Museum, was named one of the top eight nonprofit collaborations in the country, according to the Lodestar Foundation.

The theme at Monterey was to bridge the gap

between the natural world and the artistic world, and “Jellies: Living Art” has the same goal in mind. “We hope that displaying the art with the jellyfish will invite visitors to look at things in a different way. The ‘Jellies’ exhibit breaks up viewing of the Secret Reef, and it is our hope that after seeing the glasswork alongside the jellyfish, people will look for different colors, shapes and movement as they re-enter the reef,” said Thom Benson of the Aquarium. “We want people to slow down and see something they had not seen before.”

Although the exhibit follows the same concept as its West Coast predecessor, it will provide a unique atmosphere. Jellyfish keeper Sharyl Crossley had the opportunity to spend a week with the Monterey staff and learn about their exhibit. “The jellyfish gallery in California had an old-world feeling with the variety of art on display,” said Crossley, “The exhibit here will have a more contemporary feel with cleaner lines and more modern glass art pieces. Working in

“The jellyfish gallery in California had an oldworld feeling…The exhibit here will have a more contemporary feel with cleaner lines and more modern glass art pieces.” www.chattanoogapulse.com 5.14.09 The Pulse

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Cover Story the current Boneless Beauties gallery, I experience these animals everyday, but I am excited to see how it all comes together with both animals and art in place.”

The art on display was created by four distinguished glass artists from across the United States. Pieces from Cork Marcheschi, Stephen Powell, Dale Chihuly and Chattanooga’s own Thomas Spake will compliment the rhythm, movement, color and pattern of the animals displayed amid their work Cork Marcheschi is a glass artist from San Mateo, California whose pieces will “complement the movement of the jellyfish,” according to Kret. His art is vividly colored and somewhat mimics the Sea Walnuts that will be on display nearby. The tiny hair-like combs in these animals refract light into a pulsing rainbow, which is mirrored by the lit gases that glow within Marcheschi’s work.

Stephen Powell’s work will fill the exhibit with brilliant colors. His creations stretch glass into long slender pieces and allow gravity to do the rest, a very risky technique that allows for only about 20 percent of attempted pieces to be completed. The intense colors and unique emphasis on transparency and opacity cause his Dr. Seuss-like work to resemble the glasslike appearance of the jellyfish.

Perhaps the most recognizable name on display is Dale Chihuly, who is known for his detailed multi-piece glasswork. It is Chihuly’s “Macchia” series that will welcome visitors to the

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“Partnerships such as these have provided the impetus in bringing Chattanooga to where it is today—a city becoming known for its art scene, unique dining, riverfront renovations, history, and the transformation taking place on the Southside.”

Living Art exhibit. This is a vibrant collection of spectacularly colored bowls that resemble painted bells of the Upside-down Jellyfish exhibited around the corner. To view more of Chihuly’s work, visitors can take a three-block walk up 1st St. to the Hunter to view the massive “Laguna Murano” chandelier, which also opens on May 15. This piece is not a typical chandelier, in that it fills an entire gallery space, and not only hangs from

Cover Story

(above) Blubber Jellyfish can be found in shades from bright blue to deep purple.

The coloration is thought to be like sunscreen since the color deepens when the animal is exposed to sunlight. (below) A piece from Chihuly’s welcoming “Macchia” collection.

the ceiling, but also has pieces that come up from the floor and fill the space with flamelike extensions and fantastical sea creatures.

The local artist on display at the Living Art exhibit is Thomas Spake, whose glass art was inspired by the West Coast Sea Nettle currently on display at the Aquarium. Spake attended Center College in Danville, Kentucky with the intent of studying biology and playing basketball.

It wasn’t until his junior year in Kentucky that he considered studying art. He gave up basketball to fit Glass 1 into his class schedule. For one of his first sculpture assignments he created a glass fish—and has been making marine life out of glass ever since. Spake studied under one of his fellow artists on display, Stephen Powell, and is thrilled to be collaborating with him and the others to make this exhibit a reality.

“It’s great to be working with [Powell] again,” said Spake, “and to be involved with Dale Chihuly is an honor. When it comes to glass artists, his name is at the top of the list.”

Spake got involved with the “Jellies: Living Art” project when The Hunter Museum discovered his booth at 4 Bridges and realized how perfectly his work complimented the jellyfish.

“It is exciting to be the hometown artist at an exhibit that will bring something special to the community. It is so great to see two big tourist stops work together and not be afraid to step out of their ego,” observes Spake. “I know arts mean a lot to this community and this exhibit is really about Chattanooga and giving to the community. It’s not about just bettering the Aquarium or just bettering the Hunter. It’s about much more than that.”

“Chattanooga has a can-do spirit about partnerships,” says Kret. “Working together does work and what the Hunter, the Aquarium and the Creative Discovery Museum have accomplished is proof of that. For us, it is all about the visitor and about what we can do to strengthen downtown as a whole.”

The Aquarium shares the same community-based outlook. “Being able to exchange visitors with the Hunter is not only going to benefit both organizations, it is going to enhance the experience for those who view the exhibits,” said Benson.

Partnerships such as these have provided the impetus in bringing Chattanooga to where it is today—a city becoming known for its art scene, unique dining, riverfront renovations, history, and the transformation taking place on the Southside. Perhaps these kinds of partnerships are the key to creating a great place to visit and call home.

For more information, visit tnaqua.org or huntermuseum.org.

Shake It Like The Jellies

Information about the jellyfish on display at “Jellies: Living Art” from Tennessee Aquarium Senior Aquarist, Sharyl Crossley.

Composition: Jellyfish are composed of 95 percent water and 5 percent proteins and salts.

Location: Jellyfish can be found in nearly every marine habitat and ocean. They can be found in warm equatorial waters and frigid arctic waters. There is even one species of freshwater jellyfish called Peach Blossom Jellyfish. Although not native, these jellies can be found right here in the Tennessee River.

Locomotion: Although most jellies drift with the currents of the ocean, they can move short distances or change direction on their own.

They move by contacting the muscles (which are only one cell thick!) in their bell and forcing water out. This motion looks much like an umbrella as it closes and opens.

Size: Jellies have a huge range of size. The largest jellyfish species is the Lion’s Mane Jellyfish, which can have a bell eight feet in diameter, weigh 330 pounds and have tentacles 120 feet long. The smallest jellyfish is the Irukandji Jellyfish whose bell is only two mm in diameter, but don’t let its small size fool you. The Irukandji is considered to be one of the deadliest jellies in the world.

Eating Habits: Jellyfish are typically carnivorous. Most feed on some type of zooplankton, small creatures that drift through the ocean waters. Jellyfish with more potent stings tend to feed on larger prey.

They use their tentacles to snag prey and immobilize it with the stinging cells. It is moved to the center of the bell where the mouth is located.

Because most are transparent, it is easy to see a jellyfish digest its food. www.chattanoogapulse.com 5.14.09 The Pulse

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ShrinkRap

by Dr. Rick

Don’t Should On Yourself!

Editor’s note: For one more week, we are re-running a reader-favorite column, as the good doctor recuperates from his well-deserved vacation.

A

s an undergrad, I had a terrific professor who taught the class not to should on ourselves.

She’d say, “Don’t should on yourself, and don’t let anyone else should on you, either!” She was feisty. We loved her. And she helped us learn to become non-judgmental, feeling people, not allowing others to tell us how or what to feel, and willing to take responsibility for our thoughts, emotions, and actions.

Remember back to when you were a child, and you will undoubtedly remember at least one relative or other adult in your young life making comments like, “Oh, honey, you shouldn’t feel that way.” Or, “Why are you sad? You should be happy about that.” Or, “Dry your tears…big boys don’t cry.” Well, this is exactly what my professor was talking about. You were should upon.

The reasons for these grownups attempting to guide our young feelings were varied, although likely well intentioned. Perhaps they didn’t want us to be sad. Or maybe they themselves were uncomfortable with feelings such as anger or sorrow, and so didn’t want to see those feeling in us. Or they were

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trying to teach us about “good” (allowable) feelings, and “bad” feelings. But which were which?

And under what circumstances?

Wrong, wrong, wrong! As kids we felt what we felt, honestly and spontaneously. Does it make sense to tell a kid how to feel, when children do a perfectly good, natural and unedited job of it themselves?

Whatever the motivation for the editing, the result in many cases is a child who learns to not trust his/her feelings, nor trust the expression of feelings from others. Such lessons become ingrained—internalized— and influence us throughout life, until we learn better. Or more specifically, until we re-learn what we already knew in the first place!

You can see, then, how this would make for a whole range of communication and relationship problems in adulthood. Does he mean it when he says, “I love you”?

Do I love him? What feelings am I having? If I can’t trust something as basic as my own feelings, what can I trust? And on and on.

The first step in navigating the world of feelings is to understand that they are all OK. In fact, they are better than OK—they are there for good reasons and can be used as valuable navigational tools to help us understand what’s really going on, inside.

Consider this: When you feel depressed, ask yourself what you are angry about.

Depression is very often anger that

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has no apparent external target.

With no target, it boomerangs back to us in the form of depression. Or, we don’t allow ourselves to even feel angry (must be one of those “bad” feelings) lest we feel guilty about it.

(How can you possibly be angry at your own mother?!) So the result of unaddressed anger? Depression.

When you feel angry, ask yourself who or what has disappointed you.

Anger, as uncomfortable as it might be, can serve as a protective armor against feelings you may consider even more uncomfortable, such as hurt, disappointment, hopelessness, shame. We prefer to have the feeling we can handle, rather than the ones we think we cannot. So what’s going on underneath the anger?

So you see how feelings are not only OK, but helpful in getting to the root of problems. And none of them are “bad.” By honoring and accepting our human-ness, we can accept our feelings, feelings that are there for good reasons. My advice is to learn to listen to them, trust them, and let them guide you.

None of which can happen if we deny what we feel—if we should on ourselves.

Till next week, I leave you with the words of Goethe: “Just trust yourself. Then you will know how to live.”

Dr. Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist, minister, and educator, in private practice in Chattanooga, and is the author of “Empowering the Tribe” and “The Power of a Partner.” Visit his web site at www.DrRPH.com

“Whatever the motivation for the editing, the result in many cases is a child who learns to not trust his/ her feelings, nor trust the expression of feelings from others.”

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15

Arts&Entertainment

by Helene Houses

Still Depending on the Kindness of Strangers I

n the pantheon of great Tennessee Williams plays, A Streetcar Named Desire is right up there with A Glass Menagerie and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Written in 1947, “Streetcar”, like the other two plays, continues to mesmerize on stage. The lines are familiar— even over-familiar at times. The great poetic monologues verge on—and sometimes stray into— melodrama. But the classic conflict of characters that Williams sets up retains its power.

The current production of “Streetcar” on the MainStage at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre overcomes a few obstacles to remind us of that power.

Let me state my basic problem with this version up front and then we’ll explore the positives: All of the leads are a decade too young for these roles.

Jessica Tandy was 39 when she created Blanche DuBois on stage; Vivien Leigh was 38 when she immortalized Blanche on film. The reason this matters is that in order to get at the truth at the heart of great acting, you need to have the life experiences that allow you to access that truth.

Having said that: The young cast at the CTC, under the fine guidance of director Ricardo Morris, understands this play, and furthermore, never

“The young cast at the CTC, under the fine guidance of director Ricardo Morris, understands this play, and furthermore, never makes the mistake of falling into imitation.”

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makes the mistake of falling into imitation. These characters are their versions of Williams’ creations, and for that, I salute them.

“Streetcar” is a tour de force for the actress who plays Blanche, and Lizzie Chazen has the chops to deliver. She is a physical force on stage; you cannot take your eyes off her. I admired her choices in bringing some humor to the role; it’s there, Williams wrote it, but it’s often overlooked in the tragedy of Blanche’s situation. Chazen also possesses a belter’s voice, not the whispery “belle” intonations often inflicted on Blanche, and that works too. Director Morris needed, however, to pull her back in some scenes, where her ferocity nearly pushes her over the edge into drag queen.

Hunter Rodgers as Stanley Kowalski is also impressive, especially in a role he is not naturally physically suited to. Rodgers is especially effective in conveying the parts of Stanley that are not the brute—but when the time comes for brute force, he delivers. That he succeeds as well as he does in this role is a true compliment to his acting ability.

The famous “Stelllaa” scream is both chilling and heart-wrenching.

As Stella, Evie Durant conveys the struggle the character faces as she is pulled apart by the conflicting demands of her sister and her husband. I found the scenes between the sisters more believable than the scenes with Stanley.

But the character’s decent core comes through clearly.

Mitch is a tough role and Casey Jackson handles it well. His agony over what he sees as Blanche’s betrayal is very moving.

Director Morris has made the wise decision to keep pretty much the entire play. It’s long—three hours—but every scene has something to add to the play’s inexorable journey. The audience gets a strong sense of the claustrophobic atmosphere of the two-room apartment in the Quarter, where no one can turn around without running into someone

else.

Paul A. Hartmann provides his usual delicately nuanced lighting—and that’s vital in a play that has so many references to light and dark. Scott Dunlap’s many costumes are for the most part right on target—Blanche alone would keep a costumer occupied for months.

Though I usually admire J. Kenneth Barnett III’s sets, I felt the backdrop of giant, torn gauze was distracting in this one. It distanced the play from its reality and seemed better suited to a Brecht piece.

Josh Damron’s music selections were apt and evocative, and if anything, I would have enjoyed more music in this presentation.

In a nutshell: You will enjoy this production of “Streetcar”, and you’ll have an opportunity to see some young talent who have bright futures ahead of them—unlike Williams’ doomed Blanche.

A Streetcar Named Desire $10-$20 (depending on day and section) Plays through May 24 MainStage, Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River Street, (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com

A&ECalendar

Send your calendar events to us at calendar@chattanoogapulse.com

Friday

Thursday Closing Reception for “Concrete/Prayers” 5:30 p.m. Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 North Terrace.

(423) 493-0270 .

Rhythm & Noon Concert Series Noon. Miller Plaza, 850 Market St. (423) 462-0771.

African Children’s Choir 7 p.m. St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, 630 Mississippi Ave. (423) 886-2281, ext. 107.

Julie Scoggins 8 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com

Everlasting Moments Luminous Swedish film about a turn-of-the-century woman given a camera as a gift.

Bijou Theater, 215 Broad Street.

(423) 265-5220. www.carmike.com

“And the Iron Did Swim,” photography by Mary Barnett Tanner Hill Gallery, 3069 S. Broad St., Suite 3. (423) 280-7182.

Art by Harry Kippes Lookout Mountain Gallery, 3535-A Broad St. (423) 508-8117.

Art by Vicki Daniel White Studio 2/Gallery 2, 27 W. Main St., (423) 266-2222.

“The Untold Story of the Great Black Jockeys” Sculpture and paintings by George Nock, Tim Hinton and Audrey Menefee. $5.

10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Chattanooga African American Museum, 200 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-8658. www.caamhistory.org

Saturday

Julie Scoggins 7:30 & 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch & Giggles Grille, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com

“A Barage of Butterflies” Houston Museum, 201 High St. (423) 267-7176. www.thehoustonmuseum.com

$10-$20 8 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Main Stage, 400 River Street.

(423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com

A Streetcar Named Desire 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com

Coyee Langston’s “Inner Light” In-Town Gallery, 26A Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9214. www.intowngallery.com

Tuesday

Wednesday

“New Work by Lorraine Christie and Bruno Zapan” Gallery 1401, 1401 Williams St. (423) 265-0015.

Southeast Veterans Museum Chattanooga Ducks building, 201 W. 5th St. (423) 756-3825.

“AVA Member Salon Show” AVA Gallery, 30 Frazier Ave. (423) 265-4282.

“Contemporary Landscapes of the Southeast” Bill Shores Frames & Gallery, 307 Manufacturers Rd., Suite 117. (423) 756-6746.

“Jellies: Living Art” Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944.

“AVA Member Salon Show” AVA Gallery, 30 Frazier Ave. (423) 265-4282.

“Contemporary Landscapes of the Southeast” Bill Shores Frames & Gallery, 307 Manufacturers Rd., Suite 117. (423) 756-6746.

Tuesday Night Live!

5:30 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Main Stage, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com Classic Lit Club reviews The Three Musketeers 7 p.m. Rock Point Books, 401 Broad St. (423) 756-2855. www.rockpointbooks.com “Jellies: Living Art” Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944. www.huntermuseum.org Quilt exhibit featuring works of Phyllis Stephens and Lisa Butler Chattanooga African-American Museum, 200 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-8658.

The Big Friendly Giant 2:30 p.m. Circle Theatre, Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com

“Celebrate!”

Hanover Gallery, 111 Frazier Ave. (423) 648-0533.

“Steelllaa!” Tennessee Williams’ most famous play comes to the CTC.

“Connect” Shuptrine Fine Art & Framing, 2646 Broad St. (423) 266-4453. www.shuptrinefineart.com

Julie Scoggins 7:30 & 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch & Giggles Grille, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233.

Glenn Miller Orchestra 8 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo, 1400 Market St. (423) 266-5000. www.choochoo.com

The Last Flapper 7:30 p.m. StoneFort Inn Dinner Theatre, 120 E. 10th St. (423) 267-7866. www.stonefortinn.com

Monday

The Big Friendly Giant 7:30 p.m. Circle Theatre, Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534.

A Streetcar Named Desire 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Main Stage, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534.

Sunday The Big Friendly Giant 2:30 p.m. Circle Theatre, Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com

A Streetcar Named Desire

C.S. Lewis Society discusses Reflection on the Psalms 7 p.m. Rock Point Books, 401 Broad St. (423) 756-2855.

Poetry Open Mic Night 7:30 p.m. Barnes & Noble, 2100 Hamilton Place Blvd.

(423) 893-0186.

“All That Jazz” River Gallery, 400 E. Second St. (423) 265-5033. www.river-gallery.com

Poetry Night 7 p.m. CreateHere, 33 E. Main St., Suite 105. (423) 648-2195. www.createhere.org Annual Chattanooga Jewish Film Series: Live and Become 7:30 p.m. Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 North Terrace.

(423) 493-0270.

“The Untold Story of the Great Black Jockeys” Chattanooga African-American Museum, 200 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-8658. www.caamhistory.com Bob Dombrowski’s sculpture Linda Woodall Fine Arts, 7836 Ooltewah-Georgetown Rd. (423) 238-9985. www.crossline.com/lindawoodall

A Streetcar Named Desire 2:30 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Main Stage, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com

Bite down on some berries, buy some art, boogie.

Chattanooga Bach Choir presents “Intimate Music, Intimate Space” 3:30 p.m. Christ Church Episcopal, 633 Douglas St. (423) 886-6469. christchurch.etdiocese.net

Free.

11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Carter Street. (423) 648-2496. www.chattanoogamarket.com

Julie Scoggins 8 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com

Chattanooga Market: Strawberry Fest

Editor’s Pick: Featured Event Of The Week “Jellies: Living Art” The Hunter Museum and the Tennesee Aquarium collaborate on this amazing intersection of natural and manmade art. See cover story for full details.

Opens May 15, grand opening May 16-17 Hunter: $9.95/Aquarium $21.95.

Hunter Museum, 10 Bluff View, (423) 267-0968. www.huntermuseum.org.

Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad Street, (800) 262-0695. www.tnaqua.org

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OnTheBeat

by Alex Teach

A Different Kind of Crying Game T

here had been trouble that night on the Southside of town, and the retaliations we were expecting erupted less than two hours later on the Eastside. Despite the far-left mindset that orbiting satellites should be all we need to track and prevent crimes, it’s not that simple a world—and one made even more complicated by most criminals’ notorious failure to give notice of their intended activities from domestic bombings to drive-bys…not to say it doesn’t happen.

That said, even with advance warning, crimes are fairly difficult to prevent and the gut-shot earlier had led to the shoulder wound and leg wound that had us occupied at the moment. It was frustrating, but it did prove valuable for an “out of the box” method I’d been testing for the last several months. The results were starting to move beyond coincidence. This time, I was unable to try my method out and sure enough—there had been a shooting.

The last time there had been gunplay with expected retaliation, I had cruised the likely intended area with my lights blacked out, playing the sound of a baby crying over my loudspeaker, and nothing untoward had occurred.

That had been the sixth time with the same result, and this was

the fourth shooting without the use of my Crying Game. I’m not sure how many more examples it would take, since I was without a control group, but I was documenting this all the same in a fat purple notebook in the name of criminal science, and the ability to repeat my results was bound to give it credibility.

As for the method itself? I’m not sure if I can sufficiently describe the innate eeriness of the sharp and uneven tones of a crying human infant on a loudspeaker’s monotone against the backdrop of a red-brick project development on a dark, humid night. “Bone chilling” would be one way, but to be honest, saying “it freaks my shit” seems to best convey my experiences.

The idea came from a trick I’d used years earlier to clear the overcrowded lots of convenience stores between the hours of 2:30 and 3:30 a.m., the magical time between the clubs closing and folk not being ready to go home just yet.

Polite requests and loud orders at the behest of the store operators to disperse were ignored—but the sweet melodies of Hank Williams, Sr. had the effect of auditory tear gas on the crowds and they fled without the first “Fuck you, Po-lice”, broken arm, or shot fired (by them, not me).

I was getting tired of dodging beer bottles on a night that a now-defunct college radio station happened to be playing Mr. Williams (Sr.) as a prank, and that dead skinny cracker may have just saved

my life on more than one occasion since then. Still though, to further prove my inherent color-blindness, know that I also equip my car with all manner of Muzak in the event I ever should be called to the scene of rioting Laotians or Irish in the forms of mariachi bands and certain selections by Cypress Hill.

Hey, it’s that or the Mossberg in the trunk and I’m not ashamed to say that’s just not my first choice.

Today’s lesson in cultural and ethnic backgrounds was as unintentional as most of my columns are, but I wanted to show you that as inundated as television and the cinema are with police-based stories, few people are really exposed to the real day-to-day things police have to deal with…and the things they have to do to deal with them.

So the next time you hear what you might believe to be a nine-foottall baby stalking the streets in the darkness just outside your window, relax; it’s just Officer Friendly keeping the odds on your side, and maybe experimenting with a new method. Hide your milk all the same though.

Because no matter their size, babies don’t always know the Rules.

“A nowdefunct college radio station happened to be playing Mr. Williams (Sr.) as a prank, and that dead skinny cracker may have just saved my life on more than one occasion since then.”

Alexander D. Teach is an occasional student of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a graduate of Central High. In his spare time he enjoys carpentry, auto mechanic work, boating, and working for the Boehm Birth Defects Center.

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Film Feature

by Stephanie Smith

Take Your Seat in the Back Row R

unning the Sahara will kick off the Arts & Education Council’s 4th Annual Back Row Film series on Wednesday, May 27 with a public screening at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre at 6:30 p.m.

“The Back Row Film Series was really started as a fill-in-the-gap for summer,” says series co-chair Andy Montgomery. “It’s typically four-tofive single-showing events from May through September. [Usually] there’s a film screening with some kind of interactive event—it might be a panel discussion, music, or food—something that is somehow connected to the film.

It hasn’t changed a whole lot from the beginning, but this year the events have more of a program to them.”

The mission of the series was never really specific, Montgomery explains, but what it has grown into is the AEC partnering with local businesses to create events that are about more than the films themselves.

“One of the things we (the AEC) discovered early on is that the Independent Film Series (which the AEC also produces) tends to draw film people, while the Back Row draws people who are interested in certain topics. Like last year with the film about the Hoffa trial—people that came out for that were not typical film aficionados but people who were interested in Chattanooga history,” he notes.

Partially based on the success of events like that, the AEC has tried to cast a wider net, choosing program topics that will be relevant to the community. This year’s topics include local history, sustainable living, jazz,

“This year’s topics include local history, sustainable living, jazz, and unique psychological/ physical challenges.”

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and unique psychological/physical challenges.

“We constantly push for more opportunities to collaborate and cooperate. Fortunately, Chattanooga is kind of wired that way already,” says Montgomery.

A complete listing of the screenings and events in the 2009 Back Row Film Series is below. For more information, go to www.ArtsEdCouncil.org.

Running the Sahara Wednesday, May 27, 6:45 p.m. reception. 7:30 p.m. film screening and Q&A with Charlie Engle.

Where: Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River Street.

What: Narrated and executive produced by Academy Awardwinner Matt Damon and directed by Academy Award-winner James Moll, Running the Sahara is a powerful and inspirational documentary that chronicles an attempt by three ultramarathoners to run across the entire length of Africa’s Sahara Desert in 80 days.

FUEL: Change Your Fuel, Change the World Saturday, June 20, 6:30 p.m. reception. 7 p.m. film screening and discussion with filmmaker, activist and author Josh Tickell.

Where: green|spaces, 63 E. Main Street.

What: “Fuel” is an insightful portrait of America’s addiction to oil and an uplifting testament to the immediacy of new energy solutions. Director Josh Tickell, a young activist, shows us that sustainable living is not only possible, it’s imperative. Winner of the 2008 Audience Award for Best Documentary at Sundance.

Steamboat Bill, Jr. featuring Kenosha Kid Saturday, July 25, 7 p.m. film screening and musical performances.

Where: Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Avenue.

What: Dan Nettles, bandleader, composer and guitarist for Kenosha Kid, creates a live jazz performance with fellow musicians Neal Fountain and Jeff Reilly, set to Buster Keaton’s Steamboat Bill, Jr. This event will also feature a short film scored by local performance artists from the Shaking Ray Levi Society.

Tableland Thursday, August 27, 6 p.m. sample cuisine from local restaurants using locally produced foods. 7 p.m. film screening and discussion.

Where: Loose Cannon Gallery, 1800 Rossville Blvd.

What: Award-winning film producer Craig Noble embarked on an odyssey across North America, filming people who are living and demonstrating the need for an abundant, sustainable food system. The film tackles four important issues for education: sustainability, economics and marketing, health and taste education, and eating locally and seasonally.

Chief Braveheart Thursday, September 24, 5:30 p.m. music by Native American flutist Mike Serna. 6 p.m. film screenings and panel discussion with special guest Gayle Ross.

Where: Tennessee Aquarium, Broad Street.

What: The Ground Beneath Us, a WTCI-produced documentary, explores the important work being done locally to preserve the Native American history of our region.

Chief Braveheart is a BBC-produced documentary that tells the story of John Ross, the Scottish trader who rose to become chief of the Cherokee nation. Director Les Wilson shot the film on location at several historic venues in the Chattanooga area, and interviews many of Ross’ descendants, who still bear his name and revere his memory.

LifeInTheNoog

by Chuck Crowder

Old Backroads and Once-Familiar Places I

can safely say I truly understand the allure and relaxation of the good old Sunday drive. When you live, work and play within a few square blocks, getting out there on the road just to see what you can see is very necessary sometimes. And there’s nothing more therapeutic than the twolane highway.

Last Sunday, I decided to venture down a twisting, winding road through the rural Georgia countryside and recollect the true South. Dirty, rusting mobile homes and abandoned vehicles of all types, boarded-up barns and Tasty-Freezes, various novelty yard art and tons of cows always provide roadside visual stimulation that can’t miss. Plus, the two-lane offers some of the finest, most simple sales pitches one can paint on a shingle: “Boiled Peanuts,” “Stump Grinding” and in Georgia, the everpresent “Peaches.”

But if you think about it for a minute, there are a lot of mysteries on the two-laner for someone like myself, who can’t understand why anyone would wanna live a million miles from nowhere. First of all—where do these people work? Once you get 20 or 30 miles away from any sort of civilization and know there’s another 20 or 30 miles to go until the next town, what are your employment options (outside of peanuts, stump grinding and peaches)? Are you really driving an hour or more each way to work every day?

And what’s there to do on a Friday

night? Some of these mystery roads don’t even have a cinder block “Boar’s Nest”-esque watering hole for many a mile. Dating is pretty much out of the question and TV is limited to the delicate fair-weather reception of the satellite dish. I just hope the sheep are safe.

All random thoughts aside, you know you’re approaching the county seat when the telltale twin-retailers Auto Zone and/or Dollar General appear on the horizon. That’s when the speed limit will go from 55 down to 45 down to 35 down to speed trap near the Sonic. I didn’t have to worry about that too much because on this particular Sunday, I knew that the first Dollar General I saw would mean I’d reached my destination: Summerville, GA. One of my favorite two-lane haunts is Howard Finster’s Paradise Garden on the edge of Trion, GA (’cause if you hit downtown Summerville proper, you’ve gone too far). Dozens of visits over the last 20 years have made the father of folk art’s backyard gallery a very memorable Southern tradition for me.

And on this particular Sunday the Garden played host to the umpteenth annual Finster Fest, where folk artists from all over the country converge to honor their founding father (and sell a few pieces of their own work in the process).

Back when Howard was alive, a visit to the Garden on any given Sunday meant the opportunity to sit and listen to the man himself talk about everything from Jesus to politics to morals to the straw hat he just drew all over. In fact, the artist best known outside of Georgia for painting

the cover art for R.E.M.’s Reckoning and Talking Heads’ Little Creatures albums was actually a self-proclaimed “man of vision” preacher whose simple God-fearin’ ways embodied the true essence of the untrained crudeness of folk art. Nowadays it seems (without intentionally alienating my folk artist friends) his creative followers seem a little too intelligent for the genre.

But that’s not what concerned me this day. My thoughts were marred by the ever-deteriorating state of disrepair the Garden’s experienced in the eight years or so since Howard’s death.

Even though the value of his work has skyrocketed, the money hasn’t made it back home for some reason. Or maybe it’s just that the “spirit” of the Garden has “left the building” so to speak. Regardless, it disappoints me that an icon of my two-lane road trips is falling apart.

The saving grace (no pun) for me however, was seeing many of my friends at the event who feel the same way about Paradise Gardens and the uncertain future of Finster’s legacy. Even still, on the way home I realized that just like all of the other once-thriving things abandoned along the road, Paradise Gardens might be on its way to becoming yet another forgotten part of the two-lane. And that’s just plain sad.

“When you live, work and play within a few square blocks, getting out there on the road just to see what you can see is very necessary sometimes.”

Chuck Crowder is a local writer and general man about town. His opinions are just that. Everything expressed is loosely based on fact, and crap he hears people talking about. Take what you just read with a grain of salt, but pepper it in your thoughts. And be ure to check out his wildly popular website www.thenoog.com

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ShadesOfGreen

by Elizabeth Crenshaw

Greening Urban Shopping M

ost Saturdays, it’s hard to find a parking space at 2 Northshore. Often, even the bike racks are full. People sit on the outdoor patio, walk from store to store, and stop to carry on conversation. This buzz of activity was planned for in the early stages of the complex’s design.

The campus is one of the few LEED for Core and Shell buildings in the state. To date, there are only 20 LEED Core and Shell registered projects in Tennessee, and 2 Northshore is on the only LEED project of its kind in Chattanooga.

LEED standards’ popularity is increasing. Several major cities now require that new buildings be built to LEED standard or better. LEED standards are facilitating an important transition in the way buildings are built and maintained.

But the bigger picture is holistic. 2 Northshore is not only an example of a group of green buildings, but also a functioning model of sustainable urban development. What makes it sustainable? People want to spend time there—which is good for growing local small business and a sense of community.

“As soon as they broke ground here we knew this was going to be a great fit,” said Sara Mingus, co-owner of the Northshore Yoga studio. Mingus also indicated excitement at being so close to other environmentally friendly businesses like Greenlife. “What better location to promote health and wellness through yoga and meditation—just being here makes you feel healthier,” Sara concluded.

That feeling of health and the

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connection to other nearby stores is what LEED AP architect Thomas Palmer had been hoping for. At the time, Palmer worked for River Street Architecture, a sustainability-focused design firm that just celebrated its own building’s LEED EB certification.

“Sustainability is more than energy efficiency and using certain materials,” he told me over lunch on Greenlife’s patio. “It’s about creating public spaces that people want to be in. It’s about promoting local business and local living through thoughtful design of natural and built environments.”

When Greenlife owner Chuck Pruett was looking to expand his business, he teamed up with CS & Associates’ Stephen Arnsdorff to create an environmentally friendly shopping center. The site had been home to an old manufacturing plant. Only certain parts of the brownfield were fit for construction, so the rest of the site remains open. On some weekends, you can find a makeshift farmer’s market in this area with homegrown fruits, vegetables and original art.

“We wanted the center to look and feel like a city block,” Palmer explained. “2 Northshore is a part of a larger vision of what urban development can be.”

Most modern shopping centers in suburban areas run like a playlist on replay. In a typical shopping center, stores are placed one next to the other in a sprawling square, with little or no natural space. Occasionally, a desolate tree rises from the pavement, an oasis of life in a hot, steaming swath of black asphalt. This disconnect between people and the natural world feeds environmental degradation.

One of the most visible green attributes of the complex is Greenlife

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Grocery’s green roof and living walls.

Leafy green vines climb up the store’s brick walls, and spring blooms hang lazily from the roof. Some people might think that these buildings cost a fortune to construct, but building green is not necessarily more expensive. Often, especially when considering energy usage, it is a “pay now or pay later” situation.

The owners and architect insisted on what is called a “state of the shelf” approach— meaning that all the materials used to construct these buildings can be found on the shelves of most building suppliers. The greenery, while beautiful, also serves a utilitarian purpose. Green roofs and living walls serve as natural UV protection. A green roof can reduce cooling costs 25-to-50 percent for the floors directly beneath it.

The buildings’ efficiency varies, but Greenlife Grocery’s building is 30 percent more efficient than other typical buildings of its size. The owners worked with a tight budget, and still have the gorgeous, modern green complex they wanted. Amazingly, 81 percent of the construction process was diverted from landfill, making creation of the complex as green as its buildings.

2 Northshore is an example of one path the country can take. We can build our new shopping centers and neighborhoods sustainably, embracing a future of promise—or we can continue to push forward as we always have, promising to fix things later. As the nation tries to rebuild and improve, I can only hope that we choose success built for the long term.

Elizabeth Crenshaw is LEED accredited and works for EPB in Strategic Planning.

Originally from South Carolina, Elizabeth moved to Chattanooga after graduating from Warren Wilson College in 2007.

“Sustainability is more than energy efficiency and using certain materials. It’s about creating public spaces that people want to be in.”

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MusicFeature

by Hellcat

Living Up to the Hype A

s most of you who read my articles know, I am not the type of person who listens to much current “active rock”. For instance, you will not see me at the Shinedown show coming up, and I will not wonder if I missed out on something. I will sporadically get into the occasional hard-rock song, swept away by the anger in it, but these moments are few and far between. You might even call these moments “special”.

A good deal of Chattanooga does, however, love a full day of Rock 105, and it isn’t just because Billy and Boner are funny, upstanding, gentlemen.

When four of my friends fell into a band together, I dreaded having to pretend to like it. Good news: Who’s pretending?

Eris, a band that I have written about before, is a wonderful exception to my little rule. Consisting of Jason Ewton, Andy Elliot, Josh Cannon and Nathan Luttrell, Eris continues to impress me. Their first three recorded songs, “Division”, “Satellites”, and “Azrael” are just badass, and again, I don’t even like that genre. I personally like “Division” the best, because the guitar part makes me dance around like a general idiot, and unless I’ve consumed way too many adult beverages, I don’t do that either.

Wait, I don’t remember the last time I consumed any less than way too many…damn blackouts. OK, so maybe I’ve been dancing a lot more than I realize, but we will just move past that

“Having been to their first two shows, I was thoroughly impressed, and will say that Ewton’s little smack-andstep move could be considered a signature.”

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The Pulse 5.14.09 www.chattanoogapulse.com

topic.

Having been to their first two shows, one at Midtown Music Hall, and one at the Sweetwater 4/20 Festival, I was thoroughly impressed by the stage performance and will say that Ewton’s little smack-and-step move could be considered a signature. He has experience being a front man, and definitely has the hair for it. Let me just point out that no matter what anyone has to say about guyliner, I think that it is straightup sexy. I am not saying you have to wear it, or that all musicians should.

I am not discriminate, and wish that guys that don’t play music would wear it too. Actually, can we have a guyliner day? I think some Chattanooga chicks would thank you.

Eris has done a great job of putting themselves out there, particularly

by Internet marketing, and after only two shows, have a pretty intense following. I am definitely a fan, and am continuously impressed by the talent that radiates off this band. I will call it “active-rock-with-metal-overtonesplus-a-twinge-of-awesome”. (See, the whole five-genre thing can come in handy.)

Eris will be playing with Mighty Sideshow this Saturday at Midtown and with Downstream and Black Betty on June 6 at Rhythm & Brews. They should have a few new songs recorded by then and an extended line of band merchandise for the fans to indulge themselves in. They should also have an EP out pretty soon for all of you who have been inquiring.

Speaking of talent, local favorites Mighty Sideshow will also be gracing the stage this Saturday, and by “gracing” I am serious. While this band has nothing to prove, they went ahead and proved it anyway. If you have missed

the last two performances of MSS, one at the Memorial Auditorium and one at our 4/20 Fest, our boys have added some bling to their stage show. They have a very fancy new backdrop by Vincent Printing, created from custom artwork by Casey Christian based on the conception of Kevin (MSS drummer), who also crafted the “charm” for the band on a large scale, and added some rather interesting chains to the stage setup. I love a stage setup—I mean, especially for the active-rock genre, it’s a definite must. Their lighting looks incredible flickering and reflecting off their new stage charms, and it adds a bit of intimate intensity to the performance; a personal touch from the band. It’s like our little hometown heartthrobs are all grown up and then went and got professional on us. As if the highlights weren’t enough, fellas?

Whatever the motivation, it’s nice to see that a Chattanooga band has gone all out with not only their music and style, but their stage appearance, too. Although you guys deal with an intense enough panty rain on stage as it is—you might have to hire some paramedics for your shows to make sure the ladies don’t overheat. Heaven forbid you take this rig to the “tweens” at Fathom, save us all. When I spoke with Alan, he mentioned that the writing of a new album has already started.

If the stage show has improved this much, just imagine what a new album might be like. Bring it, sir, bring it.

Mighty Sideshow with Eris $10 10 p.m.

Midtown Music Hall, 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 752-1977. www.midtownmusichall.com

MusicCalendar

Send your calendar events to us at calendar@chattanoogapulse.com

Friday

Thursday

Sunset Concert Series: Dismembered Tennesseans 7 p.m. North River Civic Center, 1009 Executive Dr., Suite 102.

(423) 870-8924.

Wayne Hightower 7:30 p.m. Fireside Grill, 3018 Cummings Hwy. (423) 821-9898.

Go Girls Tour with Jen Franklin, Lumbar 5, & ElectricSoul 7:30 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644.

The Gentleman’s Jazz Quartet 9 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055.

Channing Wilson

Kira Small 7 p.m. Blue Orleans Creole Restaurant, 3208 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 629-6538.

How I Became the Bomb

Classic country to transport you from the daily grind.

The Orange Opera, And The Moneynotes, Kyle Tallman 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400.

Calling yourself “the bomb” might seem pretentious, but these guys use their stylish sound to get away with it.

No cover 9 p.m.

Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Road. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com

Mike Jaynes Accoustic Set 10 p.m. T-Bone’s, 1419 Chestnut St. (423) 266-4240. www.tboneschattanooga.com

$5 9 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia

Saturday

Mighty Sideshow, Eris Rawking Mighty Sideshow never disappoints. $10 10 p.m.

Midtown Music Hall, 818 Georgia Avenue.

(423) 752-1977. www.midtownmusichall.com

Monday Monday Night Big Band 7 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Road, Suite #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com

Gadd, Branscomb, & Company with Spatial Effects 8 p.m. Barking Legs Theatre, 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347. www.barkinglegs.org

Throttle Bottom 9 p.m. The Tin Can, 618 Georgia Ave. (423) 648-4360. www. thetincanchattanooga.com Jeremy McComb 9 p.m. Midtown Music Hall, 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 752-1977.

Created to Kill, Coathanger Abortion, Torn the F*** Apart 9 p.m. Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd. (423) 634-1074.

Fist of the North Star, No Revolution, The Vivs 9 p.m. The Riverhouse, 224 Frazier Ave.

Sunday Johnston Brown 6 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd #202.

(423) 499-5055.

Jeff Talmadge 8 p.m. Charles & Myrtle’s Coffeehouse, 105 McBrien Rd. (423) 892-3109.

Open Jam w/ Jeff Daniels 4 p.m. Ms. Debbie’s Nightlife Lounge, 4762 Hwy 58.

(423) 485-0966.

Big Hearts for Little Hands Motorcycle Rally, featuring Downstream 6:30 p.m. Ultimate Cycle & Scooter, 103 Jubilee Dr. (423) 634-8151. ultimatecs.homestead.com

Kathy Tugman 8 p.m. The Foundry @ The Chattanoogan, 1201 S. Broad St. (423) 424-3775.

Irish Music 6:30 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996 www.tremonttavern.com

Pink Cadillac 9 p.m. The Tin Can, 618 Georgia Ave. (423) 648-4360.

Open Mic Gene’s Bar & Grill, 724 Ashland Ter. (423) 870-0880.

Say You Will, Faretheewell

Slow Cars, Slower Jets, Saving Ashley, Half Price Hero, Behold the Brave 7:30 p.m. Club Fathom, 412 Market St. (423) 757-0019.

Taxicab Racers, Moonlight Bride, Brenn, dj Talk 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400.

Hometown heroes Faretheewell join Say You Will from Johnson City for a swoonfest.

Comedy Night @ JJs 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia

Dead See Squirrels, Toxic Fuzz 8 p.m. Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd. (423) 634-1074. www.myspace.com/ziggyshideaway

Appetite for Destruction 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com

$7 7 p.m.

The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Road, East Ridge. www.myspace.com/warehousetn

DJ GOP The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd #202.

(423) 499-5055.

Tuesday

Wednesday

The Ben Friberg Trio 7 p.m. Table 2, 232 E. 11th St. (423) 756-8253.

Ben Friberg Jazz Trio 6:30 p.m. Market Street Tavern.

850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. myspace.com/marketstreettavern

Baker Family, Thee Something Bros 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia

Poetry/Song/Art Open Mic 7 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge.

Spoken Word/Poetry Night The Riverhouse, 224 Frazier Ave. (423) 752-0066.

Chris Wade and Smiley Accoustic Show 8 p.m. Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd. (423) 634-1074.

Lucky’s 2536 Cummings Highway, (423) 825-5145.

Open Mic Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com

2 n Fro 8 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd #202.

(423) 499-5055.

Tremont Tavern 1203 Hixson Pike, (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com

DJ ScubaSteve Fox and Hound Pub & Grille 2040 Hamilton Place Blvd #150.

(423) 490-1200.

Chris & Reece of Bud Lightning 9 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com

Fireside Lounge 4021 Hixson Pike, (423) 870-7078.

Six to Never, A Dangerous Man, Hollow Pages, Against the System 7:30 p.m. Club Fathom, 412 Market St. (423) 757-0019. www.clubfathom.com

Kathy Tugman 8 p.m. The Foundry @ The Chattanoogan, 1201 S. Broad St. (423) 424-3775.

Editor’s Pick: Featured Event Of The Week Second GoGirls Southeast Musical Showcase Jenn Franklin, Lumbar Five and Electric Soul let the girl power shine in this showcase supporting female musicians.

These bands hope to spread the word about the GoGirls’ free networking potential for any band with a female member.

Saturday, May 9 $7, 7:30 p.m.

Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market Street.

(423) 266-4240. www.rhythm-brews.com

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25

New Music Reviews

local news and views

www.chattanoogapulse.com 26

The Pulse 5.14.09 www.chattanoogapulse.com

By Ernie Paik

Caetano Veloso

Henry Cow

Zii e Zie (Universal)

The Road: Volumes 1-5 (ReR)

The Brazilian singer/ songwriter Caetano Veloso, whose remarkable career spans five decades, revealed in a New York Times interview that he’s baffled by his success in the U.S. This is because he believed that people would have to understand Portuguese and know Brazilian culture and history to be concerned with his songs.

It’s easy to understand the appeal of his voice, which is warm and full of character, and there’s much to appreciate in his catalog with regards to song arrangements, from his earlier Tropicalia material to simple, stunning guitar accompaniments or fuller orchestral backings. But, for those of us who don’t speak Portuguese, there’s a whole level of appreciation for Veloso as a lyricist that’s lost.

Running the lyrics of Veloso’s latest album, Zii e Zie, through an online translator provides maddening results and bespeaks the intricacies that aren’t cleanly deciphered. This wasn’t an issue on 2004’s A Foreign Sound, which was Veloso’s English-language cover album on which he tackled standards, like “Cry My a River,” with mostly easy-to-swallow, string-enhanced arrangements. However, Zii e Zie is more in line with 2006’s Cê, using a rock combo backing band and sometimes shedding overtly native styles.

The sound is stark and stripped down, without reverb, and the clear, staccato electric guitar jabs of the opening track, “Perdeu,” are arresting; Veloso bounces between two notes, before guitar squeals help close the song. The band settles into a sauntering tempo for the following two tracks, “Sem Cais” and “Por Quem,” which combines electric piano runs, brushed drums, a fuzz guitar, and Veloso singing in his higher registers. Some tracks, like “A Cor Amarela,” use funk guitar strums and others sound like they might be underground rock songs. Zii e Zie wanders away from the lush, refined approach of some of Veloso’s other recent works, and although it’s not obvious what direction he’s going, it’s thankfully not the sound of a person on autopilot.

The incomparable British group Henry Cow is the subject of one of the most mindblowing, meticulously assembled, and richly overflowing boxed sets of recent memory. The 40th Anniversary Henry Cow Box Set includes an astounding ten discs worth of unreleased material, separated into two sections, and when including a third section, intended for storage of their studio albums (released as a box in 2006), the set contains the entire known output of the band. Ending a ten-year run in 1978, Henry Cow was an ensemble that bore certain similarities to prog-rock outfits like Yes and King Crimson, mainly because of their complex song structures, or early ’70s Frank Zappa, with a merging of classical counterpoint with rock and jazz.

Volume 1: Beginnings features material related to the album Leg End, including a 10-minute version of “Teenbeat” and the entirety of guitarist/violinist Fred Frith’s willowy and scattered composition “With the Yellow Half-Moon and Blue Star.”

The first several tracks of Volume 2: 1974-5 are outtakes from the album Unrest, featuring Lindsay Cooper’s oboe and bassoon work; also included is a live version of “Living in the Heart of the Beast” with vocalist Dagmar Krause (also of Slapp Happy and Art Bears) and its prototype entitled “Halsteren.” The fidelity of Volume 3: Hamburg is incredible, detailing a jazz workshop stint with a number of improv pieces, and the disc ends with two songs featuring singer Robert Wyatt, including an upbeat, light-hearted cover of the Soft Machine’s “We Did It Again.”

Volume 4-5: Trondheim contains the entirety of a completely improvised concert and features the band at their most difficult and unpredictable, enhancing the sound with prerecorded tapes turned on at random times.

Painstakingly remastered by Bob Drake, these recordings provide abundant evidence that Henry Cow was one of the most imaginative, ambitious art rock groups of the mid’70s.

www.chattanoogapulse.com 5.14.09 The Pulse

27

Free Will Astrology TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “The people of future generations will win many a liberty of which we do not yet even feel the want,” said German philosopher Max Stirner. That bracing prediction has special meaning for you right now, Taurus. According to my astrological analysis, you are just becoming aware of freedoms that have not previously been on your radar screen.

And as soon as you register the full impact of what they entail and how much fun they would be, you’ll be wildly motivated to bring them into your life.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I’m providing you with three metaphorical brainteasers. I hope they will help you work your chutzpah back into shape now that you’re on the road to recovery. 1.

Was your fright attack provoked by a venomous snake or by a garden hose that resembled a venomous snake? 2. After your pratfall, when you heard one hand clapping, did you regard it as an unforgivable insult or a humorous teaching?

3. When your healing crisis finally climaxed in a cure, was the catalyst a placebo or real medicine?

Please answer these riddles even if you’ve already begun to feel fine again. It’ll help ensure that the healing will last a long time.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The joke goes like this: “Why is a math book so sad? Because it has so many problems.” But of course that’s a distortion of the truth. In fact, the math book loves its problems. Its problems are its reason for being. Besides that, all of its problems are interesting challenges, not frustrating curses. Best of all, every problem has a definite answer, and all the answers are provided in the back of the book. Now here’s the most excellent news of all, Cancerian: I think you’ll be like a math book in the coming weeks.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Dear Rob Brezsny: I really didn’t like a recent horoscope you wrote for me. I’m a Leo, and although your oracle was sort of true, I didn’t want it to be true, and furthermore I didn’t want to lend my belief energy to help make it true. So I went hunting among the other signs, hoping to find a different horoscope that appealed more to the healthiest aspect of my fantasy life. I settled on the ‘scope for Cancer, as it piqued my interest with just the right hopeful twist, and provided a highly motivating kick in the butt. Thanks! - Picky Choosy.” Dear Picky Choosy: I approve of your efforts. These days I would love all of my Leo readers to be as imperious as you’ve been in gathering only the influences you want, and shedding the rest.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The scenario I’m about to describe is likely to happen only in your dreams or fantasies, not your actual waking life. But it will later have a correlation in your waking life, and perhaps will be instrumental in preparing you mentally and emotionally for the triumph you’ll be able to accomplish in your waking life. So here it is, the mythic tale that I foresee unfolding in the subtle realms: A python will slither up and begin to coil around you. With an apparently irrational instinct that turns out to be quite smart, you will hiss loudly and then bite the snake, causing it to slip away and leave you alone.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): According to my analysis of the omens, you would really benefit from a baptism right about now. Consider these questions as you design the ritual. Should you seek the help of a religious official, or do it yourself? Should the baptism be conducted in a Christian, pagan, Jewish, atheist, Buddhist, Hollywood, or free-form style? Is it enough just to sprinkle your head or should you go for full immersion? And if you choose the latter, will the dunking be more authentic if it’s in a frigid river rather than a warm bath? These issues are for you to decide, not me. I insist only on this: Let the holy water wash you free of guilt, remorse, and any habit of mind that tricks you into being mean or careless toward yourself.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): After actor Woody Harrelson allegedly assaulted a paparazzo at

28

By Rob Brezsny

JONESIN’

By Matt Jones

“Pardon My French”

–there’s some colorful language in here.

New York’s La Guardia Airport, he issued a press release claiming it was an honest mistake. He had just completed filming Zombieland, a film in which his character had to relentlessly fight off zombies. It was understandable, he reasoned, that he mistook the pushy photographer for a zombie and naturally felt compelled to defend himself forcefully. As you shift back and forth between reality bubbles in the coming week, Scorpio, make sure you don’t make a similar error. Keep clearly in mind that the laws of nature in one bubble may be quite different from the laws in the others.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I’m not necessarily saying you fell into a hole a while back, but if you did, the time is right to extricate yourself. Your strength is returning and help is in the neighborhood. Likewise, I’m not making an authoritative pronouncement that you did indeed cast a little curse on yourself during a careless moment. But if something like that did occur, you’re entering an excellent phase to undo the mistake. You’re awakening to how you went awry, and that’s the first crucial step in correcting for the messy consequences.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “There are two things to aim at in life,” wrote essayist Logan Pearsall Smith. “First to get what you want, and after that to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second.” You are currently in a position, however, to accomplish that magical second aim, Capricorn. More than ever before, you have the power to want what you actually have…to enjoy the fruits of your labors…to take your attention off the struggle so that you may fully love the experiences your struggle has earned you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Scientists find previously unknown species of plants and animals all the time, usually consisting of tiny populations in remote locations. But the latest addition to the great catalog of life is a species whose members number in the millions and cover a huge swath of Ethiopia. It’s a tree that botanists have never had a name for until now: Acacia fumosa. Unlike other acacias, it produces pink blooms in the dry season instead of yellow or pink flowers in the wet season. I predict that you will soon have a comparable experience, Aquarius: You’ll “discover” and identify a unique wellspring that has been around forever but unknown to you. As you tap into its charms, I trust that you will make up for lost time.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In her column “Word Fugitives” in The Atlantic, Barbara Wallraff asked her readers to coin terms or phrases that would mean “the unfortunate telling of a story that one realizes too late is ill-suited to the occasion.” The best ideas were “blabberghasted,” “tale of whoa,” and “put my faux paw in my mouth.” I’ll warn you to be wary of this behavior in the coming week, Pisces.

You’re likely to be unusually articulate, and your urge to express yourself may be extraordinarily pressing. That could make you susceptible to running your mouth. But as long as you monitor yourself for signs that you’re about to go too far, I bet your fluency will serve you very well.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Some people will never learn anything because they understand everything too soon,” wrote Alexander Pope.

Most of us have been guilty of that sin: jumping to conclusions so quickly that we don’t bother to keep listening for the full revelation. My sense is that this behavior has become even more common in recent years because we’re inundated by fragments of slapdash information mixed with blips of superficial analysis and echoed hearsay.

But please avoid falling prey to the syndrome in the coming week, Aries. More than ever before, you need to gather raw data thoroughly, weigh the evidence with great deliberation, and come to careful understandings.

What new title, degree, award, or perk will you have two years from today that you don’t have now? Testify at FreeWillAstrology.com.

The Pulse 5.14.09 www.chattanoogapulse.com

Across 1 ___ doble (“Dancing With the Stars” dance) 5 Hebrew name for God 11 Fuel for some ranges 14 Wild goat 15 Puts new prices on, maybe 16 Diamond arbiter 17 Bugs Bunny, most notably?

19 “Paper Planes” singer 20 Test versions 21 The Tower Bridge spans it 23 Magician’s stock-intrade 26 Belief in ancient Phoenicia 27 Sniffles may be part of it 29 Frozen soy dessert brand 31 Tankard filler 32 Fear that you’ll smear your makeup?

36 Robert Browning’s “___ Passes” 39 JFK neighbor 40 Pod veggies 41 The woman that seduces hard-boiled film detectives?

44 “La-la” lead-in 45 Basketball stat 46 Coffeehouse choice 47 Adult life, for some 50 Less healthy

52 Illinois birth city of Cindy Crawford 53 “All kidding ___...”

56 A.F.L.’s partner 57 Extreme skateboarder who shreds on the halfpipe?

62 Emergency shelter bed 63 F equivalent 64 Columbus ship 65 Little leopard 66 Joint 67 Makes a scene?

Down 1 Mr. in the vending machine, once 2 Qualified 3 Washington newspaper that ended its printed version in March 2009, for short 4 Ventura County’s most populous city 5 Airport abbr.

6 Trafficking org.

7 One way to wager on horses: abbr.

8 Catch in the act 9 Shake up 10 “For real?”

11 ___ Worms 12 French female friends 13 Hiccup, for instance 18 TV show with extreme close-ups 22 “That doesn’t make

___ of sense...”

24 Midpoint: abbr.

25 Drink that’s stirred, but not shaken 26 Sports car manufacturer now owned

by Volkswagen 27 Crunch’s title 28 Mixed bag 30 Poisonous blowfishes 33 In need of joint relief 34 ___ Riot (indie band with the 2008 album “The Rhumb Line”) 35 Morales of “La Bamba” 37 Czech Republic capital, to locals 38 Pardoned, as sins 42 1962 Paul Anka hit subtitled “That Kiss!”

43 Designer monogram 46 Business jet maker 47 CCXXV x VIII, for all you Roman numeral lovers 48 Alphabetical fivesome 49 Donnie Wahlberg’s group, to fans 51 “Ni Hao, Kai-___” (Nickelodeon cartoon) 54 Job for a body shop 55 Historic periods 58 Pi follower 59 Typewriter key 60 Hosp. procedure 61 Unlock, in verse

©2009 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com) For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle #0413.

AskAMexican

by Gustavo Arellano

The Good Life South of the Border?

Dear Mexican, My wife is from Michoacán state.

We’ve bought a home in the small town of her birth. I love everything about the quiet little place. Even her mother is kind to me, as if I were her son. The food is incredibly good.

The puerco is killed that morning and the taste is like nothing you ever find north of the border. The federales stare me down, but so what? They mean well. Besides, they rarely come around. My wife’s village is old Mexico at its best The problem is, I can retire today, TODAY, and go live the good life in Mexico. But my wife wants to stay here in California, where it just gets worse by the hour. Why do Mexicans not want to go back to their homeland while Americans can’t wait to go live there? Please help me convince my wife it’s time to retire to Santa Ines.

— Camino a Michoacán Dear Gabacho, Ever stop to wonder why your wife and millions of her compadres left Mexico? Sí, about a million yanquis now live in Mexico and the living is easier, cheaper—but it’s still Mexico. It’s a place where any gabacho can live like a king provided they have mucho dinero and remember the William Walker part of their American DNA, but regular Mexicans must deal with centuries of class discrimination to eke out a living.

Yeah, Mexicans up here weep nostalgic tears a bit much over leaving their homeland, but again: ever wonder why they left in the first place? Sorry to break it to you, Camino, but “Old Mexico” only exists in Westerns, murals in Tex-Mex restaurants, and in the Simpsons episode where Krusty the Clown takes a bunch of kids from Kamp Krusty to Tijuana as atonement for his endorsement of shoddy products.

Dear Mexican, Is chingar really a Spanish verb? Or is it Mexican slang?

When I awakened my Spanishspeaking Chilean sweetheart one morning with a grin and “¿Quieres chingar?,” she said she didn’t

understand. (I later learned that the word is a rather coarse version of what one says to his/her sweetie when you want to...you know...and that I was probably lucky she didn’t understand.)

Are there different versions of this verb for different Spanish-speaking countries? I wonder because, in the Anglo countries (U.K., Canada, U.S., Australia, and New Zealand), we all use the same cute little fourletter word.

— Coarse Gabacho Dear Gabacho, You might be coarse, but you’re really a pendejo. If you want to tell a chica, “Wanna fuck?” in Mexican Spanish you don’t say, “¿Quieres chingar?,” you’d more properly say “¿Quieres coger?” (actually, if you want a real chance to get in her chonis, you’ll be a gentleman about it and ask if you can pluck her flor).

Although chingar (derived from cingarár—“to fight”—in Caló, the language of Spanish Gypsies that had a profound influence on Mexican-American slang) can mean the act of coitus, the Royal Academy of Spanish lists nine separate entries for the verbo, from the aforementioned “to fuck” to “annoy” to “unevenly hang” in Argentina and Uruguay to “cut the tail of an animal” for Central Americans (I blame Guatemalans for that weak interpretation)— and these definitions don’t include chingar’s numerous slang versions and tenses.

Like I discussed with the word pinche a couple of columnas ago, many curse words in Spanish have

benign meanings in other Latin American regions. Remember coger?

We Mexicans might prefer the word in its sexy incarnation, but the Royal Academy of Spanish includes 31 more—chingao!

Dear Mexican, Why are Mexican men SOOOO sexy?! They have that certain “machismo” thing white guys just DON’T have!

— Waiting Güera Dear Gabacha, It ain’t the machismo, chula; it’s our manhood. Ever wonder why Mexican men are such prudes in locker rooms? Mere modesty: we don’t want to give gabachos penis envy.

Ask the Mexican at themexican@ askamexican.net, myspace.com/ocwab, find him on Facebook, Twitter, or write via snail mail at: Gustavo Arellano, P.O. Box 1433, Anaheim, CA 92815-1433!

“‘Old Mexico’ only exists in Westerns, murals in Tex-Mex restaurants, and in the Simpsons episode where Krusty the Clown takes a bunch of kids to Tijuana.”

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The Pulse Real Estate Guide

To list your Residential or Commercial Real Estate, Contact Rhonda Rollins at (423) 242-7680