! IDE GU OW NG NI CH L DI
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SERVER CONFIDENTIAL • OPEN MIC LOWDOWN
Art of Cooking The
Exciting the senses with fine dining and good food
The Pulse Annual Dining Guide
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FREE • News, Views, i Music, i Film, i Dining, i i Arts & Entertainment i • March 25, 2010 • Vol. 7 - Issue 12 • www.chattanoogapulse.com
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2010
Publisher Zachary Cooper Contributing Editor Janis Hashe News Editor Gary Poole Calendar Editor Kathryn Dunn Advertising Manager Rhonda Rollins Advertising Sales Rick Leavell, Leif Sawyer, Townes Webb Art Director Kelly Lockhart Graphic Design Jennifer Grelier Staff Photographer Louis Lee Contributing Writers Gustavo Arellano, Rob Brezsny Chuck Crowder, Michael Crumb Hellcat, Joshua Hurley Matt Jones, Phillip Johnston Jonathan Meyer, Tara Morris Ernie Paik, Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D. Jim Pfitzer, Stephanie Smith Alex Teach, Colleen Wade Editorial Cartoonist Rick Baldwin Editorial Intern Jonathan Selby Copy Assistant Bryanna Burns Drives A Minivan Josh Lang Contact Info: Phone (423) 648-7857 Fax (423) 648-7860 info@chattanoogapulse.com Calendar Submissions calendar@chattanoogapulse.com Advertising advertising@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.
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11 THE ART OF COOKING By Gary Poole “It’s amazing how pervasive food is. Every second commercial is for food. Every second TV episode takes place around a meal. In the city, you can’t go ten feet without seeing or smelling a restaurant. There are 20foot high hamburgers up on billboards. I am acutely aware of food.” — Adam Scott
feature stories 15 SERVER CONFIDENTIAL By Your Server With spring comes tourist season here by the river and that means restaurants will be booming. While the eating places gear up and the wait times get longer, we’ve once again investigated some pet peeves from that long-suffering profession: server.
20 LOW DOWN ON OPEN MIC By Tara Morris The Saturday Night Open Mic series has been an amazing success and has become home to many of our local singer/songwriters.
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By Phillip Johnston Andrea Arnold’s new film Fish Tank (this week’s selection in the Arts and Education Council’s Independent Film Series) is yet another testament to the extraordinary revival of realism now occurring in European film.
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30 LOVE STORY FOR THE AGES By Stephanie Smith The Acting Company (in collaboration with The Guthrie Theater) is the only union Equity touring theatre company in the country, and they will perform their version of Romeo & Juliet more than 75 times this year.
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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | March 25, 2010
Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative
Pulse Beats Volkswagen Fever Grips East Ridge
Quote Of The Week:
A rundown of the newsy, the notable, and the notorious...
When the announcement was made that Volkswagen was coming to Chattanooga, there was one local group that was especially excited: the Scenic City Volks Folks. The Volkswagen enthusiasts, who have been staging an annual car show and community extravaganza for more than a decade, have announced plans for their largest event to date. The 12th annual “Bug-a-Palüza” event is scheduled for April 16–18 at Camp Jordan in East Ridge. Organizers of Bug-a-Palüza 12 are expecting more than 350 Volkswagens to be entered in the car show, along with more than 70 vendors, promising a weekend of fun for the thousands of spectators expected for this family-friendly event. Even better in a down economy, proceeds from the event will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Chattanooga. Last year’s event raised more than $12,000 for the charity. Bug-a-Palüza has humble beginnings, having started as a gathering of fellow Volkswagen enthusiasts in the parking lot of an area car dealer. Others heard about the meeting, and it has since grown into the region’s largest Volkswagen event. “Our now being the premiere VW show in the Southeast could not have happened without the help of Village VW of Chattanooga, the City of East Ridge, and our sponsors’ support,” says Mike Pleasant, Scenic City Volks President. “Even with the success of this year’s show, we hope to continually make it better, especially with Volkswagen’s first U.S. plant in more than 20 years opening here soon.” In fact, the event has grown so popular that car show entries had to be capped at 350 to allow for a thorough judging, and special parking is being reserved for
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“He was shunned by many people in the community, but he saw what needed to be seen, said what needed to be said and did what needed to be done.” —Tennessee State Senator Andy Berke, honoring the pioneering civil rights work of James Mapp, who recently had a state office building named in his honor.
Here is one of the more interesting agenda items set to be discussed at the March 30 meeting of the Chattanooga City Council.
9. Departmental Reports:
those wishing to show off their Volkswagens without entering the competition. Other weekend events include live concerts Friday and Saturday nights, automotive tech sessions, a kids’ corral, the always amusing VW bus shower, an opening color guard performance, and authentic German food.
Scenic City Volks Folks is a Chattanooga-based enthusiast club dedicated to promoting an appreciation of all Volkswagen models. The club encompasses fans of the early air-cooled models all the way up to owners of the latest 2010 models. Visit bugapaluza.com and volksfolks.org to learn more.
Public Art Chattanooga Announces Winners Public Art Chattanooga (PAC) has announced the winning proposals for On the Fence, a temporary public art competition designed to revitalize the urban Southside district of Main Street in downtown Chattanooga. To complement renewal efforts, local artists, graphic designers, architects, schools and individuals were invited to submit designs for art installations to be exhibited on the chain link fences along the Main Street corridor. A panel consisting of PAC Committee members, neighborhood residents and property owners along Main Street selected eight out of 34 proposals submitted for the project. The selected winners include the following: Battle Academy, Cat Collier, Matthew Dutton, Elemi Architects, Girls Preparatory School, Christian Rushing, Nathan and Jeremiah Smith of Set in Stone and Joe Thomas. The installations will be on view for up to one year. The public will be able to vote at 4 Bridges Art Festival on April 17-18 and then online at www.onthefencedesign.com from April 17-24. PAC introduces a wide range of public art into the community, enhancing the public realm and enriching the lives of visitors and residents. PAC is housed in the Chattanooga Department of Parks and Recreation. On the Fence was made possible with the generous support of the Lyndhurst Foundation.
a) Department of Human Services b) Department of Parks and Recreation c) Department of Public Work 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 The above portion of the weekly agenda is where each department within city government reports directly to the council. It not only gives the various department heads the opportunity to get approval for various projects and procedures, but is also a forum for the council members to ask questions and make requests (both formal and informal) of the departments. 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
March 25, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | The Pulse
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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | March 25, 2010
Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative
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.
• It was one of the biggest meth lab operations many law enforcement officers had ever seen. A meth lab found near the intersection of Yearly and 19th streets was so large that investigators from multiple agencies said they were shocked. When city detectives entered the house, they found it filled with items used to manufacture meth, including Coleman fuel, acid, liquid heat, lye, Draino and ephedrine along with bottles and glassware. It was so large; they had to call in the DEA to take over the investigation and cleanup. All told, officers and agents from the East Ridge Police, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Chattanooga Police, Soddy Daisy Police, Red Bank Police and the Lookout Mountain Judicial Task Force all became involved. • Politics is often described as a dirty business, but stealing signs your opponent’s signs is still considered to be a bad idea. A man running for Bradley County Commission said he became suspicious after noticing his campaign signs missing
from several locations in the county. So he waited near Oak Grove Elementary school with a video camera and caught the thief in the act. When he confronted the man, the man claimed he had been told to steal the signs at the behest of the candidate’s opponent. The man fled before police could arrive, but he didn’t get very far, as officers caught him in the act a short time later stealing signs from a nearby neighborhood. • While spring has just arrived, not many people have found a need to fire up their lawn mowers or turn on their air conditioning units. Which may be why a Brainerd man thought he could get away with stealing his next-door neighbor’s lawn mower and air conditioning unit and pawning them. The neighbor, working with police investigators, positively identified the stolen items that were being held at a Brainerd pawn shop. When confronted with the evidence, the man, who officials say has an extensive pawn history, was arrested and charged with burglary and theft over $500. • The Chattanooga City Council recently raised fees for illegal parking. The
Top Signs Of Spring Now that spring is officially here (the vernal equinox was this past weekend, here are the signs to look for to tell you that the new season has officially arrived.
new fees may not be popular, but that’s not a good reason to steal No Parking signs. A man was spotted by patrol officers walking on 12th Avenue with a pair of the metal signs tucked under his arm. When confronted, he claimed he had found the signs on the shoulder of the road and was taking them in for scrap. Upon further investigation, though, it was discovered that the signs had been pulled from two freshly dug holes. The man, who officers said was extremely intoxicated, was arrested and is facing charges of both theft under $500 as well as public intoxication.
Letters to the Editor Road Trip! Good story, Janis [“Angels of Montgomery”, Driving Diversions]. I’ve been planning a trip to Montgomery myself to visit Hank Williams’ grave. I’ll have to add a little more time to my trip to see some of what else Montgomery has to offer. I never realized there was so much history in that city and I like that there’s a sort of marriage between the Civil Rights episodes and old Hank. It sounds like a really interesting place and I’ll get there soon. Cody Maxwell Religious Freedom and Abuse Growing up in Catholic Ireland in the 1970’s, I was a witness to inappropriate behavior on the part of school priests during the five-year period I served as an alter boy. I witnessed priests being transferred on a regular basis. The Church’s influence over the country protected these priests from civil prosecution. Abuse is a crime and thus should have been dealt with under the law of the land and not by the church demanding immunity and sweeping these crimes under the rug and then pretending they didn’t happen. Had the church’s influence on politics and the law not been so dominant in Ireland
2. Everyone is more concerned with college basketball than with which heavy coat to wear. 3. You finally have changed every clock in the house to Daylight Savings Time. 4. Kids are wearing shorts, no matter what the actual temperature really is. 5. Squirrels have decided it’s time to start invading the neighborhoods again.
back then, I believe the Pope would not be issuing an apology in March 2010 for crimes going back 50 years. One of the main reasons I chose to move to the United States in 1985 was because of the civil liberties of Freedom from Religion and the Separation of Church from State. The irony of this move is the reality that the religious influence is probably greater here in the U.S., especially living in the South. I’m reminded when I attend City Council meetings where I’m asked to bow my head while elected officials doctrine an invocation. Mario Forte Dangerous Dogs I read recently with a mixture of disgust and resignation that Winston, the pit bull that attacked several cars and tore off the front bumper of a police cruiser, has become some sort of animal celebrity across the country. I understand that the story, which has spread far and wide across the country, has its amusing moments. But to all the people calling McKamey asking about his well-being, do you realize that is in fact a very dangerous dog? Let’s all be thankful that he chose that day to attack
1. The snow flurries this past Monday morning will be the last snow we’ll see until next winter.
6. The birds spend more time chasing each other around and building nests. 7. Trees are starting to bud, and the lawn might actually need mowing in a week or two. 8. Your co-workers seem to be in a bit of a better mood. 9. It’s almost time for the hockey playoffs. 10. There are only 274 shopping days left until Christmas! cars instead of people. A dog that shrugged off being tazed and sprayed with police-grade pepper spray is not the kind of animal that needs to become a four-footed folk hero. If people really wanted to help animals, they would adopt one of the hundreds of thousands of unwanted animals that sit in shelters across the country. Animals that are not dangerous and are only looking to share their love with a new person or family. Lindsey Tanner
So pack away your winter clothes, break out the sun dresses and summer suits, the sandals and T-shirts, and take a look in the mirror and see how much time you need to spend in the gym before trying on last season’s bathing suit. It’s springtime!
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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March 25, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | The Pulse
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Beyond The Headlines
Who’s Laughing Out Loud?
By Jim Pfitzer
“Laughing, after all, like tears, hugs and frustrations, should be shared. So we announce our laughter.”
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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | March 25, 2010
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e live in an era lauded as one of unprecedented connectedness. Nearly everyone has a cell phone these days, many of them “smart”. Coffeehouses everywhere sport a sea of portable personal computers. And social networking sites are becoming the place where people meet, gather, invite, discuss and share. We have the ability to call, e-mail, text and tweet. And we do—from nearly everywhere, almost all the time. If I want to know how my buddy Drew, a composer living in Paris, is doing, I check Facebook to find out what symphony is playing his latest
composition. If I’m thinking about my friend David in Chicago, I can count on enough tweets to update me. On any given day, I receive 30 or 40 e-mails and five or six texts. Today alone, when combining texts, tweets, posts, comments, and e-mails, I count that I have been connected to 56 “friends” and countless strangers. By comparison, having spent most of my day at my desk, I have spoken face-toface with only six, hugged just two, and shook hands with merely one person. Had today not been farmer’s market day, those numbers likely would have been reduced to two, one, and zero. So I should be thankful for all the technology that allows me to be so connected, right? I am. Without leaving my desk, I am in touch with the world. I can click an icon right now and send an e-mail to a thousand people. A post on my blog unleashes unlimited potential for connecting to the world. As I think back on the connections of the day, something dawns on me. Today, I laughed three times—two of them during face-to-face encounters, the other after reading a funny Facebook post. While I always enjoy a good laugh, the latter of these left me feeling a little empty. I remember a recent morning when, in less than 15 minutes on Facebook, I read sixteen comments containing “LOL” meaning (I am pretty sure) “Laughing Out Loud.” A couple of the posts did indeed make me chuckle, but like today’s laugh, they left me wanting. Laughing, after all, like tears, hugs and frustrations, should be shared. So we announce our laughter. With all this virtual connectedness,
we are missing out on the most important connections. When we come together virtually, we end up emoting virtually—alone. This leaves me wondering if the connectedness we find in virtual social networks drives us to feel like trees falling in the woods without an audience there to listen. If we don’t shout: “I just crashed to the forest floor,” we fear that maybe we didn’t really make a sound, or worse, maybe we didn’t even fall. We sit at our computers, clutching our cell phones, in our seclusion, craving connection. So we e-mail, text, tweet, and network and convince ourselves we are connected. But if our e-mail is funny, we don’t hear the laughter. If our posts are sad, readers will not see the tears in our eyes, and if one of us needs a shoulder cry on, it will not be there. So we tell each other, “I just laughed out loud.” We laugh…virtually. So what do we do? Post, “I’m crying,” so that someone can comment, “shoulder”? Should we text, “need hug” so that someone can text back, “hugging”? If we are face to face, we need not announce our emotional responses and if we are alone, announcing them does not bridge the distance between us. Facebook is an ironic name. Perhaps MySpace was the one who got the name right. When we “connect” in cyber space, we are in our own personal space; our faces are not seen. I “connected” with 62 people today. I would trade the 56 virtual ones for the other six. And that’s not funny. I am not laughing out loud, but sadly, because you cannot see me, hear me, touch me, you can only know this because I am telling you.
Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative
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March 25, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | The Pulse
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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | March 25, 2010
Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative
Cover Story
Art of Cooking The
By Gary Poole
www.chattanoogapulse.com
“A talented chef can take basic ingredients—meat, fruits, vegetables, grain— and turn it into something far greater than the sum of its parts.” March 25, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | The Pulse
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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | March 25, 2010
Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative
Cover Story
Exciting The Senses With Fine Dining and Good Food
“I t’s amazing how pervasive food is. Every second commercial is for food. Every second TV episode takes place around a meal. In the city, you can’t go ten feet without seeing or smelling a restaurant. There are 20-foot high hamburgers up on billboards. I am acutely aware of food, and its omnipresence is astounding.” — Adam Scott, The Monkey Chow Diaries. Adam Scott is a humorist who wrote a tongue-in-cheek blog about losing weight through a diet of eating nothing but monkey chow, the processed food designed for zoo primates. The end result of a week’s worth of one of the odder culinary choices willingly followed for the sake of modern-day journalism led to a four-pound weight loss, a series of popular YouTube videos, and a newfound appreciation of the variety of creativity of human-made and consumed food. Throughout all cultures in all societies around the world, food is at the center of civilization. Aside from the purely physical needs associated with the consumption of enough calories on a daily basis to stay alive, the creative preparation of food is one of the few things that separates us from our animal brethren. In my younger days, I was on the front lines of food, having served time in the restaurant trenches, first as a server, then as a cook, and on up to sous chef for a popular Atlanta restaurant in the early ’90s. In fact, my very first job as a teenager was washing dishes for a steak house. I am far from alone in having worked in what is referred to by many in the business as the food service industry. For those that have heard the term sous chef but are unfamiliar with what it actually
means, it is commonly used to describe the number-two person in a kitchen. I worked under an amazing chef, who had not only spent years in schooling and learning his craft, but also was a visiting instructor for one of the prestigious culinary institutes in the region. Under his tutelage, I learned the difference between simple cooking and art. For good cooking is indeed an art form. A talented chef can take basic ingredients—meat, fruits, vegetables, grain—and turn it into something far greater than the sum of its parts. There is a sensuous nature to fine cuisine that excites all of our senses. The texture of the food, the aroma, the look, and of course, the taste, all combine to create, in the hands of a talented artist, an experience than elevates the mere act of eating into something much greater. Americans eat, on average, three meals a day. Most of the time, they are relatively simple meals, easy to prepare, often prepackaged or purchased through the window of your car. While they may indeed be satisfying as a meal, they are usually only memorable if something goes wrong. The meals we remember are the ones, more often than not, we have while eating out. And we do like to eat out. A recent study by the U.S.
“The creative preparation of food is one of the few things that separates us from our animal brethren.”
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Department of Agriculture estimated that we eat out of the house nearly five times a week. Luckily for us, there are a lot of people who have dedicated their professional lives to giving us plenty of choices of where—and what—to eat when we do leave the house. Locally, one of Chattanooga’s leading chefs is John Palacio, Executive Chef for the Sheraton Read House Hotel. While he is of Latin descent and loves a bit of spice in his food, he was trained to cook like the French, Swiss and Germans. Palacio believes firmly that one of the main responsibilities for any chef is to pass along knowledge for the future. “I still cook, but as a chef it’s our obligation to pass on the traits we were trained to do,” he says. One of the main things he is teaching focuses on sustainability. “I try to use products that local growers sell at the market. In fact, you can find me there almost every week from spring to fall.” March 25, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | The Pulse
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Cover Story Palacio spends a lot of his time observing trends in what customers want. He says that the big trend right now in Chattanooga is a demand for fresh-made foods by real people who work in the restaurant. “Package foods are so boring and we, the consumer, can tell,” he says. “When you go out to eat ask some basic questions: Is there a chef, not a kitchen manager, cooking in the kitchen? Are the foods made fresh or packaged? In Porter’s, we take great pride that the food is made fresh, the meats and fish are cut by hand and our desserts made in house.” As with any art form, inspiration is the key to success. Palacio says he actually has dreams about food. “When I wake up, I grab a pen and paper, write down the thoughts and go to work.” He notes a couple of examples of dreamed inspiration. “The beef tip salad with roasted garlic vinaigrette is my number-one seller at lunch. The vineripe tomato, Maytag salad with port wine vinaigrette is my number-one seller at dinner. When I teach my cooks, I express to them the importance of living and breathing what they do; that’s called passion.” One of the great things about living in Chattanooga for those who enjoy fine cuisine is the number of nationally renowned chefs who make the city their home. Chef Daniel Lindley, proprietor of St. John’s Restaurant, St. John’s Meeting Place and Alleia, has been invited to cook as a guest chef at Sunday Supper at Chelsea Market. Along with 25 other chefs, including “Iron Chef” Masaharu Morimoto and James
Beard Foundation Award Winner Jacques Torres, Chef Lindley will cook a family-style dinner that transforms Chelsea Market’s 400-foot-long concourse into one enormous supper table. The multicourse meal will feature farm-totable dishes for more than 200 guests. Lindley also achieved the level of semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in the Southeast this year. “The opportunity to cook at Chelsea Market’s Sunday Supper
“One of the great things about living in Chattanooga for those who enjoy fine cuisine are the number of nationally renowned chefs who make the city their home.”
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is a great honor for me and also quite sentimental,” he says. “It was ten years ago this spring that I left New York City as a young line cook. A few months later I would return to Chattanooga for the opening of St. John’s Restaurant. The opportunity to return to the city to cook ten years later as a featured chef for the James Beard Foundation is truly exciting and humbling for me.” Both Lindley and Palacio represent what I learned years ago—food is more than a means to an end—it is a journey for the soul. Master Chef Fernand Point famously said that, “If the divine creator has taken pains to give us delicious and exquisite things to eat, the least we can do is prepare them well and serve them with ceremony.”
Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative
Cover Story
Server Confidential: A Few Tips to Munch On and a lot of times it is a slap in the face to approach a table that snubs you off, doesn’t make eye contact, are talking on cell phones, or doesn’t give the time for him or her to go over drinks, specials, etc. A lot of time this “spiel” is required. If you give your server the time to inform you about simple things such as their name and burger of the day, you might be surprised to find out something you didn’t know before.
“One-at-a-timers.”
By Your Server
“Each experience is different— and not every peeve applies everywhere— but after much discussion with local service industry employees, we’ve come up some of the basic actions that really get under our pint glasses. www.chattanoogapulse.com
W
ith spring comes tourist season here by the river and that means restaurants will be booming. While the eating places gear up and the wait times get longer, we’ve once again investigated some pet peeves from that long-suffering profession: server. In our opinion, these comments, when taken with thoughtful consideration, will improve every dining experience. Each experience is different—and not every peeve applies everywhere—but after much discussion with local service industry employees, we’ve come up some of the basic actions that really get under our pint glasses.
“Acting as if we are not really there.” It is hard for some to conceive that you would ignore your server. Servers are trained to be friendly
We’re all human. We make mistakes and events happen that are out of our control— but there are precautions to achieve a smoother pace. In the server world, these precautions are termed “predrops”. For example, when you’re having a hamburger and fries, servers should go ahead and deliver ketchup or mustard, simple steps that eliminate waiting on these items later. The same goes for the guests. If you want sweet tea and water, request it. Don’t have them deliver the sweet tea, only to then make them retrace steps for another drink. It is acceptable to be picky or needy in this biz, but informing your server of your needs ahead of time saves aggravation and waiting later.
“The Verbal Tip.” This one is legend. A server has an amazing table, gives amazing service, the table may even compliment the server to management—but when it’s time for the tip, nothing. If your server did a great job, it is appreciated to give such praise, but business is business. Tip appropriately! This also goes for younger individuals and some from other countries. Younger people who are not accompanied by parents may not
realize they should tip and in other countries servers are paid a very much higher base wage. These low or non-existent tips are not out of malice but purely because the tipper is not aware. All could be avoided with a little information and research.
“Campers.” “Campers” are guests who stay for an insanely long time and usually do not compensate accordingly. Most restaurants only give servers up to four tables. These tables are rotated through the night and the term “turn and burn” expresses the need for tables to rotate in order for the server to make money. The time you spend is everything. Getting comfortable and socializing with your company is very important on both sides. Knowing that said facility is where you would like to spend your time means everyone has done their jobs. Just keep in mind that even strippers have an hourly wage and whatever is beyond the $2.13 an hour (and after tip out) has determined your hardworking server’s salary. One in 10 working Americans are restaurant employees and more than one in four American adults had their first job at a restaurant. Waiting tables is not just to get through college anymore. It is a career, a way to put food on tables, and survive. More college grads are passing you drinks than you may be aware of, and most absolutely love their jobs. Fast paced and ever-changing, serving provides the opportunity to meet people on all levels. So, next time you enter into a new or regular dining experience, engage yourself, ask your server who they are, have your thoughts ready so they can better serve you—and then compensate them for their time and hard-working ethic. That’s why we do what we do. March 25, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | The Pulse
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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | March 25, 2010
Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative
Shrink Rap
By Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D
Attitude Is Everything! D
ear Readers, Several months back you read in this column the story of an elderly gentleman who was moving into a nursing home. He was blind and frail, and yet he was moving on to this chapter of his life, and to what he knew would be his final home, with the joy and anticipation of a child. His delightful, positive attitude made an impression on many of you who wrote to me about that column. Well, here it is spring, a wonderful time to embrace newness and adventure, and a perfect time to reflect on your own attitude toward whatever chapter of life you’re entering. Last week we looked at “spring cleaning for your soul”— taking stock of what you can let go of, and what you want to make room for; externally, yes, but more importantly, internally. Now, lo and behold, a friend sent me another story about attitude, and I think you’ll like this one as well. John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, “If I were any better, I would be twins!” He was a natural motivator. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, “I don’t get it! You can’t
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be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?” He replied, “Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood, or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. “Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. “Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or...I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.’ “Yeah, right, it’s not that easy,” I protested. “Yes, it is,” he said. “Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. The bottom line: It’s your choice how you live your life.” I reflected on what he said. Over time we lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw him about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, “If I were any better, I’d be twins…Wanna see my scars?”
I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place. “The first thing that went through my mind was my soon-to-beborn granddaughter,” he replied. “Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live.” “Weren’t you scared? Did you lose consciousness?” I asked. He continued, “...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes I read, ‘He’s a dead man’. I knew I needed to take action.” “What did you do?” I asked. “Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,” said John. “She asked if I was allergic to anything ‘Yes,’ I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, ‘Gravity.’’’ Over their laughter, I told them, “I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.” He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude is, after all, everything. Until next time: “Traveling increasingly light is the secret of a nimble foot.” — Philosopher F. Gannon
“You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. The bottom line: It’s your choice how you live your life.”
Dr. Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist, minister, and educator, in private practice in Chattanooga, and the author of “Empowering the Tribe” and “The Power of a Partner.” Visit his new wellness center, Well Nest, at www. WellNestChattanooga.com, and his website at www.DrRPH.com.
March 25, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | The Pulse
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Life in the Noog
By Chuck Crowder
Gone, But Certainly Won’t Be Forgotten L
ast week another one of my rock heroes, Alex Chilton, suddenly passed away at the age of 59. I know that many of you out there have no idea who I am writing about. But you’ve heard his music for sure. And to all of my friends with guitars who aspired to write their own songs growing up, his influence is likely the reason they learned to play in the first place. If fellow Memphis native Elvis was the king of traditional rock n’ roll, then Chilton was likely the king of alternative rock n’ roll. For without him, there might never have been the bands me and my friends back here in the ‘noog looked up to—like the Replacements, R.E.M. or even Cheap Trick. He was that influential. Maybe it was his start at age 16 singing for the Box Tops. His voice was the first to express the heartache of their number-one hit “The Letter,” also made famous by Joe Cocker, and their other catchy chart-topper “Cry Like A Baby.” But I’m sure that it was his more mature follow-up band, Big Star, that made Chilton a household name in the basement band days of the ‘noog circa 1980-something. A short-lived band from the early seventies, Big Star for me summed up the feeling and mood I imagine my teenage babysitters were experiencing at the time. It wasn’t “Convoy” or “One Toke Over The Line.” And it wasn’t Elton John or God-forbid The Eagles either. Big Star’s music consisted of melodic ballads and sensible but raunchy pop numbers wrapped by Chilton’s haunting, anguished vocals reciting lyrics documenting the perils
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of moving through early life with teenage crushes whose success you’re pulling for, but just never quite happen. You may not have ever heard of the name Big Star, but if you’ve ever caught one episode of That 70’s Show, then you’ve heard their hit “In The Street”—which served as the show’s theme song. In fact, in their short-lived, stellar career, Big Star only recorded three albums—but all three are included in Rolling Stone magazine’s “500 Greatest Slbums Of All Tme.” It’s unimaginable how many musicians Chilton and his Big Star band mates could be responsible for influencing, but it’s likely the music made since would’ve never been the same without them. Another short-lived, but highly influential band that also shares nearly all of its album catalog among Rolling Stone’s 500 all-time greats are The Stooges, whose founding guitarist Ron Asheton died this past year as well. When they got together back in 1969, there’d really never been distorted, infectious, grinding threechord song structures like their classic cut “I Wanna Be Your Dog.” In fact, there had never been songs written about being someone’s “dog” before. There’d also never been skinny shirtless lead singers with bleached blonde hair and glitter eye makeup smearing peanut butter and broken glass all over their chests like Stooges front man Iggy Pop. Apart from maybe the MC5, there had never been anything like The Stooges. Even though their short career
included debilitating heroin addiction, countless personnel changes and merely three studio albums, it carved a notch in the belt of rock that is likely the sole reason The New York Dolls and Ramones ever started bands in the first place. In fact, their influence was so profound that Henri Rollins of Black Flag expressed it best when he stated that “all teenagers should be issued the first three Stooges albums on their 14th birthday.” And most of my friends were way ahead of him as every damn one of them have played “I Wanna Be Your Dog” countless times when they needed that one encore song past the limits of the band’s rehearsed repertoire. The rocks gods shined a light on The Stooges this year as they were (finally) inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, sadly a year after Ron would’ve had a chance to enjoy the moment. And it’s sad that Alex will miss his moment too, should it ever come. Next time you’re cruising iTunes looking for some good music, be sure to remember Big Star and The Stooges. Even though they may now be called back for perpetual encores on that great stage in the sky, they certainly shouldn’t be forgotten.
“It’s unimaginable how many musicians Chilton and his Big Star band mates could be responsible for influencing, but it’s likely the music made since would’ve never been the same without them.”
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 sure to check out his popular website www.thenoog.com
Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative
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March 25, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | The Pulse
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Music Feature
By Tara Morris
Low Down on Open Mic W
ith all the different places to go for live music in town, locals may look past a well-known gem, The Mudpie. Located at 12 Frazier Avenue, this spot now has more to offer than half-price wine night on Thursdays. (Actually, they are offering half-price wine on Monday night too, in case you didn’t know.) The Saturday Night Open Mic series has been an amazing success and has become home to many of our local singer/songwriters. For those unfamiliar with the term, “open mic” and karaoke are two separate worlds. Being a karaoke queen myself, thoughts of boozeenhanced Shania Twain covers and the one guy who thinks he can sing “Back in Black” evoke a stench that can only be described by those who have been a part of it. Open mic is a totally different gig. Usually acoustic, the singer/ songwriters showcase themselves with their own music and then a cover that they also perform. Like karaoke, there is the good and the bad, but this original music and acoustic soul is shared in a more controlled and respectful hearing. Around-town man Shawnessey Cargile has been running The Mudpie’s Open Mic Series and opened the doors for talent to perform almost every night and occasionally for Friday lunch. Each month on the last Saturday, Shawnessey presents The Open Mic Challenge, in which a panel of local musicians, media, and community members judge each performer and decide on the winner for that month. During my experience hosting The Local and Regional Show on WAWL.org, I’ve always depended on Mr. Cargile to bring out amazing talent. For the month of February, he introduced me to a duo of young girls from Calhoun, GA who went by the name Escape Ferocity. These girls blew me away and once
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“Open mic is a totally different gig. Usually acoustic, the singer/ songwriters showcase themselves with their own music and then a cover that they also perform.” again demonstrated the string of talent walking through the door at Mudpie. Artists such as Noah Collins, Mike McDade, Ryan Oyer, and the beautiful Amber Fults, to name a few, have made The Mudpie home. On Monday Night, Christian Collier, a local poet, hosts SpeakEasy, spoken-word night. This may remind you of beatniks and smoke-filled coffeehouses, but I was pleased to hear such a wide range of voices when I attended. SpeakEasy is one of many nights during which you can go out and share your vision, a place to be accepted whether you are an older veteran, short-story writer, young Caucasian rapper, African American woman or until the sun comes out, a pasty white girl like me. There is family and atmosphere in here that knows no age, gender or race. Once the sun decides to stay with us and my fear of eternal winter is over, live music will continue onto the patio facing Coolidge Park
and the summer fun won’t stop. If you’re interested in performing this Saturday for The Open Mic Challenge, head on down and if you want to see some of Chattaboogie’s own singer/songwriters in the area, I suggest you do the same. Starting at 9 p.m., there is no cover, it is smokefree and there will be plenty of desserts, coffee, sandwiches, pints, and mud-blood love to go around. Note: In addition, the legendary John Prine will be performing with special guest Leon Redbone at the Tivoli on Saturday March 27 at 8 p.m. The ’60s icon helped pave the way for the Americana/folk revival and is part of the reason open mic exists. For more info, go to chattanoogaonstage.com.
The Open Mic Challenge No cover 9 p.m. Saturday, March 27 Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9043. www.mudpierestaurant.com
Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative
Music Calendar Highlights Friday
Thursday
The Defibulators, Brian McGee and the Hollow Speed “Tales of deception, debauchery, depleted bank accounts, fanaticism, vintage firearms, biological anomalies, airline intoxication, and animal ennui.” $7, 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia
Send your calendar events to us at calendar@chattanoogapulse.com
In the Midst of Lions, Hands, A Hope for Home, Onward to Olympas, Thaddeus 7 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd, East Ridge. Open Mic 9 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. Channing Wilson 9 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. Lucero, The Bohannons 9:30 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com Fried Chicken Trio 10 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202. (423) 499-5055. www. Black Cobra, Night of the Wolf, Sick Weapons 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400.
Reigning Sound, Hollywood, Greg Cartwright of the R Sound Garage pop reigns on Main Street. Cover usually $4 -$5 10 p.m. Discoteca, 309 Main Street.
Saturday
Lord T & Eloise, Digital Butter Aristocrunk and our own DB. Fabulous. $7 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com
Monday Old Tyme Players 6 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Paul Longhorn’s 18 Piece Big Band 7:30 p.m. Lindsay Street Hall, 901 Lindsay St. (423) 755-9111 www.lindsaystreethall.com Electro-Acoustic Cupcake Festival 7:30 p.m. Theatre Mercado, 1214 McCallie Ave. (423) 267-6688 www.shakingray.com Karaoke 9:30 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com Dancing & DJing The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202. (423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com
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Malebolgia, Adelaide, Coathanger Abortion, Unspoken Triumph, Toe Tagged 7 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge. myspace.com/warehousetn Overture for Rent 7:30 p.m. The Original Blue Orleans Restaurant, 3208 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 629-6538. blueorleanscreolerestaurant.com John the Savage 8 p.m. Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd. (423) 634-1074. www.myspace.com/ziggyshideaway Karaoke 9 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9043. www.mudpierestaurant.com Adrenaline Drop 10 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com
Uncle Billy and Hobocleo 10 p.m. T-Bones Café, 1419 Chestnut Ave. (423) 266-4240. www.tboneschattanooga.com Slippery When Wet: Bon Jovi tribute 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. Moustache Friday and Up With the Joneses, Ghostfinger, The Nim Nims 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia Reigning Sound, Hollywood, Greg Cartwright of the R Sound 10 p.m. Discoteca, 309 Main Street. Paul Smith and the Bourbon Street Band 9 p.m. Bourbon Street Bar, 2000 23rd St. (423) 697-9957. townandcountryinn.net/id13.html
Sunday Covered in Scars, The Looking Glass Self, Curse the Day, Tir Asleen, The Geneva Descent 7:30 p.m. Club Fathom, 412 Market Street (423) 757-0019. The Scams, Back Seat Bingo, Milquelizard, Self Contained Suicide 8 p.m. Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd. (423) 634-1074. myspace.com/ziggyshideaway Shellshag, This Bike is a Pipebomb 8 p.m. Sluggo’s, 501 Cherokee Blvd. (423) 752-5224, Emily White 8 p.m. Charles and Myrtles Coffeehouse, 105 McBrien Rd. (423) 892-4960. www.christunity.org Husky Burnette 9 p.m. Rhapsody Café, 1201 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-3093.
Paul Smith and the Bourbon Street Band 9 p.m. Bourbon Street Bar, 2000 23rd St, (423) 697-9957. Nathan Farrow Band 10 p.m. T-Bones Café, 1419 Chestnut Ave. (423) 266-4240. Adrenaline Drop 10 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com Double Dick Slick and 476, SSCSS 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia Chad’s Records Party 10 p.m. Discoteca, 309 Main Street. DJ Spicolli Raw Sushi Bar Restaurant & Nightclub, 409 Market Street, (423) 756-1919.
Tuesday
Wednesday
Troy Underwood 6:30 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9043. www.mudpierestaurant.com The Ben Friberg Trio 7 p.m. Table 2, 232 E. 11th Street. (423) 756-8253. www.table2restaurant.com Spoken Word/Poetry Night 8 p.m. The Riverhouse, 224 Frazier Ave. (423) 752-0066. Open Mic 9 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com Karaoke 9:30 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com One Eyed Doll, Machines are People Too, Mobley 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400.
Ben Friberg Jazz Trio 6:30 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market Street. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Jeremy Leslie 9 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com Johnston Brown 10 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202. (423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com James Legs and guests 10 p.m. Discoteca, 309 Main Street. facebook.com/pages/ Chattanooga-TN/Discoteca DJ GOP The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202. (423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com
Shellshag, Screaming Females, Dark Rides, 40 oz Folklore Duo Shellshag drops by JJ’s on their way to SXSW. $7 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia
Open Mic w/Jeff Daniels 4 p.m. Ms. Debbie’s Nightlife Lounge 4762 Highway 58, (423) 485-0966. myspace.com/debbieslounge Irish Sessions Music 6: 30 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com Rick Rushing and the Blues Strangers 6:30 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9043. www.mudpierestaurant.com Open Mic 8 p.m. Gene’s Bar & Grill, 724 Ashland Terrace, (423) 870-0880. myspace.com/genem14 DJ GOP The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202. (423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com
Editor’s Pick: Featured Event Of The Week Electro-Acoustic Cupcake Festival 3 The Shaking Ray Levi Society once again sponsors one of the year’s coolest music gatherings, this time featuring NYC’s Shelley Hirsch, London’s Tim Hodgkinson, Thomas Lehn, Evan Lipsom, and Chattanooga’s Bob Stagner and Dennis Palmer, with other special guests. If you haven’t checked out the new Theatre Mercado, there’s no time like Monday’s present. Monday, March 29 $10 (includes cupcake) 7:30 p.m. Theatre Mercado, 1214 McCallie Avenue. (423) 267-6688. www.shakingray.com
March 25, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | The Pulse
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Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative
New Music Reviews Roy Montgomery/ Grouper Split (Root Strata)
“Both artists, who played the same show in New Zealand last year, make compelling and affecting music with minimal instrumentation.”
Best Coast Something in the Way (PPM) Here’s how you connect the dots, within halfa-century of popular music, to get to the damn-nearirresistible pop outfit Best Coast. Start with Phil Spector’s girl groups, like the Ronettes and the Crystals, and go to ’60s-’70s garage rock and bubblegum-pop bands. Pick up the three-chord punk rockers the Ramones and those feedback-loving Scots, the Jesus and Mary Chain, and grab a dose of C86 U.K. pop, leading to
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The split album at hand, first released on 12-inch vinyl and now available as a digital download, features two artists who have dissimilar methods and dynamics, but they share a certain shapeless quality, using approaches that draw attention away from the underlying structures of their songs. Both artists, who played the same show in New Zealand last year, make compelling and affecting music with minimal instrumentation—don’t call it drone or space music, but there’s a lingering otherworldly feeling that it evokes. New Zealand guitarist Roy Montgomery’s half is a single track, “Fantasia on a Theme by Sandy Bull (Slight Return),” which pays tribute to the largely underappreciated, yet influential (to the right people) guitar maverick Sandy Bull. It’s a new, live, 18-minute version (recorded at the aforementioned show) of the instrumental track he had contributed to the mind-bending, practically scene-defining triple-album compilation from 1996, Harmony of the Spheres. This take is a solo electric guitar rendition, with a cloud of ambient reverb and pulsating drones from the guitar’s low tones; the textures are prominent, with Montgomery practically chopping away at his guitar at times with forceful strums and making pedal notes ring out among the chords. Although this new track has a mesmerizing appeal, this reviewer is partial to the original, multi-tracked version, which was more exhilarating; its tempo variations and sonic crests and dips were more pronounced and felt.
The half from Grouper, the outfit of Portland solo artist Liz Harris, is entitled Vessel, and it’s a gorgeous, starkly minimal, cohesive run of atmospheric tracks. Harris’s voice is pretty but not flowery, being the complete opposite of schmaltz; on “Hold the Way,” she accompanies herself with floating “ohh”s, carrying the song with this simple interplay. Her keyboard melodies are simple, even cautious, and the serene manner and wistful, hopeful feeling of her tracks are sometimes reminiscent of the Twin Peaks theme song. Grouper provides the album’s epilogue with “Pulse,” half of which consists of a field recording of a rainstorm, punctuated with dog barks, transporting the listener back to earth. — Ernie Paik
’90s noise-pop like Henry’s Dress and Black Tambourine. Today, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart are perhaps the most prominent indie-fuzz-pop torchbearers, but the Los Angeles duo Best Coast, comprised of front woman Bethany Cosentino with Bobb Bruno, is making a name for itself, having released a steady stream of addictive 7-inch singles (and a cassette!) over the past year. Last year’s single “When I’m with You” delivered the goods, starting as a dreamy pop ballad before shifting into upbeat mode, but the title track of the new three-song EP Something in the Way quite possibly tops that number with regards to pure catchiness. Every single element of the two-minute track has a memorable hook to it, and the wordless vocal harmonizing nails that charming girl-group feel; the chorus uses
an ultimate ear-worm melody—one the listener may likely hum for days—and not a second is wasted in the song. The low-fidelity recording style adds to the sonic appeal; some bands obscure their vocals to hide weak singing, but Cosentino’s voice is more like some secret, hidden treasure, captured in a suburban garage. The rest of the EP isn’t quite as exciting; “Wish He Was You” is a middling number, and the despairing love song “The Road” lumbers along with a sludgy, fuzzed-out bass, a quasiRonettes beat with buried tambourine, and a distorted tremolo guitar—sludgepop, anyone? Best Coast seemed to have learned, from pop music history, how to cop the best bits from its predecessors and to keep things simple to make memorable pop tunes and its own type of joyful noise. — Ernie Paik
March 25, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | The Pulse
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Film Feature
The World As a Fish Tank
By Philip Johnston
“Countless emotional and physical forces press in on her while she squirms desperately to maneuver a way out or, at the very least, try to find some meaningful human connection inside those walls.”
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A
ndrea Arnold’s new film Fish Tank (this week’s selection in the Arts and Education Council’s Independent Film Series) is yet another testament to the extraordinary revival of realism now occurring in European film. Her previous film Red Road—an understated story of surveillance and survival—stunned audiences all around the world with its raw imagery and performances. Fish Tank (winner of the Jury Prize at last year’s Cannes Film Festival) is no different and with it Arnold perfects a style that is as much her own as it is influenced by filmmakers like Ken Loach and the Dardenne brothers. Mia (Katie Jarvis) is a volatile 15-year-old girl, constantly in trouble, always angry, and excluded from friendship by nearly every person her age. Her one passion is dancing (hip hop,
to be exact) and the hope of pursuing it as a career lies dormant within her. Mia lives in a small apartment with her mother—a busty blond who is fond of the drink—and a fuming, tempestuous little sister. We’re soon introduced to Connor (Michael Fassbender), the man Mia’s mother has recently brought home. He is a mystery to Mia and to us, but his presence is momentarily soothing to the splintered family and enough to make Mia unsettled as he begins to take a fatherlike role. The extent to which he will change the family’s life is unpredictable and, like all the characters in Fish Tank, we watch his actions with apprehension, perhaps even dread. This is a film of confident and brave performers, particularly newcomer Katie Jarvis as Mia. Mia is in every scene (and almost every shot) of Fish Tank. This is a lot to ask from a firsttime actress, but Jarvis’ performance is an adroit fusion of vulnerability and innocence. All this in service of a graceful and literate script (written by Arnold) that is as compassionate as it is relentless. You see, Fish Tank is a film of unabating claustrophobic pressure. In Mia’s world—the glass encasement of the film’s title, if you will—countless emotional and physical forces press in on her while she squirms desperately to maneuver a way out or, at the very least, try to find some meaningful human connection inside those walls. Arnold has shot Fish Tank is a square frame instead of in the traditional wide screen format and has framed many images so that almost every aspect of Mia’s environment dwarfs her. Giant wind generators surround the part of Essex where Mia lives and in one particular shot, nearly 20 industrial cranes occupy the background, bringing to mind some inescapable beast ready to
devour the young girl before she can flee. There are televisions everywhere Mia goes and projected on all those televisions is a pat and perfected vision of life that makes no sense to Mia and is displayed nowhere in her home life or in her interactions with other people. In essence, she is alone and misunderstood and Arnold’s observational and unobtrusive technique makes us feel every bit of her frustration and angst. The physical environment is unsettling enough, but this is also a world where most people—including Mia herself —act on first impulse, often without any thought to the consequences of their actions, a world in which a single act can either draw two people nearer together or ignite a blaze that will separate them for life. There is a beautiful scene where Connor takes the family to a lake. Mia’s mother and sister are scared to wade out in the water and attempt to fish, but Mia follows Connor and the two share a flickering connection. Mia cuts herself on a rock and rides on Connor’s back to the car, her head resting on his shoulder almost as if he were the father she never had. Moments like this are intimate and profoundly hopeful, but more often than not, the actions of Mia and her family enact Murphy’s Law in the most disconcerting ways and the rawness of Arnold’s aesthetic scrapes at the psyche. The spare graces and innumerable horrors of Mia’s entrapment awaken loud and strong, making Fish Tank a tough and accomplished film for audiences brave enough to come face to face with a young girl and her fractured family teetering on the edge of disaster.
Fish Tank Directed by Andrea Arnold Starring Katie Jarvis, Michael Fassbender Rated R Running time: 123 minutes
Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative
New in Theaters Hot Tub Time Machine Every once in a while, a movie comes along with a title and premise so ridiculous, it calls into question the sanity of the studio that financed it and the people who made the film possible. The latest in the ignoble line of far-fetched film frivolities is Hot Tub Time Machine, which was produced by and stars the usually reliable John Cusack. One can only wonder what went through his head when he first heard of the project. Luckily for both the financiers and the audience, it turns out that everyone involved in the project is just as aware of how ridiculous the entire setup is as we are. The basic plot—four luckless friends travel back to 1986 via the titular hot tub and try to turn their future lives around—is well known to anyone who has seen one of the 5,000 or so airings of the trailer in the past several weeks. What was not expected was that the film is actually very funny and well-written. The humor has more in common with the likes of The 40 Year Old Virgin with touches of Mel Brooks farces such as History of the World: Part One, and Cusack makes amends for his latest feature release, the rather dreadful 2012. The loving care that director Steve Pink took to make GenXers relive (mostly) happy memories of the ’80s shines through, and the continuous
comedic references to such semi-classics as Back To The Future, Sixteen Candles and even Red Dawn show a love and appreciation for the films of the era. In fact, the biggest thing that may be working against the film is that it is far better than the title would leave you to believe. Starring: John Cuscak, Rob Corddry, Clark Duke, Craig Robinson Director: Steve Pink Rating: R
Also in Theaters
How to Train Your Dragon (New) A Viking teenager who is being trained to fight dragons encounters and ultimately befriends one of the flying firebreathers. The Bounty Hunter Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston star in an action comedy about a bounty hunter hired to track down his bail-jumping ex-wife. Diary of a Wimpy Kid Greg Heffley, a wisecracking, undersized middle school weakling, must navigate and survive the travails of an academic year. Repo Men Jude Law is a futuristic repo men who fails to make heart transplant payments, and must go on the run from his former partner. Hubble 3D A 3-D journey with spacewalking astronauts as they attempt the most difficult and important tasks in NASA’s history. Green Zone Matt Damon is a rogue
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U.S. Army officer hunting through covert and faulty intelligence before war escalates in an unstable region. She’s Out of My League Against all odds, an outrageously gorgeous girl falls for an average Joe, much to everyone’s surprise—including his own. Remember Me Robert Pattinson and Emilie De Ravin are star-crossed lovers who struggle to deal with family tragedies that threaten their relationship. Alice in Wonderland Director Tim Burton takes on the whimsical world of Alice, who embarks on a fantastical journey to find her true destiny Brooklyn’s Finest Richard Gere, Don Cheadle and Ethan Hawke are NYPD cops caught up in the violence and corruption of the gritty 65th Precinct. The Secret of Kells An animated retelling of the provenance of one of
Ireland’s most cherished artifacts, the ancient and magical Book of Kells. Cop Out Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan are NYPD partners who find themselves up against a merciless, memorabiliaobsessed gangster. The Crazies A picture-perfect American town is infected with a mysterious toxin that transforms the population into blood-thirsty killers. Shutter Island Leonardo DiCaprio is a U.S. marshall investigating a murderer’s mysterious disappearance from a hospital for the criminally insane. The Good Guy An ambitious young New Yorker wants it all: a good job, good friends and -often the trickiest of all—a good guy. The Ghost Writer A writer agrees to complete the memoirs of the former Prime Minister, only to uncover some dark, dangerous secrets.
March 25, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | The Pulse
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Spirits Within
By Joshua Hurley
Gone Hog Wild After weeks of wine,
I’m looking for a change of pace for this week’s “Great Buy”. If you’re new to my column, Great Buys is where Riley’s Wine and Spirits on Hixson Pike in Hixson picks a favorite item from a large selection of wine and spirits from around the globe and shares it with the readership of The Pulse. This week we land in Germany to learn about Schwartzhog. What is Schwartzhog? Well, it’s a brand name for a German liqueur distilled and bottled by the Hardenberg family since 1700. Called a “Krauter” liqueur in German, its key ingredient is lovage root, also known as “Sauwurz” or “hogroot”, which grows in higher altitudes in central and southern Europe. According to scientists, hogs are attracted to this root and consume it for its aphrodisiac qualities before mating. According to myth, 300 years ago, the Hardenberg clan was alerted of an impending attack upon their castle from a warring clan by squealing pigs that had recently consumed the root. This “early warning system” saved the Hardenberg clan, and some years later a drink was concocted to commemorate that lucky night. In Europe, Schwartzhog is used as an aperitif, a before or after dinner drink, to either stimulate the appetite or help with digestion. Along with the hogroot, Schwartzhog also contains wormwood. (If wormwood rings any bells, it’s because I’ve covered it before in a previous issue. Wormwood is the ingredient in absinthe, called artemisia absinthium, which has given the beverage its dubious reputation.) The liqueur also features spices, including ginger and anise, and fruits such as orange and tangerine. For more than two centuries, herbalists in Europe have promoted
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“According to scientists, hogs are attracted to this root and consume it for its aphrodisiac qualities before mating.” this beverage’s recipe, claiming the combination of herbs and roots strengthens the body’s organs and aids digestion. Schwartzhog is dark brown, almost maple in color, and contains aromas of cocoa and sweet spice. A shower of strong, but not overpowering, flavors of vanilla, nutmeg, pepper, tangerine, orange peel, anise, and licorice come across the palate, ending in an aftertaste of coffee and chocolate. Now that’s a shot! Here are 4 recipes for Schwartzhog: 1. Shot The Hog! – Ice cold Schwartzhog in a shot glass. 2. Hogzilla – ½ part Schwartzhog, part your favorite tequila (Cuervo Traditional, Patron, Sauza), served with ice. 3. Hog Bomb – Ice-cold shot of Schwartzhog, chased with your favorite energy drink. 4. Bull-Hog – A shot of ice-cold Schwartzhog mixed with 8 oz. of Red Bull. Cheers! Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative
Joy Stick
All Hail God of War III
By Jonathan Meyer
“There were
several times in this game when I had to just stop and look at landscape or try and marvel at the design of a boss while trying not to get hit.”
www.chattanoogapulse.com
G
od of War has returned— and it’s bloodier than ever. It has been just over three years since we last saw Kratos on a home console, but the long wait is over. God of War III is finally here and it is absolutely amazing. But really, did anybody have to tell you that? The game takes place immediately after the end of God of War II, and finds Kratos ascending the face of Mount Olympus on the back of the Titan Gaia. It is only a matter of minutes before you have your first boss fight, which can best be described as some sort of water crab-snake-horse hybrid. This entire boss fight is incredible. The sense of scope that is presented is unlike anything seen before. Your platform constantly sways and moves as the Titan climbs the mountain and reacts in pain to the creature attacking you while a fierce battle is fought in the background. Imagine fighting a boss in Shadow of
the Colossus, except while you are fighting a colossus you are on the back of another much larger creature that you can really feel reacting to what is happening around you. The result is an experience that will leave your jaw on the floor. After this battle things slow down a bit, but still keep a real good pace about it; something that most games have a hard time doing. Several people have said this game is nothing more than God of War in HD, and that is essentially what it is. The developers seemed to have taken a sort of “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it” approach to designing this game, and that is not at all a bad thing. Fans of the other games in the franchise will feel right at home with iteration. The controls have been largely unchanged, and the sound and visual design is what you would come to expect from the series. Basically, if you’ve played any of the other games, you will know what to expect from this game. God of War I and II boasted some of, if not the, best graphics on any console last generation and God of War III is no different. There are not many games that look as beautiful as this. The amount of detail in certain objects and in the environment is staggering. There were several times in this game when I had to just stop and look at landscape or try and marvel at the design of a boss while trying not to get hit. As good as most of the game looks, however, there are some things that don’t look nearly as great. For example, the character model of Kratos is probably one of the best character renderings ever seen in any game ever made, but some of the models for other characters look almost PlayStation 2 quality. It’s not exactly the worst thing in the world, but they definitely feel out of place in comparison. Also, it would have been nice to have
a little more variation in the weapons in the game. You of course start out with your trusty chained blades. About halfway through the game, you gain the use of two awesomely powerful gigantic gauntlets that let you smash right through weaker enemies. The other two weapons that you gain access to, however, are just variations on your chained blades, with different moves. Your rage of the Titans has been replaced with rage of the Spartans, which basically lets you wield the massive sword of Olympus, which is not as useful as the rages in the other games. Most of the time, I found myself zipping around the screen missing most of the enemies that I was aiming for, which can be a little frustrating in the middle of a tough fight. The fixed camera angle works perfectly for the most part, although some camera changes in the middle of a jump will lead to a few cheap deaths. None of this is groundbreaking, mind you; it just could have used a little more work in these areas. The story for God of War III is nothing special, but this is God of War, so who really cares? The eight-to-ten hours of gameplay will mostly consist of Kratos being angry and killing everything he sees. Standard God of War fare. The script is definitely as tight as it could be, but that doesn’t really matter. The voice acting is superb, and features talent such as Rip Torn, Malcolm McDowell, Adrienne Barbeau, and Kevin Sorbo reprising his role as Hercules. The acting, combined with the graphics and perfectly conducted score, result in one really outstanding presentation. While it’s not perfect, God of War III is a great game and a welcome addition to any PlayStation 3 owner’s collection. It’s true this is not much more than “God of War in HD”—but until you see it in action you have no idea how great that can really be.
March 25, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | The Pulse
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On The Beat
By Alex Teach
And They Call It Puppy Love? H
ere it is: “Winston…the tale of a loving bulldog, fighting for his freedom”. Nay, fighting for his life, one dog, alone in a cage, the tip of his tail flickering quickly behind the chrome bars and his ears pressed firmly to the sides of his skull, ready at a moment’s notice to drop to his elbows and roll over in submission. By “bulldog”, they meant of course “pit bull”, and by “loving”, they meant “capable of attacking three full-size cars despite 50,000-volt Taser shocks”. You could almost unpack your shrinkwrapped tears in sympathy—that is, until you see photos of the cars he attacked, ripping the entire bumper off the front of a 2001 Ford Crown Victoria with his bare teeth. “Awww. Let’s bring him home to the kids.” Freedom. Elvis. Liberty. Happy hour specials. THESE are things worth fighting for, folks…but vicious, unprompted pit bull attacks? There are actually people out there raising their voices in protest of this animal’s captivity, even demanding his return to the solitude of the apparently unsecured welding lot from whence he came. Really? Nice line in the sand you have there, folks. Way to prioritize. Why don’t we genetically engineer sharks to grow lungs and legs? Or just hand out grenades on the street corners? No wonder we passed the “Affordable Care Act” this week. Despite the odds of this happening, though, there have been odds far greater than Winston’s beaten. Like this tale… This house in Highland Park is getting burglarized left and right like an oyster bar at a Shriners’ convention. The alarm has gone off three times in a month, and unlike the 26,000 other alarm calls your taxpayer dollars answer to for free every year instead of your 911 calls for help, they are “real”. It’s driving the district cars in the area nuts, so when it goes off again around 3 a.m., they descend like locusts. When the first car gets there, as big as life he sees a man leaping from an obviously broken window and run east. The officer jumps out of the car and gives chase as back-up units arrive, and the burglar doubles back and dives into the crawlspace under the house next door. (A side note about the area: Highland Park is billed as a “historic” part of town. By “historic”, the realtor means the homes are circa 1930
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with 10-foot ceilings, original crown molding, original brick façade, and original 80-year-old ceramic sewer lines. The lines, for what it’s worth, tend to last about 60 years. Do the math…then return to the story.) So the burglar scrambles across the moist earthen floor to the far side of the house, and the cavalry assembling outside gathers around the small wooden opening pondering their next move. Just as people don’t just stick their hands down into stumps to see what’s in there and hope for the best, cops don’t stick their heads into narrowass crevices to do the same. Cops send in a dog. Enter the K-9 unit. The dog exits the vehicle like a living torpedo and the only thing faster than its stiff-legged gate is the puckering of every rectum in a 100-yard radius as every cop in sight imitates a polyester-clad statue. K-9s, you see, aren’t “dogs”. They are “crazy”. I’m not talking “eccentric old guy wearing an ascot and a boot on his head” crazy…I’m talking “ex-wife with a head full of LSD crawling up your leg in the middle of the night with a knife in her teeth” crazy. A felony having been committed, with all the other safeguards met (and there are many, folks) commands are given in multiple languages for the offender to have one last chance to crawl out on his own. We are met with silence, and respond with such…because no one (except the dog) wants to send in the dog. Still attached to the leather lead for control, the K-9 scoots under the house, followed by his handler. By now the dog is digging a trench like a ditch-witch to get to the fellow who is braced up against the far wall shivering, hands twitching and covered in mud, cobwebs, and sewage. He even
has his eyes closed, hoping we can’t see him since he can’t see us. (He has failed.) The handler, similarly covered in his own collection of cobwebs and funk, is yelling for him to come out the entire time he is dragging himself through the muck. (No effect.) The dog finally reaches his goal, and in an incredibly un-liberal manner puts his mouth on the burglar’s foot and closes it. Tight. And to even the handler’s surprise…no effect. The man doesn’t say a word. The handler now must himself engage the erstwhile burglar and drag him out by hand in the 18-inch-high confines of this crawlspace, and doing so requires other unorthodox methods known only to those who…well, have to fight people in nasty 18-inch-high crawlspaces at 3 a.m. A baton is chosen for leverage, but just before it can be employed to pry him out, the handler’s backup under the house with him cries, “WAIT!” The handler freezes. The second officer says “Bro…I think he’s deaf. Check him out.” And sure enough…the shivering hands are actually forming American Sign Language. After establishing contact with the funky felon, he is removed from under the house. (The dog, by the way, was still briefly attached.) You don’t just get a lesson from this…you get a homework assignment. First, calculate the odds of catching the only deaf and mute burglar (24 convictions, folks) in the city limits. Then, calculate the odds of this same burglar being pursued by the only patrol officer in the city limits who knew American Sign Language. Staggering… and a statistical reminder of why I love this job sometimes. But I have to ask you…after both of these stories: “D’ya like dags?”
“The dog exits the vehicle like a living torpedo and the only thing faster than its stifflegged gate is the puckering of every rectum in a 100-yard radius as every cop in sight imitates a polyester-clad statue.”
When officer Alexander D. Teach is not patrolling our fair city on the heels of the criminal element, he is an occasional student at UTC, an up and coming carpenter, auto mechanic, prominent boating enthusiast, and spends his spare time volunteering for the Boehm Birth Defects Center. Follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/alexteach
Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative
www.chattanoogapulse.com
March 25, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | The Pulse
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Arts & Entertainment
Love Story for the Ages
By Stephanie Smith
“We watch
and remember ourselves in love or wish we had it, but somehow it delights us. How it’s thwarted is the tragedy of it.”
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R
eckless passion. Feuding families. Prideful mistakes. Love lost. Shakespeare knew how to tell a story. For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo. Specialized in performing “classics of our time”, The Acting Company (in collaboration with The Guthrie Theater) is the only union Equity touring theatre company in the country, and they will perform their version of Romeo & Juliet more than 75 times this year. “It is a very familiar story, but interestingly enough people are not that familiar with the play,” says director Penny Metropulos. “This was probably the first play to show young people falling in love. We watch and remember ourselves in love or wish we had it, but somehow it delights us. How it’s thwarted is the tragedy of it.” At the end of the day, Metropulos believes Shakespeare was writing about love and forgiveness. “The tragedy is people learn through mistakes—by not listening, not letting go of prejudices and pride. It takes a lot for these two factions, the parents, to learn
forgiveness; it’s through the loss of their children, and that’s a horrible way to learn.” Metropulos set the play in the early 20th century before World War I, “because it is very romantic. At the same time, it was a period with lots of restrictions like strict parenting; young people broke out and changed the world and defied their parents. [That concept] still has a very contemporary feel to it.” The company’s pledge to bring theatre to those in underprivileged communities and those who have been hit with large budget cuts in education is a reason for its continued success. Teaching artists do workshops with local high school students prior to performances, and there are teacher guides on the web site (www. theactingcompany.org) that anyone can print out and use. “We try to model practice teaching for those teachers to get them encouraged,” says education consultant Paul Fontana. “We want them to be brave enough to move forward [even if they don’t have an arts education program]; we want to encourage teachers to flex their drama muscles. And we try to pick what people want to see, interesting artistic choices and what would be a good range of roles for our young actors in repertoire.” But even with community outreach and creative actor involvement in the quality productions, how does the 37-year-old company manage to stay on the road in the current financial climate? “It’s almost an insane concept to try and do,” exclaims Fontana. “Fortunately people on the corporate, government, private and public level think it’s a worthwhile thing to do. We are thrilled to bring performances to people who don’t get to see [live classical theatre] every day. Even with gas prices going up, we are not scrimping on artistic side.” According to Sonny Valicenti,
who plays Romeo, the cast enjoys a closeness, perhaps formed by living and working together for months, which has translated onstage as well. “I haven’t been able to stop smiling recently when doing the play,” he says. “I have all these lovesick monologues, but I am able to match it up with a genuine smile. Things are happier than I thought—even when Romeo’s bummed out he can smile—and through it all he’s really valiant. The balcony scene has been better than it’s ever been. Now, Juliet (Laura Esposito) and I are able to stand there fully relaxed both as actors and characters. Valicent is honored to be a part of such an honest production. “I thought I knew what Romeo and Juliet was, but Shakespeare has written such a complex and beautiful portrait of love. To have the direct experience of it 75 times this year absolutely feels like I’m working on something has been sustained for four centuries. Penny said you have to feel the ghost of everyone who has played the role behind you supporting you, and I think that is absolutely true.” “I don’t like to tell people what to think about a play,” says Metropulos. “[But] Shakespeare doesn’t stay alive just because his stories are good—it’s the way he tells the stories. I want people to go in and think ‘Oh my gosh, I could go see this play 20 times over my lifetime and I have a different experience each time!’”
The Acting Company (with The Guthrie Theater) presents Romeo & Juliet (Part of the Patten Series) $22 adults, $15 students Sunday, March 28, 3 p.m. Monday, March 29, 7:30 p.m. UTC Fine Arts Center Corner of Vine and Palmetto Streets (423) 425-4269
Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative
A&E Calendar Highlights Friday
Thursday
CSO presents “Gershwin and Piazzolla” Not-to-be-missed even with superstar violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg $19-$79 8 p.m. Tivoli Theatre, 709 Broad Street. (423) 467-8583. www.chattanoogasymphony.org
Send your calendar events to us at calendar@chattanoogapulse.com
Daniel Liam Gill and Sandra Shannon Exhibition Reception 4 p.m. My Color Image Boutique and Art Gallery, 330 Frazier St. (423) 598-6202. 4th Annual Culture Fest 5 p.m. Lee University, 1120 North Ocoee St., Cleveland. (423) 614-8405. “Scenes from a Native Land” Reception 6 p.m. Bill Shores Frame and Gallery, 307 Manufacturers Rd. (423) 756-6746. www.billshoresframes.com West Side Story 7:30 p.m. Brown Chapel, Covenant College, 14049 Scenic Hwy. (706) 419-1428. Senior Viola Recital 7:30 p.m. Cadek Hall, UTC Fine Arts Center, 615 McCallie. (423) 425-4601.
The Primitive Streak World premiere of Hunter Rodgers’ winning New Play Festival entry. $15 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Circle Stage, 400 River Street. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com
Saturday
Sunday in the South Reading of Dakota Brown’s winning entry in the New Play Festival. $5 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Studio Theatre, 400 River Street. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com
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Godspell 7:30 p.m. Humanities Theater, Chattanooga State, 4501 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 697-3113. Delirum of Interpertation 7:30 p.m. St. Andrews Center Theater, 1918 Union Ave. (423) 987-5141. West Side Story 7:30 p.m. Brown Chapel, Covenant College, 14049 Scenic Hwy. (706) 419-1428. Master Hypotist Gary Conrad 7:30, 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch & Giggles Grille, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. Hunter Underground 8 p.m. Hunter Museum of Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944. CSO Masterworks: “Gershwin’s Piano Concert” 8 p.m. Tivoli Theatre, 709 Broad St. (423) 757-5050.
Sunday Hubble in 3D 11 a.m., 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 p.m. IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695. Mosaic Market 11 a.m. 412 Market St. (corner of 4th/Market) (423) 624-3915. This is Not a Pipe Dream 11 a.m., 1 p.m. St. Andrews Center Theater, 1918 Union Ave. (423) 987-5141. Wild Ocean in 3D Noon, 2, 4, 6, 8 p.m. IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695. Miss Evers’ Boys 7:30 p.m. Chauncey-Goode Auditorium, Tennessee Temple University, 1815 Union Ave. (423) 242-5156. www.destinyentertainment.org
Godspell 7:30 p.m. Humanities Theater, Chattanooga State, 4501 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 697-3113. Master Hypnotist Gary Conrad 7:30, 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch & Giggles Grille, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com Senior Trumphet Recital 7:30 p.m. Cadek Hall, UTC Fine Arts Center, 615 McCallie. (423) 425-4601. “An Evening of Quality Bellydance” 8 p.m. Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347. www.barkinglegs.org The Primitive Streak 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com
Wednesday
Monday Southern Literature Book Club: Gap Creek 6 p.m. Rock Point Books, 401 Broad St. (423) 504-0638. Romeo and Juliet 7:30 p.m. Roland Hayes Concert Hall, UTC Fine Arts Center, 753 Vine St. (423) 425-4269. Small Ensemble Brass Performance 7:30 p.m. Patten Chapel, UTC, 725 Oak St. (423) 425-4601. “Speak Easy” Spoken word and poetry 8 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9040. Mary Ferris Kelly Linda Woodall Fine Arts, 7836 Ooltewah-Georgetown Rd. (423) 238-9985. Metal Sculpture by Julie Clark In-Town Gallery, 26A Frazier Ave. (423)267-9214.
Works by Helen Exum Opening Reception 4 p.m. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 305 W. 7th St. (423) 266-8794. CS Lewis Society: That Hideous Strength 6 p.m. Rock Point Books, 401 Broad St. (423) 504-0638. 4th Friday Family Fun Night 6:30 p.m. Creative Discovery Science Museum, 255 Northgate Mall. (423) 875-8522. Music Documentary Film Series: Touch the Sound 7 p.m. Mountain Music Folk School, 250 Forest Ave. (423) 827-8906. Miss Evers’ Boys 7:30 p.m. Chauncey-Goode Auditorium, Tennessee Temple University, 1815 Union Ave. (423) 242-5156.
“The Big Nine’s Cookin” 6 p.m. Bessie Smith Cultural Cener, 200 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 265-3247. www.chattanoogahistory.org Films from the 70’s: The Last Waltz 6:30 p.m. Chattanooga-Hamilton Bicentennial Library. 1001 Broad St. ( 423) 757-5310. www.lib.chattanooga.gov Senior Percussion Recital 7:30 p.m. Roland Hayes Concert Hall, UTC Fine Arts Center, 753 Vine St. (423) 425-4269. “Recent Landscapes: Lawerence Mathis” Tanner Hill Warehouse Row Project Space, 1110 Market St. (423) 280-7182. “More than Words” River Gallery, 400 E. Second St. (423) 265-5033.
“Talk Portraiture” Shuptrine Fine Art Group, 2646 Broad St. 423-266-4453. “Picture This” North River Civic Center, 1009 Executive Dr. (423) 870-8924. Works by Helen Exum St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 305 W. 7th St. (423) 266-8794. Vicki Daniel White Studio 2/Gallery 2, 27 W. Main St. (423) 266-2222. “Scenes from a Native Land” Bill Shores Frame and Gallery, 307 Manufacturers Rd. (423) 756-6746. “Still Lifes from the Permanent Collection” Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944. “Millennial Classicism” Mosaic Gallery, 412 Market St. (423) 320-6738
Fish Tank (part of AEC’s Independent Film Series) Award-winning British film about a young woman’s quest to find herself through hip hop. Majestic Theatre, 215 Broad Street. (423) 265-5220. www.carmike.com
Godspell 2:30 p.m. Humanities Theater, Chattanooga State, 4501 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 697-3113. Romeo and Juliet 3 p.m. Roland Hayes Concert Hall, UTC Fine Arts Center, 753 Vine St. (423) 425-4269. Delirum of Interpretation 3, 7:30 p.m. St. Andrews Center, 1918 Union Ave. (423) 987-5141. Choir Festival 4 p.m. New Harvest Community Church, 3005 E. 32nd St. (423) 493-0182. Miss Evers’ Boys 4 p.m. Chauncey-Goode Auditorium, Tennessee Temple, 1815 Union Ave. (423) 242-5156. Godspell 7:30 p.m. Humanities Theater, Chattanooga State, 4501 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 697-3113.
Editor’s Pick: Featured Event Of The Week
Miss Evers’ Boys This outstanding production Miss Evers’ Boys based on the true and tragic story of the Tuskegee Experiment, returns for three additional shows. Pinpoint direction by LaFrederick Thirkill, coupled with some of the best performances of the year. Do not miss this one, theatre fans. $16 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday March 26, 27 4 p.m. Sunday, March 28 Chauncey-Goode Auditorium, on the campus of Tennessee Temple University, 1815 Union Avenue. (423) 252-5756. www.destinyentertainment.org
March 25, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | The Pulse
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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | March 25, 2010
Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative
JONESIN’
By Matt Jones
“Stuff It” –cmy cup runneth over.
Across 1 Big-eyed bird 4 Addis ___, Ethiopia 9 “___ and Abner” (old radio comedy) 12 “Well, ___-di-dah!” 13 He followed George 15 “___ Few Dollars More” 16 Appetizer of bread, tomatoes and olive oil* 18 Wading bird in hieroglyphics 19 “Bless you” preceder 20 Super ending? 21 Nine-digit IDs 22 Morning brew* 26 D.C. clock setting 29 Burt Reynolds co-star DeLuise 30 Toothpaste holder 31 Present add-ons 33 Buster? 36 Hides in the shadows 39 Where the 2010 Winter Olympics was held* 42 Church council 43 Totally uncool 44 Half of 62-across 45 Potting need 47 Constricting snake 49 “Akeelah and the ___” 50 Actress in 1997’s “Jackie Brown”* 55 Sound like a heavy
smoker 56 Most common word in English 57 1998 Edwin McCain hit 61 “___ boy!” 62 Celeb couple in tabloids* 65 Depilatory brand 66 “Who, me?” response 67 Taint 68 Armenia, once: abbr. 69 “At Last” singer James and namesakes 70 Peak ___ Down 1 Exile island 2 “Unwrapped” host Summers 3 “Not gonna happen” 4 Fastest Finger options on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” 5 Scrooge’s word 6 “___ you insane?!” 7 Traditional cloth dyeing technique 8 ___ God (natural disaster) 9 Seafood restaurant cover 10 Pee 11 Former New York congressman Eric in a March 2010 scandal 14 Gold purity unit 15 Handshake
alternative 17 Cry convulsively 23 Long times to wait 24 “___ and the Night Visitors” 25 “Star Trek” role 26 Dies down 27 Ellen DeGeneres’s role in “Finding Nemo” 28 Mary-Kate, to Ashley 32 Stuck firmly with one’s opinion 34 Co. whose mascot is Nipper 35 Meal with fries and a drink 37 “The ___ Runner” 38 Fill to excess 40 Beatnik’s assent 41 Kings of ___ 46 Allow to pass 48 Grenoble goodbyes 50 Cereal aisle ingredients 51 Hotel postings 52 “Schoolhouse Rock” magic number 53 Take advantage of the buffet 54 The largest share 58 Nice wheels 59 ___ B’rith 60 “My Name Is ___” 63 Big paper, for short 64 “We all ___ little mad sometimes” (quote from “Psycho”)
©2010 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 #0460.
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Solution To Last Week’s Puzzle
Never Worry About Losing A Copy Of The Pulse Keep Up Online at www.chattanoogapulse.com March 25, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | The Pulse
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Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative
The Pulse • Dining Out Spotlight
Room for Everyone at The Big Table by Colleen Wade Everyone remembers those holidays growing up. You know the ones—the whole family is there, aunts, uncles, cousins; and there’s no room for little old you at THE BIG TABLE. So there you are, stuck between your bratty cousin Claudia who talks incessantly about her ponies and your pimply-faced little brother Vincent who is obsessed with The Legend of Zelda and someone called Linc. All the while, you’re simply thinking how lucky your older sister, Betsy, is to sit at THE BIG TABLE, and wishing you were sitting there, too. It’s not an uncommon thing. Just ask Karen Loveless of The Big Table. The eighth of nine children, Karen never got to sit at the big table. Maybe that’s why when the time came to open her own restaurant, Karen chose the name The Big Table. For years, Dave and Karen Loveless have cooked. Married 28 years, they met while both were working at The Walden Club. Dave has been in the business for 37 years. Karen got her start through a cooking school, The Happy Baker, in Fountain Square, and has been cooking for 30 years. After a brief stint in Europe, Karen moved home to Chattanooga and went to work at The Walden Club. Later on, both Karen and Dave left to pursue other things. Dave went to work at the Chattanooga Convention Center, where he served as Executive Chef for more than 20 years, and Karen opened her own catering company, Dinner for You. As the years went by, Dinner for You grew and grew. There became a need to find a “place” for the catering company. That place is The Big Table. Located in an older home at the foot of Signal Mountain, The Big Table pays homage www.chattanoogapulse.com
to mothers and families. From the very start, Dave and Karen have made sure The Big Table was about family. Their daughter played a large part is the design of the restaurant and developed many of the desserts they serve. Upon opening, their son and daughter-in-law worked with them. Says Dave, “Karen’s
brother actually made a big table in there out of recycled 150-year old barn wood, and put names around the side where everybody sat as a kid.” Karen explains, “It’s actually really the little table. You see, we all had seats. We didn’t assign them, it just happened that way.” Karen and Dave consider
their customers extended family. One customer has developed the logo for the restaurant; three others have art prominently displayed on the walls. Karen describes the food found at The Big Table as “gourmet comfort food.” There are daily specials including a “Casserole of the Day,” a “Vegetarian Entrée of the Day,” and Karen’s homemade “Soup of the Day.” There is also standard fare: sandwiches made with Boar’s Head meats for lunch and Grilled Fajita Marinated Chicken Alfredo, Pot Roast, and New York Strip for dinner. Much like the families to which The Big Table pays homage, the Lovelesses explain their venture as a parent and children. The catering company, the parent, gave way to The Big Table. Since opening the restaurant six years ago, more “children” have sprung forth. Just over a year ago, the Lovelesses were approached about purchasing the home next to their restaurant. They promptly did, and turned that into a coffee bar and event hall. They’ve added a Sunday brunch on the first and third Sundays of each month, hosted out of the new building. In addition to continuing to catering events, the Lovelesses have added a “Casseroles and Entrees ToGo” option. Their food family continues to grow. And with family as such a strong foundation, we’re sure to see great things continuing to come from The Big Table. The Big Table, at the foot of Signal Mountain, 118 Cross Street. Hours: Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Also open the first and third Sunday of each month for brunch, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. (423) 634-0772. www.bigtable.net March 25, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | The Pulse
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Free Will Astrology ARIES (March 21-April 19): All but one of our planet’s mountain ranges have been mapped: the Gamburtsev Mountains, which are buried under 2.5 miles of ice in Antarctica. Recent efforts to get a read on this craggy landscape, aided by a network of seismic instruments, have revealed some initial details about it, including its role in forming the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. I recommend that you regard the Gamburtsevs as an iconic metaphor in the coming months, Aries. They’ll be an apt symbol for one of your life’s featured themes: the discovery and exploration of a massive unknown territory that has been hidden from view. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): It’s my opinion that everyone has a duty to periodically check in with themselves to make sure they still are who they say they are. Over time, there’s a tendency for all of us to fall into the habit of believing our own hype. We get entranced by the persona we project. We’re tempted to keep capitalizing on our past accomplishments in ways that lull us into complacency and give us unconscious permission to stop growing. You, Taurus, are in no worse danger of doing this than any of the rest of us. But the coming weeks will be an excellent time, astrologically speaking, for you to do an intensive check-in. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The odds are higher than usual that you’ll encounter a future soul brother or soul sister in the coming weeks. Potential allies are gravitating toward you, even if neither they nor you are aware of it yet. You’re also likely to brush up against a tribe or team you could benefit from knowing more about. That’s why I’m counseling you to be extra open to meeting people you don’t know. Talk to strangers. Ask your friends to introduce you to their friends. And consider the possibility of skipping over the customary social formalities so you can reveal some of the core truths about who you are right from the start. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Sci-fi author Neil Gaiman sometimes invites his readers to get involved in his creative process. While working on the story “Metamorpho,” for example, he Twittered, “Trying to decide if broccoli is funnier than kohlrabi in a list of vegetables.” When a number of fans suggested “rutabaga” instead, he took their suggestion. (Thanks to The New Yorker for that report.) I’d like to borrow Gaiman’s approach, as you’re entering a phase of your astrological cycle when you’ll have maximum power to shape your own destiny. So here’s my question: What accomplishment would you like your horoscope to say you will complete by May 15? Email me at Truthrooster@gmail. com. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): From the 9th to the 15th century, the Khmer empire thrived in what is now Cambodia. Its rulers were regarded as deities who had privileges that common folk didn’t have—as well as special responsibilities. For example, each god-king was expected, according to custom, to engage in sexual relations with a sacred nineheaded serpent every single night, whether he was in the mood or not. (An actual human being usually served as a proxy for the magic snake.) I suspect you may get an inkling of the god-king’s double-edged situation in the coming week, Leo. On the one hand, you’re likely to be presented with the possibility of experiencing uncommonly interesting pleasure. On the other hand, there may be an obligatory quality to it—a slightly oppressive pressure that is fully blended with the bliss. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): According to the oracular priestess at the ancient Greek shrine of Delphi, whom I consulted in my dream last night, your code phrases for the week are “luminous shadow” and “hidden light.” That was the gist of her entire message; she didn’t provide any more practical clues. But here are some ways I might interpret her prophecy if I were you: What dark place in your life might soon shine forth with a new radiance? Or: What secret beauty is aching to be found? Or: What odd asset have you been concealing for no good reason?
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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | March 25, 2010
By Rob Brezsny
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In my role as moral sentinel, I strongly urge you not to watch “Telephone,” the music video by Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. It epitomizes everything that’s crazymaking about our culture: brilliantly executed, gorgeous to behold, and perversely seductive, even though its subject matter is degrading, demoralizing, and devoid of meaning. In my role as a kick-ass educator, however, I encourage you to watch the video at least once. I think you’d benefit from seeing such an explicit embodiment of the crazy-making pressures you’ll be wise to avoid exposing yourself to in the coming weeks. You can find it at tinyurl.com/ycx6p34 or tinyurl. com/ycvkkdz. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Most of the time, life does not talk to you,” writes Robert T. Kiyosaki in his book Rich Dad, Poor Dad. “It just sort of pushes you around. Each push is life saying, ‘Wake up. There’s something I want you to learn.’” Different people respond in different ways, Kiyosaki says. “Some just let life push them around. Others get angry and push back. But they push back against their boss, or their job, or their husband or wife. They do not know it’s life that’s pushing.” I’m here to tell you, Scorpio, that what he says is particularly apropos for you right now. And I hope that you will neither allow yourself to get pushed around nor blame the wrong source for the push. Instead, make yourself available to learn the lesson that life’s nudging you to pay attention to. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): NASA scientist Richard Gross believes that the recent 8.8 earthquake in Chile was so strong that it shifted the planet’s axis and shortened the length of the day. The amounts were relatively small— three inches and 1.26 microseconds—but it was enough to make “the Earth ring like a bell.” I predict a somewhat comparable seismic shift for you in the coming weeks. The main difference is that yours will not be generated by a painful jolt but rather by a breakthrough that’s half smart and half lucky. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In a library in Warsaw, there is a 1,000-plus-page memoir written by my great-great-great-great grandfather, Leon Dembowski, a close advisor to the last king of Poland. Someday I’ll make a pilgrimage over there, photocopy that family heirloom, bring it back to America, and have it translated into English. The task I envision for you in the coming weeks, Capricorn, has a certain resemblance to mine. I think you will have the chance to uncover a wealth of material about where you came from, but it’ll take a lot of footwork and reinterpretation. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): There’s no need for you to get a T-shirt that says, “Oh no, not another learning experience.” According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you are not about to have an embarrassing stumble that could in retrospect be euphemistically referred to as a “learning experience.” On the contrary, the educational events you’ll be communing with will be pretty pleasurable, and will more closely resemble a hop, skip, and a jump than a stumble. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I’m inclined to prophesy that in the days to come, you may be able to read the minds of people whose actions are critical to your success. I also suspect that you will know exactly what to do in order to banish a minor health problem. I’m even tempted to believe that when you gaze into the mirror you will be more intrigued than you’ve been in a while. Have you ever heard a bird sing a song just for you? Did you ever find a small treasure you assumed was lost forever? Developments like those are in the works. There’s only one catch: To get the most out of this grace period, you will have to summon more faith in yourself than you usually do. Homework: Listen to my blasphemously reverent “Prayer for Us.” It’s here: bit.ly/PrayerforUs. Then read the lyrics at bit.ly/OurPrayer.
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March 25, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | The Pulse
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Ask A Mexican!
By Gustavo Arellano
A Speedy Return Dear Mexican, I just read that Speedy Gonzales is getting his own feature film and will be voiced by George Lopez. I read in the The Hollywood Reporter that Lopez said he gave Speedy his “Latino Seal of Approval.” Who grants this seal? What does it look like? And how did Lopez get it? — Hija of the MiscegeNation Dear Wabette, Isn’t it nice to know that Mexicans in Hollywood, once they reach a modicum of success, become as hackish and hackneyed as their gabacho counterparts? Sorry to sound so whiny, but shame on Lopez for bringing back Gonzales. For starters, only Mel Blanc and his imitators are allowed to voice Speedy—Lopez’s gravelly voice will turn the mouse’s high-pitched voice into a cacophonous bola de caca. Lopez also shows that, by resurrecting Speedy from the celluloid graveyard, he’d rather rip off the works of others than try to give young Latino talent a chance, just like Sandra Bullock gave Lopez a shot with his eponymous sitcom so long ago—way to pay it forward, George! Finally, the assurances by Lopez and his wife that their Speedy film won’t showcase the “racist” Speedy proves not only that the two are PC pendejos, but pendejos, period. As the Mexican has written before in this columna multiple times, Speedy Gonzales cartoons were not racist depictions of Mexican culture but rather clever allegories in which the seemingly dumb
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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 12 | March 25, 2010
Speedy—standing in for mexicanos— consistently outwitted the dumb gabachos portrayed by Sylvester the Cat and, occasionally, Yosemite Sam. You want stereotypical depictions of Mexicans? Tune into Lopez Tonight and just try to stay awake past the opening monologue. Dear Mexican, In Mexican culture, do you know of any special significance attached to a woman giving a lock of her hair to a man as a gift? — Peludo Nuevamente Dear Newly Hairy Gabacho, If you can’t get that a mujer giving you a lock of her hair wants you, then you probably thought she wanted you to use it as a mustache. No seas pendejo. Dear Mexican, This column—although very intelligent and respected for the knowledge that the answers or responses are derived from—I find it very degrading to the Mexican culture. The broken Spanish is very New Mexican. I believe that throwing in some Spanish words here and there teaches the use of improper English, and I think it’s you that will set an example for the Mexican people that read your column. They should get to see that there are intelligent Mexican people who learned the English language and master two languages rather than running it all together and sounding ridiculous as well as feeding the “Mexican” stereotype.
— Custodian of Cervantes Dear Wab, Roto Spanish, muy New Mexican? Yo thought era Tex-mexicanos who hablar Spanglish very mucho. Spanglish es the modo where yo can enseñar my facilidad with las two idiomas. Besides, más better a show gabachos that mexicanos can usar two lenguas instead que just una—and también elite fresas like usted. REMEMBER: Keep sending in those anti-Mexican regional ethnic slurs! The best one I’ve received so far: fronchi, what folks in El Paso call unassimilated Mexicans. It’s an acronym of Frontera Chihuahua, which is what license plates from the Mexican state of Chihuahua across the U.S. border state… CONFIDENTIAL TO: The Dallas reader who sent me a a page filled with photocopied, carefully cut-out mug shots of Latino-surnamed pedophiles with the note, “It’s nice how illegal Mexicans love children, isn’t it? Just the tip of the iceberg in Dallas. What say you, Mexican?” I say: read this column more often. You obviously didn’t read the column where I pointed out the Bureau of Justice’s stats show white men are twice more likely to commit sexual assaults than Mexican men. Also, how can you tell they’re illegal Mexicans? Just because of their surname? You know what they say about assumptions—they make a güey out of you and tú!
“Speedy Gonzales cartoons were not racist depictions of Mexican culture but rather clever allegories in which the seemingly dumb Speedy— standing in for mexicanos— consistently outwitted the dumb gabachos.” Ask the Mexican at themexican@ askamexican.net, myspace.com/ocwab, facebook.com/garellano, youtube.com/ askamexicano, find him on, Twitter, or write via snail mail at: Gustavo Arellano, P.O. Box 1433, Anaheim, CA 92815.
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