The Pulse - Vol. 7, Issue 31

Chattanooga’s Weekly Alternative

The Music of the Moment Percussionist Gino Robair is one of many who bring The improvisor Festival to the Barking Legs Theater

By Ernie Paik

FREE • News, Views, Music, Film, Arts & Entertainment • Au August 5, 2010 • Volume 7, Issue 31 • www.chattanoogapulse.com

President Jim Brewer, II Publisher Zachary Cooper Contributing Editor Janis Hashe News Editor / Art Director Gary Poole Advertising Manager Rhonda Rollins Advertising Sales Rick Leavell, Townes Webb Graphic Design Jennifer Grelier Staff Photographer Louis Lee Photography Intern Corinne Oglesby Contributing Writers Gustavo Arellano, Erik Bhatnagar Rob Brezsny, Chuck Crowder Michael Crumb, John DeVore Joshua Hurley, Matt Jones Sandra Kurtz, D.E. Langley Tara Morris-Viland, Ernie Paik Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D., Alex Teach Editorial Cartoonist Rick Baldwin Calendar Editors Bryanna Burns, Josh Lang Editorial Assistant Sean Lee Contact Info: Phone (423) 265-9494 Fax (423) 266-2335 Email Inquiries info@chattanoogapulse.com Calendar Submissions calendar@chattanoogapulse.com The Pulse is published weekly and is distributed throughout the city of Chattanooga and surrounding communities. The Pulse is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. No person without written permission from the publishers may take more than one copy per weekly issue.

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Brewer Media 1305 Carter Street Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402 Letters to the editor must include name, address and daytime phone number for verification. The Pulse reserves the right to edit letters for space and clarity. Please keep letters within 300 words in length.

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Chattanooga’s Weekly Alternative

AL N A se NU E I OG Pul AN IM NO he CR TTA in T A k

AUGUST

12 THE MUSIC OF THE MOMENT

By Ernie Paik It’s the oldest and most natural type of music-making. In a way, it’s the most simple, as well, with no barriers to entry—anyone can do it, at any skill level—but to some, it can prove to be the most daunting kind. It’s improvisation, which one might immediately associate with jazz or jam bands or rock guitar solos, but that is barely scratching the surface.

feature stories 16 HARDWORKING SAINTS

By Tara Morris-Viland It has become harder to be hardworking in America lately. So many of us have taken a pay cut, lost jobs or felt the hole in our back pocket. When thinking of times like these, I am reminded of what has gotten us through it. Music.

24 GODS AND CHILDREN

By Michael Crumb Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass and Neil Gaiman’s American Gods continue to draw serious attention as works of literary fantasy, and these books have much in common. I have found both novels to be deeply absorbing reads, and I commend both authors for their originality.

30 OUTSTAYING THEIR DINING WELCOME

By John DeVore Dinner for Schmucks is the funniest comedy to come out this summer, which makes the current state of movie comedy a barren wasteland of silly slapstick and unconvincing awkwardness.

news & views 5 6 10 20 28 34

PULSE BEATS BEYOND THE HEADLINES SHRINK RAP LIFE IN THE NOOG ON THE BEAT ASK A MEXICAN

everything else 4 5 9 17 18 25 27 27 29 31 32 33

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CITY COUNCILSCOPE POLICE BLOTTER NEW MUSIC REVIEWS MUSIC CALENDAR A&E CALENDAR JONESIN’ CROSSWORD FREE WILL ASTROLOGY JOY STICK NEW IN THEATERS SPIRITS WITHIN DINING OUT

Letters to the Editor Underground Chattanooga I found this story very intriguing. [“What Lies Beneath: Underground Chattanooga”] I never knew that there was an underground Chattanooga. I especially love the retrospective view on how people were once self-sufficient survivors and proud hardworking citizens. I wish people were more like that today instead of the debilitated, forlorn, crippled mass that we become when troubles come our way. We should stop looking to the government to clean up our messes. We should exercise our spines by working together to make the change that we wish to see in our world as the people of days gone by were forced to do.

Jackie Hampton What a captivating and well-written story of Chattanooga’s history. I’m not a native— I’ve only lived here thirteen years—and had no idea about the existence, let alone the devastation, of those floods. I was transfixed by the evocative narrative, and I imagine that even for long-time Chattanoogans, this piece provided new and fascinating details.

I’d love to learn more about the tunnels, and

I am going to have to go on one of those ghost tours!

Julie Bestry Judicial Interference Mayor Littlefield stated, “I was absolutely trying to persuade her not to leave the McKamey Center holding the bag for the costs associated with this, because the company was basically getting a free ride.” The only way McKamey could be “reimbursed” the $40,000 the Mayor is trying to get for McKamey is if he was trying to sway the judge to return a guilty verdict.

If The Pet Co. were to be ruled not guilty then McKamey would not be entitled to recoup those alleged expenses. So, he freely admits to trying to sway the outcome of a trial, which is a crime and why the judge turned the correspondence from Littlefield over to the District Attorney’s office. When someone tries to sway the verdict of trial whether it’s by bribe, jury tampering, or using their political clout to put pressure on a judge, it is a crime.

G. Wallimby

Mayor Doing A Good Job Punish the mayor? For what? Doing what’s right rather than popular? Cleaning up the financial messes of previous administrations who only did things that lined their own pockets or political ambitions? Without Mayor Littlefield’s support that built the McKamey Center, those poor animals from the Pet Company would still be living in filth and would have been sold to citizens of our city with a highly contagious disease. But then the whole premise of the recall petition is uninformed and blatantly false without a shred of truth. But let’s don’t muddy the water with facts.

Mary Gibson Business As Usual That was awesome! [“Just Business”, On The Beat] You’ve just earned a new fan. Mr. Teach you have a way with words. I bow to you sir. I can almost smell the run off as it splashed about…must have been quite a sight. No need for a photo. You painted it in far more brilliant tones than a photo could ever capture.

Anton Chigur

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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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | August 5, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

Pulse Beats

Quote Of The Week:

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

“[There are] capital projects that sat because we were told we didn’t have the money.”

—Chattanooga City Councilwoman Pam Ladd, upon learning that that the city had $5 million in reserves that had accumulated over the last 17 years.

Fiscal Priorities Debated By City Council The Chattanooga City Council took a long look at the proposed capital projects budget last week, and in a surprising move, proceeded to vote it down. The annual ordinance, which sets the appropriation, allocation and authorization of funds to the Capital Improvements Budget, had approval from only three of the council members.

The two major items that council members had issues with were a $6.5 million allocation to build a new parking garage adjacent to the TVA campus downtown, which would require matching funds from the county to complete, and a $1 million project to build a new marina on the Tennessee River as part of a new pier being built by a private developer.

Councilwoman Deborah Scott said that the budget items would lead to $23 million in new bonds, which she felt would increase the city’s debt for “non-emergency” items that are not needed during the current economic times. She also called into question the need for the TVA parking garage and questioned the county’s support of the project.

Councilwoman Pam Ladd argued that both the garage and the marina would be cost-positive projects, in that both would end up being revenue providers for the city in the long run and further help economic development.

And while Councilwoman Sally Robinson felt the two projects were worthy, she was concerned about the lack of support from

the county and warned about the city taxpayers being “held hostage” by the county commission. Scott countered that if any group was trying to hold the city “hostage” it was TVA, with its implied threat to move out of downtown completely if the garage wasn’t built.

The final vote on the capital budget was Robinson, Ladd and Manny Rico in favor, while Scott, Jack Benson, Russell Gilbert and Andrae McGary voting against.

With two council members absent from the meeting, Carol Berz and Peter Murphy, the vote sent the budget proposal back to the budget committee, which is chaired by Berz. The committee took a second look at

Here is one of the more interesting agenda items set to be discussed at the Tuesday, August 10 meeting of the Chattanooga City Council.

the budget during their meeting this past Tuesday and will present a revised version of the budget at next Tuesday’s evening council meeting (there was no council meeting this week due to National Night Out events).

Miller Park Rally Targets Washington Corruption A “Fight Washington Corruption” rally will be held at noon on Tuesday, August 10 in Miller Park downtown. The rally is being sponsored by the local chapter of MoveOn as part of its “The Other 98%” summer campaign.

“Rallies are scheduled across the country just days after the August congressional recess begins,” according to MoveOn member Harriet Cotter. “The rally will focus on the Fight Washington Corruption pledge. We’ve asked every member of Congress and every candidate to sign the pledge as part of our Other 98% campaign—a massive grassroots effort to kick corporate influence out of democracy. Momentum for the pledge is building—more than 400,000 individuals have signed the pledge, and a growing number of elected officials and candidates are doing the same.”

She added, “At our rallies, we want to turn the spotlight on politicians who haven’t signed on.

We need to know: Do they stand with the ‘Other 98%’ of us who want to end corporate influence? Or are they with the two percent of corporate lobbyists who prefer the status quo?”

5. Ordinances - First Reading: b) An ordinance appropriating, authorizing or allocating funds to the Capital Improvements Budget for the fiscal year 2010/2011 and to amend the fiscal year 2010/2011 Budget Ordinance No. 12410.

This will be the second attempt at a first reading of the second half of the city budget, this one dealing with capital improvements. The first reading ended up being voted down (see Pulse Beats to the left for full details) over spending concerns and questions of priorities and fiscal responsibility.

It will be interesting to see what changes have been made to the budget proposal and whether they will be acceptable to the majority of the council.

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 agenda and minutes from past meetings, visit www.

Chattanooga.gov/City_Council/110_Agenda.asp

www.chattanoogapulse.com | August 5, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | The Pulse

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Beyond The Headlines

The Return of Shades of Green subjects ought to be addressed, given the vast array of possibilities?

By Sandra Kurtz

“The Industrial Age is slowly transforming into a Sustainability Age. Get ready.

Shut the door on outmoded ways of getting energy.”

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Editor’s note: Once a month, we are bringing back the “Shades of Green” column, and are delighted to announce it will be written by one of Chattanooga’s most active environmentalists, Sandra Kurtz. If you have questions or suggestions for this column, e-mail them to us at jhashe@chattanoogapulse.com.

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umerous questions can precede the actual writing of a column entitled “Shades of Green”. For starters, what is meant by “Shades” of Green? It sounds like Code Orange for air pollution danger or terrorist attacks. I suppose a light green person would be worse than a dark green one. Who does the profiling anyway? Further, what

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | August 5, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

Reader, do you want to be informed about current sustainability and environmental issues on a local or global scale? Maybe you prefer ecology or birds and bunnies. How about paths to a greener quality of life or philosophical discussions on humans’ spiritual and physical responsibilities for our species and the planet? Perhaps you just want tips on how to be more Earth friendly in your home or business, a sort of advice-for-the-greenless column. I’ll be interested to hear your preferences.

For now, my first time as an official columnist, I’ll share my views about a sustainable future—the one where there is still a great diversity of life, humans included, living in harmony with the rest of nature on the planet. It may come as a surprise to some, but our species cannot live without the Earth’s interwoven support systems, resources and free services. The movie Avatar showed how much trouble it causes to use up all your resources and think the answer is to get more on another planet.

That brings us to thinking about energy and the amount of space and stuff we use. The approach to date hasn’t been to encourage using less stuff, but instead to promote demand for more. That stance leads us to ask how deep to drill, how many mountains to remove, and how many fragile spots to mine so we produce all we demand. In an ever-widening tornado of consumption, we want bigger and bigger places that take up agricultural land even as we live more isolated high-tech lives, travel further for work and for

daily supplies while we suffer from illnesses caused by our modern lifestyles.

Moreover, the very Earth support system we need is diminished. Carry that process to the ultimate conclusion. We could be like disappearing dinosaurs dealing with catastrophic weather events, extreme temperatures, too much carbon dioxide, polluted water, air, and land, not enough food, and too many people demanding stuff. It’s a result we won’t like.

Here’s a better Earth-driven outcome. Like it or not, we are transitioning to a no oil/ no carbon/no nuclear energy platform. It’s required because we are running out of oil.

Our tragic attempts to find more are not worth the environmental and economic risk or expense. We already have the low-hanging fruit. Coal has turned out to be a community plunderer with its destruction of mountain scenery, water quality, and forests.

Even if industrialists figure our how to make coal clean by storing emissions in a hole somewhere, mining still destroys mountains.

Some say we should replace coal with nuclear and solve climate change problems. Oh—let’s just trade dirty air and water from coal for radioactive air and water, plus a radioactive waste site so we can ensure a legacy to future children, should they survive.

Someone said, “The Rock Age didn’t end because we ran out of rocks.” The Industrial Age is slowly transforming into a Sustainability Age. Get ready. Shut the door on outmoded ways of getting energy.

Smart people have figured out how we can do it using numerous energy alternatives.

Meanwhile, reduce your demand for energy through efficiency and conservation. Use less stuff to be a shade of green.

Chattanooga Street Scenes

Photography by Louis Lee

www.chattanoogapulse.com | August 5, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | The Pulse

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

• Cattle rustling? Seriously? In this day and age? As strange as it may sound, that is exactly the case that faced Bradley County detectives last week when they were informed that 11 cows had been rustled from a pasture at the intersection of Chestuee Road and Gatlin Road. An intensive investigation by property crimes detectives resulted in the arrest of a man who is now facing charges of cattle rustling, a felony, since this involved theft over $1,000 (the cattle have a value of $3,000).

A man who purchased 11 head of cattle several days earlier saw an article in the local paper and contacted police to ascertain if the cows he bought were the ones that had been stolen. He told investigators that he met a man pulling a cattle trailer with an SUV at a retail parking lot where he was making adjustments to the trailer. They agreed to a purchase price of $3,000 but a family emergency forced him to leave hurriedly and his brother completed the transaction.

Sheriff Tim Gobble and Det. Capt.

Steve Lawson expressed appreciation and commended the citizen who voluntarily came forward with information about potentially stolen property knowing it could result in a substantial financial loss.

• In the movies, auto theft rings always

go after the most expensive and/ or the most popular cars and trucks. Which is why it was a bit surprising to officers working with the Chattanooga Police Department Auto Theft Division to uncover an auto theft ring targeting older-model Chevrolets, Buicks and Oldsmobiles. Officers were able to track down and arrest two men who had stolen a dozen such vehicles in the past month alone and then sold them for scrap to a Market Street metals company.

It was at the metals company that investigators were able to track down the two men as they were attempting to sell even more parts. They’ve been charged with several counts of theft over $1,000 in connection with the 12 auto thefts, and more charges are possible, as it is believed that the pair may be linked to similar thefts throughout Chattanooga and the surrounding areas.

• Workdays in East Chattanooga are generally busy for Officer Curtis Penny. The uniform and soaring temperatures combine to create a recipe for a cumbersome day. A recent Saturday was no different from most for Officer Penny—except that his call for service went beyond his usual response. On that particular day, he answered a disorder prevention call at a Wilson Street residence and assisted a man in getting his personal belongings from his ex-girlfriend’s house.

While at the apartment of the ex-girlfriend,

The List The Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World 1. Great Pyramid of Giza 2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon 3. Statue of Zeus at Olympia

Penny was overwhelmed by the temperature of the apartment. In talking with the woman, he learned that she had only one box fan circulating air throughout the two-bedroom apartment. The temperature outside was already approaching the high 90s, with an expected heat index of 100 degrees by midday. Before he left the apartment, he promised the woman that he’d return by the end of his shift with an air conditioner.

After leaving the call, Penny sent out a message on Facebook asking friends for air units. Shortly after sending the message, he received a call from Sergeant Jack Sapp of the Collegedale Police Department saying that he had not one, but two air units that he’d donate. In-between other calls for service, Penny and Sapp were able to coordinate delivery of those units to the woman. As promised, Penny returned to the apartment with the air conditioners before the end of his shift.

4. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus 5. Mausoleum of Halicarnassus 6. Colossus of Rhodes 7. Lighthouse of Alexandria Alexander the Great’s conquest of much of the known world in the 4th century BC gave Hellenistic travelers access to the civilizations of the Egyptians, Persians, and Babylonians.

These visitors, smitten by the landmarks and marvels of the various lands, began to list what they saw, creating one of the most famous lists of all time.

www.chattanoogapulse.com | August 5, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | The Pulse

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Shrink Rap

By Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D

The Fences in Your Mind

“A key question to ask yourself is, How do I limit myself and how can I stop? Remember that the real limitations are not external.

They exist within us.”

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 web site at www.DrRPH.com

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Dear Dr. Rick, I read your column regularly, and use it as my therapy. I believe I’ve grown and evolved considerably by contemplating and wrestling with the topics you present, and your helpful guidance (and challenges!) for “living my best self ” (as you put it). I am sometimes still plagued, however, by a feeling of immobility—I have difficulty motivating myself toward some of the changes I want to make. I refer here to actual changes in my life. It’s as though I have all the tools in my head, but get stuck when it comes to putting them into action.

—Lydia, Monteagle Dear Lydia, Your letter reflects a universal concern, in that you raise an issue that many people can relate to, and one that comes up in therapy often: the “disconnect” between knowing something intellectually, and living it. It’s perhaps a stumbling block that we all struggle with, to varying degrees, from time to time: Intellectually we may understand what we need to do. Putting it into practice, however, is a different story.

This could apply to just about anything— daily challenges like attending a dreaded meeting, to life-altering ones like quitting smoking or drinking. It’s about the pain and disappointment of trying, sometimes for a very long time, to live up to promises we make to ourselves…and the shame we feel when we fail.

In Betty Mahalik’s book, Living a Five Star Life, she talks about the fences we erect in our mind. By this she refers to those

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | August 5, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

limitations we put on ourselves, based upon erroneous beliefs, fear, self-esteem issues, uncertainty, self-doubt, the need to selfsabotage, etc.

She poses the question, “Where have you fenced yourself in mentally in recent days or weeks? Perhaps your mental fence is procrastination, a deadening habit that keeps you stuck. Maybe it is related to selfdoubt, and the on-going internal noise it produces that keeps you immobilized.

Perhaps yours is the belief that you don’t deserve success, so you sabotage yourself to avoid having to find out how successful you could be. There are a million variations of the theme, but the result is still the same: we stay stuck.”

A key question to ask yourself is, How do I limit myself and how can I stop? Remember that the real limitations are not external.

They exist within us. Her book suggests that the antidote to being trapped by our mental fences is to create a compelling enough vision that we’re willing to take risks, to resort to amazing measures to break out.

Here’s the formula: VISION + CONSISTENT ACTION = FREEDOM She goes on to suggest the following challenge: “Take some bold, even outrageous steps to break free of your mental fences. If it’s procrastination, declare a ‘freedom day’ and take action on everything you’ve been putting off: from cleaning your office to making phone calls or responding to e-mails you’ve avoided.

If it’s self-doubt, sit down and write out

everything you value and why it’s important.

Then challenge yourself to eliminate anything that doesn’t absolutely reflect those values, or add something that is a profound statement of who you are.”

The famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright said, “There is freedom from anguish in action.”

And the visionary auto manufacturer Henry Ford said, “Whether you believe you can, or believe you can’t, you are right.”

Betty Mahalik’s wise counsel reminds us that freedom lies just on the other side of action; and that “your mental fences can only keep you stuck as long as you’re looking at them. They can only contain you as long as you’re not taking actions consistent with your vision. Go ahead, take the action you’ve avoided and leap into a future filled with possibilities. And remember, the fences are all in your mind!”

One of the best ways I know to address and navigate your way through this “stuckness” is with psychotherapy. There are many techniques for helping yourself, such as the ones mentioned above. Therapy can further help you gain powerful insight—and resolve the disconnect—by helping you uncover the causes, the roots of what stands in your way of success. Discovering what you, personally, are up against is empowering, and the all-important first step toward meaningful, positive, and lasting change.

Until next time: “To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.” — Elbert Hubbard

www.chattanoogapulse.com | August 5, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | The Pulse

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Cover Story

The Music of the Moment

By Ernie Paik

“This year marks the 30th anniversary of the improvisor, and to celebrate, the 2010 improvisor Festival will take place throughout the month of August.”

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It’s the oldest and most natural type of music-making. In a way, it’s the most simple, as well, with no barriers to entry— anyone can do it, at any skill level—but to some, it can prove to be the most daunting kind. It’s improvisation, which one might immediately associate with jazz or jam bands or rock guitar solos, but that is barely scratching the surface. Guitarist Derek Bailey describes improvisation in his On the Edge documentary television series as, “the most widely practiced of all musical activities” while also being, “probably the least recognized or understood.” This is no overstatement.

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | August 5, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

Countless other art forms and movements were considered radical when they emerged but were later accepted, like Impressionistic painting in the 19th century or even punk rock.

But just last month, at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, a completely improvised instrumental set from Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, and saxophonist John Zorn was met with a wide variety of reactions, from cheers to confused glances to enraged booing and numerous walk-outs. It’s remarkable that in the year 2010, wordless music can still spark such a strong, riotous response, and it underscores Bailey’s point about a lack of understanding regarding improvised music.

In 1980, members of the Improvisor’s Network (I.N.), nestled in the off-center, cutting-edge downtown NYC music scene, recognized the need to create a forum for musicians in this largely misunderstood, yet omnipresent art form. Beginning as a photocopied four-page newsletter, the improvisor served this purpose and expanded to become a vital, substantial journal and resource. The final print volume of the improvisor was published in 1996, in a jam-packed 192-page perfect-bound edition, and since then, it exists as a continually-updated web magazine, as overflowing and thought-provoking as ever.

Cover Story “It’s remarkable that in the year 2010, wordless music can still spark such a strong, riotous response.”

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the improvisor, and to celebrate, the 2010 improvisor Festival will take place throughout the month of August. Most of the dozens of scheduled performances and countless configurations will take place in Birmingham, Alabama, with the rest being staged in various cities across the nation, including New York City, Seattle, Atlanta, Athens, and Chattanooga.

Among the co-founders of the improvisor, including guitarist Chris Cochrane, trumpeter Lesli Dalaba, and saxophonist Jack Wright, are LaDonna Smith and Davey Williams, who established Birmingham as the journal’s home and helped to develop the city as a hub of avant-garde music in the American South. Smith is the current editor and main force behind sustaining the improvisor today, and Williams was its editor for the first ten years.

While a number of periodicals deal with improvisation, particularly in the jazz realm, the improvisor distinguishes itself by being “the international journal of free improvisation.” It would be incorrect to call free improvisation a genre, since one of the ideas behind it is to avoid falling into the routines of musical genres; it’s kind of like free jazz, but without the jazz part. It’s a unique, unconventional kind of music-making that has unlimited possibilities, since a musician is not limited to particular scales, structures, or other genre characteristics.

“LaDonna Smith and Davey Williams were surely two of the key figures of the first wave of North Americans practicing free improvisation,” explains Bruce Kaplan, owner of Barking Legs Theater, which is hosting the Chattanooga leg of the improvisor Festival tour on August 7.

“They remain widely respected, almost legendary, universally known by their paired first names by those of us who’ve

been following the music for decades.”

Smith began playing the piano as a child, taught herself to play the guitar and accordion as a teen, and moved to electronic music on analog synthesizers while in college. However, she is most famous for playing the viola, an instrument which she embraced with the realization that it could make just as many unusual sounds as a synthesizer could. In 1973, she met guitarist Davey Williams, and in an interview with Kelly Burnette for Perfect Sound Forever, Smith said that Williams “…triggered in me the notion that anything we played was legitimate, and that all we had to do was hear it that way. So listening is a large part of the collective consciousness that we began to explore together musically.”

Today, Smith is as active as ever as a performer, recording artist, instructor, and a directing board member of the International Society for Improvised Music.

A true iconoclast, Williams is regarded as one of the three “founding fathers of American free improvisational guitar” alongside Henry Kaiser and Eugene Chadbourne. He used his proficiency in blues guitar, learned from the late blues master Johnny Shines, to develop his own striking, offbeat style which he calls “convulsive blues.”

Smith and Williams frequently collaborated, sometimes under the “Trans Duo” moniker, and in the late ’70s, they began releasing records on their TransMuseq label. In Alabama, they helped nurture improvisation in music as well as other art forms, particularly dance, and they brought many free improv musicians to the area; distinguished guests, often from other continents, included Derek Bailey, saxophonist Evan Parker, Steve Beresford, and the aforementioned John Zorn, whose early album Lacrosse features Smith and Williams. www.chattanoogapulse.com | August 5, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | The Pulse

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Cover Story “We were all working with extended techniques, trying to invent a musical language that didn’t previously exist.”

“The improvisor was an important step in giving some unity and voice to the far flung group of practitioners of free improvisation, most of whom— particularly if not based in NYC or London—practiced and developed their music ‘under the radar,’” says Kaplan.

Within the paper and web pages of the improvisor is a dizzying array of articles, reviews, travelogues, dialogues, diatribes, poetry, and artwork, tackling improvisational music and art from just about every angle imaginable. Some articles are technical, rigorous, and even scholarly; among the topics explored are art vandalism and plagiarism, Sartre and consciousness, and even “Cognitive Disruption Theory.”

“It had some hard-hitting articles about the philosophy behind all this stuff and the intellectual underpinnings— how it all came to be, with historical antecedents coming out of free jazz and the classical avant-garde with John Cage and Stockhausen,” says Lee Shook, a Birmingham-based filmmaker, currently working on a documentary about Davey Williams tentatively titled Convulsive Blues, and the associate director of the improvisor Festival. “It’s all intertwined.

That’s the great thing about free improv: it’s about everything. It’s about sonic art and whatever form that takes.”

“It’s fun, too. It’s not strictly these analytical reviews,” says Shook.

Indeed, certain pieces are lighthearted and humorous, like one entitled “Tips on Boring People and Alienating Yourself,” which actually is an interesting discussion about eccentricity and the tenuous divide between performance and reality.

“The improvisor has for 30 years helped strengthen the social, cultural, and economic bonds amongst professionals, hobbyists, and fans who love to explore well-tread, beloved terrain, in the Now, with keen appreciation for the New,”

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says Killick Hinds of Athens, GA, a recent contributor to the improvisor and scheduled festival performer.

One key point of the improvisor is to show how the concepts of improvisation extended far beyond music, offering many possibilities. In one piece for the improvisor, Williams explains, “In this collective and creative endeavor, there lies a new model for society; for a civilization that would work as well as free improvisation works. In the past and presently and in the future, there are people in the improvising community who will unlock the secrets to these interconnections, from neural to societal, from spiritual to material. Already, every time we open ourselves to the Moment, we practice the basis of this; it is only a matter of expanding these principles to other areas of life, which we can do.”

There are dispatches from improv workshops in Bali and festivals including the Victoriaville International Festival and the Incus Festival presented in Chattanooga, and accounts from aficionados and musicians across the globe, in locations such as Germany, Australia, and South Korea. In certain pieces, improvisation is shown to be a positive social force, such as one advocating integrating its use into the music curriculum of schools.

The Chattanooga-based nonprofit organization the Shaking Ray Levi Society (disclosure: I am on its board of directors), whose community outreach work in schools and facilities is guided by the ideas of free improvisation, found kindred spirits in the journal’s creators and readers.

“The improvisor was the proverbial watering hole for souls who were dang thirsty for a community where their ‘Beyond the Normal’ practices of creativity could seriously mingle and evolve with one another,” says Dennis Palmer, a co-founder of the Shaking Ray

Cover Story Levi Society.

He says, “We were aware of improvised music by Derek Bailey, percussionist Jamie Muir of King Crimson, Art Ensemble of Chicago, the Hampton Grease Band and the like, and with all that in mind, it was fantastic to discover a scene two and a half hours away from Chattanooga in Birmingham, Alabama and a zine that merged what we were creating with magnificent music-makers from all over the world.”

The essays and pieces of the improvisor appeal to many aspects of the readers’ curiosity, such as the desire to understand the creative process and also interests in philosophy and spirituality.

“What is the first attribute when we think of God? Creation ex nihilo, creating something out of nothing,” says Terry Fugate (a.k.a. Rev. Crawdaddy), an improvising guitarist and bassist, a pastor at Ascension Lutheran Church on Germantown Road, and a cofounder of the Shaking Ray Levi Society. Fugate was a contributing writer for the improvisor in the ’80s and will be a participant in the improvisor Festival, including the Chattanooga performances.

The spiritual idea mentioned by Fugate plays into the musical world, as he describes his musical forays years ago with fellow improvisors Dennis Palmer and Bob Stagner in the original incarnation of the performing outfit the Shaking Ray Levis.

He says, “We were all working with extended

techniques, trying to invent a musical language that didn’t previously exist.”

For dancer and instructor Ann Law, who will perform at the improvisor Festival, improvisation has particular personal significance, as an art form outside formal constraints that can lead to self-awareness.

“After years of classical dance training and studying dance composition from many sources, I found myself naturally practicing a state of awareness in the creative process…this to me is the art of improvisation,” says Law. “This intimate act is beyond words as it reaches into the mind and body on many different levels, raising the consciousness beyond its normal state. It is the practice of ‘I am’ without any attachments.”

“We’re bringing this historical edge that will hopefully be illuminating for a lot of people—to see the

The improvisor Festival Info The improvisor Festival features dozens of events in August with the involvement of over a hundred musicians, dancers, artists, poets, and storytellers.

The Chattanooga show (August 7) will feature these performers: Claire Barratt (dance) Jill Burton (voice) Andrea Centazzo (percussion) Chris Cochrane (guitar) Terry Fugate (guitar) Killick Hinds (H’arpeggione) Ann Law (dance) Stella Nystrom (dance) Gino Robair (percussion) LaDonna Smith (viola) Sycamore Toffel (dance)

Festival highlights: Sunday, August 1: The A.M.I.C.A. Bunker Reunion Concert at the Stone in New York City, featuring LaDonna Smith, Jack Wright, Chris Cochrane, Reuben Radding, Andrea Parkins, Blaise Siwula, Paul Hoskin, Judy Dunaway, and others.

Friday, August 6: Magic City Meltdown at Workplay in Birmingham, featuring Henry Kaiser, Davey Williams, Ut Gret, Gino Robair, Andrea Centazzo, LaDonna Smith, Killick, and more.

Sunday, August 8: performances at

history of it live and have these veteran collaborators come back together after all these years,” says Shook.

For the bold and creative musicians involved and its proponents, the improvisor Festival is a celebration, but it’s not an occasion to become mired in nostalgia. It’s not a typical musical reunion where past-their-prime performers muddle through retreads of familiar material for old times’ sake. It represents a challenge to all involved to keep moving ahead into uncharted territory.

Although the festival will feature many veterans of free improv, Williams encourages people to also seek the new talent.

“If anything, it’s the players that nobody’s ever heard of that can have some of the most original ideas, because they don’t have an established sound,” says Williams. “The mark of a good improvisor is even if you have an established sound, don’t play that!”

“When rallying so many talented improvisors in one place, on one night, I would be outside of the improvisational process if I said I knew what might be going on,” says Ann Law about the Chattanooga event on August 7. “Surprise will definitely be on the menu.”

The fascinating ideas of free improvisation make it “The movement of the moment,” as ardently championed by the improvisor, encouraging an attitude to not dwell in the past, nor chart a rigid path for the future, but to live in the moment, fostering change and creativity.

Eyedrum in Atlanta from Duet for Theremin and Lap Steel, Jill Burton, Chris Cochrane, Karst, Skryxl, Pony Payroll Bones, Cedro Danado, and others.

Monday, August 9: performances at Ciné in Athens, Georgia from Pocketful of Claptonite, Them Natives, Andrea Centazzo, Claire Barratt, Colin Bragg, John Fernandes, Heather McIntosh, and more.

Tuesday, August 10 (Ciné in Athens, Georgia) and Thursday, August 12 (Pepper Place in Birmingham): I, Norton, Gino Robair’s creative opera and improvisational orchestra piece about the 19th century eccentric

Emperor Norton.

Friday, August 13: Dixie Fried – Old School Southern Weirdness at Bottletree in Birmingham, featuring Col. Bruce Hampton, the Shaking Ray Levis, Wally Shoup, Terry Fugate, Davey Williams, Evan Lipson, LaDonna Smith, and more.

Saturday, August 14: Spaceship Saturn – A Tribute to Sun Ra at Pepper Place in Birmingham.

The official improvisor web site: www.the-improvisor.com Complete schedule on the web site: www.theimprovisorfestival.org

www.chattanoogapulse.com | August 5, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | The Pulse

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Music Feature

By Tara Morris-Viland

Hardworking Saints I

t has become harder to be hardworking in America lately. So many of us have taken a pay cut, lost jobs or felt the hole in our back pocket. When thinking of times like these, I am reminded of what has gotten us through it.

Music.

Recently I sat in on a radio show during which people in Chattanooga were proclaiming that we spend too much money on the arts and music community and not on the city, taxes, or whatever issue they decide to misconstrue next. How soon they forget that music is what has gotten most of them through the hard times and helped celebrate the good times. Or what worries me even more is that maybe these people have never felt the power behind truly great music because they were too busy screaming, “FreeBird”.

But wait—I have great memories behind that one too…

As I’ve spent the past two years communicating with local bands and spent a lifetime appreciating music, I am noticing a new trend in discussions. Locally it appears that more and more musicians are ready to put down the “old school” issues of ego and compose a new blueprint for harmony.

The foundation of building a local arena for musicians to gather, share, and create on much larger levels begins with hard work.

And man, do we need it.

The band that I am bringing to you this week is Cadillac Saints. The Cadillac Saints are a classic example of consistent hard work, and are all for making Chattanooga a supportive musical hub for everyone by dismissing the super competitive vibe that seemed to be a downfall in our town’s past.

This progressive/Southern/blues-esque rock group will be playing Thursday night with the Nashville-based band The Last Straw at Rhythm & Brews. They are regular openers for ZOSO—A Tribute to Led Zeppelin and have shared the stage with Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Hopsing Project, and That 1 Guy. The five-man ensemble consists of Jeremy Muse, Jeff Copeland, Brett Nolan, and brothers, Matthew and Jeremy Walley. All the guys reside in the valley and have a combined

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | August 5, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

100 years of musical experience. Declining to hide behind a digital curtain, the band remains organic in sound. They have recently celebrated their one-year anniversary with the release of their EP, Infraction. The EP was recorded in Muse’s living room in mostly one-takes by Brett Awen Audio Sounds and mastered out of Scenic City Studios in Red Bank.

While we chatted over a few good CBC brews, they explained that the term “progressive” to them means ever changing musically while remaining true to traditional rock-n-roll values. I noticed the twinkle in their eyes as we discussed the days of Zeppelin and Allman Brothers recordings, the recordings where you heard the flaws and didn’t worry about a blanket of perfection.

Their first full single, “Muddy Waters”, vindicates the raw and natural elements of this band, “If you ain’t a fan of dirty hands, baby please get out the way.” Brett joined the band in February, and adding the element of keys has definitely been a positive force.

Brothers Jeremy and Matt are able finish each other’s riffs, and offer a dynamic that can only be explained in DNA testing. While each member is classically trained, Jeremy rocks it on the drums and Jeff provides smooth vocals that put on one hell of a show.

Recently, the group has partnered with JMJ Productions. JMJ is mostly known for events such as Bangers Ball, lighting/staging

of various events in town and abroad, and of course the infamous BoneYard Boogie. They are now branching off into the booking world and have chosen Cadillac Saints to spearhead this movement. Currently in the works is a 13-week Southeast College Tour with another local band, Opposite Box. When speaking with Justin Casey of JMJ Productions on why he chose Cadillac Saints, he explained the tremendous potential, drive, and heart they present. Cadillac Saints and Opposite Box are the first bands confirmed for JMJ’s Boneyard Boogie two-day Halloween event.

As JMJ brings the big lights and Cadillac Saints bring the big sound Thursday night to Rhythm & Brews, they will be cutting a live recording of the show. so make sure to scream and remember to tell Jeff to keep his shirt on.

Paired with the high energy and hard Southern rock of The Last Straw, this night will make for a hot box of PBR, girls with skirts-n-cowboy boots, and smoke-filled madness.

I mean, we are the home of Jack Daniels.

Live it up a bit while supporting the sound and get your hands dirty this Thursday night.

Cadillac Saints with The Last Straw $7 9:30 p.m.

Thursday, August 5 Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com

New Music Reviews Versus On the Ones and Threes (Merge)

“Richard Baluyut explained that, to him, getting older means getting ‘more nihilistic,’ which is reflected in the lyrics.”

By Ernie Paik

In ’90s indie-rock circles, it seemed like Versus was one of those bands that everyone just seemed to like, being on two of the most beloved indie labels (TeenBeat and Merge Records) and even immortalized in the excellent song “Versus Tape” by contemporaries Small Factory. Named after the blistering album Vs. by Mission of Burma, the band carved out its own style with a commanding use of dynamics, piercing guitar lines, subtly distinctive drumming from Edward Baluyut, and vocals from key members Richard Baluyut and Fontaine Toups.

The group’s 1994 debut full-length album, The Stars Are Insane, was an album that I listened to endlessly, and pretty much, I had my mind blown when seeing them at a 2005 reunion concert when they performed the entire album, in sequence, without warning. On some level, that event served as validation, saying that the music we loved dearly a decade ago still holds up today.

Today Versus emerges with a brandnew album, On the Ones and Threes, allowing the opportunity to evaluate again how Versus holds up in the current musical world. For some, getting older means getting wiser, or, it means getting mellow. Richard Baluyut explained that, to him, getting older means getting “more nihilistic,” which is reflected in the lyrics.

“Invincible Hero” kicks off the album with a classic Versus method, trampling reserved single-note guitar patterns with a gush of sound.

The Radio Dept.

Clinging to a Scheme (Labrador) When listening to new pop music, this curmudgeonly writer immediately attempts to break it down and discern from where each element was taken, because, let’s face it, truly original ideas in pop music are few and far between. While absorbing Clinging to a Scheme, the new

album from the Swedish group the Radio Dept., my mind was racing, picking out possible sources. There’s a definite New Order vibe, particularly with the bass lines, played in the instrument’s highest registers as if paying homage to Peter Hook; the brightness and guitar strum timbres bring to mind the Field Mice, but maybe with a little grit—and so on. Here’s the thing, though—the Radio Dept. has a knack for picking out the best things to borrow, and it’s all tied together with a welcoming, hopeful, yet somewhat wistful mood.

I wouldn’t quite call it synth-pop, although it leans in that direction at times, and there’s a unifying style throughout the pop assortment, using calm and collected vocals, unabashed drum machines, and a

Song-for-song, the tempos may have slowed down slightly over the years, but a keen potency is still evident; superficially, some moments sound aggressive, yet they hit some barrier, as if not wanting to go too far, like during the breakdown section of “Nu Skin.” The standout, string-enhanced “Erstwhile” first treads a careful path but builds to a satisfyingly full conclusion. Offhand, I’d place the album above 1998’s Two Cents Plus Tax but not quite at the heights of the band’s peak, and it’s an album that gets more appealing upon each listen, marking a welcome return. slight amount of distortion—just enough to provide a thick sound. The Radio Dept. can be dreamy without being New Age-y; for example, “A Token of Gratitude” is anchored with a muffled four-on-the-floor beat, but it floats using a Mellotron-esque synth flute sound and various drifting sounds that weave their way in and out of the mix. “Never Follow Suit” is the oddball track, with a reggae tug (piano chords on the upbeats) and wet hip-hop beats, making it sound a bit like Saint Etienne’s “Railway Jam.” “The Video Dept.” uses a basic three-chord sequence and makes it work, with strummy goodness, an irresistible bounce, and charismatic melodies. This stuff comes easy to the band, or at least it sounds that way. www.chattanoogapulse.com | August 5, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | The Pulse

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Music Calendar Thursday Spotlight

Dave Dykes and the Grateful Hearts Alt-country/electric folk with Dave and pals. $7 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 236 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia

Thursday Happy Hour Serenade with David Anthony 5 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055.

Live Team!

7:30 p.m. T-Bones, 1419 Chestnut St. (423) 266-4240. www.tboneschattanooga.com Jimmy Harris 7:30 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055.

Natural Child, Dirty Lungs, Black Painter 8 p.m. Discoteca, 304 E. Main St. (423) 386-3066. www.myspace.com/discotecabar Mark Holder 9 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com David Dykes and the Grateful Hearts, Hudson K 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400.

All Request Video Music with DJ Spicolli 9 p.m. Raw, 409 Market St. (423) 756-1919.

Tim and Reece 9 p.m. Bart’s Lakeshore, 5600 Lakeshore Dr. (423) 870-0777. www.bartslakeshore.com

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | August 5, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

Friday Spotlight

Open Mic with Gabriel Newell 9 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com The Last Straw and Cadillac Saints 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com Soul Sessions 10 p.m. Table 2, 232 E. 11th St. (423) 756-8253. www.table2restaurant.com

Friday Happy Hour Serenade with David Anthony 5 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com Ben Friberg Trio 6 p.m. Table 2, 232 E. 11th St. (423) 756-8253. www.table2restaurant.com MeloManiacs 7 p.m. Bluff View Art District, Terrazine between Tony’s and Back Inn Café, 411 E. 2nd St. (423) 265-5033.

Jimmy Harris 7:30 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com Push Button Overdrive, Local Union, Hillstreet Hooligans, Stillglow, Comrades 7:30 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge. www.myspace.com/warehousetn Rock N’ Roll Spectacular 7:30 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo Centennial Theatre, 1400 Market St. (423) 266-5000.

Kira Small & Bryan Beller 7:30 p.m. Blue Orleans Creole Restaurant, 3208 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 629-6538. blueorleanscreolerestaurant.com Marty and Steven 8 p.m. Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd.

(423) 756-4786. myspace.com/ziggyshideaway Hot Club of Cowtown 8 p.m. Miller Plaza, 850 Market St. www.nightfallchattanooga.com Real Drag, Alcohol Stunt Band, The Bohannons 8:30 p.m. Discoteca, 304 E. Main St. (423) 386-3066.

Soul Kracker 9 p.m. Riverhouse Pub, 224 Frazier Ave. (423) 752-0066.

Embarrassing Stains 9 p.m. Bart’s Lakeshore, 5600 Lakeshore Dr. (423) 870-0777.

Dance Party with Paul Smith and the Bourbon St. Band 9 p.m. 2000 E. 23rd St. (423) 697-9957.

Critty Upchurch 9 p.m. Raw, 409 Market St. (423) 756-1919.

Subway Mars 10 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Nathan Farrow 10 p.m. T-Bones, 1419 Chestnut St. (423) 266-4240. www.tboneschattanooga.com The Roast of Nick Bowers 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400.

Space Capone with The Coolin’ System 10:15 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com

Space Capone with The Coolin’ System Funk up your Friday. $7 10 p.m.

Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com

Saturday Kofi Mawuko, Tommy Cotter, Mike Hale, Elizabeth Miller 10 a.m. Lookout Mtn. Incline Railway, 3917 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 821-4224.

New Binkley Brothers Noon. Rock City, 1400 Patten Rd. Lookout Mountain, GA. (706) 820-2531.

MeloManiacs 7 p.m. Bluff View Art District, Terrazine between Tony’s and Back Inn Café, 411 E. 2nd St. (423) 265-5033.

“Steampunk” with Eddies of the Wind, Local Union, Rene Arozqueta 7 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia Ogya, Dirty Dozen Brass Band 7:15, Chattanooga Riverfront Nights, Ross’s Landing. www.riverfrontnights.com Jimmy Harris 7:30: p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202. (423) 499-5055.

The Improvisor Festival Tour: 30th Anniversary Celebration 7:30, 9:30 p.m. Barking Legs, 1322 Dodds Avenue.

(423) 624-5347. www.barkinglegs.org

Music Calendar

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

Saturday Spotlight

“Dystopia Agregation” featuring Eddies of the Wind, Local Union Spend a night with the steampunk geek-chic girls. $7 7 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia, 236 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia Legionnaires Big Band 7:30 p.m. American Legion Post 95, 3329 Ringgold Rd. (423) 624-9105. www.americanlegionpost95.org Every Word a Prophecy, To Bow or to Burn, Between two Seas, Failing the Fairest, Permillisecond 7:30 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge. www.myspace.com/warehousetn Booker Scruggs Ensemble 7:30 p.m. Blue Orleans Creole Restaurant, 3208 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 629-6538. blueorleanscreolerestaurant.com Rock N’ Roll Spectacular 7:30 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo Centennial Theatre, 1400 Market St. (423) 266-5000.

1013, Small Talk, Endelouz 8 p.m. Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd.

(423) 756-4786.

Mark Stuart 8 p.m. Charles & Myrtle’s Coffeehouse, 105 McBrien Rd. (423) 892-4960. www.christunity.org For Hours and Hours 9 p.m. Discoteca, 304 East Main St. (423) 386-3066.

Sunday Spotlight

Jason Dooley 9 p.m. The Office, 901 Carter St. (inside Days Inn) Francisco Vidal 9 p.m. Raw, 409 Market St. (423) 756-1919.

Dance Party with Paul Smith and the Bourbon St. Band 9 p.m. 2000 E. 23rd St. (423) 697-9957.

Open Mic Night 9 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9043. www.mudpierestuarant.com Walrus 10 p.m. T-Bones, 1419 Chestnut St. (423) 266-4240. www.tboneschattanooga.com “Loopstock 2”: Butch Ross, Kevin Klein, Christian Collier & Travis Kilgore 10 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Dave Matthews Tribute Band 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644.

Sunday New Binkley Brothers Noon. Rock City, 1400 Patten Rd. Lookout Mountain, GA. (706) 820-2531.

Abi Tapia, Mason Douglas 12:30 p.m. Chattanooga Market, 1826 Carter St. (423) 266-9270. www.chattanoogamarket.com 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.

S.I.N. Night 7 p.m. Bart’s Lakeshore, 5600 Lakeshore Dr. (423) 870-0777. www.bartslakeshore.com Open Mic 8 p.m. Gene’s Bar & Grill, 724 Ashland Terrace, (423) 870-0880.

Monday Old Tyme Music 7 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Paul Lohorn and the Monday Nite Big Band 7:30 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055.

Tuesday Ben Friberg Trio 6:30 p.m. Table 2, 232 E. 11th St. (423) 756-8253. www.table2restaurant.com In the Midst of Lions, The Great Commission, Every Word a Prophecy, In This Hour, Sons of Cynics 7 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge. www.myspace.com/warehousetn Gentlemens Jazz Quartet 8 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd. #202.

(423) 499-5055.

Open Mic with Mike McDade 8 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com Lightning Billy Hopkins 8 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com

Kurt Scobie, Abi Tapia, Mason Douglas More great music at the Market.

Free 11 a.m. Kurt Scobie, 12:30 p.m. Abi Tapia, 2 p.m. Mason Douglas Chattanooga Market, First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Reggie White Blvd.

(423) 266-9270. www.chattanoogamarket.com Blues Night: Tim Starnes, Husky Burnette, Jacob Newman 9 p.m. Bart’s Lakeshore, 5600 Lakeshore Dr. (423) 870-0777. www.bartslakeshore.com Joe Jack Talcum, Bastards of Fate, Big Kitty 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400.

Wednesday Ben Friberg Trio 7 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Jimmy Harris 7:30 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055.

Johnny B. and Friends 8 p.m. Bourbon Street Music Bar, 2000 E. 23rd St. (423) 697-9957 Open Mic with Mike McDade 9 p.m. Raw, 409 Market St. (423) 756-1919.

Slim Pickens 9 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com

www.chattanoogapulse.com | August 5, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | The Pulse

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Life in the Noog

By Chuck Crowder

Rollin’ on the River L

“The last thing I want to be accused of is making fun of these folks. Not just because most of them (including the chicks) could probably kick my ass, but because many of them are good friends.”

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 thenoog.com

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ast week I did something that’ll amaze roughly 90 percent of people who've ever met me. I actually paddled a kayak on the Tennessee River. Now to most of you reading this, there’s nothing special or even slightly unusual about this activity.

But for those of you who know me, this revelation is much on the same level as airborne bacon or frostbite in hell. In fact, the likelihood of someone catching me doing anything considered this exercise-centric is on par with winning the lottery or perhaps contracting polio.

Not that I’m against the great outdoors or physical activity. I’m just not the picture of someone who regularly engages in feats of strength or spends free time in the woods, mountains, trails and waterways that are abundant around the ‘noog. I’ve always left that to my treehugging buddies.

You know the type: bearded hippie dudes who bike/paddle/climb, drink beer, smoke weed and love nothing more than playing “ultimate.” Despite the fact that around here some of these Frisbee-soccer junkies prefer to engage in something called a “naked pretzel,” everything they do wear offers some sort of warmth-wicking-waterproof performance that mere, reasonably priced, mortal clothing can’t possibly provide. Job-wise, treehuggers normally start their careers as some sort of “guide” before moving on to surveying, landscaping or management at Rock/Creek Outfitters.

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | August 5, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

Now the last thing I want to be accused of is making fun of these folks. Not just because most of them (including the chicks) could probably kick my ass, but because many of them are good friends. I’ve just never bought into the whole idea that becoming big buds with Mother Nature can inspire someone to adopt such an all-consuming Bohemian lifestyle. That is, however, until I caught a slight glimpse into what all of the hoopla is about.

My “adventure” was part of a team building exercise with some co-workers. After being holed up all morning in “visioning” meetings, we ventured over to Outdoor Chattanooga after lunch to go outside and do something fun. About half of the group, including myself, had never set foot in a one-person, selfpropelled watercraft so we spent a few minutes going over the subtle guidelines for effectively paddling the thing—while learning how to avoid a watery grave should our personal ship suddenly flip over (which our guide said hasn’t happened on any of their outings this summer…so far).

Excited, but a tad apprehensive, I hopped on board, paddle in hand, and started drifting into the “crystal clear” waters of the Tennessee River. Literally sitting at “sea level,” it’s the closest I’ve ever been to the bottom side of what you see when looking down at the river from above. Now I was looking up, and the perspective of the bridges, buildings and cliffs shadowing the waterway was very intriguing.

Next came motivating my vessel to go against the current while the hot afternoon sun beat down upon me. That’s where those paddling techniques we were privy to on shore might have come in handy had I actually listened to the instructional spiel. Now I had

to figure out myself how to dig my paddle into the water alternately side to side in a way that would move the boat forward faster than the current was pushing me back.

Until I got the hang of it, I found myself recreating the scene from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest when Cheswick nervously sang “I’m Popeye the Sailor Man” to himself after Jack Nicholson’s character handed him the wheel of their deep-sea fishing boat. But I think I was just frustrated at the five feet forward, two feet back propulsion ratio.

When we finally approached McClellan Island under the Veteran’s Bridge, we docked up on shore and took a much-needed break.

It was pretty cool to set foot on a protected, deserted chunk of land right in the middle of downtown. After pushing off once more, we rounded the island to the Hunter Museum side.

I quickly learned that “riding” the current downstream—in the shade—meant the second half of our journey was going to be much more enjoyable than the first. I even called my work-from-home buddy who lives on Battery Place to see if he could spot us from his office window…voicemail (damn). Then we paddled up to the rocky cliff under the Hunter Museum for a closer look at the caves (and homeless camps) along the banks. But it was paddling through those raging water chutes at the base of the Aquarium that was just about the coolest part of the whole trip.

So now I have a new appreciation for what many of my friends have known all along.

That enjoying the outdoors, and especially trying new activities that most people may never experience, can definitely be a good thing.

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Arts & Entertainment

By Michael Crumb

Gods and Children P

hilip Pullman’s The Golden Compass and Neil Gaiman’s American Gods continue to draw serious attention as works of literary fantasy, and these books have much in common. I have found both novels to be deeply absorbing reads, and I commend both authors for their originality and significant vision.

Both “Gods” and “Compass” came out in 2002. Pullman’s novel was published as a revised American edition, and it’s reasonable to take this author’s revision as definitive, even though he had published this work earlier in England. Also, much of The Golden Compass has been made into an excellent film. The controversy that surrounded this film remains a testimony to its success as a satire, a savaging of institutional religion.

However, The Golden Compass does more than satirize. This essay will focus on the novel that contains the more complete story.

This sense of “completion” must also be qualified, since “Compass” comprises the first book of a trilogy.

to a deeper spiritual level. The paradox of employing fantasy to explore spirituality allows a kind of freedom in that these works are speculations, but this speculative ground also allows significant statements to emerge.

Surreal imagery in these novels can be harsh and difficult to comprehend, but such images indicate spiritual qualities. Pullman forces occulted, spiritual qualities into everyday life.

His characters’ projected souls, or “daemons” seem totemic and suggest a shamanistic subtext, and this device foregrounds spiritual conflict. This kind of gesture can be found in the earliest surreal writing, for example, Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. Also, the most recent translations of The Arabian Nights are using the term “demon” instead of “genie”, with which we have become familiar. The Arabian Nights has been a wellspring for the fantastic in Western literature.

Gaiman’s surreality involves deeper and more mysterious levels of reality, sometimes accessed through dreams that are somehow continuous with everyday life.

Gaiman’s “gods” inhabit our everyday world, but they enter these other levels of which ordinary people are unaware.

Gaiman also tries to show that America has an essential surreal quality, that this land itself exists as a surreal ground, mysterious and powerful.

Pullman’s novel has a literary “root” in a difficult passage of Milton’s Paradise Lost, from which the phrase “his dark materials” has been taken for the title of the trilogy. More contemporary fantasy writers, particularly Michael Moorcock and Roger Zelazny, have important relations to Pullman’s work. Moorcock’s close to 30 novels that take place in a “multiverse” pretty much earned him a literary patent on that term, which Pullman also works with.

Zelazny wrote a good deal involving the Tarot. He probably wrote the first novel in which the narrative structure followed the major trumps of the Tarot, called Jack of Shadows. Also, his “Amber” novels, written

“The satirical impulse also includes the kind of images America projects of itself, such as the quiet normality of small-town life and television’s strangely sumptuous emptiness.”

American Gods also satirizes, and satire forms an important common feature of both novels. Gaiman’s institutional, satirical focus targets the intelligence community. I find this reminiscent of Thomas Pynchon’s magnificent novel Gravity’s Rainbow, which also satirized intelligence networks. With Gaiman, though, the satirical impulse also includes the kind of images America projects of itself, such as the quiet normality of smalltown life and television’s strangely sumptuous emptiness.

Both Pullman and Gaiman also have a spiritual focus, and their use of satire serves to strip away institutional claim about the nature of our reality, so that they can bring us

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | August 5, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

over a 20-year period, use the Tarot as an essential device for his major characters. Not only is Pullman’s “Alethiometer” a form of Tarot, but The Golden Compass apparently follows the major trumps as a narrative structure. James Thompson’s Victorian satire The City of Dreadful Night probably was the first instance of using the major trumps of the Tarot to structure a narrative in a complex poem written in 32 sections.

Italo Calvino’s books The Castle of Crossed Destinies and The Tavern of Crossed Destinies mention a version of the Tarot trump called “strength” that features a bear. Of course, Lyra’s great ally in “Compass” is a bear. The use of the Tarot in English literature probably traces back to Shelley’s poem, “The Mask of Anarchy.”

Gaiman mentions Zelazny in his dedication to American Gods, and allusions to Zelazny’s works occur regularly in Gaiman’s novel. Certainly imagery from Tarot trumps has great significance in this novel, which has 21 chapters and a “postscript.”

The Golden Compass features a Promethean gesture in which a child, Lyra, becomes a seer.

Many children are victimized in Pullman’s novel. This victimization becomes a central focus in American Gods as well. Children are paradoxically connected to the great paradox of the future. Both these novels see divination as an essential part of our spirituality.

A&E Calendar Highlights Friday

Thursday

The Greening of Southie Final pick of Back Row Film Series depicts “green building” in Boston. $10 6 p.m. reception, 6:30 p.m. screening, Q&A green|spaces, 63 E. Main St. www.artsedcouncil.org

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

Chattanooga Market Thursday Plaza Party 4 p.m. Miller Plaza, 850 Market St. www.chattanoogamarket.com Stephen Rolfe Powell Exhibition Curator Tour 6 p.m. Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944. www.huntermuseum.org The Mystery of the TV Talk Show 7 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. www.funnydinner.com Chattanooga Lookouts vs. West TN Diamond Jaxx 7:15 p.m. AT&T Field, 201 Power Alley. (423) 267-2208. www.lookouts.com David Alan Grier 8 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com Chattanooga Professional Photography Group Exhibit North River Civic Center, 1009 Executive Dr., Ste. 102.

(423) 870-8924.

“Fresh Coastal Scenes” Shuptrine Fine Art Group, 2646 Broad St. (423) 266-4453.

“New Imagery” opening reception Clay artists Sandy Blain and Holder McCurry.

Free 6:30 – 8 p.m.

River Gallery, 400 E. 2nd St. (423) 265-5033, ext. 5. www.river-gallery.com

Saturday

The Book of Liz Sedaris family fans should not miss this play, a collaboration between siblings Amy and David. $15 8 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Circle Stage, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com

Hubble in 3D 11 a.m., 1, 3, 5, 7 p.m. IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695.

Artist Demonstration: Sandy Blain 11:30 a.m. River Gallery, 400 E. 2nd St. (423) 265-5033. www.river-gallery.com “Horizons” Opening Reception 5 p.m. In-Town Gallery, 26A Frazier Ave. (423)267-9214. www.intowngallery.com “All Doe Eyed” Opening Reception 6 p.m. Leo Handmade Gallery, 22 Frazier Ave. leogallery.blogspot.com Chattanooga Lookouts vs. West TN Diamond Jaxx 7:15 p.m. AT&T Field, 201 Power Alley. (423) 267-2208.

David Alan Grier 7:30, 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233.

Smoke on the Mountain 7:30 p.m. The Colonnade Center, 264 Catoosa Crl., Ringgold, GA. (706) 935-9000. www.colonnadecenter.org

The Book of Liz 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com Avatar in 3D 8 p.m. IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695. www.tnaqua.org Mystery of Flight 138 8:30 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. www.funnydinner.com Female Impersonation Show Midnight. Images, 6065 Lee Hwy. (423) 855-8210. www.imagesbar.com “The Myth of Mary Gregory” Houston Museum of Decorative Arts, 201 High St. (423) 267-7176.

“Street Art” The Arts Center, Athens, TN. (423) 745-8781.

“The Way I See It” My Color Image Boutique and Gallery, 330 Frazier Ave. (423) 598-6202.

“New Imagery” River Gallery, 400 E. 2nd St. (423) 265-5033.

Sunday Chattanooga River Market 10 a.m. Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695. www.tnaqua.org Brainerd Farmers Market 10 a.m. Parking lot, Grace Episcopal Church, 20 Belvoir Ave. Hubble in 3D 11 a.m., 1, 3, 5, 7 p.m. IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695. www.tnaqua.org Mosaic Market (indoor artist market) 11 a.m. 412 Market St. (corner of 4th/Market). (423) 624-3915.

Art Til Dark Noon. Northshore next to Winder Binder Art Gallery. (423) 413-8999. arttildark.wordpress.com Smoke on the Mountain 1 p.m. The Colonnade Center, 264 Catoosa Circle, Ringgold, GA. (706) 935-9000. www.colonnadecenter.org Mystery of the Nightmare Office Party 6 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. www.funnydinner.com

Swagg Fest 2010 6 p.m. First Tennesee Pavilion, 1826 Reggie White Blvd.

(423) 266-4041 Sundown in St. Elmo 6 p.m. St. Elmo Ave. www.st-elmo.org David Alan Grier 7:30, 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com Smoke on the Mountain 7:30 p.m. The Colonnade Center, 264 Catoosa Circle, Ringgold, GA. (706) 935-9000. www.colonnadecenter.org Avatar in 3D 8 p.m. IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695. www.tnaqua.org Mystery of the Red Neck Italian Wedding 8:30 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. www.funnydinner.com Female Impersonation Show Midnight. Images, 6065 Lee Hwy. (423) 855-8210. www.imagesbar.com

Toyota Farm to Table at Chattanooga Market Sample the best that local farmers and chefs can cook up.

Free 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Chattanooga Market, First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Reggie White Blvd.

(423) 648-2496. www.chattanoogamarket.com

Chattanooga Market 11 a.m. First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Carter St. (423) 266-4041. www.chattanoogamarket.com David Alan Grier 8 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com Cherokee Stone Carvings Bill Shores Frame and Gallery, 307 Manufacturers Rd. (423) 756-6746. www.billshoresframes.com Stephen Rolfe Powell Glass Exhibition Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944. www.huntermuseum.org “All Doe Eyed” Leo Handmade Gallery, 22 Frazier Ave. leogallery.blogspot.com “Keeping It Alive” Asher Love Studio and Gallery, 3914 St. Elmo Ave., Ste. G. (423) 822-0289.

“Skins and Skeletons” AVA Gallery, 30 Frazier Ave. (423) 265-1282.

“Horizons” In-Town Gallery, 26A Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9214.

www.chattanoogapulse.com | August 5, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | The Pulse

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A&E Calendar Highlights Monday Center Stage: 92nd Street & Y Series 7:30 p.m. Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 N. Terrace Rd. (423) 493-0270. www.jewishchattanooga.com Speak Easy: Spoken Word and Poetry 8 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9040. www.mudpierestaurant.com “Transformation 6: Contemporary Works in Glass” Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944. www.huntermuseum.org “Horizons” In-Town Gallery, 26A Frazier Ave. (423)267-9214. www.intowngallery.com “Summer Salon 2010” Hanover Gallery, 111 Frazier Ave. (423) 648-0533.

Chattanooga Professional Photography Group Exhibit North River Civic Center, 1009 Executive Dr. Ste. 102.

(423) 870-8924.

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Tuesday Flick’s Café: Films of the 1990s 6:30 p.m. Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library, 1001 Broad St. (423) 757-5310. lib.chattanooga.gov Live Cabaret Show with James Breedwell 9, 11 p.m. Bourbon Street Music Bar, 2000 E. 23rd St. (423) 697-9957.

“Figures” Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 N. Terrace Rd. (423) 493-0270. www.jewishchattanooga.com “Fresh Coastal Scenes” Shuptrine Fine Art Group, 2646 Broad St. (423) 266-4453. www.shuptrinefineartgroup.com “The Myth of Mary Gregory” Houston Museum of Decorative Arts, 201 High St. (423) 267-7176.

“Street Art” The Arts Center, Athens, TN. (423) 745-8781.

“The Way I See It” My Color Image Boutique and Gallery, 330 Frazier Ave. (423) 598-6202.

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | August 5, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

Wednesday Main Street Farmers Market 4 p.m. Main St. at Williams St. www.mainstfarmersmarket.com Live Cabaret Show with James Breedwell 9, 11 p.m. Bourbon Street Music Bar, 2000 E. 23rd St. (423) 697-9957.

“Jellies: Living Art” Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944. www.huntermuseum.org “New Imagery” River Gallery, 400 E. 2nd St. (423) 265-5033. www.river-gallery.com “Southern Journeys” Chattanooga African American Museum, 200 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-8658.

Cherokee Stone Carvings Bill Shores Frame and Gallery, 307 Manufacturers Rd. (423) 756-6746. www.billshoresframes.com “All Doe Eyed” Leo Handmade Gallery, 22 Frazier Ave. leogallery.blogspot.com

Editor’s Pick: Featured Event Of The Week

Chattanooga Writers’ Guild Writers Workshop Sybil Baker leads mini-writing workshop on “How to Nurture Your Craft and Keep Improving.” Bring pencil, paper and the first paragraph of a story (or the complete story) and be prepared to work on it.

Free 7 p.m.

Tuesday, August 10 Hamilton County Bicentennial Library, 1001 Broad St. www.chattanoogawritersguild.org

JONESIN’

“The Damage Is Done” –a body of work in body work.

Free Will Astrology LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): For a special episode of her TV talk show, Oprah Winfrey wanted a stage set that was fabricated out of chocolate. It took workers 1,400 hours to construct it. When the day came to unveil the decadent monument, Oprah offered her audience members the chance to tear it apart, eat it, and take it home as plunder. They dismantled it in half an hour.

Let this be a cautionary tale, Leo. I dearly hope that the creation you’re beginning to work on will endure for a long time and continue to provide meaning and pleasure far past the time it makes its initial splash. Build your baby to last.

pumping up your yearning and stoking the fires of your ambition and fantasizing in explicit detail about a fantastic dream—on one condition: The object of your craving has to be real and achievable. It can’t be an impossible idol or remote delusion, nor can it be an escapist distraction. The longing you feel must empower you, not demoralize you. The vision that gets you activated each morning must be something you can actually manifest by carrying out a detailed, step-by-step master plan. If you’re willing to satisfy these provisions, you have my go-ahead to get more than a little wild with desire.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): New Age author Bob Frissell wrote a book called Nothing in This Book Is True, But It’s Exactly How Things Are. It contains a host of seemingly far-fetched theories about UFOs, crop circles, ascended masters, earth changes, and monuments on Mars, all of which adds up to a beguiling Theory of Everything about the hidden nature of reality. I see your life right now as having resemblances to this curious tome. If I had to give a title to the next chapter of your story, it might be “Nothing That’s Happening Will Make Much Sense Until It Has Finished Happening, Whereupon It Will Yield a Burst of Insight about the Big Picture of Your Destiny.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): When you try to communicate with a baby, you get nowhere if you talk as you normally do. Nor can you rely on your usual assumptions about human behavior as you read the baby’s verbal cues and body language. There’s a similar principle at work when you interact with animals: You have to speak a different language. And that brings us to your current challenge, Pisces. Life is currently sending you signals that will remain incomprehensible if you insist on interpreting them from the viewpoint of a rational adult. To decipher the encrypted code, you’ll have to get into a mindset that is equal parts child, animal, and angel.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): One of the best ways to cultivate your own radiant brilliance or native talent is to look for excellence in other people. So if you suspect there’s some half-hidden or partially dormant reservoir of genius within you—a mother lode of intelligence that you have not been fully successful in tapping into—I suggest you make it a point to identify the genius in everyone you know. Whether it’s your cousin’s knack for flower arrangement or your co-worker’s telepathic capacity to read the moods of people she wants something from, you can fuel your own luminosity by noticing and appreciating others’.

Across 1 “Australia” director Luhrmann 4 Sidearm outlaws pack 10 ___ Sutra 14 Tahiti, par exemple 15 “Ad astra per ___” 16 Mine, in Marseilles 17 Injury from Fluffy, perhaps 19 Below average 20 Jacob’s biblical twin 21 During every season 23 Word after acting or stink 26 Dog’s master 27 Tiebreaker rds.

30 Least based in reality 35 “Do or do not-there is no ___” 36 Pop-Tarts flavor released in the 2000s 39 ___ ex machina 40 Sky blue 41 Unlikely to bite 44 1961 album showing Sinatra straightening his tie 47 Online outburst 49 It may include a

five-point harness 50 Scrappy-___ 51 Ankle bones 53 With “off,” British swearer’s phrase 55 “I’ve got nothing else to say” 60 Al Kut’s country 64 Dog food once hawked by Ed McMahon 65 Two-Face’s alter ego, in the “Batman” series 68 One of 52 69 Cuban dance: var.

70 Half of half of half of octo71 Bum 72 Not goofing around 73 High school assembly goal Down 1 Bo who lost to Carrie Underwood on “American Idol” 2 “___, poor Yorick!”

3 Greek letter 4 “___-Man Fever” (1980s hit) 5 Haifa’s nat.

6 Perform part of a Bob Barker wish 7 Henri’s head 8 Killer whale 9 Bert who played the Cowardly Lion 10 Hard-hitting noise 11 Invoice phrase 12 Someone who’s the butt of many pranks 13 Use a clothespin, perhaps 18 Classroom replacement 22 “Portnoy’s Complaint” author Philip 24 Mystery craft 25 Classic arcade game with tractor beams 27 Cleaner’s condition 28 Most common word in English 29 Rationalizing from the inept 31 Early Hollywood agent Swifty 32 1990s dating show 33 Spookily weird 34 Opera subdivisions 37 CBS show with Eric Szmanda

38 “___ be an honor” 42 Letters on the 6 43 Ass’s asset?

45 “___: Los Angeles” (LL Cool J show) 46 Classic muscle car 47 Capital about 300 miles from New York City 48 He never finished his Tenth Symphony 52 Fuel the fire 54 Performed 56 “Comin’ ___ the Rye” 57 Jessica in a 1980s scandal 58 Stuck in ___ 59 Rating for “The Sopranos” 61 Enlist for another tour 62 Photographer Geddes 63 Head cleaner of sorts 66 “This is only a test” gp.

67 Talk and talk and talk and talk

Crossword created By Matt Jones. © 2010 Jonesin’ Crosswords. 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 #0479.

By Rob Brezsny Truthrooster@gmail.com

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Imagine you and I and a bunch of our friends are seven years old. We’re playing the rough game “King of the Mountain” on a huge pile of dirt. Since there are some girls among us, we’ve changed the name of the game to “Awesome Magic Boss of the Mountain.” Today, you’re the strongest one, warding off all challenges to your authority, pushing away everyone who tries to knock you off your place at the top. It’s like you have extra power you’ve never displayed before; as if you’re drawing on reserves of determination and stamina that were previously unavailable. I believe this is a metaphorically accurate portrayal of your actual life right now.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): My Sagittarius friend Lisa dreamed she was at a party with Jon Carroll, a writer she admires. In the dream, she managed to join a circle of people with whom he was conversing. Twice she tried to insinuate her way into the conversation with comments she thought were flattering to Jon. But he ignored her.

Finally she opened an oversized picture book she had with her and showed him a striking photo of a huge nest containing a speckled, glittery dragon’s egg. This caught his eye. He took her by the arm to a table where they pored over this fascinating image together. Learn from Lisa’s dream, Sagittarius. To captivate the attention of the people you’re interested in, appeal not to their vanity but to their imagination.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Homeboy Industries is an organization in East Los Angeles that helps former gang members find jobs. One of its most successful programs has trained over a hundred ex-cons as solar panel installers. That’s the kind of dramatic conversion I’d like to see you make in your own life, Capricorn—getting face to face with the most messed-up part of yourself and conspiring to transform it into something brighter and more useful. Now would be an excellent time to dive into that worthy project.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I’m all in favor of you

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The ancient Greek god Dionysus did not, in fact, encourage people to get sloppy drunk, lose control, and do stupid things. His preference was that they free themselves from their inhibitions by imbibing moderate amounts of alcohol. With this medicinal spur, they might get unstuck from their wornout old behavior patterns and invite refreshing doses of wildness into their lives. Healing was the intention, not craziness and frenzy. It is true that if someone was not willing to escape their rigidity—if they clung to their hidebound attitudes and refused to open up to the call of self-transformation—Dionysus might lure them into reckless inebriation. Keep these thoughts in mind in the coming weeks, Aries.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In her 1960 song “This Bitter Earth,” Dinah Washington sings, “If my life is like the dust that hides the glow of a rose / What good am I, heaven only knows.” I bring this to your attention, Taurus, because you now have the power to prove once and for all that your life is NOT like the dust that hides the glow of a rose. So please get out there and reveal the glory of the world you inhabit. Draw out and enhance the radiance of people you encounter. By week’s end, you may be able to say, as Washington does in the final line of the song, “This bitter earth may not be so bitter after all.”

(Hear the song here: tinyurl.com/BitterEarth.)

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): More than one-third of adults under 35 confess that right after making love, they tweet or text-message or check their Facebook pages. In the coming week, I strongly advise you not to do that or anything remotely like that. You should give your best, brightest, most focused attention to every phase of every adventure you have. The foreplay and the aftermath are just as important to the total revelation as the height of the action. This is a time in your long-term cycle when you can’t afford to scrimp on completion and closure and resolution.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): August is Banish Your Superstitions Month, Cancerian. To celebrate this auspicious festival, purge yourself of every irrational belief and unfounded fear you can stand to live without.

But also keep in mind that you may have to keep a crazy delusion or two, at least for a while. You’ve become so used to your chronic anxiety that it might be risky to get rid of it all at once. So proceed deliberately, casting off one false belief today and another quaint fallacy tomorrow and a third rotten figment of your imagination next week. By September 1, you may be surprised to see how high you’ve ratcheted up your level of fearlessness.

www.chattanoogapulse.com | August 5, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | The Pulse

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On The Beat

By Alex Teach

Stupid Cup Racing I

t happened again. All I was trying to do was to go home—is that too much to ask? I’m a simple man; even the home I was traveling to is simple…but alas, the car I drive is anything but.

“As I finally get to the window of the cab driver's door, she rolls it down and in complete sincerity says, ‘Is something wrong?’ I could have bitten through my watch.”

When Officer Alexander D. Teach is not patrolling our fair city on the heels of the criminal element, he is an occasional student, carpenter, boating enthusiast, and spends his spare time volunteering for the Boehm Birth Defects Center. To contact him directtly, follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/alex.teach

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It’s marked on all sides, even the roof, with strong yet tasteful indicators of where I work and what I do. The city seal and the stripes, they’re pure fluff. But the word “POLICE” is there too, in dark letters three inches high next to that distinctive set of numbers that allows you, Mr. & Mrs. Public, to keep us honest when speed slips our mind.

Where was I? Ah. I drive a complicated car, because like all good things it comes with rules, the first of which is “If You Blow Past a Marked Police Car, You Are Very Possibly Crazy And Bear Inspection.”

I’m not talking about the state trooper doing 50 in a 55-mph zone you develop ulcers over when debating on passing or not because you’ve been doing under the speed limit on a three-lane highway for 10 miles. No, I’m talking about the gray area of 55-65 mph we live in, where you’re clearly exceeding the “limit” aspect of “speed limit”, but not worthy of legal intervention. It’s where I live, and proudly so. So when a taxi blows past me doing in excess of 80 mph in the 55 zone in which I’m travelling 60 or so, there had better be amniotic fluid leaking from the rear doors on the way to the hospital, and even then…there better be a baby in the next hour after I safely escort you to the hospital.

I did what I usually do; I sped up as well and paced the car to get an accurate reading of speed.

In this case the certified calibration on my dash display pegged my daredevil at 82 mph, well into my adjusted range for “Worth the Trouble” of ticket writing. But what you also may not know is that I’m giving you an opportunity during

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | August 5, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

those moments to see me behind you and change your behavior.

That’s the goal of traffic law enforcement, you know. The cameras in the S-curves on Hixson Pike? People slowed down, and we have gone from 8 to 0 (zero) fatalities there since they were installed. They genuinely, unequivocally, changed behavior. And if you don’t change? If you didn’t notice the cop in his ridiculous car because you were traveling too fast to register this while you were texting and smoking while talking on the cell while applying make-up, and still don’t see him or her behind you for the same reason? Well, then you are an idiot, and behavior modification will then be turned over to the court system.

The genius tapped his brakes as if startled, but did not slow down. He or she just…kept going.

Now my alert level goes up a notch because the person that is already potentially “Crazy” is now apparently “refusing to stop” as well (which is the professional phrase for “Finna’ Run”).

But fortunately for me my young Einstein was slowing down, and ultimately did stop… …right into the fast lane of traffic on State Highway 153 at 5 p.m. on a Friday near Bonny Oaks Drive.

Semi-trucks and hundreds of commuters began swerving around customer and cop alike; I alternated staring in my rearview in terror and at my customer with galactic annoyance, and with yelps and whoops of the siren for effect, I pressed the PA microphone to my lips and began to yell “GET OVER TO THE RIGHT! YIELD TO THE RIGHT! MOVE OVER TO THE RIGHT!” (There was no foul language used, as alleged. I promise.)

For my third surprise of the evening, this Rhodes Scholar does just that and pulls hard to the right…not waiting for traffic on this unrestricted highway to slow down, much less stop. And as God often does, that fool was taken

care of. I, however, was left on my own.

By the time I got over, I had to pass this car and park in front of it.

(Please know that I cannot sufficiently describe how alien this is to the average cop. It is literally the reverse of all training; you are at a complete disadvantage. Approaching from the front you cannot see the driver through he angled windshield, while they of course can see you. If they don’t have a gun, they can just run over you as well. It’s awful.)

So I’m walking back, sweat from stuffy heat and frustration beading and rolling down my forehead and as I finally get to the window of the cab driver's door, she rolls it down and in complete sincerity says, “Is something wrong?” I could have bitten through my watch.

Well, yes. You passed a marked police car driving more than 80. Still sped after I got behind you. Then you stopped in the middle of a highway during rush hour. “License and proof of insurance, please.”

“What? I thought I was supposed to pull over.

I never did this before.” (She fumbled around, and in the end, had no insurance.)

“This is a cab,” I said, “You’re literally a professional driver. And stopping in the fast lane…is not pulling over. THIS is pulling over.

Are you drunk? Is that it?” Sweat dripped off the tip of my nose. “Were you trying to kill me? You stopped in the middle of traffic, in the fast lane.

What were you thinking?” I slipped a little…I admit it. But the questions were fair.

“What?! I ain’t drunk. I’m real good at this!

You can’t talk at me that way.”

“But you’re not,” I said. “And I can,” I said.

And in the end, the tickets fell like rain…because her behavior definitely needed Changing.

Did I mention the city employee pharmacy cut off my stomach meds today? Yeah.

I just wanted to go home.

Joy Stick

By Erik Bhatnagar

Alan Wake Deserves A Second Look Instead of reviewing a new game for this issue. I decided to pick a game that has been out for a few months. Alan Wake is an Xbox 360 exclusive that came out on the same day as Red Dead Redemption did—and ruled the competition. While that game deserves its success, Alan Wake is great and really deserves a second look.

“Alan Wake” is not only the name of the game, but also the name of your main character, who’s a famous writer with writer’s block and tired of the pressure. He and his wife, Alice, decide to vacation at Bright Falls, a small mountain town, where he can clear his head and relax, and hopefully rid himself of writer’s block—but it doesn’t turn out as planned.

Alan awakes to find himself in a car at the edge of a cliff, no wife and no memory—and in the middle of being attacked. Without spoiling the plot, it is all very much like his writing. With that said, the game follows a simple, but effective path. During the day, Alan walks around Bright Falls, talking to everyone, trying to find out what happened to Alice and his memories.

Each character he meets, from the sheriff to the quirky old doctor, feels like they are straight out of a

mystery novel and also feels authentic in this game. In the daytime, Bright Falls is one of the most beautiful video game locations; full of lush mountains, numerous trees, and lakes and rivers that almost seem real.

At night, the beauty is still there (with a creepy vibe to it) but that’s when the game becomes good. Armed with only a flashlight and a gun, Alan must venture into the forests for various reasons, fighting off mysterious figures. Bullets do nothing; only light from the flashlight burns the “darkness” out of them.

The game also has some items to collect. Coffee thermoses are passable—the real treat is when you find pages of Alan’s novel. They not only give you insights into characters’ minds, but can vaguely tell you what is

to come later in the game.

The downside is Alan is whiny and complacent with a temper problem towards Alice, who is loving and supportive. Alan Wake has become one of the biggest surprises of the year and if you still haven’t played it, I highly recommend that you give it a try.

Play N Trade, 5084 South Terrace, Suite 18, East Ridge.

www.chattanoogapulse.com | August 5, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | The Pulse

29

Film Feature

By John DeVore

Outstaying Their Dining Welcome D

inner for Schmucks is the funniest comedy to come out this summer, which makes the current state of movie comedy a barren wasteland of silly slapstick and unconvincing awkwardness. Judging from the trailers before the movie, Dinner for Schmucks might end up being the best comedy of the year.

Comedy is hard to make. I understand. I really, really do. Action movies, romance movies, horror movies, and thrillers can rely on convention. They can frequently repeat what has been done before and still make a watchable, decent film. Comedy doesn’t have that luxury. Every time you hear or see a joke, the humor is lessened. Repetition is an important rule of comedy, up to a point. But there are only so many stories about lovable fools with poor social skills audiences can handle before it becomes stale. Steve Carell pushes his character Barry to the cusp, and in the process creates some honest laughs, but overall, there’s a little too much fool and not enough love.

Tim (Paul Rudd) works for a company.

Other characters call him a stockbroker, which he maintains is incorrect, but it honestly doesn’t matter. The company is large; they have clients that pay them to do something and are in a market to make lots of money. The upper management of the company has little interest in being good people. That’s why they have a monthly dinner for “people with special talents,” otherwise known as idiots. Tim wants a promotion and to make a good impression on his boss, he has to bring an idiot to the dinner so that they can be made fun of. His girlfriend, playing the stereotypical nice girl, of course disapproves, which becomes a point of contention and a springboard for misunderstandings of epic proportions.

Paul Rudd is the straight man in this picture, which I think wastes a great comic actor. Someone of his caliber should be given more to work with, but he comes across as simply a sounding board for Steve Carell and the other fools who permeate the cast.

Carell plays Barry, a man who works for the IRS, and also painstakingly creates Americana scenes with dead mice in his spare time. He is completely oblivious to how he

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | August 5, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

appears to other people. Danger, confusion, social convention, and good sense are all lost on this man who is blissfully unaware of just about everything. Of course, he is considered the king of idiots by Tim’s work buddies.

Carell has become one of those actors whose mere presence in a film serves as a distraction from the film itself. Barry is a combination of several Steve Carell characters from other works; he has the childlike confusion of Anchorman’s Brick Tamland, the awkward mannerisms of Michael Scott of The Office, and the nice guy vibe we get from Andy in The 40 Year Old Virgin.

This movie doesn’t have the cast to appropriately blend Carell into the ensemble, which makes the film a series of increasingly absurd Steven Carellian antics. A lot of the time, they are funny. But the longer the film goes on, the less the audience buys it. The funniest scene of the movie, the dinner itself, was unfortunately ruined by the majority of it being depicted in the trailer. If the best jokes of the film have to be used to attract the audience, the audience is invariably going to be disappointed in the experience.

I can’t review this movie without mentioning one other character: Therman, played by Zack Galafinakis, is a definite high point. Galafinakis is a rare Andy Kaufmanesque talent in the movie industry right now. He is capable of transforming himself into ridiculous, hilarious characters

without appearing disingenuous. Therman also works at the IRS and has a produced a pamphlet on mind reading that he sells from his web site. He wields an intense amount of power over Barry, who is dumb enough to believe that he is vulnerable to psychic attacks. There is an unnecessary subplot that involves a sappy love triangle between the two, which is included to garner sympathy for Barry. We don’t need it because a natural rivalry would occur between the two.

Galafinakis is in a precarious position after his success with The Hangover. In a way, he is where Steve Carell was a few years ago. He needs to focus his attention on remaining a supporting character, a Hollywood “that guy.”

Too much of his talent would easily ruin a potentially great comedy. In this film, he serves as a welcome break from Barry.

The last good comedy I saw in theatres was The Hangover. The film worked because it didn’t have any distracting actors, didn’t hold to conventional comic processes, and added a sense of mystery to the overall plot. Dinner for Schmucks took a good idea and let the film take a backseat to its star.

Dinner for Schmucks Directed by Jay Roach Starring Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zack Galafinakis Rated PG-13 Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes

New In Theaters

By Gary Poole

The Other Guys Two mismatched New York City detectives seize an opportunity to step up like the city’s top cops, whom they idolize—only things don’t quite go as planned. NYPD Detectives Christopher Danson and P.K. Highsmith are the baddest and most beloved cops in New York City. They don’t get tattoos—other men get tattoos of them. Two desks over and one back, sit Detectives Allen Gamble and Terry Hoitz. You’ve seen them in the background of photos of Danson and Highsmith, out of focus and eyes closed. They’re not heroes— they’re “The Other Guys.” But every cop has his or her day, and soon Gamble and Hoitz stumble into a seemingly innocuous case no other detective wants to touch that could turn into New York City’s biggest crime. It’s the opportunity of their lives, but do these guys have the right stuff? A nice twist on the usual buddy-cop plot, and one that allows the rather unusual pairing of

Step Up 3-D The latest installment of the popular dance movie series finds the kids from the Maryland School of the Arts head to Paris for an international dance competition. But when Moose misses the flight home, he is inducted into the city’s underground dance scene, which is about to have its own contest. The case of a stolen routine finds Moose looking to bring some of his friends back to the City of Lights for the event. Producer Adam Shankman (a judge on the hit So You Think You Can Dance? program) boasts that the film contains some of the best young dancers in the world.

Starring Rick Malambri, Adam G. Sevani, Sharni Vinson, Alyson Stoner Directed by Jon Chu

Middle Men In 1995, everyone had a VCR, music was sold in record stores, and the World Wide Web was a new invention.

Businessman Jack Harris had the perfect life: a beautiful family and a successful career fixing problem companies. Then

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg to play against all the well-worn stereotypes of cop movies.

Starring Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Dwayne Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson Directed by Adam McKay he meets Wayne Beering and Buck Dolby, two brilliant but troubled men, who have invented a way adult entertainment could be sold over the Internet. When Jack agrees to help steer their business, he soon finds himself caught between a 23-year-old porn star and the FBI, all the while becoming one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs of his time. What makes the story intriguing is that it is based on the true story of how pornography found a very profitable home on the Internet.

Starring Luke Wilson, Giovanni Ribisi, Gabriel Macht Directed by George Gallo

Twelve In New York City’s Upper East Side, the life of a young drug dealer begins to fall apart after his cousin is murdered and his best friend arrested for the crime.

He watches as his high-rolling life is dismantled in the wake of the murder, in Joel Schumacher's latest indie drama.

Starring Chace Crawford, Emma Roberts, Rory Culkin Directed by Joel Schumacher www.chattanoogapulse.com | August 5, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | The Pulse

31

Spirits Within

By Joshua Hurley

Solution To Last Week’s Crossword

Out of the Box

Crossword solutions every week at www.chattanoogapulse.com

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | August 5, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

Last week, I helped a woman decide how much and what kind of wine she needed for her daughter’s wedding reception. She was going to serve 75 guests during four hours and decided one-and-a-half glasses of wine per hour would suffice. I recommended six threeliter boxes of assorted varietal wine. Her reply: “No, box wine is bottom of the barrel.”

Well, that may have been true 10 years ago, but today, premium wines are available in boxes for low prices. So this week’s “Great Buy” takes us to our box wine section. Great Buys is where Riley’s Wine and Spirits on Hixson Pike in Hixson picks something special out of the area’s largest selection of wine and spirits from around the world and shares it with the readership of The Pulse.

A wine in a box’s main advantage is that it prevents oxidation of the wine during dispensing, as opposed to wine in a bottle, which when opened begins to oxidize immediately. Its only major drawback is that the bags are not airtight and contain oxygen, shortening the wine’s shelf life. Make sure you check the box’s “best if before date” and remember, “you can’t cellar box wine”!

So for the wine consumer who loves one to two glasses a night, to the worried host who has 100 guests to serve on a limited budget, box wines offer a convenience of quality taste, low price and easy clean up. The last half-decade has seen an emergence of higher-quality wines in a box that easily surpass Franzia or Peter Vella in taste and overall quality.

Here are some to consider: Hardy’s of Australia 3-Liter Box, $17.99 plus tax: Chardonnay: Great aromas and flavors of fresh peaches, tropical fruit and toasted oak.

Riesling: crisp flavors of lemon, lime and green apples. This is a soft, fruitforward riesling with no acidity.

Shiraz: Hardy’s offers Australia’s trademark red wine with full, fruitforward flavors of plum, red berry and

spice with a finish of toasted oak.

Merlot: Aromas and flavors of plums, blackberries and cedar.

Cabernet Sauvignon: This cab offers flavors of cherry, blackberries, cassis and spice.

Fish Eye from California 3-Liter Box, $16.34 plus tax: If you like Yellow Tail, then you’ll feel right at home with what tastes like a domestic equivalent.

Chardonnay: Delivers a full, fruitforward taste that includes flavors of pear, pineapple and apple pie!

Pinot Grigio: A softer-style white, good for this summer heat, contains flavors of honeydew melon, apricot and ginger.

Cabernet Sauvignon: Offers an intense flavor spectrum of currant, cherry and plum.

Merlot: Slightly softer than the cab and certainly smoother, Fish Eye Merlot offers jammy flavors of blueberries and strawberries.

Shiraz: Offers the structure and characteristics of shiraz with a flavor medley of berries.

Black Box Wines 3-Liter Box, $19.77 plus tax, Sonoma Reserve Merlot, $24.76 plus tax: Black Box offers six varietal wines from the best growing regions in the world.

Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles: Offers a deep tannic structure with flavors of blackberries, black currant and chocolate.

Sonoma Reserve Merlot: Structure is huge with heavy tannins, while still maintaining a proper balance of oak and wild berries.

California Merlot: Not as tannic as the Sonoma Reserve, offers flavors of red berries.

Mendoza Malbec: Argentinean juice puts this malbec a cut above any other domestic.

Monterey Chardonnay: Coming from California’s best growing region for chardonnay Pinot Grigio Italy: If you’re going to drink pinot grigio, make sure it comes from Italy where grigio’s character tends to be crisp, light and dry.

The Pulse • Dining Out Spotlight

Spoony Over Food on Frazier

by D. E. Langley One of the most pleasing aspects of patronizing a local business is getting to experience its atmosphere.

Each reflects its owners’ unique sensibilities as well as their vision for what the establishment should and will be.

The Urban Spoon is a prime example. Located on Frazier Avenue, the restaurant exudes the friendliness and charm of its owners, Greg and Charla Filter. The visual treat that greets guests in the bright dining room sets the tone for the dining experience to follow. The walls are festooned with local art by the likes of Jim Collins and Leslie Dulin, branches from the Filters’ own apple tree hang above the windows, and carafes of “Tennessee Table Wine” (also known as sweet tea) sit on the tables alongside Mason jars for serving. A cabinet in the corner serves as a cookbook library for guests to peruse, and colorful jars of both pickles and pickled eggs sit atop the counter. Intimacy and hospitality are the order of the day here, as Charla runs the front of house and Greg runs the back.

The Filters didn’t actually set out to open a restaurant. For years now, they’ve been pleasing hundreds of diners at a time through their service Connoisseurs Catering.

Sourcing from all sorts of cuisines, they’ve achieved commercial success and received accolades. Finally, though, they decided to give something different a try, and opened their doors to the public in June.

Despite their previous successes within the genre, don’t expect to find a fusion menu here. The cuisine at The Urban Spoon, as reflected by the decor, is decidedly Contemporary Southern. I asked Greg why, with their experiences in such

varied cuisines, they chose a Southern focus. “We try to give people what they want…with the way things have been over the last couple of years, I think people want to feel comfortable again,” he says.

With that said, don’t expect typical meatand-three style plates. To the Filters, “contemporary” doesn’t mean throwing together the same old dishes using highend ingredients—though their ingredients are top-notch. It means reconceptualizing what it is about a dish that makes it so comforting in the first place, and using that as a starting point for creating fresh flavors and dishes that are both familiar and eyeopening at the same time.

Take, for instance, the “Pork-N-Beans”— hardly a dish that comes to mind when one thinks “contemporary.” Now, think white beans and mirepoix, slow-cooked in a whiskey-honey sauce, topped with smoked pork loin and finished with Tennessee cheddar. This juxtaposition between classic and unconventional defines every dish at The Urban Spoon. Another prime example is the brisket, the likes of which you won’t

find at any old roadside steakhouse. Served atop mashed potatoes and accompanied by collard greens (cooked the oldschool way), the plate is finished with a poblano pepper gravy. In addition to hearty entrees like these, The Daily Spoon offers seasonally based daily soups and specials (though you may have a hard time ordering the soup of the day after you try their Suck Creek Stew!) and sweet treats like Moonpie Banana Pudding and a Cobbler of the Day. Don’t be led to think they stray too far from the archetype, though.

All these dishes, sophisticated as they may be, are informed by the same sensibilities that the Filters are. You can taste their friendliness and affability in each bite.

The meats are smoked by Greg himself, using wood from the same apple tree that supplied the branches hanging over the windows. Charla and Greg both check in with diners to make sure everyone feels right at home.

While they’re currently serving up their dishes for lunch only, they look to keep expanding to meet the already growing demand for their brand of Southern classics.

Diners can even order up their meal to eat al fresco wherever they like, complete with a picnic basket and linen for a nominal fee.

Who knows? If they keep packing the dining room, they’ll have to start staying open through dinner just to accommodate all the comfort-seekers.

The Urban Spoon, 207 Frazier Avenue.

Open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (423) 710-3252 or check out “The Urban Spoon” on Facebook.com.

www.chattanoogapulse.com | August 5, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | The Pulse

33

Ask A Mexican!

By Gustavo Arellano

Just the Facts, Senora

“The truth is like a Mexican: it can be ignored, spat upon, ridiculed, even deported, but it wins out. It perseveres.”

Ask the Mexican at themexican@ askamexican.net, be his fan on Facebook, follow him on Twitter or ask him a video question at youtube.com/askamexicano!

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Dear Mexican, I am a retired gringa living in Mazatlán, Sinaloa. Most of us foreigners here are liberal and sympathetic to the immigration problem, which the U.S. Congress refuses to address in a meaningful way. Unfortunately, I get lots of emails from acquaintances “apprising” me of the horrible situation in el Norte, and how all their tax dollars are being spent to educate and provide medical and Social Security benefits (Yes! They say that!) to these “criminals.” I used to laboriously write letters and show statistics and all that. IT DOESN’T DO ANY GOOD. Now, I ignore the messages but feel guilty about not trying to correct the bullshit. Can you give me a good short response to those emails? Something in Spanish telling them they are stupid would be nice, but some of them are actually friends! I will be forever grateful.

— Gringa Near the Agua Dear Gabacha Cerca de la Water, No, you should always respond with facts and stats, preferably disseminated by your humble Mexican scribe. Here’s a new one: did you know that fully 100 percent of supporters of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Arizona governor Jan Brewer are fools? It’s the truest stat since someone determined that the sun rises and sets every day in the world’s non-polar regions. In reality, por favor never stop spreading the truth. The truth is like a Mexican: it can be ignored, spat upon, ridiculed, even deported, but it wins out. It perseveres. And the truth (and a Mexican) eventually multiplies to the point where it overwhelms anything before

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 31 | August 5, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

it. Name-calling and insults are muy fun, but pointless unless you come armed with those facts and stats—that has been this column’s mantra since Día One. Please do continue to provide stats to your so-called amigos; as for the good, short response to end each letter: ¡A LA CHINGADA CON ARPAYASO Y BREWJA! Dear Mexican, I’m an old school veterano wondering why young 20and 30-something Hispanic professionals are so afraid of the Chicano Movement. Is it because of those meanlooking Brown Berets? The women Brown Berets wore mini-skirts and go-go boots, but I admit even they looked angry. Or is it because of those Chicano and Chicana high school students who busted out of school to protest racism when they should have been going to their private SAT prep classes (oh wait: we couldn’t afford those)? Or is it because some Movement leaders like Reies Tijerina spoke Spanish really fast? I know there are no more problems for young Raza with the educational system and foreign wars, but maybe ya’ll should cut the poor old movimiento some slack.

— En Pie de Lucha (With my Cane) Dear In Struggle (Con mi Bastón), Same reason those same professionals criticize undocumented college students for staging protests outside the offices of Democratic Party bigwigs who don’t push

enough for the DREAM Act, or why trade unions join forces with captains of industry today, alliances that would’ve wobbled the senses of their predecessors. It’s the same reason why the descendants of wops (like Arpayaso), micks, Polacks, and Krauts agitate for Know Nothing policies today.

It’s the American way, profe: when people get their slice of the pastel, they forget the radicalism and activism that created the path that allows them to exist and be successful pendejos. But I do have to admit that in the case of hard-line Chicanos, many of our more-assimilated, less-radical hermanos y hermanas also don’t like y’all because of your nasty puritanical streak. Can’t tell you how many letters I get from otherwise-down people whom yaktivists ridicule because their skin is too light, their Spanish is too pocho, or because they can’t recite the poetry of Nezahuacoyotl upon request. Onward with la causa, but let’s leave ideological tests solely to politics and not to how mexicano one is, ¿sale?